Thursday, August 12, 2010

Attack on adoptions?

A dear sweet friend told me about this article. I mean it to be encouragement for those of you that have friends going through this process. It is a walk of faith and not for the faint of heart.
http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/08/spiritual-attack-for-those-who-adopt.html
Keep praying for those you know who are fostering or adopting. Pray those that are called to care for the fatherless.
Ami

Sunday, August 8, 2010

being lonely in a room full of people

Okay, I just read a dear friend's Facebook post. I did not ask permission to write about this but suffice it to say the majority of you do not know her.
What she had to say nearly broke my heart.
These are her words:
It was just weird. I can talk to ANYONE..and I don't sit around waiting for ...someone to speak to me..Today was a kids pool party. My children had a blast.i helped pour drinks and set out pizza and pick up trash..I was right there, but honestly, people kind of clustered up around the pool and it wasn't where you could just plop down and get in a conversation. I think folks are just so stressed out in their own lives or something that they really can't see others and I don't particularly "look" lonely.....hard to look that way with 6 kids following you..LOL but they had no idea how I would have loved to have visited with another woman ..just to talk about..ANYTHING really..just goes to show you that you never know what people are thinking...God will use this in me for His purposes, I am sure...
As you know my husband and I are passionate about following Jesus' lead in serving people. We want to be His hands and feet. We know that we do not need to add to the finished work of Christ on the cross however; we are living in a time like never before when we are surrounded by a sea of Lonely people. Do we recognize that? It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day of just trying to "survive" I say that tongue in cheek. As Americans and especially if we are believers we have been given life to the fullest. We are very blessed. Do we use our blessings to bless others or are we constantly so focused on ourselves that we can't see the needs of our neighbors, friends, cashiers at the grocery store, or even our own family?
Just 3 days ago my spiritual "Dad" passed into Glory. Oh how I loved him! he was always there for me and for our family. He never let us go or gave up hope that God would do Great and mighty works in our life. My husband and I had been meeting with he and his wife for some time on a weekly basis. We prayed, we laughed, we cried. They were there in our time of loneliness and great need. Adrian and I are more convinced than ever that we want to be that kind of a couple. We may not be able to do everything, but like my dear "dad" said---do what the Lord puts in front of you---you can't do everything, put God first, your mate second and everything else third. That is our goal and aim. We serve an audience of One.
For His Glory
Ami

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Wal-Mart saving you money? I think not

Okay if you are one of those typical Americans who just eats whatever food companies package up as "nutritional, fast, and easy" this blog post isn't for you. However if you are into eating HEALTHY and SAVING money then here you go. For three years now I have sworn off Wal-Mart. I do not have a hard time sticking to a list and only getting what I need, however once I did a cost comparison between our local Kroger and Wal-Mart I realized I could save more than a hundred dollars a month! Wow, that's a lot of moolah!
I also got a Sam's Club membership. I only buy the produce and some meat and fish. If I were to buy the same amount of organic lettuce mix at Kroger it would be more than $30. At Sam's its around $3.00 YES you read that right.
So without further adieu here is a blog post written by someone else. It's everything I have wanted to put into words but haven't had time to:
http://allrecipes.com/Cook/1581332/BlogEntry.aspx?postid=189004
Happy Cooking!
Ami

Friday, July 30, 2010

Helping a friend

We have some friends who are in the process of adopting. Please read about how you can help here: http://helpushelpchildren.blogspot.com/
There is a precious boy waiting to come home. Will you help us help him?
Thank you,
Ami

Monday, July 12, 2010

Foster Care Prayer Requests

This is Amazing. Please read and pray!
Foster Care Prayer Requests

1.Pray for the children entering foster care today, that they find an appropriate, kind and loving foster family to care for them until their birth families or relatives are able to do so.

2.Pray for the sibling groups of children entering foster care today, that they will be placed together in one foster home.

3.Pray for all the foster children in care, that their first foster home is also their last foster home, as multiple placements rob children of stability and love which is required to build the self-esteem needed to grow into responsible, caring adults.

4.Pray that more singles, couples and families become foster parents. More experienced and caring foster homes are needed to enable Division of Youth and Families Services to make appropriate placements that keep siblings together, make the first foster placement the only foster care placement, and assure each foster home is able and willing to meet the special needs of their foster children.

5.Pray that all children in out-of-home care will quickly return to a safe home or find an alternative permanent and loving home.

6.Please pray for God's intervention with all families, particularly those struggling against alcohol and drug abuse, and mental illness, to enable them to successfully complete programs for recovery, and allow the reunification of foster children to safe and caring birth families.

7.Please pray that the federal, state and local governments, will see the plight of so many of our children whose families are wrecked by drug and alcohol abuse, and work toward prevention and increasing services for addicts, particularly addicts with children.

8.Pray that God blesses all the Division of Youth and Families Services caseworkers and staff who make decisions daily which have a huge impact on the lives of children and families. Their job is a thankless one, requiring walking a thin line, in that they are continually criticized for being too intrusive, removing children too quickly; and for not acting quickly enough, whenever a child is abused.

9.When a family reunification is unlikely in a reasonable time period, we pray that God's hand guides the judges at termination of parental rights trials to make their decision in the child's best interest. God bless the judges who must decide whether or not children return to birth families or become freed for adoption.

10.Pray for all those children whose birth families are unable to care for them, are freed for adoption, but have nobody willing to give them a forever home. Although more than 80 percent of foster children freed for adoption are adopted by their foster families, today there are 500 children awaiting forever homes in New Jersey.

11.Pray that foster and adoptive families and their children receive the support and understanding of their communities.

12. Bless those who put idea into action and make a positive difference in the lives of children, particularly children in foster care.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Janet Farrand is a 15 year foster and adoptive parent, President of Foster and Adoptive Family Services, and founder of the program. Janet and Geneva Hill, a foster and adoptive parent and past President of the Essex County Foster and Adoptive Family Services, wrote the prayer concerns. Janet can be reached at jlfarrand@earthlink.net. For more information about becoming a foster parent or adopting in New Jersey, please call 1-800-222-0047.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Meeting for the first time

As I read this blog post I was awestruck at how kind our God really is. We were unable to go to Liberia with our team. We didn't get to meet our children, but God knew why. That is enough. I am filled with Joy for our friends in Christ and look forward to a day when all our family can be together, whether in Heaven or on Earth.
http://whenyouriseup.blogspot.com/2010/06/liberia-part-1-moments-of-meeting.html
I received a letter from Lydia and Leo's foster mom today and several pictures from a friend via email.
I am filled with emotion. Thank you Lord. Your timing is perfect and that is enough.
Ami

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Debt

Do you have debt? How much? $500? $500,000? Are you a Christian? Do you know that even if you owe no monetary debt you have a debt you can never pay?
Romans 13:8 tlb says "Pay ALL your debts except the debt of Love for others----never finish paying that!"
I think it is interesting how God gives us the command to pay all of our debts except for the debt of love we owe others. When I think of the word love I think of it as a verb. Something you do. I Corinthians chapter 13---the LOVE chapter, it's unattainable. We may get bits and pieces of it from time to time but we are never gonna get it and are never gonna get it all right. So why would God give us a debt that we can't pay when He Clearly commands us to pay ALL our debts except that one? I don't pretend to know this. One thought that comes to mind is we are infinitely selfish creatures. To love others is easy for some and most difficult for others. I believe each of us has been given a gift to love others as we draw on God's love for us.
I hear a lot of talk of Grace and how we don't have to add to the finished work of Christ. I believe that with all my heart however I also read in scripture we have a debt to pay----that we are commanded to never stop paying. Wow. Now that is convicting! I don't want to love my neighbors sometimes. It isn't convenient. It gets in the way of what I want to do and what I think I need to do.It takes time, you know?
I Corinthians 13 gives a great description of what Love is and isn't. I have a poster of it in my kitchen.
It says:
Love is Patient
Love is Kind
It does not want what belongs to others.
It does not brag.
It is not proud.
It is not rude.
It does not look out for its own interests.
It does not easily become angry.
It does not keep track of wrongs.
Love is not happy with evil.
But is full of Joy when the truth is spoken.
It Always protects.
It always trusts.
It always hopes.
It never gives up.
Love never fails.
How kind of God to give us our entire life to pay this debt. I know I am going to need a lifetime and then some!
Keep pressing in and keep looking up. If you do have monetary debt--get out of it as soon as possible so that you may become a slave to God and not to the lender.
And while you're at it---start today by loving your neighbor in a practical way. Figure out what that looks like for you and just do it. Remember the scripture that says to "Practice Hospitality" I believe "Practice Makes Progress" So practice hospitality and start practicing loving your neighbor. Do it today.