Blake, Kanaan, Chloe, Nate and Kayla
Kanaan 
Chloe 
Nate 
Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
The following words were penned by two women, Trina, who is a good friend and Amy,whom I do not know but who obviously have a deep love and passion for orphans. God has used their words to touch a number of people I know personally and countless that I have never met.
I didn't write this story and actually not sure who did. The author, more than likely has been where most of us have been at one point...the fears of the unknown. If God has called us to something, He will hold our hand every step of the way. After we surrender to God and obey his calling on our lives...in any area...., fear is lifted....and many, many blessings flow. Obedience. Trust. Faith. PEACE.
Imagine with me for a minute…
Right now, today… you are small and alone.
You are hungry and lost.
You have no home, no parents, and seemingly no future.
You are scared, and weak, from days without food. You have nowhere to go, nowhere to be.
People walk by you but they don’t even look your way. It's like you are invisible, nothing.
You keep walking, your feet are bleeding and sore and yet still you manage to cling to the small bit of hope, the little voice inside your head that says maybe, just maybe, one day things will get better.
Maybe one day -you will matter.
It is getting dark outside- inside your fear is growing.
Where will you go?
Your heart is beating faster, and your fear becomes overwhelming, consuming your every thought.
Then you see it, a dirty, broken cardboard box and you bow your head thanking God for His
provision.
For you have found it- shelter.
Safety, if only for one night.
You slip underneath it, hugging yourself, vowing once again not to cry- because by now you know tears are a waste of your strength.
Your eyes become heavy, despite the sweltering temperature.
As you begin to drift off to sleep you pray, hoping, dreaming, of a family of your own one day...
of a place where you will matter...
to someone.
Somewhere else in the world is a family...
They are just sitting down to dinner together.
They are smiling and their laughter fills the room.
Dinner is served and they bow their heads and they pray- thanking God for their many blessings their home, their job, the food that is set before them.
They lift their heads and go back to the laughter and the joy.
They talk of their upcoming vacation plans, the lunch date they shared with a friend today and the movie they plan to see this coming weekend.
More laughter, more excitement, more.
As the leftovers are scraped into the garbage can and the table is cleaned up, hot bubble bathes are taken by all.
Evening settles in, and the family slips under their down comforters preparing for a good night's sleep.
Before turning out the lights, the husband leans over to kiss his wife good-night. She shyly smiles at him and begins to tell him that she has been feeling that perhaps God is calling them to adopt.
The room grows quiet as they are both lost in their own thoughts… their minds are flooded with questions, concern, and then inevitably -fear.
How could they manage? Another child? Why, they already have two! Where would they put the child? Who would share a room? How could they afford to adopt? Would they be able to take that vacation? What would people think? What if the child, you know, caused problems?
As their eyelids become heavy, they begin to drift off to sleep... and they think to themselves surely not’.
Surely God knows this is not convenient.
Surely God wants them to take that vacation they deserve...
Surely he knows how busy they are.
They have plans and they have dreams.
As sleep overcomes them, the temperature in their master bedroom is perfect… and their pillows are fluffed to perfection.
Life is good for them, just as they had planned...
Because after all, they matter...
Too much...
to themselves.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
George Whitefield, the Gospel, the Orphans
by Dan
Published Feb 12, 2009
In 1740 George Whitefield was preaching the gospel in Savannah, Georgia. Almost every time he preached he took up offerings for Georgia’s orphans. Here’s some of what Whitefield collected in October, 1740:*
October 3—Whitefield preached at Portsmouth and took an offering for orphans amounting to 97 pounds (about $16,985 USD today);
Later that day he preached in Hampstead and took an offering for orphans amounting to 41 pounds (about $7,187 USD today);
October 4—Whitefield preached at Newbury and took an offering for orphans amounting to 80 pounds (about $14,008 USD today)
Later that day he preached in Ipswich and took an offering for orphans amounting to 79 pounds (about $13,832 USD today);
October 5—Whitefield preached at Salem and took an offering for orphans amounting to 72 pounds (about $12,607 USD today);
October 6—Whitefield preached at Marblehead and an offering for orphans totaled 70 pounds (about $12,255 USD today);
October 9—Whitefield preached at Maulden and took an offering for orphans amounting to 200 pounds (about $35,010 USD today);
October 10—Whitefield preached at Charleston and took an offering for orphans amounting to 156 pounds (about $27,302 USD today);
Later that day he preached again and took an offering for orphans amounting to 51 pounds (about $8,924 USD today);
October 11—Whitefield preached at Cambridge and took an offering for orphans amounting to 100 pounds (about $17,505 USD today);
October 13—Whitefield preached at Concord and took an offering for orphans amounting to 45 pounds (about $7,873 USD today).
From October 3 to October 13 George Whitefield collected over $173,000 for Georgia’s orphans. As I thought about that amazing amount, I found myself wondering what motivated these people to be so generous with their money for the good of orphans. Let me venture a guess—a good one, I hope.
According to John Piper, one of George Whitefield’s most frequently preached sermons was entitled “The Lord Our Righteousness.”** It is a sermon that’s bursting forth with the good news of the gospel—and nothing motivates generous giving like the gospel’s good news. Here’s an example:
“Was this ever the language of your hearts? And, after these inward conflicts, were you ever enabled to reach out the arm of faith, and embrace the blessed Jesus in your souls, so that you could say, ‘my beloved is mine, and I am his?’ If so, fear not, whoever you are. Hail, all hail, you happy souls! The Lord, the Lord Christ, the everlasting God, is your righteousness. Christ has justified you, who is he that condemneth you? Christ has died for you, nay rather is risen again, and ever liveth to make intercession for you. Being now justified by his grace, you have peace with God, and shall, ere long, be with Jesus in glory, reaping everlasting and unspeakable fruits both in body and soul. For there is no condemnation to those that are really in Christ Jesus. Whether Paul or Apollos, or life or death, all is yours if you are Christ’s, for Christ is God’s. My brethren, my heart is enlarged towards you! O think of the love of Christ in dying for you! If the Lord be your righteousness, let the righteousness of your Lord be continually in your mouth. Talk of, O talk of, and recommend the righteousness of Christ, when you lie down, and when you rise up, at your going out and coming in! Think of the greatness of the gift, as well as the giver! Show to all the world, in whom you have believed! Let all by your fruits know, that the Lord is your righteousness, and that you are waiting for your Lord from heaven!”
It’s my guess that George Whitefield was able to collect over $173,000 for Georgia’s orphans in just 11 days of preaching because people were motivated to give by the hope-giving power and beauty of gospel-rich paragraphs like the one above. When Christians are moved deeply by the greatness of God’s gracious gift of righteousness to them, they will consider it their great joy to give generously to those in need.
If there is anything that can free us from the love of money so that we give generously towards the needs of orphans, it is the incomparable good news of the gospel. What’s money when we have the wealth and security of the righteousness of Jesus?
___________________________
*All the information quoted in the bullet points was taken from Be a Hero: A Battle for Mercy and Social Justice.
**Scott Anderson (Director of Events at Desiring God) made me aware of this sermon and the excerpt quoted from it.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
An Orphan's Wish ..... Sponsor a Child
An Orphan's Wish is trying to sign up 100 new sponsor in 100 days!!!! Will you consider sponsoring one of these precious children? You could change the life of a child forever and your life maybe change too. The picture of the little one we are sponsoring is on the right. I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Matt. 25:40
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Are your eyes open????
"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Adoption as Basic Christianity
by Dan ~ January 6th, 2010. Filed under: Articles, Theology, orphan care.
Steve Burchett, a pastor of Christ Fellowship of Kansas City, writes:
Does this mean that every Christian should adopt? Definitely not. The church is one body made up of members with a variety of gifts and callings. However, the “body life” language of the New Testament reveals that though you may not adopt personally, you will eagerly uphold those who do with your prayers, listening ears, and resources (cf. 1 Cor. 12:14-27). The entire church will have a part in caring for these children and giving them what they need most: The good news of Jesus Christ.
On a trip to the Philippines, I was privileged to visit an orphanage. As I was walking away from one of the living areas, I heard a little girl crying out, “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!” I said to the director of the orphanage, “What’s she doing?” She responded, “She thinks you’re her daddy.” Some would tell the church that story and ask, “Do you hear the children calling?” That’s the wrong question. The better question, upon a consideration of James 1:27, is, “Do you hear God calling?”
There is 147 million orphan children waiting to call someone Mama or Daddy. IS IT YOU? Is God calling you to adopt ... is a child waiting to call YOU "mama or daddy".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
