About a year ago, a woman in our church shared about being in love with Jesus. It was not a new concept to me; I knew that Jesus wants to be the lover of our souls. I had just never experienced that kind of intimacy with him before. Following this new curiosity and desire growing in my heart, I began to seek God for direction in cultivating a new and deeper relationship with Jesus. The answer is in James 4:8 "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." I began to realize that just like any other relationship, I could only go as deep as the time that I was willing to put in through Bible reading, prayer and worship. Let me tell you, it is impossible to build a relationship one day a week! As I read the Bible throughout the week, I began to notice that frequently I would encounter situations that related to the scriptures that I recently read and I would often hear the same verses in church or in books that I was reading. As I began to draw near to God, He began to draw near to me by bringing His words to life! The Bible is not just a manual for how we should live, it is our key to understanding the nature and the very heart of our God. The more I learn about my Jesus, the hungrier I become for truth.
I also began to play worship music more often and worship God at home and in my car, as well as on Sunday mornings. I have found that it is much easier to enter into worship when I don't have to think about whether or not my children are behaving themselves. ( I also began to see my kids entering into worship at home where they aren't inhibited by trying to behave!) Spending time in worship is an act of love to Jesus. It is like spending time with someone whom you are in love with; you can't wait to be with them, you hang on every interaction with them and when you leave their presence you feel like you are walking on air!
Growing in intimacy with the Lord has been a beautiful journey. I have learned to trust him more, I've learned to hear his voice, I have found such joy in his solitary presence! I am finding it easy to make time to be alone with the Lord, in fact I often can't wait to get a moment to pray and read my Bible. I find that every word is a vision of his nature, a key to his heart. This is the greatest romance that I have ever known!
One of the coolest things that God has showed me more recently is that as the image bearers of God, and as temples of the Holy Spirit with Christ dwelling in us, we are the glory of God fully alive! This means that our relationships with others are an intricate part of our relationship with God himself! In Matthew 22:37 Jesus says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." I can't say enough how God has touched my heart in this area! When I view others the way God sees them, I have deeper intimacy with God; and I'm sure that my family can attest to feeling more love from me when I see them as God does! I know that every relationship in my life will dramatically change when I apply this to all the people that God has placed around me. take a second to consider how the world would be different today if everyone understood and applied just these two commandments to their lives! We can all experience radical changes in our lives and greatly impact others for God's kingdom just by loving God and loving others!
I feel like a young girl in love! Jesus is my first love. It is the most amazing thing that I have ever experienced! I could not have ever imagined the depths of God's love for me without knowing Him this way! Like a young girl, I want to tell everyone about it; I want to invite everyone to fall in love with their Saviour!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
All of the little monkeys jumping on the bed!
It is easy to think that one should definitely be finished having kids once they've had 5! I thought that once too! After Autumn was born, I felt like I had my hands full. I was so sure, in fact, that I made an appointment for Steve and he went and had the procedure to ensure it.
As the years have gone by, we have both started to feel inclined in the other direction. Of course we already have a substantial family of our own, we feel that maybe we should consider giving a home and a family to one of the many orphans in this world. There are many options to choose from. With our plans to go to Guatemala in the future, we have figured that it is likely that we will fall in love with a child while we are there. We plan to work with children with special needs, so we have even considered adopting a child that may have autism or Down's syndrome.
As God has been cultivating in us this love for more children in our hearts, He has also begun to bring up old passions that He planted there over 3 years ago. I had heard a radio program on Focus on the Family by Dr. James Dobson. He was pleading with North Americans to consider adopting one or more of the hundreds of thousands of "snowflake" babies that are leftover from in vitro fertilization and remain frozen, pending a decision on their existence. These babies have only a few options once their parents are done having kids; they can be discarded, donated to science for stem cell research or adopted out to other families that either cannot have their own children or families who are so inclined to rescue them from one of the other not so glorious fates. My heart was 100% certain, at that time, that someday we would have one or more snowflake babies. Of course, having just given birth to Autumn, I soon forgot all about it!
When God truly places something on your heart, it isn't always the right time, but He knows just when to bring it up again. I believe that God truly cares about these little babies. Though they have not yet formed in their mother's womb, He knows them. He has a plan and a purpose for them. Not to diminish the needs of orphans already in this world, these babies have been conceived yet not given the chance to live. Their alternatives are horrific.
I have done a lot of research on the internet, made phone calls and talked to people whom I look to for insight. There are many positions to take on the subject. One could argue that this is a man made mess that Christians should stay out of. I tend to think that in a fallen world these types of issues abound, and are most definitely situations where Christians should take action. This is not to say that everyone should have snowflake babies, but pray about it, talk about it, let people know; they might be in a position to consider this type of adoption. Because I assure you, science has a passionate interest in these embryos for stem cell research! There is money to be made, and where they do not consider these babies to have any moral value, they are nothing more than lab rats to be grown and experimented on at the discretion of science. "All for a greater good" right?
I will post a few websites, though it is hard to find information in Canada. There is no legislation regarding embryo adoption, as they are considered to be biological material and therefore considered as property of the parents. One adoption agency in B.C. does embryo adoption, but you don't really need an agency at this time. If you find a family with extra embryos through a fertility clinic or someone you know, you can get a lawyer to write up a contract before the embryo is implanted. Upon the birth, everything is the same as having a child of your own.
This issue goes right back to the abortion issue. As long as abortion is legal, these embryos will not have rights either.
I could go on, really, I could! I will leave this out there for now, and if anyone has questions, I'd be more than glad to answer them to the best of my knowledge.
As the years have gone by, we have both started to feel inclined in the other direction. Of course we already have a substantial family of our own, we feel that maybe we should consider giving a home and a family to one of the many orphans in this world. There are many options to choose from. With our plans to go to Guatemala in the future, we have figured that it is likely that we will fall in love with a child while we are there. We plan to work with children with special needs, so we have even considered adopting a child that may have autism or Down's syndrome.
As God has been cultivating in us this love for more children in our hearts, He has also begun to bring up old passions that He planted there over 3 years ago. I had heard a radio program on Focus on the Family by Dr. James Dobson. He was pleading with North Americans to consider adopting one or more of the hundreds of thousands of "snowflake" babies that are leftover from in vitro fertilization and remain frozen, pending a decision on their existence. These babies have only a few options once their parents are done having kids; they can be discarded, donated to science for stem cell research or adopted out to other families that either cannot have their own children or families who are so inclined to rescue them from one of the other not so glorious fates. My heart was 100% certain, at that time, that someday we would have one or more snowflake babies. Of course, having just given birth to Autumn, I soon forgot all about it!
When God truly places something on your heart, it isn't always the right time, but He knows just when to bring it up again. I believe that God truly cares about these little babies. Though they have not yet formed in their mother's womb, He knows them. He has a plan and a purpose for them. Not to diminish the needs of orphans already in this world, these babies have been conceived yet not given the chance to live. Their alternatives are horrific.
I have done a lot of research on the internet, made phone calls and talked to people whom I look to for insight. There are many positions to take on the subject. One could argue that this is a man made mess that Christians should stay out of. I tend to think that in a fallen world these types of issues abound, and are most definitely situations where Christians should take action. This is not to say that everyone should have snowflake babies, but pray about it, talk about it, let people know; they might be in a position to consider this type of adoption. Because I assure you, science has a passionate interest in these embryos for stem cell research! There is money to be made, and where they do not consider these babies to have any moral value, they are nothing more than lab rats to be grown and experimented on at the discretion of science. "All for a greater good" right?
I will post a few websites, though it is hard to find information in Canada. There is no legislation regarding embryo adoption, as they are considered to be biological material and therefore considered as property of the parents. One adoption agency in B.C. does embryo adoption, but you don't really need an agency at this time. If you find a family with extra embryos through a fertility clinic or someone you know, you can get a lawyer to write up a contract before the embryo is implanted. Upon the birth, everything is the same as having a child of your own.
This issue goes right back to the abortion issue. As long as abortion is legal, these embryos will not have rights either.
I could go on, really, I could! I will leave this out there for now, and if anyone has questions, I'd be more than glad to answer them to the best of my knowledge.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Woes and blunders
This post may not have any spiritual content, so if that would lower your perception of me, please stop reading now! Just kidding.
Have you ever noticed that some people, like my sister and my brother, seem to effortlessly adorn themselves in completely stylish attire on most every occasion. (They get it from my mother who was a trend setter in her day. somehow I missed that gene.) Special events feature the elegance that actors only hope to duplicate on the red carpet. Random outings showcase the most creative styles accessorized to perfection. Even casual wear is donned with grace and ease. On the other hand, there are people like myself who struggle endlessly over the subject of style. Not that I never look good or even great on occasion. I just don't have the glorious ease of knowing exactly what to wear every time. I don't even have a natural understanding of fashion common sense! At the age of seven, I remember being told by my sister AGAIN that I could not wear my favorite pants with my favorite shirt! "They do not match" she said. Well, of course they match, they are both my favorite! The pants were red with baggy pockets and the shirt had teal and magenta stripes. They made me feel happy even if they did clash! This was just the beginning of my style woes. I tend to be a bit of a cross dresser. What I mean is, I like to put together items that I like, even if the styles contradict each other. Like heram pants with a brightly colored tank top and a shrug and converse sneakers. (It's okay to laugh at this point.) I really do like ethnic boho styles. The culture of it is fascinating and wearing clothes that are so different from current local style is freeing because there is no comparison. There have been times when I am tempted to just wear saris and be done with it all together! One thing is for sure; when I manage to put together an outfit of notable distinction, I sigh in relief. One more day in the fashion jungle. Speaking of the jungle, that reminds me of a scripture verse about how God clothes the lilies in the fields and the birds in the air and how I shouldn't worry about what I have to wear.....but then that would be a spiritual spin and a huge paraphrase.
Have you ever noticed that some people, like my sister and my brother, seem to effortlessly adorn themselves in completely stylish attire on most every occasion. (They get it from my mother who was a trend setter in her day. somehow I missed that gene.) Special events feature the elegance that actors only hope to duplicate on the red carpet. Random outings showcase the most creative styles accessorized to perfection. Even casual wear is donned with grace and ease. On the other hand, there are people like myself who struggle endlessly over the subject of style. Not that I never look good or even great on occasion. I just don't have the glorious ease of knowing exactly what to wear every time. I don't even have a natural understanding of fashion common sense! At the age of seven, I remember being told by my sister AGAIN that I could not wear my favorite pants with my favorite shirt! "They do not match" she said. Well, of course they match, they are both my favorite! The pants were red with baggy pockets and the shirt had teal and magenta stripes. They made me feel happy even if they did clash! This was just the beginning of my style woes. I tend to be a bit of a cross dresser. What I mean is, I like to put together items that I like, even if the styles contradict each other. Like heram pants with a brightly colored tank top and a shrug and converse sneakers. (It's okay to laugh at this point.) I really do like ethnic boho styles. The culture of it is fascinating and wearing clothes that are so different from current local style is freeing because there is no comparison. There have been times when I am tempted to just wear saris and be done with it all together! One thing is for sure; when I manage to put together an outfit of notable distinction, I sigh in relief. One more day in the fashion jungle. Speaking of the jungle, that reminds me of a scripture verse about how God clothes the lilies in the fields and the birds in the air and how I shouldn't worry about what I have to wear.....but then that would be a spiritual spin and a huge paraphrase.
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