Almost There...

Well here we are exactly 16 days from the Grand Opening of Casa de Esperanza this house where God's hope will be given away. Seems pretty fitting that I'm writing this on Thanksgiving Day when it's one of the things in my life I am most thankful for. The privilege and opportunity to be a part of something so near God's heart...oppressed children. If there was anything that Christ stopped dead in the middle of His purposed tracks for it was kiddo's or the hurting and oppressed. Feels like an honor to take care of two things He certainly would have taken the time to tend to.

Thanksgiving Day en Espanol is called dia de accion gracious. The day of the action of thanks. They don't celebrate the holiday here but they are aware that we do and that's what they refer to it as. I so pray that is how today has been for you. A day where you have been in the act of thanks. In our humanness it's hard to live there some days isn't it?? Satan would like nothing more than for us to forget about all the things we have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving or any other day we each have quite a list if we take the time to think about it.

So here are is my top ten list for this year...probably more for my benefit of thinking through them than yours to read but humor me.

1) I have the precious privilege of being God's daughter. One He looks at with love and watches with grace. Whatever else may happen in the course of a day I get to pillow my head each night in full assurance that He loves me.
2) I know now without a shadow of a doubt what it means to be a valued part of God's family. I know what it's like to belong to Christ's body, to share with them grow with them and learn how to love Christ more with them.
3) I have a family who misses me and saves me a spot at their table even though I'm hundreds of miles away. A spot no one else will be able to fill that will be mine forever. An irreplaceable place.
4) I have two beautiful nephews and one precious neice who run to the phone when I call because they want to talk to Aunt Jen. They love me and it's for no other reason than my simply being me. They allow me the privilege of one of my favorite jobs in the whole world...being an aunt.
5) I have been blessed with the best friends this world has to offer. They challenge me as much as they comfort me. They speak the truth in love even when it's not easy. They protect my heart with more fierceness than even I do. Most of all they help me be who God has asked me to be and as flawed as I am, they never stop believing in me.
6) I get to be a part of a ministry that God had planned for my life even before I was born. One that not only uses the gifts God has given me but one that allows me the opportunity to stretch, grow, and become more like His Son.
7) Christ loves me and because He does, He honors every prayer I've prayed asking him to make me better for Him. So he allows me to endure things that will grow my character and produce perserverance patience and trust.
8) In 16 days we'll throw open doors we've prayed so long and worked so hard to get to. Soon after that there will be little brown eyed beauties who call this place home. Not long after that we'll kneel down beside their beds and say prayers of thanks that He has brought us all home.
9) I get the humbling gift of having in my life a spiritual mentor who is patient and kind and who has been a HUGE influence in my spiritual life. I get to watch a sold out faith and a live above life and all the lessons that come with it.
10) Every morning since I've been here I have opened my email to a prayer for my life and my heart from one of my dearest friends and it has been such a symbol of how faithful my prayer warrior people in my life are and how honored I am to know them. Makes you feel so loved to be prayed for fervently.

So there's my list for this dia de accion gracious and the things I am most thankful for at this point in my life. The list could have gone on. I am for sure one blessed girl.

I'll close this post for today with a question for anyone out there who may be in a position to help us complete this construction for the children's home. Would any of you like to make a donation, or konw someone who would, in memory or honor of someone who would have loved to help rescue children? It is certainly a cause worthy of our investment. We need $20,000 to complete construction, furnishings, and have a bit of a cushion to feed and clothe our kids for the first few months? We still very much need your help. We're trusting God to come through but He still uses people to do His work. Our clay feet and flawed hands, pretty amazing the responsibility He gives us isn't it?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!