Well our container officially arrived on Thursday afternoon around 3 pm and we were seriously like kids at Christmas. We had some terrific people show up to help us unload, Katie and Jen got pizza for all of our tired bodies and hungry tummies afterwards, it ended up only taking us an hour to unload the container and there were things EVERYWHERE!!! Casa went from being completely empty pretty much to wondering where in the world we'd put it all.
So many people have done so much to contribute to this. As we've gone through the container the past couple of days I have been so completely touched by the servant hearts behind every packaged box, dollar spent, and gift given to these kiddo's. So many others have made significant contributions as well but I must share at this moment my gratitude to "my family" that I get the privilege of worshipping with when I am "home" in the States. Our home congregation at Belpre has just gone above and beyond in every way to make this happen. When we asked for money for construction they showed up and gave so generously. When we handed them a list of things we'd need and asked if they had any of these things they would be willing to give to some children who have nothing they overflowed a container and we are waiting for enough funds to send a second container because everything wouldn't fit on the first one. When we weren't going to be able to get a container shipped from Belpre they got in some trucks loaded up the stuff and drove for hours and hours and hours to deliver it to Nashville and drove back the next day. They just have been amazing and I need to just say THANK YOU!!!!!! Your notes on our boxes, your prayers, your cards since we've been here, your phone calls when you found out our number just to encourage our hearts, all of it has been so incredibly kind and we appreciate you all so much!!
I sat today in the middle of the babies room after we'd put together a couple cribs and two changing tables and I was overwhelmed with joy truly. I cried happy tears. I cried because it was as if God gave me this vision of rocking that first sweet baby in that chair and laying them down at night in that crib. I sat in that chair and prayed for every single child that would soon get to be touched not just by our arms, hearts, and love but by yours. Seeing it all come together and things be put into place, toys all over the kids play room, kids shower curtains hung in the bath room, clothes too numerous to mention, adorable shoes that will go on their previously bare feet (thanks Tammy and the Reynoldsburg crew we'll have the best dressed feet in Honduras) all of it, is a special sight to witness. I so wish you all could be here to see it with your own eyes but since that's not possible right now I will send these pictures to give you a glimpse of how far we've come and how far we have yet to go.
It won't be long until we're tucking one of God's chosen Casa children in at night. Please continue to keep us in your prayers please. We've already heard some heart wrenching stories about children who need a home and it will be difficult to decide which ones to take in initially. We need loads of wisdom and listening hearts tuned in to His Spirit.
Thank you for everything to each of you. God is smiling on your servant hearts, I am sure of it.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Friday, February 03, 2006
Continued...
Hey gang, thanks for your comments on the last post. It definitely challenges me more as well when people respond and share their insights and thoughts. Feel like I need to share a few things to perhaps clarify a bit.
FIRST AND FOREMOST: Please know that when I post on here I am simply sharing my thoughts about where I am at the moment in this journey with Jesus. It may be right on target with His heart and it may be way off base somewhere. I always pray for God's Spirit to lead my heart and my thoughts and make me look, act, and love more like His Son but I know that my humanness will undoubtedly get in the way sometimes. So I guess I would ask you to read it as that, a journey in process. Doesn't have to look exactly like your journey and most times won't probably and that's what makes God so unbelievable that He would choose to be that intimately involved in each of our lives. I pray that regardless of whether you agree or disagree it might challenge your walk with Him as you think about some of what God is challenging me with. If you disagree and yet are challenged to think it through and mull it over with Him, I am a happy girl regardless.
To add to that, I'm not bailing on "Christ's" church. Being a part of the body of Christ has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. I have been privileged to worship with a family who has become just that and I watch them with humility pursuing holiness. It has grown me up and nurtured my heart and helped foster an atmosphere that has helped me walk into a personal relationship with Christ and has forever changed my life. So I'm hanging with the body of Christ, I just have been challenged lately to recognize my place in all of that.
I'll speak personally here for a moment. I think I was able to go through most of life up to this point minus the past few years with a pretty lacsidaisical attitude about my relationship with God because I think I had this very unacute awareness of how desperately I needed Him. I didn't hear much about how messed up we all were but about how good we were supposed to be and act and somewhere in there I didn't come face down before God. I have heard a hundred similar stories. When I did however, and I realized that I am a sinner who is absolutely lost without Christ's blood and wandering aimlessly without God's help, it wasn't an excuse to throw my hands up in the air and not try, I wanted so badly to be who He is asking me to be because I realize how much He loves me and I am compelled by that. I've made a thousand better decisions out of this relationship of love than I ever made out of my doctrinal know what I'm supposed to do stuff. Think that's true for most people who've gotten a taste of fall on your face grace.
My thoughts in the last post weren't a criticism of any one fellowship of believers at all. It was just my thoughts on where we find ourselves as Christians in general sometimes. Myself as guilty as anyone else.
I just have been over and over again challenged by the words arrogance and pride lately. Maybe because God's trying to drill them out of me I don't know. I have also been over and over again allured by this word humility and desperately wanting to possess it and help to encourage it.
I guess I've just watched people over here with nothing who have absolutely nothing to be prideful about and they walk into this church building like hungry thirsty souls who are begging for a touch from God. Just wish we could all be more like that sometimes I guess.
FIRST AND FOREMOST: Please know that when I post on here I am simply sharing my thoughts about where I am at the moment in this journey with Jesus. It may be right on target with His heart and it may be way off base somewhere. I always pray for God's Spirit to lead my heart and my thoughts and make me look, act, and love more like His Son but I know that my humanness will undoubtedly get in the way sometimes. So I guess I would ask you to read it as that, a journey in process. Doesn't have to look exactly like your journey and most times won't probably and that's what makes God so unbelievable that He would choose to be that intimately involved in each of our lives. I pray that regardless of whether you agree or disagree it might challenge your walk with Him as you think about some of what God is challenging me with. If you disagree and yet are challenged to think it through and mull it over with Him, I am a happy girl regardless.
To add to that, I'm not bailing on "Christ's" church. Being a part of the body of Christ has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. I have been privileged to worship with a family who has become just that and I watch them with humility pursuing holiness. It has grown me up and nurtured my heart and helped foster an atmosphere that has helped me walk into a personal relationship with Christ and has forever changed my life. So I'm hanging with the body of Christ, I just have been challenged lately to recognize my place in all of that.
I'll speak personally here for a moment. I think I was able to go through most of life up to this point minus the past few years with a pretty lacsidaisical attitude about my relationship with God because I think I had this very unacute awareness of how desperately I needed Him. I didn't hear much about how messed up we all were but about how good we were supposed to be and act and somewhere in there I didn't come face down before God. I have heard a hundred similar stories. When I did however, and I realized that I am a sinner who is absolutely lost without Christ's blood and wandering aimlessly without God's help, it wasn't an excuse to throw my hands up in the air and not try, I wanted so badly to be who He is asking me to be because I realize how much He loves me and I am compelled by that. I've made a thousand better decisions out of this relationship of love than I ever made out of my doctrinal know what I'm supposed to do stuff. Think that's true for most people who've gotten a taste of fall on your face grace.
My thoughts in the last post weren't a criticism of any one fellowship of believers at all. It was just my thoughts on where we find ourselves as Christians in general sometimes. Myself as guilty as anyone else.
I just have been over and over again challenged by the words arrogance and pride lately. Maybe because God's trying to drill them out of me I don't know. I have also been over and over again allured by this word humility and desperately wanting to possess it and help to encourage it.
I guess I've just watched people over here with nothing who have absolutely nothing to be prideful about and they walk into this church building like hungry thirsty souls who are begging for a touch from God. Just wish we could all be more like that sometimes I guess.
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