Mother's Day - When it's Complicated

There is a child sitting. Waiting. Desperately desiring a home. He needs a permanent family but for now his life is in limbo. Life's unfortunate circumstances have placed him in this spot and it breaks my heart. It breaks his mother's heart. It probably also breaks his foster mother's heart. Though I don't know her, fostering is hard.

This boy, he is my son's brother so we sit deeply grieved over the situation. Mother's day is hard for situations like these. People have lost their mother's not just to death. There are orphans. Waiting for permanent mothers. For stable homes. For forever families.

Adoption is hard. It is a situation that starts in deep brokenness. Yet God restores through adoption. The pain may always be present because of the brokenness but adoption secures the child's permanency.

My mother's day is shared with my adoptive son's birth mother. I love her. She is brave and cares deeply for her children. She is a mother I am glad to share this day with. Yet together we grieve for this one child who waits for a permanent family. This makes mother's day hard. But I am thankful that God is in control. His hand is at work. He will make all wrongs right. We trust and we wait.

Thankfully God is the perfect Parent, He sees all, He is all. He is at work. We plead, wait and watch. I am thankful for a mother who loved me well. A mother who raised me the best way she knew how. A mother who sacrificed so much for me. I am thankful that I can still pick up the phone and call her anytime I want. Many on this day have lost their mothers to death. Death's sting is brought up during a holiday like this. I pray for their comfort on this holiday. I pray they know that they are completely loved by our Father the perfect parent who comforts. I pray He comforts them completely. I grieve with you as you rejoice with me.

Mother's day is hard. Filled with joy and sorrow. A reminder to some of their barrenness. A reminder to some of their dysfunction. I grieve with you and cry out to God for healing and peace. The perfect peace only He can give. Thank you Father for being the perfect Parent. Thank you for letting us off the hook of perfection. We could never be that but Jesus made us perfect in your sight. What glory!

This blog was written for Compassion. The writing prompt was Mother's day. You can see the other Compassion bloggers posts here. Also, you can help support there children with Compassion which helps their families greatly helping them not be orphaned in some cases. At the right side bar you can check them out. Pray about sponsoring a child today!

And Happy Mother's Day!Let us honor this day wherever we stand circumstantially as a day to celebrate life and sacrifice.

Movie Review: Son of God

I received free tickets for this film in exchange for an honest review thanks to compassion bloggers.

I first must preface with two statements true to me that will influence my opinion:
1-I rarely like films made about the Bible or people of the Bible.
2-I rarely like a film more than a book.

With those things said, I was not greatly impressed with this film. First, it is a huge undertaking to take my most treasured book, that is alive and active and means more to me than anything, and do justice by making it into a screen film. The Bible is different from other books because it is the very word of God. It is inspired by Him. With that said alone, this film was a huge and challenging undertaking. The Bible is the book I study more than any other so it is very easy for me to see where they get things wrong, though it may be minor, it is hard for me to swallow and because it is the Bible, I do not like deviations or creative license regarding it.

Jesus. He is everything to me. When portrayed on the big screen it is very hard to even get close to what He would be like, look like, etc. Again, I do not think they portrayed Him the way He would have been if we were with Him in real life in Israel 2000 years ago. They seemed to try and did okay. It is just hard to get Jesus right. How can you rightly depict the visible image of the invisible God in the flesh?

I was not surprised by my reaction to this film. I was hesitant to even see it because I knew I would not like it as much as I wanted to. However, with those things said, I do think it does give people a decent picture of Jesus. I do think they made it clear that Jesus was the Son of God. I do think they focused on the importance of the death and resurrection of Christ which is the great news of the gospel. Is more conversation needed regarding this? Yes. But it is a starting point.

With all this said, should you see the movie? If you are going to see a movie anyway, yes, because it is better than the other things in the theater now. It challenges you to study the Bible for yourself to judge for accuracy. It is good for starting conversations with those who do not know much about Jesus. I also think it is a good film for someone to see who is just interested in who Jesus is. God can use it to open the eyes of those who belong to Him.

Have you seen it? What were your thoughts?

Love for the Refugee

Have you ever considered as you were out that some of the people you pass by are actual displaced people because of persecution or tragedy of some kind? They exist all around us. These are people who are moved out of every comfort they know and placed into a very unknown place with little to no worldly possessions. They are given minimal familiarity. They often do not even know the language of the new society they are now expected to live.

These are the people I get to work with every week through ESL(English as a Second Language) ministry. They are broken and cast out but not destroyed. I am often encouraged by them because they are brilliantly resilient! They often are very thankful. Honestly, to think of this happening to me, I cannot even fathom. I do not know if I would have the strength. Yet God pours out His grace on each one of us for every situation we face. I get to participate in their lives by helping them learn English. I pray that God will really let me see them, know them, and welcome them to this new and unfamiliar place of southern America.

I imagine the smells, sounds, temperatures are so vastly different. The trauma experienced followed by all the changes is incredibly hard on these people. They are in more places than you think. As  you are in the shopping market or on the go do you take the time to really see the people all around you? These brave people are there. Just by seeing them you can help. A smile, encouraging words, small helpful acts can mean so much to them.

I wonder about these people who have endured this horrible tragedy in the Philippines. My heart aches for them. Many of them are displaced now because of the destruction of a massive hurricane. Much tragedy. I pray. I wonder if any of them will be relocated to my location of the world. I wonder how to help? One way you can help is by donating to Compassion. They are there currently assisting these people now. Whatever you do be mindful of the refugee.

Hope

When I think about that word hope. I can think of many things. Hope can be used in a variety of ways.

I hope it does not rain tomorrow.

I hope I can get all my work done.

I hope I will have food on my table.

I hope this is not all there is.....

The word hope can be used in many ways. However the most important way it should be used is that my true hope in this world is found in Christ alone. He is my hope of glory. He is what everything in my life hinges on.

Think about this, if Christ did not do all the things that the Bible says He did or what I believe He has done then the point of this life would be sorrowful. We live in a world full of pain, suffering, and sorrow. Sure there are times of joy but then there is sorrow. We are in a broken and fallen world. If this is all there is where is my hope? If this really is it, I feel depressed.

I have a real and thriving hope for more. We were made for more and only in our hope in Christ is that hope realized. This is not all there is. Right now Jesus is building a home for us in Heaven. We will one day live in a place where there is no more suffering, no more heartache, no more sin. Poverty will not exist. Children will not be sold or go hungry anymore. We will be home in the security of where we were always meant to be. I put my hope in these truths through Christ.

Where do those in poverty around the world put their hope? How is there someone to tell them of this great joyful truth? Through Compassion International children and families in poverty are helped. The love of Christ is shared.

I want you to meet my sponsored child Sylvia. She is 20 years old. She lives in Uganda where AIDS is rampant. She has lived longer than many who are without help. Disease thrives. Poverty thrives. These people are at risk for so many things. However, a program like Compassion comes in and really helps. I see it in the smile on Sylvia's face. I read it in her letters. I love all that our minor amount of money can do for her and her family. I love in dark places hope can thrive.

This is a great time for you to consider sponsoring a child. Would you take the time to look now? It could be the very hope that this particular child needs. Click here to start browsing the many you could help.

A Note to My Younger Self - Compassion Blog Month

Note to my younger self, things I wish you took more seriously. The things I wish you knew to do. Do you remember when mother said, "Finish your plate, there are tons of starving children in Africa.?" You would just kind of laugh or think, what does that even have to do with me here and now? Really it did not make sense what our plate of food had to do with those starving kids across the world. However, it did expose them to us. It made us aware they existed. The world was not full of white middle classed people in the suburbs like our life and surroundings reflected.

As you grew you realized that poverty was more devastating than what you thought. There were kids in school whom poverty had touched. The way you coped then though was to just turn your head. You did not realize that you did have the power to do something. You could have been a friend. Listened. Helped.

Looking back I would have wanted you to know that though you were just one girl, you could have made a real difference. Maybe not for the entire world of starving children but for one at a time.
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This is blog month for Compassion International. You can make a difference in the lives of others for a small amount monthly. You can sponsor a child and really help in this way. I love the mission of Compassion and hope you will too. Would you consider going here to sponsor a child ?

Compassion Photo Contest

Hey all! I just love the ministry of Compassion International. I love what they do and how they help. I love my "adopted" child as well. Our "child" is really 19 years old. Her name is Sylvia and she lives in Uganda. I am so thankful that our small donation each month really helps her and her family. I am so excited every time I get a letter from her. It is something the entire family participates in. The biggest way we love to help her though is to keep her lifted in prayer. Do you have a compassion child yet? Tell me about them. If not you can sponsor one here.

If you go to this link, Compassion is sponsoring a really neat photo challenge. Read all about it here 
Then participate! You have until July 31st. There are 12 items to take photos of. I have five so far.

 A flip phone that is old! It is my daughters for emergencies only and well someone has her number named Marcus because she got a text that said, "Dude, this is Marcus. I need my clothes and phone!"

                                                          This is my daughters sewing machine.

                                                         This is the grain or seed we eat on a regular basis.

This is a food staple. We love fresh grown garden food! From our neighbors garden because my garden was a bust this year.

Pictures of cows! This is probably a cheat but I thought it was funny! Fact is I grew up with cows outside my door in the pasture but don't see them so often where we live now.

My photos are really bad but this is what I have thus far. :) Go out and join us! It is fun and you can be real creative, more creative than me for sure!