Do You Have It?

Do you have it? Have you found it? You know what I’m talking about. That thing. That thing that God put on your heart to do, to be that makes you come alive. It is there and has been for so long. Some of you already know what it is. Singing. Preaching. Dancing. Coaching. You have found it and can call it what it is. It is tangible. You have a label for it and can declare it to all the world.  

However, some of us are still looking for a word to call it. A classification in human and cultural terms that makes sense to people. Along with a definition, some of us are still scouting the world for a playing field where we can express it, put terms and rules to it and discover exactly what a “win” with it looks like. For those of you on the same exploration track as me, let me give you some good news. I saw the exact word in the dictionary the other day we need; I didn't know this word was even in there. I was so relieved to have found this. I was thrilled to know I am not alone. It is only a temporary tag but will hold us for as long as we need. Ready? Here's the word: whatchamacallit. It is no longer nameless. This label is good until further discoveries, studies and research proves otherwise.

Whatchamacallit is a term free for all who need it, for as long as you need it. 
So, keep dreaming. Keep searching.

There is joy in the journey.   

Truth About Adoption: They Do Not Choose This

He will appear in court and declare before a judge whether he wants to be adopted or not. A friend of mine is adopting a sibling set of 3 from Ethiopia (follow her amazing story here). The way it stands in Ethiopia now, all children age 13 or older must represent their own desire "to be" or "not to be" adopted. He is the oldest of the 3 children and because of his age, he must go to publicly represent himself and his wishes in a court of law.

Let me assure you no child wants to be adopted, not even to an American family with what would seem like unlimited resources at their disposal: clean water, food, (safe) shelter, education and medical care. It is never a child’s first “choice” to be abandoned at a young age and in a situation where no one cares for their basic needs. Every child longs to be kept safe and loved in the folds of their biological parents, no matter the nationality, creed or position. 

As an adopted parent of a child who, for countless days and years, reminded us over and over again, “I do not want to be here. I don’t want to be in your family.” I came to grips with the fact that this had nothing to do with me; although at first glance it appeared to be, those words were not actually meant to be a rejection of who we are as a family or what we have to offer. Those feelings were honest and cut to the core of who my daughter was and how she felt about her painful story. She did not choose to lose her father to malaria. She did not choose to have her mother leave her alone every day as she went off to work. She did not choose to have to scavenge for food, to sleep alone and to meet her own needs… at the tender young age of 5 (and for who knows how many years leading up to that). She did not choose the ultimate decision of being put up for adoption. She did not choose adoption… at first.

A little over a year ago my daughter had a dream with a “man” dressed in all white, who was bright and spoke very clearly to her. He breathed peace into the unsettling and unrelenting fight in her sole. He answered all of her questions and calmed the raging storm in her heart. He knew her. He knew everything about her. He gently told her He had placed her in this new family because He loved her.  Soon after, she came to us with tears streaming down her face saying, “I am sorry for not being nice. I want to be in your family now. I will try.”

And she has been true to her word. Oh how she is trying. It is not a perfect picture; some days are better than others. It is not always easy for us as her parents or even her 4 siblings to learn a new way to relate to her; she has dramatically changed. Now she wants to stay. Now she wants to be in this family! Trust is not easily or quickly built. But it IS being built, one new day at a time. Words cannot begin to express the gratitude we feel for the change of heart. It was a decision we could not choose for her. She has now chosen: adoption.

So, will the young boy go to court and say "yes" or "no" to adoption? I do not know. But I pray the Lord's grace and love seeps in to the broken fragments of the boy’s story bringing him to this place. I pray that God's healing power will allow an undeniable answer to spring forth: yes! 

Wake Up -- Monday Morning

I saw this sign in a store window in downtown Geneva. I took a picture of it to send to a blogger I follow who is always sending out pep talks about being “AWESOME” (John Acuff).  He is a fellow dreamer. Normally, I want to share in the ideas he talks about and get caught up in the thoughts to truly becoming awesome. But it’s Monday morning and I’m tired. I don’t want to get out of bed, nor do I want to accomplish anything big today. Rolling over and pulling the blankets up over my head sounds better.

But then I took a closer look at the photo. In the process of taking the photo, the store window allowed a reflection of me to become a part of the photo. Can you see it? (Top left hand side of the photo). It's subtle but do you notice the difference? It isn't just a sign for the guy who is a professional speaker/writer who get’s paid to cheer other people on. It’s a “sign” for me too. Today I have the choice to wipe away the crust from my eyes, kick the covers off and get the day started… not just for ordinary things but for something awesome.

Alright. Let’s go be awesome! Who’s with me?

Definition of a Dream

The definition caught me by surprise. Dreams: something you do at night while sleeping.

I stopped in my tracts and mentally ripped that page from my mind’s memory book. That definition missed the mark. Dreaming is done fully awake, with complete conscientiousness. It is dusting off the routine & the ordinary and allowing your heart to soar towards ideas and notions that are not humanly feasible. Making the time to dream allows God the opportunity to take our passions and our plans and transforms them in to His possibilities we could never accomplish on our own.  It’s standing at the edge of familiar & predictable and leaping off into unknown places you were designed to go to.  

Through hard work and a whole lot of prayers, dreams turn us inside out, becoming more of who we truly are than we could have ever expected. Muscles will tighten and exhaustion may creep in but a deep satisfaction will arise as we pursue God, the Giver and Creator of those dreams.

Don’t fall asleep my fellow dreamers… you don’t want to miss this!

(Photo: the rock was taken from a place I would like to work at someday. Dreaming & believing in prayer.)

Why Do Good People Suffer?

©      Less than 2 weeks ago a mom died of breast cancer. One of her four sons was in my 7^th grade daughter’s class. Her youngest twin sons had gone to preschool with my youngest son; she left a beautiful and lasting impression. Although I had lost touch with her since then, the resounding giggles from her identical twins continues to ring in my ears. Undoubtedly those sons are heavy with a sadness they have never known before.

©      A baby died on Sunday, the day before the due date. It was told that he may have Downs-syndrome and the parents could have ended this pregnancy very early on. They chose to celebrate and embrace this life.  For an unknown reason, it was snuffed out before they could even behold their son, present him a name and receive him in to this world. We are at a loss for words to console this co-worker of my husband.

©      Another mom died last night. She had been battling cancer for many years. Her sons remained by her side these last few days praying and calling out to God for a miracle. Although tired and warn out, she fought hard through the weekend but could not ward off pneumonia and her liver shutting down. She is at rest now. The football team will rally behind her sons and husband as they grieve this insurmountable loss but an emptiness remains.

Questions have been asked for centuries; they are not new to the human condition. The injustice of it all seems to beckon us to ask “Why?”.  Why must such precious life be taken away too early? Why must innocent and good people suffer endlessly only to lose their battle? Where is the justice in all of this pain, loss?

Those called followers of God are not exempt from the difficulties of life. We know clearly that hardships and death fall on all, the just and the unjust, equally. We are all subject to the consequences of living in a “fallen” world. With one bite the perfect Eden was closed off and the world as it was suppose to be changed. It would now relentlessly offer toil and burden; labor and hard work forever was the penalty of the original sin.

As Christians though, we know God is good. He is good when we have victories. He is good when we lose. He is not the originator of the pain and strife; the Devil gets credit for that. God is, however, the Originator of healing for our hearts, the great Comforter in the midst of sorrow. Although it would seem easy enough to blame God, it is He who sustains us when we are subject to life’s troubles. He offers a hope NOT to get us out of difficulties but to walk us through the difficulties.  He cares for us and never leaves us alone. It is the heart of a faithful and sovereign God who endlessly loves us in all circumstances of our lives.

Oh Lord, what a treasure You are to cling to when nothing else makes sense.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for not leaving us alone in this world. Thank you for loving us, especially when we are hurting and without answers. Thank you for sustaining us with Your peace when life throws such unexplainable hardships. We are so grateful for Your comfort when nothing else brings hope. Lord, we never want to know where we would be without YOU in our lives!

“My flesh and my heart may fail, 

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” 

Psalm 73:26 ESV

What Is Your "Real" Name?

What name do you call yourself? What label do you wear? How do you define who you are?

Unloved.

Ugly.

Not worth anyone’s time.

Fat.

Stupid.

Abandoned.

We all have our stories to tell and reasons why we have fallen prey to believing these lies told to us (sometimes all it took was to hear it once and we believed it). Let me assure you none of those names belong to you. They are not true.

You may be thinking, “Yeah. Easy for you to say… you don’t know me.”

I may not know you. I may not know the full story. I may not know all of the jaded details that have been building blocks in these names you have allowed yourself to wear. But God knows you. God knows every detail. God alone can change your name back to the one He recognizes you as:

Child of the King.

Worth pursuing.

        Worth dying for.

Accepted just the way you are.

Beautiful.

Beloved.      

   

Unconditionally loved.

So, who’s name will you wear?

“The Father has loved us so much! This shows how much he loved us: We are called children of God. And we really are his children.” 1John 3:1

Image source: Google Images: http://chinabeings.com/news/chinese-peoples-english-names-is-there-a-method-to-the-madness.html

How to Achieve Your Dream: Characteristics From My Dog

Patient. She sits perfectly still waiting, ready for just the right opportunity to reveal itself.

Hopeful. She has never achieved this goal before but that does not deter her relentless pursuits.   

Specific. Constantly surveying her options but not moving until she knows the right one has come.

Determined. Bounding at the precise moment that finally arrives, giving it the fullest force of "everything" she has.

Willingness. Despite uncertainty of being able to achieve the goal on her own, she offers what she can do.

Trusting. Although she cannot foresee the final outcome, she follows her unwavering heart.

Partnering. She has convinced others around her that it IS possible & they join in her efforts.

Faithful. She only considers the truth: anything is possible! There is no other way to live life.

My dog Cocoa Bean is determined to catch a squirrel & gives a valiant effort every day. Our 7 year old son/adventurer joined in her efforts with a homemade squirrel trap (I wonder if squirrels like plastic cheese and butter?).