Adoption--heavy on my heart

As most of you know, Stephen and I have been praying about adoption from Guatemala for about a year now.  It has been truly humbling to see how God has changed my prayers throughout the year.  I know we are suppose to adopt at some point.  Adoption in Guatemala is currently closed due to some very terrible things happening to the children and families.  It has also been so humbling to see how every time I start to doubt, or give up praying for these babies, God reaffirms His call for Stephen and I.  Of course, I then can never understand why I doubted in the first place.  He is faithful.  Stephen is patient.  Very patient.  I am not... so I keep telling God, "i'm not getting any younger here..."  "What's the deal God?  I thought you wanted us to do this!"  In His ever so gentle way, he nudges me and says "my timing is perfect.  Submit to my will everyday.  My plan is perfect in every way."  I pray for our child everyday... whether he/she is born yet or not,  I pray for his/her mother.  I pray that God will give her peace and comfort in allowing someone else to raise her baby boy or girl.  These women... alot of them... are literally unable to care for children.  It's not a matter of abuse in a lot of cases, it's a matter of incapability.  I pray for her salvation.  I pray that if our child is in an orphanage, that God will wrap His arms around him/her and comfort him/her in their loneliness and fill the void that comes with not having a mother or father to nurture and love them everyday.  I pray for his/her safety.  I pray for the orphanages, that as the rate of orphans grow, that these institutes will grow.  That they will be able to have staff and funding to take care of these children.  This is heavy on my heart right now.  I'm not sure why, but God is calling me to pray continuously for this country, this issue, these babies.  Please join me.  Please pray for the children, the families, the families that have been waiting since 2007 to go get their child, the orphanages, government.  Pray that God will give Stephen and I wisdom and guidance.  Peace.  Pray that if and when adoption opens up that he will make it clear to us how many to adopt.  (Most organizations prefer to keep siblings together).  Most of all, pray that all of this will bring glory to His holy name.  That souls will be saved, and that He will be sought for wisdom by everyone involved. 

If you're ever interested in news about adoption, this site usually has up to date information. 

www.guatadopt.com

 

 

May Have Monday

Linking up with Down and Dirty for May Have Monday

This weekend, Stephen and I participated in the Louisiana Dragon Boat Races.  I may or may not have been really scary comptetitive. And extremely serious during the actual race time.  And I may or may not have had alot of pride in my team when we won two times in a row. 

I may or may not have thought stephen looked really sexy in his team shirt. 

I may or may not have had the most fun in one weekend that i've had in a long time.  I so needed it.  God is good.  all the time. 

Seriously.

My Sunday night/Monday morning:

10 pm:  Goodnight Stephen.
12 am:  startled awake by dog barking... lay there... lay there...
12:08 am:  Get up to go see what the heck she is so worked up about.  Turn on the outside lights... nothing
12:10 am:  open the door and scold Palin, the dog. 
12:12-12:25 am:  toss and turn
1 am:  Dog begins barking again
1:15am:  Get up and turn the lights on
1:25 am:  lay in bed scared, thinking there might be someone trying to break in
1:30 am: Stephen begins to snore
2 am:  Dog starts barking again
2:30 am:  Get up to spank Palin the dog
2:32 am:  "Stephennn... there's a big ole coon eating Palin's food!"
2:35 am:  Stephen puts on khakis and boots and pumps up his beebee gun
2:40 am:  No sign of the coon
2:42 am:  Stephen scares Palin and she goes psycho and poops and pees all over the back porch, while yelping loudly and most likely waking up the entire neighborhood
3:00 am:  we lay back down and stephen has no problem falling back asleep.
3:00-3:30am:  Palin barks off and on and scratches at the door
5:00 am:  I rise to start my day. 

Seriously

Old or New?

Down & Dirty's Mayhave Monday:

I have this old shirt. I got it during my first year of college. It's your typical "COLLEGE" t-shirt. You wear it to the games, or on the weekends, or around campus. Believe me when I say it is the most comfortable T-shirt I have ever had. I kid you not. I, in fact, wore it so often that it now has holes and fray-ings all over it. For some strange reason, I cannot bring myself to throw it away. I was cleaning out my drawers the other day, filling up the good will bag and came across the shirt. I stared at it, thinking to myself "I wish I could still wear this." I didn't throw it away. I folded it back up and placed the holey, faded t-shirt back in its spot. Today I am asking myself what is so significant about that old t-shirt? Why am I hanging on to it? Here it is:

I want to pass the holey t-shirt down to my kids one day. They will probably want it. I'm totally kidding. Although I did use this excuse in my head to try and justify not throwing it away!

Here it really is:

Old T-shirt has been through a lot. I have put her through a lot. I wore her during the darkest time of my life. She experienced drinking binges, hangovers, and sleepless nights. And then experienced regret, disappointment, disobedience, and forgiveness. Poor thing, you'd probably be a little frayed on the edges too. Maybe I keep the shirt as a reminder. Maybe I, somewhere in my subconscious, have a desire to put the old shirt on again. The old self. It's so tempting, with her bright color and soft self. But, and yes, there is a but, when I go dig in that drawer, and pull out old t-shirt, I always see how battered and bruised she became. I see how battered and bruised I became. How spiritually "tossed" around I was. How I was becoming more "holey" not "holy". So I will keep old t-shirt in her spot. She will remind me when I am tempted to slip her on again, "I aint so pretty, and I aint so comfy, what with the holes and all... I might let in a draft. You won't be protected anymore if you slip me back on. " But she will also serve as a reminder of grace, forgiveness, redemption. A reminder that when you’re in your darkest hour, all holey and not holy, God reaches out His hand, dusts you off, patches you up, and offers a gift so sweet, it’s indescribable. A new self. Clothed in Righteousness.

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. Romans 6:6

throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Ephesians 4:22

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Colossians 3:9

Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. Romans 6:18-19

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

"Every saved person this side of Heaven OWES the Gospel to every lost person this side of Hell."

Mayhave Monday

Down and Dirty's Mayhave Monday fun. 
I may or may not currently jam to the most ecclectic mix of music.  You can call me strange, I don't care.  Stephen isn't a fan always of my playlists, so I usually listen to them at work or while cooking.  Please enjoy.  You MAY or MAY NOT find at least one song that you really love!
These are in no particular order...
1.  Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson (what is it about J.A. that gets me hooked on his music?? Maybe bc he's just down home country... and who doesnt love Kelly??)

2.  Amos Lee... The KING of chill out, wind down, and maybe even wine down Music! Loving his new album!

3. Brendan James... if you don't know him, you should.  That is all. 

4.  Kalai... a newby to the M. Townsend Playlist, but a keeper!

5.  Bob Marley... no, i'm not a hippie.  This song just gets me in Beach mood!

6.  Say Hey, (I Love you)-- the only song by this artist that I have, but if this song doesnt get your feet moving, there's something wrong with you.

7.  Eric Hutchinson... Even Stephen loves this one!  I caught him humming it the other day. 

8.  Zac Brown Band has had my heart since 2006.  And they've teamed up with good Ole Alan on this one!!

9.  Marc Broussard... I discovered this song on my pandora station.  We all love Marc.  I mean he is from Louisiana.

10. Kings of Leon.. not a fan of all their music, but there are a few songs that i enjoy.  This being one of them.

11. Citizen Cope... For those of you who like a little rap every now and then... a little rolling the windows down bobbing your head kind of music... here it bees.

12. The City Harmonic... Great praise and worship song!

13.  JJ Heller... also a newby, but a keeper!!  This song gives me a lump in my throat every time!

14.  Christian Stanfill... this song snagged me at a time when I was living in fear.  I love how the Holy Spirit grabs hold of you so creatively.

15.  Last, but not least... a little Billy Joel to end your listening experience :D

So long dixie queens!!

Comfortable.

In July of 2010, I committed to read through the entire bible in a year.  I am a little over halfway and I have to admit that I'm getting weary.  I'm just reading words.  Reading because I said I would.  Not soaking it in, letting it seep into every corner of my thirsty soul.  Yesterday while reading words, I mustered up a "God, why am I doing this??"  I closed the bible gladly (no disrespect intended here).  And began to pray.  I then realized that I haven't really been praying.  Just saying some words every now and then.  Shooting those words somewhere in the corners of the room.  I sat on the couch at first, wrapped in a blanket, head leaning on the pillow, comfortable.  It's like that word was being shouted at me.  Then came a string of similar words... Complacent, stagnate, cozy, sedentary.  YUK!  That's not where or who I want to be, nor is it where God wants me to be.  He wants me to grow, to seek Him Daily.  I was overwhelmed with how selfish I have been and how I have been treating Christianity as only a label lately... going with the flow... doing the "Christian" thing.  Puke.  So fake.  Where did I go from there?  My knees of course!! Asking for forgiveness, accepting grace, and my prayer abruptly stopped, when I heard the car door slam... my very last words of that prayer were "Show me how to be the follower, daughter, sister, friend, and wife that you have created me to be."  Maybe the distraction was to keep my focus on that very prayer?  This morning I was again reminded of my DAILY need to ask for guidance and grace thanks to my sweet Sister, whom God uses regularly to teach me things about Himself.  So now... I have to re-focus.   Focus on asking God to show me truth in his scripture and how to apply it to my life today.  He will.  He always does.  I just havent bothered asking him lately. 

And to finish off the morning, I had a double dose of this song by Shawn McDonald: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QE1OrBNleo