Be a Rebel

My husband had a student in our church come up to him and ask about a song he'd just heard. It was by a Christian rap artist named LeCrae, and in it he speaks of Jesus being a rebel. The student said, "I'm not sure about this song. I mean, he calls Jesus a rebel! What do you think about that?" My husband's response? "Well, yeah, Jesus was a rebel! Maybe the greatest rebel ever! He changed everything! He stepped in and called their way of living into question. He said if you wanna live this life, you've got to lose it!"

It reminded me of how, as imitators of Christ, we should have that same character. When people look at us, as Christians, they should not see the status quo. They should take one look at us, how we run our lives and our families, where we put our money and energy, and think that we're just weird. It's not commonplace to put the desires of others before your own. It's not popular to forego the material wants of this world and instead pursue with passion the things of God. But hey, isn't it what we're called to do?

"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is, destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal. If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father wil honor and reward anyone who serves me." John 12:24-26, The Message

The call to orphan care is not for the faint at heart. It is not normal to yearn and desire for a child who is not your own. The ladies in your social club most likely will not understand if you choose to wage war against poverty and disease in order to defend the orphan in their distress.(James 1:27). It is not common to pack yours bags and go to a foreign country in order to give aid to those less fortunate. There very well may be people within your church who do not understand. This call may not be popular, but it is necessary. After all, we are called to live with abandon for Christ's sake. We are called to go against the grain; to be rebels for God's glory.

God’s position on orphan care is clear. Orphan care is not merely charity; it's Gospel. He wants us, as Christians, to have a part in it. Adoption and orphan care are not suggestions of how to go about ministering, they are mandates for Christ’s church. They spur us to join Christ in advocating for the helpless and abandoned, and beckon us to give ourselves away in order to bless another. One of the most selfless things we can do is open our hearts and homes to a child. It involves putting our wants to the wayside, and truly becoming the hands and feet of the church. When we reach out to children that are not our flesh and blood, may not look like us, talk like us, or be the same color as us, it slaps Satan in the face! The very notion that we would love outside of ourselves goes against everything the world has to say about Christians. It's weird.
The Bible says we should be set apart. The end of James 1:27 states true religion is to "keep oneself from being polluted by the world", and the world knows this. A watching world is waiting to see if we will live out the hope we proclaim in Christ Jesus. Our unbelieving neighbors are watching us intently to see if we practice what we preach. Let's show them just how reckless we can be.

Are you ready to be a rebel?

Weekend Fun and a Little Life Lesson

With one child away, we decided to go have some fun. We did a little school shopping, some fish-watching (the baby loves aquariums!), and some general meandering. A great Saturday; lazily going about enjoying the day with our first-born.

Part of that fun involved going to a brand new Christian bookstore in our area.

Now there is something you need to understand. We love books in my house!

My husband is a pastor. Before surrendering to the call, he was a journalism major. Writing and reading is what he does - it's what he loves. I wrote several books while in grade school (What? You've never heard of them?!) and used to proof read youth members' school papers for them. My oldest will be in first grade this year, but reads on a third grade level. And she can't read books fast enough to satisfy her hunger. She reads to my youngest daily.

So you can understand how exciting it was for us to peruse the aisles of this grand bookstore, milling through all of the titles and looking for the perfect book. When all was said and done, we found ourselves having to put book after book back because there was just no way we could afford all of them! We walked out of the store with at least one book for all of us. As soon as my daughter got into the car she began to read her book. By the time we got to our next destination, she had finished it! As she put it down to look for another, she said, "Mama, I loved that book. And I didn't realize it was a true story! I just love how that lost baby found her mommy".

What?!

Oh, the joy that filled my heart when I realized that my baby had read about the miracle of adoption!

Has your child read it?



It's so cute, and good, and wonderful! It's written by Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, founders of Show Hope and adoptive parents to three Asian princesses. And it's illustrated by Jim Chapman, who is Mary Beth's brother and whose family has also been blessed through adoption. You should pick it up today.

And if you are looking for a phenomenal read, look no further than Choosing to SEE", Mary Beth's chronicle of how God's path for them led to adoption, and the heartache of loosing their precious daughter, Maria. It is a tear-jerker, eye-opener for sure!

Although my daughter knows my heart for adoption, she does not yet fully understand it. Her book opened her eyes to the world of an orphan, and gave us an opportunity to talk openly about what we can do to change it. What a blessing! 

How Does ONE Person Make A Difference For The Millions?

This question is daunting, I know. I've asked myself this same question a thousand times or more. It's the reason I started this blog.
To give hope to those who feel insignificant.
To inspire those who wish to make a difference.
To remind myself that it only takes one willing heart.
One person can change the world for orphans. Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself. We still haven't answered the question! As I've prayed and read and researched, one of the things that the Lord has told me over and over again is not to discouraged. Small measures may feel like tiny grains of sand in a giant ocean, but those grains add up, and soon you have a beach shore. With every measure, we are building the foundation on which millions of orphans can be saved from extreme poverty and maltreatment, sex trafficking, malnutrition and more. We CAN make a difference! Let me show you how!

• Pray for the millions of orphans who will not know the love of a father and mother tonight.
• Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for a child in foster care.
• Receive training to become a foster parent, or give respite care to foster parents in your area.
• Host baby showers or "gotcha day" parties for expectant adoptive parents.
• Host an Orphan Sunday event in your church or community. Go here to get more info. and for resources to share with your church/civic leaders.
• Start a small group within your home and review materials concerning the plight of the fatherless. Consider looking here or here for materials.
• Host a 5K, garage sale, cupcake sale or other fundraiser for orphan care. There are many different organizations to support. Show Hope offers adooption grants and cares for special needs orphans. World Orphans and Stella's Voice build suitable orphanages and offer much-needed care.
• Support organizations that speak up for the less fortunate. These are numerous, but some of my favorites are WorldVision, Compassion International, Show Hope and Holt International.
• Prayerfully consider welcoming an orphan into your home.

Shopping For A Cause

I have some pretty amazing friends, if I may say so! One such buddy is the multi-talented Sharon over at Sharona's Homelife. If you don't believe me, you should see all of the amazing things she does! Fantastic mother of four, devoted wife, home childcare director extraordinare, etc., etc. Her list of accomplishments are pretty incredibly, but perhaps the one she is most excited about is the creation of Pinwheels and Polkadots, a handmade children's store whose entire proceeds go to help fund adoptions. She has toys, adorable animals, play sets, crayon rolls and bags that are just too precious to pass up! So why don't you stop by here, and feel confident that you're making a difference! (And if you're in the Jackson, MS area, you can check out some of her items at Traditions Children's Consignment, opening in Brandon July 18th.)

Won't you stop by Pinwheele and Polkadots and help make a difference?

At this moment, there are 147 million orphans worldwide.
That’s 4 million more than just 6 months ago.
Right now, as we sit in this heated room, with cushioned chairs, nice clothes and full bellies, a child in Uganda cares for his dying mother, a Russian orphan ceases to cry as he realizes his cries will not be answered, an Ethiopian girl lives in a landfill, spending her days foraging for food and scraps to sell, and an American orphan suffers the consequences of his mother’s mistakes, wondering if anyone will ever simply love him for him.

Psalms 68:6 says that God sets the lonely in families. About 2 years ago, the Lord began to reveal to us his heart for the orphan and his plan for us concerning adoption.
I find as I speak to others that the reason more Christians are not broken for orphan care is because most of them don’t know anything about it. So let me shed some light on the matter.
Worldwide, 50% of the population live on less than $2 a day. In areas like Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, mothers relinquish their children to orphanages because they know this is the only hope they have at a prosperous future.

Every 3 seconds a child under the age of 5 dies due to preventable illnesses and other poverty related issues. That totals 10 million children a year.

In the Ukraine and Russia, children age out of the orphan system at 16. They are given $16 dollars, the clothes on their back, and a ticket to the city of their birth. They know no one. 10-15% of these children commit suicide within 2 years of aging out. 60% of the girls are lured into prostitution. 70% of the boys become hardened criminals.

In America, one of the few countries with foster care, there are approx. 500,000 children in the foster care system.
Approx. 120,000 U.S. children in foster care are waiting to be adopted.

A child is orphaned every 18 seconds. They are alone. Without hope. Wandering the streets, searching for food. They are beaten. They are bullied. They are harassed. And they are waiting for someone like you and me.

“The Christian solution for this tragedy is to give orphan children the good news they really long to hear” -- The Gospel of Adoption.
The Lord has sent us a message, and that message is that we are no longer to be silent. God is calling Christians like never before to speak up for the fatherless, and give them the hope they so desperately desire.