Merry CHRISTmas & Reckless Faith!

Merry Christmas!!!

I pray you all had a blessed Christmas with your families celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus! We had a wonderful, quiet day at home with our girls. After the girls had their gifts Mike and I sat on the couch wondering if next year we'll have two boys home! We may have just had our last Christmas together as a family of four! Wouldn't that be wild!!

Looking back I would say 2009 has been the hardest year ever (financially) for our family. But the Lord has been so faithful to take care of all our needs (bills, food, clothes, adoption expenses to date)! It has been a year of miracles for our family! Thank you Jesus!

We are quickly approaching the one year anniversary of the dream the Lord gave Mike calling us to go to Nepal and bring home at least one, maybe two sons! I remember when we announced what we were going to do we had some of our closest family and friends look at us as though we had lost our minds. I guess I can understand why they felt that way initially considering where we were financially, but after we shared how the Lord had been speaking to both of us through His Word I really thought their hearts would change. I was hoping they would be as excited with us as we were about this God sized adventure we were about to embark on... again! But some were not and even prayed our eyes would be opened and see that this was not the time to be doing this and that doors would close.

Mark 8:33 comes to mind...."You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's" Sometimes God calls us to do things that make no sense to others.... or us for that matter. He calls us to have RECKLESS FAITH...be reckless for Him! He see's the big picture...we only see what's right in front of us. Praise the Lord we listened to Him and PRAISE THE LORD he didn't close doors.... He opened them up wide!!! And He moved financial mountains for us!!!

Do you know that ANYTHING is possible with God? While I was reading this morning in Mark I came across the story about Jesus healing a boy who was possessed by an evil spirit. The man who had the son had brought the boy to the disciples but they were unable to heal him so he then took his son to Jesus. The father said to Jesus "Do something IF you can." "What do you mean if I can?" Jesus asked. "ANYTHING is possible if a person believes." That's what faith is. That is what we have tried to practice all year. It's not easy and I'm glad it's not an emotion that you feel, because I would have been in big trouble! Faith is a choice we make....and will continue to make. You see this adoption story is not over yet! We are only half way there! Another verse in Mark 9...verse 37 "Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.” Don't you love that verse?! OK one more over in Mark 10 verse 14 &15 "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, anyone who doesn't have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God."

I do want to say we did have several friends who gathered around us in support, excitement and prayer and that meant so much to us! We love you so much! But we still had those doubters which by the way we love too! My head is still spinning from all the miracles that have taken place this year! Most recently the 9200.00 which I'm sure you all know about by now..but don't forget the TV either! I'm very excited to share the stories of how the Lord provided the 9200.00 but need to check with a couple people before I do :) Maybe that will be my first 2010 post!

As we head into 2010 we face a lot of the same trials we faced in 2009. Work is still very slow for Mike and we continue to pray and ask the Lord to provide all the work needed to pay our bills and provide for the adoption, finish the boys bedroom...you know how the list goes on. Faith and not worrying had been hard for me in the past and sometimes is still hard. They are those things that I need to give to the Lord daily! I will say all that has taken place this year has built my faith immeasurably!
I am reading a book right now called Crazy Love OVERWHELMED BY A RELENTLESS GOD by Francis Chan. He gives the definition for worry...not Webster's but how the Lord looks at worrying.
"Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives."
We know this is not true! Our Father who created us loves us more than we can comprehend! Can you imagine loving someone so much that you would sacrifice your only son so others could escape eternal death? I cannot, yet that's what God did for you and me! We know He is BIG enough, POWERFUL enough, and LOVING enough to take care of what's happening in our lives.... He LOVES us!

So we head into 2010 expecting that the Lord has good things in store for you and our family!

Here's what we are praying for and thanking the Lord for ....

Thanking him for bringing the Nelson's and their new daughter home safely!
Continue to pray for them and her as they begin to bond as a family.

Pray for Amy and Brian as they are in China now and have their new son Rhett! Pray for Brian's leg/hip as it's giving him lots of pain. Pray for healing! You can check out their blog here.

My Friend Amy and her hubby as they prepare to travel to ET to bring home their new daughter!

Mike to get lots of work so we can pay these bills and get out of debt!

That the Lord will continue to show Himself strong in this adoption and that He will provide all we need to bring these boys home!

Pray for two boys!

The Lord will move mountains and put into place those that need to be there to get adoptions moving in Nepal!

And safety to those traveling to bring home their children.

More people would have reckless faith and step out and do something radical for the Lord this year! Maybe even adopt!!!

Please take time to watch the video below about Reckless Faith!

I love you!

Have a wonderful New Year! I'll be back Jan 1, 2010 unless Jesus comes to take us/me home! Wouldn't that be sweet if He came for His waiting church!!!

Are you ready?

If not...... GET READY....HE'S COMING SOON!

Come Lord Jesus Come!!!