Getting it all Together

For over 20 years, I knew @ some point I would want to adopt or be a foster parent... I knew I always wanted a large family - but extended not from just my womb, but a mom to other children ~ a family to those who don't have... Joseph & I have discussed this over the years for the right timing... we always thought our youngest two daughters preteen years or teen years would be best... Over the last two years I have touched on it a bit more, and he just felt he was not foster dad material.  This crushed my heart but certainly a huge decision I would respect.

One evening I went outside... this was sometime around 2010 Christmas... and I mentioned it again to Joseph and he just was not wanting to discuss it he feels that he failed our oldest daughter and felt if he could fail his own child how could he help someone else's? I heard him and understood his heart... but still heartbroken I went inside sat at my desk FRUSTRATED, I put my head in my hands, and just started to pray... God I have been going to the wrong man with my heart, YOU should have been my first stop. Lord you know my heart, I want so much to care for other children, your children, broken, scared, unloved, uncared for children... I want us to be your extended hands and heart on earth. Father, if I am being selfish and this is not your will Lord, please remove it from my heart - and Lord if Joseph and I can be a blessing to other children, if we are able to give these children who need homes and love and most of all - YOU, Lord - please place it on my husbands heart to consider this as a need for him not just a want of mine. . . in your precious sons name Jesus, Amen.

I kid you not in less than a couple of weeks, he came to me and said he was ready... he had talked to a couple of our pastors at church and a few other people he knew that adopted or fostered and said now is our time (THANK YOU GOD!)- January was here and we did our training in Austin for Fostering and Adoption - WOW I wish I would have blogged about this from the very beginning so much to take in... and so much to do, we have listed our references, background checks, FBI finger prints, different forms galore.
What we have left - our vet records, fire and health code inspection - (our county doesn't do it so the agency will) square footage of each room of house, fire escape plan - lock box for medicines and first aid... our home study! ~

I am so thrilled, for now I will stop as I am listening to one of the families being interviewed on the radio about their experiences! - if you are in the Austin or surrounding areas - and are interested in foster parenting or adoption -  please check out Family Link  

Stepping Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Today is Sunday, I have dropped two family sized pizza dough batches into 2 different bread makers to do the kneading :) - but I can't help think about todays service in church, we usually get there early before Sunday school -

This morning I was sitting there reading a 1 Samuel the covenant established between Jonathan and David... when I reflected on how some people make mission work their life, how people pick up their families and just implant them in other regions of the world sacrificing the comforts of our freedoms, extended family members and friends. How AWESOME I thought to be able to do that... and really I guess anyone can but how many are willing to say good bye to modern day conveniences in exchange for a poverty state 3rd world country? I know I wouldn't at least not anytime soon...

Anyhow I forgot today we had a guest speaker Pastor Sterling Edwards all the way from New York!! He is at a church called Crossroads Church of Long Island East - He had an amazing story to share.. and inspirational to try and make it short, he was born and raised here in Houston, Texas. His family is rooted here, but something pointed him and his wife to New York to start a church... yeah I know what's so inspirational about this? I can't remember the logistics and statistics that were given but basically only 3% of the population considered themselves as Evangelical Christians - and out of several million people on long island this is including the Bronx, Queens, and the communities around those - only a handful (literally) were baptist... I believe the number was 86% of people age 37 and under had NEVER stepped into a church... this is big and hits home with me as I could have easily fitted into that category @ the age of 36 (I am 38 now).

Pastor Sterling has a new approach to his community and that's what made me just open my ears and I just didn't hear what he had to say, my heart felt it and I just wanted to be able to do something. Financially the best I can do is tell somebody, and hope that somebody tells another somebody, hopefully reaching that community to tell someone maybe a loved one that there is a church that is just there to be friends to love on the community. This church can't just open the doors and wait for people to show up on Sunday morning, they are actually stepping out from behind the church doors out of their comfort zone and working with a body of unbelievers, showing them they want nothing but to share the love of Jesus Christ with them.

I realize I am not delivering his message impacting you the way he did to me and others this morning, but one thing I did hear ~ or took in was not to miss a chance of opportunity to share Jesus with another person - we tend to just keep our mouths fixed - I mean sure we will say God Bless you, Thank God, Praise the Lord in every day lingo, but how many of us will go out and really just talk about what Jesus did for you and me and everyone else's sins?? How Our eternal Father lifted us up out of our pit of sinful ruins giving us hope and life? What I believe from what I have experienced is that most of us stay in our comfort zone, and speak about God to people we know who love God and we do it in the privacy of our own homes, on the phone, or in church... anyone can do that... it takes a disciple to walk amongst the masses and speak of Gods love with out any reservations Paul's letter to Timothy states~ 2 Timothy 2:1,2: "Oh, Timothy, my son, be strong with the strength Christ Jesus gives you. For you must teach others those things you and many others have heard me speak about. Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them on to others." (Living Bible)


We each have a choice to make a difference, I choose to step out of my comfort zone and share How God became apart of my life ~ and how others too can receive Christ. I choose to listen and say hi to somebody I don't know - after all everyone we meet is going through some sort of battle right now, wouldn't be awesome if being God's vessel could be the rope that person needs to see that they don't need to suffer in that battle alone... that they can surrender it and become free of it!? What will you choose to do?


Just one more thing I would like to share ~ I do believe God was speaking to me this morning as I was reflecting on families who move to other countries to do Gods work prior to the service, I had no idea what Pastor Sterling was going to speak about... but his message was what my heart needed to hear - Pastor Sterling was God's vessel for me this morning saying Lana - you can work right here in your own community as well in others around you which certainly I knew this however... I think I was stuck in my comfort zone....