The Orphan & Beyond. Step Three.

 

So far we have gone through two of the five steps in the "Orphan & Beyond" series.

Quick Review!

1. Know what the Bible says about the poor (read here)

2.  Pray for a change of hear about the poor (read here)

and now I am both excited to share what I've learned & sad that what you are about to learn as well is true....So here it is: Step three.

You will need: An open mind

Many 3rd world nations repeat this cycle:

The father (or man of the house) dies of AIDS.  The widow, left to support her family, has only one thing to sell: her body.  If she does not get & die of AIDS herself, or become a sex slave, there is still a high chance some or all of her children will become orphans as well.  In fact, many well meaning parents bring their children to an orphanage in hopes of a better life for them.  If these children are not taken in by a family member or adopted, at the age of 16 or 18 they are turned out onto the streets with only $30 and a bus ticket back to their hometown.  Some orphanages may even tip off a trafficker when a child is released for their own profit.  If then the child does manage to make it back to their home, most don't have a skill set, education or a family & have only one thing to sell: their body.

It may seem a bit dramatic...yes...but in many cases this is the reality that both boys & girls face.  If you doubt anything I say, GOOD!  Question it!  Go do your own research & find the facts.  I think you'll be sad to find out that this is the truth.  I found many of my facts regarding this specific topic from reading the book Orphan Justice.  I not only recommend it...but I dare you to read it & not be changed.

But also, realize that America & other 1st world countries are also home to orphans, sex slaves & human traffickers.  The only difference?  We hide it much better here.  Don't believe that?  Then check this book out...it is on my "Must Read" list.

John & the Pacific

 ...It was a beautiful day.  Seriously it was one of those days that just had GOD written all over it.  I was grateful.  The sand was warm, the water was cool and the breeze was light.  I was a little nervous thinking that John would hate the beach (since he isn't such a fan of bath time) and our family fun day would turn into a family fright day!  But mister john john did not disappoint.  He was curious about the crashing waves & kept trying to get in the water with daddy, he loved the sand & didn't seem to mind the discomfort that sand in your pants brings & he LOVED his special family time.  So did we.  So...enough about the perfection of the day...I'll just let the pictures proof it!

The Orphan & Beyond. Step Two.

Are you ready for step two of the Orphan & Beyond series?  You can check out what this series is about HERE & read about step one  HERE.

Step No. 2

You will need: Knees to pray on.

Truly, this is a call to most all of us to repent & pray for a change of heart.  How many times have you seen a homeless man, or a homeless woman...or family...on the street corner with a sign asking for help and you have thoughts things like:

• Lazy!  Why don't they look for work?
• They made their choices...and now they have to live with the consequences.
• Maybe if they didn't spend all of their money on drugs...
• If I give money to the homeless I'm just enabling them
• Go to a shelter.  

Do you see how NONE of those sound like something Jesus would say?  Not one time in the Bible do we read about Jesus condemning the poor & impoverished.  Rather he has a perfect & sinless heart full of compassion to those who need Him...to "the least of these"

Mat 25:40

"And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did [it] to one of the least of these My brethren, you did [it] to Me.'

Mat 25:45

"Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do [it] to one of the least of these, you did not do [it] to Me.'

So, as I used to say to my sister when she would tell me what to do...Who died and made you boss???  The answer is NOBODY.  Jesus did NOT die so we could judge, criticize & condemn the children He has created in His image.  He died so we can be free of such sin .

I know I have been guilty of thinking cruel things towards the children of God...there is a freeway exit I frequently use that is always crowded with people asking for money.  I never gave.  But when I have cash, a snack, or even a meal my mom has sent me home with...I hand it over.  It is not my job to to ensure my money be put to proper use.  My job is to love like Jesus loved & leave the rest up to the Lord.  And when I find my inner voice giving attitude to the man on the corner...I know it's time to

 

So, please.  Pause for a moment.  Maybe even get on your knees.  Close your eyes.  Bow your head.  Repent.  

I am sorry Lord for the times when I find myself judging your people.  When I boast in my own strength and all that I have.  When I feel superior because I have been so blessed with financial provisions, a support system when I did find myself traveling down a destructive path, and a family who has taken me in in times of need.  The only thing I have to boast in is YOU.  I pray for COMPASSION, I pray for a heart overflowing with LOVE to freely give, and I pray for a change in my thoughts, of the sweeping generalizations of the poor to be tossed out the doors of my heart.  Lord, help me to humble myself & be Your hands & feet.  Amen.

 

Auction 4 Africa

The auction has begun!!!  Please make sure to "like" my Facebook page so you can keep up with all that's going to be given away!  Auctioned items will also include a coffee basket, a Mary Kay makeup bundle & an awesome clutch from Florero Creations...just to name a few!  Today will start the auction for a family photo session with OC Baby Photos so if you are local to Southern California, this one is especially for you!

All money earned from the auction will go towards the cost of my missions trip to Africa this summer to serve "the least of these" in Ethiopia & Uganda!  I truly hope this will be fun for everybody, that you will find something you want to bid on, that you win, and that the money needed to serve God's people is raised!

Check my Facebook page out & place your bid!!!

F. Y. I.

• I just thought I'd let ya'll know...My blog has been redesigned!  I am so excited for it to go up!  I think it's much more "me."  Jessica, you nailed it!!

• If you want to help me get to Africa...and let's face it...I need all the help I can get...you can donate (see paypal button on the right side) or you can be a part of the online auction fun!  Just make sure to like my facebook page to keep up with all the goodies that are going to be auctioned off!  I am going to auction off one item at a time that way I can spend more time gushing about the generous donors and highlight all the awesomeness of their donations!  The first auction starts tomorrow and you can with this:

• Also, I am being serious when I say I need your help!  I joined a weight loss challenge to earn some more money for my trip & of course, to loose a little weight...and I weighed in last week just to find out I gained TWO POUNDS!  I gained!  Which means I had to pay $2!  Does anybody have any good recipes?  Work out tips?  Offer free liposuction?  No on the liposuction???

• And don't forget....The Orphan & Beyond Series is still going on!

The Orphan & Beyond. Step One.

 

I am so excited to start the series today!  I'm going to be giving you five steps!  Five easy steps into how you can be a part of changing the world, how you can love like Jesus loved & how you can be His hands & feet.  Of course, changing the world in the name of Christ is so much more complicated than I am going to make it sound...but I hope this at least points you in the right direction, encourages you to do more, and motivates you to find what you are passionate about and stand up for what you believe in. My heart has recently found a deep desire to love & care for the orphans, the widow, the poor & oppressed...So that's what I am going to be sharing with you...

So, let's jump right into it!  Step No. 1

You will need: Your Bible

It's simple.  You need to know what the Bible says about the poor & needy.  More than 2,000 verses of Scripture talk about God’s concern for the poor & needy & His desire for us to have the same concern.   

Grab your Bible & turn to Matthew 19:21

"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 

It's a verse we've heard so often in the church, right?  Give it all up to the Lord & follow Him.  But what's often overlooked is we give it all up and give it to the POOR.  I think that must mean that Jesus wants us to care for those in need.  Not convinced?  Turn to Psalm 82:3 

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. 

We are not only called to care & give...but we are called to defend the weak and FATHERLESS & the POOR & OPPRESSED.

Flip to Dueterononmy 10:18

...Defend the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.

Again, DEFEND the fatherless & the WIDOW.  Love the foreigner. 

I think you get my point, right?  If you really want to have a heart for the nations....if you really want to care...if you really want to make a change, the first thing you need to know is the Word.  We've gotta know where God stands on the issues & the widow, the fatherless,the poor & oppressed are A BIG DEAL to the Lord.  He not only loves them He expects US to love them, too...and not just to love, but to care, give & defend.  You can also look up these scriptures as well...

Isa 1:17

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Exd 22:22  "Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.

Psa 82:4    Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

 ...I pray that you take the time this week to look into it.  Don't just take my word for it...open up your Bible & see what God has to say for yourself!  I think you will be surprised just how often God's Word commands us to care for the least of these!!! 

The Orphan & Beyond Series

So, I've been pretty busy lately with all this "change the world" business & I'm not gonna lie...It's exhausting.  This world is a mess.  A complete and total mess.  I mean, we all know that.  We read the papers, watch the news, read the headlines on Yahoo!.  What is going on in this world is disheartening.  But this is not the way that God intended it.  We were never supposed to live in this broken world, but alas, here we are....

There are some people who are called, destined, and burdened to advocate for the needs of the animals.  Others are led to advocate for the environment.  Some lean towards the political side of things while others the more humanitarian.  I, myself, find an incredible need to be an advocate for the oppressed & impoverished.  It is among these groups that we tend to find the human traffickers, the sex slaves, the orphans, the widow & the prostitutes.  It is among these groups we find the child laborers, the HIV/AIDS positive and the forgotten.  I want to stand up & fight for them.  But I'm pretty lazy.

Yah, I said it.  I'm a lazy son of a nutcracker.  Between diaper changes & grocery shopping I don't know where I am going to find time to change the world!  Not to mention, I'm not sure there is much that one person like me can do.  It's not like I have a huge fan following like Justin Bieber or a trusted perspective like Greg Laurie.  All I have is my blog...and sheer will power.  But then, I realized that there are lots of other people out there in the world just like me.  The mom, the daughter, the friend, the wife.  The 20-something Jesus lover with a passion for His people.  So maybe if there were enough of us....maybe we could make an impact & maybe we can make a change.  So, that's exactly what we are gonna do!  I can't do it alone...and neither can you...but together, I think we'd make a great team!

I sat down yesterday morning & felt led to write and now I give to you the lazy man's guide to changing the world.  Or, to sugar coat it...5 easy steps to making a difference.  I am going to post one step at a time, making this a 5 part series & I hope you come back to read it & check it out.  I promise with the ease of breaking this HUGE problem of needing to change the world into SMALL baby steps, changing the world actually seems like a possibility & something that we can all team up & do together.

Come back tomorrow to start The Orphan & Beyond series & check out Step No. 1!  Hint: Get your Bibles ready!

What's Going On - An Africa Update

So much has been going on lately that I think I may just explode right now!  Well, it's either that or I'm going to explode from the latte and box of Peeps I just consumed....but that's not important.  Right?

First, let me catch you up on the trip.  If you have forgotten, or if you are new here then you should know that I am traveling to Africa on a missions trip through an organization called Man Up & Go.  The trip is 10 days long and is from June 5-15th of this year!  The total cost of the trip is around $4,000 and so far I have been blessed with $1,300!

While we are there we will be loving orphans, counseling/encouraging widows as well as helping the men "man up" and be Christ like leaders in their homes and communities.

I have sent out support letters & continue to get a check in the mail once or twice a week.  It's such a blessing!  I also have been so super blessed by a new friend, Kelli, from Then & Now Double Takes who is allowing me to sell her product & use the profit for my trip!  I was blown away by this, because seriously, I ordered an 8x10 from her & was blown away by the quality & beauty of the picture!!!  Check her out here & get ready to order!  These make PERFECT mother's day gifts, graduation gifts or just because gifts!  The photo I have is on my night stand & is a picture of Matt & I on our wedding day and a picture of Matt, John and I one adoption finalization day! (Details on how to buy & support my trip coming soon!!!)

My wonderful church is allowing me to accept donations at breakfast every Sunday & let me get on stage & hog the mike for awhile & share what we'll be doing while we are out there!

My mother in law is letting me take over her front lawn on Saturday and is helping me put on a garage sale!!!

Also, I am joining a weight loss challenge as of tomorrow night.  The challenge is 8 weeks long & the biggest loser (just like the show) with the largest percentage of weight loss will win a bundle of cash!  First prize winners have gone home with anywhere between $600 to $1,700!!!  So, if there are any weight loss tips, super easy recipes, juices, smoothies or words of encouragement I sure can use them!!!!  Truly, my confidence & my trip need me to walk away the first prize winner!!! 

...and the photographers from our wedding, David & Tania, have so graciously offered to let me auction off a family photo mini-session that values $300.  So excited because they are amazing people with huge hearts & huge love for Jesus.  Check them out HERE.

Also, a couple of local Starbucks baristas got together & donated 6 pounds of whole bean Starbucks coffee goodness & a couple of coffee mugs to auction off as well!  This gift values around $80.  Can't wait to auction that as well!

You can also donate!

...or if you have anything that could be auctioned or raffled I would so appreciate the blessing of your support & encouragement!

I'm blown away by the goodness of God & his provisions so far for my trip & I cannot wait to travel to Ethiopia & Uganda to serve God's people & am excited to continue to share with you how God is giving and give Him the glory!