Friendship Fridays!

So today being Good Friday, I thought it would be appropriate to make this "Friendship Friday" about the greatest friend of all! A friend that will never leave us or forsake us. A friend that loves us, even if we refuse to acknowledge Him. In fact, he loves us so much he was willing to lay down his life for us! And not just lay down His life, but suffered, was rejected, humiliated all so that we didn't have to. His name is JESUS! What an amazing love!!!

My prayer today is that if this friendship is one sided, get to know Him. You will have no greater friend or love in Christ!

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Friendship Fridays!

Today I selected the Williams Family for my Friendship Fridays blog. I chose this picture because this family really touches my heart when I see them on Sundays. I went to high school with Heather and we really hadn't seen each other until recently. Like most we reconnected on Facebook. We had shared a few emails and phone conversations. Now what makes them so special to me, is that they are encouragement of how much God is working. I invited Heather to come to our church and check it out. Her daughter Katherine had been asking to go so she thought this would be a great opportunity. Heather didn't realize how much I had been praying and asked others to pray, that this would be a life changing experience. That they would know how much God loves them!

Well, Heather and her family visited the church and I wasn't sure what they were going to think or if they were ever going to come back. To my surprise, they started coming on Wednesday nights, Sundays and even started going to some extra encouraging studies. Not long ago I received one of the sweetest voicemails I have ever gotten, from Heather.

I have always felt unqualified to speak about God's love and about his faithfulness. After all, I am a pastor's kid who fell away for so long and did everything opposite of what God wanted of me. So when I see this beautiful family at church and learning the bible, I am encouraged! I just love how Heather and Duke are starting to build a family on Christ. They truly have blessed me!

Happy Friday!!
Heather, her husband Duke, Amanda, Katherine and Hunter

Am I willing to sacrifice for "the kid with the story no one would believe"?

This song has been really tugging at my heart lately. I hear it on the radio all the time, but if I stop and meditate on these words...

"He cries in the corner where nobody sees,
he's the kid with the story no one would believe
he prays every night, "Dear God won't you please,
could you send someone here who will love me?
who will love me for me?
not for what I have done or what I will become?
who will love me for me?
cause nobody has shown me what love, what really means" JJ Heller

this is not just a song, but a call to action. What will I do to respond?

For some reason I feel like this song is a constant challenge to me. Am I willing to sacrifice some of my comforts to satisfy a child's desperate desire for love? To give a child an opportunity that they may not receive else where? An opportunity to grow up in a home that will teach them about the God that loves them so much He took it to the cross. Am I willing to let the want for nice cars go? pretty clothes? a clean house? sleep? social workers evaluating our families every move? our lives under a microscope? Am I willing to give it all to God and truly surrender? To surrender it all for His will? To be a Mary and respond as she did. "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Luke 1:38. I know I want to be the person who would say yes to all these questions, but I know I am not.

As Dave and I continue to pursue the adoption process, once again, I am in continuous prayer that the Lord will break my heart for what breaks His. I need a constant reminder that we are doing the right thing and in God's will. I think that God has placed this song on my heart for that very purpose.

Did you know about Birthmother's Day?

Well, I know this post is about a month early but why not do it now? It was this time last year that I remember getting really sentimental. Our son's first birthday was approaching, his adoption was being finalized and it was going to be my first Mother's Day. Anyone can understand why I would be getting excited and emotional. But most didn't know that with my extreme excitement also came a little sadness. I had nothing to be sad about, but another woman did. I just couldn't stop thinking about Kyler's birthmother T.

Although I know T made the best decision for herself, her family, Kyler and us didn't mean she didn't hurt at times. I knew this would be one of those times. I knew that every time I would get excited about Mother's Day or Kyler's birthday, there was someone else who was reflecting on the most difficult decision of her life. Just because she placed Kyler with us, doesn't disqualify her as a mother. She may not parent him, but she will always be the mother who carried him. You may think that is weird of me to say or even wrong. But I know I am the woman Kyler will always call Mom, but she will always be the one who gave him life. I can't deny her that!

In order to acknowledge T and her decision and priceless gift we do celebrate Birthmother's Day. Most don't know about Birthmother's day, I know I had never heard of it before Kyler. I know I have never seen a Hallmark card wishing someone "A Wonderful Birthmother's Day". Have you?? So what is it you ask? Well, I am no expert but here is what I know about the day.

From what I know, Birthmother's Day was established by a group of women in Washington in 1990. It originated to help celebrate birthmother's the day before Mother's day, which can be a very difficult day. It is a day to reflect and honor the choice that was made. To give honor to the women who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their child. After all, I couldn't celebrate a Mother's Day without our birthmother.

So if you may know a woman who has placed a baby for adoption recently or years ago, maybe this year can be the year that you give her honor is some way. Even if you have no idea of where she is, you still have the ability to pray and thank God for her.