Busy waiting.

A few years ago, seemingly out of the blue, I started hearing God whisper to me over and over and over, “Do Something”. Everywhere I turned, it seemed like every blog post, every email, every sermon repeated the message DO SOMETHING. Even an investing seminar The Mister and I went to. Honestly, it got a little comical.

And so, after much praying and seeking and praying some more, I did something. Something that changed my heart forever. I went to Africa. Twice.

And when I came home from Africa, the DOING changed to WAITING.

And now, for the past few months, I’ve been hearing God whisper to me over and over and over, “Wait and pray”. Everywhere I turn, it seems like every blog post, every email, every sermon repeats the message WAIT AND PRAY.

And so I'm waiting.  And praying.  And still waiting.

And not only have I been receiving the message to WAIT loud and clear - everywhere I turn - but God in His grace has even recently led me to this video clip by Steven Furtick (remember how much I love him?) about what waiting is, and this blog post about what waiting is not (even though it was written about a different kind of "waiting".  *ahem*). God is so cool.

And so, while I wait, I’ve been researching a few options of things I can do to be active in my waiting. I’ve been trying to be in the Word more. Which – let me just admit right now – I’m not very consistent with. But I’m working on it.

And I’ve also been planning a trip for our family to go see this movie premiere in Springfield, Missouri, in two weeks….which I could. not. be. more. excited. about. The movie was filmed and produced by a Visiting Orphans team that went to Africa right after my trip last year. Their purpose is to encourage men to become involved in missions, because something like 85% of the people on short-term mission teams are women.  (Watch the trailer here.  No really.  Please, go watch it.  The man speaking in the video is Roger Gibson, husband of my awesome team leader, Kari!)

There are several twisting, intertwined links between this team and the two teams I’ve traveled with. First, the two leaders of my team this year are married to the two men who led the first Man Up and Go team, and they’re all good friends with the film maker and his wife. Some of the people from the original MU&G team – or their spouses – were on my team this year. (And, guess who else was on that MU&G team? Ever heard of these guys?)

Anyway, let me just tell you right now, I am expecting God to do BIG things through this movie premiere!! BIG things….HUGE….in the hearts of my husband and myself and my children. I am praying for it with all my heart. That our hearts will be open and READY to receive ALL that God has for us during that weekend. That our hearts will be broken for the things that break His. That our eyes will be wide open and we will receive His vision for our family.

Will you please pray with me?

Our sweet, beautiful Annie Marie went to live with Jesus during the night last night.

Please don't tell me any different.

God mercifully and faithfully answered the three prayers I had been praying for many months: that she wouldn't suffer, we wouldn't have to have her put down, and Jacob wouldn't be the one to find her. I sat by her side on the laundry room floor for hours, until she just didn't have the strength to take one more breath.

Please pray for our family today and in the coming days. Our hearts are desperately broken, and we will miss her so terribly. :(

Hello from Africa!!

You will have to excuse my incoherence - I've only slept a total of about 6 hours since the time I woke up on Tuesday morning!

My adventure began eaaarly Wednesday morning at 4 a.m.  My sweet friend B had offered to drive me to the airport in Dallas to catch my flight to Washington DC. God was so obviously working on my behalf throughout the day! The details are tedious, but the highlights include Him leading us in the right way when we got lost (!), getting me to the airport on time despite being lost, faithfully walking me through getting my bags checked without paying the baggage fee (they're not supposed to charge you when you're connecting to an international flight, but the ticket agent was not convinced of that!), getting me to TWO flights on time despite running late, and allowing me a 3rd bag for free when security made me check it! Thank you so much for all of your prayers - they have been so obvious in my life the past two days!

I flew from Dallas to Charlotte, NC, then from there to Washington DC where we spent the night. Thursday morning our awesome team of 23 left DC for a 12 1/2 hour flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where we arrived at about 7:15 Friday morning (we are 7 hours ahead of Washington DC). We had a few minutes to drop our stuff at the guest house, and then we were off to visit the beautiful ladies at Fistula Women's Hospital (photos are not allowed). This is the amazing hospital from the documentary "A Walk to Beautiful". Have you seen it? If not, you should definitely try to track it down (I know it's on Netflix, and maybe Hulu(?)).  This place and the care they give to these women is AMAZING. You may have even heard of it when Oprah visited there about 7 years ago and made a rather hefty donation. :)

After the hospital we had a DELICIOUS home-cooked lunch at our guesthouse and then everybody crashed for naps! :) About half the team just left to visit an orphanage, about 1/3 of the team never woke up from their naps, and the rest of us (3) are blogging/emailing/facebook messaging. :)

Tonight we have dinner at a local restaurant, and tomorrow is THE BIG DAY when we will be visiting and loving on the people of the village of Korah, which is literally built on top of a trash dump. For real. So did you even know that there truly are people whose whole existence consists every day of digging through the trash that the trucks bring in, in order to find their sustenance? Meaning their food. And maybe a few salvagable trinkets they might be able to sell. Other people's trash and leftovers.

We in America have no. i. dea.

I would love to have your prayers for myself and my team over the next two weeks. We have already heard so many stories of God's faithfulness just in the 2 days we've been traveling so far. He's been so amazing and gracious! I'm hoping I'll be able to update here a little better this year than I did last year, with the help of the awesome treat I posted about last week. :) Most likely, though, my posts will be short and sweet due to not having much time in the evenings, and also because there are 23 of us trying to use the very limited wifi all at once.

{uggggh. I can NOT figure out how to upload pictures into a blog post on the ipad. When I click on the little insert photo icon, the "select pictures" button is grayed out. Anyone know how to do this? If not, none of my posts will have pictures until I get back home! If you're my friend on FB, I'm posting a very FEW pics there....very slow internet :) }

More to come!!

Could you use a vacation?

Wow, that's the understatement of this 16-day-old year. :)

Wanted to pop in real quick to let you guys know about an amazing opportunity....for you AND for a sweet family trying to bring home two precious treasures from Eastern Europe. Meet the Eichhorn family. These already-parents-of-four are stepping out in faith and doing everything in their power to bring home two more precious children from Reece's Rainbow who are waiting for their forever families. Ohhh, just wait 'til you see their SWEET kids and the beautiful little girl and boy they are trying to bring home!

Jeff and Candice need our help. They are planning to leave for Europe in just 8 days to bring home these little ones, but they are still in need of over $2500 in travel expenses!! They are trying so desperately to bring these children home, and we have an opportunity to help. To be the hands and feet of Christ. To BE the church. Not everyone can go....not everyone is called to adopt....but all can help, either through prayer or through giving, or both!

Won't you join me in praying for the Eichhorns, asking God to show His mighty hand and work miracles on their behalf? And if you might consider helping them out financially....they are having an AMAZING giveaway on their blog for a 7 night stay at Sand Castle One Condominiums in Indian Shores, Florida!! How cool is that? The condo sits right on the beach, sleeps up to 7, has a washer/dryer, and its own heated pool and jacuzzi. Awesome!

AND...there's a 2nd prize too: a Nintendo Wii with Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort, and Wii Motion Plus (Brand New in Box)

The more you donate, the more chances you have to win. And the closer these two little ones will be to sleeping in their own beds at home with their forever family.

But here's the clincher - TODAY (Sunday, Jan. 16) is the last day to enter the giveaway. So don't delay! Hop on over to their place, click on the Chip In button, help bring two children home, and receive an entry (or several) to win this fabulous week-long vacation! {and if you win, I get to go too since you heard about it here, right? ;) }

In need of prayer....

Bloggy friends,

Could I ask you guys a favor? Would you mind saying a quick little prayer for me today? I am facing a very, very difficult task today and would feel so much better knowing that my bloggy friends were praying. I'm sorry I can't give you any details - even if you know me personally, I don't feel like I can share right now. But isn't it cool that God knows anyway, even if you don't know specifically what you're praying for?

And....here's that verse again....funny, isn't it, how it keeps cropping up over and over again in my life lately?

"Do not be anxious for anything. But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7.

Thanks, friends, I really appreciate it.

More about Haiti....

I'm not back to say more about Haiti. There is nothing I could say that would be of any value or intelligence. I am speechless. Dumbstruck. I cannot fathom the fact that they were struck by another earthquake today. Lord Jesus....

I do, however, want to share with you some words that others have written in response to this horrendous tragedy - words that made me think, made me pray, made me want to DO SOMETHING...DO MORE.

Please take a few minutes to read these posts from....

Lysa TerKeurst

Beth Moore

Sincerely Anna

Linny at A Place Called Simplicity

Matt and Pam McCormick

Matt and Pam McCormick have been missionairies in Haiti for 3 years (you'll read more from Pam on Beth Moore's blog). Pam has just returned to the U.S. for the birth of their 3rd child, but Matt is still in Haiti and is writing almost daily about the things he and his team are doing to help the relief effort. It is amazing.

Most of all friends....pray. Please pray - both for Haiti and for us (me and you) - that we would be willing to hear and obey whatever God would have us do to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Please Do Something for Haiti

I got distracted earlier by that email from Buckner and forgot that the real reason I wanted to post today was to ask you to please consider how you personally may be able offer your help - to Do Something - for the people of Haiti whose lives have been devasted by the earthquake that hit there on Tuesday.

The pictures of the destruction and devastation have swept over me with the same feelings of helplessness and sorrow that I remember from the tsunami in the Indian Ocean that took almost 250,000 lives on December 26, 2004.

Please take a moment to check out these posts from a few of my favorite bloggers: Angie Smith, Beth Moore, and Mary Beth Chapman. Beth Moore offers several suggestions in her post about ways you can help.

But just as important as monetary donations, if not more important, are your prayers. Please, please remember to pray for the people of Haiti in the coming days and weeks. Pray that those who are still trapped will be found before it's too late. Pray for those who are wounded, that they will be healed. Pray for those who have already received the devastating news that their loved ones have been lost. Pray for the relief workers and rescue workers and healthcare workers and mission teams and power companies and heavy equipment operators. Pray for the children. Pray for God to sweep across that country with His powerful Holy Spirit, bringing healing and wisdom and comfort and peace and hope.

Thank you for praying, friends. Remember the woman who annointed Jesus with perfume? She Did What She Could. And this is our chance to do the same. What we do for others, we do for Him. This is our chance...let's Do Something.

Jubilee is Coming Home!!

Back in August I wrote this post about my bloggy friend Linny, whose family is in the process of bringing home their new daughter, Jubilee, from Ch*na. In August, the previous acceptance of their application to adopt Jubilee (please forgive my errors in terminology, as I'm not too familiar with the adoption process) had just been revoked by the Ch*nese government. At that time I was asking you to join me in praying for Linny and her family, asking God to move on their behalf so that they could bring Jubilee home. You can read all about Jubilee here.

So many things have happened since then - none of them good, really - in regards to Jubilee's adoption. In early November Linny's family found out that their paperwork had been sitting buried on someone's desk for weeks. And due to some red tape glitch, because their immigration paperwork had been lost in their house fire in January, they were going to have to refile it all over again....AGAIN (for the 3rd time). They have had trouble with the US Consulate in Ch*na, the immigration office, you name it. It's been a roller coaster ride, to say the least.

Well, God heard our prayers, and I wanted to let you know that Jubilee is coming home! Thank you all so much for your prayers. Linny and her daughter Emma are leaving on Friday to go pick up Jubilee. Their Consulate appointment is December 21 at 9:30 a.m., and they are planning to arrive back home on Christmas Eve. Is that an awesome Christmas present, or what?

Will you please join me again in praying for this family? Pray for Linny and Emma's safety and peace as they travel, for God's favor on them as they go through their Consulate appointment and all of the other governmental process, and for peace and comfort for Jubilee as she goes through this enormous change.

Thank you so much, bloggy friends - you're the best!

Will you pray?

Dear Friends, will you please pray with me for Linny at A Place Called Simplicity? Linny and her family are trying desperately to bring home their new daughter, Jubilee, from Ch*na and have just received word that the previous acceptance of their application has now been withdrawn. They are understandably devastated.

Will you please join me in asking God to move on their behalf? I would be so grateful, and I know Linny would too. If you feel so inclined, I know she would also love a word of encouragement and support from you in her blog comments.

Thank you so much!