Great is HIS faithfulness - Part 1

I want to share a few stories with you that have literally brought us to such a fresh and powerful place of total dependence on our Lord. I am only now able to share one of these as God has once again opened the doors of heaven and provided for us.

We have been amazingly blessed that God sold our house 3 years ago in two days, for cash, at the price we wanted. AMAZING in a market that was beginning to crumble! At that time, God granted us the privilege of being debt free. We sold our home, paid off our minivan, all medical and credit card bills...and moved into an apartment. We thought we were headed to live in Africa at the time...but God had other plans. He moved in our hearts the desire to live completely debt free...forever.

This my friends, was a new and unfamiliar idea. See, in my flesh, I deal with impulsivity. I am spontaneous, energetic, passionate...and want to tackle the day all at one time! I want to do it now! That is great when it comes to follow the plans God has for your life. Not so great when tackling that day brings Vera Bradley purses...that need a matching wallet, keyring, luggage, folder, and stationary. You think I kid :)

In my flesh I see something...and I RUN hard after it...TODAY...no time to waste...go for it! Like when my husband went out of town on a mission trip to Mexico. I took those 10 days to paint the ENTIRE OUTSIDE of my house and the garage!!! I'm talking scraping, power washing, cleaning gutters, sanding, painting shutters, trim, and the WHOLE house a completely different color. BY. MY. SELF.  In JUNE!

Ask my friend Shannon...she was there as I teetered near disaster on a ladder painting. I looked so horrible that one of my neighbors didn't even recognize me in my husband's clothes with a baseball cap on...painting my HOUSE! That is the kind of woman my husband got yoked up with:) You should have seen him pulling into the driveway...priceless!

But, this impulsivity can be quite a challenge for my very level headed, business major from Auburn husband. Can I give you a for instance? Want to walk down memory lane with me a bit? Good...

Jay and I are just married (13 years ago last Monday!!!! Love, love love him!!!) and for some CRAZY reason my wonderful husband (who was going to be a CPA before he was called into the ministry!) decided to let ME be in charge of the budget. Ahem...I know.

Well, for a while I tried desperately to manage our checkbook, keep up with pesky debit card receipts, and try to pay bills. Months into this disasterous wonderful arrangement we had, we get a very thin little envelope from the bank. In it was a kind little letter saying that we were in overdraft and that they had ever so kindly decided to charge my account that didn't have any money in it...MORE money. Yeah...I never really understood that logic either. But anywoo...

My husband promptly calls the bank and finds out that we are over $200 in overdraft!! Now, when you are in seminary, newly married, and making a combined income of $16,000 a year $200 is a LOT of money!!! Actually, it's a lot of money no matter who you are!

So, he comes to me and asks me to sit down and let him look over my checkbook register. Oh, I don't even want to tell you this story...but I must. You won't get how amazing my God is...unless you see the amazing weakness of this vessel.

I take out my checkbook register and hand it to him. He opens it and is silent for a little while with a puzzled look on his face. He turns to me and he says, "why are all your debits in whole dollar amounts?"

"Well, I just round the transaction. See, if the amount of the purchase was $5.20, I just put $5.00. But, if the purchase is $7.80 I would round up to $8.00," I explained innocently.

"WHAT!!!!!!"

Yeah...that WHAT could have been heard clear to Africa. He was in total shock...and not all together happy at that moment. Then he demanded to see the statements the bank had been sending. (Uggg...I am cringing at myself!) I handed him a folder stuffed with UNOPENED envelopes that I supposed must have been statements...though I wouldn't know because I NEVER opened them:)

From that moment...my husband went up to the bank and paid the $200 and then closed our account. We had to move banks. There was no recovery from something like that. And then...he took over the money. But, I still didn't have any heart change. I just figured I wasn't any good with money. I entered into the blissful land of ignorance of all things money and went along my merry way.

Now, we have never had money. We have almost always lived on one income (except when I worked and he went to school before I had Anli). So, I never spent big...just impulsively. That wrecks havoc on a budget, my friend! So, each month we were a bit off here, a lot off there...use the credit card for medical bills, car repairs, and co-pays. If we didn't have it...I just charged it. They were all what I thought were "necessities." And never once did I consult my Provider in prayer. I just did it.

Years and years go by and we grow further and further into debt. Nothing like the statistics Dave Ramsey quotes, but too much! It was sucking our income and we were in bondage to the lender...like Scripture warns. We couldn't give more...because the credit card interest and bills were wasting away what God had given us. It was a trap...and I felt more and more convicted.

THEN, I read an amazingly convicting book by Wayne Coleman called "Obedience: The Key to Prosperity." It ROCKED my world! I would sit reading it (I was helping Wayne find a publisher at the time) and literally just cry. I would read portions of it to Jay and literally want to sink into the grave. I was undone.

He used Scripture to convict my heart of lack of prayer, lack of trust in God, and selfishness. It was a huge turning point in my life. Then...Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace entered the picture and gave common sense ideas to living debt free forever. From that time on...our lives have been different.

Credit cards were NEVER allowed into our lives again. "What do you do?" you might ask. How do you deal with car repairs? Medical issues? Unexpected expenses? I can now truly tell you how!

Pray.

I mean for real, desperate, on your face with your kids kind of prayer. That has unleashed the POWER of the Holy Spirit in such way that we have been changed forever. We can't go back. We have tasted and seen how God provides and moves mountains and does miracles...that we just can't ever go back to the bondage of the world. It's exciting!!!

So, now you are caught up. You know my weakness in order to glory in the strength of Christ through this. I am going to share a few amazing stories with you over the next few days. But, you had to start here with me in order to see that if God can change this girl...He can do it for you! His Word promises it!

But, be aware! It is NOT easy. It is NOT popular. Satan wants you to run hard after the American dream! He wants you in bondage! And he does NOT want you to trust God and pray...no way! But, it is possible to live debt free...forever!

I can't wait to share these stories of HIS faithfulness!

Red Tent Project Update!

I am so excited!! Today, my sweet friends Julia and Elizabeth from church brought a huge bag filled with the envelopes and inserts for the precious girls in Ethiopia! I couldn't believe how beautiful they were and I loved the fabric!! I had only found solid colors...so I was thrilled they had used some fun colorful fabric.These are just a few of them!!

If you missed what the Red Tent Project is...here is a reminder from my family blog.

We will be shipping off the shipment to the coordinator this week and they will then be on their way to the girls in Ethiopia who are in the older girls transitional home. I know there are many of you who contacted me about helping with this project...and I think it will be an ongoing need. I can give you the information of my contact if you are still interested in a fun and AMAZING summer project! It's such a blessing to be a blessing...

Thriving 365,

Frances

My First Giveaway!

I am so excited to have my very first giveaway! Recently I posted about Watoto and the ministry they have in Uganda. I ordered a shirt for Jay as a Father's Day gift to not only get a really cool shirt for him (and I got one too!) but to financially support Watoto.

So, when I got my order (2 days later I might add...they are so awesome at this ministry!) there was an extra shirt in the box. Then, I found a precious note from Megan who had been to my DFM website and found the post I wrote on Watoto. She graciously sent me an extra shirt and I want to share it with you (since I have already been sporting my Watoto shirt that I ordered!).

Here's the deal...I want to do a giveaway for this awesome shirt and get the word out about Watoto and their heart for loving orphans and widows in Uganda! Here's what you can do to win this shirt:

*Go to Watoto's website and then come back here and share what ministry touched your heart the most in the comment box.

*Link this giveaway to your blog and then let me know in the comment you make too.

Then, you can be entered twice:) This is super cool since this Justice shirt is NOT on their website to be ordered! So, if you are touched by this ministry to orphans and widows in Uganda and want to show that this summer...enter this contest and I'll send it out to you!

The giveaway will be closing Tuesday, June 29th. I'll announce the winner and get your email so that I can send it to you next week! Here's a look at the shirt...it is a ladies' large.

Front:

Back:

Enjoy!!!

Compassion...

Last week, Shannon and I had a WONDERFUL time working the Compassion booth at the first night of Atlantafest at Stone Mountain. We rode together and enjoyed some time to just catch up together. God had given me an idea to really connect people with sponsor children by wearing our kids photos clipped to our shirts so that people could see our kiddos! It was really neat that we both got to tell our stories with others and encourage them to take a step of faith and show Jesus' love to a child in need.

Since we were the first volunteers of the event...it was just the two of us...and we had NO idea what we were doing:) But, our friend James showed up and we were in charge of getting everything ready. We got to go through all the packets for the kids and arrange them...fall in love with all of them...and set the whole booth up for the rest of the week. We talked to lots of people and even had the privilege to see two of the priority kids find a sponsor.

OK...cool God story! As we were organizing all the kids by their countries, then alphabetizing all the countries, and then making sure that every country was represented on the table...we got a first hand peek at ALL the kids. James told us to make sure that the "priority kids" had a special spot. Neither of us had any idea what a priority kid would be. He told us that they are kids who have been waiting longer than 6 months and some of them over a YEAR for a sponsor!!

Many of them were older kids and many with HIV. Our hearts were just breaking for these kids. And Shannon found a cute little priority fella that she wanted to sponsor and he had been waiting the longest for a sponsor. She couldn't get in touch with her husband in time...so she put him back out on the table. THEN...a couple who had been coming by a few times decided to sponsor him!! God had put that little one on Shannon's heart for a reason!! It was SO cool.

Then, the rains came and we had to shut down the booth (it was almost at the end of the concert anyway!) and headed home. It was an incredible night! I am so thankful I got to share it with my friend Shannon...we laughed (at ourselves!) and had the best time talking to people, sharing our sponsorship stories, and just serving those who need it the most.

If you haven't sponsored a child with Compassion, won't you go to the icon above and check it out? And if you would...could you pray about taking a priority child? You can ask specifically for them. PLEASE pray and see how God might connect your family with another. It's awesome and we are SO blessed by our two kiddos! Go ahead and check it out...

Ultimate Adventure Camp!

This week we are having out annual Ultimate Adventure Creative Arts camp and having a BLAST!! This camp is really the start of our summer musical that we do each year. We are there from 9am - 2pm each day and we do all sorts of creative things together.

We have a wonderful art teacher who does all the crafts...which are all props and set design. So, the kids learn all about what it takes to create a great set...and they even get to do the promotional materials for around the church. It's just so awesome to involved them in every single part.

We rotate to different areas doing solo practices, drama practices, props and set design, and dancing. They eat sack lunches with us and then we go to Bible study which is my part! This year our musical is about suffering for the sake of Jesus...or what we THINK is suffering. It talks about real people of the Bible that truly suffered for their faith and how God encouraged them and was always there for them through all of it.

So, this year our Bible Study time is on the persecuted church. We are taking material from Kids of Courage which is a division of Voice of the Martyrs. The first day we did an awesome underground Chinese church service. The kids broke up into three groups and then they had to follow cryptic codes to find their Good Book and copy verses from it to bring to the meeting in case we were raided by the secret police (Mr. Jay!). Then they had to get their next clue to find out where their flashlight would be and then crawl and sneak their way through the recesses of our church to a small room none of them had ever been to before. It was completely dark and we sang together...worshiping God. We talked about and prayed for the persecuted church of China...and even learned part of the song Jesus loves me in Mandarin. It was AWESOME!!!

One of the parent told Jay today that at the table last night they were praying and their daughter prayed for almost 5 minutes for her brothers and sisters in China...TEARS!! God is just so amazingly good!! Being with children totally shows me God and a true heart of faith. Love it!!

Today, we traveled to Tanzania Africa to a small city called Kigamboni (which is one of my favorite places!)where we would experience church African style! Now, Jay and I both have been to Africa...and I have been twice and worshiped in African churches. So...I was a bit partial to this day myself:)

The kids had to work together to walk 10 miles (OK it was just around the parking lot!), ride the ferry (smooshed together like real Africans) and then find me under a huge tree where we sat on the ground in the almost 100 degree heat and praised God together. Every child brought something to our service. Some girls had babies strapped to their backs, others had baskets of cups and snacks for when they arrived, some boys carried the Bibles, and other strong boys carried the water for us to have when they arrived.

On the ferry to Kigamboni...they had to ride for a while all together!

We sand and the kids even got up to dance with me at the end! I am so in love with Africa...

The kids did great...and they learned that most of the world does not worship with air conditioning, lights, sound systems, projectors, childcare, cushioned seats, several services with any type of music you want, or yummy coffee brewed fresh as you enter. It was great for the kids to feel the heat, sweat, deal with the bugs, and sing together and worship God. We ended praying for our brothers and sisters in Africa and how many of them are suffering because they love Jesus.

Tomorrow we travel to North Korea and find creative ways to share the Gospel in one of the most closed countries in the world. I just can't wait! We are also doing a mission project through Voice of the Martyrs to send an action pack full of simple clothes and needs to be send to Christians in the Middle East.

What a great week! What a huge blessing to learn about Jesus with these cuties! And...since my hubby is the children's pastor...we all get to spend the week together! Thank you sweet Jesus for your amazing blessings! We love you so very much!

Atlantafest and Compassion International Event!

Tonight begins the annual Christian Concert series of Atlantafest at Stone Mountain. The exciting thing I want to share with you is that Compassion International will have a booth there tonight through Saturday and we would love for you to stop by! My friend Shannon and I are working at the Compassion booth and we would love to see you...SPONSOR A CHILD:)

So, if you are going to be at Atlantafest please make sure that you stop by and allow the Spirit to lead you to a precious addition to your family! Trust me and the 1 million other families who sponsor children through Compassion International at this time...it is AMAZING!!!

Click on the icon above if you have any Compassion questions, can't come to the concerts but want to search for a child, or are ready to sponsor someone TODAY! It is just one way that we can produce lasting fruit my friends...see you there!

Free to Give - Thoughts on John 15

Today, my gathering time with the Lord revolved around John 15. Many of you know this passage as it is about Jesus being the True Vine and we are the branches...and it we abide in Him we will bear much fruit. Without Him...we can do NOTHING! As I have moved further and further along in this chapter, I came today to another part of this passage. In verse 12 Jesus says:

"This is my commandment: Love each other in the SAME way I have loved you."

The same way Jesus did it. How did He do it? Well, Jesus tells them in the next sentences what this love will look like:

"There is no greater love than to lay down you life for your friends."

Who are my friends? Glad you asked:) Jesus goes on to answer that for us:

"You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit."

Why did He do all of that? Why did He lay down His life for those who believe? Why should be do the same?


Jesus came to us when we were still overwhelmed with sin in our lives and laid His life down for us...those who will believe. He has told us everything that God the Father has said, chose us, and appointed us to GO and produce LASTING fruit.

Those who truly remain and abide in the love of God will follow His commands and the example of His love. But those who really abide in Him...will hear everything the Father has said. They will seek deeply after His Word and listen closely to all He has to say. They will run to the Word knowing that God Himself is confiding in them as friends. The Spirit who searches the deep things of God reveals them to us...so we have the mind of Christ! Can I get a Hallelujah?????

But, there is another part. We are appointed to a task. We are given a job...chosen for us by God. We have an assignment...

Go.

And produce LASTING fruit.

Don't miss the parallel. Don't miss tension we face here...

In order to ABIDE... we must GO. In order to REMAIN...we must go out.

This morning as I was walking and praying around our complex with my dog...I just confessed how I don't truly live with the urgency that 4.5 million people are walking on this earth and are completely lost. They have NO idea what the love and the glory and the salvation of Jesus Christ are like. They haven't met the friend that has laid his life down for them. They don't know what it is like to be called friend instead of slave. They can't imagine producing anything other than a nice paycheck to pay for a nice house and have a nice life. They are producing nothing.

And yet I meet those folks at the stores, on the street, in my complex...and many times I am way too busy remaining and abiding (or so I think!) and I haven't even stopped to GO and produce lasting fruit. Fruit that will be in eternity with me. I glide by humming my praise songs...

We are APPOINTED to GO and produce lasting fruit!!!

I am appointed to GO and produce lasting fruit!!!

We have been chosen as friends of GOD! He has a plan and purpose for our lives...and that means we GO. It means we run to spend time with the Lord every single day in order to hear the things He will confide in us as friends. And then with the humility of being a chosen friend of God...we GO...and full of the Holy Spirit we have the power to produce His lasting fruit.

Oh, Jesus may it be true in my life. Continue to fan the flame of passion for the lost in my heart! Please keep giving me creative ways to reach those around me with the kind of love You gave to me. May I have the courage to lay down my very life for the sake of the Gospel today! I pray for my Afghan brothers and sisters who are literally right now fleeing for their very lives. I pray for them to know the deep love and strength in their weakness. May Your glory shine so brightly in their lives!! My my heart be always mindful of my brothers and sisters in the persecuted church. And may I lay down everything I have to join them!

Free To Give - a few thoughts...

Hi all! I hope that the Lord is inspiring you with your own creative ways to save so that you are free to GIVE! Last night my husband and I had the wonderful opportunity to watch the Southern Baptist Convention Pastor's Conference online while it was going on! Our whole family gathered around the computer to watch the Watoto children's choir sing and share about Jesus...it was just pure joy for us! Those precious sweeties were from Uganda and they travel the whole world singing about Jesus...and their JOY is amazing.

What is even more amazing is that these children are orphans and have seen more struggles and horrific things than you and I can imagine. Some of them were child soldiers in Northern Uganda and had their entire families killed because they were not "good soldiers" due to the fact they were scared to kill someone. These children are many times the ages of my two girls.

To see these precious children dance and sing and quote scripture with amazing JOY was ringing in my heart today as I ready John 15 for my gathering time with the Lord. Listen to this:

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

Isn't that amazing to know that as the Father loved Jesus...He loves us??? Just like the Father loves His only begotten Son...Jesus loves us? Amazing. As we remain in that love by daily seeking His Word and following everything it says...then His JOY is in us and our JOY may be complete...not lacking anything!

Last night as we explained to our girls what those children had been through and seen in their short lives...we were all reminded that it is Jesus' LOVE and JOY that makes us complete. Even if we lack parents...Jesus' LOVE and JOY can make us complete. Even when we have been abandoned...Jesus' LOVE and JOY make us complete. When we are dealing with a chronic or fatal illness...Jesus' LOVE and JOY makes us complete. When our bellies are hungry and we do not have any clothes to wear...Jesus' LOVE and JOY makes us complete.

And in that LOVE...we are to abide in Him and follow His commands. We don't just keep all that LOVE and JOY to ourselves reveling in the fact we have been made complete. NO! We are commanded to GO!

Acts 1:8 tells us that those of us who have received the Holy Spirit will receive POWER and we WILL BE WITNESSES to Jerusalem, throughout all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth. We can't abide in the love of the Father and NOT follow Him to the nations. To the least. To the lost. To the homeless. To the prisoner. To the hungry. To the orphans. To the widows. To the WORLD!

I don't want to be content with a nice life...with a nice family...with a nice church...with a nice ministry to really nice women. Oh Father, strip me and my family of "nice" and propel us towards following Your global heart and your command to love all people and share the GOOD NEWS with each one we meet. May we stop putting a "Christian spin on the American dream" and abide in You. Denying self...taking us a cross...and following you.

In this alone will our JOY be made complete. Just like the Watoto children...who can now say Mamba Sawa...Life is good!!!

For more information on Watoto ministry please visit this site:

Watoto

And then...if you are bold and unafraid...I challenged you to take a look at the Living Hope Project to women. This will open our eyes to the reality of the world. What is going on around us while we are shopping for another $70 purse at Kohls...spending billions on ourselves...and living like our 5% of the world is reality.

It.

Is.

Not.

I will be sharing more ideas that free us up to give later today...my heart is just complete with the JOY of Christ in the midst of ashes. Thank you Jesus for allowing us to be walking examples of...

LIVING HOPE.

Thank you for taking this hard yet joyful journey with me.

How will YOU abide in His love and follow His commands today?

Don't you want to know joy complete?

I do!

Free to Give

Over the next several days I wanted to share some wonderful tips about saving money. It seems that many women I talk to are eagerly looking for good deals and ways to save money. But why? Why do we want to save money? Why do you want to save money?

Is it to simply pay your bills due to a job loss? Is it save for an upcoming vacation? Is it to get your "emergency fund"? Is it to save more on the things that aren't any fun...to spend more on those things that are really fun? Is it to be more "green" and more aware of your environmental "footprint"? Why do you want to save money?

I asked a friend of mine named Alysia to share her thoughts on saving money. I have dabbled in some of her ideas...even before I knew her. I wanted to be more organic, have less chemicals in my home, etc. But, for some reason, though I was extremely excited about these wonderful ideas...they didn't really IGNITE my passion enough to really get behind them. The Spirit was priming my pump...but it wasn't until spending some time with my sweet sister Alysia that the Spirit began to work and encouraged me to save in order to be free to GIVE! Oh yeah!

The few dollars we are able to save on spending just a few minutes (and I really do mean a few minutes) each month to make a few items that cost the most on our grocery and Wal-Mart list...add up to more and more abilities to be a blessing to someone across the street or across the world. THAT is something worth getting IGNITED about:) And that is exactly what has happened. The Spirit has inspired my friend Alysia who has given feet to much of my desire and that has left me SO encouraged and challenged and convicted! It has challenged me to be more Spirit led in the way I view my purchases and the things I THINK I need;)

One of the most wonderful things that she has said to me...is that their family desires to live and eat like the rest of the 90% of the world. They eat snacks like popcorn and granola and fruit like children around the world might eat (if they eat at all!). They seek to position themselves ready to be called to overseas mission life at any time and ready their children for the same. They are living simply...so that others can simply live. Oh, what a glorious life!

So, for the past few weeks and months I have been secretly testing out all her ideas (she gave a talk to a women's group where she compiled what the Lord has given to her and shared them in 14 pages!! It's awesome!!). I wanted to see how long these ideas would take, how much they really cost, how they worked, and to see which ones would work for our family.

Oh, boy they are GREAT! It's been so fun to involve the whole family in whipping up great snacks, cooking simply meals, sitting down to eat a simply meal that might be eaten by children who are hungry and truly have it fill our tummies and be yummy and be SO thankful! Jay and I have had so much fun trying things out after the girls are asleep...and then involving them when we figure out what we did wrong:) Summer is a GREAT time to try some of these fun ideas as projects with your kids...and then if you like them...then when school starts and life gets busier and more demanding you are ready to go!

That is what I am taking this summer to do...pray, seek the Lord, follow the Spirit, read the Word and see how God will make our lives full of RADICAL love and radical changes that are more in line with Him. Then when fall hits and homeschool starts and I am traveling to speak twice a month...I already have habits in place and they are refined to go quickly and more smoothly.

And now after a few weeks in the test kitchen...I'm SUPER excited to share her ideas with you and give my hearty AMEN to them. The changes and savings may seem small, but every single dollar, if moved to be given by the Holy Spirit out of passionate LOVE for God and others will be SO blessed! You can't imagine how awesome stripping away some of trappings of this world will be for your Spirit...we weren't made to live in bondage to stuff and convenience and more stuff and more convenience. We were made to deny ourselves, take up a cross, and follow HIM!

I pray that these ideas will simply take to prayer. Seek the Spirit and the wisdom He brings to your life. Don't do ANY of these out of guilt or compulsion. Read what 1Corinthians 13: 1-3 tells us:

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing. "

That's right...NOTHING. Oh Jesus, I do not want to get to the end of this life and stand before you with just a lot of causes, good deeds, and volunteer hours! May every single breath that I breathe be to your glory and for you fame both here and among the nations. Lord give me a passionate love for you and others that OVERFLOWS out onto others. Taking up a cause is about us trying to "save the world", solve world hunger, and fight the battles like a white knight coming in to save the day. Only Jesus saves! It is only by abiding in HIM alone can we do anything...for without HIM we can do NOTHING.

I pray that these next posts will be an encouragement to get deep into the Word and deep into pray and see if there are any ways the Lord would have you and your family to be free to GIVE...and truly LIVE!

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled...

On Monday, we dropped off our oldest at a missions camp for the WEEK! I can hardly believe it...but it's true. She knew from attending a mini-camp last year that a week would be even better! She loved it...and we loved it!

You gotta love when you walk into the cabin (OK...these cabins are NOT like when I went to camp! They are beautiful, air-conditioned, and have a huge attatched bathroom with lots of showers, bathrooms, and sinks. They are awesome!) and they had the countries of North Africa and the Middle East on them to learn about and pray over. The entire focus of this camp is missions...training and encouraging and living out missions with young girls...to us...it just doesn't get any better than that!!! Not to mention...I know the director of the camp:)

Even with all of those wonderful things, I have to say there have been nights leading up to driving her up there that I was struck with fear. What if she doesn't apply her sunscreen right and she gets burned? What if she doesn't put on bug spray and she gets eaten alive? What if she doesn't find a special sweet friend? What if she gets homesick? What if...

If you are a mom...you get the idea:) So, one night a few days before she left I was dealing with my insomnia and my mind was reeling with what ifs. I grabbed my sweet sleeping husband's hand and informed him that we were praying OUT LOUD for our girl. I just had to speak my prayers for her out loud and hear myself giving it all over to the Lord.

Peace that passes all understanding overcame me. It was with me as I drove her 2 hours to camp. As I stood in line with TONS of other girls and moms to check her in. As we unpacked and got her settled in. As we hugged goodbye...and all the way home! What a great God we serve!

But, she is NEVER out of my thoughts. I have had to constantly reject the what ifs. I have to contstantly give her over to her Father and know that whatever happens He loves her more than I could ever imagine. Then, this morning I read in John 14:26-27:

"But, the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. PEACE I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Let the SPIRIT remind you and I day and night of His many promises and His love for us. And the peace that He gives to us in our circumstances and in our situations...is not like the world gives. Praise God! It lasts and lasts and lasts!

After I read this passage and again gave my sweet girl over the Lord and let the Spirit remind me of a few things...I read this from a blog friend:


Yemeni child bride, 12, dies in labour

A 12-year-old Yemeni child-bride died after struggling for three days in labour to give birth, a local human rights organization said. Fawziya Abdullah Youssef died of severe bleeding on Friday, 11.Sept.2009 while giving birth to a stillborn in the al-Zahra district hospital of Hodeida province, 140 miles west of the capital San’a.
Child marriages are widespread in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, where tribal customs dominate society. More than a quarter of the country’s females marry before age 15, according to a recent report by the Social Affairs Ministry.
Youssef was only 11 when her father married her to a 24-year-old man who works as a farmer in Saudi Arabia.


Al-Quraishi, whose group promotes child rights in Yemen, said that he stumbled upon Youssef in the hospital while investigating cases of children who had fled from the fighting in the north.
“This is one of many cases that exist in Yemen,” said al-Quraishi. “The reason behind it is the lack of education and awareness, forcing many girls into marriage in this very early age.”
Impoverished parents in Yemen sometimes give away their young daughters in return for hefty dowries. There is also a long-standing tribal custom in which infant daughters and sons are promised to cousins in hopes it will protect them from illicit relationships, he said.
Al-Quraishi said there are no statistics to show how many marriages involving children are performed every year.

The issue of child brides vaulted into the headlines here two years ago when an 8-year-old Yemeni girl, Nujood Ali went by herself to a courtroom and demanded a judge dissolve her marriage to a man in his 30s. She eventually won a divorce, and legislators began looking at ways to curb the practice.

In February, parliament passed a law setting the minimum marriage age at 17. But some lawmakers are trying to kill the measure, calling it un-Islamic. Before it could be ratified by Yemen’s president, they forced it to be sent back to parliament’s constitutional committee for review.

Such marriages also occur in neighbouring oil-rich Saudi Arabia, where several cases of child brides have been reported in the past year, though the phenomenon is not believed to be nearly as widespread as in Yemen.
Throughout the developing world, millions of girls are married off to virtual strangers while they are still just children.

Some are as young as six or seven years old when they are married. The girls themselves rarely have any say in the matter. Many do not even know or fully understand what is planned for them until they arrive at their husband’s home.

In families with limited resources, child marriage is often considered a way to provide for a daughter’s future. Poor families have few resources to support more healthy alternatives for girls, while economic gains through marrying off a daughter may also motivate poor parents to choose this path.

Worldwide, 100 million girls will be married before the age of 18 in the next decade alone. In countries like Niger and Bangladesh, grinding poverty and adherence to tradition results in more than three out of every four girls being married off before they turn 18 (ICRW).

By Associated Press Writer Ahmed Al-Haj

My daughter is enjoying a week at a wonderful missions camp surrounded by those that love God and love discipling young girls. She is taking activities like swimming and water sports. She is singing praises to the Lord and meeting new friends. She is being missed by her family at home and being bathed in constant prayer.

This article gave me some perspective on my worries about my daughter at missions camp. It drove away fear and gave way to utter thankfulness to God. The Spirit pricked my heart to pray for these beautiful and precious little girls who are going through such travesty. It made me so very grateful that my little girl is at missions camp this week.

The Spirit reminded me of His AMAZING protection and AMAZING provision in our lives and in the lives of my sweet girls. May my life be more and more soaked in the peace and the lessons of my Wonderful Counselor who loves me enough to teach me, change me, speak truth to me, and to protect my heart from being troubled and being afraid.

Thank you Father for the peace you give those who are your own. Father, please send Your Comforter to these precious girls in Yemen and other parts of the world who are going through such difficulties. Draw them to Yourself and be their true Beloved. Woo their young hearts to love you and receive true love that never fades. Love that offers peace...not like the world...but of a Father who cares for His children. Oh, Lord comfort these precious babies who are having babies. My heart is breaking in two right now as I look at their faces. May their little hearts not be troubled...

Art- To Remember...

My girls were having a playdate with a friend at our house and it was a wonderful afternoon to work on a project to remember...

...these little ones who had NOTHING and yet were filled with uncontainable JOY.

Lord, help me to remember them when I am shopping for more stuff.

...these women who walked MILES to get dirty water that will make them and their families sick, and cary pounds of food on their heads in the African heat.

Lord, help me to remember this as I shop for food and as we eat and drink. May we be truly thankful and live more simply.

...this little one who had no clothes to wear.

Lord, may I remember this as I buy clothing for myself and my family. May we only have enough clothes for a week and not have more than we need.

These are from our second trip to Africa.

God has been moving our hearts to remember...

the forgotten.

To remember that how we are living is not reality for 99% of the world.

To day by day stop buying the lie that we HAVE to HAVE everything we want.

To remember what real NEED looks like everyday.

To remember that true life is only found in CHRIST...not in things or people.

To little by little start living like the rest of the world does...which, to them, isn't radical at all.

To remember that it's not about a taking up a CAUSE...it's about LOVE!!

To look at those children's smiles

those women walking MILES for dirty water that will make them sick

the little one without clothes to wear

and remember...

the forgotten.

Every day.

And forget NO MORE!

Thriving 365~

Frances

Forgotten.

Many of you remember my a.maz.ing journey to my sweet Isaac in Uganda through Compassion. I got a magazine newsletter and saw this in the middle...asking people to please sponsor the older children who are easily overlooked. I can't even IMAGINE not getting to journey the road to sponsoring Isaac and the awesome faith building blessing that was to me and my family. He and Esceza's photos are throughout our home...they are our God kiddos.

I want to write out what this article says...it will break and touch your heart:

"Younger children are often sponsored right away. But, what about the older ones? Many feel neglected. Overlooked. Forgotten. They are at a vulnerable age and need someone to believe in them. Please sponsor and older child! You will be so blessed (OH YEAH!!) as you mentor your child and build a strong relationship together.

Right now, 900 children age 10 and older are waiting for sponsors. Which child will find hope through your love and guidance? Sponsor TODAY at compassion.com/olderchild or call (800) 336 7676."

Y'all. It costs about $35 a month to sponsor a child through Compassion. That is less than $10 per week to house, feed, educate, give medical care, and the love and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Won't you PRAY and look deeply into the eyes of an older child and sponsor them?

Perhaps, like us, you are not able to add to your family through adoption (at this time!). Perhaps you can not travel to another country to serve. You CAN make a difference in the lives of children all over this world by sponsoring them...one. at. a. time.

Let's look deeply into the eyes of these children...then look honestly into our budgets. Can't we find $10 extra dollars a week? We love our two biological kiddos...and our two God kiddos in Uganda...I can't wait to see how God will expand our family again.

And again.

And again.

And again...until Jesus returns...and there is

No more poverty.

No more tears.

No more suffering.

No more pain.

Come Jesus quickly!!!!!!!!!!!

*If you have any questions about Compassion, please feel free to contact me. We have been with Compassion for over 5 years and LOVE it!!!*