Manifest: to make evident or certain by showing or displaying

This has been sitting in my drafts box for 2 weeks. It has been the challenge the Lord has been laying on my heart for much longer. Wasn't sure I'd ever post it...sort of a raw spot of my heart, but feeling this morning like I should. Praising Him that it is His light (not mine, for I have none) that shines and He makes His light shine out of darkness...

We are not only to renounce evil,
but to manifest the truth.
We tell people the world is vain;
let our lives manifest that it is so.
We tell them that our home is above
and that all these things are transitory.
Does our dwelling look like it?
O to live consistent lives!

Hudson Taylor
Missionary to China
1832-1905

My heart has been so challenged of late by the echo of...the heart reverberations of...

James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Do I live this kind of life? Or do I just think I do?

Do I really count all as loss for the sake of knowing Christ?

Or just some things?

And then the word "manifest" jumped out at me.

I want to manifest Him! But do I?

In the public places? In the private places?

Or do I talk like I do and so deceive myself?

2 Corinthians 4: 6-11
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Longing to manifest Him,

A Family Picture...Finally!

We have attempted on numerous occasions since Lily came home to get a family photo.

None have turned out like we would have liked.

You know how it goes.

One person's eyes are closed. On the next shot, someone looks like death warmed over. Another...someone is looking down. And on and on and on.

But this past Sunday, on Easter, we finally got a nice shot of all of us. Lily could have been smiling...but she's not crying so I will take it!

And then we got a bonus shot...a nice shot with the grandparents!


When did everyone get so big? I am blessed!

In Him,

Adorable? Egg-xactly!

Last week's egg-dying extravaganza!

Emma was the organizer, egg boiler, and instruction-giver.
Note their choice of attire...matching paint shirts!
Gotta love girls!

Mom? The photographer. And conveniently out of the picture!

Anna Grace & Ally...egg dyers egg-traodinaire!

Lily? The nap queen!
Decided she wouldn't know what she was missing.
18-month olds just don't get why they can't splash in colored water!

The finished product...

Celebrating Him,

April 21st!

Each of us has those days.

You know, those days that jump off the calendar at you and scream, "Remember! Don't forget what happened on this day!"

April 21st will forever be one of those days for us.

Why?

One year ago today, I was awakened very early by the ringing phone. When I answered it and found that it was Kevin (who would never wake me that early unless it was an emergency), I immediately said, "What's wrong?"

His reply? "You need to go look at the email."

Me: "Has someone died?" (As a side note, as soon as I said that I knew that wasn't it...he'd never break that kind of news to me that way!)

Kevin: "Just check the email and call me back."

So, I go downstairs and check the email. And there in my inbox was an email marked urgent with the subject line: WAITING CHILD MATCH-LI JI HAN

Yes, in all caps!

At that point my heart was racing as I sat in a mixture of sleepy fog confusion and excitement.

The email was forever long and I remember struggling to process anything except her picture and the big, bolded type that read:

Li Ji Han, female, born 10-7-2009, with congenital missing left lower leg, hemangioma on left abdomen, from Shantou/Guangdong.

Those who know our story may remember that that birthdate is hugely significant. The Lord had told me we would have to wait 5 years for Lily. My question had been 5 years from what? As the months and years moved on, the thought that He meant 5 years from Ally's age came to mind over and over...with a "we'll know when we know" assurance to it.

Ally's birthdate is 10-26-2004. You can do the math.

A year ago today, I sat staring at an email of my precious little girl who was 5 years younger than her closest sibling. 5 years.

I knew this was our Lily!

The rest of the day was a flurry of phone calls and prayer and emotion. The decision had to be made in 24 hours.

But truly, I knew, right there in the wee hours of the morning that this was Lily. He had promised. He had fulfilled!

He always does exactly what He says, exactly as He promises. He is faithful to complete what He begins. He knows all things!

So, today we rejoice and celebrate and give thanks for having looked at her little face for exactly one year!

Here is what I saw a year ago....

This is the face we kiss today...

In Him,

Orphan Care: Sponsorship

Put simply, sponsorship is regularly contributing to the financial needs of a specific child or orphanage.

Usually the personal cost is not great...$35 a month is typical. One trip to Subway for our family.

Child Sponsorship

But for that $35 a month an orphan is fed, clothed, treated medically, nurtured, and (depending on their age) educated. Their cries are comforted, their bellies are filled, their shivers are warmed, their medical conditions treated. They are also prepared for their forever families.

As a sponsor, you will be able to pick the specific child to whom you send aid. In return, you will receive pictures and updates on your child. You will watch them grow and, Lord willing, be adopted. We have had the blessing of seeing all of our sponsored children find their forever families. We have had the privilege of praying for each by name. And the blessing they have brought us has far exceeded giving up a 6" Club.

Surgery Sponsorship

Another powerful way in which Sponsorship impacts the life of an orphan is when sponsors contribute to the needs of a specific child's surgery. Unlike Child Sponsorship, Surgical or Medical Sponsorship is a one-time contribution of any amount to help cover the costs involved in an often life-saving surgery. Again, the sponsor has the face of a specific child over whom to pray.

Without surgery, many will...and do...die.

I read the saddest blog post a few minutes ago. Love Without Boundaries
announced that they have "to temporarily close our medical program to any new children with critical medical needs. The reason? Because we currently have so many urgent children on our website who haven't been funded for their surgeries yet that we sadly cannot take on any more...
it is very hard to continue to have orphanages call us asking for help for their sickest babies, knowing that saying "no" means that child will most likely not survive. Saying NO to a child who is clinging to life…. well, I know you realize how terrible and gut wrenching that is."

Through Sponsorship we can save lives! We would if it was our baby...

Orphanage Sponsorship

Contributing to the needs of a specific orphanage provides an entire population of children with formula, clothing, diapers and other special items (like blankets, heat, cribs, school supplies, and furniture!). In many orphanages babies share cribs, bowls, and other necessities. The environment is not posh but basic. Quality nutrition is not a guarantee. Orphanage assistance helps bridge that gap.

Organizations

As you know our heart is drawn to China, although it aches for orphans everywhere. The organizations with which we are most familiar who provide the opportunity for sponsorship are listed below. Each has a photolisting of children who are in need of sponsorship. This list is far from exhaustive, but a quick internet search on the country your heart aches over along with the words "Child Sponsorship" should yield many opportunities.

Love Without Boundaries

Philip Hayden Foundation

New Hope Foundation

New Hope Foundation-Shun Yi

Will you sponsor? Great way to care for orphans!

In Him,

I'll be back...

I know I've been quiet for awhile now...at least in blog land!

So much has been going on...seen and unseen...that I just can't begin to sum up. And, really...what I could share probably wouldn't be too terribly interesting anyway. It would be like reading my calendar. Fun.

What I wish I could let you in on is what has been going on in the unseen. How the Lord has, yet again, been leading me...us. Speaking profoundly...and sometimes painfully. But it just isn't time. Maybe if He says to share I will, but not yet.

In the mean time, I praise Him. Praise Him for more than I can type and for more than eyes have seen, ears have heard, minds can conceive. I praise Him for all that He is. i praise Him that He is perfect.

Okay...one little glimpse into the last few weeks...my nephew and niece!

I got to go to my parents for 3.5 days while my sister was there with her kiddos (yes, I went all by myself!). Precious time!

Just so you know...I was blowing baby raspberries in the picture above...not swollen from a Botox injection!

Aren't they adorable?

In Him,