Adoption News

A lot of people have been asking me for an adoption update, so here we go:

We're. Still. Waiting.

I know. It's not very exciting. The good news is that there have been A LOT of referrals coming down the pike. In fact, a family with a DTE (Dossier To Ethiopia) date of 2/4/10 received their referral yesterday for a toddler boy. Your DTE date is how you stand in line waiting for a referral. Do you know what our DTE date is? 2/5/10. So, that means we're getting very close. Maybe we'll get our referral within the next week or two!!! Please pray with us.

I will keep you posted!

Quotable Caedmon

Caedmon is 3 1/2 years old now and he keeps us laughing. These are some quotes that I never want to forget:

"When I was a little boy, I grow up to be a farmer in college."

"Mommy, you look like a cow!"

"Mom, did God create Himself?"

Walking out with a notepad and pen, "I'm going to write a text message."

"Mommy, why is today Tuesday (Twos-day) and not Threes-day because I'm 3 years old?"

"Mom, I want eggs for breakfast because eggs have a lot of protein."

A very concerned Caedmon said, "Mom, I never walked on water before."

"Mommy, when I grow up, you will be little, I will be the daddy, and Daddy will be the mommy."


Caedmon- "Mom, I have something stuck in my teeth."
Me- "Ewww, is that a fingernail?"
C- "No. It's a toenail."

Sunday Rewind

Yesterday, David Hibiske shared with our church a message entitled, "Relationships that Go the Distance". What a timely topic in a world of drive-thru relationships built on convenience and personal benefit. It's rare to find people who have been married for 50 years or who have maintained a friendship since childhood. People come and go, even in some of our most sacred relationships.

David did a great job exploring the difference between a contractual relationship and a covenantal relationship. Some relationships are intended to be contractual and are healthier that way: employer/employee or landlord/tenant. You do your part; I'll do mine. You keep your end of the bargain; I'll keep mine. Everyone's rights are protected. Everyone wins. 

But when you try to make relationships contractual that God intends to be covenantal, no one wins. Marriage. Family. Your very closest friends. These are the relationships that you commit yourself to no matter what. If you go through trials, you go through them together. If you file bankruptcy, you rebuild together. If you "fall out of love", you realize that your commitment lies deeper than emotions. 

Relationships that are based on a contract leave the door open. If you don't hold up your end of the deal, I'm outta here. But relationships that are based on a covenant close the door, lock it, and throw away the key. There is no out. This is for life and, no matter what comes are way, the only option we have is to get through this together.

On the surface, that type of commitment may sound suffocating...like you submit to being a prisoner. But in reality, it is the most liberating type of love anyone can experience. There's no insecurity in that type of love. Both people are completely free to be who they are without the fear of rejection or abandonment. You can never reach that level of intimacy in a contractual relationship.

David posed an interesting question for us to consider. I'll leave you with this thought: "Is it possible that you've been approaching your closest relationships with a contract perspective?"

Is God Green?

Today is Earth Day. Now, I have to be honest...I was never one to celebrate Earth Day before moving to California. Never even knew when it was. We did our part and recycled a little while living in Texas, but I've always been rather skeptical of those crazy tree-hugging, save-the-snails-advocating kind of people.

Recently, I listened to a phenomenal message by John Ortberg (pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian and best selling author of The Life You've Always Wanted) entitled "Is God Green?" In the message he gives the most well crafted, biblically supported, logically succinct argument for how Christians should interact with creation that I've ever heard. So, in honor of "Earth Day" I wanted to encourage you to make some time to listen to it. Click here to download the message.

There are two reasons why I think Christians should care about the environment:

1-  Environmental issues matter a whole lot to a whole lot of people around us. Many of those people are not Christians. If they believe that being a Christian means abusing, neglecting, or being indifferent about the environment, that is going to be a major barrier in trying to share with them the love of Christ.

2-  As Christians, we have a unique responsibility to be good stewards of the earth that God has given us. Part of our job is to help nature flourish as God intends it to flourish. When we protect creation, we protect the work of God. When we admire creation, we admire the goodness of God. Creation is the artwork of God. It is an expression of who He is. Creation can inspire in us wonder, gratitude, and humility. And who doesn't need more of those qualities?

Northern California has some of the most breath-taking, awe-inspiring beauty that creation holds. When I see all the flowers in bloom around our apartments, when I stand next to a giant Sequoia in the Muir Wood Forest, when I breathe in the sea as I marvel at Big Sur, when I enjoy a well manicured garden, when I hold a newborn baby...I am drawn to worship. So today, on Earth Day, allow creation to lead you to your Creator.

Compassion Week Continues...

Yesterday on my blog, I talked about poverty. Poverty is one of those things that we know is true, but often doesn't seem real. We so rarely interact with people who are desperately poor and it is easy to fall into the trap of "out of sight, out of mind." But the reality is, in this very moment as you sit behind your computer and read this post, one in six people around the world lives in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1 per day.

When people live in extreme poverty it is easy for them to get exploited, abused, or seek desperate measures to survive. One trap that entangles some of these individuals is Human Trafficking (modern day slavery). There are currently over 27 million slaves in the world, more than any other time in history. These individuals are often kidnapped or deceived and then held against their will to perform tasks they do not want to do. These tasks can be anything: house cleaner, nanny, restaurant worker, factory worker, etc... And many, many of them are exploited for sex either through prostitution or the abuse of their owner.

Slavery is illegal in virtually every country where it exists. But it is an extremely lucrative business for those in the industry, so it is kept underground and is extensively and intricately networked together throughout the world.

What many people do not realize is that human trafficking is not just a crisis in third world countries. It is a crisis here in the United States. All 50 states have had reported cases of human trafficking. Though no one can be certain the exact figures, there are currently thousands of victims (some say hundreds of thousands) within our borders.

The San Francisco Bay area is a major hub for human trafficking. There are police task forces here specifically dedicated to fighting human trafficking. However, when a victim is rescued, there have been very few options for them as to where to find shelter. A domestic violence shelter, a homeless shelter, a hotel, or perhaps even jail.

But this August, the Freedom House will have it's grand opening! This will be the Bay Area's first shelter specifically designed to meet the needs of survivors of human trafficking! The awesome part is that this is going to be a Christian shelter, providing for their physical, emotional, mental, AND spiritual needs.

Freedom House seeks to provide a long term (up to 18 months or longer if necessary) shelter that is a safe, reverent environment for these women to begin to heal, learn necessary skills, get proper immigration status, and meet other needs that the survivors may have.

Andy and I have had the privilege of getting to know the founders of this organization a little bit and they are an amazing, godly couple. South Bay is so excited to be partnering with them to restore hope and dignity to these precious human beings for whom Christ died.

Andy & I are also supporting Freedom House on a monthly basis and you can too! It costs $29 to provide shelter for one night for one of these victims. Freedom House is doing an online giving campaign during the month of April to get people to join their team to help them minister to these survivors with the love of Jesus. I urge you to consider joining that team. $29 a month. $100 a month. Whatever you can do.

What if it was your daughter? Or your sister?  Wouldn't you want them to have the care that they need? 

"Whatever you've done to the least of these, you have done it unto Me."

Click here to go to the Freedom House website and begin donating today!