I think I am actually getting better at alliteration:)
To bad other things aren't falling into place for us. Anna and I really hoped that we were getting past Jehoshaphat's prayer in 2 Chron 20:12 "nor do we know what to do but our eyes are on You" but we have not.
As I mentioned in an email recently Kathleen's birth mother called on Sunday and wishes to reunite and (at this point) take custody of Kathleen. This is a shock to us since our lawyer has been looking since March and had given up and was merely posting in a paper in the town of her last known address.
We do not know a lot about the mom and this is source of anxiousness for us, but she sounds very excited to know where Kathleen is and at least wants to be a parent. In the midst of this there are some mixed signals and so we are waiting to meet with her and determine a plan from there.
Anna and I love Kathleen very much and we want what is best for her. We may not be that and we are OK with that, but our biggest concern is Kathleen's spiritual, mental, and emotional health.
The plan we have is not a good one and hence the verses in 2Chron popping up again. We already had a court date set for 7.16.2008 and unless Loi (the mom) pushes for and wins the argument for a continuance this will be when it is. Prior to that we will meet with Loi and possibly her boyfriend/fiance and try to come to an agreement at that point. Barring successful mediation there we will go to court. The court and rule that (a) we get kathleen and no further discussion (b) Loi does and no further discussion or (c) the court needs more time to ascertain Loi's situation, or (d) none of the above.
We really don't even know how to pray for this except that God will give us wisdom and spiritual understanding and that we are trusting that the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us (Rom 8:26).
If there is a quick resolution we could still make it to Canada for language school this fall, if there are continuations or more homestudies then we are delayed yet again in getting to Canada. This latter option fills me with fear because we are cognizant of the fact that so many have started to run a good race and did not finish and we desperately want to follow through on what God has led us to do (whatever, wherever and however that is).
Our current goals are as follows:
To maintain a good representation for Christ in this matter
To be a witness of Christ's love to our immediate neighbors and to Loi
To stay focused on the high calling which God has set before us and
To seek God's presence in our lives.
Thanks again for praying
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Powerful peck of purposeful prayers-wanted
When I speak at churches I make it a point to say that being a pastor's kid cured me of any desire to be a pastor. That is not the only reason. The other is that I really stink at alliteration. See title of post for example. As we all know one must as a pastor have the ability to turn any sermon outline into an alliterative, acrostic, or eponymonic force so as to increase the retention of the flock. I don't do it very well...
Here's the ad:
Wanted: a group of totally committed prayer warriors to go beyond the 5 second prayer for us and to regularly battle and tear down walls by fervent Spirit driven prayer. Applicants must have a willingness to be open to God, and a keen understanding of it's prime place as a source of offensive power in combating the rulers of darkness of this age. Applicants do not need to feel that "they have arrived" in their walk with God and actually if you do think that maybe you should pray for someone else. We are accepting applicants from all walks of life and age ranges.
When I speak to churches I tell people that we may succeed in our endeavors from the worlds point of view without prayer. We may spend years in the ROC, raise up a hospital, raise the standard of living, earn the nobel peace prize, be instrumental in halting the spread of AIDS and curing malaria, but it will all be for naught if we do not have people praying for us. ON the other hand if people are praying for us regularly, fervently, and guided by the Holy Spirit even if we do not have "worldly" success based on our cure rates, conversions, and even length of service we will touch more lives, and by more Godly successful than we can ever know or imagine.
However, i do feel guilty asking people to commit to prayer even though I know it's importance. Why, because I know its importance and I know that others beside missionaries and people crazy enough to take their kids to Africa and put them in danger there need prayer just as much as we do. My only answer to that is to say that if God is not laying on your heart to pray for us then don't. Search God's will for this,
do what He would have you do.
Why do we need prayer? Cyberspace is not big enough to handle why we need prayer but here is an example. Last Thursday I got a call from the head of our child protection services (CPS) team here in Browning. They had a 6 wk old who was born with spina bifida and who was currently in Denver CO. The mom was out of the picture for several reasons, and the family was (a) afraid of the child's health issues and (b) also unable for personal reasons to take the child. The director wanted advice. Did I know what we could do with the child? "She's rea
dy for discharge" she says.
Well my wife and I talked and I volunteered us since we were licensed has a foster care home during the preparations for our adoption. So Friday I flew down to Denver, got the child, and came back Saturday. We now have a 6wk old with vocal cord dysfunction, near persistent stridor, and a newly repaired myelomenigocele (Spina bifida) living at home with us. Her name is Jamie Lynn. For our purposes here dealing with prayer....should we have done this? Aren't we getting distracted when we should be focused on leaving Browning? I don't think so. Anna doesn't think so either. However we need wisdom to handle these life choices.
So as we make these decisions remember to pray this prayer for us . It is Col 1:9-10 (prayers from scripture I think really seem to focus us) :
Please do not cease to pray that we will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that we would walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
If you would merely pray that prayer for each of us as we face our transitions and seek to minister where we are then I am confident that God will handle all else.
Thanks
Stephen
Here's the ad:
Wanted: a group of totally committed prayer warriors to go beyond the 5 second prayer for us and to regularly battle and tear down walls by fervent Spirit driven prayer. Applicants must have a willingness to be open to God, and a keen understanding of it's prime place as a source of offensive power in combating the rulers of darkness of this age. Applicants do not need to feel that "they have arrived" in their walk with God and actually if you do think that maybe you should pray for someone else. We are accepting applicants from all walks of life and age ranges.
When I speak to churches I tell people that we may succeed in our endeavors from the worlds point of view without prayer. We may spend years in the ROC, raise up a hospital, raise the standard of living, earn the nobel peace prize, be instrumental in halting the spread of AIDS and curing malaria, but it will all be for naught if we do not have people praying for us. ON the other hand if people are praying for us regularly, fervently, and guided by the Holy Spirit even if we do not have "worldly" success based on our cure rates, conversions, and even length of service we will touch more lives, and by more Godly successful than we can ever know or imagine.
However, i do feel guilty asking people to commit to prayer even though I know it's importance. Why, because I know its importance and I know that others beside missionaries and people crazy enough to take their kids to Africa and put them in danger there need prayer just as much as we do. My only answer to that is to say that if God is not laying on your heart to pray for us then don't. Search God's will for this,
do what He would have you do.
Why do we need prayer? Cyberspace is not big enough to handle why we need prayer but here is an example. Last Thursday I got a call from the head of our child protection services (CPS) team here in Browning. They had a 6 wk old who was born with spina bifida and who was currently in Denver CO. The mom was out of the picture for several reasons, and the family was (a) afraid of the child's health issues and (b) also unable for personal reasons to take the child. The director wanted advice. Did I know what we could do with the child? "She's rea
dy for discharge" she says.Well my wife and I talked and I volunteered us since we were licensed has a foster care home during the preparations for our adoption. So Friday I flew down to Denver, got the child, and came back Saturday. We now have a 6wk old with vocal cord dysfunction, near persistent stridor, and a newly repaired myelomenigocele (Spina bifida) living at home with us. Her name is Jamie Lynn. For our purposes here dealing with prayer....should we have done this? Aren't we getting distracted when we should be focused on leaving Browning? I don't think so. Anna doesn't think so either. However we need wisdom to handle these life choices.
So as we make these decisions remember to pray this prayer for us . It is Col 1:9-10 (prayers from scripture I think really seem to focus us) :
Please do not cease to pray that we will be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that we would walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
If you would merely pray that prayer for each of us as we face our transitions and seek to minister where we are then I am confident that God will handle all else.
Thanks
Stephen
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Wanted Ads continued---Looking for Logisticians
To the all who are newcomers to the blog, welcome, to those who are not so new thanks for hanging in there. If you scroll to the bottom of the page please note the doctrinal statement and giving tab.
Also fill free to check out our family blog.
Our trip to Kalispell was very encouraging and even though i had a major flub (I casually mentioned that we were waiting for our "divorce" instead of our "adoption" to be finalized) the church seemed interested in us which is cool.
Today we are placing an ad for Logistic Support.
Wanted: Practical, detail oriented people who are willing to team up with others to provide support for us by keeping us accountable, encouraging our spiritual growth (here, there and back again), managing our business and personal affairs. If the applicant would like to apply to do all of these jobs please do not apply since you do not meet the definition of practical. Area 1. Personal Spiritual Growth involves being willing to keep us accountable to God and our goals of reaching the world for Christ by conversing with us in these areas. It also involves assisting us as we seek to maintain our relationship with God as well. Area 2. involves our finance issues such as budget concerns, taxes, health insurance and this is partially filled. Area3 involves the details of our personal lives such as moving, storing, making a will, etc. This is partially filled.
Verse: 2Tim 4:13 And when you come, please bring the clock I left with Carpus at Troas and the books, but especially the parchments
The lynchpin of this area of support is that you have to know to help. You know by keeping a conversation going with us. I must take time to thank Lowell and Bonnie Meznarich for their extensive help in this area already but there is more than enough room for more :)
Some "details" currently facing us but not immediately requiring action are:
1. what to do with our stuff. My family are willing to store a lot but there is a finite amount of room. We need wisdom to get rid of what we cannot use.
2. When to actually leave for Language School since our adoption is still not finalized
3. How to plan for our kids college
4. What is the best way to get our stuff across the country?
5. How to maintain some sense of community with our children to provide for spiritual growth for them and us. we are already traveling a lot and so there is a drawing inward as a family. This is not a bad thing but it hinders our awareness of the body of Christ.
6. How much should I try to work in the states as we learn French in Quebec?
Some suggestions from "Serving as Senders"
area 1-communicate with the missionary, send over books, mp3 files (i made that one up) or other forms of av sermons, devotionals or even have a correspondence Bible study with them
area 2- help us make a budget. the C&MA are covering our overseas medical expenses but the at home we will have to foot some of the bill for the insurance here.
Area 3- keep aware of needs such as storage place for goods, being willing to be a power of attorney or an executer of their will
Thanks for considering to send us in this area. I am not fond of details (this is why I walk out of the patients room after asking the nurse to do torture like procedure---urinary catheters, tubes down noses etc) but they bear paying attention to as we all know.
thanks again
Also fill free to check out our family blog.
Our trip to Kalispell was very encouraging and even though i had a major flub (I casually mentioned that we were waiting for our "divorce" instead of our "adoption" to be finalized) the church seemed interested in us which is cool.
Today we are placing an ad for Logistic Support.
Wanted: Practical, detail oriented people who are willing to team up with others to provide support for us by keeping us accountable, encouraging our spiritual growth (here, there and back again), managing our business and personal affairs. If the applicant would like to apply to do all of these jobs please do not apply since you do not meet the definition of practical. Area 1. Personal Spiritual Growth involves being willing to keep us accountable to God and our goals of reaching the world for Christ by conversing with us in these areas. It also involves assisting us as we seek to maintain our relationship with God as well. Area 2. involves our finance issues such as budget concerns, taxes, health insurance and this is partially filled. Area3 involves the details of our personal lives such as moving, storing, making a will, etc. This is partially filled.
Verse: 2Tim 4:13 And when you come, please bring the clock I left with Carpus at Troas and the books, but especially the parchments
The lynchpin of this area of support is that you have to know to help. You know by keeping a conversation going with us. I must take time to thank Lowell and Bonnie Meznarich for their extensive help in this area already but there is more than enough room for more :)
Some "details" currently facing us but not immediately requiring action are:
1. what to do with our stuff. My family are willing to store a lot but there is a finite amount of room. We need wisdom to get rid of what we cannot use.
2. When to actually leave for Language School since our adoption is still not finalized
3. How to plan for our kids college
4. What is the best way to get our stuff across the country?
5. How to maintain some sense of community with our children to provide for spiritual growth for them and us. we are already traveling a lot and so there is a drawing inward as a family. This is not a bad thing but it hinders our awareness of the body of Christ.
6. How much should I try to work in the states as we learn French in Quebec?
Some suggestions from "Serving as Senders"
area 1-communicate with the missionary, send over books, mp3 files (i made that one up) or other forms of av sermons, devotionals or even have a correspondence Bible study with them
area 2- help us make a budget. the C&MA are covering our overseas medical expenses but the at home we will have to foot some of the bill for the insurance here.
Area 3- keep aware of needs such as storage place for goods, being willing to be a power of attorney or an executer of their will
Thanks for considering to send us in this area. I am not fond of details (this is why I walk out of the patients room after asking the nurse to do torture like procedure---urinary catheters, tubes down noses etc) but they bear paying attention to as we all know.
thanks again
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