The Home Stretch - Supporting the Owens Family

Tonight I am thrilled to tell you about a very special family, a family that has heard God's call to obey and is making a drastic change in their lives in obedience to Him.  It is not easy following God's call.  But the Lord does give grace to those who put aside trusting in their own power and put 

all their trust in His.  This is that family:

Team Owens 

About 3 years ago, Dan and several of his friends heard about a place in Uganda where children lived in desperate circumstances.  On top of that, there was little to no Justice for them.. and a whole lot of injustice.

My friends, who I am writing about now, Dan and Shelly Owens, lived a more than comfortable lifestyle. Dan had not just a job, but a good job.  With a good salary.  Upon hearing about the children in these circumstances in Uganda, He and Shelly got down on their knees one night and prayed together.  They prayed that the Lord would show them how to use their resources. 

They laid it all before Him.

And along with several other couples, they obeyed the call to start the ministry Sixty Feet.

About 2 years ago, I began following their journey.  And I was very touched, and more than encouraged towards Jesus.  I watched them obey God's call in many different ways.

I saw them welcome two precious Ugandan children, Hannah and Joseph,  into their family.  

Then Sean and I both traveled with the Owens to Uganda on two separate occasions this past year. Sean with Dan in January, and I with Shelly in June.  

God had placed the desire deep in our hearts to go and experience first hand what others had, to see the faces, to hold the hands, to embrace those who benefit from their life giving ministry.  

And this ministry is the real deal, y'all. It was incredible.  And so much so, that it has been difficult for me to put into words exactly, but what I can honestly say is that I was deeply blessed by those that have been blessed by them.  I did not go to give, but rather to receive.  That I did,  and I  continue to do so by being in connection with this incredible ministry.

Now this ministry has grown into a huge responsibility.  Up until now it has been run stateside by several men with demanding full time jobs and a couple part time employees.  But Dan Owens has heard the Lord's voice to work for Sixty Feet full time and he has obeyed the call. Jim Elliot said, "He is not fool who gives what He cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Not only has Dan given up his good job with a good salary, but he and Shelly have given over the control of trying to figure out how it will all "work out." Speaking from experience, that is a difficult place to be. 

 The Owens prayed that the Lord would bring support to them and they have trusted the Lord for that support to come in in His timing.  

And much of it has.

But the Owens are in the "Final Stretch"

They just need a few more supporters.  9 people pledging $100 month for 2013 and they would be fully funded for next year!  Or 18 pledging $50/mo... Or 36 pledging $25/mo.  I am asking you to join us in supporting this precious family as they take this leap of faith. 

Have you ever watched someone run a race?  Stood there at the finish line, cheering them on.. heard the crowd roar and watched them cross the finish?  

  As the Owens run the daunting race of raising their support for next year, I want to be that person at the finish cheering them on and believing with them that they will be 100% supported by the end of the year!.. So with all that said, 

You can read all about the Owens and their call to step out HERE

And you can donate to their ministry Friends of Sixty Feet HERE

No matter what,  please go to sixtyfeet.org and read all about this incredible ministry and the lives that are being changed in Uganda for His Glory. And please please keep this sweet family in your prayers! 

"But whatever was gain to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Phil. 3

Much Love and Blessing to the Owens.. and much love and blessing to YOU.

Laura (for the Kirklands)

The Hoffmans and Brighton Their World

Well, we were all excited about going to the park today with friends from our adoption/orphan care group.  But little man has a fever and a cough.  Soooo we are hanging out at home, watching movies and(of course) I'm painting.. but I have really wanted to sit down and write this post to you. 


During my Facebook fast, I noticed that I was really filling my time off of Facebook with other things..  Isn't it funny how when you realize one thing has become an idol in your life, and you remove it.. then a whole host of other things will move in to take it's place.  In today's society, we have so much stuff that can fill our time and distract us from pursuing relationship with  our Heavenly Father.  BUT we can take comfort in the fact that He is constantly pursuing US!  And in the midst of my fast I felt like the Lord laid this part of Isiaish 58 on my heart...

 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: 
to loose the chains of injustice...
to set the oppressed free ...
  
Is it not to share your food with the hungry 
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— 
when you see the naked, to clothe them, 
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 
(portions of Isaiah 58)


So I started thinking about how much time I spend on social media of various sorts and thought about how I might use that time for good.  And then various ministries came to my mind and one in particular that I've been wanting to tell you about.  It's only a shame that it has taken me until today to sit down and do it!! 


So, here's a cool story of how God weaves people and purposes together.  
In December, we were shopping at the HOPE market at North Metro.  This is a market set up where you can use some of your Christmas $$ to shop for hope! How cool is that? So there are various ministries set up like stores and we were able to walk our kids around and let them choose somewhere to spend their money.  They first approached "Brighton Their World" where two adorable little girls stood with shapes of Africa on their t-shirts.  I thought this was right up our ally. :)  That is when we met Tymm and Laura Hoffman who started Brighton.  You see back in 2007, they had a son named Brighton waiting in Ethiopia.  And he never made it home.  Blow. to. the. Heart.   Major.   Here is the story of how they are honoring little Brighton's life.
http://www.brightontheirworld.org/about/Brighton/


It turned out that when we started talking to Tymm and Laura, we found out that Tymm was leading a Visiting Orphans team that was headed to visit the remand homes in Uganda where Sean was going in January! Not only that, but Laura went to high school with Shelly Owens of www.goodtobecrazy.com and www.sixtyfeet.org.  Crazy? Nah.  God is always weaving His folks together for His purposes!  


Months later, we are blessed to be part of an orphan care/adoption group with these precious folks and their amazing daughters that they have brought home from Ethiopia.  For the sake of your sheer joy and entertainment you should hop over to their blog and see the videos Tymm has made of their girls Meron and Mebrate. Like this one entitled "how to pray" or this one (below) about Brighton Their World! 

So, we are enjoying getting to know these folks.  And not only are we trying to raise awareness for children imprisoned in Uganda, we are now holding a permanent formula drive for babies in Ethiopia!  

You can:

-Help us get the word out by reposting this post!!

-"LIKE" Brighton Their World on Facebook by clicking Here

-If you would like to donate $ for Brighton to buy formula for babies in Ethiopia, go to www.brightontheirworld.org

-If you get formula coupons in the mail or see them anywhere else, clip and save them and give them to me next time you see me!

-and YOU can have your very own formula drive whenever you want to!! 

ONE CAN OF FORMULA WILL FEED A BABY IN ETHIOPIA FOR A WEEK!!

Blessings on you in the coming days as you prepare to honor and celebrate our RISEN SAVIOR!!

On Judgment.

We've all heard it... "Judge not, lest ye be judged"

Let me say that the Holy Spirit himself is an incredible teacher.
When we open our heart to Him and say "Come have your way.."
He will.

When you find yourself blessed by the very people that you have judged, it will blow a hole in your system of thinking.  It will bring a sting of tears.  I don't want to make that same mistake twice.

I've been convicted on my tendency to place judgements on individuals and people groups.
Pretty much every time I've judged, I've come to find that I was too harsh in my opinions.
And I've been gently led to repentance.  How sweet is our God.
I've had to eat words.  I've had to say that I'm sorry.

On New Year's Day, my resolution for 2012 was "not to judge others".. to "be a woman who extended grace"

On that same evening, I heard it spoken by a pastor, Rob Mc Dowell, that resolutions are rooted in human effort. That when anything is rooted in human effort it will fail.  By human power, we cannot keep our resolutions.  But what we CAN do is lay our entire lives on the altar and ask the Lord to make us into what He will.

For me that was Profound.

Since that day, I've seen breakthrough.

Lord, please make me a woman of grace, as I take hold of You daily.

Beloved.

In April of 2010, my friend Stephanie Swanson, posted on Facebook that her friends Dan and Michael were traveling to Uganda as Sixty Feet.  I was intrigued. I immediately hopped over to their website and read the story that had caused them to take action. These words stung my heart with a physical pain:


"Outside Kampala there is a place where some of these abandoned, unloved and neglected children are kept. And this is where our story begins…
Not long ago a woman was on her way out of Kampala and drove past a dilapidated old sign that read “M”: Rehabilitation Center for Children. She was drawn to learn more about the place so she turned down a long, winding dirt road until she came to the end. To her horror, she found rooms of children locked up, young kids chained to windows, and even a 10 day old, malnourished and living in her own urine. She saw hundreds of children with little food and no supervision. As horrific as this was, on that day God began a glorious story of redemption for these children."


In the months and years that have followed, I have had the joy and the privilege of following the ministry of Sixty Feet in Uganda.  Their hearts for orphan care and for pouring love and care into the people and  country of Uganda are beautiful. When I opened my heart to the faces and the stories on their blog, the faces and the stories of these children would not leave me.  I've said before and I'll say it again:

Sixty Feet has saved our lives ... by saving us from chasing the American Dream  Nightmare.  

It is because of Sixty Feet that our hearts have fallen in love with the country of Uganda.  I feel an intense love for the country and the people.  ( and I haven't even been there - YET ) I'm so thankful that I will have the opportunity to this summer.

But there are many children all over the world, like the ones that Sixty Feet ministers to,  that are not able to be adopted for one reason or another.  And the Lord is calling us to care for them.
Sixty Feet does not exist to facilitate adoptions.  They exist to love on, pray for, and support the imprisoned and abandoned children of Uganda.  They exist to get to them this most life changing message:

You. are. His BELOVED.

The Lord speaks to this in the book of Isaiah.  There are so many encouraging words and instructions for us regarding "setting the captive free"..

While Sean was in Uganda, I had the incredible privilege of painting a canvas for Sixty Feet that will be produced by Glory Haus.  This was a special time for me as the Lord revealed for me even more of his heart for the orphan, the enslaved, and the people laboring on their behalf.  There was even a moment that week where I felt completely unsure of where I was headed with this canvas. At that very moment I happened to get an email from Sean where he poured out his heart to me about what he was experiencing.  It was in that moment that I could literally feel a piece of how he felt as his life was forever affected for these children.

Here is how the canvas turned out.  It is not ready for sale yet, but a very professional printed copy will be up for auction tonight at 60 feet's film premiere BELOVED.

(photo by Christen Fortner)

Is it possible to say that I am excited about tonight?  Im terribly excited.  It's been almost 2 years since the day I was led to www.sixtyfeet.org 

The Lord has done SO MUCH.  Above all, He has transformed lives.  He has transformed lives in Uganda, but He has transformed MY LIFE, too.

You see, those behind physical bars aren't the only ones held captive.  We, too, can be held captive -

- by our sin

- our worldly desires 

- and our not knowing the freedom found in truly knowing His love for us.

As it says in Isaiah, "When you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry.."

You will find that YOU are HIS BELOVED, too.

Beginning in March, there will be more showings of BELOVED in and around the area. 

I would LOVE for you to come and learn more about this ministry and how you can be a part of it, too.

Message me if you are interested. 

laurakirkland35@gmail.com

Stepping out in Faith

Well, my heart is really full again.  Pressed down, shaken together, and running over.  One month ago yesterday (1/9/12) We formally started our Home Study to Adopt.  As I printed out the application and walked around Staples collecting some supplies for our binder and having some copies made, I was overwhelmed with the sense that I was walking in His will for our lives as I was putting one foot in front of the other taking steps in this Journey.  And confirmation has followed.

Adoption has been something that has made my heart leap for a really long time.  I can't exactly say how long, but when Zoe was very little, I ran into a girl named Julie Hedden as I was working in my booth at One of a Kind.  And on her body, she wore a beautiful little 8 month old baby in a front carrier - named Emma Grace...whom she had just brought home from China.  And my heart leapt.  And I said to her.. "I really want to adopt one day"  And as that lump welled up in my throat, with tears in my eyes, I knew that thing was in my heart.  I don't know when it was birthed exactly.  But it lay there.. deep down...

There have been plenty and I mean plenty of people around me who have shared a very similar passion.. Looking back I can see the people in my life that God has positioned me near who have adopted, fostered, and shared my heart for the orphan.  But timing is everything.  Sean and I will have been married ten years this June and if I can say anything to encourage someone's heart who is in the midst of wondering if God really plans to make sense out of all this chaos they are living in, let me say this.. O brave one.. HE DOES.. and HIS. TIMING. IS. PERFECT.

3 years ago, I was working in children's ministry at Riverstone Church and this adorable lady who had just moved to Kennesaw from Florida busted up the stairs with a China girl by her side and another on her hip and said, "I'm Tracie" and in an instant I loved her and in an instant I knew.. the Lord had brought her into my path to encourage my heart and once again, but maybe with a little more boldness I said.." I really want to adopt one day"

Now, of course I've read so many precious blogs on other's journeys to adopt, and my spirit said, "yes!" and that knot has welled up in my throat and the tears have flowed freely as the Lord has broken my heart for the orphan and the knowledge that there are at least 147 million of them out there and many aren't even available to be adopted and.. well it is all so much for one heart to bear. But the fact that we are being called is UNMISTAKEABLE.  Like one friend of mine said a couple of weeks ago.. "I know you are going to adopt one day..because you have wanted to do this for a long time and the desire just isn't going away." Exactly. And that desire has been growing stronger.

So 1 year ago this month I started approaching Sean with the idea more often.  And for the first time, really, he seemed more open.  We attended a night called "Speak up for ONE" at Riverstone church where 3 women shared their stories of adoption.. Tracie Canter shared about International.  Aimee Powell shared about Domestic, and and Leslie Allison - Foster to adopt.  I share this because I can look back and see how the Lord uses different situations and moments to spur you on in your journey.. and that this is all a process.  What is amazing is that the Lord sees the end result. (thankful.)  Sean would say he was ok with it.. He even said, "I know you really want to do this, and I'm not going to say that we can't"  But you know, that was not the answer I was really really looking for.  God also identified some road blocks.  We were behind in our taxes. When my eyes were opened to this, I knew that I could not really expect blessing on this process if I was not faithful to have my finances in order.

Fast forward to January.  Sean is preparing to travel to Uganda with www.sixtyfeet.org to love on orphans.  I was writing a check for the final balance due on the taxes.  (By the grace of God.) I ask Sean what he thinks about us starting the Home Study again (oh i've started twice before :)  And he is in agreement.  Complete agreement.  So much so that before he got on the plane, he went to have his fingerprints made at the Court house.

Now here is a cool story.. I love how dates and happenings coincide in a way that is clearly God.  The day I dropped Sean and Scott Harty off at the airport I was talking with Joy.  It was Jan. 15th.  I told her we were stepping out in faith and wanted to adopt from Uganda.  She said I needed to join the Ugandan adoption Facebook group.  Well, apparently I already had requested an invite and didn't know it.  When I got home from the airport that day, there was a message in my inbox from one of the arbitrators of the group.  Her name was Sara Ribbens.  She was asking about us to be sure we were legit to be added to the group.  I wrote her back and told her that we had started our Home Study and that my husband was on a plane to Uganda with Sixty Feet.  SHE writes back and tells me that she has been living in Uganda for 10 months working to finalize her adoption of a tiny girl named Nya.  Not only that, but it turns out that in that very same week that followed, Sean ended up at dinner with she and her husband in Uganda.  Now their story is unique, but due to some complications, it took a little bit of patience to receive legal guardianship of sweet Nya.  Like 11 months worth of patience.  And yesterday, on 2/9/12 exactly one month from the day that we started OUR journey, theirs culminated in unanimous favor from the Ugandan Judges.  It's a beautiful story. And you can read about it here. 

Yes, we have 3 beautiful, healthy children.  Yes, we are busy.  Yes, our hands are full.  Yes, sometimes we feel overwhelmed. But then there are questions like, "What are we doing all this for?" and "If the Lord has blessed us with such extravagant love, what better way to partner with him than to open our family to someone who may NEVER know that love if we are not obedient to this calling?" And of course we know that we as a family would be the blessed ones to have the honor of being loved and called family by a Child of God that can only make their way to our doorstep through an absolute MIRACLE of God.

Just the other day our case worker called.  We are more than half way through our paperwork and it is time to have our first meeting with her.  We go back and forth about what day next week to meet.  Sean can't do wednesday.. "How about tuesday afternoon?" I ask? " Great," she says, "I'll put you down for Tuesday, February 14th."  I could not believe my ears.  Valentine's day.  The day that symbolizes love would be the day we have our initial meeting with our case worker to truly put this thing into action.

These days there is a new sort of lump in my throat.  It is a lump of thankfulness that my precious, loving, and wise husband is on board with where we are headed.  It is a lump of excitement that somewhere out there there is a child that will one day call Zoe, Henry, and Finn HER sister and brothers.  And it is a lump of hope that one more orphan out there praying for a momma and a daddy will be coming home. (and Yes, we are hoping for a GIRL!)

Let the journey begin.

Zoe and I holding up mine and Sean's fingerprints on 1/31/12

Positioning Ourselves - Mephibosheth

I have been completely blown away by the sweetness of the Lord in my life lately.  


This past week, the Lord brought a passage of scripture in the Old Testament back to me in a new light. I've read it before, but this time it was different.  It is the story about David and Mephibosheth.  Have you read it lately, dear friend?  Because to me this is one of the most precious little stories in the bible.


You see, David made a covenant, or should I say, "cut" a covenant with Jonathan, years before this story takes place, and in light of the fact that Saul wanted to kill David (the one who Samuel had anointed to become the next king) they vowed to protect one another and "show kindness" to each other's decedents FOREVER.  


Fast forward a few years later and Saul and Jonathan were killed at the hand of the Philistines.  They died a brutal death.  Jonathan had a son (unbeknown to David) named Mephibosheth who was 5 years old at the time.  Mephibosheth's nurse or nanny or caretaker or whatever you want to call her, was completely ignorant of the Covenant that had been made on Mephibosheth's behalf.  Knowing that kings in that day commonly wanted to annihilate all decedents of the previous king, she grabbed him up and in a hurry to protect his life, she dropped him in the run, and he became lame in both feet.  Mephibosheth then went on to live in hiding until what happens next.


So you see here is King David, sitting on his throne and all the dust has settled and he asks if there are ANY decedents of his best friend Jonathan to  which he can show favor and kindness?  And enters this Mephibosheth... lame, helpless, terrified, lonely, and living in a barren land called lo-debar.  Not only that but physical deformity was a great source of shame in that day's society.  He falls prostrate at the feet of King David, not having a CLUE that his father had made a way for him long before this day.


Then David completely went against cultural norm.  Might I venture to say that he did something COMPLETELY "counter cultural" ?  He invited this undeserving, lame, lonely, crippled man to eat at his table, and then GAVE Mephibosheth the entire inheritance of his grandfathers kingdom.  He required Mephibosheths servant and all of his servants to work the land on his behalf and to provide the finest food and care for this undeserving young man.  Not only that but in the passage, it reads like this: 


“As for Mephibosheth,” said the king, “he shall eat at 3my table like one of the king’s sons.” 
Unbelievable.  
He was accepted into Davids household as a son of the king.. 
He was given true sonship.  
Then the story ends with these words, "He was lame in both feet."


Mephibosheth is you and me dear friend.  We have run from Jesus because we have no idea of the covenant made on our behalf.  We have broken our feet and in our running away and hiding. We have lived in barren places. But because of the great love of our heavenly father, He has offered us true sonship.  


It is interesting to me that the story ends reminding us of Mephibosheth's deformity. Why is that? Well, I know that when I remember my need for Jesus, I am way more likely to run to Him and receive all that he has for me. We can rejoice in our thorns. We have nothing to stand on.  We cannot stand on our talents, good works, or accomplishments. We have been invited in and been named the son of a KING!  And not only that, we have been given the gift of partnering with Him in an unshakeable kingdom.


I, with "nothing to stand on" want to remember that I am hanging on the back of Jesus, with my arms stretched around his neck. What a picture.  


When I think of us positioning ourselves, what better place to be?
Lord, keep me aware of my need for you and what you have done for me and what you continue to do for me every hour of every day - raise me up to sit at your table with you and partner with you in your unshakeable kingdom.


And in the form of a prayer, humbled and on my knees, with tears streaming down, I ask this question of the Lord, 


"Lord, in your perfect timing, will you open our eyes to the Mephibosheths out there in hiding that we might invite to dine at our table?"

STAY small and live LARGE!

Ok, For starters, I have a couple of funny stories to share:


Would you believe that I sent my 2 year old to my friend/sitter's house ... COMMANDO?  Yes, on friday, he wanted to go on his big boy potty so I took his diaper off and threw it away. We were in a rush to get the big kids to school and I put him on the step stool, washed his hands, and whoop! pulled up those pj pants on his bare buns.  I dropped him off at Mrs. Tif's just like that.. yep, good ole commando! A couple hours later, through laughter and tears, she called to tell me what she had discovered.  Thank goodness he hadn't baptized her house, but had kept his diaper pajama pants dry the entire time!


Another funny thing happened with Hen man today on the way to church.  We were about 5 minutes late and I did not want to miss worship.  He was slowly meandering through the parking lot, so I turned around and said curtly.. "Henry, Pick up the PACE, man!" You would have thought he would have fallen in line, and scurried hurriedly along to catch up with me, but no! ... he STOPPED RIGHT THERE and slowly looked around at the ground around him and said, "Momma...(long pause) I don't see any toothpaste on the ground!"  O. M. G. "Come AAWWWNNN," I said, "I mean HURRY UP!!!"


So, that being said, I just got TIMELINE on my Facebook. Have you made the switch? I was looking back at my history and I noticed that on January 4th, I wrote this status update while sitting in the carpool line at the kids' school:

"I believe that each of us truly has a longing inside to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Something great, with a higher purpose than to bless our own already richly blessed lives. What we cannot do is look at the things God is pressing on our hearts to do through the eyes our limited energy, time, and resources. He is infinite and where He leads, He will dwell and fill all the inadequate spaces. All He needs is surrender and obedience."


And here's what I want to say about this.  In my tiny, feeble, little world, I have learned that if this statement is true, if it is true in my own heart and the hearts of my family, then I believe we need to position ourselves in a way that will allow His kingdom plans and purposes to take first place in our lives.


In the past year or so, we have been discussing looking for a bigger house.  Maybe one with a basement, a big back yard, and plenty of rooms for our growing family to spread out.  I mean, for cryin' out loud, I'm trying to run a business up in here. And we have opened ourselves up to the very real possibility of adding to our family one day.  So with the help of a dear friend and agent, in late October, we started looking at some houses.  And we found one that we just loved.  It was perfect for our family. In every way, absolutely perfect.  And honestly in today's market, it wasn't too extravagantly priced.  


We wanted that house.  We really, really wanted that house.  In fact, as it turns out, that home was personal to us.  It was the home of a very dear friend of mine whose husband had just been transferred to Ohio.  I wanted that home to be the answer for us. I also wanted us to be the answer for them.  And it made perfect sense to us.  Clearly God had purposed this.  However neither Sean nor I could get a total peace about pursuing it further.  Everything came to a screeching halt.  It wasn't that the Lord said, "NO!" in a way that was super obvious.  I mean, sure, we could have moved forward, bought the house, and probably been fine.  And the Lord would have still blessed us.  But we would not have been positioning ourselves in the way that He had so clearly spoken for us do.  


We had to lay that house and all of our desires, and even our hopes to be "the answer" for our friends, at the foot of the cross and walk away.  And we had to trust Him that He works all things for the good of those who love HIM and are called according to His purposes.  And so we did.  


The Lord says clearly in His word to "Seek first His kingdom and all of these things will be added unto us".. He also says in Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart"  


You see, God showed us that it wasn't at all that the house was a bad thing.  It is a lovely, beautiful home.  It is a truly blessed home and I pray that it will be an absolute blessing to the person who closed on that home the week before Christmas :)
But we were getting ahead of God, and that gnawing feeling in our stomach told us just that. An absence of Peace is that way I can usually discern the Lord holding me back from something.  How else would you explain me having a TOTAL and COMPLETE peace as I sent my beloved friend and husband off to the heart of Africa for 8 days?


The Lord simply said, "Delight yourself in ME, Seek ME, and then all your needs will be taken care of"


So we stayed small,  So we could live LARGE in the peace and purposes of Jesus.  And sure, things do get tight at times, but we have never been more thankful for our home.  And we know ,that we know, that we know... that FOR NOW, we are exactly where we are supposed to be.  And that's a good feeling.  


It's funny. A friend of mine, actually a pretty new friend of mine, (one of those surprise friends that GOD drops out of the sky and lands them in your lap when you didn't even know you needed another friend) shared a very similar story on her blog yesterday. Her name is Joy.  Joy's husband Scott, is who Sean traveled to Uganda with last week. And they had an amazing time literally walking in the plans and purposes of God for His dearly loved children in Uganda.


Anyway, you can read about the Harty's journey here:


http://www.thefruitfulfamily.com/


I don't know all of what God is planning.  But I can tell He's always up to something big. He needs us to position ourselves in a way that says we mean business.. Seeking Him above all else.  And wherever He wants us to take us for His purposes, we want to position ourselves like the bridesmaids, with their lamps on their stands. We want to be ready.


I have more to share about *POSITIONING OURSELVES* and will look forward to mentioning some practical ways to do so (even with small children) in the coming days.


And I mean, if choosing to stay in a smaller house means your husband gets to do this:

And hang out with men like this:

And visit the home of these people (which might I add is probably not any bigger than ours yet they have at least 10 kids last time I checked):

Then, I'd have to wager to say we are pretty much Livin' Large!