Pages

Friday, March 29, 2013

It's Friday...But Sunday's a Coming

What a mighty Savior we serve!  How amazing is it that He came and paid the price for ALL of our sins.  And that all we need to do is proclaim him as our Savior to accept His love and grace so that we can spend eternity in His presence.
At church on Good Friday, they played this video and it gave me the chills knowing that Christ's death on the cross was not the end of the story but just the beginning!



Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  
For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he CANNOT die again; 
death NO longer has mastery over him.  The death he died, he died to SIN once and for all; 
but the life he lives, he lives to God.  
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but ALIVE to God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 6:8-11

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Words of Encouragement

My quite time with God is in the mornings when I'm driving to work.  This morning on my way to work was strange, but in a good way.  Before I get too far into what happened today, I need to back up a few weeks.
A couple weeks ago when the US Embassy made their announcement about the investigation period with all cases, I finally had my 'come to Jesus' moment, quite literally.  I had finally had enough of all the stress, anxiety and worry about our adoption and couldn't begin to think about what impact this Embassy announcement would have on our case.  I finally, finally, finally gave up control to Jesus.  I know He is in control and everything is in His timing but still, me being a Type A personality, I still wanted to control my situation.  
So back to driving in the car this morning.  As I was praying, I had this peace come over me...like I could physically feel the peace.  I also felt joy this morning on my drive in, which I usually am tense and stressed because my job drains the life out of me, but today I had peace and joy.  I felt like God kept trying to tell me that something good would happen today.  
About mid-morning a lady at work instant messages me and asks me for my personal email address, she said she would be sending me something.  Later in the day I run into her in the hall and I told her I'll look at what she sent me when I got home from work.  She tells me that as she was driving into to work this morning she felt she needed to pray for our adoption.  She said that she felt that God had laid it on her heart to pray for us.  I told it was strange that I had this feeling of peace and joy this morning and I asked her what time was she praying for me, that is when I realized that she was praying for me at the exact time that I started to feel this peace and joy come over me.  Strange, right?!  
So, I get home from work and check my email and she has sent me a list of all of the meanings of our little guys name (the name the orphanage has given him which we will keep as his middle name).  I can't share quite yet our little guys name on the blog because I don't want to jeopardize anything with our adoption process, but the name is Biblical. She also included a number of encouraging Bible verses which touched my heart and were just what I needed to meditate on.  
Lastly, in her note she included a prayer for us.  This prayer is what I need to be praying over our son.  I always pray for his safety, health, happiness, and for the process to be smooth and quick but I'm reminded by her prayer that I need to pray for his future and his relationship with Christ.  I wanted to share the prayer, more of a reminder to myself in weeks/months/years to come of what a parents prayer should be.
Dear Heavenly Father, in faith we are praying for 'Little Guy',
Thank you for this treasured adopted child of mine. Although you have entrusted him to me, I know he belongs to you. Like Hannah offered Samuel, I dedicate my child to you, Lord. I recognize that he is always in your care. 
Help me as a parent, Lord, with my weaknesses and imperfections. Give me strength and godly wisdom to raise this child after your Holy Word. Please supply what I lack. Keep my child walking on the path that leads to eternal life. Help him to overcome the temptations in this world and the sin that would so easily entangle him. 
Dear God, send your Holy Spirit daily to lead and guide him. Ever assist him to grow in wisdom and stature, in grace and knowledge, in kindness, compassion and love. May he serve you faithfully with his whole heart devoted to you. May he discover the joy of your presence through daily relationship with your Son, Jesus. 
Help me never to hold on too tightly to this child, nor neglect my responsibilities before you as a parent. Lord, let my commitment to raise this child for the glory of your name cause his life to forever testify of your faithfulness. 
In Jesus' name I pray. 
Amen.