Adoption and the Promised Land - Another stolen post

A post that my mom wrote right before they got Jed and Simon about adoption and the Promise Land.  It is important to remember that even though God fought for the Israelites, they still had to go to battle, and be always vigilant not to slip into the ways of the world.  
Saturday, December 24, 2011


Adoption and the Promised Land


Since Jerry and I aren't doing much besides shopping in our local neighborhood and recovering from jet lag before we meet Jed, please forgive me if I stand on my soap box for awhile.

Not having been brought up in church ( I didn't become a Christian until I was in college), I was unfamiliar with many Old Testament Bible stories. I knew some about the Patriarchs and about God giving the Promised Land to Israel but not much about the details. A few years ago, when Jerry challenged our family to read through the Bible in 90 days, I was amazed to discover a few things about the "gift" of the Promised Land. I had thought it was like, God said, "It's yours!" and Israel moved right in and opened up their lawn chairs. But it wasn't like that AT ALL. They had to fight for almost every inch of ground. They had to learn to listen to God to know when to fight and when to hold their ground. They had to believe that He was powerful enough to help them win their battles, when they obeyed him. And they had to obey even when they were afraid.

And what does this have to do with adoption ? Well. Over the last 20 some years since we first adopted, many people have said to us, 'Oh, I would Love to adopt......... if only God would just place them right on my doorstep. I see those pictures of orphans in magazines and I would love to have a dozen of them!' I want to say to those people, that I learned from the story about the Promised Land that it doesn't always work like that. Sometimes, in order to receive a very special gift, like the Promised Land, and like sons and daughters, there is work involved. And sacrifice. And struggle. So I want to say, if You are one of those people, who look at those pictures of orphans and your heart melts, please consider that this may be a true call that God has on your life and you Can do it ! It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, old or young, fearful or lazy (like me!), I can tell you stories about other people, just like you, who God has used in this way. And they have been richly blessed. As you will be, also, if you obey God's call to 'care for orphans'.

I want to note, that I am old enough now to know that God does not call everyone to the same thing. Some of you are not called to adopt. If the call on your life is in some other area, I want to support you in that, to the best of my ability. But to those who Are called, Do not be afraid! Rejoice ! I can't imagine anything else that is so hard, but so much fun and full of blessing!

Last Day

Well it sure ain't pretty, but there are a lot of people who work in this building whom I really care about; people who have trained me and people who have protected me.  I have many friends and colleagues in this building.  What I liked the very best about working for the DAs office was the days I got to work in Macon County, and today was my last day.  I loved getting to come back to the United States and work a few cases in Macon.  The Macon County Sheriff's Department, the Franklin Police and all the rest of law enforcement there in Macon really are the best.  And of course, I love their ADAs.  

Of course, I'm nothing but excited about my new job, but somehow it seems odd that I will be living so close to Franklin (Atlanta) and yet won't be back in the courtroom for awhile.  Or, at least, I hope I won't.  Because if I'm back in there in the foreseeable future it is going to be as a victim.  Yikes!

Many smiles :)

Never Thought I'd be Doing This

I never thought I'd be posting something I read on tmz.com.  I don't like to admit I was even reading it :)  But I do keep hearing stories like this about people knowing they were about to die and doing certain things in their last days.  Michelle didn't make any comments like this that I know of, but her whole life was centered around Jesus, loving Him, and wanting to know Him more; and in her last weeks she asked a lot of people to pray that she would have the opportunity to really share Jesus with Mark while they were hiking.  We'll have to wait to find out what happened. 

Whitney Houston Had Premonition About Death


Whitney Houston told friends she "really wanted to see Jesus" in the days before her death ... and claimed she had a feeling the end was near for her ... this according to several of Whitney's friends.
TMZ has learned ... Whitney had been very spiritual in her final days ... quoting the bible, singing hymns and engaging in intense conversations about Jesus Christ and the afterlife with her close friends and family members.

We're told .... on Friday , one day after she performed, "Yes Jesus Loves Me" at Tru nightclub in Hollywood, Whitney told one of her friends, "I'm gonna go see Jesus ... I want to see Jesus."

The next morning, hours before her death, Whitney was discussing a bible passage involving John the Baptist and Jesus ... when Houston flashed a big smile and remarked, "You know, he's so cool ... I really want to see that Jesus."

Another source tells us ... Whitney had been telling friends she "felt like her time was coming" ... and wanted to make sure she spent her time praising her lord and savior whenever she could.

Unfortunately, Whitney's premonition came true.


We're told the bible passages Whitney was quoting on the morning of her death were Matthew 3:13 through 17 ... referencing the baptism of Jesus. The passage goes:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Bar Update

People at the Georgia Bar are being extremely cooperative and God is opening doors and seems to be showing me that this job is his will.  Just when I thought I hit a big roadblock, I got a phone call from someone at the Bar who is helping me and moving my file around the roadblock.  I'm shaking with excitement and terror. 

May He be Glorified and may His will be done. 

The basketball Tebow is Chinese :)

My Take: Linsanity vs. Tebowmania, key similarities and differences
This is an interesting CNN Blog article.  Maybe I'll start watching professional basketball.

...Third, Lin is also a born-again Christian whose fans love him as much for cultural and religious intangibles as for his ability in his sport.

In a 2010 interview with Timothy Dalrymple of Patheos.com, Lin said he was raised in the church and became a Christian in high school. In college, he played “for the glory of God.” After his career-high 38 point performance against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, he said, “I just give all the praise to God.”

But Lin, who told Sports Illustrated in 2010 that he wants to be a pastor post-NBA, also has another intangible going for him—his Chinese-American heritage. Yes, the “Linsanity” is driven by his performance on the court, but it’s also driven by his Taiwanese descent, and the fact that he is one of a handful of Asian Americans to make it to the NBA.

Lin also differs from Tebow in his approach to the faith, which is more subtle. On his Facebook page, Lin does quote Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." But the "Taiwanese Tebow" doesn’t “Tebow” after a game. His evangelism is decidedly low key.

In this way, Lin is a reminder that, like Christians themselves, athletic evangelicals come in all shapes and sizes.

Scholars of religion have been observing for years that the Christian tradition is rapidly moving south and east, finding its new home not so much in Europe or in the United States as in Asia and Africa and Latin America.

Lin exemplifies this trend, even as he reminds us that American Christianity is changing its face, too. The Asian immigration boom that began with the opening up of immigration in 1965 did wonders for Buddhism and Hinduism, to be sure. But it brought far more Christians to American shores, many of them (like Lin) non-denominational evangelicals.

Down the road, Lin will probably get some of the same grief that Tebow has gotten for his outspoken faith. And if he is as human as that faith says he is, his shots are going to clang off the rim some day, and with it some of the sheen on his celebrity. In other words, there is at least as much insanity in Jeremania as there was in the cult of Tim Tebow. To believe in either guy takes a little bit of faith....

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My Other Home is Ice

I had to show a little bit of my other home.  The Dutch have totally been taking advantage of the deep freeze the past few weeks.  Note the baby strollers decked out for ice. 

The Dutch are outdoors people in a different sort of way.  They ALWAYS want to be outside drinking coffee or beer, in any temperature and stand outside anytime they see the sun.  They don't camp or hike nearly as much as my American friends, but in between events they are always outside whether its sitting out there for a drink or riding their bikes to the next meeting on their agendas.

It appears they will have to wait for the fabled 11-city tour that takes place in the North Western part of the country whenever ice conditions allow.  It has been 15 years since they have been able to hold the race. 

I miss it there, but I do not want to go back.  I am still very happy to be back here where my heart is with friends and family.

Here is an article from the Dutch English news.

The Netherlands takes to its skates


Friday 10 February 2012

The Dutch will take to their skates en masse this weekend as the big freeze enters its last days. Dozens of official routes have been opened up across the country's lakes and waterways.

The 200 km 11-city skating race around Friesland's may not be going ahead but hundreds of people on Friday followed the Elfstedentocht route unofficially.

However, the Friesland ice association warned that parts of the route are extremely dangerous because the ice is not thick enough in places.

Instead, there are some 30 other official routes in the northern province for skaters to follow, the association says. The province's water authorities have also agreed to keep pumps turned off for the duration of the weekend, to allow skaters to make the most of the ice, and good weather.

In Amsterdam, skaters have been able to take to the city's 17th century canals for the first time in 15 years. On Saturday, short track races will be held in the city centre.

Elsewhere, there are dozens of official ice trails set out for keen skaters to follow. For a full listing, see http://www.schaatsen.nl/
The thaw is forecast to set in on Sunday.

Girl wakes from coma after hearing soccer legend Del Piero - What a headline!

I grew up in a sports obsessed household, or at least amongst sports obsessed individuals.  Still, it was nothing remotely like this family.  I am generally a headline reader.  I read the headline and then think I know the whole story, but this headline grabbed my attention and I had to read further.


Girl wakes from coma after hearing soccer legend Del Piero

Italian soccer legend Alessandro Del Piero was sporting a new title of miracle worker after being credited with waking a young girl from a two-week coma.

The Juventus great was acclaimed by the relatives of 12-year-old Giada Scalise, who said an audio message Del Piero recorded helped to bring her out of her slumber.

Scalise, from Crotone in southern Italy, suffered a brain hemorrhage while watching her beloved Juventus play on TV on Jan. 22 and entered the coma.

After seeing days pass at the hospital without a hint of movement, her desperate parents contacted the 2006 World Cup winner to beg for help.

Del Piero responded with an audio and video message, which was played to the sick girl, saying, "Hello Giada, this is Alessandro del Piero. I hope you'll wake up and come back to us as soon as possible to watch many of our games."

Nurses at the hospital played the tapes on a daily basis before Scalise eventually began to stir. Within hours, she had spoken and a day later was asking for ice cream.

Her father, Francesco Scalise, told local reporters he was in no doubt that the 37-year-old forward's messages helped to trigger the breakthrough.

His daughter was forced to wait a little longer to see Del Piero and Juventus in action again, though.
The veteran's apparent superhuman powers could do nothing to prevent the Italian title-chaser's game at Bologna on Sunday being postponed amid heavy snow.

Family Time

I guess there is nothing like the scare we had this week with Jed to make one appreciate time spent with the family. I got to spend Saturday in Franklin with the youngest part of my family. I continue to reap the blessings of my parents taking James 1:27 seriously
A religion that is pure and stainless according to God the Father is this: to take care of orphans and widows who are suffering, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Yes Again?!!!!!!!

A few weeks ago I interviewed for what was my idea job.  I would be working in the area I am most passionate about, and doing the type of work I most enjoy doing.  It would be a very high pressure and challenging job.  I am not quite ready to post online what this job is, but I'm happy to share via email IF I know you. But today I was offered this absolutely perfect job!!!!!!!

I have prayed that IF it was God's will for me to have this job that He would give me the ability to do the job each day.  The advantage of doing a job that is too hard for you is that you are daily reminded that without God you cannot do anything at all.  If I start this job, I will need God to help me with each task each day.

And already I have a HUGE hurdle that God has to help me over.  I need to be accepted into the Georgia Bar before I can start this job and I thought I would be accepted by January.  Today someone told me it's still 8-12 weeks away, but it can be expedited  IF everything falls into place.  I don't know if they would even consider holding the job for me for 8-12 weeks.

So I'm going to put all my effort into expediting it, but God is going to have to move a few mountains if this job is really his gift/challenge for me.  I am so excited I am in shock.  I guess it isn't bad that even before I start this job I'm having to ask God to move mountains and perform miracles.

God be glorified.

When God Says Yes

Last night I got a phone call from my mother that said Jed, this smiley new brother of mine had been missing in the woods for a few hours and that they just found him on the side of the road unresponsive.  She didn't know what that meant and just said to put it on a prayer chain and then she hung up.  I don't think I said anything besides hello.  I know I didn't get a chance to ask a question.

I had been sick all day and a friend had just brought me Gatorade and left the house.  I called her and asked her to come back without saying why.  

I was stunned and numb, and my first thought was, 'God, I can't handle another "no" right now.'  

As we've been going through everything with Michelle, the hopes and prayers and disappointments and accepting that she is not coming back, one thing our pastor said really stuck with me.  When tragedies strike, we are tempted to question two things.  First, we question is there a God and second, we question whether God is good.  

Even though I can see that for Michelle, it was for her good that God has brought her to be with him, this has still left me shaken and questioning God.  Since he didn't save her, maybe he won't provide me with a new job, maybe he won't provide me with a husband, and maybe he won't save Jed.

My prayer from the first day we realized Michelle was missing was 'God be glorified.'  Well with Jed, my prayers were much more selfish, they were 'God please show me that you are good. I need to see this right now.'  

My friend came back and sent out texts to everyone to pray while I posted on Facebook, and then we prayed and we waited.  My next bit of news was from my sis-in-law who called dispatch on her way to the hospital and found out that he had not been airlifted (probably good, unless he was dead), but that they had run lights and sirens, probably not good.  She then called me back and said his vitals were good, but he was not responding to anything.  Then over the course of the next few hours I finally heard that he was slowly responding, when a Chinese translator asked him over the phone to nod his head if he could hear.  Then they did a cat-scan to look for brain tumors.  And then finally when that was over, he finally regained consciousness and for hours was crying, scared and would not let go of Mom.  All he really said is he wanted to go home and finally around 11:00pm they let him go home.  

We still don't know what happened.  There were some things that pointed to seizure, but others that make that look highly unlikely.  There were some things that pointed to a concussion, but we don't see any obvious bumps on his head.  I suppose it is possible something just terrorized him so much that he shut down.

This morning he was still obviously not feeling well and even threw up once, but we don't know if that was related to why he passed out or related to the medicines they gave him.  And finally this afternoon he got out of the chair and asked if he could play wii, which was the first sign that he really was starting to feel better.  

For some reason, it is so easy in the relief to forget how bad it could have been.  They found him face down, on the side of the road in a pile of leaves.  There was every chance this story could have ended with a dead brother.  What if he fell and knocked his head too hard.? What if it was freezing?  What if he didn't fall beside the road where people could find him?  What if he fell in the river he apparently played in?  What if a person snatched him up? I'm not trying to bring fear here; I'm trying to point out the miracle that just happened.  I don't know why God took Michelle and saved Jed.  But I do feel like God spared us a tragedy last night.  I believe last night a miracle happened.  I believe through it God is being glorified.  And I will rest in that, very happy that this time God said yes.

The love of the sun

The Dutch love the sun so much that when the sun comes out, even if it is below freezing, they will still sit outside to drink their beer... On the ice.

When?

When will I find a new job?  When will I either make a decent salary OR be doing work that is meaningful?  When will I have a relationship again? When will I have children?  

Those are my questions.  Life is short.  Sometimes it is very short.  What am I wasting my time doing?  Am I even being Mary and spending time sitting and talking to Jesus or am I neither being Martha or Mary?

I am having a fabulous time living and being with the body of Christ.  But are we doing anything other than caring for our own body?

Super Bowl Party

Super Bowl Party. Outside. In a parking lot. In downtown Atlanta. With the homeless. And a chili cook-off. Fun

Christ Alone - by Edens Edge

I went to a concert tonight and heard Edens Edge.  They closed with this beautiful song.  It made me think of Michelle and made the tears run down my face.  Beautiful.

When I fly off this mortal earth
And I’m measured up by depth and girth
The Father says now what’s he worth
May he see Jesus death and birth

Don’t measure me by dollar signs
Or bricks and mortar you may find
By Christ alone will I be found
Worthy of that golden crown
Worthy of that golden crown

The value of this life I’ve lived
How did I love, did I forgive
Where did my treasure truly lay
How did I start and end each day

Don’t measure me by battles won
Or some good deed that I have done
By Christ alone will I be found
Worthy of that golden crown
Worthy of that golden crown

May be a pauper or a king
Have nothing or have everything
The question begs, do you belong
Do you sing a resurrection song

Measured by the master’s hand
On only one truth can we stand
By Christ alone will we be found
Worthy of that golden crown
Worthy of that golden crown

© 2011 Boston Music Inc. (BMI) (Administered by EMI Blackwood Music Inc.). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

The Brother are Home - Stolen from my mom's blog

Rather than find a guest blogger I just steal from my mother's blog :)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012


Thoughts after a week at HOME
Gee, but it's great to be back home......Home is where I wanna be.....I've been on the road so long, my .........uh, okay,sorry, no one wants to hear me sing.........But all that is true. The kids are all doing great and spend most of their time having Alot of fun. Although, we never heard Rosie and Dominic speak a word of Chinese to each other, they both can speak to Simon and Jed. When we brought R and D home, alot of the responsibility to 'show them the ropes' fell on Nellie's shoulders. This week, we have been delighted at the way Rosie has stepped up as the big sister and Chinese interpreter, to help Simon and Jed.

The best news of the week came while the kids were watching the new Superbook cartoon about Daniel. Rosie told me that Simon 'knows Jesus'. I wasn't totally surprised because he had seemed so happy at church, but I was totally surprised that he and Rosie talked about it. (I am beginning to think that quiet little Rosie might be more of a FORCE than I had previously realized - just like Katrina, a Type A anomaly in this otherwise laid back family).

I have completed 29 plane flights since God first sent us to China in 2006. Even the Xanax only took me from 'terrified' to 'nervously keeping an eye on the stewardesses'. If bravery really isn't 'the absence of fear' but rather 'doing what you have to do even though you are afraid', then God must be working on making me brave. But like patience, that isn't really a character quality I had been seeking :/ . I would be okay with never needing to be brave again.

Every time we have done an adoption, and more particularily, every time we have gone to China, we thought it was our last time. This time I am not making any predictions, although I have a lovely sense of being Finished at this moment. During the adoption process, the missing children are never far from your mind and heart. You think you can imagine what it will be like to have them there , but it is never the same as you imagine. Knowing that older children can have a hard time adjusting, there is always a nagging fear that this effort to make life better for two kids might totally ruin the lives of the ones already home. The children at home have each been praying for Simon and Jed every night for over a year. I believe those prayers prepared Nellie, Rosie, Dominic and Andy's hearts to be able to welcome them home with joy rather than jealousy. And at the moment, joy is here in abundance.

Partly because of jet lag, I feel like we haven't had much individual time with any of the kids this week, so it was nice that I had the chance to make a trip to Chapel Hill (a five hour drive) for Andy's doctor apppointments, with just Andy and Jed. We stayed in a hotel and shopped and ate at a few special places, which included Jed's first trip to McDonald's, complete with Happy Meal. Simon still has that in his future. One of Andy's doctors asked Jed in Chinese if he missed China and he, very clearly, told her that he Did Not.
Some time this week we will start school. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe not.