Thursday, February 28, 2013

No.41 In the Kitchen

So you guys have heard us talk about No.41 on here before, we kinda love them.  "Changing the world for one" that's their motto, how can you not love them with that motto?!

Check out their newest shop addition



Super cute right?! I love the colors and the fabric pattern! This would be perfect for a mother daughter baking day? Maybe even you can buy them and bake your cupcakes for The Cupcakes Kids sale this May ;)
Anyway they're just $30! If your one who really plans ahead you can even buy some for say, Christmas gifts next year! (sidenote I'm totally not a planner like that but have friends who have already completed their shopping for Christmas, yes I know, overachievers.) But really, go buy an apron and mitt set, all the cool kids are doing it.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

getting ready: rice and beans

hey guys! i told her a few weeks ago about rice and bean month coming up in march. well, it's almost here. my church held a bean feast to let the congregation know about it. we made up a bunch of beans and lentils recipes and had a nice time.


we've also spent quite alot of time figuring out our 'rules'. the rule for the month is whatever... there are no rules. just whatever you want to do. we want to do mostly rice and beans as a fast and so we'd have alot to give. but we had to come up with some rules to make it easier. so here they are:

  • we are eating beans, rice, lentils, and oats
  • we are not eating meat, dairy (except for the kids' milk), sugar, and processed food
  • i'm buying 4 bottles of wine to last the whole month 
  • we are also permitting the eating of anything in our fridge or pantry, but not stocking up. so that weird venison might just get eaten. and maybe the bizarre canned soups. 
  • we're also letting the kids eat vanilla yogurt, bananas, and apples for snacks.
  • will can eat regular cafeteria food at school and the kids can eat whatever at grandma's and stuff
  • we are calling it on Easter sunday. that'll be the day we go back on regular food. 


 if that sounds really intense to you, let me tell you about what some other people are doing...

  • my mom is eating beans for lunch everyday
  • our best friends are eating rice and beans every sunday after lunch instead of eating out
  • some people are only eating what's in their fridge and pantry as a way of saving money
  • even one meal of rice and beans is a few bucks to donate. a few bucks in africa goes a long way!
  • some people have an 'opt-in jar'. we do. will likes to see things in a tangible way, so when he eats a rice or beans meal we put a dollar in the jar. he's pretty stoked about that. 

remember what it's for: standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in africa, and providing relief! real relief in a real way. the money you donate will go to lahash's feeding programs in east africa. they are even working on starting farms so they always have fresh food. that's amazing and i'm so excited to be a part of it. i'll keep you posted! 




Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Choosing an Agency, a guest post from Jenn Verme


 Hey guys! We're so excited to have Jenn from Pure and Lasting guest posting for us today.  Ethics in adoption is a hot topic right now, as it should be-these are lives we're dealing with and ethics should not be taken lightly.  If you've been hurt by an agency who was not ethically sound we want you to know we're sorry, we're sorry you were deceived.  We feel the need to shed light on these topics because they're important and ultimately could effect adoptions as a whole.  So sit back and get to know Jenn and her heart on the topic! She gives us some great things to look for when choosing your agency. 



Hello Give1Save1!! I am really excited to be guest posting today. My name is Jennifer and I blog over here at Pure & Lasting . My husband Chris and I have been married for 4 years. Very early in our marriage we made the decision to grow our family only through adoption. In May of 2012, we applied to adopt from Ethiopia. If you’ve been around the adoption world for a while you know that things in Ethiopia have changed significantly over the last couple of years. At the time of our application, the estimated wait for our request was 7-9 months. We waited 19 months after our paperwork was in Ethiopia to receive our referral. 
Just four months ago, we came home with our gorgeously sweet and spunky daughter, Maya. It was a long wait, but one I am so grateful for. We want adoptions in Ethiopia to be ethical and safe for children and their birth families. Our personal timeline doesn’t matter. What matters is the process being regulated, with integrity and with the outcome being focused on the children.
When we began our adoption process in 2010, there were many things I thought I knew about adoption. It has been nearly 3 years since we applied to adopt, in that time, my viewpoint of adoption has changed tremendously. I have talked to many adoptive parents, read countless blog posts, joined yahoo groups, visited Ethiopia and Rwanda and soaked in every piece of information that I could get my hands on. My eyes have been opened a bit wider. One thing I know for sure, adoption is complicated. It is brokenness, wealth, poverty, and passion with a huge helping of good intentions. All the while, the precious lives of children hang in the balance.
CHOOSING AN AGENCY
As adoptive parents, we don't know the ins and outs of all the systems, it is why we hire an adoption agency. An adoption agency is our lifeline. We place all of our trust in them, so choosing your agency is the most important decision that any adoptive parent will make. All agencies are not created equal. Choosing an agency is not simply choosing which rental car you want to drive to the desired destination. It is more like choosing a safari guide to show you the way through a dangerous jungle. Your agency is responsible for the way in which your child is found or relinquished. They choose to search (or not to search) for birth parents and extended family. They choose patience and truth or speed and mistakes. Choosing an agency is not a time for compromise or impatience.

Choosing your agency is vitally important to an ethical adoption process. As parents, we are the financially funding behind all adoption agencies. We must refuse to be a part of the problem by financially supporting agencies who do not go above and beyond for the safety of the children. No matter how tempting it may be, we must look at the big picture when you are waiting (and I know waiting!). Unethical dealings breed more and more danger to the children. Our priority must be ethics, not quick referrals. The US and Ethiopian government have been increasing the requirements, refining the process, closing down orphanages and entire regions of Ethiopia to adoption. Proving orphan status and processing cases with Ethiopian government and the US Embassy are difficult, as they should be. Don’t know where to start? Here are some questions to ask before choosing an agency.

QUESTIONS TO ASK AGENCY
1. Is the agency licensed in Ethiopia? If not, why not? Were they denied? There are checks and balances and being licensed is one of those. An agency that puts ethics first, will go through the effort of being licensed. For a list of agencies who are licensed in Ethiopia, scroll to the bottom of this page (note:This list isn't completely up to date. Research the agency to confirm that their registration is current.)
2. Does the non-licensed agency partner with an agency that is licensed? If so, research the parent/”umbrella” agency as well. The power lies on the adoption agency that has the license. But again, you would want to be working with an agency that IS licensed.
3. Too good to be true. There is a long wait time at 95% of the agencies and all of the sudden you find one ready to match you with a child today? Why is that? If something sounds too good to be true, it almost always is. Fast referrals means cutting corners on paperwork or referring children before they have done an investigation. This almost means that families will lose referrals and have an extended and stressful process after referral. Research, ask, evaluate and be willing to stop when red flags appear.
4. Is the agency willing to bend rules, give referrals that other agencies would not give, make exceptions? Although it may seem great that they will overlook an age requirement or refer two, young, unrelated infants, other agencies are not doing those things for good reason. Make sure that in your requests for special treatment the agency is still looking out for the best interest of the child(ren) first and foremost, respecting the birth family and following the guidelines of the sending country.
5. Does the agency give quick referrals? As in, the child has not been in the agency's custody long enough for them to have fully research the situation, the birth family and all domestic options for the child. Are they looking for babies for their waiting families or are they finding families for children who truly need them? It takes months to do a proper investigation of a child's situation, especially if that child was abandoned. The Ethiopian government requires that a child be a resident in an orphanage for three months before being available for adoption. If an agency is regularly giving quick referrals of young, “abandoned” infants, that is a red flag.
6. Are they HAGUE accredited? If not, is it because they were rejected? If so, what are the reasons they were rejected for accreditation?

Doing a proper investigation is a time-consuming process. Some children are relinquished, while others are abandoned. The agency has to research the situation. They need to know how this child came into the custody of an orphanage and if the person who brought the child there had the legal right to do that. This makes the wait to be matched with a child longer. But it is all necessary. We were happy to wait, knowing that everything possible has been done to protect each child and ensure an ethical adoption. One day, we will be looking onto Maya’s eyes and telling her the story of how she came to be in our family. We want to be able to do that with a clear conscience, knowing that we did everything to cherish her past and her future.




Monday, February 25, 2013

New Week, New Family

Happy Monday!
Did you guys have a great weekend? We're a bit spoiled (ok really spoiled) over here on the west coast, our weekend was warm, sunny and clear. I feel the spring itch for sure! Ok, so you guys rocked last week with our family of the week and I can't wait to introduce to this weeks family, The Mauls! (they have to keep their blog private due to agency recommendation, so show them lots of love here :) )





The Mauls are our neighbors in the great north, Canada! They're hoping to bring home 2 children from the Congo! Their agency requires that they submit their referral payment when they submit their dossier, and they're working on that amount as we speak :) So lets rain some blessings down on them so they can bring their children home!







ps:
Another somthing fun, this week's family is an affilicate of teh She Does Justice Site!
Which means if you make a purchase through the link below, they'll get money for their adoption!


SDJ250square

Friday, February 22, 2013

Compassion: Water For Life

All it takes is $79.00.  Not $79.00 a month or a week- just a flat $79.00 to provide safe drinking water for a lifetime for a child and their family.  I think many of us could say that we spend more on our monthly groceries right?

Compassion International has a Water for Life Campaign, check it out!


"Your donation of $79 provides:
  • Compassion Water of Life system – safe water for life (over 1 million gallons) for a child and their family in developing countries. 
  • Education on improving hygiene and sanitation
  • Support for improving community water and sanitation sources where needed.
Each tax-deductible gift of $79 provides a child and family with a complete safe water system including two buckets, a filter, hose, international delivery, and training on how to maintain the system so it provides a lifetime of safe water"

Give water, give life. 



Thursday, February 21, 2013

Adopting Nations

So I found this super cute Etsy site the other day, Adopting Nations.  This Congo-mama makes pillow cases, totes, blankets and other things as a way to fundraise for their adoption of 2 little ones from the Congo.  The stuff is SO cute, I promise it'll be hard to pick what you want!


Love this blanket, I may need to get this for my little man



And the design on these pillow cases? I may need these too..



I'm really into chevron prints right now, cute bag!
So, if you need any blankets, pillow cases, bags or other fun stuff-check out this Etsy shop! Super cute and doubles as helping bring some children home with their families. 


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Adoption Soundtracks

Do you have those songs that you feel like just "speak to you?" You know, back in high school maybe it was N'Sync (don't laugh) I totally felt like those songs spoke to me (you probably did too I'm just willing to admit it ;) ) 

Since we started our adoption (actually "adoptions" now, we're adopting two at the same time! eek!) I totally hear song on Pandora and this is what happens (in order) 1. I start crying because I feel like that's totally "my life right now" 2. I then proceed to head to iTunes to buy said song to play it over and over and over again. 

I think we all have those kinds of songs, songs for different season's of our life and right now many of us are in the adoption stage and depending on what part of the process we're in, different songs might strike a string in our heart.  For me currently, this is the song that is on repeat.  all. the. time. 




I think because our new adoption is such a God sized story, and it took a lot of faith for us to say yes, so whenever I feel nervous I just remember who went before me and who's behind me. 


What's your song on repeat? 






Tuesday, February 19, 2013

STUCK

"A right to a family is a basic human right."


Have you guys heard about STUCK that will be touring the US soon? It's a story that follows both families and their children as they navigate the sometimes sticky journey of international adoption.

"The film follows Tihun from Ethiopia, Nate from Vietnam, and Erickson and Therline from Haiti on their individual voyages from orphanages in their native countries to their homes with families in the United States. "

Check out their site to see if it's coming to a city near you! Or sign up to volunteer! I signed up to be an audience recrutier so basically, I get to get a ton of people to commit to coming to a showing :) See where you can be used and help be a voice for the families and children everywhere who are STUCK. 




Monday, February 18, 2013

New Week, New Family!

Hey guys!
I have such an awesome story to share with you this week.  First meet our family, the Whitvers.  Watch their story and then I'll share with you some crazy stuff that has happened since they submitted the video...



Ok, so when they made their video, they were waiting for the last piece for paperwork to come  for their little girl to be able to travel to pick her up (and they're still waiting for that) BUT- since then let me just tell you what God did in their hearts,  They were made aware of an older boy at the same orphanage as their daughter, he's 6 years old and when they heard that no one had inquired about him, they prayed and then they inquired about him and then...God told them YES! So now, they're bringing home two children! A little 2 year old girl and a 6 year old boy from the DRC! This literally happened like within a week, so it's no coincidence that their week on Give1 is this one...

So, with all that being said, we need to help this family to bring their TWO children home! 

This week maybe we can give $2 to save 2, what do ya think?!



Also, the Whitvers are doing two giveaways for their week! They will be giving away two origami owl lockets! Mom (Christy) will do a drawing for every person who donates during their Give 1 Save 1 Campaign and then 1 for everyone who "shares" our Give 1 Save 1 on their face book statuses. Super fun right? Here's a link to the Origami Owl site so you can dream about what you'd choose if you won ;)

You guys know the drill, it's time to give and share! Lets bless this sweet family! 




 





Friday, February 15, 2013

soleRebels

Have you guys heard of soleRebels? The founder of this company, Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu was featured on Forbes 2012 Women to Watch list for the World's Most Powerful Women article, which is where I first discovered them. Founded in 2004, the intention was to bring jobs to her community. The shoes are all made from local and many recycled products, including organic textiles and car tires. Bethlehem says, "We selected shoes because we saw that footwear was an excellent platform to begin to share many of the indigenous eco-sensible craft heritages and artisan talents that we have here in Ethiopia with the world." Isn't that what fair trade is all about, people? Providing a better life for communities by utilizing local products and harnessing local talent to be marketed to the masses.

Although I haven't owned a pair (yet), I'm loving some of these.

tooTOO turQQed

tooTOO elite purple

RIFF eternal leather
My husband even found a few pairs in the lace up section that he liked. That is saying something, because this guy is picky about his shoes.


Thursday, February 14, 2013

They're Ba-aack

So, we've heard your cries, and we've come to deliever. Well sort of. We're delievering in pre-order form. That's right, it's time to get some new Give1Save1 Africa shirts! So, if you'd like to get a shirt please follow this link to head over to our store (or click on the button on the side that says 'Get Your Shirt!') Pick your size and boom, soon your order will be on it's way.  This week we're doing pre-orders, so the more shirts we can preorder-the faster you can get yours! And I was thinking, with Valentines Day being today, ask your hubby to get you this shirt! It's even in the shape of a heart, perfect for Valentines.








and ps, would you carry a Give1Save1 tote because maybe will get some...be honest...


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Expanding again!

Give1Save1 Europe is LIVE! 



So why don't you go on over and check out their awesome site and leave some Give1 love, because I know you are all SO excited that we're expanding once again! How many Europe families do we have out there who are super stoked right now?!




Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Sevenly

Pretty sure we've mentioned Sevenly on here before (maybe, maybe not) but today-we are! Have you heard of Sevenly? It's an awesome organization where they feature different causes each week, and each week there are T-shirts designed for that cause that you get to buy, and a portion of the  proceeds of that sale go towards that cause. That was a run on sentence I think-but I had to explain it ;) 

So this week, there cause is child sex trafficking.  This is a big deal, so much of a big deal that people sometimes don't want to talk about it because it makes us sick- and it should make us sick, we should be so sick that we want to DO something about it. And we can do something! By supporting organizations like Freedom Firm and International Justice Mission we are doing something to be the change! I'm not saying go fly to India and break into a brothel (that might not be very safe for you) but you can support people who are trained to do that, and this week over at Sevenly you can buy a shirt and help fund a brothel raid. Awesome? I think most definitely. Plus, when people ask about your shirt, you get to be a voice for the voiceless. So, go buy your shirt and be a voice for the voiceless. 







Monday, February 11, 2013

New Week, New Family! The Pruitts!

Hey all!
Happy Monday! I have a super sweet family to introduce you to today, the Puitts! They don't have a blog so you'll have to show them lots of love on here :) I'll warn you-grab a box of kleenex!




Ok are you crying now? Here's a little note from mom about their son:


"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18. This has been our families heartbeat and when we were contacted about a baby boy in Uganda who was sick, we knew he would be our son. This sweet boy was left at the hospital when he was about a month old. He got an infection on his head and it required multiple surgeries to cut out the dead skin.. He now has a large open wound on his head but it is healing well. He will most likely be getting a skin graft while in Uganda and will need some follow up surgeries/treatment when he gets home. We are currently working on getting all the paperwork done so that we can get a court date as soon as possible. The ladies taking care of Him have been completely amazing. There are truly no words to describe how thankful we are for them. God has been so faithful to our little boy. We cannot wait to get to him and squeeze his little cheeks :)... Thank you for praying and supporting our family in any way you can.



This little guy is in a unique situation and he needs to get home soon so he can get the care he needs to thrive! I know you all can help BIG with that right? 



So as usual, lets rain down some blessings on this family and get Titus home! 









Saturday, February 9, 2013

Adoption Art

Hey guys,
Check this out, this shop on Etsy sells not only customizable "Gotcha Day" art but also customizable adopting prints as well.  I love seeing posts and pictures of families celebrating specific dates in their child's adoption (referral, meetcha day, gotcha day) this is a great way to get those dates on paper and shown in your home! What a great conversation starter :)


She has lots of prints and designs to choose from, make sure you check out her shop!



Thursday, February 7, 2013

God's Will for you wait...

So, the awesome thing about this blog is that we're all at different parts in our journeys.  Some of you are brand spanking new to adoption, some of you are drowning in paperwork and have band aids all over your fingers due to paper cuts, some of you are waiting anxiously for a referral, some have seen your child's face and are longing for the day you'll be together, some have just got home and are completely overwhelmed with new life with you new littles, and some are settling into a nice routine where life feels "normal" again when you don't have to tell your social worker every since thing you're doing, and you don't have to make copies, fax, notarize.  Wherever you're at, I think this article from The Gospel Coalition can speak to you, it's super long, but read it-you'll be happy you did...

God's Will For Your Wait 
(insert from me, this can be whatever you feel like you're "waiting" for)


Waiting can be discouraging and hard. So what does it look like to wait in a way that makes you a participant in what God is doing rather than someone who struggles against the wait? Let me suggest several things.

Remind Yourself You Are Not Alone

As you wait, tell yourself again and again that you have not been singled out. Remind yourself that you are part of a vast company of people who are being called to wait. Reflect on the biblical story. Abraham waited many years for his promised son. Israel waited 420 years for deliverance from Egypt, then another 40 years before they could enter the land God had promised them. God's people waited generation after generation for the Messiah, and the church now waits for his return. The whole world groans as it waits for the final renewal of all things that God has promised. In ministry, it is vital to understand that waiting is not an interruption of God's plan. It is his plan. And you can know this as well: the Lord who has called you to wait is with you in your wait. He hasn't gone off to do something else, like the doctor you're waiting to see. No, God is near, and he provides for you all that you need to be able to wait.

Realize That Waiting Is Active

Usually our view of waiting is the doctor's office. We see it as a meaningless waste of time, like a man stuck in the reception area until he has nothing left to do but scan recipes in a two-year-old copy of Ladies' Home Journal.
Our waiting on God must not be understood this way. The sort of waiting to which we are called is not inactivity. It is very positive, purposeful, and spiritual. To be called to wait is to be called to the activity of remembering: remembering who I am and who God is. To be called to wait is to be called to the activity of worship: worshiping God for his presence, wisdom, power, love, and grace. To be called to wait is to be called to the activity of serving: looking for ways to lovingly assist and encourage others who are also being called to wait. To be called to wait is to be called to the activity of praying: confessing the struggles of my heart and seeking the grace of the God who has called me to wait. We must rethink waiting and remind ourselves that waiting is itself a call to action.

Celebrate How Little Control You Have

Because the constant striving in ministry to be a little god over some corner of creation is draining and futile, waiting should actually be a relief. It's a reminder that I don't have as much power and control as I thought I had. When I am required to wait I realize again that I do not have to load my church onto my shoulders. I may have God-given responsibilities in a number of areas, but that is vastly different from pretending I have sovereignty in any area.
The church is being carried on the capable shoulders of the Savior Shepherd, King of kings. All I am responsible for is the job description of character and behavior that this King has called me to in his Word. The remainder I am free to entrust to him, and for that I am very, very thankful! He really does have the whole world in his hands.

Celebrate God's Commitment to His Work of Grace

As you are waiting, reflect on how deeply broken the world that you live in actually is. Reflect on how pervasive your own struggle with sin really is. Then celebrate the fact that God is committed to the countless ways, large and small, in which his grace is at work to accomplish his purposes in you and in those to whom you minister.
When it comes to the ongoing work of grace, he is a dissatisfied Redeemer. He will not forsake the work of his hands until all has been fully restored. He will exercise his power in whatever way is necessary so that we can finally be fully redeemed from this broken world and delivered from the sin that has held us fast. Celebrate the fact that God will not forsake that process of grace in your life and ministry in order to deliver to you the momentary comfort, pleasure, and ease that you would rather have in your time of exhaustion, discouragement, and weakness. He simply loves you too much to exchange temporary gratification for eternal glory!

Let Your Waiting Strengthen Your Faith

As I think about waiting, I often remember what is said of Abraham in Romans 4:18-21. The passage tells us that as he waited, Abraham was strengthened in his faith. That's not what we would expect, is it? We tend to think that, having been given a promise from God, a person might well begin to wait with vibrant faith. But as the wait drags on it seems like that faith would gradually weaken. So why did Abraham's faith on the whole grow stronger and stronger? Because of what he did as he waited. During his wait, Abraham became a student of the character and power of God, and the more he saw God for who he is, the stronger his faith became. He meditated on the glory of God, not on the difficulty of his situation.
There are three ways in which, like Abraham, you can let your waiting strengthen your faith. You can recognize that waiting is an opportunity to know God better through spending time in his Word, thus developing a deeper sense of his character, wisdom, power, and plan. Second, you can recognize that waiting is an opportunity to know yourself better. As you wait, and as your heart is revealed, you have the precious opportunity to become a student of your own heart. What sins, weaknesses, and struggles has God revealed during the wait? Where has waiting exposed the lies and false gods that make waiting difficult? And third, you can recognize that waiting is an opportunity to know others better, as their hearts are similarly revealed. This can offer you precious opportunities for even more effective ministry to those in your care.
Determine to grow stronger, more effective, and more full of faith as you wait. It is, after all, a key part of God's intention.

Count Your Blessings

Vital to productive waiting is a commitment to resist the grumbling and complaining that often kidnap us all. To fight this tendency, learn to number your blessings as you wait.
I once heard a missionary leader tell a story of how he was dreading an extremely long road trip. Then the thought came to him that this time of being imprisoned behind the wheel of his car was in fact an opportunity. He decided that as he drove he would thank God for every little detail of blessing and grace he could recall, beginning with his earliest memory. As he drove hour after hour, he recounted to God year after year and decade after decade of blessing upon blessing. By the end of his journey, he still had not come up to the present day. As a result, rather than ending his trip exhausted and bored, he ended it excited and changed. He saw his life through new eyes, with the presence and provision of God in his life taking on a clarity and comprehensiveness he had never before glimpsed.
By contrast, waiting often becomes for us an exercise in reminding ourselves of what we don't have. How much better, how much more fruitful, how much more joyful, to take waiting as an opportunity to recount the many, many good things in our lives that we have been given---things we could have never earned, achieved, or deserved.

Long for Eternity

There is one other thing waiting is meant to do: God intends that waiting would make me long for home. When I consider this, I am often reminded of camping. I suspect the whole purpose of camping is to make you thankful for home. When you camp, everything is more difficult than it would be at home. In the beginning, that can be fun. But three or four days in, you begin to get tired of having to make a fire, having to hunt for drinkable water, and having to fish for supper. You quietly (or not so quietly) begin to long for home.
Waiting is meant to remind you that you live "between the already and the not yet." Yes, there are many, many things for which to be thankful in this life, but this place is not your final home. You are in a temporary dwelling in a temporary location. In the life and ministry you experience here, there is one aspect or another that can remind you this is not home. The hardships of your present life and ministry speak clearly: this is not the final destination. Waiting is meant to produce in you a God-honoring dissatisfaction with the status quo. Waiting is meant to make you hungry, to produce in you a longing. For what? To be home---home with your Lord forever, home where sin is no more, home in a world that has been made completely new. As you wait, keep telling yourself, This is not my final destination.
Right now, right here, in your personal life or ministry, there is some way, perhaps many ways, in which God is calling you to wait. How well are you waiting? Has your waiting produced in you a faith that is stronger? Or weaker? Has the manner of your waiting drawn you closer to God? Or further away? Has your approach to waiting helped remind you of all the blessings you have been showered with? Or has it tempted you to continually rehearse your list of unmet wants? Has your waiting served to teach you truths about yourself? Or has it only made you more blind about yourself and angry about your circumstances? Has the way you wait enabled you to reach out and minister to others better, or has it simply drawn you deeper into the claustrophobic drama of your own waiting?
In each case, it's your choice. Take hold of the grace that God makes available. All of these outcomes are contingent on whether you choose God or self, fruitfulness or futility, his powerful grace or your own feeble will. Always remember that God is never separate from your wait. He is the Lord of waiting. He is the liberal giver of grace for the wait. Because your wait is not outside of his plan, but a vital and necessary part of it, he is with you in your wait. And remember God is not so much after the success of your ministry, he's after you. So as you wait, tell yourself again and again: Waiting is not just about what I get at the end of the wait, but about who I become as I wait.

Praying with you for whatever you're "waiting" on 




Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Rice and Beans


What's up, everybody?!! I'm so excited to tell you about rice and beans!!! It doesn't sound that fun, but I'm actually kind of stoked about it!



So have you heard of Lahash? They have several sponsorship headquarters in East Africa in Tanzania and Uganda where local kids are fed, educated, discipled and all around taken care of. They launched a brilliant project a few years ago called Rice and Beans Month. During the month of March you eat rice and beans instead of fill-in-the-blank and then donate the money you would have spent to Lahash's feeding program. Some people may choose their eating out money or some go all the way. I'm going the whole she-bang. Wine money too. I'll be eating beans and lentils and rice or another grain along with some veggies. Doing it this way is meant to be an act of solidarity in eating what they typically eat for most meals in Africa (and most of the world, for that matter).

I've been watching Rice and Beans videos all day getting amped up, but this one is actually one of my faves. This chick gets to the heart of why I want to do it. Having food as an idol is an issue for me, and I think it will be refreshing to recallobrate to a more basic way to eat. Also excess is a vice of mine. I'm eager to break free of some of my own issues, but even more enthused to tangibly stand with our brothers and sisters in Africa and help. I am actually really excited about celebrating the Lenten season this way.

If you're interested, head over to eatriceandbeans.com and learn more. There is a devotional available for purchase on Amazon for $5. I got that one to help out. And get this... the whole time we are fasting here in America on their behalf, they will be praying for us while we endure the month. I'm just pumped about the opportunities for growth. I'll be blogging about the month here once a week starting in March so you can follow along, but I'd love to have some buddies doing it too. Think about it!