Will You Make Room?

I love Christmas trees.    Lights.    Decorations.   Snow.   Decorated sugar cookies.   Christmas music.    Santa.   Ornaments.   Decorated sugar cookies.    Snowmen.   Christmas movies.  Elf.  A Christmas Carol.    How the Grench Stole Christmas.   Decorated sugar cookies.

Sugar cookies are my favorite. 

I love the moment when all of my children are finally home, and we're getting ready to decorate sugar cookies.

 I love the smell of turkey smoking and dressing baking. I love the joy and laughter. I love knowing my children love our traditions. I do so believe traditions keep families strong! And, baking Christmas cookies is a yearly all day long event which each of my children look forward to. My adult sons try to pretend they don't, but they both ask me each year, "What day is cookie baking day?"

So....every year at Christmas, I struggle to keep Christ the center of Christmas. We mention Jesus often, but is it as often as cookies? or movies? or lights? Zeke was once the happiest wise men since the original wise men travelled to Bethlehem. His first every Christmas!

We read the birth story and prophecies of his birth in the Old Testament, but do we spend more time watching our favorite Christmas movies. (While eating Christmas sugar cookies, of course.)

I found a devotion plan on my YouVersion App. It's called "Make Room" and written by Matt Maher of Casting Crowns. It has been both convicting and encouraging. He reflects on the innkeeper with no room for the baby, but do we make room for him in our hearts? Do we truly reflect on Jesus, the WORD,  who became flesh, who chose to suffer that we might have life?

Then, yesterday my sweet Ellie sang such a beautiful song, making precious music that told of the one who made her fearfully and wonderfully.  Lynn Gaskins, your comment on that post touched my heart right where it needed to be as I reflect on Christmas. I am taking the liberty of including it here:

"THis beautiful rendition by sweet Ellie reached deep into my heart--and I knew in my spirit that this-this precious girl and her message was the reason Jesus came. Jesus came to make a way and a path for Ellie; He came for us all-- broken and battered, guilty and shamed, despairing and desperate, or just hopeless and lost....it is a merry Christmas."

"Is there room in your heart for God to write His story?"-Matt Maher

https://youtu.be/pVEJFATwkao

Praise and Prayers

Would you pray for my prince?

(He really hates it when I call him Prince Charming, but I'm going to take that privilege today.)

     There are many of you who know, and a few who do not know, that Scott and I have only been married 2 1/2 years. The theme of our wedding was "Beauty From Ashes". Divorce injures a person deep within, and we joined our lives as broken people who God was healing. Through days, months, and years of pain and doubt, attacks from the enemy, and soul-searching loneliness, we held onto our faith knowing that God is good. I chose to share this picture because it is such a sweet reminder that God sent Scott to help me find my smile again.

     "To all who mourn in Zion, he will give a crown of of beauty for ashes,

a joyous blessing instead of mourning, 

festive praise instead of despair. 

In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted 

for his own glory." 

    Following injury, an athlete needs time to recover before returning to the game. Scott and I had both stepped away from church "work" and sat in the presence of the LORD through our healing. We faithfully attended worship and Bible study. We volunteered for service when needed, but even after we married, we didn't believe we were yet ready to minister to others.

  This past year, though, God has brought  much healing and opened so many doors of service that I am overwhelmed. We are honored that He would use us, in spite of us, not because of us. Because of HIM, for his glory, He will use the weakest to confound the wise.

   So today, for His glory, Scott is getting ready to board a plane. He will join a team of members of Bridge Community Church as they head to the Dominican Republic to minister to the boys of Boca Chica. God gave the call, Scott obeyed, and The LORD provided the support needed....

Scott will minister with Holt's House of Hope.

Our pastor has blessed us both more than He will ever know. He has been part of our healing process, part of encouraging us to minister again, and a faithful servant. I am excited to say that Chris is part of the team, as well as other mighty men of the LORD. Scott will be further blessed as they build relationships with the boys and each other.

    Will you join me in prayer the next several days. Ask the Holy Spirit to prompt you to remember to pray for the team, to pray for Scott.

   Bind together with me as I ask the Father to renew his spirit, that the bones that were broken will rejoice again, that he will hear joy and gladness. I pray the LORD will open his mouth, and he will share praise. As He serves others, May He see glimpses of the glory of God, the face of Jesus in the face of each child. May his eyes be open, and his heart be softened.

   And, my friends, if you are struggling, know this for I know.......

I love you, Scott!

What if we.......

A question on social media prompted quite a discussion. Several of the replies have continued to burden my heart. When questioned about the story they share with their adopted children, these mothers' replies were troubling.

"I'm not religious, so I don't believe God did anything. God didn't cause the pain for my child's birth family, and anyone who believes that God would cause pain like that is delusional."

"I do not for one second believe that God would cause my childrens' birth mothers' pain, loss, and heartache to make me, or anyone else a mother."

"God doesn't use and discard the life and emotions of a birth mother to bring adoptive parents babies!"

"If God in His sovereignty designs for a specific child to be adopted by a specific person, does He is his sovereignty design for some orphans to remain orphans and have terrible things happen to them?"

I absolutely believe my children were God's gift to our family, whether adopted from China....

or brought into the family by marriage....

or by birth

When we talk about adoption with our treasures from China, we often talk of Moses. His mother was unable to keep him, but God kept him safe until his new mother could find him because He had BIG plans for Moses. And I tell them, "Just like Moses, God has big plans for you. We will never know why your mother couldn't keep you, but we do know God kept you safe until this mother could find you. And, I'm so honored that God is allowing me to see all He has planned for you."

How do we, then, reconcile our joy with the pain of birth mothers who feel they cannot care for their children? or the pain of the orphans left behind?

I would certainly agree the pain they endure is unimaginable. We live in a fallen world, and while we suffer the consequences of our own sins, so many others suffer from bad choices not of their choosing. Some were given no choice, born with physical defects that we, in our limited understanding, consider tragic.

And, we who are Christians know that God works all things for our good. We know that God had a perfect plan that did not involve an imperfect world. We know that sin came into the world through man.

But, how do we convey that message to those who are lost?

What if we were.....

Light?

I wonder if the mothers above have seen the LIGHT shining in our lives. If the body of Christ were living as He commanded, would they see it?

Where is the CHURCH when birth mothers are hurting? Are we there in loving support for unwed pregnancies? Are we there with support for families who give birth to children with disabilities? Do we lovingly accept those children who are different? Do we teach our children to reach out to those who might be outcasts in our schools?

What if we were THAT LIGHT?

If more Christians responded to His call In James 4:27 to care for the orphans, would there be any orphans left behind? Statistics suggest that if only 7% of Christians adopted, all orphans would have families. There are an estimated 2.2 billion Christians in the world, and an estimated 143,000,000 orphans. I did the math and confirmed those statistics.  If 7 out of every 100 Christians responded, just 7!

Why don't we?

Why aren't we THAT LIGHT?

Is it that we don't take James 4:27 seriously? Do we truly desire to please Him above all others? Is He our first love? Or, is our comfort our first love? I've heard many excuses: I can't adopt because I don't have the time, money, room in my house, etc. If we adopt, I'm afraid I won't be able to give my "own" children the things they need, like a college education, a car, an iPhone. Is the "perfect" life for your children, the American dream, more important to us than love for children who have no one?

Why aren't we THAT LIGHT?

Some have said, "I'm afraid I wouldn't love an adopted child the same way I love my biological children." 

What?? Really?? Have we forgotten that our Heavenly Father adopted us? Isn't love a fruit of the Spirit? If we abide in Him, and He in us, will HE not love through us?

What if we WERE that LIGHT?

Will You Pray?

The package arrived today, and I was excited. I opened it and took out the pieces, remembering when I ordered each one. Then I picked up my favorite.

It. was. beautiful.

Too eager to wait on my gifted photographer husband to take a professional image, I set up a few things to take a simple photo with my phone. It gave me time to touch each strand, each bead, and run my fingers along the wire carefully wrapped around the brass bars.

Then I tried to see her face. 

Whose face?

Jobina. 

I don't know her personally, but I can picture her. She lives in India, so she has dark hair, dark skin, and deep brown eyes. She is fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator who calls her beautiful. Her eyes have seen horrors I canNOT imagine. Her body has been subjected to cruelties we wouldn't want mentioned. 

And then I began to pray. I asked the LORD to heal the scars left behind from the time she was a victim of the sex/slave industry. I asked him to restore the years the locusts have eaten and renew her spirit. I prayed that she knows the love of JESUS.

Since opening Josiah's Blessings, it has been our desire to encourage others and bring glory to the Father, to focus on ministry more than business. I have prayed many times for the ministries our business supports, but it felt so much more personal today. 

There are several products in our store that have signatures on the tags. I plan to begin praying specifically for individuals asking the Father to break my heart with the things that break his.

So, today, will you join me? Will you, too, pray for Jobina? Will you share the work of organizations like Eden Ministries, Rahab's Rope, Purpose Jewelry, and the International Justice Mission? Will you ask the LORD how you can become more involved in the fight against modern day slavery?

The necklace above is from Purpose Jewelry .The proceeds form the sale of Purpose Jewelry go to iSanctuary, providing care and employment for survivors of trafficking and sex slavery. You can purchase it and many more items that can impact the world at Josiah's Blessings in Blackshear, GA.

Like the Dawn

Being married to a photographer has its benefits and challenges. When Scott said, "Let's get up early in the morning and drive to Jekyll Island to photograph the sunset," I might have been tempted to think of it as a challenge. Getting up at 4:45 in the morning is NOT my favorite idea of time well spent.

But.....going to the beach, witnessing God's glory, that is my idea of time well spent.

And, God's glory did NOT disappoint.

While Weather.com reported that sunrise was at 6:40, we arrived around 6:10 to allow Scott time to find the perfect location and set up. I was surprised to find so much light already penetrating the darkness of the night. With a full half hour until the sun first peeked over the horizon, we could see our path clearly as we walked out onto the beach. And, then.....

I saw the rays.

I snapped a picture with my phone and then I stopped. Overwhelmed. I couldn't see the sun, but I knew it was coming. It was only a glimpse of His glory, but it held such promise.

As I pondered the promise, I thought of Josiah's Blessings. Following the LORD's direction, I have begun to see the work God wants to do. Many times, I am overwhelmed as God reveals Himself through customers, or conversations, or material blessings. Still, there are moments of discouragement, when I lose sight of His calling, when I wonder how a teacher of 30 years will ever be able to effectively manage a business. But Saturday morning, I saw that one small glimpse of His glory, and I was reminded of His promise.

Isaiah 58:8 New International Version

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

 

From The Divinely Guarded Life, I read, "The firmer his faith in God, the farther a man sees." I pray to see with spiritual eyes, like the prophet Isaiah. I will hold firm to the LORD, knowing his light has just begun to break forth! I am trusting that His glory will guide my steps, as His glory in the pillar of fire guided the Israelites. And, I will continue to walk in peace, knowing His glory will continue to protect me, as the cloud protected the Israelites from approaching enemies.

Friends, if you have been struggling. Look to the dawn! The LORD has a breakthrough waiting for you.

Where there is no vision...

Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18)

A friend said to me recently, "Robbie, you have never lacked for vision." That was her response to our conversation about Josiah's Blessings. I was sharing with her my vision for the future of the store, my dream for the impact we can have on families here in America and around the world.

I thought again of what she said today, "Robbie, you have never lacked for vision."

What struck me this afternoon, though, is that I had lost my vision. The divorce was H.A.R.D.  When  we were in the process of adopting the boys, and I saw my family falling apart, I began to lose my vision.

When the LORD spoke His will LOUDLY through an anonymous $25,000 gift to complete the boys' adoption, I felt His promise that my family would be healed. Then, after the boys came home and my marriage fell apart, I didn't know what to think. I held onto His promises, knowing that my Redeemer is faithful and true, that He will never forsake His children, but my vision was clouded.

I walked through the day to day parenting of my children, so thankful for my blessings. I was broken, though. I was tired. I was injured. The LORD was healing my heart, drawing me to Him. And, during that time I was forced to slow down and let Him minister to me, forced to allow others to minister to me. My vision was very near-sighted. I could only see what the LORD was doing daily.

But, God! He is so faithful to His promise to give beauty for ashes and gladness for mourning. The LORD has indeed healed my heart and healed our family in a way I never could have imagined. I sit here this rainy afternoon in Connecticut, visiting my son Caleb and his wife Casie. In the room next to me is my new husband and my four youngest children. Our family is complete with a husband and a step-dad who loves the LORD first, loves and cherishes me, and loves my children.

My vision for the future has been restored by the God of Restoration.

But what about others around the world, those in poverty, those who hunger,  those who are held captive against their will. What about the young girls forced into the sex industry or others who are enslaved?

I listened to one young girl tell of her life in a brothel in Asia. She had no hope for the future. She surely had no vision. I read of a woman whose sister had died, living behind a newborn daughter. Though her family had barely enough to eat, she took the baby home with her. I wonder what her vision for the future would be. And, what of the young woman whose husband left her, who was living under a bridge, who was so desperate she asked the American lady to help her find an orphanage for her youngest two children?

It might seem hopeless.

But God!

I believe God is inviting us to join Him in the work He wants to do in the lives of those who have no vision. I know that His son died that we might have life and life abundantly. I do not believe there is no hope!

We have the opportunity to help break the cycle of poverty, to enable and empower moms and dads to support their families with dignity.

Your purchases at Josiah's Blessings will offer an income with dignity to those in poverty in Haiti and those rescued from the sex industry in Asia. Other purchases will invest in communities in India promoting self-sufficiency rather than dependency. Still others will enable single moms in Kenya to support their children with disabilities.

Won't you join us?

Be a part of the restoring vision to those who have lost hope.

Ribbon Cutting: April 21, 4:00PM
Grand Opening: Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23

Blessings I Never Imagined

Learning about the organizations and businesses that make the products we will be selling overwhelms me with emotion at times. There is so much in my own world that I take for granted. I was incredibly touched by this blog post about the children whose parents work for JOYN, the company that makes the bags and wallets I recently purchased.

Read and be blessed! Know that you are blessed! Know that our purchases can bless others in ways we never imagined.

Little Bundles of JOYN!

At JOYN, we are in the business of fashioning better lives. We believe that our engagement with our workforce is not limited to professional excellence only. Our wonderful artisans are people who have been through immense and often unimaginable struggles. They have lived on the margins all their lives. Now that they are at JOYN with some semblance of stability, they want a different life for their children. They want for their kids what they wish they had for themselves.

The Little JOYNers

Our afternoons are filled with happy sounds of these little JOYNers. Two of our mothers, Mamta and Karma pack out all your orders for shipping. Mamta’s son Kanak is a few months short of one year and has taken to crawling all around the office. Karma’s son Sonam is now studying in a good school here and insists on finishing his homework as soon as he returns from school. Sonam’s father Nyima is a block printer here. His work table is right next to Bobby’s who is the proud Dad of our little Krishna. Krishna has a hearing impairment. He is now going to a really good school for the hearing impaired and is doing really well there. Our little Tencho is about the same age as Sonam. Her parents both work here: her dad Dorjee is a block printer and her mom Jhangchup is handing over her erstwhile duties as the office cook to transition into sewing bags. She is a tough little girl and has the most incredible smile.

Our kids have seen glimpses of hardships that their parents underwent. Little Sonam was separated from his parents for 2 years when they crossed over the border into India from Tibet, in the hope of finding an opportunity for a better life. Our sweet Krishna was abandoned by his mother because he is deaf and mute, and was raised single-handedly by a father who himself was struggling with alcohol addiction. Also, it is culturally acceptable for adults to hit children to discipline them, and that hard.

Incentives at Work

Back when I studied business management, there were several modules dedicated to employee performance and morale. But it was always about work: a good work environment, ensuring work-life balance, good incentives, close monitoring and supervision and a million such things. None of them were ever about personal struggles. None of them were about difficult family situations or illnesses or anything outside of the office premises. I look at the parents of these kids here and I know instantly that there is no better work environment and no greater incentive for them than a place where their children are safe and happy.

The things is, when we stepped outside the boundaries of what we know, we were able to find these beautiful little paths and ways that lead us to wonderful things. We stepped out of the definition of what businesses stand for. We work together, we live around each other and we built a family that is working together. We share what we get: both the successes and mistakes and we thrive in this loving environment.

Our Hope for our Kids

We cannot wait to see what they will grow up to be. We watch, happily how Sonam and Krishna have learnt to communicate with each other, even though Sonam speaks very little Hindi and Krishna cannot hear nor speak. We watch Kanak grow bigger every day and wonder how many languages he will be able to speak when he is older: Hindi, Rajasthani, English, Tibetan and the Indian sign language in the least!

Our hope is to be able to slowly set up an excellent activity-based after school crèche here at JOYN for all our kids. We are adopting a zero tolerance policy about adults hitting kids and are helping our people deal with issues at home and especially with kids and to step beyond what they know about raising children.

I think that together we make great bags. And I think that together we are fashioning lives for each other and for our kids that are just as great!