Happy Birthday to YOU…

Happy birthday to you…
Happy birthday to you…
Happy birthday to Richard…
Happy birthday to YOU!Happy birthday to my love!!! Hope you have an AMAZING day!!!

Your FIRST birthday as a daddy of 4! Here Rico is with baby #4…who he adores–and insists on getting up with almost EVERY night!!!

Here’s to another year of your life…we are so thankful for you and how you encourage ALL of us through the love of Christ. Love you and thankful to do life with you!!! SOOO…who do you think of our kids looks like Rico Suave in these pictures?!?!?

P.S. (Warning…after the “light” birthday post–the P.S. is heavy…so if you like to keep things light–stop reading now and go enjoy a crossword puzzle.) My posts have been a little “light” lately because a storm is a brewin’ in this moms heart. Daily, I receive emails from families who are struggling with issues as they persue serving orphans and following God in adoption. One thing all of these families seem to come in contact with are other believers discouraging them (YES–I said BELIEVERS…you read that right). Apparently, there is an “anti-adoption movement” among the world that orphans are better served in their cultures and countries…in institutions and boarding schools in their “natural” environment…and there are groups of believers that not only BELIEVE this but are also PASSIONATE about this. I. KID. YOU. NOT. I have been the recepient of many just seeking my 2 cents on the subject–and let me preface what I’m about to say with this: I feel fortunate to be involved in BOTH orphan ministry where we have made sacrifices to serve hundreds—and in a calling where we made just as many if not more sacrifices to serve one. AND–I do have a belief on the subject–and I don’t think it’s an opinion because I’m basing my belief on scripture–which I believe is TRUE. I would encourage anyone in this “anti-adoption movement” to join me in seeking truth and not what YOU believe–but based on scripture—what is true (If you are not a believer–then I’m not speaking to you…I do pray you KNOW Him and His love some day though…and that your life will be transformed by His greatness…and that you will know the glory and beauty of being adopted by God as a daughter and son–IF YOU ARE a believer…then brothers and sister in Christ–we have to base what we do on scripture!). We can all have our opinions of course–but when we are ready to have our opinions transformed to truth–as believers, we need to line up with Biblical truth.

While my flesh wants to immediately respond to believers that are passionately saying the things “Shame on anyone who thinks orphans are better served in institutions and it’s better to send our money over to help them surivive in their own country and culture”–that is my flesh speaking out of the pain and hurt I have seen in children as they go through the healing process once they were brought into a family. THAT is what my heart feels–but it is NOT the right thing to say to brothers and sisters who have been misled. We must love them as He loves them–and point them back to scripture. Praise Jesus that He does not give up on us! Praise Jesus that He sets the lonely in families!!! Praise Jesus that He heals our hearts and minds–and that He is the father to the fatherless!!! It may be a few more days–but a post in a comin’ in response to the “anti-adoption movement”. If you are a believer–then you ARE adopted by God as a son or daughter through Christ…aren’t you glad He didn’t just leave you in your “natural” environment and claimed you as HIS! Can I get an Amen?! Adoption was God’s idea in the first place. And not only in the heavenly realm–but here on Earth too. He promises to set the lonely in families. He declares that He will be the father to the fatherless…and I believe He wants us to love these children like He does. He wants us to die to ourselves in serving them…in helping these little ones heal…in giving them a family’s love…a mommy’s love…becoming a father to the fatherless just like our Heavenly Father!!!

Before an anti-adoption person who just happens to be reading this P.S. today gets all worked up–don’t worry…I totally get you. I really do. You and I—we used to be like peas and carrots. (This same post will also apply to those who believe strongly we should help those in our own country FIRST before another…AS IF one deserves our help more or first…AS IF we are given the option to even choose who and where God leads us…now that might seem like a post for another day BUT REALLY it is really the same thing…coming from the same spirit and the same heart…and being misled in the same way–and we must be very careful as believers to not let opinions be more important than His truth—and to line what we do with His truth in His Word). And I wish I could say I don’t understand how anyone could think orphans are best served in their “natural” environment… BUT there was a time that silently—I kind of thought the way you might though. I didn’t know. When we got involved in our ministry in Africa serving 450 orphans–I thought the best way to serve orphans was to pour into them from across the world. I really did. I thought “Why would I adopt for $$$$, when JUST THINK what $$$$ could do for HUNDREDS…”. Yes, I REALLY thought that way. I just didn’t know. I wasn’t speaking from experience…but opinion—well, because doesn’t that make sense if you look at it from a worldly/financial perspective?!?! BUT–it was much easier for me to have an opinion before I set down my opinion–set out to seek truth in scripture and get my hands dirty following Him and desiring to love DEEPLY as He loves. It was much easier to have an opinion before I had been called to both serving orphans AND growing my family through adoption. I mean, doesn’t it just make sense that if I could feed 450 with this or 1 with that–that more just makes sense? Maybe–from a world perspective. BUT I am thankful that the Lord is teaching me what it means to love deeply. I believe it is God’s heart to do more than just have us fed physically. I believe He loves each orphan SO MUCH that it really is His desire for them to have a mother’s love—a family’s love—a father’s love…to be rocked at night…to have someone kiss their booboos and tell them it’s going to be okay…to protect them…to guide them…and to ultimately lead them to know their ULTIMATE FATHER. I know every orphan having a family is impossible as the problem is too big…but last time I checked–we serve a God that is rather big Himself. I believe strongly we desperately need believers to follow God in both adoption and orphan serving ministries…as believers–to be ANTI to either…is to be anti-the Gospel. Period.

This “P.S.” is not my response to the anti-adoption movement…it just my heads up–the storm is brewing and I have something to say…but I need to continue to seek Him in how to say what is on my heart. More than anything–I wanted to give the anti-adoption brothers and sisters in Christ the challenge—and to ask you, if this is your opinion, to seek scripture with me…and join me in letting Him transform our opinions to His Truth, His heartbeat…His desire. Let me finish with this…

I am so thankful that He opened my eyes!!! For those of you on either side–if you are a believer–take a few days to pray that God take YOUR ideas and opinions away and replace them with TRUTH through His Word. And I want to answer some of the questions I get weekly…from a mother’s heart—one that has stayed awake at night thinking about our children in Zambia getting malaria and how’d we get them all mosquito nets AND one that has stayed up at night with a baby night—unable to sleep because her baby is clinging both hands to her cheeks in fear that he will be left alone…praying for healing and that as a teen that he will be okay and healed from the trauma he has endured. When you are on this end–at some point…you hear it all–from truth and gloryifing–to shock that a believer…even those who are seen as “leaders” in the body of Christ…would discourage some from loving a child with the ultimate love…the love of a father. I have something to say…and I want to get the rest of my thoughts together before I do…