Proverbs 31:10-31 (NASB) An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. 11) The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12) She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13) Sh looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. 14) She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar. 15) She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens. 16) She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17) She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. 18) She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night. 19) She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. 20) She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy. 21) She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. 22) She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23) Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. 24) she makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen. 25) Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. 26) She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tonguel 27) She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28) Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 29) "Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all." 30) Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31) Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

1) Noah swimming out of the bottom of the pool beside Elijah.

2) Izza (3 yrs old) riding Noah's bike.

3) Judah and Elijah turning into fishes.

4) Noah, well he's just crazy like his dad.

Jude 24, 25 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25) to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Thank you Lord for adopting me as your son. (Romans 8:15)

1. Duck duck goose with Elijah it

2. Had to cool off.

3. Noah and Judah before church

4. Sweet Ella Wren turning 7. What?

Luke 23:5 (NASB) And the people stood by, looking on, and even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One." 36) The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, 37) and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" 38) Now there was also an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." 39) One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40) But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41)"And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong." 42) And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43) And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

In essence, we (you and me) deserved to be hanging on that cross because we are guilty of sin. (Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.) Jesus did not because He was without sin. You my friend, you are both thieves on the cross. If you haven't acknowledged Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior (see preceding post for how to do that) you are the one who hurled insults vs 39. If you have then you are the one who Jesus said in vs 43 "today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Stop right now from whatever you are doing and ask yourself "which one am I?" "I don't know" will not work here and is for cowards. Own up and do something about it. God already knows the answer and He has given you a way to His very self. John 3:16 and John 14:6

Adoption

Elijah took to the water like a fish. He was very comfortable.

Judah not as much. He was terrified. After several days he is getting more comfortable. He said Papa, if I sink I will get died. I said you have a life vest, a separate floating device and me, a former ocean lifeguard. I think that should cover it.

Noah and Izzy, eating and relaxing.

Ephesians 1:5 (NASB) He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.

Do you know Jesus Christ? not do you know of Him or heard about Him in Sunday School when you were little. Have you entered into a relationship with Him? Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with, and he with Me." This means to open the door of your heart from the inside and ask him to come in. If you have done this with Jesus Christ (John 14:6 Jesus said to him "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.") you have been adopted as sons. Hallelujah, praise the Holy one of Israel. Adoption is a beautiful thing any way you slice it and something that beautiful can only come from God. James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. AMEN.

Now lets look at if you don't know Him in a personal way. 1st John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

Like Judah said at the top of this post, you will get died. Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. My friend don't let this be you. Repent and turn from your sins today and embrace the one and only Savior, Jesus Christ. Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will recieve the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Pray with me the prayer at the top right hand corner of this post. YOU ARE LOVED.

OK, the top picture, Elijah Schneider loves that car. His little feet are the engine, but he makes it go wherever he wants it to.

The middle picture, Izzy and Lilah got into my shaving cream again. Full body coverage.

The bottom picture: Judah Changlais and Noah just chillin.

Isaiah 45:8 (NASB) Drip down, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down righteousness; let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, and righteousness spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it.

Isaiah 45:22,23 (NASB) Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. 23) I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

All glory and honor to you Lord Jesus, who sits on His throne and reigns from on high. You are lofty and matchless. Draw me closer to you, draw me closer to You.

Handsome and beautiful, are the only words that I can think of. Good thing I'm not in it. Don't laugh too hard.
As I draw nearer to the Lord, I want to draw nearer to the Lord. Also I desire to be more like Christ than I was yesterday. What do I mean? I mean that there is no greater joy than to be in fellowship with the one who created me. Philippians 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9) and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.
Turn to Jesus Christ, Turn to Jesus Christ, Turn to Jesus Christ. There is no logical reason for saying no to this. If you do not you will spend eternity in hell. It is not a scare tactic, it is truth. They say that the truth hurts, well in this case it burns (forever). 1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the son of God does not have the life. Revelation 20:15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
You have a choice. Who would willingly choose to die rather than live?

Are you Saved?

Easter egg hunt at Mimi's house. Top picture see how full Changlais bag is? Uh, we had to redistribute a few. What a beautiful and warm day (mid 80's) as you can probably tell by the bare feet.

If you answer the question, Are you saved, with "I don't know" or "I think I am" then Houston we have a problem. It is a yes or no question. John 5:24 (NASB) "Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgement, but has passed out of death into life". I am a simple person, so I like verses like this that spell it out clearly. It doesn't say we might have eternal life but that we will. Also, 1 John 5:11,12 "And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12) He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life".

Again, simply put so that even someone like me could understand. So there should be a moment in time that you can recall where you said "God, I have sinned against you and for that I am sorry and I now turn from my sin and turn to you (repentance)." This is found in Romans 10:9,10 That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10) for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

If you can't remember doing this, my friend you are not saved and will spend eternity in hell. This is the death the verses above speak of. You can turn to Him this very second. Please get on your knees wherever you are and pray the prayer in the upper right hand corner of this page. If you are tired of your old life and want a new one. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Jude 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Salvation

Izzy calls Schneider her little brother even though he has two years on her.

Have you ever given your life to Christ? Do you know what that means? Are there trials in your life? Are or have you been through a rough time? Do you know that God wants to carry those burdens for you? His word say’s in Matthew 11:28-30 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30) For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
You might say “hey I want that” but it sounds too good to be true. Well it does, but it is true. Let’s look at the first part of the verse, “Come to Me”. Who is Jesus speaking to? You if you have ever been weary or burdened (pretty much everybody). Ok, how do I come to him? I’m glad you asked. First you have to admit that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All means all and that’s all all means. Next let’s look at Romans 6:23 “ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So you have sinned, and because of that you are sentenced to die. Do you agree? If you do, let’s look at what you have to do to receive the free gift of eternal life. Here’s a shocker, nothing. How can that be? Romans 5:8”But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Also John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The penalty was required because of our sin and paid by Jesus Christ on the cross. How could He do that? 2 Corinthians 5:21 “He made Him who know no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Not only does He do all of that because He loves us, He also pursues us. Revelation 3:20 “Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” This is fellowship with us, His creation.
Please read these verses again and soak up what God’s perfect word say’s. We deserve death, but God because of his love for us (you) He has sent his only son to the cross so we would have eternal life with Him. Again, what do we have to do for this? John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” And Ephesians 2:8,9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9) not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The answer is believe in Him. 1 John 5:11, 12 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12) He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
Now I ask you, what is stopping you from receiving the Son right now? Good, Romans 10:9,10 say’s “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10) for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Let’s do that right now. Pray this prayer with me: “Dear Lord, I am a sinner and I ask you now for forgiveness for the sins I have committed against you. Please come into my heart and cleanse me from the inside out. Thank you for sending Your Son to die on the cross for me and washing away my sins. From this day forward I will follow you, please show me how to do that. Thank you.”

Good Times

A few park pictures, a few new bike pictures. Good times. Four weeks in and it appears as if Changlais and Schneider have always been here. So here's the order for those of you who are wondering. Savannah-13, Lilah-8, Eva-8, Ella-6, Changlais-6, Noah-5, Schneider-4, and Isabella-3. I am still in awe of Almighty God and how he is faithful, completely. 2 Timothy 2:11 For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12) If we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13) If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Thank you Jesus for your mercy.

Well, here are some current pictures of Changlais and Schneider along with Noah, Savannah, Ella, Eva, Isabella and Lilah.

Adjusting has been good. The weather has actually started to warm up, so hopefully we will be spending more time outside.

I just have to praise God for Who He is and what he has done. Our boy's are here, I will say it again, Our boy's are here. Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose".

Jude 1:25 "to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen".

Schneider (Left)- counting the hours my son. Changlais - can't wait to wrap my arms around you.

Hosea 6:1-3 (NASB) "Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. 2) He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. 3) So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth."

God's word is perfect isn't it?

Isaiah 43:1,2 But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! 2) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.

Thank you mighty God, King, Redeemer, Savior, for drawing me to you that I may know You and the Power of your Majesty. Please let those that do not know you, open their eyes and hearts and let you in. Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Our Cooridinator just sent this to us. Thank you Chareyl!

Joint Council should have some
News on getting all the referred/adoptive children out of Haiti very shortly. There
Have been lot’s of rumors floating around about how this will be done and when so I have
Been asked by Joint Council to tell everyone to PLEASE hold tight.
This morning I received information that the US embassy in Haiti is having orphanages/staff
Bring children in for Visa’s, although this is true to an extent, we cannot have ALL
The orphanages taking their children to the embassy at one time. Joint Council is
Working hard to secure a safe building with security where all the children can be taken and the USCIS
Can process paperwork from that location, as I understand it some children will be given Visa’s
and others Humanitarian Parole (although an official announcement has not been made yet).
So for now, please do not have your orphanage and their staff take children to the
Embassy it is not safe. We should have a safe place to take them very soon.
Let me tell you that Tom and Rebecca have been working tirelessly through the weekend.
They have been working with many US and Haitian officials to bring our children home. Besides getting
Approvals to bring the children out of Haiti they have been working on all the logistics involved;
Buildings for processing and ways to get the children out of the country, how to get families
To their children etc. And on top of that they have been battling rumors and the media.
So again let me deliver their most recent message HOLD TIGHT, we will have news soon.

I personally want to tell Tom and Rebecca and all the volunteers at Joint Council THANK YOU
For all that you are doing. I am grateful we have Joint Council to advocate for us.

Please let me know if you have any questions and watch for news from Joint Council.

Please advocate for orphans
in Haiti!

Dear Family, Friends and Church Body,
You've received many emails concerning Haiti and we are SO GRATEFUL for your time!

2 Thessolonians 3:13 But as for you, brethern, do not grow weary of doing good.

There is a great opportunity before us to change the status of an orphan to that of a son! Namely, our sons in Haiti, Changlais and Schneider. Please continue to pray for Changlais' status, it is still unknown.

Joint Council is working very hard towards Humanitarian Parole for the current adoptions in Haiti. PLEASE JOIN US IN THIS EFFORT to bring these orphans to the U.S. now!

Please call and/or email our U.S. Senators from NC Richard Burr (contact Burr at the Washington office (202) 224-3154) and Kay R. Hagan, (contact Hagan at the Washington office (202) 224-6342) and Congressman Patrick McHenry (contact McHenry (828) 327-6100).

Use the sample conversation below.


I/We are friends of Chris and Melissa Peterson, who are in the process of adopting a sibling of two, Changlais Fils-Aime 1-13-04 and Schneider Fils-Aime 3-08-05, who were living at the Hope for Little Angels of Haiti orphanage prior to the devastating earthquake in Haiti.I/We are aware that USCIS has the authority to issue a humanitarian parole for Changlais and Schneider to travel to the United States to live with Chris and Melissa Peterson pending final adoption processing in Haiti. While granting a humanitarian parole is outside the normal procedures, the United States government has granted them in the past to places like Romania and Cambodia.While I/we realize that the United States seeks to honor the adoption process established in Haiti, I/we feel that Changlais and Schneider and the country of Haiti would be best served by Changlais and Schneider being placed with Chris and Melissa Peterson, their future mom/dad. I/We feel that Haitian authorities would agree to this if it was proposed. What better way for the United States to help Haiti than to care for Haiti's child that is already so loved by this family.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR HELP!

In Christ Jesus,
Beauty For Ashes Adoption Ministry
Chris and Melissa Peterson
(828) 855-1650, (828) 855-0939
chris@beautyforashesadoptionministry.com melissa@beautyforashesadoptionministry.com

Blessed

It is not humanly possible to get them to look at the camera at the same time. Even as goofy looking as I am.

Matthew 5:3-12 (NASB) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. 4) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5) Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth . 6) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7) Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10) Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11) Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Last night a brother in Christ encouraged me with these verses and they have been with me all day. Notice that each one of these is the exact opposite of what the world teaches us. Me first, No mercy, if it feels good it must be alright (whether it is sin or not) and I deserve this. You know what we deserve? Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yes we deserve death. However God in His sovereignty had mercy on us and sent Jesus to pay that penalty for us. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Have you ever been persecuted? Probably not in a blatant obvious way, but as a follower of Christ most likely words (Jesus Freak, Bible thumper, Religious nut, etc.) or snubs. As adoptive parents of African American, and Bi-racial children, we have had the mean looks, disparaging remarks and even "where did you steal that baby from", but what a joy and honor to take that for our precious babies, and as a Christian for our risen Savior. I guess I am a Jesus freak of the 1st order. Again Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great: