Burning Fire

My two posers Iz and El.

Jeremiah 20:9 (NASB) But if I say "I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name," then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones: and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it.
James 1:27 has that effect on me. "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world."
Listen, caring for orphans is more than a good deed, more than a humanitarian act, more than feeling good about yourself, it is Pure and Undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father. If you are reading this and know Christ as your Lord and Savior, please do something to care for orphans and widows. What, you might ask? You can adopt a child (many different scenarios), you can assist financially (someone you know who is adopting), Foster care, go on mission trip to help at an orphanage, etc. When your eyes are opened to the reality of orphans, their living conditions in 3rd world countries, their neglect (including in our own country), helplessness, you should feel as I do and James 1:27 becomes like a burning fire shut up in your bones. Wake up and help one or more of the 143 million orphans in the world. For most people orphans are out of sight out of mind. Let your heart burn as mine does and speak forth as loud and as often as you can about the need for people to step up and live out James 1:27.

Adoption Ministry

Melissa and I have been in the adoption arena for just shy of 15 years and been through a gamut of experiences. Some good and some not so good, but the outcome always good. Six children (5 from birth and 1 at 2yrs old) from the foster care system. We were licensed to foster so that we could get the children while we were waiting for the Decree of Adoption. Currently we are in the process of adopting 2 boys from Haiti (our 1st international adoption).

All this to say that out my passion for Christ and reaching the lost for Him, and our adoption experiences and heart for orphans, we have started an adoption ministry called Beauty for Ashes Adoption Ministry. The name comes from Isaiah 61:1-3 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengence of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of deapair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

Our heart is to draw people into God's family by adoption Romans 8:15 For you have not recieved a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons for which we cry out "Abba !Father!" and to open people's eyes to the fact that God is passionate about orphans. James 1:27 "Pure and Udefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

For more details please visit our website at beautyforashesadoptionministry.com

Psalm 16

Somebody had to take the picture. Noah, what are you doing?

Psalm 16 (NASB) 1 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2 I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good besides You." 3 As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, nor will I take their names upon my lips. 5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. 7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Have you set the Lord continually before you? I confess that I have struggled with this, but look what David says happens when he does this. 1) he will not be shaken 2) his heart is glad. 3) his glory rejoices. 4) his flesh will dwell securely. What does it mean to set the Lord continually before me? What does the apostle Paul mean when he says pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17? To have the mindset of the presence of Almighty God and the lifestyle of prayer through which you act on knowing He is there.
I've heard people say "I just need to find my path in life". Here David says that God will make that known to me. Read verse 11 again, and again. Do we like pleasures? Yes, we do. Do we think they are found in God's right hand. Be honest, that is probably not the first thing that comes to your mind. Change your mindset, change your lifestyle. Change is the key word when you choose to follow Christ. He will change you. Titus 3:5,6 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Read and open your heart. May God richly pour out the Holy spirit on you today.

"Where hast thou stayed so long?

Schneider

Changlais

Praise the Lord for movement. We received word that we are out of one of the longer stages of the Adoption process in Haiti, called IBESR. Thank you Jesus. Still several processes to go, but my beautiful wife, Melissa will break it down for you on her blog http://www.followinghiscalling.blogspot.com/.

We came across this poem in a book Melissa is reading and it made us think about the waiting children in Haiti. I will only put the last 3 verses of "Endymion" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I'll leave you with these words.

O weary hearts! o slumbering eyes!
O drooping souls, whose destinies
Are fraught with fear and pain,
Ye shall be loved again!

No one is so accursed by fate,
No one so utterly desolate,
But some heart, though unknown,
Responds unto his own.

Responds, --as if with unseen wings,
An angel touched its quivering strings;
And whispers, in its song,
"Where hast thou stayed so long?'

Psalm 84

Hey Son - Schneider








Hey my man - Changlais










These are our boy's in Haiti. Dear Lord, please bring them home soon. Psalm 115:3 (NASB) But our God is in the Heavens; He does whatever He pleases. James 1:17 (NASB) 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.
Our six year old Ella, bless her heart, prays everyday for Venessa, Djounela, Changlais, Schneider, Jean Tony, and Fabrice (the last two are names she has heard us mention and are being adopted by two other precious families). She also tells the mailman, children at the playground, just about anybody she comes in contact with. You go Ella.

Psalm 84 (NASB) Enjoy as I do every time I read this.
1 How lovely are Your dwelling places, O Lord of Hosts! 2 My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 3 The bird also has found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God. 4 How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. 5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You, In whose heart are the highways to Zion! 6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring; The early rain also covers it with blessings. 7 They go from strength to strength , Every one of them appears before God in Zion. 8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O god of Jacob! 9 Behold our shield, O God. and look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold form those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Psalm 34:8 (NLT) Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in Him!
The psalmist in psalm 84 has obviously experience God in a personal way. Have you? If you have you will relate to how wonderful it is to be near to God. Also Asaph in psalm 73:28 "But as for me, the nearness of God is my good" He know as well. If you have not experienced The King of Kings this way, do it now. I'm not usually pushy, but we are talking about you living or dying. Live with Him, do not die without Him.

Liberty (What a great word)

Noah and cousin Alex are playing with their Life Savers - right

Happy 8th Lilah on Wednesday - Above

Happy 5th Noah today (look out Matt Hoffman)- Left

4 birthdays in 17 day's. I guess I'm not complaining because one of them was mine. Would you believe 44? My parents can't.

Liberty, don't you love that word? It reminds me of a scene in the Alamo with John Wayne, when Colonel Travis is trying to talk Crockett into joining him in the Alamo. He uses the word republic, but the same happens to me when I hear the word Liberty. I could write the speech but it wouldn't be the same. Rent the 1960 version of the Alamo. You won't be disappointed.

2 Corinthians 3:17,18 (NASB) Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

You have to believe that the opposite of the first line is true as well. Where the Spirit of the Lord is not, then there is no liberty. So if the Spirit of the Lord does not dwell in you, than you are a slave and have no real freedom. Romans 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, you have received spirit of Adoption as sons, by which we cry out. "Abba! Father!"

So if we have the Spirit, we reflect His glory and are being transformed to His likeness with increasing glory. Hallelujah!

Free Gift

Noah, Izza and Lona, show us how it is done.

Another memory verse that I learned long ago is Titus 3:5,6 (NIV) He saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously, through Jesus Christ our Savior.

If you do not know Christ in a personal way (you will know if you do) and want to, don't be held back by the lie from Satan that you are not deserving. (Romans 3:10 as it is written. "There is none righteous, not even one;") I heard a pastor say one time, that "Grace is getting what you do not deserve, and Mercy is not getting what you do deserve." We do not deserve Salvation, but God chose to give it to us through His Son, Jesus (read above verse again). Romans 3:23 (NASB) for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. I also heard a pastor say "All means all and that's all all means." So yes, you and me fall in to that category. We do deserve eternal death. The good new comes in Romans 6:23 (NASB) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Who doesn't like a free gift? Well my friend, this is the ultimate one, eternal life. All you have to do is receive it.

So if you want a free gift, even though you don't deserve it, say the prayer in the upper right hand corner of this blog, to Jesus from your heart (Romans 10:10 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.) and experience true salvation from the only one who can give it.