Fulfilling the Great Commission Through Adoption

Our dear friends are adopting a child from China next month.  They already have four biological children, but the Lord has moved them to express our adoption in Christ in a tangible way.

Their adoption will be a visible testimony to all who know them of God’s  pursuing love for His children.  As the old hymn proclaims, “Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God.  He, to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.”  Our friends will bring a stranger into their home and confer on him all the rights of a son.

This adoption will also be a daily preaching of the Gospel to their own hearts and to their other children, as each will see in a new way what a profound thing the Lord has done for us.  It won’t be an easy road, but raising a child never is.

And what about the little boy? A precious soul will be brought out of a pagan nation, taught the Scriptures, and raised to follow Christ.  By God’s grace, I trust this little orphan will one day know the joy of two adoptions: first, into an earthly family and later as a child of God and fellow heir with  Christ.

Adoption is a picture of the Gospel to the world, to the church, to the family, and to the child.  When Christians adopt, they go as workers into the harvest field.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2 (ESV)

Be a Voice

God created each of us. All of us. We are not various races of people, we are one…the human race, created by a loving God.

Over the ages, a tiny little lie took root and grew. A lie that says all human life is not equal, not precious, not a right bestowed by a loving Creator.

It is not a political issue; it is a human rights issue.

It is a God issue.

This is Sanctity of Human Life month and Sunday, January 22nd, is Sanctity of Human Life Day. For Mentoring Moments it is more than a month or even a special day, it is a call.  As women of God, we are called to teach and train. This year we will be providing ongoing education into humans rights, specifically in the areas of abortion, slavery and human trafficking, adoption, special needs children and adults, widows and orphans.

If you are a blogger or even use Facebook and Twitter, we encourage you to join us and become a voice too.  Share the facts, the information, the call to help, and be a voice (even if you feel like you are only a small voice crying in the vast internet wilderness). Feel free to share the videos and articles that will be posted. Be a voice for those without a voice in 2012.

Focus on the Family has put together a marvelous video in honor of Sanctity of Human Life month. Watch it. Share it. Be a voice.

If you are reading this via email and do not see the video, click here.

God of This Family

It had been a hard day mentally and spiritually for my family.  The radio blared in my mini-van as I tried to focus on praising the Lord. My head was telling me even the Lord could have problems calming this massive storm.

As I drove with tears streaming and my heart laid bare before the Lord, I felt hopeless. I needed encouragement in a serious kind of way. Just a word–a Scripture to come to mind. A call–just a friend to say I’m praying for you. Nothing.

Even in the silence I knew the Lord was with me. My heart wanted comfort and direction. Yet again I resigned myself to wait patiently.

Blue Tree’s song, God of this City, came on the radio. As I sang through the first chorus, the Holy Spirit began to speak gently to my heart.

“Sing ‘God of this Family’ instead.”

I began to sing…

The more the words came, the more the tears fell. This time not in sadness, but in praise and thankfulness to a Savior who knows my heart, feels my pain, and is always near. He is bigger than any problem or situation we confront–and we do not face it alone. He also sees a future we cannot, and on this day I could not.

That was several years ago and my prayer request is still unanswered. Yet.

I’m still believing and trusting in His timing. I still sing God of this family and see His hand at work faithfully. His plan and purposes are for more than the right now–they stretch forward for years to come into eternity. He is God of our cities, and He is God of our families. He is God over all.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” Psalms 40:5

If the video is not visible, click here to listen to God of this City.

The Blessing

In biblical days giving a blessing was a treasured time where fathers spoke words of encouragement and promise on their children.  Genesis 48 records how Jacob blessed Joseph’s sons.  Throughout God’s Word you can see where God spoke blessings through His prophets on the people of Israel.

Giving a child a blessing even in our day can be a very special time.  I remember as a young woman my parents sitting down with me.  My dad held both my hands in his and said to me, “Page, your mom and I will always love you.  We will be here for you.  We may not always agree with every decision you make, but we will always, always love you.  We are thankful God gave you to us.”  Then he and my mom prayed for me.  Though that was a simple time with little fanfare, I still remember it and cherish their words.

A twist on this idea is to have a blessing time for a baby that is being born.  Ask friends and family to come to a special dinner.  Have each guest write out a blessing for the child and place the blessings in a special box.  Spend time praying with the expectant parents.  Then ask the parents to tuck the blessing box in a special place to be revealed to the child when age appropriate.

If your children are older, you can still give them your blessing much like my parents did.  We are preparing for two weddings in the year to come.  One of the ideas I have for the reception is to have a “Blessing Table.”  On the table there will be cards and pens for guests to write a prayer or blessing for the new couple.  A box will be provided to collect the blessings then given to the couple when activity slows down and they can read the prayers and blessings written for them.  They will be a cherished treasure for years to come.

Faith’s Dynasty

by Vicki Huffman

In the U.S., September 11, 2011 is National Grandparents’ Day. It’s a good time to stop and pay tribute to our grandparents—or their memories.

As children we may have heard it said of ourselves, “You look just like your mother” or “you’re the spitting image of your father.” But some studies indicate that more physical and personality traits are passed directly from grandparent to grandchild than from parent to child.

We bend over a newborn’s crib and comment that the baby has his father’s hands or his mother’s eyes. It’s easier to see the physical characteristics that are passed down from parent to child than from grandparent to grandchild. That is partly because the grandparent’s features have been altered by age. If Grandfather’s hands were not gnarled and age-spotted
and Grandmother’s eyes were not crinkled and hidden behind glasses, we might recognize the resemblance more easily.

Family resemblances go much more than skin-deep. With few exceptions, most people’s lives are shaped by the families from which they come. Many of us are what we are today because as children we had at least one grandparent who took a special interest in us. (My maternal grandmother filled this role.) Grandparents were seldom too busy to read to us or take us on walks or play games with us. And there were serious times when they shared
their age-earned wisdom and values with us.

A famous sociological study done on the descendants of two American families included the offspring of the famous preacher JonathanEdwards. Edwards’ father was a minister and his mother was a clergyman’s daughter. Among Jonathan Edwards’ descendants were:  14 presidents of colleges; more than 100 college professors, more than 100 lawyers, 30 judges, 60 doctors, more than 100 clergymen, missionaries, and theology professors, and 60 authors.

The other study was done on the Max Jukes family. Their history was delved into in detail. It was said of them that they couldn’t be made to study and wouldn’t work. It was estimated that they cost the state of New York $1 million. Pauperism, crime, and insanity ran rampant in the family. Out of 1200 known Jukes descendants:  310 were professional paupers, 440 were physically wrecked by their own wickedness, 60 were habitual thieves, 130 were convicted criminals, 55 were victims of impurity, only 20 ever learned a trade (10 of them learned that trade in a state prison), and 7 were murderers.

The differences between these two families involved more than their genes. It involved their homes. The Edwards family’s godly influence and love of learning was reproduced in their children, who reproduced it in their children, and so on. The Jukes family’s attitudes were also passed down, whether they wanted them to be or not.

Personal faith can’t be inherited. It’s been rightly said that God has no grandchildren. We each come to Him as children. But a godly grandparent can be used by God to touch the heart of a grandchild. Paul wrote Timothy: “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which fist lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…”
(2 Tim. 1:5-6 NIV).

If you had a grandparent like Timothy’s who was faithful to help ignite a spark of spiritual interest in you, thank God for that grandparent. But even if you had grandparents who were not the examples they should have been, you can have a godly lineage—starting with you. You can be like Abraham, whose ancestors were idolaters but who believed God who
promised: “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me
and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your
God and the God of your descendants after you: (Gen. 17:7).

Jonathan Edwards’s family became a dynasty of faithfulness. Your family can too.

Nana Nanny

I thought when I retired I would enjoy traveling, relaxing and doing things I couldn’t do while I was working. Instead, my days and nights are filled with unexpected interruptions.  Four years ago I elected to retire early and move in with my daughter and her husband. As managers in retail, their hours are erratic, never knowing what time they will be home.

In today’s society grandparents are needed to babysit, either full-time or part-time. I had many concerns regarding this major undertaking. Raising my own children had its many ups and downs.  I knew helping to raise my grandchildren was not going to be any different. Was I ready emotionally and physically to handle the job?

I prayed. God said, “Yes.”

My basic duties as nanny involve getting the children ready for school, picking them up after school, preparing their supper, and watching them until their parents come home. During the day I have a few hours to spend on myself, such as going to the YMCA. I take care of the house, wash clothes and buy groceries. In exchange I no longer have to worry about house payments or utility bills.

Since both parents work on the weekends, I have the privilege of taking my grandchildren to church. On the way to school, we pray for the family to have a blessed day. Hearing a four- year-old praying brings a smile to me and to God. I know this is one of the reasons God has me here.

One night when I was in the kitchen with my daughter, she said, “Mom, remember how Samara was having difficulty sleeping because of nightmares. The other day, Samara told me, ‘I am no longer afraid to go to sleep. I have Jesus in my heart.’”

I admit that my body is not youthful anymore. I remember when Samara was just a baby; I would change her diaper on the living room floor. When finished I would crawl to the couch in order to have leverage to get to a standing position.

Four- year-olds talk non-stop with no turn-off button.  “Nana, can I have a drink….Nana, I need to go to the bathroom….Nana, I’m hungry…” And how many times do I have to read Green Eggs and Ham?

Grandparents in the average scenario can spoil the grandchildren. When they have had enough, they can send the children home to their parents. If Samara and Javon have stretched my nerves to the limit, I am unable to retreat to my own home.  I am a full-time “nanny”. But then I remember I am here for a reason. With all its ups and downs, I am the stabilizing factor in my grandchildren’s lives.  It is a privilege to be able to invest in their upbringing.

Claudette Miller, a retired widow, enjoys investing in her grandchildren’s lives and freelance writing. She is author of A Moment in Time with God, a devotional published December 2010. www.amomentintimewithgod.webs.com

Teaching Contentment in a Discontented World

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” I Timothy 6:6-7

This summer spend some time examining gratefulness and contentment in the hearts of your children.

A few goals to work through this summer would be:

• Make plans to use your home to show hospitality to someone God lays on your heart. Trust God’s sovereignty that He has entrusted you with the income and possessions to freely share with others.
• Recognize any areas where your words cut people down or show discontentment or even jealousy. Study applicable passages and lead some devotions in Proverbs on this topic.
• Lead your children in expressing and showing gratefulness to their father working hard and providing for your family. Make thank you cards for Dad.

Instilling a Love for Missions

Whenever someone from your family goes on a mission trip, that’s the perfect time to study that country. If your husband is in the military and gets deployed to different countries, that’s another good time to study a country. You can support someone from your church who is a missionary or someone who is going on a short-term mission. One time my family wanted to support a young couple going on a mission trip to Africa for a month. (He was an airplane pilot.) We had no money at all. Both my husband and I decided we wanted to give $100 toward the mission trip. So I prayed for the money. I told the kids we needed to sell some of their toys so people in Africa could hear about Jesus. They basically said we could sell everything because it was worth it. I don’t know why I was surprised when all the little things we sold added up to $100!

Now those missionaries belonged to us, you see. The children felt like they owned those missionaries, and they prayed like crazy. When the missionaries came back to the U.S., we took the kids to the airport to see our missionaries return. Talk about giving children a heart for missions.

This past summer, my husband went on a mission trip to the Czech Republic to teach at an English camp. In the evenings they were able to share the gospel. The day before my husband left, we went to the library to find books with pictures of the Czech Republic. I prayed there would be a video, too. Lo and behold, there was a half-hour video on the Czech Republic, and it was a lot of fun to watch. It immersed us into the culture, and we were able to see where the children’s dad was going to be.

After taking him to the airport, we studied the Czech Republic by reading five or six pages out of a longer book. (It included politics: the communists had taken over, which was why so many people today are atheists.) We listened to classical music from the Czech composer, Dvorak. We figured out what time zone my husband was in, and we prayed each night for him. “Dear heavenly Father, please help Dad sleep…no, wait…please give Dad a good day, since it’s 7 in the morning.” These were typical prayers my children prayed. We had counted out the time zones on a flat map and a globe, and they realized that their dad was basically on the other side of the earth.

We colored a map of the Czech Republic and drew a flag. When my husband e-mailed to tell us which city he was in, we looked it up on the map. He said he hiked into Germany. “Germany!” yelled my ten-year-old, as he ran to the map and saw that Germany borders the Czech Republic to the north.

When my husband returned home after three weeks, my kids made him a welcome home banner. He brought some foods from the Czech Republic, which the children enjoyed, furthering their experience of the country. My husband also brought back coins for the children’s coin collections. They looked at post cards and examined his map showing where he had been. We even looked at a New Testament written in the Czech language.

My pastor came up to my family’s picnic blanket after church one day and looked at the kids. He asked me if our whole family would be going to the Czech Republic some day. I had an odd feeling that we might do just that.

 

Susan Evans

Susan is the married, homeschooling mom of four. Visit her website and blog at www.SusanEvans.org

 

Storing Up in Heaven

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Involve your children in ministry opportunities. Teach, train, and mentor by doing devotions on serving, giving, and what God’s view of money and possessions is.

A few ideas to bring the study of Scripture alive to your children is:

• Plan to serve at a soup kitchen
• Write letters to missionary kids
• Help an elderly neighbor
• Anonymously give to someone in need

Pray together as a family for giving opportunities, and watch how God turns self-absorbed, self- centered hearts to hearts who see the needs of others.

 

 

Passing the Baton of Faith

 

The house of the righteous contains great treasure (Proverbs 15:6 NIV).

What if your home burned down? Or all your possessions were stolen? What would you have to pass on?  Through Jesus—plenty.

In contrast to earthly treasure, an eternal inheritance impacts generation after generation. Even now, my parents, who taught me about Jesus at a young age, have helped build faith into my children and grandchildren and generations to come.

To pass on our faith, we must purpose to do so and be intentional about it. When I interviewed dozens of grandparents, they gave these examples of how they share their faith and help their grandchildren grow spiritually.

Model: “Grandchildren watch what you do and say. They can see that church and Sunday school are important to us. When we took care of them, we always read a Bible story to them when we put them to bed.” Grandpa Bill

Share: “I often share what Jesus has done for me and the difference He’s made in my life. I’m pretty spontaneous in sharing His blessings.” Grandma Donna

• Write: “I’m writing my life story with an emphasis on my relationship with Jesus.” Grandma Eva
• Read: “Read Bible stories, and let them know that Jesus is a very real person.”  Grandma Jeanne
• Take them to church: “When our first grandson was two, our children were not attending church regularly. We picked up our grandson and took him to Sunday School. After a while, he began asking his parents to take him, and they have.” Grandma Carole
• Teach: “We have devotions when the grandchildren are with us. Sometimes we gather around the piano and sing together.” Grandma Sylvia
• Apply to life: We relate our spiritual values to everyday situations. We don’t wait to talk about Jesus until we are praying or having a Bible lesson. We watch for everyday opportunities to bring the reality of Jesus into their lives. Grandma Shirley

The greatest gift we can give our children and grandchildren is a legacy of faith. With God’s help, let’s pass the baton of faith securely into the hands of future generations.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for keeping an inheritance for us in heaven that won’t perish, spoil, or fade. We want to lay up a rich inheritance for our children and grandchildren. Help us persevere, stand firm in our faith, and build a strong foundation for them to build on. May they see that our faith in Jesus is real and desire it as well.

Adapted from Preparing My Heart for Grandparenting by Lydia E. Harris. AMG Publishers, 2010,  www.PreparingMyHeart.net.

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