Rejoicing, Thanking

Colossians 2:7

Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

My Gratitude List

~ Lying down to nurse the two year old at noon everyday

~ Usborne Art books 

~ Paul's insatiable desire to create art

~ Reading about how the Groves family is enjoying the littlest Groves

~ My husband has that new job, after one more formality (hiring committee getting final approval from board)

~ Hard hallelujah for how poverty messes with your mind (one step forward, two steps sideways, one step back, never really getting anywhere)  Please pray for an issue with the van?  Thank you.

~ Understanding firsthand the hopelessness of poverty, and the message it conveys

~ Knowing my hope is in Christ, in heaven, and not here....that I'm a pilgrim here

~ Kids playing ice hockey on the table with their newest ice ball

~ Husband running out of gas on the freeway and Mary having a good attitude about us leaving our just-served dinner to take him a can of gasoline (twenty-five minutes away).  I was irritated (knowing this was an ADHD thing, like the keys), but Mary was excited about "rescuing" him. "We're heroes...coming to the rescue!" By the time we got there, we were all happy to be his heroes.  He got tears in his eyes at the wild grace of a four year old. And I got tears because of his tears, and because of Mary's contagious sunshine. (She still whines plenty, but that contrasts with her other, joyful self.)

~ Having disabilities in the house calls for wild grace.  We are all learning, slowly.....but it is good.

~ A tie with Paul in checkers....three kings to three kings.  His strategy?  Keep moving around, going nowhere but staying safe, until the opponent gets so board (pardon the pun) with the game that she lets him jump all her kings......just to get it over with.  Phew!  That boy is very competitive!  I am not, and I hate board games really.  I have to force myself not to let him win early (he's pretty skilled).  He would figure me out and be disappointed.  Nothing makes Paul feel more loved than having a board-game companion.  It's true, isn't it, that most kids feel more loved by our companionship, than by our housekeeping?  That's hard when chores are piled up, but we have to keep reminding ourselves of it.

~ The new job means no more night work....leaving house at 7:15 AM, returning 6:40 PM, Mon.- Fri., along with five hours on Saturday morning.  A day and a half off!  An answer to prayer!

~ Next week is VBS and I work the nursery.....holding a six-month-old baby for five evenings!  Yeah!

~ Prior to today, Mary (age 4.5) made people with large heads--arms and legs coming out of the head.  Her brothers chuckled at these creatures, calling them "head bags".  A few days ago I gave Mary a triangle block to trace under her circle heads, so her people could have bodies (I called them dresses).  With that, she learned to put the appendages in the right places.  Today she made her first person, correctly, without any shapes to trace.  Her brothers were very happy for her, congratulating her and telling her, "Hey, that's a real person!  Not a headbag!" She was so proud!

~ Another mother of four young'uns decided to make Tuesday her library day.  I "chase" my two year old around the children's section (her youngest is in a stroller), so we couldn't visit much.....but I look forward to getting to know her better.

~ Three years ago I probably would have told you I wanted to get out of poverty so we could do more, have more--provide more opportunities for our kids.  Now, I can say without hesitation:  I want to get out of poverty so we can give more!  That's what the Holy Spirit does to the human heart! Don't lament too much when trials come......for they produce fruit.

Trust. Wait on Him.  Keep your eyes heavenward, while giving thanks for the blessings before you.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The Plot Thickens For Shaun Groves

The plot thickened very recently in regards to Shaun Grove's new album. It's now a crucial fundraiser!  Since it won't be played on the radio or sold in stores, his loyal fans are key in bringing in the financial harvest.

Some time ago, Shaun and his wife decided to be obedient to God's word in regards to the global orphan crisis. And, oh my.  It is a crisis!  I'll write more about the orphan crisis soon.

James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.


Isaiah 1:17
learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.


Romans 2:13
For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

Anyhow, they thought they had six months to a year to come up with the many thousands of dollars it takes to adopt internationally.  I've heard numbers such as $40,000, but I don't know if it will reach that high in Shaun's case. I can't imagine it being much less.

Yesterday, they picked up a four-year-old boy who needed immediate placement.  All details have to stay under wrap, since it's an extremely unusual case.  I can't wait to see what God has done!

Read more about it here:  This Much I Can Tell You

And here are some excerpts from his post, for those of us who never have time for links.  These excerpts aren't going to flow together, mind you, since this isn't all the post.  I just chose a couple paragraphs:

The story of how he came to us is truly remarkable but can’t be told. We also won’t be posting his picture or his name anywhere either. All this secrecy because this is no ordinary adoption. In fact, this is such an unordinary set of circumstances that our agency, attorneys and his country are figuring out together, as I type, exactly how to proceed from here.

Here’s what I can tell you. And this is important. We need your prayers. They work!

He’s not officially our son yet. There is much work to be done by many wise and compassionate people on both sides of an ocean.

See, because we thought we had another six months to a year of this adoption process, we had budgeted accordingly. And because this child needs stability and routine very much right now, I will likely be canceling appearances for the next couple weeks or more – not ideal financially but the best for him. Now, we don’t know, but it is highly likely that we will need adoption funds much sooner than we’d anticipated – and possibly more than we’d originally thought too.

So, we’re not asking for donations. We’re not having a garage sale. (Yet.) We’re simply asking that you continue to champion this record, Third World Symphony, across the internet and in the real world too. It won’t be in stores. It won’t be on the radio. So, you are our marketing strategy…and now you are our adoption fundraising team. There’s not a better one in the world!

Listen to the album below or at soundcloud.com. And pre-order the CD today at shaungroves.com/store or buy from iTunes starting August 30th, 2011.

Shaun Groves, Hero of the Faith

Today's post is about Shaun Groves, a stand-up guy and real hero of the faith.  As I've mentioned before, he's a full-time Compassion International employee, who, among other things, heads up the amazing Compassion Blogging Trips.

He's more than the face of Compassion International, however.  In his own words, taken from his website:

Shaun Groves is a communicator who’s known by a lot of titles: Singer/songwriter. Speaker. Blogger. Husband. Daddy. Friend. He feels and thinks deeply and laughs easily. And he’s helping Christians discover what they were saved for, and being a voice for children around the world, desperate to be saved from poverty.

As a loyal Shaun Groves blog follower, I can attest to the deep thinker and feeler part, and yes, to the laughs easily part.  He's very witty.

His heart for the Lord and for the impoverished will slay you, and soon, you'll find yourself one of his groupies.  Believe me.  And it's not because you'll worship him, but because he's so good at pointing you to the Savior. It's never about him.  And that's why he's so beloved.  Humility. Obedience. Love. Grace.

Well friends, Shaun's got exciting news to share right now!  His first album in five years, Third World Symphony, is being released August 30th!  Praise the Lord!  My kids and I love the songs!  He's a very talented singer and songwriter. You'll find the lyrics and melodies very moving, very worshipful.  

Now before I give you the listening and buying links for his new album, I have a surprise!  

I interviewed him!  

Okay.....not in person or anything, and he doesn't know me from Adam.  But I'm still very excited, as you can tell.

He offered to answer any 3 questions for bloggers willing to promote his album.

So, my brain started working.  Hmm.  Any three questions.  I'm. so. on. it.

Without further ado.......here's the interview.

Question 1:  Matthew 6:25-34 seems to say that God will provide for our daily bread, yet so many go hungry....even Christians.  Through your blogging trips, I've seen the faithful display the joy of the Lord, despite their abject poverty.  The Lord provides spirit joy, but he doesn't always stop the hunger pains.  How do you wrap your head around Matthew 6?   

Shaun Groves:  Matthew 6 is only one passage dealing with daily bread. It's sandwiched (pardon the pun) between Exodus 16 and 2 Corinthians 8. Those two passages help me make better sense of Matthew 6. in Exodus 16 God guarantees daily bread for his children who are wandering in the wilderness. But with his promise of provision he also gives them a new law - the first law he gave his people after they left slavery in Egypt. He says to them, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you and you are to go out each day and take only enough for that day. This is a test to see if you will obey my instruction."  When they disobey this law a few verses later by saving up food, God angrily turns their leftovers into maggots and causes it to stink. Exodus 16 ends with God's people obeying God, collecting only daily bread (about 2 liters per person in each house) and the bible says "He who gathered much [because he had much family] did not have too much and he who gathered little [because he had little family] did not have too little." Everyone had enough for that day.

Then in 2 Corinthians 8, Paul tells the church in Corinth, who has leftovers, to share with their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem who are not eating every day. He tells them that he is collecting their leftovers not so that others might be relieved while they are "hard pressed" but so that there will be "equality." He uses that word again a couple verses later when he says God wants equality. Then he defines equality by quoting Exodus 16: "He who gathered much [because he had much family] did not have too much and he who gathered little [because he had little family] did not have too little." That's the kind of equality God wants. In the Old Testament and here on the other side of the cross too.

So, if there is inequality - some with too much and others with too little - it is not because God isn't providing. God is keeping his promise to rain down bread from heaven - enough for all. It is God's people who are not sharing.

Question 2:  What changes did your family make in order to simplify, spend less, give more?  

Shaun Groves:  It started with cable before our kids came along. We didn't think of it as simplifying and we had no grand motivations. We simply didn't like what was on! We'd surf and surf and realized we were paying for something we didn't really like or need. So we turned it off. And we suddenly had extra time and extra money - a little more freedom.  Years later when I went overseas for the first time - to El Salvador - we decided together that we'd move into a smaller house. And because we had less space we got rid of some stuff. And I started cutting my own hair because, really, can anyone tell the difference with this haircut? We eventually started a garden. My wife isn't a world class coupon clipper but she enjoys it.

So it's been small things, slowly. No grand scheme. Just cutting a little here and there, which has slowly given us more time, more attention, more money to spend on more important and lasting things - mainly people.

Question 3:  Do you have a favorite song on this album?

Shaun Groves:  That's like asking which of my kids I like best! Unfair. (This week it's the youngest, by the way.) At the moment No Better is helping me out. Musically I love what producer Mitch Dane did with the song - the banjo, the bass line - the whole thing feels like something the Muppets would be driving down the road too. But theologically I need it right now. I'm speaking at some Christian music festivals on behalf of Compassion International - perhaps the worst environment in which to ask an audience to sponsor a child...or even listen to some speaker guy they've never heard of. At my own concerts and speaking events at colleges and churches the response is phenomenal. A large percentage of the audience winds up sponsoring a child or committing to make some sacrifice to help someone in need of food, medicine, shoes, the gospel. It's unbelievably rewarding to see how God moves people to gratitude and generosity. Incredible. 

But at a festival seeing what God is up to, or seeing Him at all takes better vision that I've got much of the time. There are thousands of people there enthusiastically singing when the famous guys are on stage and then going to get a corndog when I get sent out to speak. Ouch. And very few, percentage wise, sponsor a child - compared to what I'm used to. And it's not for lack of funds because everyone is buying $30 t-shirts and $10 keychains and glowsticks and all kinds of stuff that's not bad but certainly not needed. Not to mention what it costs to go to a three day music festival! So you can see where this is going right?

I'm not a nice guy, in my head, sometimes. Festivals bring out that judgmental jerk in me - feed him what he needs to be cynical and wonder if his time is wasted. So I need a song like No Better to wake that other guy in my head, that humbler guy who can count the mercies shown to him, who remembers when he didn't care about the poor or the speaker guy talking about them either. No Better stirs compassion in me and reminds me that being an angry jerk who has a hard time loving the rich and seemingly unmoved is just as bad (if not worse) than being that rich seemingly unmoved guy. Both of us need compassion.

What did I tell you, friends?  He's a real hero of the faith, isn't he? Humility. Obedience. Love. Grace.

Please buy his album, and spread the word on your own blog, or on Facebook or Twitter, by reposting this interview and the links.  Thank you, friends!

Click here to listen:  

Click here to buy ($10):  

Click here to learn about his older albums:  

Click here to learn about booking him to speak and sing at your church for free, in August especially: 

Click below to read about his Compassion Blogging Trips....and bring the Kleenex, preparing for a heart change:

2011 The Philippines

2010 Guatemala

2010 Kenya

2009 El Salvador

2009 India

2008 Dominican Republic

2008 Uganda

  

This and That and a Teaser

Looking at pictures of my children after the house is quiet and they're all asleep, always emotionally charges me. What an awesome responsibility! What an indescribable blessing!  What a grueling task, many days, physically and emotionally speaking, for the mother....just caring for their daily needs and shaping them to be Christ followers.  I look at the day's photos and remember my failures, my triumphs, as a mother.

Most of the time, I conclude that only my prayers will save them.  I'm too flawed to reap the miracles I want for their hearts.  My prayers change me, if not them......and by changing me, the Holy Spirit shapes them.

Somehow, looking at pictures in a quiet house, I know what the answer is:  A mother's faithful prayers.

The park is my favorite outing.  Always.  I love the way they push themselves, showing confidence and spunk.  I love it when they call for me, wanting to show me their feats.  I love their joy!  Being outside the confines of the house, with its never-caught-up imperfection, does us all good.

Here is our most recent Monarch, ready for release after drying its wings and consuming its chrysallis coating.

Titus Treefrog food.  Does he look like he knows his fate?

This morning Husband took Peter to a nearby nature park, having signed him up to participate in a children's nature photography class.  I use that word "class" loosely.  Instruction wasn't involved, but we did get a good printed sheet with some suggestions.  Regardless, this free outing blessed Peter very much. In two weeks he goes back to be presented with an 8X10 photo of his best picture, which the ranger determined to be the dragonfly shown below.

I am so proud of Peter!  We have a terribly cheap digital camera, with focusing issues.  Someday I hope to invest in a camera that Peter can use to learn a marketable skill--nature photography.  If training your child in the way he should go includes pointing him in the direction his gifts and passions take him, then just maybe, Peter's calling will be to point people to the Father by taking photos that prove His majesty.

Peter most certainly feels closer to God after a day out in nature.  Whatever deficits his neurological problems cause seem to be lessened, soothed, by nature. This has been proven, and is called green therapy.  My husband, too, feels relief through nature.

The turtle and the following photos, up until the bubble play outside our house, are all Peter's work.

Enjoy!

Psalm 19:1
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Peter will receive an 8X10 of this photo.  Yeah!  He's so excited.

Genesis 1:31
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Psalm 50:2
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.

Exciting announcement:

Shaun Groves, Christian musician and spokesman for Compassion International, has a new album coming out on August 30.  He asked his blog readers to help him promote the album.  Considering him one of the heroes of the faith, I'm a loyal blog follower.  I jumped at the chance to ask him three questions, as detailed in his post.  Honestly, I wasn't sure he'd respond, since I have less than a hundred readers and I don't use Facebook or Twitter.  He has FBI-type ways to check into a person's blog traffic and internet use.  Creepy, isn't it?  

Anyhow, since he's such a stand-up guy, he did respond, and his answers were outstanding...witty and inspired!  Few people read blogs on the weekends, so I will wait until Monday or Tuesday to post the interview. Tease.  Be on the lookout for it!  

Listen to his new album, Third World Symphony, here:   http://soundcloud.com/shaungroves/sets/third-world-symphony

You can purchase it here:   http://shaungroves.com/store/third-world-symphony/

5 steps to better prayer

The secret to effective prayer is simple.

1. pray
2. pray some more
3. pray even more
4. pray more than before
5. pray more than ever before

Start with ten minutes, work up to an hour a day.  Soon, you'll enter prayer continuously, effortlessly.

You learn to pray by praying.  It's not easy at the beginning, as you work to defeat Satan and develop a habit.  Satan, of course, hates when a Christian develops a spiritual habit. The word habit is viral to him.

But soon, you will defeat him, and if you stick with it, your life will resemble Abraham Lincoln's telling quote:

"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go."  Abraham Lincoln

"We learn prayer's deepest depths in prayer, not from books.  We reach prayer's highest heights in prayer, not from sermons.  The only place to learn prayer, is in prayer, bent and broken on our knees." Dick Eastman

Do you still think you don't have time?  Consider this:

Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the greater work. Oswald Chambers 

How is it going this week, friends?  Easier than last week?