Last night my Ethiopian son, Gezaw had a dream ....
"The whole family was walking, taking a LONG walk, trying to go somewhere. And we saw HUGE water coming. And we looked and we saw Noah's boat was coming for us. And then we get on it. And then after that, we get on it and we have animals, too. Our animals get on the boat, too. And then, one day we saw no more water and we saw land and we come out of boat."
I believe this is a dream from the Lord.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Rivers of Living Water . . .
I had this dream yesterday morning.
We were invited on a vacation with some old church friends of ours, who live in Oregon and have just recently adopted an adorable, baby girl from Ethiopia. When we got there, we were all sharing this HUGE room, that was like, 30 feet long, and had partitions in it. Along the one wall was this 30 foot long picture window, floor to ceiling, that overlooked this huge, wide, white-water rapids, gushing river. We were about 5 stories up overlooking this river, but it still looked violent and ominous.
Both of our families were there. They now have 5 kids, we have 6. I went and looked out this other window on the corner and saw a red suspension bridge, that resembled the Golden Gate Bridge, then on the other side I saw this huge mountain/rock. Masses of people were climbing up the side of the rock and were hanging on by holding on to the rocks jetting out from the wall.
Then suddenly, like someone turned on this huge faucet, water gushed out over the mountain like a mighty, rushing waterfall. The people hung there, reveling in it. Then after about a minute or so, the water turned off again. The people were laughing and thoroughly enjoying the fresh, cold water. It happened again and again, like someone was turning on and off a huge faucet, a massive waterfall of white-water. There was a huge pool at the bottom and people were swimming and playing in the pool, in the cool, clean, fresh water.
Then I woke up.
I've been waiting to blog about this .. but I feel like I might just burst if I keep it in any longer. We believe the Lord is birthing a ministry through our family. We have this strong desire to place water wells in the orphanages of, not only our adopted children, but in those of other families who have adopted from Ethiopia. In the orphanage where 2 of our kids are from, they take a truck into the river a mile or so away, and hand fill big containers full of the dirty river water. Then they haul it back to the orphanage. The ones who have been adopted are the blessed ones, but still they come to us with parasites and worms, skin disorders and malnutrition. The ones who remain still continue in this life ....
"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who keeps our hearts and weighs our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12
We have been doing a LOT of research in the past few days. Asking LOTS of questions and knocking on LOTS of doors. There are many wonderful Water Organizations out there, even some doing water campaigns to help villages in Ethiopia, but they all have their own partners and work in their own specific areas, and are unable to help us fulfill this vision we believe we have from God: water for the orphans. I am beginning to get discouraged. But as my friend, JT told me today, "Keep on asking ... all you need is one 'Yes'."
Seems like we will need to start a non-profit organization, or perhaps partner with an existing organization who might want to help us fulfill this vision from the Lord. Please pray for us as we continue to look for that one, open door. If you are an adoptive family and are interested in our project, please let us know!
Thank you and Blessings
We were invited on a vacation with some old church friends of ours, who live in Oregon and have just recently adopted an adorable, baby girl from Ethiopia. When we got there, we were all sharing this HUGE room, that was like, 30 feet long, and had partitions in it. Along the one wall was this 30 foot long picture window, floor to ceiling, that overlooked this huge, wide, white-water rapids, gushing river. We were about 5 stories up overlooking this river, but it still looked violent and ominous.
Both of our families were there. They now have 5 kids, we have 6. I went and looked out this other window on the corner and saw a red suspension bridge, that resembled the Golden Gate Bridge, then on the other side I saw this huge mountain/rock. Masses of people were climbing up the side of the rock and were hanging on by holding on to the rocks jetting out from the wall.
Then suddenly, like someone turned on this huge faucet, water gushed out over the mountain like a mighty, rushing waterfall. The people hung there, reveling in it. Then after about a minute or so, the water turned off again. The people were laughing and thoroughly enjoying the fresh, cold water. It happened again and again, like someone was turning on and off a huge faucet, a massive waterfall of white-water. There was a huge pool at the bottom and people were swimming and playing in the pool, in the cool, clean, fresh water.
Then I woke up.
I've been waiting to blog about this .. but I feel like I might just burst if I keep it in any longer. We believe the Lord is birthing a ministry through our family. We have this strong desire to place water wells in the orphanages of, not only our adopted children, but in those of other families who have adopted from Ethiopia. In the orphanage where 2 of our kids are from, they take a truck into the river a mile or so away, and hand fill big containers full of the dirty river water. Then they haul it back to the orphanage. The ones who have been adopted are the blessed ones, but still they come to us with parasites and worms, skin disorders and malnutrition. The ones who remain still continue in this life ....
"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who keeps our hearts and weighs our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12
We have been doing a LOT of research in the past few days. Asking LOTS of questions and knocking on LOTS of doors. There are many wonderful Water Organizations out there, even some doing water campaigns to help villages in Ethiopia, but they all have their own partners and work in their own specific areas, and are unable to help us fulfill this vision we believe we have from God: water for the orphans. I am beginning to get discouraged. But as my friend, JT told me today, "Keep on asking ... all you need is one 'Yes'."
Seems like we will need to start a non-profit organization, or perhaps partner with an existing organization who might want to help us fulfill this vision from the Lord. Please pray for us as we continue to look for that one, open door. If you are an adoptive family and are interested in our project, please let us know!
Thank you and Blessings
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Asleep in the Light . . .
The Lord is birthing something ... deep within me ... there is a crying out for justice for the orphan and the widow, for the oppressed ...
"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who keeps our hearts and weighs our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12
I'm feeling like Keith Green when he sang the words of this song ...
WARNING: This song will either convict you or offend you.
Do you see, do you see, All the people sinking down
Don't you care, don't you care, Are you gonna let them drown
How can you be so numb, Not to care if they come
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done.
"Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord", You know it's all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts, No one even sheds one tear ...
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, And He cares for your needs
And you just lay back And keep soaking it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such a sin?
Cause He brings people to your door, And you turn them away
As you smile and say, "God bless you, be at peace"
And all heaven just weeps, Cause Jesus came to your door
You've left him out on the streets
Open up open up, And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries, So how can you delay
God's calling and you're the one, But like Jonah you run
He's told you to speak, But you keep holding it in,
Oh can't you see it's such a sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark, That the church just can't fight
Cause it's asleep in the light
How can you be so dead, When you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave, And you, you can't even get out of bed
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, Come on, get out of your bed
How can you be so numb, Not to care if they come
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done
Don't close your eyes, Don't pretend the jobs done
Come away, come away, come away with Me my love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, my love.
Pretty harsh, right? Or is it?
"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who keeps our hearts and weighs our souls, knows that we know and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12
I'm feeling like Keith Green when he sang the words of this song ...
WARNING: This song will either convict you or offend you.
Do you see, do you see, All the people sinking down
Don't you care, don't you care, Are you gonna let them drown
How can you be so numb, Not to care if they come
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done.
"Oh bless me Lord, bless me Lord", You know it's all I ever hear
No one aches, no one hurts, No one even sheds one tear ...
But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds, And He cares for your needs
And you just lay back And keep soaking it in,
Oh, can't you see it's such a sin?
Cause He brings people to your door, And you turn them away
As you smile and say, "God bless you, be at peace"
And all heaven just weeps, Cause Jesus came to your door
You've left him out on the streets
Open up open up, And give yourself away
You see the need, you hear the cries, So how can you delay
God's calling and you're the one, But like Jonah you run
He's told you to speak, But you keep holding it in,
Oh can't you see it's such a sin?
The world is sleeping in the dark, That the church just can't fight
Cause it's asleep in the light
How can you be so dead, When you've been so well fed
Jesus rose from the grave, And you, you can't even get out of bed
Oh, Jesus rose from the dead, Come on, get out of your bed
How can you be so numb, Not to care if they come
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done
You close your eyes, And pretend the job's done
Don't close your eyes, Don't pretend the jobs done
Come away, come away, come away with Me my love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, my love.
Pretty harsh, right? Or is it?
Monday, February 7, 2011
Relationship Not Behavior
This post was taken from another source ... 3rd Degree Parenting
I am reposting it here because I think it is an excellent reference for adoptive families. Read on:
By Claudia
October 6, 2009
In retrospect, I have one major regret in my earlier parenting. For the first two placements of older children, I focused on behavior -- attempting to modify it, change it, fix it -- instead of attachment. And the results have been less than satisfactory.
When these particular boys moved into my home my immediate reaction was, "Oh My Goodness!!!! i have so much work to do to prepare them for adulthood." I needed to get busy and fast because their behaviors were completely unacceptable.
Imagine if this was the approach of someone who had begun to get to know a person they thought they wanted to marry. What if on the first date, a woman said, "Welcome to my life. I can see right now that your table manners aren't appropriate, so let's begin working on that right now. Let me show you how to hold a fork." How long would the relationship last? It would die before it began.
Since my first placements I have learned that my first task should be to be the kind of person my child can fall in love with. I need to do and say things that will make them feel good about me. When they do make a mistake, or break a rule, I need to remind them lovingly that this is not how we do things, but that I am still committed to them and love them unconditionally.
This is one of the most important things I have learned as a parent who adopted older children: No child is going to attempt to please or obey an adult to whom they are not attached. When I was growing up, I didn't want to disappoint my mom and dad. I wanted to please them. This was because of our relationship which was healthy, attached, and foundational.
Demanding that children obey us while they are basically still strangers simply because someone has told them that they have a new parent is downright ridiculous. And yet I did it and many parents do. The focus is all on behavior and the child or teen moves in thinking "wow, did I end up with a witch for a mom."
A couple things about behaviors: First, some of them never go away. Mental illness or organic brain damage due to prenatal exposure to alcohol will not go away just because a child is placed in a loving home. And secondly, they'll be around later and you can deal with them then.
When I was a college administrator responsible for discipline I learned the concept, "Get them to respect you first, and later worry about them liking you." I took this principal into adoption and parenting and it ABSOLUTELY DID NOT WORK. Some of the kids never really came to love me as their mom and respect never came either.
Focus that first year on getting the kid to fall in love with you. If you do, you can worry about behavior. I'm not saying to ignore rule violations, but under-react. Keep the focus on the child, on attachment, on learning to understand your child and years down the road you'll be much farther ahead than those who started tackling behavior the day the kids moved it.
The voice of wistful experience, combined with regret, has spoken.
From 3rd Degree Parenting
I am reposting it here because I think it is an excellent reference for adoptive families. Read on:
By Claudia
October 6, 2009
In retrospect, I have one major regret in my earlier parenting. For the first two placements of older children, I focused on behavior -- attempting to modify it, change it, fix it -- instead of attachment. And the results have been less than satisfactory.
When these particular boys moved into my home my immediate reaction was, "Oh My Goodness!!!! i have so much work to do to prepare them for adulthood." I needed to get busy and fast because their behaviors were completely unacceptable.
Imagine if this was the approach of someone who had begun to get to know a person they thought they wanted to marry. What if on the first date, a woman said, "Welcome to my life. I can see right now that your table manners aren't appropriate, so let's begin working on that right now. Let me show you how to hold a fork." How long would the relationship last? It would die before it began.
Since my first placements I have learned that my first task should be to be the kind of person my child can fall in love with. I need to do and say things that will make them feel good about me. When they do make a mistake, or break a rule, I need to remind them lovingly that this is not how we do things, but that I am still committed to them and love them unconditionally.
This is one of the most important things I have learned as a parent who adopted older children: No child is going to attempt to please or obey an adult to whom they are not attached. When I was growing up, I didn't want to disappoint my mom and dad. I wanted to please them. This was because of our relationship which was healthy, attached, and foundational.
Demanding that children obey us while they are basically still strangers simply because someone has told them that they have a new parent is downright ridiculous. And yet I did it and many parents do. The focus is all on behavior and the child or teen moves in thinking "wow, did I end up with a witch for a mom."
A couple things about behaviors: First, some of them never go away. Mental illness or organic brain damage due to prenatal exposure to alcohol will not go away just because a child is placed in a loving home. And secondly, they'll be around later and you can deal with them then.
When I was a college administrator responsible for discipline I learned the concept, "Get them to respect you first, and later worry about them liking you." I took this principal into adoption and parenting and it ABSOLUTELY DID NOT WORK. Some of the kids never really came to love me as their mom and respect never came either.
Focus that first year on getting the kid to fall in love with you. If you do, you can worry about behavior. I'm not saying to ignore rule violations, but under-react. Keep the focus on the child, on attachment, on learning to understand your child and years down the road you'll be much farther ahead than those who started tackling behavior the day the kids moved it.
The voice of wistful experience, combined with regret, has spoken.
From 3rd Degree Parenting
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Time to Worship
This video is from Woliso, Ethiopia at Emmanuel Orphanage where my son Gezaw was living for over a year until he came home to be with our family. Just thought I'd share. This is church, and they are singing about Yesus. Love it!
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