Happy Father's Day

Zion-What do you like about Daddy?
I like to have sword fights with him. I like his scary stories. I like to watch movies on the Ipad with him.  I like to give him wedgies. 

Moriah-What do like about Daddy?
I like to give him a kiss and hugs.  I like to eat chips with him.  I like to play outside.  I'm Daddy's Princess. 

Daily Devotion from May 14th

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13

Zion asked me "Dad, do you know who my best friend is?" with a grin on his face.  I guessed myself first....and was wrong.  I guessed some old friends from Leo and was wrong.  I guessed some of his new friends from Bluffton Sunday School and was wrong.

Finally, he said, "Jesus is my best friend!"

I inserted my foot into my mouth. 

Is Jesus your best friend?

If you say "yes", how do you know?  Do you share everything with Him?  Is He the first person that you go to for comfort and support?  Do you communicate with Him throughout each day?  Does everyone around you know that He is your best friend? 

If the answer to these questions is "no", then He is probably not your best friend.....

Haiti

Its hard to believe that it has been a month since I was in Haiti. This week I started going through the hundreds of pictures from our trip. Looking at the pictures reminded me that I left a piece of myself in Haiti and that the people of Haiti have become a forever part of my life. Five years ago I would never have guessed that Haiti would be the country that God would place in my heart. I imagined adopting children from China, Colombia, or Ethiopia. Zach and I sponsored two children from Haiti and Zach had been on two mission trips there, but I didn't feel a strong connection to the country or the people. Forward to the fall of 2010 and Zach's desire to Redeem his Cancer. In a short amount of time we started sharing a dream to give children in Haiti forever families in Homes of Hope. While I believed in the mission it really didn't become real until I stepped into Haiti. I can't put in words my grief for the people I watched as we traveled through the city. The poverty, the trash, the crowded streets, the people... Leaving the city brought some relief as the green trees of the countryside hid what the city streets could not. The poverty continued,but there were less people. Children with few clothes, houses half built, tents, shelters made of sticks, women selling food from baskets, people crowded on the back of trucks. The children in matching uniforms walking home from school were the lucky ones because someone had enough money to pay for their education. The scenes outside my bus window were a great reminder of all the things that I fail to be thankful for. I wonder how many trips I will need to make to Haiti before I can take it all in.

Please join me in praying for the People of Haiti.

Port Au Prince

First view of the CRP Campus

The Wall between the two levels of the Campus

Abba's House of Hope and Ezekiel House of Hope

The Wall from a Distance

View from Campus

Welcome to Your New Home

12 girls 12 boys

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord,

 thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Moriah Turns 3- May 15, 2012

Favorite Colors: Purple and Pink
Favorite Food: Grapes
Favorite Song: The Wise Man Built...
Other Favorites:
Daddy's Stories
Dressing like a Princess
Play Shoes
Hide and Seek
Listening to Books
Watching Princess DVDs
Dolls

Lessons from "Kisses from Katie"

"I made peace with feeling inadequate because the truth is, I was. we all are. I quickly become okay with being imperfect. Throughout the Bible, God chose seemingly inadequate people to do His work...God has a way of using inadequate people, and sometimes He calls us to reach a little higher or to stretch a little further, even when we feel we can't do any more. We simply trust Him. And then, He gives us everything we need to do the "more" that He is asking of us..." Katie Davis (p. 109 Kisses from Katie)

"I want to give my life away for Christ. I want to exemplify Him in my every day. I want to live an open and expansive life, giving myself freely to all those around me for His glory. God answers this prayer every day of my life with new opportunities. I want to live openly and expansively, loving my neighbor as myself, until Jesus comes back." (Kisses from Katie p. 150)

"I don't always know where this life is going. I can't see the end of the road, but here is the great part: courage is not about knowing the path. It is about taking the first step. It is about Peter getting out of the boat, stepping out onto the water with complete faith that Jesus will not let him drown." (Kisses from Katie p. 247)

Zion learned about Jesus and Peter walking on the water in Sunday School this week. He told me that we need to Keep our Eyes on Jesus so we don't sink. I need this reminder every day. I can easily get overwhelmed with the minor things of life and miss out on opportunities to teach Zion and Moriah, to have a good conversation with someone who crosses my path, or to to spend quiet time with my Lord. I just finished Kisses from Katie during Zach's chemo today and was inspired to seek a closer walk with my God, to teach Zion and Moriah to serve others, and to be more aware of the opportunities God brings to me to be His Hands and Feet on this earth. No I can't touch the lives of every person on this earth. I can't provide a home for every child in Haiti (or around the world) that doesn't have a family, but I can praise God for the work he has given me to do today and be thankful for the children and families whose lives He will allow me to touch through the Cancer Redemption Project and my work at Gateway Woods.

Cancer Update

Zach has been feeling pretty good the past nine weeks because he was only taking two of his three chemo drugs to see if the cancer would remain stable with out the third drug that makes him sick. He had a CT Scan this morning. The scan showed that the cancer in his liver hasn't grown. The cancer in the lungs has grown, so Zach is receiving the third drug again starting today. He is not looking forward to the side affects that will come over the next weeks. When he was on the drug before he struggled with feeling nauseous and really tired.

God continues to provide opportunities for Zach to share what God is doing in his life. On Sunday evening Zach is scheduled to share with the youth group at a church in Van Wert, Ohio. On Wednesday he is scheduled to record a radio interview and talk to the students at Lakewood Park Christian School. Then on Friday night he has a presentation in Gridley, IL. Please pray that he will feel well enough to share with each of these groups and that God can be glorified through his words.