Life is Good

Blessed. Broken. Given.: Finally... Video update!

2012-01-29T20:11:00.000-08:00

Our daughter Kayla recently updated her blog. Check it out!

Blessed. Broken. Given.: Finally... Video update!:
Here's a window into my life over the past 5 months. I hope that it encourage...

So, WHAT’s for dinner???

2012-01-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

It’s what my inquiring kids always want to know... When you have 6 kids, you hear this question a LOT to say the least…. But if you’re like me, you don’t always have an answer… so you let the suspense build and scramble to figure it out! BUT, on the other hand, if it happens to be Wednesday, then of course it’s a given… because on Wednesday night the middles have Awana and my 2nd to oldest has Vertical (youth group), so it’s best to make something that everyone’s always happy about and easy to clean up!

What’s that you say?...Oh you want to know WHAT IS FOR DINNER?!!! Well, for fun I will share the recipes I use on Wednesday nights…AND also have a contest for a fun GIVEAWAY at the same time, so hopefully by the time this “plan” is facilitated, I’ll have the answer to the question at the top of this blog post for many nights to come… BRILLANT!

Now, I’m no spring chicken… we are almost to our 24th wedding anniversary and I've been parenting for over 18 years… been through many seasons… and in some of my very “organized seasons” when life seemed easier and carefree with 3 or 4 kids, I even had a weekly menu taped up on the pantry to ensure that I didn’t have to answer that question. It was great when I consulted it and really freed up some of my brain cells…. which by now are all used up from chasing the littles around all day and changing too many diapers once again.... where did all that organization go?? um...I can't remember:)

Do you ever feel like you're in a rut and you make the same meals over and over again? I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some NEW recipes! Um, you see that’s where YOU come in…. this is a participation blog:)

Here’s THE SCOOP:

YOU share your favorite family recipes and IF I make it and it’s a “keeper”(meaning the Sprague tribe likes it), then I will send you a $10 Starbucks gift card!! How’s that for a fun participation prize… yes, you can now thank my friend Lori Gardner… she’s the hilarious blog queen who actually does fun giveaways on her blog. Now, I can’t send a gift card to all the “keeper” recipes… so I will have my kids vote on the one they liked best from this little contest… and hopefully it will be YOU because you cared enough to take the time to share a favorite recipe with me. I will mail you the gift card in appreciation… or if I know you I’ll just take you to Starbucks and then give you a gift card too!!

Now, depending on the feedback… this could take some time, so I will let you know right away if your recipe makes it to the “ones to try” pile. Then you will at least know you are in the running for the Starbucks gift card. And to save some time… here’s a few tips for what kind of recipes we'd like... I’m more of a "from scratch" kind of cook… use real onion, garlic, and spices… so I don’t buy the cream of whatever Campbell’s soups…I do buy canned beans though for making chilli…. I’m not into MSG and hydrogenated oils…. We do like vegetables too, so the recipes don’t have to have meat in them… although we do like meat too…. Oh and in case you have one, I would love a great spaghetti sauce recipe, or stir fry, pasta recipies... like the noodle company makes...or anything easy really… the sky is the limit!

Back to what's for dinner....Wednesday is HOMEMADE PIZZA NIGHT in the Sprague home… It’s the one night of the week that I never get complaints, only cheers… oh how I love that when it comes to dinner!!! (which by the way is NOT always the case with other meals in our home because I refuse to raise picky eaters, so I say this phrase quite often to the littles, middles, and bigs, “We train our taste buds in this house and if you don’t like it, that’s okay… you CAN still EAT it!”… but no time for that bully pulpit now… was getting sidetracked…yes, yes…back to fun pizza making:)

If you have a bread machine to make the DOUGH, and you want to make it a weekly dinner, set a weekly alarm in your phone to remind you @ 2pm or so to start the dough…. that way it’s ready when you are! Here are the two pizza crust recipes I always use… perfect every time. They vary a bit, so take your pick. If you don’t have a bread machine, consult my friend Lori… she uses her kitchen aid mixer to make her dough and if you don’t have a kitchen aid… well my food processor makes good dough using the recipe in its manual… or you can just use your hands… what a concept! The reason I prefer my bread machine is because it’s the easiest! You throw in the ingredients and an hour and a half later the perfect dough is ready… and can just sit in the machine until you are ready to use it... very simple, very easy.

The following recipes come from "The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook" by Beth Hensperger

For Basic Pizza Dough – add the following ingredients to your bread machine and select the “dough” cycle.
1 1/3 cups water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I use ultra grain)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tsp SAF yeast OR 2 ½ tsp bread machine yeast

When cycle beeps, remove dough (the dough ball will be soft), divide into desired number of portions.. I do two (but for more fun on a night you have time… the kids love making their own personal pan pizzas too).Oh wow… the recipe says to then…"Flatten each portion into a disc. Cover with a damp towel on the work surface to rest for 30 minutes until the dough has increased about 20 percent"…. But I’ve never done that… guess I never read past the ingredients part… oh well. Try it… it might be better that way… who knows:)

Or for the granola girls out there… you can try this recipe:

Whole Wheat Pizza dough- (this is the one I use most... unless it’s for guests who like the standard American fare better… both are great recipes though.)
1 1/3 cup water
¼ cup olive oil
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I use ultra-grain)
1 cup whole wheat flour (not the dead stuff on the shelves, I grind mine at HyVee in their health market section… they have these big vats of Montana wheat for .88 per pound. Grind and put straight in your freezer to preserve nutrients… or if you’re super cool like my friend Lori… you own a grain mill!)
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tsp SAF yeast OR 2 ½ tsp bread machine yeast

Once the dough is ready (or actually, once I’m ready to start) I divide it into 2 balls and put it on the pizza pans. (I roll them out on my counter, but am finally beginning to try the hand stretching... no throwing in the air yet, but baby steps on getting the dough ready for the pan.) For years I used my pizza stones, but I find clean up way easier and the crust much crispier when I use the round pizza pans with the holes. I got them on sale at Kohls… $12.99 each… non-stick, 16 inch, with the holes all over the bottom. The pizza literally slides right off onto the cutting board and the pan is still CLEAN… I do wipe it with a rag, but I’m telling you… easy clean up to me is a major bonus!! Once the dough is on the pans, cover with light cotton towel and let them rest while you make the sauce.. but you can do it the way the recipe says.

The SAUCE is so simple to make… takes about 15 min. to simmer and is SOOOO worth it!! You’ll really never buy a jar again… it’s that good. It makes 2 cups, which I use every drop. I keep telling myself that I will make double or triple batch sometime and freeze some, but It’s just so easy to whip it up real quick, I haven’t done that yet…. Besides if it was frozen, I would have to set an alarm in my phone to remind me to take the pizza sauce out of the freezer!Time flies so much faster now that I have the littles, and that handy alarm in my phone is my helpful friend.

What I love most about this recipe is that I always have all the ingredients on hand since it's so simple...so if you've never made your own sauce... it's time to give it a try!

Essential Tomato-Herb Pizza Sauce
1-2 T. olive oil
¼ large yellow onion, finely chopped (I use whatever color of onion I have)
Two 8 oz cans tomato sauce (I use one normal size can… I think 15 oz)
1 clove garlic, pressed, or ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram leaves (I’ve only used oregano)
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until soft and the edges begin to brown. Add the tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low boil and adjust heat to low. Simmer; uncovered for 15 min. Remove from heat and cool (I never do that). The sauce will keep in the freezer up to a month (haven’t tried that yet either).

When the sauce is ready…. Spread half on each crust, add whatever toppings you want… or if your kids are like mine… just cheese on theirs. Now they do eat from ours after the cheese is all gone, but if it was their choice… they prefer cheese. Allie is my kitchen helper and she loves to help with the sauce and the cheese.

I bake the pizzas one at a time in a preheated oven of 425 for 14 min. (for crisper crust)… or at 450 for 10 min. (for less crispy). See what you like… and if you want thicker crust don’t make the pizza as large. I stretch them to the max on my pans cuz there are a lot of mouths to feed at my table. Since my new pans can’t be in heat of more than 450 and you can't cut on them because of the non-stick finish, I just put a cutting board on the table and slide the pizza off the pan and onto the board and serve from there. I always cut up fresh veggies to go with the pizza because it’s the most important part of the meal to me. What’s funny to me is that my kids eat the veggies plain, but dip their pizza in ranch.

Here is a picture of some happy campers devouring the goods this week.

Now that, my friends, is a wrap! No actually, it’s pizza, but just wanted to use some cooking show lingo. Seriously though, this is that wonderful weekly dinner where you NEVER have to tell you kids to, “eat your dinner”…. Let me know if it works that way for your family too. Enjoy!!

Oh and please don’t forget about the CONTEST/ GIVEAWAY…

Below are a few pics so you can meet the middles...A few serious members of the judges panel for this contest. One of my littles is pictured at the top of this post, but she doesn't get to be on the panel of judges because I've not really found anything she doesn't LOVE to eat since bringing her home from Ethiopia... she's a momma's dream!

*all pics taken by my iphone so excuse the poor quality...and I'm no photographer either... so that might be some of the lighting issues.

SERVANT or MARTYR

2011-11-10T08:36:00.001-08:00

"When I choose SERVANT instead of MARTYR, my children enjoy the security that they are welcomed in our home. They are not a thorn in my flesh, cutting into my personal time. They aren't a nuisance, making me sigh with irritation all day. They are welcomed members of this family, loved and purposed. And when my children are welcomed, I have opend the very doros of heaven and invited God himself into the laughter, chaos, and life of our home."
-Jen Hatmaker *Mark 9:36-37

Most challenging season of my life…

2011-10-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

(Adoption Journey Update from Mary)

I haven’t blogged in a long time. We just passed the 7 month mark of having our Justus and Hanna Mercy home from Ethiopia….yes, It’s been wonderful, but at the same time, truly the hardest thing I’ve ever walked through…. For all 8 of us I’m sure, although my oldest daughter is now in Texas for a year at the Honor Academy.

Exhausted is how I feel most days and often wish to feel my “old self” again… the “old self” that used to have something left at the end of the day. At age 42 it’s not as easy to chase 2 toddlers and keep up with older kid’s schedules…. actually it’s very hard work that never ends… and then we go and put our house on the market (desperate for more space) and add house hunting to the mix over the summer. We did move… just 10 days ago, so it’s funny that I would sit here with an urge to write while still surrounded by many boxes… but it’s daddy’s day off and he is lying in the playroom with the “littles” climbing all over him… so I saw my little window to escape and for some reason feel compelled to write.

I read a blog a few days ago by Haley Ballast titled “Fake it till you make it”. I sent her a message thanking her for taking the time to be real with words, but confessing that this momma seems to fail at the “faking it” part now that we are so many months in. Basically when I’m frustrated… my kids see my frustration…. Which leads to me being even more frustrated with myself… it’s a crazy cycle and I’m so in need of Jesus to show me again and again how to love without condition… to respond and not react. I fail so many times…. then the enemy tries to put guilt on top of the frustration that someone else could do a better job…

My sweet 31 month old boy has come a long way, but has an emotional tank that doesn’t seem to ever get full. When he gets ALL my attention, he truly is the most wonderful, charming, active little boy, but as soon as anyone crosses his will, or when he has to share my attention with the baby, my older kids, or anyone else for that matter, he seems to resort to doing everything he knows he’s not supposed to do. Anything from pouring out his drink, hurting the baby, climbing the fridge, railings, doors, getting into anything he knows is off limits to him, basically challenging any structure to make sure he’s not going “unnoticed”.

The challenges daily… the anger and frustration I feel with myself for the many emotions that seem to come from feeling so at the end of my rope some days… the lies of the enemy that tell me Justus would have been better in a home where he would be the only focus. Halley sent me a message back and as I read it I could actually hear myself saying it to other moms… so why was I not speaking that truth back to myself?? I’m so thankful that God made us need each other in the body of Christ and that Haley from Washington “spoke” words of truth to me in the midst of me having a hard day. Here is a copy and paste of her response:

”I totally understand the desire to be that 'perfect' mom for our children from hard places... we feel they deserve more than us after all they've been through... but honestly I have had to recognize the part that Satan plays in those thoughts, at least in my head. He wants to discourage me and derail me, and perfectionism is a great weapon for him in that. I am the mom that GOD chose for Zeke, so saying that I am not good enough is saying that God messed up. He KNEW we were not perfect when he chose us! Be strengthened in the knowledge that you are not a perfect mom, but you are the perfect mom for all your kids because you are the one God chose for them.”

Here are the lyrics to a song we sang at night of worship on Friday night and then again at the weekend services…. It resonates so strongly with me… like water to a dry land as I proclaimed it and sang it. It’s not left my heart since… I sang it as I fed the babies, I sang it as I got ready for bed last night, listened to it as we hustled and bustled to get the older kids to their schools this morning, and I’m singing it now and want to share it with you. It’s a Hillsong worship song so listen to it online because it’s so beautiful and true.

FOREVER REIGN by Jason Ingram and Ruben Morgan
You are good, You are good….When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love ….On display for all to see
You are light, You are light ….When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope….You have covered all my sin

Oh, I’m running to your arms, I’m running to arms
The riches of your love..Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are peace, You are peace….When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true….Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy ….You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life….In You death has lost it's sting

Oh, I’m running to your arms, I’m running to arms
The riches of your love..Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

You are more, You are more….Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord…..All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here…..In your presence I'm made whole
You are God, You are God….Of all else I'm letting go

Oh, I’m running to your arms, I’m running to arms
The riches of your love...Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

My heart will sing , no other name….Jesus, Jesus

Well, I hope this encourages someone today… it’s encouraged and is continuing to encourage (put courage into) me… I LOVE this song… listen to it online… what an anthem to confess over and over WHO HE IS in the midst of our everyday lives. "

Make me walk along the path of your commands,
for that is where my happiness is found." Psalm 119:35

Still learning to let go and enjoy the journey… I’m just a bit of a slow learner… but He is patient with me and my heart will sing no other name… JESUS, JESUS!!!
Have a wonderful day walking by the grace of God,
~ Mary

25 years ago...

2011-05-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's May 17th. This is a big day for me! 25 years ago today I gave my heart to Jesus, and surrendered my life to Him. As I end this day, I am reflecting on what that choice has meant to me…

25 years ago…
…I started the day a messed up teenage kid with no clue of why I was here, and a deep sense of sadness. I ended the day with a fresh perspective on life and joy on the inside.
25 years ago…
…I started the day feeling old, tired, and used up, I ended the day feeling like life had just begun, I felt alive for the first time in my life, and was full of hope for the future!

25 years ago…
…I felt alone when surrounded by friends. Today, I am never alone even when there is no human in sight.
25 years ago…
…I was a slave to my feelings. Today, I live by faith in God.
25 years ago…
…I lacked the self-control to say no to anything that sounded good. Today, by God’s grace I am submitted to the direction and conviction of the Holy Spirit.
25 years ago…
…I never went a day without trying get high on drugs or alcohol. Today, I never go a day without seeking the Most High God!
25 years ago…
…I was fatherless. Today, Father God is always here for me!
25 years ago…
…No one could trust me...I didn’t even trust me! Today, my beautiful bride and 6 amazing kids trust me to love, provide for, and protect them.
25 years ago...
...Most parents considered me a bad influence on their kids. Today, parents want their kids to hear what I have to say.
25 years ago…
…I had shallow dreams. Today, I am living the dream God gave me!
25 years ago…
…My life was defined by my experiences, reputation, and desires. Today, my life is defined by who God says I am, and who He has called me to be.
25 years ago...
...I was angry at the world. Today, I pray for the world.
25 years ago...
...I hit a dead end. Today, God's plan is becoming so clear!
25 years ago…
…I was a mess. Today, I am blessed!
~ Clint

2 Cor 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Squeezed…

2011-04-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

It’s honestly how I’ve felt the last two months. I read a devotional about a month ago that posed the question: When life squeezes you, what comes out?

Never before in my life have I truly felt so squeezed… at least not that I can remember. I thought the roller coaster of the long adoption process was hard, but the real challenges began the week we brought our 2 year old son and 11mos. old daughter home from Ethiopia. I’ve had a lot of experience parenting with 4 biological children between the ages of 6 up to 17, read so many ages and stages parenting books over the years, developed good “parenting skills”, and even taught on parenting over the course of years in ministry…. I used to think I was a good mom, but we weren’t even a month into this new venture when I lost all confidence in myself and knew I was totally out of my league without the Lord.

The verse that I meditated on continually was 2 Cor. 12:9...
“My GRACE is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in your weakness.”

You can’t parent your adopted children the same because they come from loss and abandonment…you don’t know them and they don’t know you… there is no trust yet… no history or connection to you… you are just one of the many care-givers they have encountered…and you’ve taken them away from everything familiar (tastes, sounds, smells, etc), and so while our teething 1 year old has been sheer delight with the normal work it takes to care for a baby her age, our 2 year old has been a wonderful, but really big challenge and constant learning curve for me.

So along with the sleep issues, food issues, communication issues, behavioral issues, health issues (parasites and unending amounts of diarrhea, and sickness passing from one kid to the next and then back again in our home), finding out Nana had breast cancer and had surgery coming up, and really just the adjustment of having our family go from 6 to 8, all the while, trying to obey the adoption books recommendation of “Cocooning” (not taking them out for the first several weeks) was making me feel so stir crazy!!

When we finally got a warmer day after having the kids home a few weeks, Clint and I put on the Ergo baby carriers and took the babies out for their first power walk around the neighborhood!! Woo hoo!! I can’t even express the thrill of being outside of my house in the fresh air… (I’m not one who likes “cocooning” that’s for sure), and then it happened… less than a mile into our glorious power walk, on March 11th at age 42, I broke my first bone (the fibula where it connects at the ankle) by missing the curb and falling down THE DAY BEFORE Clint was leaving town for a conference…I couldn’t believe it…did I really just do this????...wow, what timing!!! And I thought taking care of my 2 babies was challenging when I had both of my legs!!!!!!! Will His grace be enough??

Romans 5:3-5 NCV “We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out His love to fill our hearts.”

Well, the heat just got turned up! The refiner’s fire had me in the heat at a much higher temp than I ever remember. Now a broken leg to a person who loves to relax and watch movies and move at a slow pace would not be considered HEAT at all, but I’m an independent, task-loving “do-er” personality… so to be immobilized… unable to drive (broke my right leg) myself or my 6 kids anywhere, unable to carry my new babies, and unable to catch my 2 year old when he’s testing me continually, and unable to care for my family the way I like to…. This was MAJOR HEAT to me!!

My literal cry every day to the Lord was “help!” Please teach me YOUR way Lord… YOUR way of adopting… Your way of LOVING… Your way of patience and compassion…. Because my way is not enough, my love is so conditional...I felt so frustrated and helpless at times… and then I would feel so angry at myself for feeling so frustrated and couldn’t stand being with myself at times when I knew what I needed was an attitude adjustment…Argh!!!!

Heat is a good thing you know… it can be used as a refining tool… when the heat is turned up… the dross emerges… even though we hate to see it. When we are in the heat we experience more tangibly our desperate NEED for God and we have constant opportunity to allow Him to work on our character. Pressures and troubles squeeze you, and the squeezing brings out what is inside you…. And that my friend is actually a good thing… because that’s when we allow Him to bring forth more growth in our lives.

I had to recognize my need daily… even my unwillingness at times…and to deal with my emotions and not be led by them. Sometimes our flesh cries, “I can’t” or even worse yet… “I really don’t want to”… and that’s when I can stop and choose to cry out, “Change my heart oh God!” You see, Justus can be a stinker…he’s 2 years old and been through a lot and he hasn’t been redeemed yet, but this old momma of his has chosen to follow Jesus…His way of being and doing… so when she’s feeling like a stinker it’s time to face the facts, stop walking in my own strength, and RECIEVE the grace of God.

His Word says He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Realizing in the heat of the moment that I have a choice… it’s my choice to humble myself and then RECEIVE His grace…. To yield to the hand of the potter working in my heart and life… molding me and making me into a vessel His love can pour through. God didn’t redeem me to just get by, but to walk in His peace and joy everyday regardless of trial…. And to declare the goodness of God!!

His kindness leads me to repentance
His goodness draws me to His side
His mercy calls me to be like Him
His favor is my delight
Everyday I AWAKEN my praise
and pour out a song from my heart
YOU ARE GOOD, You are good, You are good, and your mercy is forever!
Your kindness is forever, Your goodness is forever, Your mercy is forever.
-song lyrics by Kari Jobe

As you can tell, this blog post today really isn’t about adoption or a broken leg for that matter… it’s about the things in life that seem to squeeze us… loss, suffering, sickness, hardships, finances, work place challenges, marriage or relationship challenges, relatives, parenting toddlers (smile)… whatever is causing you to feel squeezed right now in life... and realizing the truth that His grace IS SUFFICIENT for us in the midst of it!

Is His GRACE enough?? (say it with me..) YES, if I CHOOSE TO RECEIVE it!! Just like a gift given… it has to be RECEIVED and used if it’s going to benefit us.” … I’ve continually felt weak (literally without a leg to stand on.. ha), but it’s good to humble myself and ask for GRACE to make it through another day. Jesus wants to help us and empower us in every area… not just the parts we call “spiritual”. (I was even asking for “poop” grace….because the constant blow outs and diarrhea were overwhelming, and even now after 2 months and 3 rounds of medications for our son, we still are not to the end of it. Yes, today more poop was delivered to the lab @ Children’s Mercy.

So thankful that His Word is true… it is a matter of if I will believe it and allow it to work mightily in me. His grace is enough and “I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me” Phil. 4:13. As I finish typing up this post, my son is finally asleep in the porta-crib next to my bed after 2 hours of rocking and putting him down only to try again and again and again…. The crazy thing about it is that there is never any rhyme or reason to it. Some days it’s super easy and he’s out and in his crib in 20 minutes, then there are still days like tonight that still take a marathon of effort… regardless of if it’s a easier day or a harder day, God’s grace is sufficient IF I CHOOSE TO RECEIVE IT. And let me tell you, it’s a night and day difference in my attitude when I choose to receive it (smile).

What are you making bigger than God in your life?? Put the trial, challenge, or circumstance in right perspective by putting God in His rightful place… As Beth Moore says, Are you believing God? Will we allow Him be the umpire over our emotions and trust Him to call the shots in our lives everyday? That’s the daily challenge to myself personally right now… surrender to my King… and when I feel squeezed… choosing PRAISE to come out of my mouth, not complaining…. And by all means ENJOY the journey!!

“Breathe in the grace of God when life is most aggravating and know He gives new beginnings every day when you ASK.” Be encouraged today… even when you don’t know how you are going to make it tomorrow... He not only strengthens… He SUSTAINS!!!

In closing this blog post, it would not be complete without a few words of THANKS!!! Clint was my total HERO dealing with fussy babies during the night time shift of bottles and diaper changes. He’s already been over the top amazing before I broke my leg helping with blowouts, baths, and just keeping up with the daily stuff… but when I was reduced to using crutches in a house full of stairs to get anywhere… he had to shift into overdrive. I’m so blessed with an incredible man and best friend who would “talk me down” from climbing the walls being cooped up so long. My older 4 were who were stretched by not having momma do for the, and then having to do for me and the babies… and having to help with the night shift when daddy was out of town two times. Thanks also to Life Church family for prayers, meals, hand-me-downs for the kids (even a box with pjs was given at the right time for Justus… you go through a lot when you’re having poop issues)… I can’t imagine life without such an incredible church family!!! And to my friends… Janice, Alisa, Julie, Angela, Hayley and Heather who helped keep me a little sane in little ways by their friendship through it all…. even being willing to allow me to order you around while “we” re-arranged my furniture to change up the scenery…. It’s a wonderful life.

~ Mary

(Pic at the top is us celebrating Hannah Mercy turning 1 year old last month!!)

Levi is loving having a lil brother to teach his moves to:)

Mercy loves swinging

Justus Clinton Sprague... an amazing lil boy!

Learning daily…

2011-03-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

I’ve meant to blog for days… but due to fatigue, I’ve kept putting it off…. I’ve so much to learn and grow in DAILY… I’m so thankful for the way the Holy Spirit helps me… a thought that has continually come to my mind lately is…. “when I am weak… THEN I am strong”… how truly amazing is that??!! Thank you Father that YOUR mercies are new EVERY morning, GREAT is Your FAITHFULNESS!!

Well, today marks our 11th day home! Wow… in some ways it feels so much shorter and others it feels so much longer. Justus and Hannah Mercy are doing great… and their momma is trying to keep up with them. Let’s face the facts… two biological kids in diapers at the same time is challenging… so why would I expect anything less in the physical realm with my adopted kids… when you have two and they each wake up 3 times a night… that’s 6 times… so yes, that was quite a week… so glad it’s done. They have both slept through the night twice now… so I think (and hope) we are finally getting on the right track. One day my son alone had 12 poopy diapers… I thought I had stockpiled some diapers… but wow… they went curbside quick! Levi made fun of it by putting tally marks on the whiteboard throughout the day to see who had the most… Justus or Mercy. I’ve finally gotten used to the daily blow outs… giving frequent baths… and keeping the laundry going… I know that eventually this too will pass.

Justus is a smart, sweet, but a very strong, affectionate boy… his tantrums, pickiness, and spitting out food are small issues compared to how WONDERFUL he is….and how much better he is doing with each passing day. He is so precious and when he laughs and or is so thrilled to be wrestling with his daddy or riding on his back trying to keep hold of that daddy bronco… I just can’t explain to you the intense emotions I feel. He was just meant to be a part of us. He holds me so tightly sometimes…. It melts my heart and causes me to speak blessing over him again and again. Redeemer… Restorer… Rebuilder… have Your way in my sons little heart… may He know your loving-kindness through us.

Hannah Mercy continues to be a constant delight… her smiles are so energetic and contagious. She is a bright light and so, soooo cute. She has cut 2 more teeth since we’ve had her and even when she is crying mad… she is so, so cute. Oh… and she absolutely LOVES to eat! It’s been wonderful to see our biological kids lavishing them with love as well. Justus and Mercy have been smothered with our kisses every day and we are all SOOOO THANKFUL for God blessing us with 2 more Spragues… growing pains and all.

Okay enough rambling… there really is a point to this blog entry… I thought I’d share an excerpt from my journal from last week:

Feb. 26th… the one week home mark… things You are teaching me this week in the midst of sleep deprivation…

When the goal is that they do what I want them to do (like lay down and go to sleep) then I easily begin to feel frustrated after many failed attempts… falls asleep in my arms, put them in crib… they wake up and cry… start all over again… then again… then again…. Then in the midst of one of these episodes, I felt like the Lord said to my heart… “If the goal is to love them and connect, you won’t be frustrated with trying to get them to sleep.” Oh Lord, help me to walk with this goal @ every nap time, bed time, meal time, bath time, etc. Eliminate “hurry” from my life so that I can enjoy my kids to the full.

The Lord says, “I am the master teacher on this… My goal is always to love my children without conditions. It has never been to accomplish a task… it’s about drawing them to myself… and loving them, filling them, relating to them, connecting to them. And from that place of intimacy and trust, obedience from a heart responding in love and trust releases the joy of doing life together… running together… enjoying together… the goal has always been relationship.”

Thank you Holy Spirit that you will always be faithful to open my eyes to see the perspective of your heart. I’ve so much to learn… teach me your heart more as I walk this path with my adopted children. Thank you that you led the way by adopting us into your family first. Release the spirit of adoption over our family…. Release the heart You have to cause our hearts to gain greater insight and understanding. Let our goal be to Love and to Connect… to see wholeness and healing in our children lives… to cultivate and to nurture relationship with them.

Romans 1:6 .. “And this includes you, called of Jesus Christ and invited [as you are] to BELONG to Him.”

Well, that was some of what I wrote in my journal on the 26th…. And I’ve found that EVERY single day since, I am having ample opportunities to learn, be challenged, and to put it into practice… in the heat of the battle…to ask myself, “Is it about my agenda?, or is it about loving and connecting with my kids? What is the goal?” Because it’s game time now…today matters… today is a gift, and at this foundational building time we are in…. I’ve got to do it HIS way, not mine. Does this mean I do it perfect every time, no… I’m very human, I fail… but HE doesn’t… HIS grace is sufficient for me. What it does mean is that I’ve got to keep running to THE SOURCE… to plug in so that rivers of living water flow through me… may I continue to SURRENDER in the times of frustration… may I grow in heart and perspective as I learn from the Master…. My Abba Father.

When I am weak (and feeling weak has felt quite familiar these last 11 days), THEN I am strong … what an amazing God we serve…. Be magnified O God, there is truly none like You.

2011-02-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

The Sprague Family Homecoming from Jessica Strom on Vimeo.

Update from Ethiopia - February 17, 2011

2011-02-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

These past 4 days have been so life-changing. Don’t even know where to start so I’ll just skip through a brief highlighted review. Monday… We got to pick up our kids from the Thomas Center (read the last blog post for the play by play). It went so much better than we expected.

Tuesday was a day with no agenda, but to love our kids with the love of the Father. The morning went fairly smoothly as we tried to connect with our fearful 2 year old son. Our almost 11 month old baby girl is a sheer delight and full of smiles… we just eat her up and she loves every minute of it!

Anyway, things were going better than we had expected until Clint was leaving to go try to find medicine for Mercy’s cough. Right when he opened the door to go, our son had a melt down. It was very traumatic for him. When Clint returned 2 hours later, he wouldn’t even let Clint near him. It seemed that any relationship that had been built was now gone. It broke our hearts knowing that our son has no idea of our love and commitment to him. Children who have been abandoned have emotions that push people away as a defense against future abandonment. We have to prove to him we are here, we aren’t leaving, and that we are trustworthy…. And we know that will only come with time. We are the 5th set of caretakers he has had in this past year, and we have no idea what he faced in his first year.

We have the long term vision for the healing of our sons heart, while understanding we may face two steps forward, one step back, 3 steps forward, 2 steps back… etc… but we know that no matter how long it takes, the vital thing in it all is that we are making progress. I’m so thankful for the books read… especially “The Connected Child” because it gave Clint and I vocabulary as we quickly began to see so much of what we learned be true in the actions of our son, and how it has given us a bit more insight into the road we are on. By bedtime, we were making progress again, and Justus once again allowed the arms of his father to hold him… although with some reservation…he fell asleep for the second night in his daddy’s arms.

Wednesday we were picked up at 7:30am and off to the Embassy! We had a 9am appointment, but were supposed to be there early. By 9:30 we heard the words, “It’s official” that our children our now United States citizens! This was the final piece of the puzzle we had waited for these last 3 months since our adoption court date here in Ethiopia back in November.

Next, it was back to the Thomas Center by 10am. The kids had to have their last doctor’s review there after 11am and then at noon they took us and 3 other families to the CHI offices for lunch. Made it back to our guest house by around 3pm and were told we would be picked up at 5pm for the adoption celebration at the Thomas Center. The kids there sang for us, we heard a message from Pastor Abdissa, were given gifts, and did the Bread Ceremony. By about 7:30 they loaded us all up to have dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant with traditional dances, food, and tour. It was a wonderful day and we were all exhausted when we were dropped off at our guest house around 10pm.

Which brings us to today… another down day with the entire focus being to enjoy and connect with our kids. We did one outing at 2pm to a Historical museum. Thanks to my brother we enjoyed the ergo baby carriers (getting some practice in for our airport/travel trek that begins tomorrow). It was the best day so far, yes, still ebbs and flows, but for the first time we heard laughter from our son… and we see glimpses into our son when he let’s his guard down… he’s such a charmer and very smart. There were less times of him withdrawing, and more times of him enjoying the love of his parents and sustained eye contact. Even more times of him testing boundaries like every 2 year does… we are loving every minute of it.

Tomorrow is Friday, our last day in Ethiopia. Our completed paperwork from the Embassy will be ready to be picked up by 10am. We will enjoy the day with the kids, then pack up and get picked up from the guesthouse at 6pm. Our flight doesn’t leave Addis until 10:15pm, but we are to be there 3 hours early normally, and we were told 4 HOURS EARLY if we want to ensure getting bulk head seating on the plane for our kids. So we appreciate your prayers for us and the kids. The flight from Addis to DC is 17.5 hours… then a 9.5 hour layover in DC… followed by another 2.5 hour flight to KC!!! We are dependent on the grace of God for our kids… as this will be a huge amount of change and stimulation after being used to living in an orphanage inside of gated walls. I’ve changed more blow outs in the last 4 days than I ever experienced in 4 months with my other 4 kids combined! I have no idea how they can both poop so many times in one day… but I was warned about it, so we brought plenty of diapers and wet wipes!! Pray for the plane ride home… it’s an overwhelming thought to handle this on the plane, but I know that God’s grace is and will be sufficient.

Everyday we end the day in awe that we’ve been blessed with these precious children. Our God is so good and it is indeed a wonderful life!

What an Incredible Valentines Day!

2011-02-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

(Update from Ethiopia on 2-14-11)

I sit here and type with tears of overwhelmed gratitude for the incredible gifts God entrusted to us today. We agree with God, that children truly are a gift from the Him!

We started the day so excited that we were finally going to hold our kids in our arms this morning. We swung by a nice grocery store called Bambis and stocked up on some groceries that we couldn’t bring with us in our suitcases… things like bananas, bread, and a case of water. Then it was straight to the Thomas Center, and as the gates opened for the car to drive in, there was a crowd of kids standing right out front of the building yelling “welcome” and greeting us with huge smiles, roses, and of course the two new Sprague kids that were in our arms as soon as we stepped out of the car. We did enjoy giving the kids some balloons to play with and I even had a few little kids standing at my legs calling me mommy.

Justus and Hannah Mercy are so precious and today went so much smoother than we had ever imagined. We made it back to the guesthouse by 4;30pm and Justus had time to play with the toys we brought for him. Then it was bath time for both of them, then I made some mac-n- cheese for dinner and Justus finished his whole bowl. The place we are staying is working out perfect for us, it’s clean, quiet, and spacious.

Cutest memory of the day… Justus holding onto his daddy’s finger while exploring the hotel lobby… wish I had a camera at that moment, but my arms were full with my baby girl so I just watched the two of them walk around while Clint talked to him. He’s so tiny next to his daddy… the picture in my memory is there for keeps… and later Clint told me how much it had blessed him when Justus had taken a hold of his finger…that my friends Visa just can’t buy.

By the end of the day Justus made it clear that he will be his daddy’s boy… when he cried tonight after I put him down in his crib for bed, daddy quickly said, “ Let me take care of this… and the two of them relaxed in a chair with Kenny G music playing while Justus happily fell asleep in Clint’s arms... I could have been tempted to be a bit envious of the sight, but I did have Baby Mercy in mine drinking her bottle and being as cute as ever. She is a total delight and so full of smiles... still can’t believe we really get to have them. We talked together about the day and both just stood in awe of God’s blessing and answer to prayers.

Well, it’s our bed time now… we are wiped out, and being on the 4th floor is giving us some great exercise. Pray for Mercy, she has an awful cough, but is sleeping through it so far. We are praying for restored health for her before we have to do the 17.5 hour flight back to DC, with 10 hour layover in DC, and then another 2.5 hour flight to KC. Our visa appointment at the embassy is at 9am on Wednesday, so we appreciate prayers for that as well.

This is the day that the Lord has made… and we are still rejoicing and so glad in it!

Every day I will bless you…

2011-02-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

If there is anything we have learned over the course of this adoption journey is that we can’t control the circumstances, we have no power over the long waits between steps along the way, but one thing we do have control over is how we face each new day. For us it was growth in determining that regardless of circumstances or set backs, we had a choice to walk in the peace and joy Jesus came to give us, or to yield to the roller coaster of our emotions. The key was obeying His Word… “I WILL BLESS the Lord at ALL times, HIS praise shall CONTINUALLY be in my mouth.” Declaring who our God and thanking Him for His faithfulness refreshed us with renewed strength and peace for the day. Casting our cares on Him daily had to become the “default setting”, and thanks be to God who leads us into victory! We FINALLY made it to the last leg of the journey!

Once again, this is the day that the Lord has made, we are REJOICING and so glad in it!! Our flights took us through Washington, DC and we were so blessed to spend a wonderful evening catching up with my Aunt Jungmi and cousin Daniel. The took us to the best Korean restaurant we’ve ever been to and we feasted… literally!! It was so delicious and we were so thankful to reconnect with family. (Thank you Aunt Jungmi for an amazing dinner, great breakfast and taxi driving to and from the airport. We loved catching up with you!)

This is a picture of all our baggage!! It took two smart carts to get it from the curb to the check in counter. Two of the suitcases are filled with formula, diapers, clothes, and toys for the YWAM orphanages. Thanks to Jon Umstead, we get to donate the suitcases too so we don’t have to bring so much luggage back with us when we have the kids on our return trip.

Psalm 145:2-9
“EVERYDAY I WILL BLESS you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I WILL MEDITATE. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I WILL DECLARE your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall SING ALOUD of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.”

Looking forward to being in Ethiopia soon and holding Justus and baby Mercy!!

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!!!!

2011-02-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

It’s late and snowing in Kansas, but I’ve got to write to tell you how great our God is!! First let me catch you up with the last leg of this journey… We had a court date in Ethiopia Nov. 11th and our adoption became final. We were then told it would take about 6 to 8 weeks to be given visa appointments with the embassy in order to bring the kids to the U.S. So although we had full custody of our kids if we stayed in Ethiopia, we were not allowed to bring them out of Ethiopia yet. Thus the wait began… and weeks slowly turned into months… and the Lord was WITH us each day as we waited for 3 long months to hear the news we received today…

Early this morning Clint was sitting at the breakfast table drinking coffee and checking email, when he shockingly said we got an email from the embassy….“We have APPROVAL?!?!!!!! What? How is that possible?? We read and re-read the email from the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia over and over as we stood in awe and knew with great joy that our GOD had truly “turned the king’s heart”… there is no other explanation.

You see, on Dec. 22nd the U.S. Embassy had given our agency a list of 5 things to be obtained before a visa appointment would be issued to us. They were told they would have to wait and submit all 5 things together. So six weeks later they were still lacking one, but finally had made contact with the police officer of the small town and were in process of sending someone to obtain it this week, BUT before that happened we were granted APPROVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ran upstairs after we read the email from the embassy to write in my journal praise to my King and when I opened my Bible, I read Proverbs 21 and was overcome with gratitude because I knew this victory was the Lord’s!! I then wrote these verses in my journal…. Prov. 21:1 “The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, as are the watercourses; He turns it whichever way He wills.” And verse 30 & 31 at the end of that chapter says “There is no [human] wisdom or understanding or counsel [that can prevail] against the Lord. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance and VICTORY are of the Lord!”

A few hours after we received the good news from the embassy, our agency emailed to let us know an update of the process and that hopefully by the end of this week all would be submitted to the embassy. I immediately emailed our agency rep back the news we had received and proclaimed, “God has done this!!” For all of you who have been praying with us… THANK YOU!! ALL praise and glory and honor be to our God for He has opened the door for us! The victory is the Lords!!

Psalm 118:23-24 “This is from the Lord and is His doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Our Embassy appointment is set for Feb. 16th! THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!!

Where is my HOPE today?

2011-01-16T22:06:00.000-08:00

A brief adoption update:
We are still in Kansas… our kids are still in Ethiopia… and my God is still on the throne! He is still trustworthy… still faithful… and still fully ABLE! He cares more about my character than my comfort… and for that I am truly thankful. As we have walked this road, there has been continuing opportunity of coming to terms with each “disappointment” or delay we have faced. When things don’t go according to OUR plan…we can look to the PLAN MAKER! Why do I always want to have some sort of say or control? Do I really trust You Lord? Where is my hope today?

I can’t imagine doing life without the Holy Spirit…He is our comforter, counselor, teacher, and guide in life… He seems to know just how to break through to me when I take time to listen. Sometimes He speaks so clear to me that I stand and wonder… wow, how did I never put that together before? Not getting what “I want” or what “I think is best” has really brought about opportunity to discover another powerful truth this week. Fresh revelation that energizes me and enables me to continue walking in joy and peace despite things not going according to MY plan. It’s not that I hadn’t “known” these verses before… but there is a big difference between TO KNOW (head knowledge) and TO KNOW (heart revelation). So here we go…

There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick”, and we all can see that happen often in the world we live in… but I know that God doesn’t want my heart sick? As I follow Jesus I must ask myself, WHERE is my hope today?? Is it in me getting my way and things going according to my plan? David must have asked himself this question too, because in Psalm 42:5 he says, “Why so downcast oh my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your HOPE in GOD, for I will yet praise Him.” Wow… each opportunity for disappointment in life is really a reality check to expose where I’m putting my hope because His Word promises us that “Those who hope IN THE LORD will NEVER be disappointed”.

The key… keep my trust and HOPE in HIM and I will NEVER be disappointed!! I remind myself that He sees the whole picture… that He loves our kids more than we could in a lifetime… He is all powerful…. He can part the Red Sea…He kept the boys from being burnt in a fiery furnace… not even smelling of smoke…He can open prison doors and set captives free… HE KNOWS the plans He has for us…plans for GOOD and not for evil, to give us a future and a HOPE… and lastly…if God is for us, who can be against us?! Thank you Lord that our hope is in YOU!! I trust your judgment over my own…your timing over my timing….your way is PERFECT… so teach me your ways. I want to mean it when I pray, “not my will but Your will be done”. Every day I can live in the realm of reason or I can live in the realm of confident TRUST in HIS WORD. I choose to HOPE in God today. ~ Mary

A constant reminder…

2011-01-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

The puzzle is complete, framed, and hung in our living room serving as a constant reminder that we have not walked this adoption journey alone. There are names on the pieces of our puzzle of people whom we have never met, as well as names of friends and family who we’ve known for years… who all came together to play a vital part of bringing our children home from Ethiopia. Our hearts are so thankful to God for each and every one of you!

“We continually give thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we are praying for you,” Colossians 1:3

View of the back of puzzle

The most asked question we are constantly bombarded with is…. WHEN do you get to go???? Good question. When we traveled to Ethiopia and passed court on Nov. 11th, I had met another adoptive mom on the plane that was returning to pick up her daughter less than 4 weeks after she had passed court… I then remember having hopes of a Dec. 7th embassy date. We knew that would take a miracle, so we just figured for sure we’d get to go for the Dec. 21st embassy date…. until we received a sad call and that date came and went.

We were then given the Jan 4th tentative embassy appointment date, tickets and housing were booked, lists were checked off, and with only a few days before we were to fly out, we received the phone call that said the embassy was asking for more documents for each all 6 of the families that were supposed to travel, so we needed to change our tickets. Wow, yet another opportunity to choose to Consider it all Joy and grow once again in a thankful heart in the midst of circumstances outside our control.

So here we are, less than a week from the day we are to fly out again. Two suitcases loaded with formula and stuff to donate to YWAM’s Orphan & Widow homes, 1 suitcase full of stuff for our kids, and then 1 still to be packed with our stuff. Our tentative embassy appointment date is January 18th. Plans are made and airline tickets are purchased again and every time I feel unsure, Clint proclaims to me, “We ARE GOING!” We are hoping and praying that all the additional requested paperwork has come together on that end to satisfy the embassies requests. PLEASE CONTINUE PRAYING for the favor of God to surround our case and that the U.S. Embassy will grant us permission to bring our children home. GOD is ABLE!

Eph. 3:20-21 Amplified “Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, IS ABLE to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] – To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

A garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…

2010-12-31T22:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight when I put my son to bed he said, "I wish you and daddy were on the plane going to get them now"… I said, “Oh, me too son.” This adoption journey has truly been quite a journey for all six of us. It seems this road of international adoption really isn’t a road at all… it’s much more like a ROLLER COASTER! (and all those who have walked it before us and with us say “AMEN”!!)

You see, Clint and I were supposed to fly out today on flight # 6504 @ 11:48am to go pick up our kids, but yet another “set back” occurred. Early Wednesday morning, Kathy from CHI called. I answered the phone so excited because I was expecting her to tell us the embassy gave the “okay” for us to fly for our assigned tentative date, but very quickly tears were streaming down my face and I could hardly speak. I just couldn't believe it.... I so stunned at the news that it took me a bit to accept what she was saying to me on the phone. We were all being told that we would have to wait until the next tentative date. I ran upstairs to tell Clint that all 6 of us families were denied the “okay” to come for our appointments, and that the embassy was asking for more paperwork for every one of our files.

Even though we both knew this could happen, being the chronic optimists that we are, tickets had been bought, reservations made, and we had been counting down the days all week till we would see our kids! So as you can imagine, we were both completely stunned with disbelief at the news. It was a huge blow for both of us... we really felt crushed... so shocked we didn't get to go, so let down and overcome with sadness…. So we prayed… actually Clint prayed while I bawled like a baby.

Anyway, I had to get the dog to an appointment at the vet, so I was crying and rushing around to get out the door. I'm so thankful that our kids were still not awake yet. As I drove, I cried out before the Lord. On my way home I was such a mess that I determined that today I would thank the Lord OUT LOUD with every wave of sadness and disappointment I felt. So out of my mouth ALL morning came the spoken words, "Thank you Lord", with tears filling my eyes.. over and over… “Thank you Lord” and declaring to Him, "I trust you"… because the alternative was really not a alternative. And that’s when I noticed it, by noon it felt so powerful over my emotions each time I said THANK YOU LORD. It was as if I could feel the momentum building every time I declared it out loud. It was kind of amazing me, and actually by the time I went to bed, I was deeply impacted in my heart. I was so held in His arms... His peace was so resting on me... it was so tangible it was almost weird. I have never done that before to that extent, and I felt a bit stunned by it all as I lay in bed pondering it all after we prayed.

The Word commands us..."In EVERYTHING give thanks" and I so clearly realized that I had just experienced the reason WHY He must tell us to do something so simple, so do-able, so practical in a very tangible way. Gratitude literally lifts us... it so changes our perspective... it even changed my emotions!!! By the end of the day with the "Thank you Lord” still being spoken every time I felt sad about it…. Along with it was coming waves of thanksgiving and praise accompanied by such a feeling of safety and His presence.

There is a song I learned as a child that is based on a verse in the Bible that says, "He gives us beauty for ashes... the oil of joy for mourning... a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness… I am a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that Jesus be glorified."
It was as if the more I spoke out loud "Thank you Lord", that the actual spirit of heaviness lifted and He truly gave me a garment of praise! I was thrilled at what I had just witnessed within myself that day… it was a total “lightbulb” moment... and I've been so profoundly impacted because of Wednesday.

If I could choose all over, I know I wouldn't change it because I've just experienced something amazing, do-able, and powerful! What we speak out of our mouths is powerful over our thoughts and our emotions! Our words are seeds... they have the power of life and death... they can edify and build up...they are effective. I’m thankful that our endurance muscle has really had to grow through this adoption process, it has been so long and even painful at times, but we would do it all over again because the Holy Spirit is so faithful to teach us and grow us through it! And because our children are so worth it!!

As we close out 2010 tonight realizing that we were supposed to fly out today, I honestly feel so thankful because God has taught me a powerful lesson through this whole thing that I know it's going to affect the rest of my life. Although I’ve spoken His Word out loud before as I’ve faced trials, or a bit here and there with challenges, I’ve never THANKED HIM out loud so consistently as I did on Wednesday with so many waves of sadness hitting me… it proved mood altering and life changing! THANKS BE TO GOD WHO ALWAYS LEADS US IN TRIUMPH!!!!!

TENTATIVE - January 4th visa appointment date

2010-12-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

When I opened my email today and read that statement on the memo line, I think my heart skipped a beat!! WE ARE GOING TO GET OUR KIDS!! I’m so overcome with emotion and thanksgiving to our God.

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise Him enough?"
~Psalm 106:1-2

The agency said that they won’t have confirmation of our appointment until the end of next week… possibly only a day or two before we will need to travel. The email said that our case was filed at the Embassy TODAY for the next visa appointment date, so please KEEP PRAYING that every document and detail would be there, and that they will confirm this January 4th appointment so we can book our tickets!!

AND for some icing on the cake… Clint’s birthday just happens to be Jan. 2nd, which is the day they would want us to arrive in Ethiopia. Can you think of any gift more memorable than to get to travel to get our kids on Clint’s 42nd birthday?!!! It will have been 53 days since we were there…. 53 days of “absence making the heart grow fonder”… 53 days of praying and longing to hold them again when we will finally get to see their faces again… THANK YOU LORD for YOUR steadfast love and faithfulness EVERY SINGLE DAY of our lives. How could we ever praise you enough!
~ Mary

Finishing Touches on the Adoption Puzzle

Prayer not Passivity… “keep on asking”

2010-12-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

Matt. 7:7 Amplified says, “Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened.”

Daniel was such a good example as he consistently was faithful to pray 3 times a day. Prayer shows our dependence on God. I’ve felt challenged by the Holy Spirit that I’m to FIGHT in the place of prayer for my kids…. That I’m not to slip into passivity, but to step up in the place of being intentional in interceding for each of them…. And even praying specifically over the seemly slowed “red tape” of this whole adoption process.

I think it’s easy for me to get passive by just thinking God’s will is done WITHOUT praying…. To forget that the Word tells us that we are engaged in spiritual battle every day of our lives… that our adversary prowls about like a roaring lion, SEEKING whom he may devour….I have to remind myself that we’ve been given dominion and authority on this earth and I daily choose to step up and walk in that authority. His Word shows us continually that prayer moves the hand of God!

The past week I’ve been pondering some of what Word tells us about prayer…. I’m commanded to pray without ceasing…. To pray His Kingdom to come and HIS WILL to BE DONE…. He tells us in His Word that the effectual prayer of a righteous man avails much”…. Do I truly believe God’s Word…. Do my actions (or my daily prayer life) reflect my belief?

If you believe Matthew 18:19, please pray the following in agreement with me today… and everyday:
Father, we ask that you would thwart every attack of the enemy today concerning the details of our adoption. We rebuke every principality and power that would stand in the way of our children coming home, and we ask YOUR WILL to be done on behalf of our children TODAY!! We ask for favor with all the governmental offices that are processing our paper work, that your hand would oversee the entire process, and that YOUR NAME would be honored and glorified. We SUBMIT our lives and our children to you completely today. Thank you that Your Word says… “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he WILL FLEE.” We rebuke you devil in the Name of JESUS, you have NO authority in our lives or the lives of our children… we are bought and covered by the precious blood of Jesus! No weapon formed against us shall prosper! Surround our children with a hedge of protection and pour out your peace and presence upon their lives today. We ask and keep on asking in the Name of Jesus, AMEN!!! (So be it!!)

I John 5:14 & 15 amplified
And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have IN HIM: [we are sure] that IF WE ASK anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. And if (since) WE KNOW that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that WE HAVE [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.”
~ Mary Sprague

The Goal is Exceeded!!

2010-11-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

Our Adoption Puzzle pieces are all sponsored and there is extra to give toward other’s adoptions!! Is God just so amazing…. Exceedingly, abundantly, above all we could think or ask. If you feel called to adopt, but are letting finances stop you….. DON’T! Now is the time to consider God’s ability! He is beyond ABLE, and where He guides HE PROVIDES!!!

We had a wonderful time with family in Texas for Thanksgiving. We had the adoption puzzle shipped there straight from the maker…. And it never arrived. So our desire on Thanksgiving Day to put it together and label the pieces with every ones names was not able to happen… yet! There is another puzzle being re-made and shipped to Kansas now which will make for a very exciting family night really soon. We will post pics of the completed project, but for now we will re-post the art work of what it will look like.

THANK YOU to everyone who gave to this puzzle fundraiser through Lifesong for Orphans. You have been a vital piece in bringing home our two children, and because we exceeded our goal… you are even playing a part in helping others you’ve never met with their adoption.

Fundraising

Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

New pics today…

2010-11-22T12:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a few new pics of the kids that we received through email from our adoption agency today. Aren’t they so precious!! We are sooooooooooooo BLESSED!! So many people have told us that our adoptive kids are blessed to come into our family, but we know that it’s really our family that is SO BLESSED to be entrusted with such incredible gifts from the Lord.

We have so much to be thankful for… God has provided every step of the way in this adoption journey. Our puzzle fundraiser is done and was an amazing success! We stand in awe of our Awesome God who is able to do exceedingly, above and beyond what we think or ask.

“Oh Give Thanks to the Lord for He is GOOD!”

Sad News Today…

2010-11-19T16:00:00.001-08:00

Started the day off @ the mayor’s prayer breakfast this morning, hearing a 12 year old girl loudly proclaim through song that God IS our life…our hope, our peace, our JOY. We know this to be true.

Throughout this adoption journey we’ve been on, we always seem to jump with joy at any phone call with news from Children’s House International (CHI), but today the call only brought tears and some real physical aching to my heart. If you’ve known us long, you know that Clint and I are extreme optimists…. so when CHI told us that it would take 4-8weeks to get our Embassy date… we had great expectation that our kids would surely be home by Christmas!!
We already knew of the two embassy date slots CHI had been assigned for December (Dec. 7th and 21st), but on the phone today was when we learned some additional news that changed our expectations. We were informed that CHI is only allowed 10 families per Embassy date. The Dec. 21st embassy date we were so hoping to get assigned is ALREADY full because of their limit. There are now already 10 families (12 children) booked for it… leaving no open slot for us. I quickly began to ask questions until she said, “Mary I’m sorry to tell you that realistically there isn’t even a 1% chance that you will get to bring them home in December”. So even if all of our paper work (birth certificates, passports, and visas) were complete today, we would NOT be able to travel to pick the kids up until a January embassy date because of this 10 family limit that is placed on CHI.

Although the news from the phone call was sad and not what we wanted to hear…. the blanket of PEACE that surrounds us is very real. Even as our hearts feel real longing to hold our kids in our arms again… we know that our ever-present God is holding them until we are given permission to return to Ethiopia. Our God is amazing… His presence is tangible… He comforts me by reminding me that He is holding Justus and baby Mercy right now…. @ the very same time He is holding me… There is truly none so capable and so faithful like our Abba, Father God… so thankful to be His.
He is our hope, our peace, our strength, our joy… today. None can compare to the King of Kings. So I’m thanking the Lord for our precious kids today and looking forward to the day we will hold them again!

“I will bless the Lord at ALL times; HIS PRAISE shall continually be in my mouth.”

We’re almost there…only 30 pieces left to be sponsored!

2010-11-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Our adoption fundraising puzzle has now been ordered. A big THANK YOU to Isaac Alongi Studios for taking the family picture and doing the artwork, as well as a big thanks to the Precthl family for letting us borrow Kendi and Tristen as “stand ins” for our family picture to represent Justus and Hannah Mercy who are still in Ethiopia.

We can’t wait for this to be framed and hung in our house as a constant reminder of all who were part of the puzzle to bring our kids home from Ethiopia. We will be putting the puzzle together over the Thanksgiving holiday and writing each of the names of those who sponsored pieces on the back of the puzzle. We will post pics once it is completed, but until then, the picture above is what it will look like.

Fundraising

Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

Arrived safely home on Friday…but part of our hearts are still in Ethiopia

2010-11-13T09:30:00.000-08:00

– Mary's update Nov. 13, 2010

We both woke up very early today… I’m sure it will take a few days to re-adjust, but we just seized the moment before the sun came up to give thanks again and just praise the Lord for the “it’s final” verdict given to us by the judge in Ethiopia. We are so blessed and are longing to return and bring them home. They say it usually takes anywhere from 4-8weeks to be given your embassy date (6 wks is the average and most realistic). Although, we did meet one family on the plane on their way back to Ethiopia to pick up their daughter less than a month after their court date! They were so shocked that they were given an embassy date so quickly, and we were encouraged that it is possible… that would be amazing. Our hope is in the Lord… Join us in praying for all the paperwork for both kids (birth certificates, passports, and visas) to go smoothly… Pray that HIS timing and HIS way would be done in bringing our kids home.

“As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” ~ Ps 18:30

Okay, here is a quick sneak peak of the treasure God is entrusting to our care. We will post more in the days ahead….

Justus Clinton Sprague

Justus playing with his new car

Hannah Mercy Sprague getting some lovin' from Daddy

Momma and Mercy in the car on the way to the Thomas Center

Court Date!!!

2010-11-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

(Mary's update from 11-11-10)

Nov. 11, 2010

For some reason we aren’t able to access Clint’s blog here in Ethiopia, but I will go ahead and give a report and we will post this update to facebook at least before we fly out tonight. Today is the much awaited court date!!

We arrived to our court appointment this morning along with five other families that are adopting through CHI. After walking up several sets of stairs, we arrived to a very crowded waiting room area feeling much anticipation and wondering how long this process would take. We’ve heard from other’s experiences it can take anywhere from 2 minutes to 5 hours, let’s just say that we were all really hoping for the best. Not too long after we had arrived, our group was notified that we were to leave and come back in the afternoon. Everyone felt a bit bummed, but at least we were able to go straight over to the Thomas Center to spend time with our kids until we were to return to court. We returned to the court at 2pm and were so happy to begin the wait for our names to be called. One family at a time was called in before the judge. Out of our 6 families, only 2 of families received the report: “it’s final”…. And PRAISE to the King of Kings we were so blessed to be one of those families!!!!!!!!!!! It’s FINAL!!!!!!!!! The Sprague family is legally a family of 8 now!!! Please be praying for the other families who were given a Nov. 19th date of waiting for a final approval letter from the MOWA.

All I can say is that it feels too good to be true…. I’m amazed! We are rejoicing and excited to board the plane tonight and start the journey back to Kansas. Our daughter is doing wonderful… we so enjoyed our time with her again today and got more video and pictures to mark this special day. Our son is still at the orphanage in Adama, but he will be transferred to the Thomas Center tomorrow along with another boy. Wish we could have stayed here just one more day to be there when he arrived, but know that very soon we will get to return to pick him up for good. Please be praying for him during this transition, that he would have favor with the nannies and other children at the Thomas Center. Pray for our safety in our flights home as well.

Once back in Kansas we will post some pics…. But for now, you’ll just have to wait a few more days to see the wonderful gifts the Father has just blessed our family with. We are overwhelmed with gratitude to the Lord. May our lives always tell of the faithfulness of our God and bring HIM the honor and glory due His Name! His works are wonderful, we know that full well!!

Psalm 89:1 “I will sing of the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness from generation to generation.”

Orphan Sunday

2010-11-13T07:07:00.000-08:00

We were amazed at God’s timing once again… He opened the door for us to fly to Ethiopia the weekend of Orphan Sunday at church, I shared my message on video to be played for the weekend services. We recieved great feedback about weekend at Life Church and we are excited about what God is doing in our midst to challenge us as a church body. If you missed the message at Life Church you can click the link to cacth it and learn more about the Crisis, the Call, and the Cause and be encouraged and inspired by the heart of God for orphans.

www.lifechurch.org/media

Update from Ethiopia – Nov.10, 2010

2010-11-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

We started at KCI @ 9:30am Sunday morning and arrived to Addis Ababa Monday night and were picked up from the airport around 10:30pm. Tuesday morning we were up early and so excited to go to YWAM’s Widow and Orphan Home in Adama to meet our kids…but first we had the privilege to travel with a group of missionaries and people from the states that were helping to begin a Maternity Home here in Ethiopia. It just happened to be the day for the dedication and ribbon cutting, so we shared in witnessing that celebration, had lunch together with everyone, and met the 6 young women that had already come to be a part of the program. We were also blessed to see the new construction of the new Widow and Orphan’s home going on. It will be a much better facility and they are on target to hopefully have it completed by January…If any artists want to be a part of painting some murals on the nursery walls, I’m sure Joy would love to have you come on a painting missions trip.

After arriving to the current home, they brought us our daughter first. She was a precious delight from the first moment they put her in our arms. We enjoyed spending time with her and can’t wait to show pics. After we lavished her with hugs and kisses, I changed her wet diaper, her clothes, fed her a bottle, and she was fast asleep in my arms. We were blessed to meet our son next and spend some time giving the toys we had brought for him. He was more reserved just like our son Levi was at that age with complete strangers, but I showed him the book we made him with his picture in it… as well as the rest of the family. Clint then got down on the ground with him and showed him how his toys worked…. And then spent time rolling a little soccer ball back and forth to him until it was time for us to start the long drive back. We look forward to the days ahead where he will someday know us as mommy and daddy.

We opted to only transport our daughter that night to the Thomas Center in Addis, feeling it best for our new son to be transported by one of his nannies since it will be his 3rd move since May. Our new daughter is too young to know since she isn’t yet 8 months old. It was just Clint and I now in the van with the driver for the wonderful 2 and a half hour drive back. We enjoyed taking turns holding her, and were able to put her in her bed sound asleep.

Today we returned to the Thomas Center to spend time with our new daughter. The Thomas Center is the transitionary home where both the kids will stay until we can get an Embassy date and will be able to come bring them home to Kansas. Tomorrow (Thursday) they will pick us up in the morning for court. We will let you know how it all goes, but are praying for favor and all to go smoothly. It’s late and time for bed. Thanks for all your prayers!!

Less than 2 days till we fly!!

2010-11-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, this week has been a whirlwind… but so filled with joy and anticipation. We can’t wait to meet our kids on Nov. 9th for the first time… we continue to feel such a overwhelming sense of God’s destiny… just so blessed to share in Father’s great love story for these two precious children.

We are in mid-stream of the packing extravaganza. Buying a $23 luggage scale at Target was our best move yet in getting all this formula to fit in our bags without going over weight limits. It’s a good thing we get to check 2 pieces of luggage each. We are so thankful for Heritage House and so many friends from Life Church who donated so much formula for us to deliver to YWAM’s Widow and Orphan Homes in Ethiopia. You can check out their blog by going to ywamethiopia.com.

Just 15 days ago we launched our puzzle fundraiser to invite others to partner with us in bringing our kids home from Ethiopia. When completed, our 500 piece puzzle will hang framed in our home to remind us of this journey, and of all the people who believed God with us. There are only 89 pieces left!!! Scroll down to the blog from Oct. 21st to find out how to join with us and get your name on a piece of the puzzle.

A special thanks to the YWAM Wisconsin DTS who bought 21 puzzle pieces!! We’ve never met you, but we are so excited for the faith journey you are each on. We both did our DTS 22 years ago… with Papa Wick as one of our favorite teachers… and it set us on a course of reckless abandon in following Jesus…wouldn’t trade it for anything!

Fundraising

Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

5 Days until we fly to Ethiopia!

2010-11-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

We have to make two trips to Ethiopia in the next two months. The first one will be for our court date Nov. 11th and to meet our kids for our 1st time. The second trip will hopefully be before Christmas for our Embassy date and to bring our kids home!! (C.H.I. says it usually takes 6 weeks to get your embassy date once you’ve passed court.) We’ve had 356 pieces of the puzzle sponsored so far… so 144 pieces still available! The response has been amazing! Thanks to everyone who has already been a part of bringing our kids home!!!
Please feel free to share this with others on your face book or blog in hopes that others will join us in bringing our kids home.

Fundraising

Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

Bringing Home 2 New Sprague's!

2010-10-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

We are adopting two children from an orphanage in Ethiopia and there is only a few more weeks until our court date!!

In order to cover all of our travel expenses, we are doing a puzzle fundraiser to help with the last leg of our adoption journey. If you want to help us and be a vital piece of bringing our kids home, here’s how this fundraiser will work: Each puzzle piece will be a $25 donation to our adoption fund. 500 pieces @ $25 a piece= $12,500 raised (if fully completed)

Just by making a $25 donation to our adoption fund, you will have invested in one piece of our adoption puzzle, and more importantly in the future of our two children. We will write the name of each person who sponsors a piece (or pieces) on the back of the piece. When completed, we will frame the puzzle in a double glass frame. So on one side you will see the puzzle picture, and on the back you will see the names of those who helped us in this adoption journey. It will be a constant reminder hung in our home of those who came together to help bring the Sprague kids home!!

You have 2 options to join with us:
Option #1 –1. Click on the Lifesong for Orphans link and then click on the "Donate" button.
2. When you make your donation you must put our family name & code number (Sprague #1318) on the "purpose" line that is provided.
3. Be sure to let us know so we can write your name on your piece or pieces and keep everyone updated on how much progress we have made with completing our adoption puzzle.
Option #2 –If you would rather not give online you can just write a check payable to "Lifesong for Orphans", put Sprague #1318 in the memo and get the check to us.

We have a court date on November 11th, which means we could potentially be bringing them home by Christmas!!! Thank you for considering being a part of this journey.

www.lifesongfororphans.org

Fundraising

Update Fundraiser Thermometer Here

Lee Strobel at Life Church!

2010-10-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

It was such an honor to host Lee Strobel at Life Church! He shared his story and the details of his journey of finding truth, freedom, and new life in Jesus. He started out as an Atheist who sought to prove that our faith is a fantasy, but ended up finding faith in Jesus instaed! What an awesome story, and what a great guy! We will certainly have him back at Life Church in the future!

For more information about Lee Strobel and his amazing journey go to www.leestrobel.com

You can see his message at Life Church online on the media page of http://www.lifechurch.org/.

Road Trip #1

2010-06-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

Below you will find the notes from my recent message called:

"Road Trip #1 – Repentance”

I feel like I need to issue a bit of a disclaimer. These notes were never really designed to be read. They are my preaching notes, and I don't put much detail into my notes. Some people write out their notes word for word, but I am really more of a headlines guy. I rarely give my notes out because they are really just designed to be a guide to keep me on track during a message. But, I had several people ask me for these notes, so here you go. I think the most important thing is that you can go back over the scripture that I used after hearing the message. My prayer is that we will all pray the prayer found in Psalms 139:23-24, and invite God to lead us on His journey for us. If you haven't heard the message, these notes may not mean much to you, so I recommend that you go to www.lifechurch.org and go to the “media” section and listen to the message.

Road Trip

Road Trips are usually about Vacation, Relaxation, Exploration, & some times just simple Evacuation…This Road Trip is about Transformation!

Transformation: (Webster’s 1828 Dictionary)
- A change of heart in men, by which his disposition and temper are conformed to the divine image.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV
17 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 by the Spirit of the Lord.

= To be “transformed into the same image” means that we begin to have the same values, and begin to be like Jesus.

In this series we’re looking at 4 words we need to understand to be truly transformed…

1. Repentance
= This is not a popular word today, but it’s vital part of Transformation…

2 Peter 3:9 NKJV
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Repentance is motor that gets you moving, and we must be willing to look under the hood…

The Biblical word for “Repent” is the Greek word…
Metanoeo: (Strong’s 3340)
- to change one’s mind, purpose, or direction

“Repentance is = a Change of Heart & Direction!”

= This word 1st appears in Matthew chapter 3…

Matt 3:1-2 NKJV
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

Matt 4:17 NKJV
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

= This is how Jesus began His earthly ministry!

Luke 24:44-48 NKJV
44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

= Jesus began & ended His earthly ministry with Repentance!

"There are many today who preach faith without repentance. We have filled our churches with people who claim to know Jesus Christ in power and full salvation, and yet there is no sign of repentance in their lives."
~ Dr. Don M. Boone

“Repentance” on Dictionary.com:
- to recognize the wrong in something you have done and be sorry about it
- to feel regret about a sin or past actions and change your ways or habits

= Think about a U-Turn…

= Until you’re going the right direction, it really doesn’t matter how nice your ride is, what you accomplish, or even how hard you try…

= Once you make the U-Turn, there are places that you would have gone, that you will no longer go…

= There are places that you’ve been to that you may need to pass back by…
...Places that require things Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Restitution, etc

Matt 3:8 NKJV
‘Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance…”

= Fruit is what is produced when certain seeds are planted, watered, they begin to grow…
…eventually it produces fruit!

= Repentance is like a seed…It will produce fruit!

How do we know if we have truly Repented?
= Look at the fruit in our lives…

= If you don’t like the fruit in your life, change direction…

Remember…“Repentance is = a Change of Heart & Direction!”

“Repentance means turning around from our evil ways in order to look to Jesus. The person who will not repent still has his or her back turned on God. Repentance is a condition we meet in order that God, already wanting to be good to us, can be good to us, forgiving and cleansing us. In that sense then, the man who loves his sin and hangs on to it cannot reasonably expect the goodness and the grace of God.” ~ A.W. Tozer

= When you’re looking to Jesus, you will no longer be looking to other things!

1 John 2:15 NKJV
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

= Paul certainly understood what Repentance was!

Acts 9:1-6 NLT
1 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers. So he went to the high priest. 2 He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. 3 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?" 5 "Who are you, lord?" Saul asked. and the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6 Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

= The rest of the story…
= God reveals Himself to Saul in dramatic fashion…
= Saul commits his life to Jesus!
= God changes Saul’s name to Paul…
= Paul goes on his own journey of personal transformation…
= Paul becomes the greatest missionary who ever lived!

…Check out what Paul wrote several years later…
Gal 2:20 NKJV

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

= Jesus was not just an “addition” to Paul’s life, Jesus became his life!

True Repentance puts us on the Road to Transformation!

Romans 12:2 NKJV
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

= Repentance begins with changing your thinking.

= Repentance begins with seeing sin as God sees sin.

= Repentance is making a U-turn how you do life.

= Repentance is all about following Jesus!

How do we know if we need to Repent?

Ps 139:23-24 NLT
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

How do we Repent?

= “God, Forgive me.”

= “God, Cleanse me.”

= “God, Change me.”

= “God, Lead me.”

Great example of this in Psalms 51…

“Repentance is = a Change of Heart & Direction!”

Give Me Your Eyes

2010-05-15T06:54:00.000-07:00

"How Comprehensive is the Love of Jesus!"

2010-04-30T08:04:00.000-07:00

“How comprehensive is the love of Jesus! There is no part of His people's interests which He does not consider, and there is nothing which concerns their welfare which is not important to Him.”
~ Charles Spurgeon

I read this recently and just sat and thought about it for a little while. Think about the implications of this truth! The God is the universe is interested in every aspect of our lives! He is interested in how I coach my son’s soccer team, how I treat his momma, how I drive, how I tip the waiter at Red Robin, how I spend my “free” time, and how I view others. He is interested in how I feel about my relationship to my earthly father, my friends, and even those who oppose me. God is interested in all of me. There is no part of me that Jesus just wants the headlines on. He is interested in all of me! Think about that! We are so valuable to God that there is nothing about our lives of which God is not interested. Can that be true?

Ps 139:1-3
1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.

Spurgeon said, “How comprehensive is the love of Jesus!”
This wasn’t a question, it was a statement! He was declaring what he had experienced. He was revealing what he knew to be true. Have you experienced this to be true?

I think most of us like the idea that Jesus’ love for us and interest in us is “Comprehensive”. At least we like it in theory, but we tend to live more like it is “Compartmental”.

“Comprehensive” means:
- including everything, so as to be complete

“Compartmentalized” means:
- to divide something into separate areas, categories, or compartments

I think for many of us our faith is “Compartmentalized”. We invite Jesus into certain areas of our lives, but close the door on others. This is an exercise in futility. God cannot be shut out. He knows us completely, and desires to be involved in every area of our lives.

Ps 37:23 The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Not only does He desire to be invited into every area, but He promises to help us in every area! He will give us wisdom when we need it, strength when we need it, and warnings when we need them.
Why wouldn’t we throw open every door, every window, and knock down every wall in our hearts for the lover of our souls to come into every area of our lives? He loves us!

Look at Spurgeon’s quote again…
“How comprehensive is the love of Jesus! There is no part of His people's interests which He does not consider, and there is nothing which concerns their welfare which is not important to Him.”
~ Charles Spurgeon

Is your faith in Jesus “Comprehensive” or “Compartmental”?

Another interesting take from Chuck Colson

2010-04-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Guts and Principles Just War and Assassination
April 13, 2010
The Obama administration has targeted Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Muslim cleric, for assassination. Al-Awlaki has been linked to both the “underpants bomber” and the shootings at Fort Hood.
There’s no doubt that Americans would be safer in a world without al-Awlaki, but that’s not the only question we should be asking ourselves.
Al-Awlaki was placed on the “kill or capture” list after the White House concluded that he had gone beyond inciting attacks to actually participating in them.
Since al-Awlaki is currently in Yemen, the “kill” option is the most likely. And the most likely way of killing him is using a Predator drone, the kind used in Pakistan and Afghanistan against Al Qaeda and Taliban targets.
As one official told the New York Times, “None of this should surprise anyone.”
Well, my gut reaction is to applaud this resolution—kill the bad guys. But my gut instincts, like everyone else’s, are fallen. That’s why we need to ask what principles are involved in this kind of assassination.
For starters, al-Awlaki is an American citizen. We’re talking about executing an American citizen on the basis of evidence that has never been presented in open court, or any court for that matter.
Killing him would be satisfying, and it may make us safer, but it also sets a troubling precedent about the due process every citizen is guaranteed. There’s nothing in the reasoning being employed here that limits extra-judicial executions to people outside the United States—the next time those suspected of participating in alleged terrorist activities might be in Michigan or Idaho.
Then there are the just war implications of targeting al-Awlaki. The legal justification for the assassination is the September 12, 2001, congressional authorization of force against al Qaeda. This makes going after him an act of war and, to Christians at least, something that must be judged by just war criteria.
While this case clearly meets the “just cause” requirement, there are other considerations. Historically, the just war tradition has looked askance on assassination. Among other things, it has viewed assassination as treacherous and even cowardly because it doesn’t give the target a chance to defend himself.
It has also been concerned about what today is called the “collateral damage.” Drone attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan have not only killed the bad guys but also their families and neighbors, a violation of non-combatant immunity.
Then there’s the way that assassinations can devolve into a kind of “tit-for-tat” that undermines order. A world where warfare is increasingly irregular is a world without meaningful limits on the way we conduct war.
Apart from some voices on the left, coverage of this story seems to assume the legality and rightness of the policy. But I make no such assumption, nor should you.
I don’t really know how I come out on this. The “kill or capture” decision may pass muster or it might not. But I do know that the rule of law and the just war tradition are two of Christianity’s great contributions to Western civilization. And I know also that, in a fallen world, a ruthless leader might rely on this precedent to kill Americans for the wrong reasons.
This is a tough—yes, dubious—call. No matter what our gut tells us.

The Roots of Basketball

2010-04-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

I read this short piece by Chuck Colson and wanted to share it with you:

The Roots of Basketball
April 7, 2010
It was the basketball game for the ages. On Monday night, the Duke University Blue Devils survived a desperate, last-second shot by the underdog Butler University Bulldogs to win the NCAA men’s basketball championship.
It was a great game—a classic “David and Goliath” matchup, given that Duke has appeared in eight championship games under head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and that Butler had never even made it to the Final Four.
You may hear folks talking about the game for some time. When you do, you can add to the conversation by revealing an interesting fact: Basketball was invented more than 100 years ago by a Christian theologian as an evangelical outreach tool.
In a recent Wall Street Journal article, one of our Centurions, John Murray, recalled the story of the game’s founding. The inventor of basketball, James Naismith, became convinced that he stood a better chance of exemplifying the Christian life through sports rather than through preaching. So he took a job as a physical education instructor at the YMCA’s International Training School for Christian Workers in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith’s vision was “to win men for the Master through the gym.”
In 1891, Naismith set out to invent a new indoor game that students could play during winter. He spent weeks testing various games, including versions of soccer, football, and lacrosse, to no avail. “Finally,” Murray writes, “Naismith decided to draw from all of these sports: with a ball that could be easily handled, play that involved running and passing with no tackling, and a goal at each end of the floor.” In short, he came up with basketball.
From the beginning, Naismith and his athletic director, Luther Gulick, held the players to a high standard. As Gulick wrote in 1897, “The game must be kept clean.” A Christian college cannot tolerate “not merely ungentlemanly treatment of guests, but slugging and that which violates the elementary principles of morals.” He recommended that a coach should “excuse for the rest of the year any player who is not clean in his play.”
Basketball served as an important evangelical tool during the next 50 years, Murray noted. In 1941, Naismith wrote that “whenever I witness games in a church league, I feel that my vision, almost half a century ago, of the time when the Christian people would recognize the true value of athletics, has become a reality.”
In the last 100 years, we’ve seen no shortage of Christian athletes who use their skill, self-discipline, and sportsmanship as a witness to Christ—from Olympic runner Eric Liddel in the 1920s, to football player Tim Tebow in our own generation.
In fact, so many athletes give the glory to God after a game that sportswriters sometimes get irritated with them. To which I respond: Which would you prefer—players known for their faith and good sportsmanship, or players who are arrested for assault or drug use?
If you have a young basketball fan in your family, tell him or her the story of how basketball was invented. And pray for Christian players who can use the public’s love of sports the way Naismith envisioned when he invented basketball—as a witnessing tool to “win men for the Master through the gym.”
- Chuck colson

My Journey Toward Forgiveness

2009-11-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

Below you will find the notes from my recent series called "My Journey toward Forgiveness'.
I feel like I need to issue a bit of a disclaimer. These notes were never really designed to be read. They are my preaching notes, and I don't put much detail into my notes. Some people write out their notes word for word, but I am really more of a headlines guy. I rarely give my notes out because they are really just designed to be a guide to keep me on track during a message. But, I had several people ask me for these notes, so here you go. I think the most important thing is that you can go back over the scripture that I used after hearing the message. My prayer is that we will all pray the prayer found in Psalms 139:23-24, and invite God to lead us on His jounrey for us. If you haven't heard the message, these notes may not mean much to you, so I recommend that you go to http://www.getlife.info/ and listen to the series.

I have also put the list of books that I mention at the bottom of these notes.

My Journey toward Forgiveness #1

- In September I went on a Men’s event called a “Quest”…

- During this “Quest” I prayed a Dangerous Prayer…

Ps 139:23-24 NLT
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

- God answered my prayer by shining His spotlight on a relationship that I have avoided for years…
= My Relationship w/ my Dad…
= There were several issues from my childhood…

- The Lord brought up what I now call my 35 year Grudge…
= At 5 yrs old I watched my dad beat my mom…

- I Forgave my Dad 23 years ago…
…but never personally told him, and I realized that I still had bitterness in my heart toward him…

Matt 18:21-35 NLT
21 Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" 22 "No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven! 23 "For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn't pay, so the king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything he had be sold to pay the debt. 26 But the man fell down before the king and begged him, 'Oh, sir, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.' 27 Then the king was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 "But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. 'Be patient and I will pay it,' he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and jailed until the debt could be paid in full. 31 "When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him what had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, 'You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?' 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison until he had paid every penny. 35 "That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart."

- God really doesn’t give us an option about forgiveness...

Matt 6:14-15 NKJV
14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

= There is an amazing freedom that comes when we receive forgiveness, and when we give forgiveness to others!
= It’s a Cycle of Freedom!

“Forgiveness is not natural!”
“Forgiveness is super-natural!”

3 Important Truths I’ve learned about Forgiveness:

1. Forgiveness is Releasing People into God’s hands

Rom 12:18-19 NKJV
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

2. Forgiveness is a 2-Way Street

Matt 5:23-24
23 "So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

3. Forgiveness is NOT a feeling... It’s a choice.

Col 3:12-13 NLT
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.13 You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony.

“Forgiveness doesn’t change the past,
but it does enlarge the future."

During my Quest Father God gave me Clear Instructions:

- Repent for allowing unforgiveness back into my heart
- Make a list of all my major offenses toward my dad
- Release my dad into God’s hands
- Begin to Pray for my dad every day
- Go Share my Offenses with my Dad & Forgive him
- Wash his Feet & Pray for him

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

My Journey toward Forgiveness #2

3 Things that happen if we “Refuse to Forgive”:

1. We become Chained to the Offense & Offender...

.... Chains

- We end up taking the pain of that offense everywhere we go...
- Sometimes people actually begin to like their chains.
- Often our chains from the past actually become a part of our identity.

2. We Invite the Devil into our Lives...

.... Welcome Sign

1 Peter 5:8 NLT
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

= When we Refuse to Forgive, we invite him in!

Eph 4:26-27 NLT
26 And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

“Foothold” NT:5117
a spot, occupancy; location (as a position, home, tract, etc.);
an opportunity; a sheath, license, a place, a room.

= Because of bitterness people will develop all kinds of destructive lifestyle.

3. We Drink the Deadly Poison of Bitterness...

....Poison

Acts 8:23 NKJV
For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."

...Holding on to bitterness and thinking that it hurts our offender is like drinking poison hoping that the other person dies…

"When we forgive, we set the captives free
- only to realize that we were the captives."
~ Dr. Neil T. Anderson

How do we walk out Forgiveness?
= Pray & Prepare

3 simple steps that I learned from Pastor Jimmy Evans in his “Freedom from your Past”…

Steps Toward to True Forgiveness:

A. Repent

= Why would I need to “Repent”?

James 4:17 NLT
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Col 3:13 NLT
You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

B. Release

- Forgiveness really takes root in our hearts when we release the offender into God’s hands…

Rom 12:21 NLT
Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

C. Bless

Luke 6:27-28 NKJV
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.

Luke 6:31 NKJV
And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

...Jenny who forgave her uncles who had sexually abused her…
= She began to pray for their salvation!

Jesus is our shining example for this kind of forgiveness…

Luke 23:33-34 NLT
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.
34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Ps 139:23-24 NLT
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Will you pray this prayer?

//////////////////////////////////////////

During my Journey Toward Forgiveness, I’ve read several good books…

= Recommended Books:

- “Get the Junk out of your Trunk” – Duane Vander Klok

- “Victory over the Darkness” – Neil Anderson

- “Life’s Healing Choices” – John Baker

- “The Key to Everything” – Jack Hayford

- “Freedom from your Past’ – Jimmy Evans

- “Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship” – Jack Frost

- “Total Forgiveness” – R.T. Kendall

Dancing With God

2009-10-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

I recently read the following on a friend's blog. I thought it was too good to keep to myself.

Dancing With God
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G": I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God, as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.
If God has done anything for you in your life,
please share this message with someone else.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards;
so let's continue to pray for one another.
And I Pray We All Dance Today
~ Author unknown

"It Pleases God to make us Strong"

2009-10-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.
They exult in your righteousness.
You are their glorious strength.
It pleases you to make us strong.
Ps 89:15-17

I read this today as I prepare to walk in obedience in a way that will be very uncomfortable for me. God has challenged me to step out in faith in a way that scares me. It's easy to obey God when it doesn't take us out of our comfort zone, but that is not how battles are won. The real battles of life take courage, humility, and God's strength. I love this truth that God finds pleasure in making me strong! Bring on the strength Father!!!

I will share more about this step of obedience soon...

Here are a few more verses that I am praying through as I get ready to move in obedience:

2 Cor 12:9-10
9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

Josh 1:6-9NKJV
6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

I like Jesus...

2009-10-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

I was thinking recently about how much I like Jesus. I know it may seem a little plain, simple, or even shallow to simply say “I like Jesus”. I mean there are so many other words that could and should be used to describe my affection for my savior. Statements like I love Jesus, I worship Jesus, I serve Jesus, and I honor Jesus, all seem to have more power than a simple “I like Jesus”. While these are all true, and I am typically known for making several consecutive statements that need an explanation point at the end, and potentially overstating my point, I am also cool with a simple “I like Jesus”. Now, before you get all super-spiritual on me, just track with me here for a few minutes.

Let’s look at the difference between Like & Love. Remember when you were a kid and you had crush on someone. There seemed to be this natural progression that went from “like” to “love”. I even remember having a girl who had a crush on me send her friend across the playground to ask me if I “loved” her friend or if I simply ‘liked” her. Although it seems silly now, at the time my answer carried a lot of weight. I mean this girl whose name I can’t even remember today, was asking me to “define the relationship”. Like and Love were obviously two very different things to this 5th grade girl. “Like” was one thing, but she wanted me to take it to another level with the power word “Love”! Following this line of thinking it would surely be more appropriate to say that “I love Jesus”, than to say that I simply “like” Him. Again, for the record, I do “love Jesus”, but I like Jesus just as much. Now that we are grown, and childhood crushes are distant memories, let’s revisit this ‘Love” & “Like” thing.

Here is my thought process now. The Bible says that I am to love my enemies, but it doesn’t say that I need to “Like” them. Love is a moral imperative. It has biblical implications, and is part of the Greatest Commandment. We are to love the Lord our God with everything we have, and we are to love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves. Now, before I veer off into a message on love, let me get back to my point here. While I am commanded to even love my enemies, there is no command given regarding the word “Like”. While I must love my enemy, I certainly don’t have to “like” them. Do you see my point? While I certainly love Jesus, I also really “Like” Jesus. “Like’ is a personal preference, and for that reason I think that makes “I like Jesus” powerful on a whole other level.

A few years ago Mary and I started making this distinction in our affection for each other. We’ve been married since 1988 and we certainly love each other very much. Truth be told, we are passionate about each other! Not a day goes by that we don’t call each other multiple times throughout the day or text little coded messages to each other. It was in the midst of this daily flirtation that we began to use this word “Like”. The funny thing was that we used it to sort of take the word “Love” to another level. It went kind of like this… “I not only “Love” you, but I really “Like” you to!” There was fire in those statements, and the power of "personal preference". Okay, that is enough about my romantic life… :-) "Personal Preference" is what I am really talking about. I personally prefer Jesus! When I look at the way Jesus valued people it amazes me! From the little children, to the blind man, from the woman at the well, to the woman caught in adultery, from Nicodemus to Zacchaeus, Jesus revealed the love of the Father to people. When He confronted sin, He did it with such passion, strength, and purity that you can't help but see His love for people in that as well! I really like Jesus! Jesus is the expression of God's heart for us. He is the demonstration of all consuming love. I love reading the Gospels and just trying learn from Him, to try to pick up His attributes, and maybe even begin to see with His eyes. As has been stated by authors, preachers, and the bands...Jesus showed us "a new to be human", and I want to become that kind of human. Yes, I love Jesus, but I also really like Jesus.

The American Creed

2009-07-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

I recently read an article by Chuck Colson that I think is worth sharing. It's called 'The American Creed"

‘We Hold These Truths . . .’
July 3, 2009
The great British intellectual G. K. Chesterton wrote that “America is the only nation in the world that is founded on [a] creed.”
Think about that for a moment. Other nations were founded on the basis of race, or by the power of kings or emperors who accumulated lands and the peasants who inhabited those lands.But America was—and is to this day—different. It was founded on a shared belief. Or, as Chesterton said, on a creed.And what is that creed that sets us apart? It is the eloquent, profound, and simple statement penned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”I’ll never forget when I graduated from Brown University during the Korean War. I couldn’t wait to become a Marine officer, to give my life if necessary, to defend that creed. To defend the idea that our rights come from God Himself and are not subject to whims of governments or tyrants. That humans ought to be free to pursue their most treasured hopes and aspirations. Perhaps some 230 years later, we take these words for granted. But in 1776, they were earth-shaking—indeed, revolutionary. Yet today, they are in danger of being forgotten altogether. According to Gallup, 66 percent of American adults have no idea that the words, “We hold these truths . . .” come from the Declaration of Independence. Even worse, only 45 percent of college seniors know that the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are proclaimed in the Declaration.As America grows more and more diverse culturally, religiously, ethnically, it is critical that we re-embrace the American creed.America has always been a “melting pot.” But what is the pot that holds our multicultural stew together? Chesterton said the pot’s “original shape was traced on the lines of Jeffersonian democracy.” A democracy founded on those self-evident truths expressed in the Declaration of Independence. And as Chesterton remarked, “The pot must not melt.” Abraham Lincoln understood this so very well. For him, the notion that all men are created equal was “the electric cord in that Declaration that links the hearts of patriotic and liberty-loving men together, that will link those patriotic hearts as long as the love of freedom exists in the minds of men throughout the world.” So tomorrow, go to the Fourth of July parade. Go to the neighborhood barbecue and enjoy the hot dogs and apple pie. But here’s an idea for you. Why not take time out at the picnic to read the Declaration of Independence aloud with your friends and your neighbors. Listen—and thrill—to those words that bind us together as a nation of freedom-loving people: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These are the words Americans live for and, if necessary, die for. ~Chuck Colson

I recently read this devotional by Spurgeon....

2009-05-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

"Great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all."— Matthew 12:15

What a mass of hideous sickness must have thrust itself under the eye of Jesus! Yet we read not that He was disgusted, but patiently waited on every case. What a singular variety of evils must have met at His feet! What sickening ulcers and putrefying sores! Yet He was ready for every new shape of the monster evil, and was victor over it in every form. Let the arrow fly from what quarter it might, He quenched its fiery power. The heat of fever, or the cold of dropsy; the lethargy of palsy, or the rage of madness; the filth of leprosy, or the darkness of ophthalmia—all knew the power of His word, and fled at His command. In every corner of the field He was triumphant over evil, and received the homage of delivered captives. He came, He saw, He conquered everywhere. It is even so this morning. Whatever my own case may be, the beloved Physician can heal me; and whatever may be the state of others whom I may remember at this moment in prayer, I may have hope in Jesus that He will be able to heal them of their sins. My child, my friend, my dearest one, I can have hope for each, for all, when I remember the healing power of my Lord; and on my own account, however severe my struggle with sins and infirmities, I may yet be of good cheer. He who on earth walked the hospitals, still dispenses His grace, and works wonders among the sons of men: let me go to Him at once in right earnest.
Let me praise Him, this morning, as I remember how He wrought His spiritual cures, which bring Him most renown. It was by taking upon Himself our sicknesses. "By His stripes we are healed." The Church on earth is full of souls healed by our beloved Physician; and the inhabitants of heaven itself confess that "He healed them all." Come, then, my soul, publish abroad the virtue of His grace, and let it be "to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off."
- C. H. SPURGEON

Not such a Good Friday…

2009-04-17T08:00:00.001-07:00

It started with the greatest of expectations, but one wrong turn changed all that. My 7 year old son was riding his bike a little too fast, tried to turn a little too sharp, and ended up with two broken bones in his right leg. I arrived home just a few minutes after the crash expecting to spend a few hours at home before heading back to church in preparation for our Good Friday activities at Life Church. Instead it was off to Olathe Medical Center, then to Children’s Mercy to see a specialist. We were there for several hours, and didn’t get home until about midnight. We spent Good Friday in the ER at Children’s Mercy.

It’s tough watching your kids suffer! I just wanted to make everything better. I wanted to take away his pain. I wanted to fix it! I’ve suffered a few broken bones in my day, and I know how it feels. I remember thinking, “I wish it was my leg that was broken rather than his.” That is when it hit me that it was Good Friday. The day we remember how God endured pain and death on our behalf. I didn’t have much time to reflect on it then as I had a job to do, “just be daddy”. Now that I’ve had some time to reflect on that night, I think I understand God’s love for us just a little bit more than I did before.

Levi’s leg is set and he is on the road to recovery, but I have a new insight into God’s “Father Heart” toward us.

Isa 53:4-6 NKJV
4 Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Joining Forces for Greater Impact…

2009-04-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about the future as the church family of Great Plains Community Church are about to become a part of Life Church! This is such an exciting thing, because we have two churches with the same vision, like-minded leadership, and similar history joining forces for greater impact! I had the privilege of speaking at Great Plains Community Church a few weeks ago, and they are wonderful people who will be a real blessing at Life Church. I’ve known Pastor Tom Blasco for more than 20 years, and having him join our leadership team is a huge step forward as we prepare to raise up leaders and reach this generation!

Life is good, the future is bright, and Life Church is truly blessed!

Ps 133 NKJV
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing —
Life forevermore.

Heroes

2009-01-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

I recently started a new series at Life Church called “Heroes”. This series is actually the beginning of a quest to discover the attributes of the heroes of faith to see what we can learn from them and then apply to our lives. I received enough requests for my notes from the last few weeks of messages to go ahead and post them here on my blog.

Hero:
Somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character

We love Heroes! Our movies are saturated with them, and bookshelves are loaded with them. As I started thinking about this theme of Heroes, I actually found a group in Japan that is basically a ‘Hero Fan Club”.
The Yamagato Fellowship:
“For as long as history has been recorded, it has recorded the story of heroes. Whether it be the myths of those possessing supernatural abilities or the legends of the ordinary finding the extraordinary inside themselves, common strings can be found through all of these tales. The Yamagato Fellowship is dedicated to the study of these heroes - to highlight their courage, their passion and their intellect. By looking into the past, it is our hope that we will all be better equipped to identify and inspire the heroes walking among us today.”

Life Church is becoming like a “Yamagato Fellowship” for “Heroes of Faith”.
“We will highlight their courage, their passion, and their faith. By looking into the past, it is our hope that we will all be better equipped to identify and inspire the Heroes of Faith walking among us today.”

The Bible is packed full of Heroes! As we read it’s pages we see Kings & Queens, Shepherds & Fishermen, Lawyers & Tax Collectors, Priests & Peasants, Slaves & Soldiers, all who lived Heroic lives.

We’ve been looking at a list of Heroes found in Hebrews 11.

Heb. 11:1-3 NKJV
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

1. Heroes = Live by Faith

“Faith is believing that God is who He says that He is,
and that He will do what He says he will do.”

Heb. 11:4a NKJV
“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous…”

2. Heroes = Willing to Sacrifice

Abel not only gave a sacrifice, but he gave an “Excellent Sacrifice”…

“Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible.”

When you think of Military Heroes, Search & Rescue Heroes, or Revolutionary Heroes, they all had this in common, they were “Willing to Sacrifice” for the greater good.

Heb. 11:4 NKJV
By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

3. Heroes = Leave a Legacy

Heroes live for something greater than themselves, and therefore their impact outlives them.

“When you came into this world you cried and people rejoiced…
live in such a way that when you die people cry and you rejoice.”

Hebrews 11:5 NKJV
By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

4. Heroes = Please God

I think it’s amazing that we have the potential to “Please God”!

We don’t “Please God” out of “Duty”, but out of “Delight”.

Whenever I hear the phrase “Please God”, I get a little nervous, because there can be so much religious duty tied up in these two words. It doesn’t say Enoch was a “Legalistically Religious Man”… It says that he “Pleased God”. How do we “Please God”? The next verse clearly tells how…

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

How do we “Please God”?
= “Faith in God” = “Diligently Seek Him”

What would it look like for us to begin to “Live by Faith”, and “Diligently Seek Him” more in our daily lives?

Hebrews 11:7 NKJV
By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

5. Heroes = Move with Godly Fear

The Fear of the Lord is to “Revere” or “Worship” God. It’s to acknowledge that He is God, and that we are not God! It’s really about living our lives as an Expression of Worship. Many people struggle with this term because they think of “Terror”, but real Godly Fear is really simply putting God in His rightful place in our lives.

Noah was moved with Godly Fear. He chose to obey God no matter what his circumstances, friends, or even family said! He lived in a generation of Horrible Sin, Rebellion, and Godlessness, but H echoes to follow God rather than his generation. Noah is certainly a Hero in my book! Heroes save people, and every one of us can thank Noah for our very existence! Because Noah was close to God, he became a Hero!

Ungodly Fear will paralyze you, but Godly Fear Moves you!

Hebrews 11:7a NKJV
“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark…”

6. Heroes = Prepare for the Future

Noah “Prepared for the Future” by Faith! He diligently did what God told him to do even when he saw no signs of a flood. He did this for more than a lifetime! Imagine the temptations to quit that he must have faced. Yet, he simply did the right thing, and prepared for the future. We can certainly learn a lot from Noah!

As I was preparing for this message, I went back & read through the accounts of both Enoch & Noah’s lives in Genesis, and as I did this, I noticed a statement that was made about both of them.

Gen 5:24 NKJV
And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Gen 6:9 NKJV
This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

7. Heroes = Walk with God

My family got me an I-Pod for my 40th birthday, It’s been a while since my “Walkman” days, and walking around with earphones on has almost been like a new experience for me. As I walked around our hotel & the streets of Manila, listening to Chris Tomlin, or sat in the airplane listening to Daniel Groves, or worked out listening to Jared Scholz I realized the power of walking with God to change our perspective. It’s like I’d invited God into those steps with me. Let’s do that! Let’s Walk with God!!!

Heroes =
1. Live by Faith
2. Willing to Sacrifice
3. Leave a Legacy
4. Please God
5. Move with Godly Fear
6. Prepare for the Future
7. Walk with God

In a world of selfishness and empty promises, let's step up and live Heroic Lives of Faith!

Me, My Teenagers, & Manila...

2009-01-15T22:02:00.001-08:00

I just returned from the Million Leader Mandate in Manila! It was so great to be able to encourage and equip those leaders for greater impact in that amazing emerging nation. I also met with some church planters about the possibility of taking teams to assist with evangelism and service projects. I believe that we will be sending teams to The Philippines in the near future!

This trip was especially fun for me because I was able to take both of my teenage daughters! We had a wonderful time together! They also made a new friend who was excited to hang out with two girls from the USA! Her father is a friend of mine who was recently transferred over there. He and his wife Laura made the trip so great for us!

My friend "Buko Pie", I mean Mark. :-)

We had a great time, and experienced the grace of God every step of the way! Thanks for your prayers!

pics from Manila...

2009-01-15T21:45:00.000-08:00

Redeeming Regrets

2009-01-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

I recently shared a message at Life Church called Redeeming Regrets, and had several people ask me for the notes. I decided to go ahead and post a version of my notes on this blog as well.

Regret:
-to feel sorry and sad about something previously done or said that now appears wrong, mistaken, or hurtful to others

Have you ever felt the sting of “Regret”? It might be words spoken that you wish you could take back, or actions taken that you wish you could erase. It could be things left undone that you wish you could do now, but it’s simply too late, you can’t change it now. Regret can be Overwhelming!

Several years ago while on an outreach with YWAM, I met a homeless man in Florida who had so much regret that he didn’t want to live another day. As I listened to him, he listed several things that he had done, as well as several things that hadn’t done, with deep regret. As I talked to him about God’s Mercy, and the power of His grace, this guy just couldn’t get past his own guilt. He just couldn’t forgive himself. He told me he wanted to die, but he feared the no one would attend his funeral…and if anyone did show up, he was afraid of what they would say. He was afraid of suicide because he was sure that would send him straight to hell, but he just didn’t want to live. Regret had paralyzed him!

Regret has paralyzed countless people from moving forward with their lives! It can be one of the most empty, lonely, and devastating emotions you will ever feel.

Maybe you’ve dealt with deep pain that comes from Regret, knowing that you simply can’t rewind the tape & start over. If you have “Regret” today, God shares it with you. He knows what you are going through, and feels your pain with you. God values you more than you do. Not only does God feel your pain, but He knows how to Replace your Regret with Vision for the Future…

God can Redeem your Regrets! He can do a “New Creation” work in your life!

2 Cor. 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

How do we Deal with Regret & allow God to Redeem it?

The 4 R’s of Dealing with Regret:

Repent

- If sin produced the Regret, Repent of it!
- If it wasn’t sin, you can still choose to turn away from the Regret and live for God focusing on the future instead of the past…

Reconcile

Rom 12:18-19
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

- If your Regret is based on a relationship, ask God for wisdom on how to bring restitution to any Relational Regret…

Release

- We must be willing to let go of our regret by releasing it to God. We’ll never be able to move forward as long as we hold on to the past.

1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Replace

- Replace Regret with our Redeemer!
- Replace Regret with a commitment to avoid potential Regret in the future!

Proverbs 14:8a “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways…”

How do we move forward & live lives free of Regret?

One of the greatest Christians to ever live was the Apostle Paul. He did more to forward the cause of Christ on the earth than any man who ever lived! Even this Great Man had Regrets. The good news is that he didn’t finish his life that way!

Near the end of his ministry Paul wrote...
2 Tim. 4:7
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

-There is certainly no evidence of regret in this statement! I want to be able to make that kind of statement at the end of my days!

…Today we’re going to quickly look at a few of his statements to the churches in Philippi, & Colosse…

The first statement is from his letter to the church in Philippi…Phil. 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I think a good summary of all that would be:

1. Prepare for Tomorrow, Today.

Early in his ministry Paul said...
Acts 20:24
“I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

Paul knew what kind of man he wanted to be! And he did whatever it took to see that it happened! How did he make sure that it happened? He lived very day his life in light of those values.

What kind of person do you want to be?

What values are most important to you?

Living a life without Regrets means preparing today for tomorrow!

Do you want to live a Life without Regrets?

-Then do something significant today…
-Do you want to be generous? = Give today!
-Do you want to save money for the future? = Save Now!
-Do you want to grow mentally? = Develop Study habits now!
-Do you want to be known as a kind person? = Be kind today!
-Do you want to make an eternal impact in the lives of others?
=Reach out now!

I’m gonna give you a little homework assignment:

-Think of 3 character qualities you want to develop.
-Everyday for the next week, practice one principle from your first character quality that will move you in the direction of making that character trait a reality in your life.
-If you do this with each quality, at the end of the third week you will have taken 21 steps toward becoming the kind of the person you want to be…
àThis seems too simple, but it works.
àA life without regrets doesn’t happen by accident…

We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons
- Jim Rohn

Proverbs 14:15 “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.”

Our 2nd Statement from Paul is found in his letter to the church at Colosse…
Col. 3:1-3 NKJV
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

2. Live for Eternity, Today.

-Each day of our lives has eternal significance!

The key to living a life without regrets--is in recognizing the significance of the eternal value in everything you do… à Look for eternal significance in the little things in life rather just the success of the major accomplishments.Jesus did not struggle to find significance in everyday life.
-He saw every day with “Eternal Eyes”!
-He would be having a meal with a friend and turn it into a life-changing experience.
-He would be walking along the road with his disciples and see a tree, and teach his disciples a lesson in faith…
Do you want to live a life without regrets?
-Open your “Eternal Eyes”!

"No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets"
- William Borden

If you would like to watch this message online you can go to www.getlife.info and then go to the media section

Conspiring to Rescue Christmas...

2008-12-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

I recently I came across the website that you see below and was so impressed with the vision, excited about the mission, and convicted by the heart, that I knew I needed to be a part. Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus. What is Jesus all about? Read Matthew 25. There is a Christmas verse for ya! Jesus is all about helping people, loving people, and reaching people with the eternal. Christmas giving has become a cheap sales pitch for corporate America to sell us their goods. It's time for Jesus' followers to get back to our roots, and remember our purpose.

Check out this website and let's conspire...

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Mary in India updates...

2008-10-16T07:17:00.001-07:00

Mary and the team are having an amazing trip! Check out this link for daily updates...

http://streamsofmercyblog.blogspot.com/

Mary in India

2008-10-12T13:27:00.000-07:00

Mary left Friday 10-10-08 with a team of 12 people from Life Church. They are visiting the orphanage that we support there, and will be ministering in India for 10 days. This is a dream come true for several people on the team, especially for Mary. You may not know this, but before getting distracted by and married to me, Mary dreamed of being a missionary and serving the needs of the neediest of people. She is a champion for these types of ministries, and I am so excited that she gets to go on this trip! It's certainly not her first trip to a third world nation, but it's her first trip in several years. Having babies and putting up with me has kept her busy for several years. It's exciting to think of her over there loving those kids!

Please be praying for Mary and the team. You might want to pray for me and our 4 kids as well. We are a little lost without Mary here at home. :-)

Check out the blog below to get updates on the outreach. This is a blog that is kept by the leaders of Streams of Mercy. http://streamsofmercyblog.blogspot.com/

diving into the blog...

2008-09-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is my first venture into the land of Blog. People who know me well know that I have a hard time just keeping up with my e-mail account, and that I don't really enjoy sitting in front of a computer for long. I've had several people encourage me to get a blog going, and to take the time to communicate through this medium. I finally said OK, and I will try to give this new thing attention on a regular basis.

I will use this tool to look at relevant topics, respond to current issues, comment on books, movies, music, and questions that people are asking. I may also use this blog to build on messages from Life Church. As many of you know I sometimes tend to run out of time on the weekends, so this provides me a chance to finish.

We'll see how it goes...

Doing Life with God Together,
Clint