tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4409664139664764122024-03-13T10:44:35.966-04:00on my way home{...with some stops along the way...}Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.comBlogger296125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-45290404708310218252012-01-10T01:49:00.002-05:002012-01-10T01:56:48.784-05:00I am living in Birthville.How did I get here? If you would have told me last year that I would be scheduling my life around prenatal visits, postpartum visits and birth right now, I would have been up on your rooftop shouting "BLASPHEMY!" <br />
I probably would have jumped at the opportunity to <strong>never </strong>be around childbirth. I would have told you that I really just love adoption with my whole heart and birth is not my cup of tea. <br />
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HILARIOUS FACT: My life currently revolves around prenatal visits, postpartum visits, and births.</div>
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Jesus brought me to this place. He gave me this door to walk through and this beautiful calling to be obedient in. You see, I was in the midst of almost moving to Tennessee for the 5th, or 7th or 23rd time, when God spoke to me on the Pearce's giant blue and white couch. He turned me at a crossroads that kept me in North Carolina and had me doing something quite different than I had envisioned.<br />
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It was a typical evening over at my sister's house for tea and cookies and heart-to-heart conversations {that I am SO going to miss now that that they are moving away!} anyway, she told me a story of some missionary friends at our church who were building a birth center in Papua New Guinea. Women were dying left and right due to lack of maternal health care. They had to walk 3 days to get to a hospital if they had complications (Think about that. Who wants to walk for 3 days straight when they are <strong>not</strong> having a complication in pregnancy/labor?) The only other option would be to take a taxi which most people would never be able to afford. This birth center would save mommas and babies for the glory of Jesus in their lives and in their entire village. </div>
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It was like a match struck a small light on the flint of my heart. I had been praying nearly non-stop for the Lord to show me a skill that I could use to serve others for His glory. A skill that I could use to care for orphans and whoever else He wanted me to serve.<br />
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I began to feel that this was it. Who was going to be there for these precious women and babies? Wouldn't I want someone to care for me? If I don't go, who will? But...really? Me? The childbirth fearer? The one who stifled small gags at the mere thought of birth? YES. This was it. God was calling me to take a quantum leap of faith and trust Him with the rest. </div>
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A deep question in my heart throughout all of this stirring and whirlpooling was "What about orphans, God? I know you've called me to spend my life for them. How does this work if I am busy helping women have babies?" The answer came almost as soon as I asked it. "<em>Orphans are just children who's parents have died. Keep them from having to be orphans in the first place</em>." <strong><span style="font-size: large;">Oh</span>. You're right.</strong> I guess that settles it.<br />
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From UNICEF: "<em>Healthy children need healthy mothers. A woman dies from complications in childbirth every minute – about 529,000 each year -- the vast majority of them in developing countries. A woman in sub-Saharan Africa has a 1 in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, compared to a 1 in 4,000 risk in a developing country – the largest difference between poor and rich countries of any health indicator. "</em><br />
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<strong><em> </em>1 in 16 women in sub-Saharan Africa will die due to complications in childbirth, leaving behind motherless children if they don't die along with her. I have African sisters. I would want someone to help them.</strong><br />
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I began googling "What exactly does a doula do? What does a midwife do? Which should I be? How do I do any of this? Am I crazy? " Google stopped answering me but God continued to lead me out on the water.<br />
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I kept remembering that I had all these random friends that <em>happened</em> to be Birth Doulas/ Midwives and they were SO gracious to answer my 354,098 questions. Before I knew it, I was signed up for Birth Doula training workshops and attending Childbirth Education courses and chatting about water births and cord prolapses and placentas in rooms full of midwives. I was reading childbirthing books constantly and getting wonderful looks from people that clearly said "How wonderful that you are studying how to assist women in childbirth. I don't question your character or your marital status." HA. Funny joke. <br />
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But the even funnier part of this big non-joke is that <span style="font-size: x-large;">I LOVE CHILDBIRTH</span>. How did this happen? WHO AM I? <br />
You see, the deeper God brought me into this journey, the more I have been able to see His miraculous work. He is a magnificent designer and He is insanely good at creating life. The process of birth is one miracle after another.<strong> I don't know how one could be in the birth-world for longer than 5 minutes and not recognize that there is something much bigger at work than humans.</strong> <span style="font-size: large;">We have a wise Creator.</span><br />
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So, in the time between the last time I wrote on this blog and now, I officially became a birth doula, I'm nearly finished with my Christian Childbirth Educator Certification, I am applying to nursing school and then midwifery school after that. YAY!<br />
I am completely in awe that I get to have a job where I constantly witness insanely beautiful miracles. I get to love, encourage and support beautifully strong mommas as they work through the process of bringing their new babies into the world. I get to be one of the first people to see and welcome a brand new person into the world and I get to pray over their lives. This blessing filled life can get exhausting but it is just SO beautiful. Sometimes I get called out of my bed and get dressed in the dark, subjecting myself to glorious surprises the next morning when I realize just what I am wearing. Sometimes the births last for days and sometimes they are one after another, but God is my strength and I count it all joy to be a part of His plan for these new families.<br />
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This is my life turning inside out. This is what happened when I surrendered my plans to Jesus and trusted Him to equip me for all that He is calling me to. I fell in love with the thing that I was deathly afraid of apart from Him. Africa, and Childbirth were two of my largest fears growing up. Now I want to mix the two together. HAHA. You can't explain Jesus out of that one. Isn't it incredible what God does to our fears when we give them to Him?<br />
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In the words of Louie Giglio this past week at the INCREDIBLE <a href="http://www.268generation.com/2.0/splash1c.htm">Passion</a> Conference..." The only fear that we should have is that of living an insignificant life." <br />
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I don't want an insignificant life. I know that even if I were to do vastly incredible things in life, my name will still be eventually forgotten. I know that this life is fleeting and the only worthwhile thing to do with the time that I have been given is to live for the glory of Jesus. His glory will endure through all generations and His kingdom will never come to an end. The cry of my heart is to store up all of my treasures in heaven where thief will not come in and steal and where moth and rust will not destroy. <br />
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My favorite head scarve is disintegrating. My guitar strings are wasting away. The tires on my car are balding. My hair dryer is close to combusting into flames. CLEARLY, material things are not good investments. Even the best of investments on earth are left behind when we close our eyes for the last time. In light of this, what will we do with our lives? What will we do in light of the coming of Christ and His Kingdom and all of those who do not know His grace?<br />
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What will we do for the men, women and babies who are dying every single minute due to lack of proper health care? What will we do about the <strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">16,000 children</span></strong> that died <strong>today</strong> from LACK OF FOOD? <br />
What will we do about the <span style="font-size: x-large;">27 million people </span><span style="font-size: small;">who are living their lives as slaves? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">If I was one of them, I'd sure want someone to come rescue me, speak up for me, to come feed me and care for me. Jesus makes the answer to these questions really simple. He says in Matthew 25:40 that whatever we <em>do</em> for those who are in need, we <em>do for HIM</em> and whatever we <strong><em>don't</em></strong> do for those in need, we <em><strong>DON'T do for Him</strong></em>. </span><br />
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We have two choices. 1. Serve Jesus and care for those in need. 2. Don't serve Jesus and don't care for those in need.<br />
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I was a captive and Jesus came for me. I was an orphan and He reached out in Compassion{ A mercy that leads to action},adopting me into His family FOREVER. I was sick and He came to heal me. I was His enemy, a hater of Him and all that was His, but He loved me anyway. <strong>He left His perfect life to come and save me, His enemy.</strong> He had everything He could ever want or need, He is Almighty God for pete's sake, and YET He came for me, gave up everything and took the punishment for MY sin, bore MY shame and gave me the righteousness and holiness that He earned. <strong><span style="font-size: large;">Is there any other love that can even compare to this? Tell me if you have found a love that even casts a shadow on this!</span></strong> This kind of love is so big and so grand that my heart swells at the thought of it. How can this be true? That the Holy, Just, and Merciful God who created the world and everything in it would come to take the punishment for my crimes against HIM. If this is true, then surely I can no longer live for myself.<br />
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When I have been given so much love and so much light, I cannot sit in my comfortable life, loving only those that are easy to love and shining my light only in the broad day light when I will blend in with the rest.<br />
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Jesus came for me with a huge and tangible love. How can I do anything less? <br />
To whom much has been given, much will be required.<br />
Much is required of me and I pray for the grace to give all that I have for the Glory of Jesus, wherever and however that may be. Here's to bigger obedience and bigger faith in Jesus in 2012.<br />
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What fear is God calling you to trust Him with this year? <br />
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<em>Word from the previously fearful: give it up early, the beauty and freedom come more quickly that way.</em><br />
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So sweet, yet clearly not destined to be a life long tradition. Our hips don't lie and they were screaming "NOO..." in this most recent picture. We'll have to find a meadow for next time. :)<br />
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Coming back to revive this blog soon!Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-51885457789671954872011-08-19T00:12:00.005-04:002011-08-19T02:23:51.515-04:00Gideon and I.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is a story in the Bible {in the book of Judges} about a man named Gideon. He had a pretty extensive army of about 20,000 men that was all set to go fight the Lord's enemies. His battle plans were probably all drawn out and their bags were probably packed. Everything was working out great and it all made sense. They were on the track to victory and success.<br />
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Until God told them to cut down their army to 300 men. He told them to check their plans at the door and trust His plans instead.<br />
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Umm..come again? From <span style="font-size: x-large;">22,000</span> down to <strong>300</strong>. <span style="font-size: x-small;">{Picture the intensity of Lord of the Rings here, just for a minute. Terrifying, right?}</span><br />
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Gideon was being called away from having everything making sense and lining up, and being called into what seemed to be straight up madness. <strong>WHY?</strong> Because God had a greater purpose. Because he wanted His people to trust <strong>Him</strong> with the battle and not put their hope in their circumstances. <br />
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In our minds, we think that God ought to prove everything is going to work out great <em>and then</em> we'll step out and trust Him. When He calls us out on the water, we'd like to know that it's only 3ft. deep and the temperature of a jacuzzi. That way, you know, just in case we fall in...it will be safe and comfy and we can still touch. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Newsflash of my summer</span>. God doesn't work this way. He works in ways that don't make sense to us because His ways are so much greater than ours. His ways seem backwards to us more often then not. Gideon had to trust that God's seemingly backwards plan was going to work. This was exactly how God was going to show Gideon that the strength of his army isn't what determined the result of the battle, but the power of God. The wisdom of man, is not the same as the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians chapter 1)<br />
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God doesn't promise that trusting Him will be easy, but he <strong>does</strong> promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He <strong>does</strong> promise that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Does that mean that everything that happens in this world will always be good? No. But He will weave a tapestry of grace in our lives if we trust Him with the story that He has given us. He will work even the confusing things out for good if we allow Him to. The ugly things, the hurtful things... the ashes. He can make them into beauty if we let Him.<br />
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Life is like a cake. or a box of chocolates. but for now it's like a cake.<br />
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When making a cake {the good ol' fashioned way} you add flour, eggs, sugar, salt, baking soda, etc.<br />
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I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't eat any one of those things in their beginning state. Flour is nasty stuff to eat. But without flour, what would a cake be? Mush. Without sugar it would be bitter and with out the other things in between, it just wouldn't come out with the baker's desired result. We ought not to stop and doubt the result of the cake when we taste the individual items that are going into the process. Instead, we must trust that the baker does have a plan for the things that don't make sense. This is the part of the story where God works everything TOGETHER for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The bitter and the dry has a purpose in this story of ours and this story has a tasty end if we can trust the One who is in control. These things that we have been entrusted with have been entrusted to us by a faithful God. A God who is faithful to complete the good work that He has begun. A God who is conforming us into the image of His Son. (Romans 8:28-30)<br />
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I am labeling the past 6 months of my life, The Gideon Era. Everything that I thought was going to happen, didn't and everything I thought would never happen, did. I'm so thankful for God's faithfulness in Gideon's story so that I can trust God with mine. Guess who won the battle in the end? Gideon and the 300. The battle was the Lord's way back then. The battle IS the Lord's today. The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous {made righteous by the redemptive blood of Jesus Christ alone} runs to it and is safe.<br />
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I know that I am beneath the tapestry being woven and the threads that seem tangled to me now, will one day be revealed as a beautiful masterpiece that bring glory to the Designer. I know that one day, my Jesus will return and set all things right. Until then, may my days bring glory to the Maker, Keeper and Ruler of all things. He knows what is good.<br />
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Even in the midst of confusion, there is no better place to be than in the fellowship of Jesus Christ, my Strength and my Redeemer. Peace that surpasses all understanding is the real deal in Christ.<br />
His ways are higher than our ways. Sometimes so much higher that I cannot see how they are ever going to work out. However, we walk by faith, and not by sight! I am learning through this journey that my "300" surrendered wholeheartedly to the Lord is more powerful than any number of well thought out, man made, man centered, man executed plans that are not lead by the Lord. He doesn't need our ducks in a row to be able to use us for His glory. {Hello. He makes ducks. He can certainly line them up better than me.} Praise Him for allowing us to be instruments in the story He is writing.<br />
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"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For <span style="font-size: x-small;">WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?</span> For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To HIM be the glory forever. Amen."- Romans 11:33-36<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Where in your life might God be asking you to trust His plan above your own?</span><br />
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"If we are devoted to Jesus Christ we have nothing to do with what we meet, whether it is just or unjust. Jesus says - Go steadily on with what I have told you to do and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance. The most devout among us become atheistic in this connection; we do not believe God, we enthrone common sense and tack the name of God on to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts." - My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers<br />
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P.S. I graduated! More on that to come...<br />
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-22207590926555637962011-05-28T02:55:00.008-04:002011-05-28T04:01:40.289-04:008 years of abundant life.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been nearly 9 years since my family adopted my sweet baby brothers as special needs preemies. The journey to get them was more than adding members to my family. The Lord used that journey to bring me to a true understanding of what the Gospel is. <br />
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You see, God had put it on my heart to pray for a baby brother or sister (preferably both and in the form of twins...) constantly since I was about 3 years old. I would often cry myself to sleep begging God to bring a baby to my family. I used to go on walks in my neighborhood hoping to either find an abandoned baby or a puppy. (There were neither in my fairly conservative neighborhood... which was so disapointing to me. What the heck kind of neighborhood has no lonely puppies or babies wandering around? Most of my friends lived in the backwoods where people dropped off puppies all the time. Apparently nobody does that sort of thing in historic downtown. anyways. no longer bitter about the lack of puppies. we had dogs. i just wanted to find one! you know?) <br />
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I was 9 years old when my parents felt God leading them to adopt a baby boy domestically. I was overjoyed. I began cranking up the twin prayers and begging God to allow us to have two babies that didn't have a family instead of just one. {Plus, i didn't want to have to fight my other siblings over who got to hold the baby. You know. Logistics and such.}<br />
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Well, 8 months later, we got a phone call that changed our world forever. We had twin baby boys waiting for us at the hospital and we had until 2pm the next day to decide if we wanted them. There was just ONE little thing. They were born at 27 weeks gestation. {as opposed to the normal 40 weeks that babies are supposed to be inside the womb.} They could possibly be blind, and deaf and have severe learning disabilities. "Baby B" had also had a Grade 2-3 {1-5 scaled, 5 being the worst.}Brain Bleed at birth which could mean he might have Cerebral Palsy. They were also supposed to have Asthma, severe lung issues, etc.<br />
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God gave us overwhelming peace about bringing them into our family and my parents went to pick them up at the NICU where they had lived the first 7 weeks of their lives.<br />
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It was exciting and lovely and amazing for me for the first few weeks. Our living room became a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and we learned to chart cc's, work apnia monitors, heart monitors, oxygen machines, etc. We learned how to remind babies to breathe as they turned blue while drinking their bottles. We grew and they grew.<br />
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However, after a few weeks of machines {that sound similar to the screeching eels in Princess Bride} beeping every two seconds because of a loose strap on a baby's foot, it started to get old for me. <b>Really old.</b> You see, when I prayed all those years for a baby brother or sister, I meant the kind that you could hold without having to remain within three feet of the wires that they were strapped to. I meant the kind that I could play with and not have to wonder if they would ever be able to sit up and see me play peek-a-boo with them. I thought that God had chosen a pretty rude way to answer a kid's prayer. <br />
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That's when He spoke to me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>You were helpless and I took you in.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>You had nothing exciting to offer me, but I loved you anyway.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>You had no hope of survival, but then I cared for you.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>You were an orphan that was outside of my family. Now you are my child.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Love these babies the way that I love you.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>With Agape Love.</i></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>A love that is not self-seeking. A love that hopes. A love that perseveres.</i></span></b><br />
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1 Cor. 13:4- 13<br />
1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 I<i>f I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love</i>, I gain nothing. <br />
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4 <span style="font-size: x-large;">Love</span> is patient, love is <i>kind</i>. It <b>does not envy</b>, <u>it does not boast</u>, it is <b>not proud</b>. 5 <span style="font-size: x-large;">It does not dishonor others</span>, <span style="font-size: large;">it is <b>not</b> self-seeking</span>, <b>it is not easily angered</b>, <i>it keeps no record of wrongs</i>. 6 <b>Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth</b>. 7 <u>It always <b>protects,</b> always <b>trusts</b>, always <b>hopes</b>, always <b>perseveres</b>. </u><br />
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.<i> For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. </i><i>13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. </i><br />
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God gave me such a deep love for them through this revelation. So much so that I wouldn't take all the healthy babies in the world for my two scrawny baby brothers. They may have been sick. They may never be able to talk or play tag or ride a bike, but they were hand picked for my family and hand delivered in answer to my prayers. Loving them didn't depend on whether or not they could play with me some day. I need only love them because they were created by God and given to me to love.<br />
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I was to love these babies that He decided I was to be a sister to. I was to trust Him with whether they would ever be able to understand anything that I would say to them or try to teach them. Those things were too big for me to deal with. God would handle them for me. All I needed to do was trust Him and trust that His plan for them would be a good one, no matter what... </div>
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God taught me who I was and who He was through two sick baby boys. I was an orphan and He was a Father who loved me past my unloveliness.<br />
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He has taught me more about His Love through this journey than anything else. Everything else will pass away but His love is what remains.<br />
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Today these sickly baby boys are running around outside with perfect health, catching lightning bugs and talking to me about going to the pool tomorrow where they will swim underwater as long as they possibly can. Holding air in the little lungs that were never supposed to function properly. With funny little goggles on their eyes that were never supposed to see properly and listening to each other laugh and say funny things with the ears that were never supposed to hear. Praise Jesus.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">James</span>-"<span style="font-size: large;">Baby B</span>"- Is the family thinker.<br />
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We call him "The Director". He analyzes situations faster than anyone and before you even know what's going on, he has three possible solutions to the crisis at hand and he's telling you about them. He thoroughly enjoys swimming, cooking, playing with his brothers in the woods, building with legos and memorizing Bible verses for AWANA. <br />
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He memorized all of Psalm 23 last month with the brain that was not supposed to function properly. If you need help with something, ask James. He's a smartypants with a servant's heart. He is also hilarious.<br />
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His life verses are James 1:22 " Do not just be hearers of the word, but do what it says." and 1:27 "Pure and faultless religion in the sight of God our Father is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself unpolluted from the world."<br />
He shared his testimony of how God healed him with a Sunday School class a few months ago and asked that they all pray for orphans... Then He shared about how He ran into the wall and got a brain bleed and had to have stitches on his forehead...that was a little bit of blending of events but the kids seemed to get the point. Haha.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jeremiah -"Baby A" </span>is compassionate. <br />
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He is funny and so sweet and He has a smile that brightens up your entire day. He loves to read, go to the creek, swim, slide down the water slide and play Monopoly. He has a heart for the Congo and we've never even been there. {He got to meet a Congolese man at Disney and He was so excited.}<br />
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He loves to build and create things.<br />
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He loves serving others. He has a quilt that I made as a youngin' that has a pocket on the back for books.{ you know, for late night emergencies when you can't sleep but you're supposed to sleep.} He can often be found with a flashlight and a book far too late at night.<br />
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{Ok, so maybe I used to hide him in the pocket too. tiny man. haha.}<br />
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He told me a few weeks ago that he read the entire children's Bible to James the night before and then He showed me the page where there was a picture of Jesus on the cross. "We both cried when we got to this part." Their hearts for the Lord as so precious and I am so grateful for the gift they are to our family. I can't wait to see what the Lord does in and through their lives that were predicted to be so very different than the life that God had in mind for them. Jeremiah's Life Verse is Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-19648"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">12</span></b></sup> Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-19649"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">13</span></b></sup> You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."<br />
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These verses were what God used to lead my parents to adopt. They were going to name one baby boy "Jeremiah James"...but then my faith filled prayers sabotaged their name and we got two babies! Jeremiah and James.<br />
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Had they not been sick, I might not truly know the Lord.<br />
Had they not been sick, they would not have the story that God has given them.<br />
Had they not been sick, the three littlest kids would never have been adopted. The Lord used a special needs tax credit from Jeremiah and James' adoption to provide for the other three Littles to come home 4 years later.<br />
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God worked the hard things together for good.<br />
God is a God of miracles. He is Jehovah-Rapha. The God who heals. <br />
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But, even if they were still sick...God would still be good. He does not make mistakes. He IS trustworthy. If Jeremiah and James were never able to communicate or do the things that they are able to do today, God would still be mighty and His plan for them would still be good. I know that with all my heart. God's love is not based on what we offer Him. He chose to love us and that is what makes us lovely. That is what gives us the ability to love others. The season of sick babies gave me a bigger glimpse into God's glorious Love than any other season of my life so far. If they had remained sick, God would have been just as faithful.<br />
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This week, 8 years ago, these precious Boys were born. I can't wait to see the next eight years, and the next, and the next. My Boys, may the Lord bless you, and keep you, and make His face shine upon you. I pray that He uses you for His glory in the nations and that He blesses you with a long life of service to Him. I know that He holds every day in His hands and He has a good plan for you. I'm so thankful I get to know you and be your big sister. I love you so stinkin' much.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In the words of Meshach Shadrach and Abednego as they faced the fiery furnace for refusing to worship anything but the One true God...(Read full story in Daniel 3)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Daniel 3:17-18</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">They were thrown into the furnace and the men who threw them in were even killed by the flames, but Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego were seen within the furnace, walking around with one who appeared to be 'of the gods'. They came out without even a hair on their heads singed. This is the response of the King who sentenced them to the furnace...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Daniel 3:28-30</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” </span><br />
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When we obey the Lord and trust Him to carry us, even through the fire, He works in ways we could never imagine. Disobedience results in consequences as well as missing the blessings that God has in store for those who wait for Him. When we choose to worship Him instead of ourselves {or any other thing that we may put first,} we get to see His faithfulness to us come out in ways that we could never expect or even imagine.<br />
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Be encouraged if you are facing the furnace today. Seek the face of God and follow Him. He is the only one worth following and He will see you safely through. Trust Him and He will be glorified. It might take a while to see any fruit, but obedience to the Lord's calling, even when it's hard, always results in blessing. Maybe it won't be the blessing you were hoping for, but always blessing. Just you wait and see. God's ways are so much higher than our ways. We don't have to understand His ways, we just have to trust and obey. He will show us His good will in His good timing.<br />
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Beyond thankful for 8 years of incredible life with these treasures. I'm so glad that God knew better than I did.<br />
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"God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption..." 1 Corinthians 1:28-30<br />
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Jesus is with the lowly and the brokenhearted, the sick and the orphan. The "things despised by the world" are the things that God loves and uses for His glory.<br />
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May He grant us all His eyes to see what is truly precious. May He give us the grace to love with Agape.Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-4803384458321543012011-05-05T02:49:00.000-04:002011-05-05T02:49:59.909-04:00Baby Rapunzels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a name='more'></a>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-11851126246554898272011-04-24T23:54:00.000-04:002011-04-24T23:54:23.980-04:00Jesus LIVES!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-30378">3</sup> Praise be to the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his<b> great </b>mercy he has given us
new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead, <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-30379">4</sup> and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-30380">5</sup> who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-30381">6</sup> In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. <sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-30382">7</sup>
These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater
worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result
in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. {1 Peter 1:3-7}<br />
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</div>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-1986078807411149512011-04-13T16:05:00.000-04:002011-04-13T16:05:51.619-04:00Twitter.Follow me on <a href="http://twitter.com/elliemestas">Twitter!</a>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-60165994033467013512011-03-27T03:28:00.002-04:002011-03-27T03:47:33.464-04:00Walking by Faith.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15</span><br />
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So, guys...I'm a Senior. <br />
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Do you know what that means?<br />
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That means 3 more months until I get to dress up like a judge with a square hat and receive a piece of paper. A paper which tells me that I may now go out into the world and become somebody. {Well, after college of course.} My mom will cry, my dad will say kind words that will make everyone else cry and I will say good-bye to a lot of my friends. It will be the closing of an amazing chapter in the story of my life, and the opening of another.<br />
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Wanna know something hilarious? I have no idea what is going end up happening in my life. But that's 100% ok. You know why? It's not my life. <br />
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If you've ever read Prince Caspian, by C.S. Lewis, you might remember the part of the story when the Pevensie children are wandering around in the forest, trying desperately to find a way to get to where Prince Caspian would be waiting for them. <br />
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Lucy sees Aslan and knows that He is beckoning to her to come, but it doesn't make sense for her to go. Nobody else saw Him, and He was across a deep gorge. Two <em>pretty big</em> problems. She tried to convince the others that they should follow Aslan, but their voices of reason made more sense than her words of insanity about seeing a lion beckoning to her to come follow Him off a cliff. Well, they ended up going a different way and almost getting killed and then decided to try the Aslan following deal. They went back to where Lucy saw Aslan and she ends up accidentally falling off the cliff...off the cliff and onto a trail that they couldn't see from where the were standing. <br />
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This trail would take them right to where they needed to be. It was a path that couldn't be seen from their vantage point, but it was a path that Aslan was obviously leading them to the whole time. Who cares if it wasn't logical...it was THE path. <br />
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That's basically this chapter in my life. I know that God is calling me. I also know that right now, He's not calling me to go to college. I know its not very logical in our day and age to skip out on college, but I DO know that my God is faithful to lead me on the right path. The path that is going to allow me to be used by Him, for His glory in the nations. <br />
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In the past 6 months, I have had two doors open to work in two different ministries {Working in orphan care, community development projects, etc. Try not to get too confused here in a second.}<br />
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Last October, I was planning on moving to Bristol, TN to work with the ministry that was headquartered there. <br />
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Then a door opened for a possible internship in Nashville, TN with another ministry.<br />
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November 2010: I felt like the Lord was calling me to stay home another 6 months to care for the Littles so my mom could finish writing her book. I almost had to say no to both opportunities.<br />
{God stepped in. Don't worry Ellie! I won't make you say no. They'll both say no to you! Ha.}<br />
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Internship #1 that I was supposed to do was postponed.<br />
Internship #2 was also a fail.<br />
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God loved me so well and brought me to a whole nother level of trusting Him.<br />
I wouldn't trade the months that I've had here at home with the Littles for anything. They have been such a blessing to me and the Lord has taught me so much.<br />
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December 2010: I feel like the Lord is calling me to go to Nashville to serve in ministry there ... except, there is no opportunity for me to go there. Tricky? Yes.<br />
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February 2011: Some doors started to open for <strong>Internship 2 in Nashville</strong> again. Still didn't work out.<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-tfwRoiMY4J0/TY7d0isBP0I/AAAAAAAACTQ/DIOnMXirIS0/s1600/Ellie_Senior_135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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March 2011: I hear from<strong> Internship 1 in Bristol</strong> saying that they are back on track and launching their intern program in July...this time they are trying to do it <strong>in Nashville</strong>. WHAT? Yes.<br />
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Do I feel like God is moving the whole ministry of <a href="http://safeworldnexus.org/">Safeworld Nexus</a> to Nashville because that's where He's calling me to go right now? Sometimes, yes. ;) Sometimes the details are just so crazy that I think God might only have time to work out my life's details and no one else's. And then I remember that He is just that <strong>good</strong> and that <strong>big</strong>. He orchestrates things together so beautifully. It's astonishing to me. In fact, he was probably just preparing my heart back in December for this very thing.<br />
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So, does this mean that I am moving to Nashville? At this point, I think so! <span style="font-size: large;">However,</span> if I've learned anything in the past 6 months, its that I'm not in charge of the game plan. God is. The earth and all it's inhabitants are the Lord's and He is faithful and just. All His ways are <strong>good</strong>. He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. {Romans 8:28} Therefore, I know that every bump and curve and 'glitch' in my mind, are just opportunities to trust in the faithfulness of a loving God who is working all of those things out for good. <br />
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I know that wherever He calls me, wherever I am, I have that moment to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are in front of me. Whether that means the 6 children that I currently spend most of my days with, or if that means the people I will work with in TN and Uganda { Lord willing}. I am learning that life isn't about the next step. Life is about each moment and how we steward it. <br />
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I am so beyond thankful that He is teaching me to lean less and less on my own understanding. Thankful that He is teaching me how to acknowledge Him in all my ways, and to trust Him to direct my paths in the ways in which <strong>He</strong> wants them to go. {Proverbs 3:5}<br />
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This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! </div>
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Until Jesus comes, no matter what, no matter where, no matter how. </div>
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I don't know where I'm gonna end up, but I know I'll be there with Jesus. He promises never to leave us, nor forsake us. And that's enough for me.</div>
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P.S. I wouldn't trade in any of the confusion or changes of plans that have happened in the past six months. God has taught me so much about His fatherly love for me, about His sovreignty and His timing, that I am beyond grateful for those weird flip-flopping plans. They are priceless now because of the things that Jesus spoke to me as a result of these events. He's working them together for good already and I haven't even left North Carolina yet. What a Savior.<br />
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I love my <a href="http://tesoro-photo.com/blog">super cool sister.</a>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-16053492126484761752011-03-04T22:30:00.002-05:002011-03-04T23:26:17.092-05:00Flah-duh.My sweet great-aunt passed away this week. She was a sweet, sweet woman. She was the spitting image of the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. The Fairy Godmother...with a New York accent. <br />
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She lived ten hours away from my family so I only saw her when we would go stay with my grandparents {when they lived in Florida}.<br />
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My Grandpa and most of his sisters lived in the same neighborhood at the time and they would visit each other in their Florida rooms for iced tea most days. It was always so fun to go visit them. My Grandma and Grandpa's house was always cold enough to house penguins and was impeccably clean. My Grandpa's workshop would be full of odds and ends that he'd collected at yard sales all year long. It was like the cave in the Little Mermaid. Except better.<br />
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The first day we got into town, we could always expect to be welcomed by the aroma of homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs.<br />
Grandma kept a little tin on her kitchen window sill with the word "love" written on it. She always told us it was her secret ingredient. {I snuck over and opened it one day to discover it was empty. I thought she lied. I didn't get the whole sweetness of the analogy until a few years later. I know, I know. don't be so uptight ellie. sheesh.}<br />
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My brother and I would ride bikes all around their little neighborhood and stop off at all the relatives houses. They usually fed us and then we'd go back outside to catch lizards. My sweet little Aunt Pat <span style="font-size: x-small;">{She was a good deal shorter than me last time I saw her and I'm only 5'1". }</span> had one of these in her shed which she let use. <br />
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Needless to say, she was probably our most frequent stop.<br />
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Once when I was in middle school and feeling so lame that all of my friends were growing by the foot and I...wasn't...She told me "Ellie, don't chyoo evah forget..dynamite comes in smawl packages." :)<br />
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She was a sweet woman with a heart full of kindness. She will be greatly missed.<br />
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We're all going to Florida tomorrow for the funeral. <br />
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We realized as we were preparing yesterday that Solomon and I are on Spring Break all next week and Jonathan has most of the week off. So, what do you do when your going to Florida with your whole family and you don't have to be back home for a few days? You go to Disney World. Thats what. <br />
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I've been asking to do a family excursion to Disney for my graduation celebration since... my freshman year of high school. So, next week is a combo: Spring Break vacation, Last Hoorah for the Mestas Big Kids being able to vacation with the rest of the family, and, Celebrate-Ellie-Being-Done-with-School trip. It's going to be a party. {I wish Melissa, Randy and the Pearcelings could come with us! :( }<br />
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BUT. Shhh.. Solomon and the Littles don't know! {THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING TO THEM!}Solomon and the youngest three have never been and the older twins have only been to Disney Land. <br />
Commence: Mission Impossible. Aka...keep the secret until Monday. We have been speaking in Spanish and spelling things out and doing everything possible to ensure that we don't spill the beans...but I'm probably going to blow it because its all my brain wants to think about. {I have dreams of making my home above one of the shops in Downtown Disney Land.} While spelling things out today my dad and I had this cute conversation.<br />
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Papa: "Do you know what I'm most excited about? What my favorite part is?"<br />
Me: "The r-i-d-e-s's?" <br />
Papa "Nope. The looks on your f-a-c-e-s's." AWW. My cute Papa. I love him to pieces.<br />
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But for real. I just want to tell them all and see them freak out with excitement already! <br />
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The Happiest Place on Earth is about to get a whole lot happier. The joy level is going to burst the roof off Cinderella's castle. I hope they have castle insurance.<br />
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Life is a spontaneous adventure.<br />
<br />Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-59722145706978277252011-02-16T01:23:00.001-05:002011-02-16T09:59:42.565-05:004 years of life with the Twinnettes.I can hardly believe that these little babies...<br />
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Have transformed into these hilarious, girly, dress-up loving, ladies.<br />
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These girls are such treasures. They are so full of life and spunk! They currently love: eating, brushing their teeth <strong>by themselves</strong>, running, <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bNY_Q0Dyl9Y/TVtZJX7_K-I/AAAAAAAACQQ/csMMJLE5vTM/s1600/P1010049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" h5="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bNY_Q0Dyl9Y/TVtZJX7_K-I/AAAAAAAACQQ/csMMJLE5vTM/s320/P1010049.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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dancing on anything that can be used as a stage, drumming on things, loading the dryer with the clothes from the washer, telling made up jokes, cracking eggs for breakfast, being helpful with anything and everything, changing outfits {12 times a day}, singing, and feeding my fish {...that i was given as a gift for Christmas and is shockingly still alive.} They love playing pretend games with each other where their pretend names are both "Ella". I don't know how it works, but they both have the same name in every game...somehow it just works for them. <br />
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I am so excited to see the women that they are going to become. God has huge plans for them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They are so fearless. Literally. Nothing will stand in their way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They are leaders. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">{They come up with some of the most creative schemes known to mankind. In fact, they come up with schemes that no man has ever even contemplated and they execute them with extreme precision.}</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They are innovative. {<span style="font-size: small;">When its six am and you think you're home alone- but really everyone is just sleeping- go to the neighbor's house. They'll bring you back home and wake up your family for you.}</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They ask the hard questions. </span><span style="font-size: large;">{"Do you have a baby in your tummy?"}</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They speak up when no one else will. {That lady's hair is not good. Mmm. It's crazy."}</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They have a profound sense of justice.{ "Kezzie has 4 grapes and I only have 3."}</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They are so full of joy. </span><br />
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They are SO full of life! There is more personality wrapped up in these four year old twins than you can even imagine. They keep us on our toes and they bring so much joy to our hearts. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Keren always has something hilarious to say. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Usually about somebody "being a pancake" for doing something she thought was rude.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Keziah always has a new statement to make with her outfit.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> Keziah especially loves her shirt with the little pink dog on it, paired with her pink tutu. She is Fancy Nancy personified.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They make an amazing team. <span style="font-size: x-small;">They recently decided that they wanted to try going to some of the things that the boys go to...and then just as quickly decided it wasn't for them. I understand completely. They recently did what I only dreamed of doing as a small child. Jason Bourne style. </span><span style="font-size: small;">When they were taken to AWANA for the first {and only} time, they simultaneously decided it was no longer cool. One got the first teacher in a headlock {more or less}, the other kicked the remaining teacher at the door and then they both made the great escape out the door to find my parents. About 6 months later, they wanted to try Sunday School at Church. {they normally sit in the regular service with us.} They lasted about 30 minutes before we heard running in the halls. Keren bolted and got in the elevator, Keziah took the stairs. Someone asked me last week at Taekwondo if that was my sister that came running to the service crying and calling my name. Yes! It was. My very own sister. Right in the middle of a sermon on sanctity of human life/ adoption. I thought it added a nice effect though and sort of brought everything to life. Way to go Kez. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>They go against the flow.</strong> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Who cares if the other kids stay in Sunday school? The world is full of those other kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{With a little channeling in the right direction...}</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;">These girls are going to change the world.</span><br />
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They've changed my life forever and i'm eternally grateful that God decided these little African Ladies were <strong>meant</strong> to be my sisters. They have changed my world.<br />
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God has taught me so much about love through them. He has shown me so much about the way He loves us. He loves us with a never stopping, never giving up, bigger than our attitudes towards Him, bigger than our behavior, bigger than everything we could ever do for Him kind of love. This is the love that I have been shown. This is the love that He teaches me how to give. And man, do I love these little boogers.<br />
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God has His hand on them. He protected them through so much, and is continuing to do so. He has brought them to our family for a reason and He is going to use them to impact the world for His glory. I just know it.<br />
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Watch out world. Here they come. {Maybe to a Sunday School near you...HA. Just kidding. :) }<br />
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Happy Birthday Ladies! I love you more than I could ever tell you. You stole my heart the minute I saw your picture. You are the little sisters I always dreamed of, and so much more. <br />
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"For this {these} child{ren !} I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him."<br />
1 Samuel 1:27<br />
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<br />Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-67521518632380029502011-01-17T22:31:00.002-05:002011-01-17T22:47:36.467-05:00MLK<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, I took my brothers and sisters to the park. My black brothers and sisters, and my white ones. There were no signs that said some of us had to stay out because of the shade of skin on our bodies. Nobody tried to stop us, nobody called us names. Dr. King's dream was realized a little today in my life. Just a simple act of freedom that I take for granted, was a merely a dream 50 years ago. I am indescribably grateful that Dr. King and so many others deemed it a dream worth fighting for. <br />
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I am beyond thankful for the work God has done in so many hearts because of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others who spoke out for the oppressed, despite persecution. My life in the South with four African siblings would look so much different had they not been so courageous. To think that I could have missed out on most of the biggest blessings of my life due to the amount of melanin in their skin breaks my heart. It's shameful to think that such a thin layer of substance can create so much dissension among those who are meant to be brothers. And yet, despite the depraved nature of man's heart that would choose to see color as a distinction of value, God came for us in love and chose to offer us forgiveness. He brought justice to our sin through His Son, rather than us. What a merciful God.<br />
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My heart is full of thankfulness that God has brought us from segregated bus seats and water fountains, to integrated families, government and Churches. Praise God.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(phone pictures from the glorious park visit this afternoon.)</span></div>
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May we always see the people of this world the way God sees them. May we always look at the heart of a man, rather than the appearance. May we always do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. <br />
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-2832083571393101882011-01-11T00:55:00.001-05:002011-01-11T01:57:23.332-05:00Out with 2010, In with 2011.2010 was such a beautiful year for me. <br />
Not because everything went according to the way I thought it should have, or because there were only fun times to be had and never any troubles. Quite the contrary. It was a wonderful year for me because it was so completely not the way I thought it would be.<br />
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I feel like I aged about 5 years in 2010, but in the best of ways. God proved Himself to be so faithful to me everysingleday. I felt God loving me so deeply in the midst of the chaotic parts. I felt Him guarding my heart and protecting me. I felt Him giving me the courage to stand for Him, and I felt Him nudging me over every proverbial cliff in my life. He gave me the courage to jump, and then caught me every time. This year I fell in love with my Jesus so much more. I began to know Him so much better than I ever have before. He held my hand and walked me through the year with such abundant grace that I .just.couldn't. keep from loving Him.<br />
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I wouldn't trade 2010 for all the tea in China. <br />
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I am so excited to see what God is going to do in 2011. I am so thankful that even though I have no clue what this year holds, I know the One who holds it... and He is trustworthy. He is not held within the boundaries of our dates or plans. He is the same, year, after year, after year, and He is good. I choose to trust Him with 2011. It'll be an adventure, no doubt.<br />
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My New Years Resolutions:<br />
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Follow Jesus in faith, wherever He leads me. He knows what's up, even when I don't.<br />
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Study God's word more diligently.<br />
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Love others fully, even when its not easy.<br />
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Engage my culture for the plight of the orphan in ways that I haven't before.<br />
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Improve my Spanish skills.<br />
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Give sacrificially.<br />
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Improve Taekwondo skills.<br />
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View others as more important than myself.<br />
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Share the Gospel more.<br />
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Read more.<br />
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Run more.<br />
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Help Mom finish writing her book by caring for the Littles.<br />
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Serve God wholeheartedly wherever He has me.<br />
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A <span style="background-color: yellow;">brief</span> overview:<br />
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At the start of the year, I was a mere junior in high school that was studying the Industrial Revolution and reading Charles Dickens. I started driving myself places, which was so lovely and convenient. Started preparing a group of young people to go to Uganda in the summer for a missions trip. <br />
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God called me to speak up for the orphans He's taken me to meet around the world. Surrendered my freaking-out-heart to His will and watched Him move mountains. I am so grateful for the opportunities He's given me to speak up for His glory and for His heart. What a blessing.<br />
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I began to love Taekwondo more and more.<br />
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Traveled to Uganda where God spoke volumes to my heart about His world, His people, and His plans for my life. God began preparing my heart to move out of state to work with orphan care ministries. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TSqEqOXqGjI/AAAAAAAACLs/fKF47vtE7Xo/s1600/Loving+Hearts+Baby+Home.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" n4="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TSqEqOXqGjI/AAAAAAAACLs/fKF47vtE7Xo/s320/Loving+Hearts+Baby+Home.bmp" width="320" /></a><br />
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Got a new brother! God performed 10,000 miracles and Solomon had a 24 hour notice that he was coming to live in America. <br />
No way. I'm still in shock and its January.<br />
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Solomon and I went to Precept Ministries International's Boot Camp in TN and had a fantastic time.<br />
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Spent all of July and August having friends visit, traveling with friends, traveling with family, and staffing at different camps. <br />
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Solomon saw the ocean for the first time ever!<br />
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One of the boys' many experiments/ grand ideas/ projects this summer was :<br />
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They created a butterfly conservatory in our kitchen and we had butterflies flying everywhere. It was pretty impressive. They would spend hours catching, drawing, reading about, and watching them. I was impressed.<br />
I started my last legitimate semester of high school in the fall! Took classes at SEBTS and learned SO much. I'm so thankful for the time I had there.<br />
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Mom went out of town and I had the Littles. The Twinnettes saw Tinkerbell's latest movie and were obsessed with the idea of catching a fairy. Well, late night Target runs can make wishes come true for little girls who put little tissue box houses in gardens. :)<br />
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Utter joy! :)<br />
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Had fun friends come to town for fall break and met "old" friends in person!<br />
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Traveled to TN with Mom and the Twinettes for a girls weekend to work through some plans for the future.<br />
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Traveled to Hershey, PA with the family for the Mid-Atlantic Orphan Summit.<br />
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Spent such a fun Thanksgiving and Christmas with my whole family.<br />
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I then headed off to Florida for New Years! My sweet friends, Bradley and Kirk, got hitched! It was a blast of a week and their wedding was beautiful...a wedding deserving of its own post. :)<br />
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So thankful for 2010 and the memories, lessons, and friends that came with it!<br />
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<br />Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-34634300082163796132011-01-10T22:47:00.004-05:002011-01-10T22:59:25.584-05:00Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad. Melkam Gena. Happy Birthday to Jesus. Sheng Dan Kuai Le.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The most beautiful story ever written. A Holy God - Creator and judge of the Universe- <strong>came to us</strong>, an unholy people who chose to reject His love and His perfect ways. He chose to redeem us and make us His children while we were still His enemies and wanted nothing to do with Him. </div>
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He chose to send His son as a baby into a world full of evil. He chose to come to us, not as a mighty King, but as a baby, born in the most humble of places. </div>
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He walked among us, healed us, loved us, taught us. God knew we could not save ourselves. He is Just, and He is Merciful. He chose to pour out His overwhelming wrath of our sin and wickedness upon His one and only Son, so that we might be saved through Him. </div>
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Jesus bore God's wrath over my sin so that I could be washed as white as snow. He died for us, but He rose victoriously from death on that glorious third day, conquering sin and death forever. </div>
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Because of Jesus, I have been completely forgiven. God looks at me and sees only the blood of my beautiful Savior who washed me clean, not who I was without Him. Because of Jesus, we can each have a relationship with the Holy God of the universe. Because of Jesus, an unworthy people, can be called children of God, living in victory over sin, and with the promise of eternal life with Him in heaven.</div>
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Because of Jesus, God offers all of us a free gift of Salvation. Of Redemption. Of Peace with Him. </div>
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This is the Miracle of Christmas. </div>
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<strong>Emmanuel: God with us.</strong> <em>God with me. Every single day.</em></div>
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Mmmm...classic.<br />
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Solomon's first Christmas ornament! We gave it to him via skype last year and it hung on our tree, just desperately hoping that he would be here one day to hang it himself. Praise the Lord, He was here to do it this Christmas!<br />
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Mmm...even more classic.<br />
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For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. - Isaiah 9:6</div>
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The fireplace has witnessed a few affects of adoption as well. <br />
Dear Santa, we need a bigger mantle next year.<br />
Love, <br />
Ellie<br />
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Raleigh had it's first White Christmas in 63 years. My heart nearly exploded with joy.<br />
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This was about the time she decided she would really like some hot cocoa.</div>
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Why yes, we did utilize the Yule Log channel on our TV. Our Christmas tree refused to drink water this year so it probably would burst into flames if we used the real deal. The Yule Log channel was such a wonderful idea.</div>
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My newest brother!<br />
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Kiki, African Snow Princess.</div>
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Jackpot Present: A huge Dora the Explorer doll house and castle with 10,345 people.<br />
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It was SUCH a beautiful Christmas. It was filled with thanksgiving to the Lord, love, and tons of fun. I am so grateful for Jesus, the most tremendous gift that I, and the world, was ever given. He is my love, my best friend, my redeemer, my everything. {And His birthday is a pretty fun deal around these here parts.} </div>
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My sin had left a crimson stain, <em>He washed it white as snow</em>.<br />
Oh<strong> praise</strong> the One, who paid my debt, and raised this life up from the dead!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos courtesy of </span><a href="http://tesoro-photo.com/blog"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Melissa</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></div>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-26711407220386506552011-01-01T22:35:00.000-05:002011-03-04T22:38:41.322-05:00Sweet Friends of 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You and I are orchestras. The conductor of this orchestra is God, whether we choose to acknowledge this fact or not.<br />
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Have you ever heard an orchestra tuning their instruments before a big show? It can be pretty, but it basically hurts your ears at the same time. It's a beautiful mess of sounds all jumbled up and out of order. However, as soon as the conductor lifts His hands to direct the song he knows so well, all goes quiet. Each instrument and its steward recognize the role of the conductor and they wait for His direction. <br />
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There is a peace in knowing that there is someone in charge who knows what he is doing. Someone who knows the music and will lead you where you need to go.<br />
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Waiting for the direction of the conductor is key to the beauty of the song. If even one little section gets impatient and jumps the gun, it kind of smudges the whole effect and distracts from the beauty of the plan for those who wait.<br />
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When each musician in the orchestra surrenders their will to be in charge and decides to follow the lead of the one in front who holds the master plan, that's when the true beauty begins to manifest itself and begins to fill the air.<br />
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When each instrument is in accordance with the plan of the Conductor, and is content to trust His all knowing hands, everything is in order to bring forth the beauty that glorifies the writer of the song.<br />
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Its SO easy to compartmentalize our lives into areas we feel matter to God, and areas we feel do not really matter so much at all. i.e. what we say with friends from school and what we say with friends from church. How we treat our friends and how we treat our family.<br />
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Separating our lives into categories like this is like letting only half of our orchestra participate in the song He has for us. It is so<em> not</em> how He designed the music, nor intended it to be played.<br />
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It is not always easy to surrender the will of that little flute that I feel already plays my song <em>so</em> well. Or the violin that matches its song with my whining spirit that would rather have things go my way. Or the drum that plays my own beat so comfortably and easily. But if they do not give up their comfortable ways and conform to the way of the Conductor, then there will be a noticeable difference between the song of the Conductor and the song of mine. <br />
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His song will be beautiful always, but the sound of my little beating drum and my little whining violin will taint the song of His and will not give it the glory that is due. My song cannot thwart the song of His; His will go on. However, I can taint others view of His ability to conduct music well. I could be a poor representation of who He is and the beauty of His plan if I choose to ignore the tempo and the key changes and the sharps and flats.<br />
That would be the worst realization of all. To know that because of how I ignored His instructions, His beauty was not allowed to be portrayed in that area of the orchestra.<br />
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We are all given a life to live. A symphony to play. A choice of how we are going to choose to play it. Who are you playing your symphony for?<br />
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I am choosing to trust that even in the midst of the difficult parts of this song He has given me to play, the parts where I don't know if they will just end in dismal, melancholy keys, I choose to trust that He knows where it will end. He has promised that it will end in hope and life.<br />
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I am choosing to trust Him in the easy parts where all is sunshine and roses, because He has promised that It gets hard. And I am choosing to trust Him in all of the crazy parts in between. I choose to trust Him to direct each part of my life and to work it all together for His glory. I know that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. Who can help but play His song with joy when we realize the goodness of the Lord?<br />
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May He grant us all the grace to trust His ever loving hands to lead us through the dark shadow filled valleys, to those green pastures and quiet waters where He restores our souls.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">And I know this Conductor is not half as cool as Jesus, but I love this song. It makes me want to close my eyes and dance all around my house.</span><br />
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Beyond Measure. All the measuring cups in the world can't contain the blessings that God has poured out on me in the past year, let alone in my lifetime thus far. These blessings aren't always glittery and exciting from the start. However, not all that is gold glitters. I have seen the most grungy of circumstances turn out to be the most lovely times of trusting God's plan to bring beauty up from ashes. He is truly worthy of our trust. I am learning to live with faith in the one who sees all that I cannot. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things that I cannot see with my eyes.<br />
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I have seen God perform miracles the way He did for Moses and Daniel and the Old Testament men of Faith and All Things Good. And I'm not even cool like them. I am the chief of sinners, the lamest of the lame, the weakest of the weak, the fearing-est of the fearful. Yet God has allowed me to see Him move so mightily. I am so undeserving...but I am so thankful.<br />
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I am so undeserving of the family that God has given me. He put quite a bit of effort into bringing my family together. He had to find us all in remote corners of the earth- and boy am I glad He did. I sometimes feel bad that He put so many extremely wonderful people in my family though. Sometimes I feel like some of them should be less cool, just to be fair to the rest of the world's families. Oh well. Sorry yall. <br />
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I am so thankful for God increasing my faith in Him and deepening my relationship with Him this year. I have seen Him working and moving in ways I never saw Him move before.<br />
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I am so thankful for my new brother, Solomon! He's the greatest.<br />
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I am so thankful for Taekwondo. I'm so thankful for the wonderful friends I've made and the helpful things I've learned. :)<br />
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I am SO beyond thankful that God took me to Uganda this year..and with my brother Jonathan! It was an incredible journey and being able to experience it with my big brother was such a blessing that I will always treasure. <br />
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I'm thankful that my family has clean water and a mosquito free house to sleep in at night.<br />
But I don't want to just sit and be thankful that My family doesn't have to worry about those things. I pray that God uses me to help bring these worries to an end for the beautiful families of Uganda.<br />
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God has surrounded me with the most amazing circle of friends who love me so well and hold me to a very high standard.<br />
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I am thankful for all of the opportunities that God has given me to speak up on behalf of orphans this year. Three years ago this past week, I was crying on an airplane out of Ethiopia, begging God to use me to help all of the children that were not able to come home with my parents and I. Nati and Meron and Selam. Haileyesus and Habtamu and Solomon.<br />
He has answered my prayers by allowing me to speak up for them and I hope that He continues to do so. <br />
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I am thankful for Our Ethiopian Littles who have been home for THREE YEARS! They are such treasures and I can't imagine life without them!<br />
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I'm thankful that God is speaking still and is not silent and impersonal. I am thankful that the Bible is His inerrant word. <strong>I'm thankful that the Gospel is true.</strong><br />
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I'm thankful for the classes I've been able to take at Southeastern this year. I have benefitted so much from them.<br />
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I am extremely thankful that even though I don't know what next year holds for me, God knows it all and holds it all in His hands. He has a perfect plan. He has orchestrated my past, my present, is is orchestrating my future as well. <br />
My hope is that I never lack in trust and faith in Him, and that I would allow Him to conduct every part of my life. I want to live a symphony of praise to my King...Jesus.<br />
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<br />Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-77164081589534159792010-11-02T16:19:00.002-04:002010-11-02T17:21:24.102-04:00Mary {Nalongo}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't even know where to begin telling you about this incredible woman. She was one of the most vibrant, joyful, caring, loving, people I have ever met. I only knew her for two short weeks, but I grew to love her and respect her deeply. People who knew her called her Nalongo- "Mother of Twins". <br />
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She went to seminary in Uganda to be able to better teach those around her about the good news of Jesus. She wanted to be a missionary to her people- and she was. She LOVED Jesus. She served faithfully, she visited those in need, she shared the Gospel almost constantly. She played the African drums quite nicely. Almost every time I saw her she was dancing and singing. She laughed so sweetly and would bend over to slap her knees when something was especially funny. She was a beautiful, beautiful woman. She could chop up a tree better than any woman {or man} I've ever met. She was such a strong, hard worker.<br />
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I am so thankful for the words she spoke to me about Jesus that day as she held my hand and walked down that orange dirt road on the other side of the world. She called me "'Ow-ah'{our}Smallest Missionary". A title I didn't feel worthy of, but it blessed my heart.<br />
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I was looking forward to seeing her again one day when I return to Uganda.<br />
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She went to her true home yesterday to be with Jesus. This side of the veil, we are so sad. But I know that she is rejoicing and has been made whole. The Gospel is so true. Heaven is so real. God is so good. We are so very redeemed and we have such a beautiful inheritance. We have such a hope in Christ. We have been redeemed and adopted into God's family. We are heirs with Christ. <br />
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I can't wait to see her in heaven, dancing and singing, walking down streets of gold- no longer just talking about Jesus together...but seeing Him face to face. She is truly alive and I will see her again.<br />
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We have this hope as an anchor for our souls.<br />
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<em>Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.</em><br />
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<em>Romans 6:5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.</em><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">{Photo cred: Hayley Catt}</span>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-71191898163878035522010-10-31T23:03:00.003-04:002010-11-01T15:22:12.989-04:00Kung Fu FightingSometimes, we put jackets on multiple people and then make music videos. Please enjoy Josiah's facial expressions as much as I did.{Go to sidebar playlist and hit pause for full effect.}<br />
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Starring: <br />
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Josiah's Face.<br />
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Ellie's Hands.<br />
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James as back-up dancer/ninja?<br />
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Glimpses of Jeremiah as photographer.Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-23156025513689230842010-10-31T22:57:00.001-04:002010-10-31T22:59:23.979-04:00Life Lately...Hey Friends and Families.<br />
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How are you?<br />
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I hope you are doing marvelously well and are getting excited for Christmas! I'm just kidding. It's not really time for that yet, but I'm excited all the same. (I have been listening to Christmas music quite a bit already... but don't tell anyone.)<br />
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Mom, The Twinnettes, and I ventured out to Franklin, TN this week for my interview at<a href="http://showhope.org/"> Show Hope</a> and we turned it into a girls-weekend-in-the-middle-of-the-week. It was glorious.<br />
Here's a few pictures from my phone...Sorry about the lighting being weird in basically everysingleoneofthem. <br />
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It was so Autumn-y! Breathtaking views for 10 hours in the car made it seem soo much shorter. {mostly.}<br />
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This is me and Kez the Goober at Carabbas where our waiter happened to be the husband of a woman I met in China. Its crazy when you find out you know your waiter's wife because you met her on the other side of the world one time.</div>
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We're home for a few days and then we're off to Hershey, PA for the <a href="http://midatlanticorphansummit.com/">Mid-Atlantic Orphan Summit!</a></div>
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Mom is keynote speaker Friday night and I have a breakout session on Saturday. {Pray for me. Haha.}</div>
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You should all come! Its going to be amazing! </div>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-61587771158424227032010-10-16T20:56:00.000-04:002010-10-16T20:56:28.850-04:00Facts of the Day:1. Nothing is predictable in this life. Nothing.<br />
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2. I know the one who plans my future and He is trustworthy.<br />
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3. God opens doors that I didn't know were there.<br />
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4. God knew the details all along. The Ever-Changing details are in the hands of a Never-Changing God.<br />
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5. He knows the next thing that I won't predict as well.<br />
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6. Life is so much more than the words I speak and you, he, she, it, speaks. <br />
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7. Hard is ok. Impossible is non-existent.<br />
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8. God knows. He knows it all. Everything is His. And He is good.<br />
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9. Life's not about me... No its not. Its not. Its not. Its not. Too bad I forget all the time.<br />
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10. I have time to use wisely. and I don't have time to use it foolishly.<br />
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11. If my "normal" is never my "normal" again, I can trust God to be faithful in the new "normal" that He brings, the same way He is faithful now.<br />
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12 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...( most frequently used sound in my vocabulary.)<br />
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Psalm 90:1,12,16-17<br />
1Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. <br />
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2Before the mountains were born<br />
Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,<br />
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Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. <br />
12So teach us to number our days,<br />
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That we may present to You a heart of wisdom. <br />
16Let Your work appear to Your servants<br />
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And Your majesty to their children. <br />
17Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us;<br />
And confirm for us the work of our hands;<br />
Yes, confirm the work of our hands. <br />
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<br /><br /><br />Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-29501951940718074642010-10-11T01:19:00.002-04:002010-10-11T11:23:16.035-04:00i am severely comfortable. for three more months.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKX7JmWqqI/AAAAAAAACJY/qUfYjFcL1s0/s1600/krispy+kreme+date.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKQv_rYLNI/AAAAAAAACJE/SmwSrO_5lI8/s1600/friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKQv_rYLNI/AAAAAAAACJE/SmwSrO_5lI8/s320/friends.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I live in the cutest town in the world with the best family in the world. The food is good, the friends are the very greatest, the neighborhood is perfect (except for the one house of drug dealing neighbors...ehh.) Southeastern is the best school, I have the best Taekwondo School, the best Church, the best Goodberry's ice cream, the best Chickfila. The cute ladies at the bank know my name and ask me about my life. No matter where I go, I see friends or meet someone who knows at least someone in my family. It is so unbelievably homey here. I am well loved, well fed, and well clothed.<br />
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If you want to go anywhere or do anything (providing its a small town type of thing...), it is five minutes from my house. You wanna go to the coolest old farm-turned-into-a-park? Turn left. You wanna go eat Chinese food? Turn right. Wanna go to the library? Go straight. Wanna go to the best thrift store ever? Turn left. Wanna go to the farmer's market or hear a little Irish man sing songs? Go straight on Saturday. {Just don't go too late or the Irish man will be replaced by the belly dancers...which are just plain creepy.} <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKXtTMGohI/AAAAAAAACJU/t3GZ0MKZiao/s1600/amanda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKXtTMGohI/AAAAAAAACJU/t3GZ0MKZiao/s320/amanda.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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I love this place. I always knew I'd be leaving s<em>omeday</em> to be a missionary in a far off land or something along those lines. I just expected <em>'someday'</em> to be somewhere around five years from now. <strong>Not three months from now</strong>. I always expected to leave my family and friends and comforts at <em>some</em> point, but I didn't expect it to be so soon, or this bittersweet. <br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKXngWqhdI/AAAAAAAACJQ/aW6AbMz2bvE/s1600/josiah+beard+man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKXngWqhdI/AAAAAAAACJQ/aW6AbMz2bvE/s320/josiah+beard+man.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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<strong>Who the heck would ever want to leave this place? </strong><br />
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<strong>Who in their right mind would leave, when they could stay?</strong><br />
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It is so comfortable. It is so warm and fuzzy. Sure there are problems, and things that get annoying, and there are rude people (probably only 3.) But in the grand scheme of things, this is a goodgoodgood place to live life.<br />
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<strong> Why the heck am I leaving? </strong><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKXmvwaPjI/AAAAAAAACJM/hagW-_2GgP0/s1600/jonathanolon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKXmvwaPjI/AAAAAAAACJM/hagW-_2GgP0/s320/jonathanolon.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<strong>Why the heck am I leaving my family, and my friends, and my poodle, and my bed, and my cute little town?</strong><br />
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When I was in Uganda and had just heard about this internship, I was praying for God to show me His will on whether or not I should even consider going. Whether or not I should consider leaving everything so much sooner than I had planned to leave it. My family that I love so much. My friends.<span style="font-size: x-small;">You know, especially since I was gonna go off and be a missionary after school and all.</span> Anyways, here is what I looked down to see on the page of my Bible:<br />
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"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." -Matthew 10:36-39<br />
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Bam. <br />
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Oh hey, Ellie. Guess what? Lame excuses.<br />
Christ didn't give me life, and then save my life, to have me do that which I deem worthy. I live for a greater purpose than comfort. I live so that others may know Christ and live as well.<br />
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This whole thing sounds pretty foolish if it was merely my idea to pick up and move to another state in my senior year of highschool. However, I know that this wasn't my idea. I know that the God who holds my life in His hands has a goodgoodgood plan for me, and my family, and my friends. And if that plan involves me leaving, then that<strong> has</strong> to be good. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKYCP3kACI/AAAAAAAACJc/pSQZypMmFxo/s1600/rennie+lost+a+shoe.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKYCP3kACI/AAAAAAAACJc/pSQZypMmFxo/s320/rennie+lost+a+shoe.bmp" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKYCP3kACI/AAAAAAAACJc/pSQZypMmFxo/s1600/rennie+lost+a+shoe.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
I've been around a bit , but I've always come back home after a few weeks. It just hit me a few days ago that a year is a long time. Especially when you thought you knew what you would be doing, and all of a sudden, there is this massive thing on the radar thats going to take up a year of your life. Even though it is an amazing thing, it is still going to be a hard thing.<br />
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There is a quote that keeps coming to my mind when I start to count up the cost of following Jesus in this next year of life though...<br />
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"He is no fool that gives that which He cannot keep, to attain that which He cannot lose."- Jim Elliot<br />
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This is not my forever home. I am not alive so that I can be comfortable. I am alive to bring glory to my creator. I am alive to love Him and to share the good news of His son with the world. <br />
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I am excited to be transplanted. I know that God is going to show Himself to be my El Shaddai - all sufficient one - more and more with each day. This is the part where Jesus gets to be my very best friend. This is the part where I get to see Him holding my hand and walking me through the good, the bad, and the ugly parts. <br />
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I'm choosing to trust. I'm choosing to obey. I'm trading in fear and worries and comfort and norms and all that <strike>crap </strike>stuff for the all surpassing peace and joy that comes from knowing that the <span style="font-size: large;">God of the Universe</span> loves me and has a GOOD plan. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><em>Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.</em></span><br />
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<em>I'm gonna miss a whole lot of this...</em><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKX7JmWqqI/AAAAAAAACJY/qUfYjFcL1s0/s1600/krispy+kreme+date.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TLKX7JmWqqI/AAAAAAAACJY/qUfYjFcL1s0/s320/krispy+kreme+date.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em>...But I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard <strong>all</strong> that I have entrusted to Him.</em></div>
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<em> <strong>So...bring it Tennessee. I've got Jesus and Skype</strong>.</em>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-30698346700076885212010-10-06T11:17:00.000-04:002010-10-11T11:21:59.038-04:00fall break, fall pictures, mmm mmm good.Fall Break = <strike>Work</strike> Productivity <br />
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I LOVE fall break. I have gotten so many things done this week, it's not even funny. I think we should have fall break all year long.<br />
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On Monday, I repainted/redecorated my bathroom/broke the toilet with the cord from my lamp. {lame? yes.}<br />
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On Tuesday, I sewed cool things, and then sparred with people, and then we got the toilet replaced.<br />
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And today, I decorated our house for fall, finished the bathroom decorating, and wrote a song on my lovely ol' piano.<br />
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And I still have three more days of fall break...yesss. I need to make another list of things to do.<br />
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Here are a few shots from our family photoshoot! If you have jealousy issues, you may not want to look at these pictures of my cute family.<br />
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<br /></div>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-2220133114981177482010-09-23T22:58:00.002-04:002010-09-23T23:00:23.388-04:00Family Photo 2010 Preview.<div style="text-align: center;">
I have a feeling these will not make it on the Christmas card.</div>
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P.S. <a href="http://tesoro-photo.com/blog">http://tesoro-photo.com/blog</a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJwSX4hkRhI/AAAAAAAACI0/YoyDah0cIY0/s1600/mini-sessions-fall+ad+for+mel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJwSX4hkRhI/AAAAAAAACI0/YoyDah0cIY0/s320/mini-sessions-fall+ad+for+mel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-440966413966476412.post-66573009572205880342010-09-22T02:28:00.008-04:002010-09-23T03:26:28.272-04:00The Beach and More.Have you ever walked into your room after being gone all day and inwardly screamed... <blockquote></blockquote>
<span style="font-size:130%;">"OHHSWEETBABYMOSES!!! I'VE BEEN BURLGLARIZED!!!" </span><blockquote></blockquote>
Only to realize that {sadly...oh-so-sadly,} you were the one that vandalized your room and threw clothes on every available inch of everywhere? <blockquote></blockquote>
Me niether. <strong>Psh.</strong> <blockquote></blockquote>
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On another note, my handy blog has just notified me that over 1,000 people have viewed my blog in the past few weeks... And about 3 of them have left comments.
I love people, especially those who show their faces on my blog. <span style="font-size:130%;">Please be a man {or lady} and comment once in a while.</span> I promise not to bite you or stalk you. Unless you have a really cool blog-then I might stalk you. <blockquote></blockquote>
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My Family spent the last few days at the beach and it was <span style="font-size:130%;">GLORIOUS!</span> It was like the summer's last hoorah. {Except--it's still 90 degrees here which is pretty lame. It might be just me, but I feel like the first day of fall ought to include a breeze or two. My only consolation is the fact that all of my classrooms are kept at thirty-two degrees below zero. You could simultaneously house penguins and hang meat in them.} These past few days were so much fun and such a blessing! <span style="font-size:180%;">I just love my family.</span> <blockquote></blockquote>
<blockquote></blockquote><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryfEHn8FI/AAAAAAAACH0/W-dHqsiYwN0/s1600/DSCN1282.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519990908791550034" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryfEHn8FI/AAAAAAAACH0/W-dHqsiYwN0/s320/DSCN1282.JPG" /></a> <blockquote></blockquote>It was Solomon's first time seeing the ocean and he LOVED it.
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<blockquote><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryew5xAoI/AAAAAAAACHs/wCgwwA3BL_A/s1600/DSCN1256.JPG"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryew5xAoI/AAAAAAAACHs/wCgwwA3BL_A/s1600/DSCN1256.JPG"></blockquote></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519990903633150594" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryew5xAoI/AAAAAAAACHs/wCgwwA3BL_A/s320/DSCN1256.JPG" />
<div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryeskLuZI/AAAAAAAACHk/JDDQKt7M_Wo/s1600/DSCN1269.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519990902468884882" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryeskLuZI/AAAAAAAACHk/JDDQKt7M_Wo/s320/DSCN1269.JPG" /></a> This kid's curly hair collects seashells for him.
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJr3W0zpynI/AAAAAAAACIc/Aj2l8fPtcdk/s1600/DSC07266.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519996264800438898" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJr3W0zpynI/AAAAAAAACIc/Aj2l8fPtcdk/s320/DSC07266.JPG" /></a>
<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJr3WkbIUpI/AAAAAAAACIU/54Zd49FDF9w/s1600/DSC07264.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519996260402614930" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJr3WkbIUpI/AAAAAAAACIU/54Zd49FDF9w/s320/DSC07264.JPG" /></a>
<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJr3WZNRDEI/AAAAAAAACIM/qLlxwWXpiMQ/s1600/DSC07263.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519996257391676482" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJr3WZNRDEI/AAAAAAAACIM/qLlxwWXpiMQ/s320/DSC07263.JPG" /></a>
<div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJr3WEVZQoI/AAAAAAAACIE/T2WFgQt9-H4/s1600/DSC07265.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519996251788624514" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJr3WEVZQoI/AAAAAAAACIE/T2WFgQt9-H4/s320/DSC07265.JPG" /></a> No fish were caught- but they caught 6 crabs!
<div><div><blockquote><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryeddSoJI/AAAAAAAACHc/46TPpn4MhmQ/s1600/DSCN1211.JPG"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryeddSoJI/AAAAAAAACHc/46TPpn4MhmQ/s1600/DSCN1211.JPG"></blockquote><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519990898413445266" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryeddSoJI/AAAAAAAACHc/46TPpn4MhmQ/s320/DSCN1211.JPG" /></a>
And I will leave you a video to explain these great pictures. {There was grass growing on top of this sand which was quite deceiving. Turns out- it was really sand under there.}
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<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryd1sbgXI/AAAAAAAACHU/CVWZLDtdHuM/s1600/DSCN1212.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519990887739523442" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CgBWvubCj3g/TJryd1sbgXI/AAAAAAAACHU/CVWZLDtdHuM/s320/DSCN1212.JPG" /></a>
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<div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14114886151507751316noreply@blogger.com4