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Friday, July 29, 2016
Ketchina
# 5
Well, I didn’t believe them. You arrived at my gate as a crippled 24-
month- old. But you were so small. I thought there must have been a
loss in translation. You were so lifeless. But your teeth showed it all.
You had a mouth full. Your molars had come in. And on June 30th
, I
learned how vast, how different, how strong the types of malnutrition
are. I’ve seen the swollen kind. I’ve seen the skin and bones kind. And
now I’ve seen the crippled and stunted in growth kind. You came from
up north. A very desolate, poverty-stricken community. Your care-giver
didn’t know how to write her own name, she didn’t even know the day
you were born, so I will pick a day for you. A special day that the Lord
has made. For you.
Your legs are bent and crooked but you can stand. They stay very bent
when you try to walk with me, but you are able to walk. My hands in
yours, we do physical therapy every day.
You were left in the dirt. Afraid of spoons and forks and any kind of
food other than crackers for that matter. Your hair was so thin and
orange but when you grin, you light up the room. You scrunch your
nose and stick out your tongue. Every night you would put yourself to
sleep. You would lie down wherever you are and close your eyes. You
are little, but in your eyes, I know you are old. You’ve witnessed more
in your lifetime than I have in mine. Only time will tell the type of
mental issues you might have, but, Ketchina, you are so beautiful. I
could not have asked for a sweeter toddler. I’ve seen God work
miracles a lot these past few months. So I surrender you to Him. One day you will walk and talk and grow. Until then, I’ll rock you to sleep
and feed you rice with my fingers, and kiss your sweet cheeks.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
July pictures
My girls are growing up so fast! Annia is 4 months old now and can sit up. Ciarha is 7 months old and just got 2 teeth and has started to crawl. Dachena is 16 months old and is finally gaining weight even though she dances all day long. Ketchina is 24 months old and is able to stand on her own 2 feet without assistance now. Noldine will be 4 in August and is the best little helper. She loves to play hide and seek with her sisters.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
David
“God doesn’t see the same way people see. People look at the outside
of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
And in my eyes, this was perfect truth and validation to the people of
David’s day.
David was the youngest of 8. The runt of the family, some might like to
say. The Hebrew word for “youngest son” is Haqqaton. Not only does it
mean the baby of the family, it also means the least. The lowest rank.
The shepherd boy.
There are 66 chapters in the bible that talk about David’s story. Other
than Jesus, he is the most talked about in scripture. And this made me
want to dig down deeper and look at the heart of David, after all, he
was “a man after God’s own heart.”
Max Lucado put it like this:
“God saw what no one else saw: A God-seeking heart. He took after
God’s heart, because he stayed after God’s heart. In the end, that’s all
God wanted or needed. Others measure your waist size or wallet. Not
God. He examines hearts. When He finds one set on him, he calls it and
claims it. – Facing your Giants by Lucado
Here is what I saw in David. A human. A flawed, sinful, human who
needs to repent and needs God’s grace just like you and I. I saw a man
that, let’s be real, we all would have doubted he could win the fight
against the giant. We all would have laughed and said he’s digging his
own grave when we took into consideration his height, strength, and
armor, vs the giant. I saw a man who loved the Lord with all his heart,
soul, mind, and strength, but still lived in an imperfect world where
temptation and sin stand waiting at the door. But here’s the catch. HE STILL LOVED THE LORD. HE STILL SERVED THE LORD. He broke quite few
of the 10 Commandments.
And truly, this is what I love about David. He is a hero, but not a perfect
hero. He doesn’t put the standards so high that none of us could reach.
He reminds us that we are all human, and even a man after God’s own
heart, still isn’t perfect. But the king of the Universe loved him anyway.
No matter what you have done, remember your relationship with Jesus
can never be taken away. No matter what you’ve done wrong. No
matter what the world says about you. No matter who holds the
standards you are trying to reach.
Man looks at the outer appearance; God looks at the heart.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
If its His will, there is always a way.
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness.”
I’ve read this verse 1000 times but it never really registered
with me until now. I’m able to see Abraham's faith more clearly.
He was against all odds, except for Gods. The world probably
thought he was crazy for expecting a baby at such an old age.
The crowds would have rolled their eyes in disbelief.
Why Abraham? They might ask. What makes him good enough
to get a son at his old age?
The answer is his FAITH. He had faith. I read in a book one time
that “even the great Abraham had NOT EARNED his standing
before God but had received it as a GIFT when he BELIEVED
God.
Sometimes God makes us wait. Most of the time I lose faith and
patience while waiting. Perhaps Abraham did too. Sometimes we try to accomplish it our own way. We try to "help" God to make something happen quicker. For Abraham, at the beginning, it was easy to believe he would get a son. He was young, his wife was in child-bearing years. But after waiting,
and waiting, and waiting, he still looked to the sky and counted the stars. Did he doubt? I would say so. Did he question? Of course. Because he was human. He never gave up on
God though. He knew who he was and what he was able to do.
He believed the unbelievable. He knew nothing was Impossible
with God. His faith was assured in who God was. He knew that
God is never too late. That the world might say give up, but He
keeps saying hang on. The crowd might say you are crazy but
He will say “my child, the gift is coming if you keep on believing.” Believe God. Even when the circumstance seems
impossible.
Abraham did, and now his descendants outnumber the stars.
Perhaps you aren't waiting on a baby. Maybe a spouse. Maybe a new mountaintop. Maybe just a miracle. Urge yourself as I urge myself, to believe like Abraham did. To have faith that He can and will move mountains.
Father, remind me there is always a way, if it is Your will.
Nothing is impossible for you. You hold the universe in your
hands. The flowers may fade, but Your word stands forever.
Amen
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