Friday, October 18, 2013
A little Encouragement: You don't have to be perfect!
I have been listening to Bill Johnson's current serious around the wisdom of Solomon. The first part of this story that is amazing to me and I had never picked up on is that the entire conversation with God and impartation of Solomon's wisdom occurred in a dream! I got to start praying for more intimate dreams! But the second thing that really stuck out to me this morning as I am coming off of one of the hardest days I have ever had in spiritual warfare is in 1 Kings 3:14. It says, "If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days." (emphasis added) There's some encouragement for you day! The standard that God uses as he imparts this amazing gift on Solomon is a man who had an affair and then arranged for his mistress' husband to be killed in battle! But even with those actions that I think the legalistic side of any Christian would characterize as one of the "biggies", God still tells Solomon if he walks like David, God will see that as a worthy walk! That has given me freedom today! I don't always have the best intentions and most certainly not the best thoughts. The enemy would have me believe that I can't be used of God after I fail in thought or action, but the Truth is as long as I repent of that and continue to seek God and do what He is asking, there is redemption, restoration and He will still. use. me! That encouraged me today....I hope it does you as well! It's FRIDAY! That should encourage you too! Be blessed today!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Stricter Abortion Law: We can't ignore the ripples
Texas has passed the most restrictive abortion law of any state yet. The new regulations will go into effect the end of this month. Before I get into this, let me make clear that I am most definitely pro-life. I am against abortion. I believe God is the giver of all life and should be the one who decides when life should end. Maybe I will blog another time about why I believe that. Really, it goes beyond my faith! I decided at 11 years old I was pro-life before I really knew anything about my faith!
When the battle over the legislation was in full force I did my share of Facebook shares of the information. I asked my state representatives and senator to support the bill. And I can say with some certainty that the results of the now law that I will discuss here most likely saved a baby in my own family. I believe in it. I am thankful for it.
However, I fear most who marched on the steps of the Texas Capital or posted their support from their computer on Facebook celebrated once the bill passed into law, but now what? You see the bill being passed was the pebble...or quite possibly the boulder...that was thrown into the lake. But the ripples are just now starting! There are consequences of legislation. There will no doubt be babies saved because this stricter legislation has shut down abortion clinics. Praise God! Women's lives will also be saved as stricter regulations will provide for cleaner and more professional settings for those who do choose to abort a baby. You can read about some of the ripples already starting in DallasNews and the Star-Telegram. The effects are real.
But there is more. I sat talking to one of our adoptive families right after the legislation passed. This is a family who is not looking for a baby. They are one of my heroes who are committed to providing a home for one or two of the older kids who wait in our foster system. But in our conversation, the husband made a comment that left a knot in my stomach. He said something like, "The agency is going to explode now with all the babies that aren't aborted!" I can honestly say I had not thought of that. But since that day, it has not left me.
Here's the facts. The legislation will no doubt prevent some abortions. Babies will be saved. But what then? What happens to that baby? Most women who are considering abortion are in that place because they feel unprepared to parent a child for a multitude of reasons. So what do we do now with a mom who doesn't want to be a mom? Let me stop here and say that I know there will be many, probably most, women who by the end of their pregnancy will have come to a place where they are grateful they did not abort and will have made whatever changes or sacrifices needed to be made to go on to be amazing mothers for their new baby. I don't believe nor intend to allude here that all babies not aborted will not be parented by the women who birth them. But what about those who aren't?
If those of us on the pro-life side are sitting back thinking the work is done, well, we are clueless. If we think for one minute that the pro-choice activists are not watching every statistic in our state - child abuse numbers, Women, Infant and Children's Nutrition numbers, Child Protective Services numbers, infant mortality numbers - then we are more than naive. All of this will be monitored. If we don't provide an intervention for those babies that this law saves, then we have failed. I fear that most see the law as the victory, and they are done. But really, the work has only begun!
This is how it looks in my world. Eight of the nine children who I am raising should have been aborted by most pro-choice standards. Only one of my children was a planned pregnancy, and the other eight were God-given blessings with un-planned pregnancies. Six of those eight children met most if not all of the bullet points for why women should abort. They were in poverty, some were into drugs and other detrimental habits. One of my children was conceived after two pregnancies had been terminated by abortion. Only by God's grace does this child breath life! I remember being in high school and being in the abortion debate in my government class. My teacher was pro-choice. There were several of us in the class who were pro-life, and we were all very outspoken about it. I will never forget during one of the debates, Ms. Fowler said, "I wish all those who want to keep these babies alive would put their money where their mouth is and raise them instead of letting the government do it." I was highly offended that day, but even deep down in the gut of a immature high school girl, I knew she had a point. I have no idea where Ms. Fowler is today, but I would love to tell her that I have to agree with her now! Not much I can say that about, but on that fact, I agree! And I would love to look her in the eyes and say, I put my money, my time, my life where my mouth is! Thank you for the challenge!
I am sure many would say, "there are so many families waiting for a baby, that will not be a problem!" Maybe so, but what about those babies who are born with the birth defects? What about the babies who are born addicted to drugs? What about the babies who have been exposed to alcohol and you have no way of knowing just what that fact will mean for you or your child until they are older? Very few of those waiting families are willing to take those babies. And what about the babies that don't look like those families? You know, the darker ones that are already difficult for agencies to place with families. I don't mean to offend anyone here, but it does us no good to ignore reality!
Let me take it a step further. What about the 13,000 children who are currently in the foster system in Texas whose parents did choose life? Obviously those parents were not ready to be parents for some reason or their children would not be in the custody of the state. Some of those parents will get another chance, and their children will be returned. What about the ones that will not be returned? What about the over 6,000 children who right now sit in the foster system with parents' rights terminated ready to be adopted.....but no families to adopt them? Their parents chose life when legislation didn't dictate it. What are we doing about it?
"We" is such a vague word, isn't it. It's kind of like "they". So who is "we"? Well, in this case, I would say "we" starts with anyone who wrote a letter, posted on their Facebook page, marched on the lawn, or otherwise supported the legislation to provide stricter abortion laws in any way. You are "we"! Thank you for your part in getting the legislation passed! I sincerely mean that! I am thankful! But you can't stop there! You have to now provide an answer for those parents who choose life because abortions are no longer readily available! We have to provide a solution to the ripples coming from the pebble that was tossed!
But honestly, the "we" is much bigger than that group of people. And really, this is the "we" I want to reach out to here! The bigger "we" is the Church! Are we not called to provide answers to a lost world? Is the Church not called to care for the least of these? First John 3:17-18 says it best, "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." My question is when is the Church going to quit talking about it and start doing it? There are over 6,000 children in Texas waiting on you! You realize that it would take less than one family per church in the state to adopt in order to completely empty the state of Texas of waiting children? That is insane! What are we waiting for? If you are not convinced, read James 1:27, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
If this legislation becomes the basis to fight all other legislation in every other state because we, the Church, does not stand up with answers to these girls who are in crisis pregnancies, then we have failed. Will you help? Will you take this message to your church leaders? Will you take the initiative to look up an adoption agency in your area? Friends in Midland or Odessa and surrounding areas in West Texas, we would gladly send an Addy's Hope representative to speak to your pastor or even your congregation about adoption as an educational meeting. We can give you resources to hand to women in crisis pregnancy. Adoption should be the last option for these girls. We can help give you resources to put in their hands to give them every opportunity to parent. If they are still unable to parent, we would love to provide them with the option of adoption by a Christian family! If you are in the Dallas or Fort Worth area, I can come speak to your pastor and/or congregation. Help spread the word that the battle over abortion is not over in Texas, but I believe it has just started! Let's give our fellow pro-life warriors in other states numbers to support pro-life legislation in their state! And in the mean time, we will be saving a generation from the hands of the enemy. And in my books, that is a win/win deal!
If you need resources for a woman in crisis pregnancy or would like more information on how to be the answer to the children already here and needing a family, I would be happy to help. You can reach me by e-mail at hollyann@addyshope.com or by phone at 432.897.1503. Our website is under construction, but will be a great resource very soon! If you are a pastor reading this, please take a Sunday night, Wednesday night or at least the corner of your bulletin or a flash on your screen for announcements to educate your congregation on the answers to crisis pregnancies and the need for adoptive families for children in foster care!
We, the Church, have The Answer! It's time we start sharing it in more ways than just inside our church walls! Let's be the answer!
When the battle over the legislation was in full force I did my share of Facebook shares of the information. I asked my state representatives and senator to support the bill. And I can say with some certainty that the results of the now law that I will discuss here most likely saved a baby in my own family. I believe in it. I am thankful for it.
However, I fear most who marched on the steps of the Texas Capital or posted their support from their computer on Facebook celebrated once the bill passed into law, but now what? You see the bill being passed was the pebble...or quite possibly the boulder...that was thrown into the lake. But the ripples are just now starting! There are consequences of legislation. There will no doubt be babies saved because this stricter legislation has shut down abortion clinics. Praise God! Women's lives will also be saved as stricter regulations will provide for cleaner and more professional settings for those who do choose to abort a baby. You can read about some of the ripples already starting in DallasNews and the Star-Telegram. The effects are real.
But there is more. I sat talking to one of our adoptive families right after the legislation passed. This is a family who is not looking for a baby. They are one of my heroes who are committed to providing a home for one or two of the older kids who wait in our foster system. But in our conversation, the husband made a comment that left a knot in my stomach. He said something like, "The agency is going to explode now with all the babies that aren't aborted!" I can honestly say I had not thought of that. But since that day, it has not left me.
Here's the facts. The legislation will no doubt prevent some abortions. Babies will be saved. But what then? What happens to that baby? Most women who are considering abortion are in that place because they feel unprepared to parent a child for a multitude of reasons. So what do we do now with a mom who doesn't want to be a mom? Let me stop here and say that I know there will be many, probably most, women who by the end of their pregnancy will have come to a place where they are grateful they did not abort and will have made whatever changes or sacrifices needed to be made to go on to be amazing mothers for their new baby. I don't believe nor intend to allude here that all babies not aborted will not be parented by the women who birth them. But what about those who aren't?
If those of us on the pro-life side are sitting back thinking the work is done, well, we are clueless. If we think for one minute that the pro-choice activists are not watching every statistic in our state - child abuse numbers, Women, Infant and Children's Nutrition numbers, Child Protective Services numbers, infant mortality numbers - then we are more than naive. All of this will be monitored. If we don't provide an intervention for those babies that this law saves, then we have failed. I fear that most see the law as the victory, and they are done. But really, the work has only begun!
This is how it looks in my world. Eight of the nine children who I am raising should have been aborted by most pro-choice standards. Only one of my children was a planned pregnancy, and the other eight were God-given blessings with un-planned pregnancies. Six of those eight children met most if not all of the bullet points for why women should abort. They were in poverty, some were into drugs and other detrimental habits. One of my children was conceived after two pregnancies had been terminated by abortion. Only by God's grace does this child breath life! I remember being in high school and being in the abortion debate in my government class. My teacher was pro-choice. There were several of us in the class who were pro-life, and we were all very outspoken about it. I will never forget during one of the debates, Ms. Fowler said, "I wish all those who want to keep these babies alive would put their money where their mouth is and raise them instead of letting the government do it." I was highly offended that day, but even deep down in the gut of a immature high school girl, I knew she had a point. I have no idea where Ms. Fowler is today, but I would love to tell her that I have to agree with her now! Not much I can say that about, but on that fact, I agree! And I would love to look her in the eyes and say, I put my money, my time, my life where my mouth is! Thank you for the challenge!
I am sure many would say, "there are so many families waiting for a baby, that will not be a problem!" Maybe so, but what about those babies who are born with the birth defects? What about the babies who are born addicted to drugs? What about the babies who have been exposed to alcohol and you have no way of knowing just what that fact will mean for you or your child until they are older? Very few of those waiting families are willing to take those babies. And what about the babies that don't look like those families? You know, the darker ones that are already difficult for agencies to place with families. I don't mean to offend anyone here, but it does us no good to ignore reality!
Let me take it a step further. What about the 13,000 children who are currently in the foster system in Texas whose parents did choose life? Obviously those parents were not ready to be parents for some reason or their children would not be in the custody of the state. Some of those parents will get another chance, and their children will be returned. What about the ones that will not be returned? What about the over 6,000 children who right now sit in the foster system with parents' rights terminated ready to be adopted.....but no families to adopt them? Their parents chose life when legislation didn't dictate it. What are we doing about it?
"We" is such a vague word, isn't it. It's kind of like "they". So who is "we"? Well, in this case, I would say "we" starts with anyone who wrote a letter, posted on their Facebook page, marched on the lawn, or otherwise supported the legislation to provide stricter abortion laws in any way. You are "we"! Thank you for your part in getting the legislation passed! I sincerely mean that! I am thankful! But you can't stop there! You have to now provide an answer for those parents who choose life because abortions are no longer readily available! We have to provide a solution to the ripples coming from the pebble that was tossed!
But honestly, the "we" is much bigger than that group of people. And really, this is the "we" I want to reach out to here! The bigger "we" is the Church! Are we not called to provide answers to a lost world? Is the Church not called to care for the least of these? First John 3:17-18 says it best, "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." My question is when is the Church going to quit talking about it and start doing it? There are over 6,000 children in Texas waiting on you! You realize that it would take less than one family per church in the state to adopt in order to completely empty the state of Texas of waiting children? That is insane! What are we waiting for? If you are not convinced, read James 1:27, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
If this legislation becomes the basis to fight all other legislation in every other state because we, the Church, does not stand up with answers to these girls who are in crisis pregnancies, then we have failed. Will you help? Will you take this message to your church leaders? Will you take the initiative to look up an adoption agency in your area? Friends in Midland or Odessa and surrounding areas in West Texas, we would gladly send an Addy's Hope representative to speak to your pastor or even your congregation about adoption as an educational meeting. We can give you resources to hand to women in crisis pregnancy. Adoption should be the last option for these girls. We can help give you resources to put in their hands to give them every opportunity to parent. If they are still unable to parent, we would love to provide them with the option of adoption by a Christian family! If you are in the Dallas or Fort Worth area, I can come speak to your pastor and/or congregation. Help spread the word that the battle over abortion is not over in Texas, but I believe it has just started! Let's give our fellow pro-life warriors in other states numbers to support pro-life legislation in their state! And in the mean time, we will be saving a generation from the hands of the enemy. And in my books, that is a win/win deal!
If you need resources for a woman in crisis pregnancy or would like more information on how to be the answer to the children already here and needing a family, I would be happy to help. You can reach me by e-mail at hollyann@addyshope.com or by phone at 432.897.1503. Our website is under construction, but will be a great resource very soon! If you are a pastor reading this, please take a Sunday night, Wednesday night or at least the corner of your bulletin or a flash on your screen for announcements to educate your congregation on the answers to crisis pregnancies and the need for adoptive families for children in foster care!
We, the Church, have The Answer! It's time we start sharing it in more ways than just inside our church walls! Let's be the answer!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
A little of our story....
As we start a new season, we meet people who don't know our story. As I was thinking about what took us from Liberia to waiting children right here in the US, I remembered that I had written a piece for our Addy's Show Playbill. It tells a bit about the path that God put us on to get us here...and my heart about these children. So here it is:
Welcome to the first ever Addy's Show! Thank you for coming and supporting Addy's Hope and our efforts to find homes for the waiting children of Texas.
Four years ago John and I were asked to take a two year old little boy as a foster placement. We asked to visit him before giving an answer on the placement. Walking out of the "emergency shelter" that housed 25 children ages 5 years old and younger right here in Midland, Texas, I was forever changed. I had been in many orphanages in Africa, but had no idea there was one in my own backyard. It was that visit that brought John and I to the realization of the orphan crisis right here in Texas! I soon learned that over 6,000 children were waiting in our foster system for adoptive families. I then learned there were no adoption fees to adopt these children and most qualify for adoption subsidies that will continue until their 18th birthday. They receive free college tuition to any state school in Texas and have medicaid coverage for medical expenses even after the adoption is finalized. We knew we could not take this information and simply walk away from it. Once made aware of an injustice, you can no longer plead ignorance as reason to ignore the crisis. John and I answered the crisis by adopting a waiting child personally and also by making a commitment to work with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to recruit and train families to bring God's orphans home!
James 1 says that we are to be "doers" and not merely "hearers" of the Word. Please do not leave here as a man who looks in a mirror and walks away forgetting what he saw. These children need you! Not everyone is called to adopt, but everyone can do something! Help us spread the word about the crisis of these children in our social welfare system. Read the statistics in the halls between their pictures. We have to stop this cycle now. The future of our nation hinges on us getting these children into families and changing their destination. We need financial supporters to help us keep our program running since families do not pay adoption fees, and the fees paid by the state do not cover the hours it takes to train and support a family through an entire adoption process and beyond. You can also be a team member for a family who is adopting. Team members provide meals, babysit, clean a house or just listen when parents need an empathetic ear. There is some way that every one can be a part of finding families for these children! We truly believe there are no unwanted children, only unfound families. We need your help finding homes for these children!
The children you have met tonight in the pages you are holding and in the halls as you walked into the theater need you. Please consider how you can help. If you would like more information on how to adopt one of these children, call me at 432.897.1503 or send me an e-mail at hollyann@addyshope.com. Together, we can empty the foster system of these waiting children and answer God's call to bring His children home!
I would like to personally thank all of our sponsors! Without you, this would still be only a dream! The playbill you hold as well as all the amazing publications for tonight were the work of the amazingly talented Rachel Austin and Eric Huecker! Rachel & Eric, your support of our work and your heart for these children blesses me and spurs me on in the work that I do! Thank you! Holly Bartlett, thank you for stuffing and mailing countless support letters to help make tonight as successful as possible! Skip Ziegler, your knowledge and love of technology has made Addy's Show high tech tonight. Thank you for using your talents for God's children. Katie Bailey, we did it! Thank you for having this vision and putting in the work it took to make it a reality! I am forever grateful for all you have done for Addy's Hope. And to our amazing cast, there are no words to express my gratitude for the countless hours you have spent in preparation! I pray God's blessing on you and your families for the sacrifices made to make tonight possible! You have played a part in every child that finds a home from the fires that are sparked tonight! To my children, Paizley, Callie, Noah, Toben, Ava, Madison & Journey, thank you for letting me tell your stories! Thank you for loving being the "weird" family as much as I do! I love you to the moon and back! John, thank you for taking this journey with me! Thank you for supporting our family so I can chase my calling! Thank you for saying "yes" to God and getting the ball rolling for Addy's Hope nine years ago when I still thought it was impossible! Thank you for wiping the tears I cry for the children I serve and always reminding me why we do this thing we do. I love you! And to my Heavenly Father, thank you for entrusting me with the call of Your children. I pray tonight has been pleasing to You, and I ask that you leave the faces of these children imprinted on those You have brought here tonight until they all have homes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
