God is so Good

This past Sunday, Mother's Day, we had child dedication at our church. What an appropriate day to dedicate children to the Lord. And we will do the same thing on Father's Day. I was there for the 9:30 service and was so blessed by the families who were having their children dedicated. I couldn't stay for the 11:00 service, though I try to go to all services just to share in the joy of this time. But I knew that the third service was going to be extra special - all three of the children being dedicated were all adopted - the adoptions became official, one just two weeks ago. Being adopted myself some 53 years ago, I really wanted to share in that time, but had to leave. Well, since I have access to videos, I decided to take it home and watch that part of the service. What a special time it was and what a blessing to have the parents these three children have...parents who love kids and were willing to take that step to add more kids to their lives.

I love how God orchestrates our lives even before we are even a thought in our parents' minds. I was born in Guatemala, placed in an orphanage and adopted by two people who "just happened" to live in El Salvador. My adoptive father was in the Army and he had been transfered to El Salvador. They wanted to adopt a child, but at that time, El Salvador had a law that wouldn't allow the taking of an adopted child from his native land. So they went to Guatemala to find me. A friend told them about a child who was available. She didn't say anything to them as to who it was when they came to the orphanage, but when I grabbed hold of my future mom's finger, she knew I was the one. God knew I was the one before they even moved to El Salvador. He knew I was the one, before "Aunt" Rita told them. I became a member of their family in four months. We moved back to the US and I became a citizen a couple of weeks before I turned 4. And when I was 16, I became a citizen of Heaven and a child of God. You could say I was THRICE adopted.

Being adopted, I can understand being adopted by God, by a Father who loves me unconditionally as if I was born into his family. I was never treated like I was just visiting this family until I moved on...like I was just renting a room till I graduated from school. I was their child with all the privileges and rights of being their child. They taught me, disciplined me, encouraged me and loved me for who I was and am.

At the service they mentioned the need for foster parents; there are currently about 360 young people in foster care, some needing permanent homes, just here in the San Luis Obispo area. If anyone is interested in become a foster parent, you can contact Gina Singrich, a Foster Care Coordinator, at 805.781.1705 or 805.781.1776. What better gift to give to a child than to take them into your home as your own.

Encourage One Another

Encourage one another
Never cease to care
Call upon each other
Our burdens we can share
Understanding
Reaching out
Available to pray
Giving of your time to others
Evens the path along the way
Meeting needs of others
Encourages the heart
Not just in bad times, but all the good
Take time to do your part.

I hope that I am there for people when good things happen and bad things happen. I want to be your cheerleader and I want to be your comforter as needed.

As I write this, I am thinking about a friend of mine who's husband just passed away yesterday. Yes, he is with the Lord now and that is fantastic. HE IS HOME!

It is also shocking and sad and I wish I could be with my friend right now, even if it's just to sit and hold her. I want to be there to help her. I want to be there to pray with her. I hope there is someone with her on the flight she is on who is able to comfort her in this moment. But since I can't be with her physically, I know my Lord and God is with her and He is holding her and I hope she can feel His loving arms around her - letting her know that He knows how she feels. She must have a lot on her mind - missing him, realizing there's a business to keep running, her health isn't the best, and a wedding to keep preparing for.

I want to be with her daughters who have been a big part of my life and my own daughters' lives. I wish I could hold their hands and let them know they will all be okay. God is with them, too. There is a plan in all this and we just can't see it right now. But I know God loves them and He will use this time in their lives to further His kingdom and grow them.

"God, please be with Debby, Brie and Erin and the rest of their family and friends. I pray that there will be someone waiting for Deb at the airport. I pray her girls are being comforted even now by friends and family. I ask that if there is anything I can do, You will show me and guide me. Please love my friend and give her peace and comfort at this time. Hold her so close that she can feel it and feel Your love cover her at this time - and the same with Brie and Erin. Thank you for them and for their dad, Peter. Thank you that He is home with You and we will see him again."

God Doesn't Have Babysitters

I was wearing the Phil Joel shirt that says "God is watching over you...and if you think He'll ever leave you, you better think again." In a devotion I was reading at the time, it said, "The Lord Himself watches over you." Psalm 121:5

HIMSELF...not His appointee...not a babysitter. He Himself watches over each one of us. No matter where we are or what we are doing. It's comforting to know He walks with us everywhere we go.

HE HIMSELF:
Holds your hand
Comforts you
Lifts you up
Walks with you
Disciplines you
Does everything with you and for you.

I'm Yours

Here is one of my first poems, sent to Mug Poetry Contest, "published" in Whispers In the Wind" (National Library of Poetry), 1993:

I'm Yours

Thank You, Father, for all You've done
Thank You, Father, for all You've done for me.
You've given me eternal life
and I just don't know why
You sent Your only Son to earth
knowing He would die.
Yes, He had to die.

Jesus, You gave Your all
Jesus, You gave Your all for me.
You knew me, yet You loved me
And You walked up that steep hill
You wore my crown, You took my cross
for You knew it was God's Will.
'Cause it was Your Father's Will.

Now I give You all I have
Yes, I give You all I have on earth.
You've given it to me and now
I give it back to You.
For what I have does not compare
with the life I can have with You,
My eternal life with You.
Yes, I'll live forever with You.

Can't Make Up My Mind

I feel silly. I want to blog and I started to do that here. Then I decided to do some blogging on my MySpace page - actually copied these to my page so I would just stick with one place. THEN I decide that maybe I should just have a blogger page, so I come back and I actually found my old page again (even though it's dated this year). So...am I going to actually start blogging again? I think I'll try something different. I wrote some poems and I'm thinking I'll go ahead and put them here, at least every so often, and in between I'll try to write what's on my mind or about something I may have read. We'll see how good I do with this. So cross your fingers.