Midweek (or thereabouts) Meditation - Sweet Sharon

I just had to post this. I have known Sharon since she was born. Her parents were such a positive influence in Shawn's and my Christian walk and we suffered with them when Sharon chose to walk in darkness. But we learned much from watching them parent her during that time when her lifestyle directly and defiantly (she was never the quiet rebel) opposed every fiber of their beings. Although their hearts were breaking over her, they loved her still.



"There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents." Luke 15:10.

By the way, the book she references, "The Desire of Ages," is an incredibly powerful book about the life and death of Jesus Christ.

Forced to Blog

I taught Chris for two years. He's bright. He's funny. He's sweet. And if he didn't already have such a wonderful family, I'd adopt him into ours in a heartbeat.

Chris no longer attends my school, but, lucky for me, he still pops up now and then. Today he popped up on my Facebook account explaining a school assignment he is obviously less than thrilled about. He is required to *gasp* blog!!! And he needs followers.

So ...

what I'm asking from you is this ...

Please hop on over to weimar-chris-lamb.blogspot.com and follow his blog. I would appreciate it.

Maybe then he'll forgive me for all those nasty pop quizzes I gave him in Chemistry! :)

God Said No

He was alone.

I wanted to help.

He needed a family.

Should it be ours?

Too big a decision to make alone.

We asked God.

And waited.

And waited some more ...

Our hearts were open to any answer.

But none came.

Until ...

The answer was, "No."

Bittersweet feelings.

A trusting heart mixed with

A tear.



"In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
I Thessalonians 5:18

Nick Vujicic and the Fatherless

This Sunday we were privileged to listen to Nick Vujicic speak. I just love the work he is doing! And if I ever get the privilege of meeting his parents, I want to give them the biggest hug possible. They were gifted with a difficult situation and, with God's help, rose to the challenge to help Nick become a leader.

Nick's presentation was as wonderful as I expected it to be. But I really teared up when he took some time out of the service to talk directly to the 10-15 prisoners sitting in the congregation. He spoke words of hope and encouragement to them and he instructed them to look to their Heavenly Father for guidance. He then turned and spoke to the pastor, directing him to follow up with them.


Boys in khaki are prisoners from the local prison, accepting Christ at Nick's altar call.

As I looked at those boys, some statistics I had read began to churn through my head. Approximately 80% of prisoners have been in the foster care system! In all likelihood, these boys were fatherless, broken, and forgotten. How might their lives be different today, if someone had adopted them or been a mentor to them? What if they had had a family to come around them and love on them? I don't know what crimes they have committed, but I know God's pledge to be a father to them is true. If they choose, they can become sons of the king.

I pray that they will never forget what they heard today. I pray that they will stay close to their Heavenly Father. Whether they get out here on earth or not, they can experience freedom through Jesus Christ. I pray that we will obey God's command to care for the orphan. Who knows what lasting results will come from one small act of obedience!


My girls, Andie and Nikki, and my friend's son get to meet Nick after the service.

Visit here for more information about Nick's ministry.

The Kids I Couldn't Adopt

I have a secret hurt in my heart. Every time I read certain posts on Facebook or get phone calls or text messages from certain people, an old, familiar pain rears its ugly head and I am once again aware of its dark presence. It's the memories of the children I could not adopt that continue to haunt me.

One is now serving in Afghanistan on his third tour of duty. Another is studying psychology and still struggling with the demons of her past. Two more are mommies with little boys of their own. A couple are confused about which way to turn in life and which path to take. Some of the others I have no contact with at all. I shared the love of Jesus with them. I loved them with all my heart. I poured my entire heart into them. If they call for me, I am there still.



I know all the logic and facts and reasons and arguments, but the pain just will not go away. As I struggle through this, I am learning to trust that God is their Father, and that that is much more important than me being their mother. My head knows that there will always be more kids that I can't adopt than the few I actually can. That thought is frustrating for a "problem-fixer" personality such as mine. Then again, maybe, God will use that pain in my heart to spur me on to speak to more people on behalf of the fatherless.

On second thought, may that beautiful, glorious pain remain in my heart until the day Jesus calls us all to our forever home!

She'll Never Be Normal

She was labeled "developmentally delayed." Her file was thick with test results, psychological evaluations, specialist's recommendations, observations, and more. Her foster mother told us not to expect much so we wouldn't be disappointed. "She'll never be normal," she warned. Those words will forever ring through my ears.

We took her home anyway. We loved her. We set boundaries and expected her to obey them. We limited TV and videos, reading to her by the hour instead. We discovered she had a love for music and encouraged it to grow. We invested in hands-on, creative toys. We let her cook with us in the kitchen and garden with us in the yard.

Today, she made Honor Roll and we found out "they" were right. She'll never be normal. She'll always be a cut above!

Way to go, Ally!!!

Guest blogging at livelaughlove5.blogspot.com! Woohoo!

I am honored! I was asked to guest blog for Jami at livelaughlove5.blogspot.com for her "everyone has a story" series that she has started on Thursdays. My blog is entitled "Belle of the Ball," and it is about ... well, I really don't want to spoil it for you. Just go on over there and read it.

By the way, I've really been blessed by Jami and her heart for foster kids and orphans. What an inspirational lady! I'm sure you'll be as blessed as I have been.

Go on! Scoot! Hop on over to Jami's blog now! You'll be glad you did!

Midweek Meditation - A Father's Love Letter

Our Heavenly Father loves us more than we can ever imagine. This is a love letter from Him to you! Be blessed!

Kicking My Drums!

Conversation in the car on the way home today...

Nikki: Could you turn the music up?

Maya: Could you turn the music down?

Nikki: Don't turn it down! It's not even loud!

Maya: Yes, it is! It's kicking my drums! (eardrums)



Solution? Because the girls were kicking MY "drums," I turned the music off until both girls stopped arguing. When all was peaceful again, the music came back on and we continued on our merry way.

Midweek Meditation - Andie's Project

For Open House a few years back, Andie chose to make a video presentation about the week of Creation. I may be a bit biased, but I think she did alright!