Conversation with God

Me: God, this is impossible!!

God: Honey, thats when I do some of my best work!

Loving people through their "stuff" is really hard. Being loved in our "stuff" is really hard.

Tough love.

Actually caring about someone and not liking them at the same time can cause a great pull.

Division.

Tug-of-war.

The greatest commandment is for us to love God with all our strength, mind, body and soul.(paraphrasing)
The next one is to love our neighbor as ourselves. It doesn't say we have to like them. Lord, show us how to love when we dont even like sometimes.

We must love them.
We must step in the gap and interceede. Pray.

I think it can become easy to sit in our own feelings and fester. Let our emotions become a cauldron bubbling over.
Isn't it true that we are all sinners?
Doesn't the Bible say that no sin is greater then the next?
Let he who has no sin cast the first stone? I mean, didn't they all walk away from the prostitute when Jesus said that??
So if this is the case, why is it that some sin carries more weight then others?? Some sin causes much more pain and grief.
Lord, help us to see through your eyes. You bore ALL sin on the cross, simultaneously, so we could be washed clean by Your blood.
We are in need of Your balm. Salve. Healing.
Lord it is so apparent that we need YOU!!
Not some of the time.
ALL OF THE TIME!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Feeling the pull

I have been feeling the pull a lot lately to return to Zambia. The Orphan village has been completely funded by Jesus!! We needed only $30k more to complete it and it was given by a pastor who felt led by the Lord.

AWESOME!!!

One of the leaders of Breath of Heaven is currently there and has been posting pics on Facebook. I am missing the children and feel the call to return with the whole family.
I am praying that Gods timing be revealed
and the funds to be released....

Rain = dirt

I am beginning to think that my efforts are futile. Trying to maintain clean floors when I have a dog, cat, 3 children, and a husband who works in dirt.

Then to compound it with rainy days...

UGH.....why do I bother

Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest.
Prov. 16:8

Shhhh....

I am hiding from my sister mom, dont tell her where I am....

From the mouth of Babes

So my daughter wakes up before the sun did this morning. I was already up making coffee for my dear husband. As she is wiping the sleep from her eyes she says to me,"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good mamma."
At 6 yrs old, she wakes with praises on her tongue!!

Truth

A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
Proverbs 14:1

Pride leads to conflict;
those who take advice are wise.
Proverbs 13:10

A gntle answer deflects anger,
but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 15:1

Mercy-compassionate treatment of those in distress





Grace-a virtue coming from God





Friend-one attached to another by affection or esteem





Forgiveness-allowing room for error or weakness





I think what I am feeling is great disappointment. In all of this,I think that is the most accurate emotion.


We cannot put neither man nor woman on a pedestal. There isn't anyone who is to be looked on as greater or better then anyone else. There are people, however, that are held to a higher accountability. People who have the know how to stop the sin or get the help needed to stop the sin as it encroaches. So it is there that my disappointment lies. The Bible warns us that sin is knocking at our doorstep waiting for the door to open. We have to be ever so careful to not even crack the door.





Sin makes you stupid though. It fogs up your goggles and turns your brain into mush. And its just like the Devil to make whatever it is that's going on feel good.





The Lord says that one sin is no greater then the other but some sins cause greater damage then others.


I suppose that God says that because all sin separates us from Him. We do have a friend in Jesus. When we screw up and hurt people, He will forgive us and restore us. It is Him who we can count on.


When all is lost, we can look to the sky and find this to be comforting...God smiling down on us with utter compassion, grace, and mercy. He is our friend.

A Must....

Grace and Mercy is a must in our walk with the Lord. Forgiveness is for us and not the party who has offended. When we hold onto the anger and bitterness it harms us, not them.
I am still very hurt and ALL trust has been broken. I am praying because that is what we are called to do and the only thing I know how to do in a time of crisis.
I am confident that what the enemy steels can be redeemed for Gods glory. Restoration for EVERYONE, all families, is Gods heart.
When we yield our heart to the Father it can be repaired. I am confident that with a willing heart, all things are possible.
Lord I pray that Your Grace and Mercy rain down Jesus. I ask that humility be ever present and that a yielding attitude will prevail. Jesus, anywhere where the enemy has a foothold, we break that in your name!! Damage has been done and I pray that no more will be done. Protect little ears from the destructive ways and give them strength. I pray that their trust would be restored. I pray that they would know that they can always trust in you!!

The Wedge

It seems as though Satan can drive his wedge into the strongest of rocks. This is because Rocks are imperfect and full of stress points that can fracture at any time. Jesus is our only perfect rock. It is on Him that we are standing now and forever!
I am sickened and sad at recent circumstances. I have run the gamut of emotions. I don't even really know if I have processed even 10% of whats happened.
I am trying to be careful with my words because I am praying for everyone involved. I have been greatly disappointed. To say I didnt see it would be a lie. To be right about it makes me sick! (btw, this post doesnt refer to me or my husband) . The Bible tells us that we will know a man by his fruits. Right now all I see is ugly and evil.
My God is Mighty though. He is bigger and stronger then any circumstance! We can rise above this, everyone involved. When we come Face to Face with God and exchange our truth for His is when the work begins. Draw them in Lord.
There is hope if you have faith. So, Lord, I pray now that you would just intervene. Invade them and bring Your light. Bring your Mercy and Healing Powers. Let your Spirit rain down now and wash clean what has been made so dirty.
We can be redeemed and restored and made even better!! Praise God for His compassion and grace. Help us to have your eyes Lord. Protect us from the Evil one. We pray for Humility.

Recent update....

So there havent been any new stories to report on from the Public School arena, PTL.
I have signed up to lead my 6yr olds Girl Scout troop.

Started diligently stepping in the gap for my husband with prayer. LOVE IT. God is truly moving. When you set aside the tme to be face to face with the Lord, He will move in your life.

I have been working out and eating clean for the past 6 weeks on Friday. I have lost 6lbs and 10 inches. The Lord has really been speaking to me on discipline.

I have had to get the most important things in order...My prayer life and my health, which includes eating right and excersising.

I love what God is doing.
I will post again when I have more time!!

To Be or Not To Be....

Do I encourage my son to be friends with a boy at school who was sent to the principals office for choking another boy or do I advise him to steer clear??
I think most parents would be justified in telling their child that this boy will only create trouble for their son. To stay away from him would be understandable, right?
Wrong...

I told my son that this boy probably needs a good friend. Something is probably really wrong in his life right now that is causing him to act this way. I told my son that this would be a different kind of friendship then he was used to. He would have to be a strong friend to this boy. This boy will most likely want you to do things that will cause you to get into trouble. You must try to help him find the right path.
Being grounded in Christ, he understood. I told him that we are called to love our neighbors and have compassion on them like Jesus did for us. That God puts people in our circle of influence so we can shower them and share with them the GoodNews. So I explained that this was an opportunity for him to love on this boy. We need to treat people the way we want to be treated, right....He said yes mom, I have copied that verse soooo many times...lol
I would have him copy this verse when he wasn't being very nice to others....
Anyhow, I hope and pray that he can be the light that he is called to be in this place....pls keep him in prayer....
Thanks!!

What's in a Name??

Short and sweet, the public school offers much needed laughter..
My eldest son comes home from school yesterday and says,"Mom, there is a girl in my class that thinks I am cute."
Mom: Oh she does huh(seems to be my catch phrase when I am caught off guard..lol) So what's her name..
Son: Oh her name is Jezebel.................Trying to keep a straight face I simply said, "Oh Wow. Interesting name" Here is what I wanted to say" Are you freaking serious?? Who names their beloved child Jezebel??"
So of course he followed by asking me if her name means anything. As much as I wanted to have this conversation with him, I refrained...nxt time. I didn't want this info to somehow get back to her and have her think poorly of herself because her parents weren't smart enough to name her something other then Jezebel...why not name her Prostitute. Or naming your son Lucifer....Oh my goodness.

All by Himself!!!!!

Let it be written....my son pulled out his very first tooth at 8 1/2 yrs old......lol. If you aren't familiar with the tooth saga then you must look at the label "Tooth Tales" in my other posts to get caught up.
So last night he came to me and told me it was loose and he wanted me to use dental floss to pull it out. To be honest I was tired and didn't want to deal with his "oh it hurts" drama. I told him we would look at it again in the morning.
See I already knew it was loose, I already had an appt made to have it pulled. This tooth fit the pattern of the adult tooth coming in behind before he lost the baby one. So he knew, once again, if he or dad didn't pull it, the dentist was going to. His appt was for tomorrow.
So this morning I had to try my best, because dad was sleeping, to pull it out. My son was insistent on using the dental floss so I honored his request and did my best. A couple yanks, a couple slips, some blood, and we were out of time. I told him to mess with it at school and it would probably come out.
So he looked one last time in the mirror pushing and pulling and then.....it spun 180 degrees....it was hilarious. Um mom.......now what do I do(arms flailing at his side)...I tried to swallow my laugh and say..YANK IT!!!!
I had to walk out....then out of the corner of my eye, I see this flash run by! I did it mom , I did it.....LOOK!!!
Success!! He yanked his own tooth out finally. funny thing is he doesn't look funny. Ya know why....his adult tooth is already in...no silly pics...
Now for the bum news... He went to brush his teeth and went to pick up his tooth, while brushing, and dropped it down the tooth down the drain. Poor guy. I felt so bad.
He now has a great story to take with him to school. So maybe today they will talk about loosing teeth instead of how to get a girlfriend..lol

So it begins....

The kids have officially started their first year of public school. Today records the completion of day 2. Drop-off and pick-up has gone well, as expected. Filling out ALL of the paperwork last night, also went as expected.
What wasn't expected was the conversation that my 8 yr old son recounted to me in the car right after pick up today. Here is how it played out....
Son: Hey Mom, you see that boy over there? He is my new friend. His name is $#@!( keeping the youth protected)
Mom: Oh yes..Well great. You made a friend and you remembered his name, even better.
Son: Well today he was teaching me "How to get a Girlfriend." (At that I took another GOOD look at this boy who was full of information and thought he had lessons to teach. I wanted to make sure I could pick him out of the line-up, so to speak. Yep, can see him now.
Mom: ::looking up at my son in the review mirror I spoke to my son:: Really?? He did, huh. .....that was all I could collectively speak. I was ambushed with this conversation that took place on the playground. I figured something like this was bound to happen. I just wasn't expecting it the 2nd day of school.

Then my son decides to finish retelling the lesson this "boy" had taught him. Good cause I needed to hear how this whole thing played out...

Son: He says you tell them you don't like them and hit them and then chase them. Then you ask them out and they say "Yes" and then they kiss you. He says he has had like 5 girlfriends already mom.
Mom: Oh really. He has huh.

Ok so here I am with this "lesson" that was learned on the playground, no more then 2 days into our public school career. I didn't want to make a big deal about it so I simply said
Mom: Well what did you say to him??
Son: I told him he was crazy and we were too young to have girlfriends.

Praise God!!!!
When faced with a topic like this he took the high road. I don't know if he really understands that yet though. I talked with him again tonight before he went to bed and explained again when it was appropriate to date girls and kiss them............NEVER!!!! lol...ok I didnt say never but I definitely said when you are much older...He says, "Like when I am an adult mom?" I plainly said "Yep!!" I told him how proud of him I was and that God was proud too! It was great too because when he came home and shared this very story with one of his closest friends, his friend(IC) affirmed what my son had said to be right. YAY for friends who have the same set of values.

After just doing a 10 wk or so study on the book of Esther I am believing that "for such a time as this" my kids have been placed in public school. I pray Lord that you would use my children to further advance your Kingdom. Let them be the light in the darkness of the world. I pray they would be able to encourage their friends and be set apart.
My Pretty Princess has to bring in a "Bag it Report" and share with the class some things about herself. The first thing she thought to put in the bag was a cross she just purchased, with her own money, to support out upcoming women's retreat. She said I am going to show them all my cross and tell them how much I love Jesus. ::SIGH:: Child like faith!!!! I pray that it would be received!! She is strong in her faith even though she is only 6.
She did already befriend a girl in her class who was severely punished today because she through a fit and not only wrote on the wall but tried to break the window. We had the chance to pray for her tonight and had a good talk about it. She is anticipating seeing her friend tomorrow and trying to love her despite what today brought!

Lions and tigers and bears....

So while is Zambia we were able to go to a beautiful resort called Protea Lodge. We were able to dine and also visit the LIONS!!!!



So my dear husband just wanted to get inside the cage and cuddle. She had her nose pressed up against the fence. You could hear the rumble of the lioness purring. The game keeper gave a mild warning that the claws COULD come through the fence but wasnt too worried.


Keep in mind, these aren't like the Lions you see at the zoo. These are VERY wild simply separated by a chain link fence. Really?? You think a chain link fence will hold 'em huh....crazy. They have no human contact other then when people walk by or when they are fed. No vet, no one cleaning out the "cage."





Our guide was so awesome. The lions only get fed every other day. They eat 10 chickens each. We happened to be there on the off day....bummer. He was nice enough to go and grab 3 chickens and throw them over the fence. The Lions looked pretty funny with the feathers coming out of their mouths. It could've been straight out of a cartoon. We really wanted to hear the male ROAR so our guide threw 2 chickens by the male. The male ate his and when one of the lioness' came to get the other....you could just feel the deep baritone roar inside. He didn't even get loud but it was enough for us to imagine what it sounds like in full force. The female submitted and she went and layed down, chickenless. He proceeded to eat his and then hers...lol .......It even transfers in to the animal kingdom..lol


An interesting fact we learned is that once a male lion is castrated, he loses his mane. Apparently all the testosterone is lost and so then, his mane disappears. Poor guy, not only does he lose his "STUFF" but he goes bald....that's funny and sad at the same time.

Change...

The winds are changing in our neck of the woods. It has been a bit of a cool breeze,pleasant in nature. It has allowed much needed flexibility and freedom. We have been in a position of choice.
We also have been feeling the pinch of the economy. I have been a stay at home mom for the last 7 1/2 yrs. My husband didn't work for about 7 months and upon returning, he took a large pay cut. Aside from the pay cut, we were just happy that he was back to work, PRAISE GOD!! We have been in prayer for the last few weeks and trusting that God would lead us in the right direction. The right direction being any that He would have us be in.
After fasting and much prayer we feel that we are entering into a season of change. We feel the Lord is leading me into full time employment. This of course means that I will no longer be able to homeschool our children. ::sigh:: I was a bit thrown to say the least. See, I feel its our responsibility to raise up our children and teach them biblical truths and make sure they are properly educated.
I feel like the Lord has been preparing me for this for the last few months, without my knowing of course....Because had I known the direction, I would've tried to change Gods plan, as if mine would be any better. Isn't that what we do, figure out a "Better" way. A few weeks ago I came to the realization that our kids don't belong to us. See, they are simply a gift from God, given to us on a temporary basis. They truly belong to Him on loan to us. Because of this I had to release them to Him. Man, talk about shedding some tears... That was probably one of the hardest things I have EVER done. To declare that they aren't mine but His and trust that He has their best interest at heart. It's a good thing the Lord catches our tears.
See it doesn't matter where the kids are, its more about who the kids' parents are. He picked us to be their parents. They can still learn the Biblical truths and go to public school. As difficult as it will be , for me, I know God has them all under His wing.
The world is the world and it is fallen. We cant escape that. It's my goal now, as it was before, to make sure that they are grounded in Creationism and the Truth!!
Pls pray for us as we seek out the right school and the right job for me.
Thanks in advance!!! And praise God...I know He has bigger plans that are just not yet revealed...remember, if we knew what it was we would probably try to come up with something better...lol
We are praying for His peace that passes all understanding!!!

Preach it!!

Here stands my husband, preaching in the church of Kalingalinga , walking his calling!! When he was done preaching he asked me, "How did I do?" I simply said, "This is what you are called to. You are a natural. I have been praying for this for the last 6 years. Praise God for being sooo faithful and knowing that His timing is ALWAYS perfect." I was so proud of him.

The man standing next to Leon is Pastor Lazorous. This is his church and he is translating. He is one of the nicest people we met there in Zambia. You can see how the Holy Spirit just rests on him.

Please pray for him and his wife. They are newly married and while we were there we he told us that his wife was ill with malaria. Pls keep this man of God lifted up. Pray his wife would be healed completely by the Lord and be able to give Him all the glory!!

These are some of the children that were playing outside of the church. This church was precious. At the end of service we walked out and stood by the entrance way to greet everyone as they left. I thought it was just because we were guests but come to find out, this is what they do every Sunday. They begin to worship and as each one greets the pastor, they join the line. The continue to worship until everyone is out of the church. Everyone is greeted. I love this because sometimes in America, our church can get so big that there can be Sundays where nobody knows who you are or if you even attended.

We thank Pastor Lazarous again for allowing us to bring the teaching of Truth to his church!!

A day at the waterpark in Zambia...yes in Zambia!!!

Most of this post will be pics displaying large portions of fun that the children had. We were blessed to take them to a water park for the day and just ENJOY them. I know the kids had sooo much fun but I think Leon had a ton of fun too....just watch this video and you will see.

There were a lot of the littler kids that were afraid to go down the slide. The only way they would do it is if Leon went with them. True to who he is, he jumped right into the FRIGID water. This water was sooo cold that I didn't even want to play in the kiddie pool....

This video is of Lister and Leon going down the slide.

Katongo...

These were all the girls who wanted to go down but were scared..lol

This is Collins in the kiddie pool.

The kids were also able to enjoy an inside area that was like Chuck E. Cheese

I miss them already!!

So I just arrived home today and I think I have been awakee for about 48 hrs...or something like it....not sure...lol

I miss my children in Africa already!! It was sooo goood to grab hold of mine though, I tell you what!!

Other people that I am missing....Esnot and Hilda

Bishop Peter and Ted Lawler!! If God nad never given Ted the vision and Bishop Peter the heart to support Ted, Breath of Heaven wouldn't exist.

Seems as though it wasnt in Gods plan for us.

So as we prepared to leave for Livingstone, our driver Copa(Copper), came and informed us that it was going to cost us an additional $300 for our trip for gas. So we decided to stay hm and not go. For some reason God doesn't want us there and that's ok with me. I don't want to be anywhere the Lord wouldn't have us be. We wouldn't have had enough money for the rest of our trip if we went. Its a bummer but there is always next time.
I see this as a huge blessing in disguise though. We are going to spend the whole day Friday at Bishops Peters house. In the afternoon we are going to have a private teaching in marriage from Bishop and then have dinner with he and Hilda, his dark chocolate. We will be leaving on Saturday to arrive home on Sunday at 1pm in the LAX terminal.
Pls pray for our safe arrival home. love and miss you all!!!! :0)

Off to Livingstone

Tomorrow we will be going down to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls. I am excited to see what the pictures couldn't really convey from last years trip. We don't have to take a bus this time. We are blessed to be driving in a regular car. We are hoping that it will only be about a 6 hr drive.
Today we will spend our time organizing all the donations that have come in for the Village. We found out that almost half of the kids wont be able to move into the Village. Zambia is really being strict on age limitations rather then grade level completed in school. We are praying that the other children will continue to be supported in a "foster care" type situation. Even these type of environments are horrible to say the least. A possibility is to maybe put them to work at the Village. Ted and Judy are still unsure what it will look like but they hope to have something implemented in the next 4-5 yrs for the children after they graduate. They want to operate as the Lord leads.

The children that wont be in the village will still be part of all the ongoings just living elsewhere. Pls pray that the Lord begins to prepare their hearts for the news that is pending.
I dont think we will be able to post while in Livingstone but we will be home on Sunday!!! We cannot wait to see our kids!!!! I miss them dearly and am so excited to have them in my arms again!!!!

Bitter Sweet day

So today we took all the kids to the water park. They all had sooo much fun. They had an inside play area like Chuck E Cheese and a few different water slides. Leon was so awesome with the kids. There were several kids that were scared to go down so he let them sit in his lap and went down. They had a ton of fun. I will will post pics later. I haven't been able to download them yet.
We did have to say good bye to the kids today. We wont be working with them anymore on our trip. It was super hard and brought many tears to my eyes. One of the boys, named Katongo, gave me a hand written letter today. He had the scripture Jeremiah 29:11 written in it and said it was for his sisters. He meant my daughters, his sisters in Christ. He calls me Mama Lisa and it was signed "Your Son" I know now that I have children in Africa!!!!! He and his friend Lazarus want to come to the states someday and when they do, they will stay with us.
Oh, so much to tell....so little time. I hope to post again soon. We will be on our way to Livingstone on Tuesday, Wed, and Thursday.
Bishop will be coming to our house on Friday to give us a personal marriage counseling session. All 4 of us are really excited for this.

Suprised to find out...

So today while we were with the kids conducting the VBS program, we found out that some of the kids in the program have not yet given their life to the Lord. I had just assumed that being part of this program they already received Jesus as their savior, not the case. Today Leon helped lead Robinno to the Lord. Praise God. We have prayed continually for healing for him. He has MS and is loosing his ability to walk.
So tomorrow we will be preaching the gospel to these children and doing an altar call. We cant simply assume that people are saved and will spend eternity in Heaven. It is our responsibility to ask and find out. That doesn't simply include these children, it pertains to anyone you come into contact with.
I am fallin in love with these children. They have nothing and everything all at once. We were able to go to some of their homes on Tuesday and see their environment that they function in on a daily basis. Even the poorest person in America has more then these people. We visited Charitys' home and met with her grandmother. She is the head of 15 people who line in about 3 small rooms that are about 8x8 or smaller. These rooms double or triple as bedroom's, kitchens, living areas, etc. They eat whenever they have food. They only have money to buy food when they can find piece work washing laundry by hand. They only have electricity when they put a token in a box. it's like a timer. When their time runs out, so does their light. If they cant find any wash they don't have any money or electricity or food. I will try to post a pic of her next post. She is an amazingly strong woman and so grateful for our visit. I am not on my laptop now. The need is so great here and it cant just be solved by handing out a few dollars here and there. That is simply temporary. The problem is much deeper then that.
Tomorrow we will finish up the VBS program with the kids. They will all receive their own Bibles. Not all of the children are able to read but hopefully they will hold it dear to their hearts till they can.
Pls keep us in prayer for Malaria....there are thousands of mosquitoes and we all have been bit. Last night I slept with socks on my hands to prevent anymore bites. It was funny because I went to bed after Leon did so he didn't see my amazing invention. I woke up this morning and forgot that I had my sleeves tucked into my socks on my hands and he almost fell over laughing at me....I did look pretty funny!!

I hope to post again soon!!!

Not sure where to begin....

So we haven't been able to get to the Internet cafe due to 2 consecutive holidays here in Zambia. A lot has happened in the last 3 days.

I think it might be best if I just do a day-by-day post..

Monday....The first part of the day we finished painting the playground.

We went to an "All Night" prayer meeting. This is conducted once a month where Bishop Peter holds a service in which prayer begins at 7pm and goes until 6 am the following day. You had everyone there from babies, young, and old. When the Zambian people call out to the Lord it's like nothing I have ever heard. They use not only their voices but their entire body! They pray with such passion and reverence to the Mighty One.

Sorry it is a bit blurry but the flash was VERY distracting. I didn't want to take another one.

Bishops' church was packed. It was a full house, standing room only.

This is where the night became truly interesting for all of us. A woman who appeared to be slain in the Holy Spirit was in fact demon possessed. She dropped to the floor and began to steam roll the Church floor. Her shoes went flying,her body was contortting and convulsing, she was foaming at the mouth and throwing up. When she rolled our way Leon grabbed her and began praying for deliverance over her. Michaela and I stood back for a minute to asses the situation. Once we discerned the truth of the matter, we jumped in to help Robert and Leon. They both said later that she has the strength of 7 men, and she did. It was really intense. When we were done praying, Leon went outside and got some air. He came back in and said it wasn't finished. The woman was weeping on what we think was her friends shoulder and then dropped to floor again. All of the same symptoms presented and we prayed even harder for deliverance. The crazy thing was that the church became quiet because they were switching the prayers to worship. Leon was praying so loud that it over came the church. Do you think they stopped to leave or interrupt?? No way!!! they continued on. In the US...if this was happening, people would run from church saying this was crazy....

This wasnt the end all.....once the 2nd episode came to a close, she lay there weeping that she wasnt forgiven. We tried our best in English to explain that she was but it didn't resonate. She got up, collected herself, and went back to her seat. We all took a deep breath and continued the service. Michaela and Leon kept watching her in her seat until she got up and walked out of the church. Leon discerned that the demon wasnt finished with her and followed her out. He knew that she needed to confess her sins to the Lord to be FREE from the continued torture.

Sure enough he found her vomiting again behind a wall and he asked Robert to go get Bishop Peter so she could confess. Once Bishop came she confessed that she was a married woman and had been having an affair with a married man and just had an abortion. Talk about bondage!!! The demon presented because she was ready to be freed up and give her burden over to God.

Bishop had 2 women from his church pray with her and take her back for counseling immediately. Praise God!!!

Tuesday....We went to the Arcade to have dinner and watch a movie but the movie was sold out. We ended up hanging out with Du.

Wednesday....We began the VBS program with the kids....here are some pics from today..

We have arrived!

So we arrived this morning at 6 am into the beautiful country of Zambia. We made it with practically no hang ups. We had a 2 1/2 hr delay out of LAX due to "electrical issues." They borded us and then had us leave the plane. Not too comforting to have the plane you are about to spend the next 9 hrs on having "electrical issues."
All of our bags made it and so far so good. We don't think that there is anything missing from any of them. There are still 2 that we haven't even looked in yet but we are hoping its there. After we were all able to shower, we went to the arcade to have some breakfast and exchange our money. We know have a pocket full of Qwatcha.
The first person to greet us was Bishop Peter!!! Wow, so good to see him. He told Michaela and I that Leon and Robert would both be preaching tomorrow but not to tell them...lol. The 4 of us are going to the same church and the men are going to be sharing the preaching duties! I cant wait. I have yet to truly hear my husband preach..
Today we went to the property to see the orphanage. The team that preceded us were able to complete the playground that they came to set up. It looks amazing and I already know that the kids are going to love it. After that we came home and took a much needed nap. We are back at the arcade now after eating a gourmet meal prepared by Ted himself.
So here is what I have been focused on today:
Col. 3:2.....Think about the things of Heaven, not the things of earth.
2 Corin. 4:18......we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen,....but the things we cannot see will last forever
Isaiah 26:3....you will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thought are fixed on you.

I want to try to make sure that we are staying kingdom minded while we are here. We came to walk out Gods will for our lives in this season. Praise Him. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners..Romans 5:6
I will try to post again soon!!!

At the LAX airport

So far so good. We are waiting at the airport and our check in went very smoothly!! We have about a 3 1/2 wait and then we will be boarding our first flight. Uh oh...just checked our departure time and we are currenly delayed 50 min.
We just finished eating El Paseo mexican food. We are sitting next to some serious air-conditiong, wow. We are so excited. I hope to post some pics soon. We were lucky enough to be able to borrow a camera from a friend for our trip and I am still trying to figure it out.
Tata for now. I am saving our battery so Michaela can post too.

Isaiah 61 :1-3

Luv you all!!!

We leave tomorrow to Zambia!!!

So tomorrow night, just a bit over 24hrs away, we will be on British Airways Zambia bound. Wow...even now I am tearin up. The kids are packed up and ready to head off to stay with our dear friends and family. Oh man..I have been holdin it together for so long but I know tomorrow when we drop them off it will be hard. To leave my kids for 17 days, man. God grant me the strength. Grant me Your peace that passes understanding. It's only because I am confident that we have been called out that I can go.
I am super excited to go though. God has just been breakin my heart for these children that I haven't even met. There is no better place to be then smack dab in the middle of Gods will. My husband has been telling me the past few days that now all my dreams are coming true. See about 6 yrs ago, I started having dreams about bringing the gospel to the nations. God began to show me what we would be doing with the rest of our lives. See, we are the perfect example of His timing being perfect. It took about 6 yrs for this to be a reality. We have to be patient and wait on God for His divine timing. He made it very clear that He wanted us on this very trip with the kind of donations that came in. I have been to Mexico on a short weekend mission trip but this, this is the beginning of being in the center of Gods will. Hopefully we can organize another trip to Mexico in the fall. I will definitely be bringing the kids on that one!
I am going to try to post while we are in Zambia. I am bringing my laptop and will see what i can do. If nothing else I will be journaling and then post when we get back.
If you are a praying person, pls lift us up as you remember. We are going to need a wall of prayer around us while we are encountering the things of the enemy. We want to see people set free, healed, restored, and saved!! Our God is an awesome God who reigns from heaven!! There isn't anything that is too big for Him. Thanks for your support and we will chat again very soon, hopefully from Zambia, Africa!!!

Update on the last few weeks

So I am taking this idea from a dear friend of mine.....I want to catch you all up on the ongoings of the past few weeks. I just haven't had the time to post pics and blog about everything....so here we go...

Our trip to Vegas..mini vacation with the kids....We spent most of the time in the pools...We also met a real life robot!!!! Good times!

I caught our cat drinking from the faucet the other day. I thought it was funny because she usually drinks from toilet. Apparently she is switchin it up...lol

This is our Ladies night out last Friday night. Dinner and a craft...can you tell whats on my mind by what I created??

This was yesterday at the beach with friends...Ummm....Apparently I just have a head for a daughter..lol

Good time with friends and family is what life is about!!!

9 days til Zambia

So we leave in 9 days. We are so excited. To be right in the middle of Gods will for our lives is pretty freakin amazing. God has been preparing me for the last 2 months on things that I will be doing while I am there. I hope to accomplish many things through Him and for His glory. Pls pray as the last few days approach, all goes well. I have to not only prepare all luggage for my husband and I but for our children as well. They will be staying behind with some of our dearest friends and family. Pray that they will have comfort with both parents being away.
So much more I want to post but dinner calls.....

All I can really say is WOHOOO!!!!! :0)

Car Wash Success!!!

So we had our last fundraiser yesterday and it was a success, despite what the weatherman said. Isnt God the one in control anyway....lol

So we ended up raising $258. Yay!! We will still get a small check from Chik-fil-A from everyone who came and ate. We arent sure how much but everything helps! We forgot to bring a camera so I snapped a few pics with my phone. For some reason I didnt save some of the pics properly, bummer. But here are 2 that did make it!

We had lots of little hands to make the work lighter :0)

I love anything where the kids can help.

And then there was Jaimey, Michaelas sister, being silly when all was said and done...

28 Days!!!!

We have exactly 28 days left til our departure from LAX to Zambia, Africa!!!!!! The excitement is building moment by moment, sometimes. I still have a slew of things to accomplish before we go. I still need one shot,need to get paperwork in order for the kids, need to figure out how the whole situation will go with the kids....phew!! At least school has come to a close so I can now focus on the pending trip. I was talking with my 8 yr old son 2 days ago and asked him what he thought about the whole trip and mommy and daddy being gone. This is what he said, " I dont think I can be w/o you mom for 17 days. " Then I asked him what he thought about the work we would be doing in Zambia and he said,"You and dad need to go huh mom. They need your help. I think we will be ok because we know why you are going." What a big boy he is becoming. He understands the need there and is willing to sacrifice his time with us so that the Zambian children can come to know the Lord even more.
Anyhow....pls pray for us still. We have one last fundraiser on Sat. We are doing a car wash, so pray that the Lord will bring us tons of cars and plenty of generous people. We still need about $400.
I will be posting again soon on this topic and soon from Zambia!!

A gift

So I feel like the Lord led me to this very verse this morning to minister to a dear friend but also to minster to me about my own children and the children we will be serving when we go to Zambia.
Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Regarding my own family and my children, sometimes as mothers we get caught up in the things that "Need to be Done" around the house. I can get just as busy as the next one and put a movie on for the kids or have them go outside and play,not that either of those are bad options for kids.
In Luke 10:38-42 the bible gives us the ex of Mary and Martha. Jesus is coming to see them and upon His arrival, Martha almost frantically begins to prepare the feast. She gets so caught up in the things that "Need to be Done" that she misses the blessing of sitting at His feet. Mary sat at his feet soaking in all Jesus could teach her. Why do we get so caught up sometimes? Its a trap that the enemy sets for us. We completely miss out on the blessing. Let's not do that anymore.

So if children are a gift from God(psalm 127:3) then we really shouldn't pass up one minute that we could spend learning from them and teaching them.We should not be telling our kids "no" when we could say "yes."
How exciting is it to be able to tell the Orphans in Zambia that they are a "Gift." They aren't trash to be easily discarded or a book to be put on a shelf. They are the very tool that will shape our future!! They are not to be seen as a nuisance or distraction but they are to be regarded as a most precious gift from the Father, who makes no mistakes! The author of Creation itself.
Lord, help us to be more nurturing to ALL children. To our own and to others. Help us to not be selfish and say "Not right now" or "No" when we can say "Yes!" Put in us a passion to teach the Truth of your word and to nurture their spirit! Help us to love on them even more then we do now. Lord here our prayers. Help us to mold them and shape them into the very soldiers that will fight in Your army for righteousness!!
~~L~~

Our Garden!!!

Peppers, Basil, 3 different lettuces, dill, and what cant be seen is sugan snap peas, beets, radishes, green and red onions, phew.....I think thats it....oh and cucumbers. Thats just whats inside. We have tomatos, watermelons, volunteer pumpkins, sunflowers, brocolli, squash, zuccinni, and a corn field that isnt even in the same areas!!!

I share this garden with 2 dear friends and love every minute of it!!

Look at how nice our salad bowl lettuce is looking!!!

Not to mention how yummy it tastes...oh and we have spinach too!!!

I love this season!! :)

Gotta love the Psalms!!

So the Lord has been really impressing on me to meditate on Psalm 130 and Psalm 139. Its so rad that God everywhere, in everything, all knowing, and knew us before we even took our first breath...How rad is that!!!!

Psalm 130:8.....He Himself will redeem Israel from every kind of sin.<~~~~~~Very nice!!

Psalm 139:5 You go before me and follow me.
Psalm 139:7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence.

That's the kind of God we serve!!! No matter how hard we try to hide "Our Stuff" we can't, so why bother. Bring it to the feet of the Father who knows ANYWAY!!!

~~L~~

You should always wear shoes

So this guy was staying cool under my car when I went to move it yesterday. Um did I mention I was barefoot!!!

It was a California King Cobra and the kids all loved it!!

Fast Approaching

So our trip to Zambia is fast approaching. We are exactly 7 weeks and 5 days from our departure date, July 2nd.
We are trying to tie up the bit of our fundraising events in order to purchase the last bit of needed supplies. Not to mention I still need to get my Typhoid shot, ouch!! Thanks to the Lord that our tickets are paid but there are still things that are needing to have funds raised for. We are still raising or the following....
~School Supplies
~VBS materials~~ Michaela and I are writing the curriculum ourselves to avoid extra cost
~Bibles
~Medical items such as my shots, all the rx's we ahve to take with us to make sure we don't get Malaria, Leons epi pin and other meds that go along with him getting stung by a bee, etc.
~balls, toys and other things we can bring over for the kids.
~ oh and money for food, theres always that, lol

So anyway, we are having a fundraising dinner at our house and then we are doing a car wash in June. Pls join us in prayer that we raise all needed funds in these last 2 events!!!
The kids know we are coming and from what I hear, they are super excited!!!!
We cant wait to get there....I miss Bishop Peter and cant wait to meet all the kids.
Thanks for all your prayers in advance. We know that God is in control and He will provide!!!

Pls also keep us in prayer regarding the Spiritual Warfare we are being faced with. As we step out in faith in the way that we are, the attacks can be somewhat severe at times. We are really trying to keep our focus on the Whole Armor of God( Eph. 6:11-17) to get us through this time. In case you don't really know what Spiritual Warfare is I will explain. See when you take a step for the Lord, the Evil one attacks. Satan is not a fan of us dedicated our lives to Christ. So things that would normally not get to you become a very big deal, an explosion possibly. So pls pray that the Lord would help to keep us focused and united!!

Best Friends

I just love how God knows how to pair us up with people in our life. I pray these girls will be friends for life!!

We are being invaded!!!!

We are being invaded by these Pincher bugs/Earwigs!!!!!

HELP!!!

In Love...my goodness

So I am just falling more and more in love with Jesus these days! I know he is drawing me near moment by moment it seems.
I have been going to prayer counseling meetings for the past month and I am receiving some healing now from the Lord with past issues that caused great pain. It was keeping me from being the mom I know God has called me to be. I know its a process but I am amazed that God is so good and can work very quickly on our hearts when we allow it. I have a bit more peace now. I know there is more God wants to do and I am so amped to find out. I know this is a season of refinement for my family unit. God is preparing us for something and that is so exciting!!!
I just shared a video with my 5 yr old daughter that we were shown at church. It's so amazing to explain to her, and have a visual aid, at how Jesus will always be there and draw us to Himself. Despite all the chaos of this world, He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. His heart is for us! Did you know you were fearfully and wonderfully made? You were created in the image of God. WOW!! He will always draw you near. If you at all feel lost or left behind, take some time to seek the Fathers face. Find some time in your day to give to Him. After all, it was He who gave you the day.
Jesus breathed life into each of us. Pls try not to get caught up in the busyness of this world and try to keep your eyes fixed on Him. I am reminded of Mary and Martha. Don't be Martha. Do not get caught up in the busyness and details of things but be like Mary and be at the feet of the very one who created you, soaking it in.
I am finding that the more time I give to the Lord, the more in love I am falling. I heard for the first time today my 5 yr old preach the gospel to her friends. WOW!! We need to get back to that child like faith and just not care what anyone else thinks!
My heart is pitter-pattering when I think of what Jesus did on the cross for me!! The coolest thing is that He did it for you too!!!
Try to fall in love all over again. Desire those butterflies in your stomach for The One who loves you most. He is never changing!!!

New Addition

Everyone.....Meet Gunner, our new and first family dog!!

He is a mix between a Lab and a Rot. He is beautiful and we are happy to have him. There is a Marine who is getting ready to deploy and had to let him go. We feel very fortunate to take him. He let us take him for free too..wow what a bonus.

Thanks for joining me in welcoming him to our family!! :0)

Sunscreen

Do you wear sunscreen when you are in the sun or when you are hot??

This is the discussion I had with my girls last night. After being outside helping my husband clean up all the weed whacking he did, I came into the house and instantly smelled that the girls had been up to something. Trouble is what I smelled. Every mom knows when mischief is in the air. I could hear whispers coming from my room, UH OH, and proceeded to walk there. My 5 yr old comes walking out glistening. "Hmm," I think to myself....this isn't her normal shine....I ask what the smell in the house is and she replies, "It's sunscreen Mama. We were hot so we needed to put some on so we didn't get burned." Thinking out loud I say, "Hmm well that kinda makes sense. But why does the whole house smell like sunscreen?"
I start my panoramic perusal of the house and begin my investigation and see that not only are the girls hot and need sunscreen but daddy's shoes are hot, the lizards cage is hot, the TV is hot, various random toys are hot, daddy's drums are hot, electronics are hot, etc.
Well needless to say they were sent to their room to await punishment. As I walk in to discipline them my 3 yr old says, "Mom, we're gonna get spankins so I don't want to go first because I'm gonna cry. Let sister go first. I will get my spankin when shes done." I'm trying not to laugh because the night before my baby cries out to daddy saying there is a bug in my room. Daddy comes to the rescue, and when he goes into their room, baby says "Don't whack me whack the bug daddy".....We were both dying laughing when she said this.
See we reserve spankings for capitol offenses. We spank when the crime is something similar to putting sunscreen in/on electronics and such. So it was funny when she said that because they do not get spanked that often.
Anyhow, once all is said and done, I put my investigating hat back and begin damage control. I needed to see what still works, put shoes in the sun, wipe down the TV,clean off daddy's drums before he came in....etc.
Oh the joys of parenting.....I think we will all remember this very day when they thought they needed sunscreen not only when they are in the sun but when they are in the house, completely protected from the sun, just because they are hot.
~~L~~

Fantastic Four

Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you, The Fantastic Four!!!!

From left to right we have my 2 daughters and then their best friends, who happen to also be sisters!! The 2 oldest are 5 and the 2 youngest are 3.

These girls are so much fun and sooo much trouble when they all get together.

Their most recent escapade resulted in one blue spot and one red spot of nail polish on my bedroom floor.

I am certain more "adventures" will come. Watch out if you see them in your neck of the woods....the only thing you will see is the door in which the exited.