Thankful for the Pain?

The following words that I have written (which are actually mostly from Ann Voskamp...) contain truths that are hard for me to understand and obey, but I am slowly learning as I grow in Grace. I can only imagine how someone who isn't a Christ follower would feel about these words. Probably would just call me crazy that I love and follow a God who in their eyes "allows bad things to happen to good people", and write him off as a mean guy in the sky...or maybe just laugh at what they'd call a figment of my imagination. But that's okay...I'm secure in my faith and in the God of Grace. There is ALWAYS grace enough for those who don't yet believe. Hope is ever-waiting for them, never giving up on them....

Ok so here it is:  


I think all of us can agree that it is very hard to give thanks for the things that hurt in life. Why on God's green earth would we give thanks for pain? But as believers, we are called to give thanks in ALL things. 


Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 


(Say what?! It's God's will for me in Christ Jesus to give thanks for pain, hurt, disappointment, and the difficulties of this life? Really? How does that make any sense?)

Seems to me that if we are to give thanks in all things - even the hard, painful, hurt-filled things - then surely God truly has a purpose behind everything we perceive to be bad. His grace can be IS present in these things too, but sometimes it just takes time and a different perspective in order to see His goodness in them. 


Ann Voskamp writes:

"All God makes is good. Can it be that, that which seems to oppose the will of God actually is used of Him to accomplish the will of God? That which seems evil only seems so because of perspective,  the way the eyes see the shadows. Above the clouds, light never stops shining..."

"That which seems evil, is it a cloud to bring rain, to bring a greater good to the whole of the world? Who would ever know the greater graces of comfort and perseverance, mercy and forgiveness, patience and courage, if no shadows fell over a life?"


(From: One Thousand Gifts)


I'll be honest - I am afraid for the very hard and painful times that will come in my life, and acknowledging this command is very scary. Yes, I've endured a painful situation here and there in my 24 years of living, but I know that there is more LIFE yet to happen. And the older I get, the more aware I become of the realities of pain in this broken world.


However, I'm learning that we might not always understand reasons for pain on this side of eternity, but not understanding it in this lifetime is no reason to stop trusting in the God who cares...because He DOES care beyond understanding!!!! 


If we learn anything from hard times, I'd say let it be this (again from Ann Voskamp - can you tell I am enamored with her anointed writing?):

"Who deserves any grace?

Here dies another day
During which I have had eyes, ears, hands
And the great world round me;
And with tomorrow begins another.
Why am I allowed two...? -G. K. Chesterton 


"Why doesn't anyone ask that why question?..."

Why this unfathomable grace?

"When I realize that it is not God who is in my debt, but I who am in His great debt, then doesn't ALL become gift?" -AV



I don't know if this post really holds or conveys any complete thoughts...I have a hard time with staying focused - there's so much going on in this little heart of mine.

But I can say that I am beginning to see that if God's Word tells me to give thanks in all things...then maybe there is just something so AMAZING that is to be discovered in a life of full, continual Thanksgiving. 


And I want to find it.










*I highly recommend buying Ann Voskamp's book - One Thousand Gifts
It is blessing my life tremendously, and I know it will bless yours too.

Matt Berry Christmas song Entry

http://onedropofcrimson.tumblr.com/post/13141298496/this-is-the-original-contribution-that-my-husband

Colored Pencil Stop Motion

Alice Cooper - I am Made of You

While this may come as a shock to many...Alice Cooper's "I am made of you" has become one of my favorite songs. (Don't judge!) It is a clear declaration of redemption. I will not go into detail of how I have recently become a fan of Alice Cooper (Vincent Furnier)...but I must say that my respect for this man has grown the more I have learned about him. Yes, I know he's been around since the 70s'...and I am a little late.


I do like his music (I've had a growing love for rock ever since I've been with Kyle)...while seemingly evil, Alice actually always has a message to send - Satan is real, evil is real - don't mess with it. Satan wants people to find him as a joke or a myth...because that keeps people from knowing the truth about who he really is - the Father of Lies. He desires to keep a veil of darkness over the eyes of those who don't believe. If he can keep the truth of who he is away from humanity - then he keeps the Truth of Jesus Christ away from them too.

I love Alice's personal story of redemption. How God literally healed him from alcoholism back in the 80s (when he wasn't a Christian)...and also how he came to salvation in Jesus and entered into a personal relationship with Him in later years. Here are a couple of my favorite videos/interviews of him that kind of delve more into his story. I encourage you to watch/listen/read.





http://www.jesusjournal.com/content/view/79/85/



It wasn't until recent years that he has become more vocal about his Christian faith. I am thankful that he has. What an awesome platform Alice has in the music industry to be the light of Christ in a world that needs Him so desperately.

Some Christians tend to disagree with the fact that he is still in the music industry and still putting on the shows that he does...but as a Christian myself, I don't have a problem with it. While he may not be blatantly preaching salvation to his fans on stage - his life, who he is, reflects the transforming power and presence of God. I believe he can reach people that someone like me (or you) never could... Authenticity is pretty important in the Christian life...and that is what I see in him. Alice Cooper is just a character - not who Vincent Furnier really is.

I don't know if you will actually watch the videos and interviews about him that I've posted...but I think if anything you should read the lyrics to this song...and maybe listen to it on Spotify or Youtube.

I like it quite a bit.

Album: Welcome 2 My Nightmare
By: Alice Cooper

In the beginning
I was just a shadow
In the beginning
I was alone

In the beginning
I was blind
Living in a world devoid of light

In the beginning
There was only night.

I was shattered
Left in pieces
And I felt so cold inside
Then I called you from the darkness
Where I hide

I am made of you
I am made of you
I am made of you
I am made of you

In the beginning
you were revelation
A river of salvation
And now I believe

All I wanted
All I needed
Was someone to rescue me
I was drownin
I was dyin
Now I'm Free

I am made of you
I am made of you
I am made of you
I am made of you

Here I am now
I can stand now
Cause your love has made me strong
And forever
You're the singer
I'm the song

I am made of you
I am made of you
I am made of you
I am made of you

Orphan Care - Is there a better solution?

*Came across this article in a random magazine (Mission Frontiers) that came through the business office mail. I encourage you to read it as it is rather enlightening about a different approach in solving the issue of orphans in Africa (and around the world). 


Comunity-Based Orphan Care
Africa Models a New Approach to its Orphan Crisis

By: Steve Roa

How do you take care of 15 million orphans and children at risk? This is Africa's challenge, and it's not just a problem for governments, NGOs and Oprah Winfrey. Most of Africa's orphans are from Christian communities, confronting the global Church with one of the greatest humanitarian crises it has ever faced.

The traditional approach to this situation is to build tens of thousands of orphanages. Some are certainly trying to do this, among them many notable Hollywood celebrities. But the enormity of the challenge has forced others to rethink the traditional approach. The result may be something which is far superior to the institutional model, and which may actually help bring about change around the world in orphan ministry.

Seeking Cultural Appropriateness
In most African societies, institutional arrangements are the exception rather than the norm. Institutional care is a Western invention which we have created to replace traditional family care. This has resulted in a clash of values and understanding between good-willed Westerners and those we are seeking to assist in the developing world.

One of the ironies of much of the world's orphanages is that most of the children in them are not orphans. For example, recently a missionary came to visit us at the U.S. Center for World Mission and he was telling our staff of his new orphanage which was now caring for fifty children. We asked how many of these children were really orphans - children without parents. A little embarrassed, he replied, "Well, none." So why call it an orphanage we asked? His reply was as pragmatic as it was revealing, "Because if I don't, no one will give!"

What typically takes place in institutional models of orphan-care is that the quality of life is far superior to anything on the outside. When that happens, parents are sometimes tempted to give their children up to the orphanage so they may have a better economic chance in life. (Americans will not soon forget the missionaries who were arrested for trying to take "orphans" out of Haiti following the earthquake of 2010. Turns out the orphans had parents, and the missionaries were violating the law!) The problem with the institutional approach is that it gradually begins to isolate young people from their communities, creating a sub-culture with an inevitable identity crisis. Ironically, Americans have done away with orphanages in their own country because of the many problems they create. Yet we unquestionably continue to use this problematic model around the world!

Why might that be? One reason is because we intrinsically think our way of life is best and in order to export it we have to create institutions to do it. In this sense, orphanages are just as much cultural institutions as they are structural. For example, last year a group of Christians came on a short term mission trip to Northern Uganda and visited an orphan community. They were shocked that the only bathroom available to the orphans was a hole in the ground. So they promptly went to work to raise money for toilets. However, they were even more shocked to learn that the orphans wouldn't sit on the toilet seats after they were installed. Instead, they stood on them. The orphans explained that squatting is much more sanitary than sitting on a seat where everyone else has sat!

Now while this may seem like a small and comical incident, you have to multiply this by a thousand when you import a cultural institution like an orphanage to Africa. Fortunately, the magnitude of the AIDS orphan crisis has outpaced the ability of Westerners to build such institutions, and as a result a healthy partnership is emerging between orphan ministries and affected communities. The traditional way that Africans have cared for orphans is through the extended family network. So why not work with communities and empower them to take care of their own orphans? Such an approach has come to be known as "community-based care," and this model has successfully cared for many more orphans than the institutional model will ever be able to touch. Even so, a great deal more money continues to be sunk into the institutional approach, which requires land, buildings, and full time staff.

Another model which is gaining prominence in Africa is the "child head of household." In this model an older sibling, usually a teenager, takes care of his or her brothers and sisters, and keeps the family unit intact. Many NGOs are coming alongside this model and adding mentoring and support to bolster it. Why would orphan ministries want to work with this? Studies have shown that keeping siblings together dramatically reduces emotional distress, as opposed to diving up the children among relatives or institutionalizing them. Such a model can also serve to carry on the family name, as well as maintain family rights and land inheritance.

Africa vs. America
Last year I visited a self-organized association of widows in Uganda, which included around 450 members. At this particular gathering there were around 50 in attendance. During our Q&A time together I asked them the following question, "If you could have one wish come true, what would it be?" The first widow to respond said she wished for a house (a traditional African thatched roof and circular mud hut). Upon further inquiry I learned that no men were left in her family who possessed the capability to build her one. She said her greatest desire was to provide proper shelter for her orphaned grandchildren. Now this got me curious. What was she doing caring for orphans when she herself qualified for convalescent care had she been in America? She explained that because of  HIV/AIDS and the war, many widows have been left as the last remaining family member to care for the orphans. My curiosity peaked and I asked the group how many of them were caring for orphans. Most raised their hands. Then it dawned on me - by providing shelter security for the widow - you also shelter the orphan.

Another widow raised her hand so she could be recognized to share her one wish. She wished for vocational training assistance and/or micro-enterprise assistance in order to generate additional income. Imagine that! Here I was in the presence of these dear saints - the poorest of the poor in this community - and the primary thing on their minds was not a free hand-out, but rather a hand up. Their desire for vocational training was for the purpose of sending their orphan children to school, and for creating a self-sustaining family unit.

In this same community was the news that a very famous American evangelist was soon to erect an orphanage nearby. I visited the proposed site. It was huge, and knowing what I know about similar types of projects, this one was going to be lavish, sparing no expense. It would have all the amenities and comforts of a Western vacation resort, but exclusively for children. And this is the dilemma. What will this widow grandmother do - struggle to keep what remains of her family intact or release her grandchildren to an institution? Most likely, she will end up doing the latter, along with the others in the community. Unfortunately, at that moment, her grandchildren will be truly orphaned in every sense of the word - from their family, culture and community.

Some Friendly Advice
As more and more churches and individuals begin to get directly involved in orphan-care around the world, it will become increasingly important to learn from those who have gone before us. Seek out good counsel and do your homework. Don't be tempted by fame or adulation for saving the poor or the world - that is deception. Be willing to put your pride aside and consider the time-tested, proven methods of others. If you don't know where to begin, two ministries with a proven track-record are World Vision and the Firelight Foundation. No one organization has been caring for children at risk longer, or has invested more resources in Africa towards this cause, than World Vision. Additionally, no one organization is better recognized for their support of entrepreneurial community-based organizations (CBO) than Firelight Foundation. Of course, there are many other good organizations, but this is a good place to start. Initiate the conversation, read their material, consider partnering with them - and build on what you learn.

The Problem of Evil? The Greater Problem of Good?

My absolute favorite post of all time | The Problem of evil? The Greater Problem of Good?

By: Ann Voskamp

So after dinner, she picks coneflowers in the garden.

Cradles the long stems in her apron skirt, carries them up through the picket gate.

And she turns to me on the top step of the porch, holds her apron out to me, all those purple petals — art in an apron.

“Why is there all this loveliness?” She wants to know.

I almost tell her — The World is full of loveliness because it’s full of of His love.

Isn’t that the meaning of beauty?

The fundamental purpose of loveliness is to convey His love.

Everywhere, wildflowers, even in cracks in concrete sidewalks. Everywhere, this fragrance, this pursuit, this passion.

But I don’t know how to say that — when I know that coneflowers unfold off the porch and she stands there with an apron heavy with garden glory and the sunflowers nod yes, when 30,000 children have starved to death in the last 90 days in the Horn of Africa famine. That’s over 330 children every single day. Why is there all this loveliness?

Don’t you mean — why is there famine and why is there this shocking disparity and what is right in a world of diets and death by starvation?

But doesn’t she really have a right to question it all — the sunflowers sparking in sun flare, the light falling late through the trees, all gold like this, the phlox blooming along the picket? I see that too, on the porch. The extravagant art that makes up this world, it does jockey for an answer. The existence of loveliness everywhere, it begs explaining.

If I raise the problem of evil in this world — shouldn’t she raise higher the greater problem of good? If evil is seeming evidence to eradicate God from our mental landscape, then doesn’t goodness, even in this apron, testify to the gospel truth of God?

How can we behold loveliness and say that this world looks like it would if there were no God?

I don’t know if I have ever thought of this before — the great problem of good on this planet.

Augustine had asked two questions of the world:

“If there is no God, why is there so much good?

If there is a God, why is there so much evil?”

I wonder if I have spent a lifetime murmuring under my breath only the second question?

But why don’t I first get hung up on the first question? The one my girl is bringing in with the flowers — why all this loveliness and where does it come from?

The great problem of good on this planet implies that there is a Great God in heaven.

Do we not wonder at the why of good because fundamentally all human beings presume the overspilling grace of God? That good is our intended atmosphere — and evil is the exception. Isn’t our default to ignore the expected and focus on the unexpected?

And even our deeming anything good or evil, it betrays our deep-seated beliefs —- because how can mere nature be either? Isn’t it just is? To even assess events as good and evil reveals our true paradigm: we believe there is a moral center at the center of the cosmos, God at the axis of the universe.

But if there is really a God at the center of the universe, love at the core of the cosmos, love manifesting itself as loveliness in the garden —- doesn’t He care about the 330 children with names and dreams and who lay in Somalia with flies buzzing around their listless, wasting away limbs, till they breathe their last starving breath sometime this afternoon?

Yet if I think God doesn’t care about the hurting — aren’t I believing the chief lie of humanity?

The one hissed in the garden to Eve, the first deception that deceives us still — that God doesn’t care about the needs of His children. And maybe this is why the world hemorrhages— if we think God doesn’t care — why should we?

Isn’t it easier to blame Him?

When I believe the Edenic lie that God doesn’t care — is that the excuse to turn away, to spread the lie that God doesn’t care — when maybe the truth is that it’s humanity that doesn’t care?

If we love because He first loved us… do we now care, because we know He did first care, has always cared, will always care and has the nail scars to definitively prove it. If all the world believed the truth of God’s character — that God cares —- wouldn’t this world become a caring place?

He cares, so we care; He loved first, so we love now.

Why all this loveliness?

Do I tell her this — that there is enough loveliness, enough beauty, enough love in this world — enough food in this world —- if we would just share?

That the problem of evil in the world isn’t a problem for proof of God —- but a problem of our own turned-in hearts? And when we turn our heart outward — we in turn bear testimony to the loving existence of God, of the body of Christ right here…

I pick one coneflower out her apron, twirl it between fingers.

Do I tell her that all this loveliness does this too: All this good makes me grateful, and my own heart needs this — a filling of His great-fullness.

Gratefulness is always to Someone and when I am grateful, isn’t it always evidence of God — a filling with awe of His great-ness.

For all this world’s sureness of the benefit of gratitude, how can we then deny that there is a Benefactor?

There is never nameless gratitude, but every instance of gratitude gives away what every skeptic really believes: every breath is a gift and if life is a gift, there is a Giver, and if there’s a Giver —- all’s grace.

When all’s grace — we give, because a gift never stops being a gift to be given…

“It’s God, isn’t it? — All this loveliness…” She says it to me smiling, picking out one of the coneflower to inhale deep…. her picking up the scent of God.

She didn’t need me to say anything.

There are things that need no words.

His love clearly manifest in the everywhere problem of good.

In every cone-flower curling itself into a megaphone of mercy.

This one long echo of evidence —

A loveliness lingering….

Afrikids

This past week, I was blessed with such a sweet gift that I wanted to share with whoever actually reads this thing.

If any of you recall, a couple weeks ago I kept posting on facebook and twitter a message about voting for a gentleman (Nick Eastcott) who works with an organization called Afrikids. There was a facebook competition for selected charities to have the opportunity to win money for their organization. The vote was between three different NGOs, and the winner of that vote would go to the finals round.

I heard about this organization through a third party, and after looking into what they actually do I wanted to support them by getting as many ppl possible to vote for Nick Eastcott. Hence, the many tweets and facebook wall posts. Thank you to anyone who voted because Nick won and is currently in the final round to win! (Praying for a victory!) Here is a link to more info about the competition - http://www.afrikids.org/main.php?menuItemId=152&option=displaystory&storytype=6_

Here's a very brief overview of Afrikids from their website:

AfriKids is a Child Rights Organisation, which works alongside indigenous communities in Ghana to improve the quality of life for rejected and vulnerable children.

AfriKids specifically targets the root causes of the children's problems, by improving community support services and by providing access to basic education and primary health care...

(Visit Afrikids website here to learn more about them! http://www.afrikids.org/) Follow them on Twitter and Facebook!!! @Afrikids 

I saw that one of their core projects is to help eradicate child slavery/trafficking - something I am very passionate about if you don't know me. So I was on board right away!

Apparently, word got to Ghana of my incessant tweeting to get people to vote for Nick ;-), and a child in one of Afrikids' sponsored foster homes drew me a picture as a thank you!! I was so incredibly overwhelmed by this sweet gift by this sweet child. I do not know anything about her, except that her name is Gifty.

I wanted to share the picture she drew for me!

The internet is truly an amazing tool for communication. And I am thankful that I was able to use it to help further a great cause.

Thank you Afrikids for this sweet blessing! Look forward to keeping up to date and supporting all that you are doing for the sweet children and people of Ghana!

Here is the facebook page for info about the competition (voting now closed) - http://www.facebook.com/worldofdifference?sk=app_220502284678145