Who will rebuild?

In my bible time this morning I was reading Isaiah 58. I admit, I read it often as a reminder of what God calls me to, of what worshiping God really means.  I urge you to read it or reread it in its entirety. 

Isaiah 58: 6 I'll tell you what it really means to worship the Lord. ......

Isaiah 58: 7 Share your food with everyone who is hungry, share your HOME WITH THE POOR AND HOMELESS (emphasis mine). .....

Isaiah 58:8,9 ....and the glory of the Lord will defend you from behind. 9. When you beg the Lord for help, he will answer, "Here I am!"....

Isaiah 58: 12
You will rebuild those houses left in ruins for years; you will be known as a builder and repairer of city walls and streets.   

So as I was reading verse 12, it came to me that maybe God just wasn't talking literally.  That the rebuilding of houses and city walls and streets was instead an analogy about rebuilding LIVES!  Now how cool and beautiful is that I ask you?!  

There are many ways in which we can reach out into the lives of others and help "rebuild", but none so close to my heart as adoption.  

Oh Lord, LET ME BE KNOWN as a BUILDER AND REPAIRER OF CITY WALLS AND STREETS!  LIVES LEFT IN RUINS FOR YEARS REBUILT, REVAMPED, RENEWED! LET THIS BE MY WORSHIP!  LET THIS BE TRUE RELIGION!

James 1:27  (KJV)

²⁷ Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

I ask you, will you be a builder?  Will you be known as a repairer of lives?  Here is one little boy in desperate need!  He is on my mind all the time.  My heart breaks for this little life that has been in ruin for years!  Little Oliver needs his Mama!

 Olivers information can be found HERE!

Oliver is five years old and was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. Unfortunately for Oliver, he is severely neglected in the orphanage where he resides. According to a family who visited the orphanage, Oliver is never picked up or held, not even to be fed. The nannies simply lean over the side of the crib to give him a bottle. He is never moved from the position he is in, and he is often kept covered with a blanket so that no one has to see him. You read that right. A five year old little boy ... you know how much energy and enthusiasm five year old boys have! And this one, this dear five year old, Oliver, truly never leaves his crib. His life is devoid of even the most basic affection, attention, and stimulation. (taken from wonderofboys.blogspot.com)

Plead with Jesus on Olivers behalf that a Mama comes soon so his life is not left in ruins!

My Fabulous Family

Here is our first "official" family photo as a family of 13! John and I in the center, and no I won't be sharing our ages! :) Then youngest to oldest is: Riley, 19............. Logan, 18.............. Nolan, 16........... Rhynee, 16............. Cale, 14............ Quincy, 12........... James, 11........... Yana, 9 [being held by red headed Cale :)].......... Tavi, 6........ Luke, 6....... Quentin, 1..... ................................................. I LOVE this picture. I love the diversity of my children both in looks AND personalities! Granted, some days I really wish there was some consistency among their personalities, but they are all so very different. It is both exhausting and exciting. It sure keeps us on our toes! .............................................................................. ps: WHY does blogger ONLY let me type as a solid block? I have it all spaced nicely when I publish it, but then it just becomes a giant block of type without spacing! ARGH!

Almost A Year????

I can not believe that Quentin's one year birthday is coming up in just a couple of weeks! I still remember "the call" like it was yesterday. "Kelly, she chose you! She chose your family." She chose us. And in the process I gained not only a beautiful son, but a friend! Blessed beyond all reason. Thank you Lord Jesus for this precious baby! The day he became officially ours, still in the NICU:

July 4th, 2012... isn't he a cutie??:

Stuck Like Glue, You And Me Baby We're Stuck Like Glue

Quincy and Tavi...

James and Riley...

Yana and Tavi...

Luke and Quentin...

Yana and Quentin....

Cale and Quincy...

Age has its advantages. I never really thought much about it, and even though you are told it all the time, years of living under your belt really does tend to change, or at least mature, ones perspective on so many things. Spiritual maturity being no different. Years of learning about praying, of relying on God, of listening for His voice and living within the desire of His will tends to start pruning ones thoughts and life of misguided beliefs, unneeded passions, wrong directions, and judgmental attitudes. Also, it helps to get rid of the subconscious "hero complex". We can do nothing apart from Him.

Without Jesus You Can Do Nothing Luis Mendez John 15:5 — "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." In the life of faith, a simple preposition determines the final result: With Jesus, everything is possible. Without Jesus, nothing is possible. Philippians 4:13 says this positively, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” All things. Through Christ. In Jesus, everything is possible. In John 15:5, Jesus states this truth negatively: “Apart from me you can do nothing.” The preposition is “apart” . . . from Jesus. The result is: nothing, not anything, naught, no single thing. Without Jesus, nothing of value is possible! This is real discipleship — complete dependence on Christ in everything. Our lives should be Christ-sufficient and not self-sufficient. This is the only way to bear fruit as his true disciple. Living in complete dependence on Christ requires great humility on our part. We must daily humble ourselves before him and acknowledge that apart from him we can do nothing.

One of the most important lessons my heart and mind have learned is that it is not my job or position to bring conviction for change to peoples lives. It is not my job to direct their steps, or place my opinion of what is important in front of them. It is not my job to dole out judgment of their worthiness, sincerity, or motives.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Ephesians 2:10 God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do.(Gods Word Translation)

Yes I believe there is right and wrong, and that the things that are right or wrong are not subjective, but absolute. I also believe there is a gray area. And beyond that some things that just fall into opinions. Ultimately, each decision or action must align with the biblical principals lined out in the bible and taken within the context it was intended. Understanding that God does not change, ever. He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow. So back to spiritual maturity. I have really begun to understand that living like Jesus is the absolute best way, and in a great majority of cases one might say, the only way to bring others to Christ. Jesus lived life out loud and on purpose, fully devoted to God, never hiding who he was and never being quiet about it because it was WHO he was and he couldn't be any other way. He wasn't doing anything but being who he was, which was the Son of God. So our lives should be the same. We should live a no holds barred kind of life under the wings of God. We should not hold back speaking of our heavenly Father, but neither should we speak His name trying to convict non believers of wrong doing. IT will be our love for them, a LOVE LIKE HIS, that allows their hearts to become softened as we step out of the way and free JESUS to do a NEW THING in their heart.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

I absolutely LOVE this quote by Katie Davis who is very much living out the gospel. I think it wraps up my ramblings quite nicely:

"We aren't really called to save the world, not even to save one person: Jesus does that. We are just called to love with abandon. We are called to enter into our neighbors sufferings and love them right there.". -Katie Davis

A Little Bit Of Luke...

... and a whole lot of deep breathing for mom! Luke is my daredevil, well... one of my daredevils.

Thankfully he is also a very capable daredevil.

He is the boy who falls into the category of "addicted to the adrenaline rush", and he is always in a much better mood if he gets at least a couple of "rushes" a day.

Sometimes it doesn't take much, just a lot of movement. Other times it takes higher, faster, longer, crazier...

Today though, it was a mild kind of rush. And being the responsible mom that I am, I took pictures!

A Spirit Of Joy!

(am I the most pathetic blogger, or what?)


“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”
― Helen Keller


“If you celebrate your differentness, the world will, too. It believes exactly what you tell it—through the words you use to describe yourself, the actions you take to care for yourself, and the choices you make to express yourself. Tell the world you are one-of-a-kind creation who came here to experience wonder and spread joy..." ”
― Victoria Moran



“...let joy be unconfined...”
― George Gordon Byron


“It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart.”



“Beauty is not caused. It is.”
Emily Dickinson



“Joy is of the will which labours, which overcomes obstacles, which knows triumph.”
William Butler Yeats