Happy Birthday, Bruik!!

Happy Birthday to Bruik!!

Bruik has greeted the day today with "B" shaped pancakes and dancing with YELLOW (favorite color) crepe paper streamers after breakfast to chipmunk music ;)

--a fav. with the six year-olds in the house!!

We'll be making our way to Jump Zone and then the pool for a pool-side family birthday celebration. :)

Bruik, you bring us great JOY!

Bruik is giving, kind and a very loving,obedient son.

He's Jack's buddy,
Ava's example,
Daddy and Mommy's sweet companion,

And a delight to us all!

God has blessed Bruik with a bright mind that is learning to read and loves to create ALL sorts of wonderful magenet block and lego creations.

He also has been physically gifted--he is beautiful in action in any Sport!


Bruik has a sweet friendship with God. His prayers are such an example of simple conversing with a loving Father. Bruik has SUCH a real and tender love for God's Word (the Bible). He often asks to read with us. At night he snuggles with the Word either close by or in his arms. He trusts the Holy Spirit's power and can be the first to lay hands on the sick in our family or to trust in God's provision for us.

We see the light of Jesus shining on your precious life, Bruiky!




This is the blessing Bruik, our "Gift of God" has us sing over him each night. (his name means, "Gift of God"--see our post on the miracle of how his name came to be under this post in the labels--"naming Bruik") I just looked the blessing up--it is from Numbers 6:24-26 --it actually is the priestly blessing God told Moses to teach to Aaron to say over the Israelites.

Very fitting for this child who's heart beats after God.
Would you please pray these verses with us today for Bruik?...


The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

“‘“The Lord bless you

and keep you;

the Lord make his face shine upon you

and be gracious to you;

the Lord turn his face toward you

and give you peace.”’

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Love, Gillian

Grace Times Five :)

Yes, this only lasted one night, until we had to separate them--but how cute are they?!


Sorry Graham, someone in the family has to bunk on the palate on the floor--it will make for a great family story someday though, right? Thanks for the sacrefice!


Not enough space for all? Jack was in heaven to get to bunk in with Mom and Dad for 4 whole nights--snuggle monster that he is!

Ashley and Anderson snuggling late one night




BRRRRR. it was COLD in Kansas City but we had packed a tub of cold stuff!! The kiddos got to have lots of snowball fights and got to do some AWESOME sledding too!!

Hello, friends!----The end of 09 and the beginning of 10---- or do you say, twenty ten? ----we have not received a clear answer on what to call this new decade!----but regardless the past few weeks have been very special in the Tucker family~~as we hope it was for you as well~~

We had another time of miracles among our family here just a few days ago. Richard and I had been led to go to Kansas City to be part of a worship/prayer/equipping conference there, called One Thing. It was put on by the International House of Prayer in KC. I just want to share an excerpt I recently wrote to a leader of that ministry...

"Recently we were prompted to head up to the One Thing conference in thankful response to all God has been doing via IHOP's ministry here. As we backed out of the driveway--packed to the gills in our Suburban with 6 of our 8 children, the check engine light went on! After a disappointing diagnostic hours later, we were told that it would take 555 dollars to fix our car. We got very quiet and before Richard and I discussed what to do next we each went to a different nook of the shop--me behind a pile of Firestone tires and Richard staring out of the advertisements on the glass front window of the Firestone store. The Lord's message to us was different than the mechanic. He spoke something else, "Go anyway" individually to each of our hearts, and , "I'm up to something big in your lives with this trip--you could miss out on it if you do not go". Next, he told Richard to lay hands on the car and then to drive 55 miles an hour up 550 miles to KC. (do you notice all the 5's?--this is God's # of grace) We obeyed--with much joy and anticipation--and had a very SCENIC trip on our slow drive up to KC. Not too long into our obedience, God turned off the check engine light--we did not see it for the remainder of the trip!
We have been living a missionary lifestyle of service and intercession here in Franklin and as we arrived in KC, we tried to purchase an item and found out that our TN bank account was completely depleted several large payments at home had hit our account early and all at once --now, at the beginning of the trip-- we only had enough for our hotel and no money to get back home.--We thanked God for a Breckfast bar at the Hampton hotel that provided what we call-"Breckfast and breckfast and breckfast" for each of our meals in KC! :) HEE!! (And for His grace on our children who did not complain once about sausage egg biscuits and muffins for dinner)! Next, as only God can do, He provided provision miracle after provision miracle,caused answers to prayers that have been prayed for 18 years, quite beautifully and right along with His timing of how He has so been on the move for our hearts and His power in our lives lately commissioned us for service as intercessionary missionaries, and spoke prophetic Word into us in the prayer room--the trip became a pilgrimage of sorts--it definitely was the trip of our lives!!"
God's miracles in our family were not just financial and protection over us physically and over our car (alot of miracles involving that car recently, huh?). The movement from the Lord that caused us great thankfulness and awe was being encountered powerfully by His loving,burning heart. Also, watching Him encounter our children. One special morning we asked for prayer from some intercessory missionaries who serve in the healing/prayer room at the International House of Prayer's Mission base--three incredibly dear people laid hands on our family and on Richard and I and then on our children as individuals--we heard MUCH encouragement and prophecy over each person in this time but most incredibly were the moments as they prayed over our little Ava. As they laid hands gently on her and quietly prayed for her the WEIGHTY presence of the Lord entered the room--I can't describe it well-- but we strongly experienced the presence of the Lord--it was peace and overwhelm at once. Ava's little body began shaking under the presence of the Lord--His Spirit was manifesting His glory on our little girl!!--this was happening while prophecy about her journey before the Lord, her giftings and callings were being prayed over her and pulled forth out of her as well --those minutes of prayer could have been days or years for we got lost in the Joy of His presence...as He danced openly over our little songbird
--we were all overcome with the JOY of the Lord and laughter bubbled up as well as many tears--it was an utterly beautiful experience among MANY others over the course of our trip and related to His movement in our family lately--We had seen other adults come under the influence of the Holy Spirit but to watch Him awaken our little girl was a blessing beyond measure. She is so pure before Him that her open heart was easy and accessible for Him to pour into--I want Ava to be my model before the Lord--to be so childlike and simple and receiving before Him that He can mightily move in and through my frame--to pour in at Will whenever He so desires. And this is how I will be pushing in to His presence in this new year. God is REAL--His Spirit walks among us and wants to encounter us--just as He did in the past in the OT. and more--just like He did through the apostles and in Acts--He's as fresh and willing to move in us and through us and with us in power today as in any other time in history--time and time again this week we realized and experience His love among us. Among wonderful praise, encountering prayer, we also witnessed college age students, 20,000 of them reaching toward the pursuit of God. They were precious "kids"--full of the Spirit of Christ--engaging others, bibles were out instead of blackberries--there was hardly a text message in sight--a generation unplugged from the world's draw and charged up with the love for Christ and taking that love in vast acts of justice to His world. We did not hear a cross word among this large crowd for 4 days and joyed in overhearing young people's conversations in which they spoke of WHO they wanted to be in God (first commandment) and how that fueled their love for His Word and His world. We witnessed people taking off their glasses and taking off their casts to reveal healed arms, several crooked backs were made straight and several legs even GREW several inches to even out bodies--Christ loves to make us whole--that's why He went to the cross for us--and His power from the cross's payment for us was so powerfully moving among a receiving worshiping people WOW...I believe this is what Christ's body should appropriately look like and how it should operate. And I will be encouraging His body to take place before Him in these ways in the upcoming seasons of my life--you included, with much tenderness and love to you, my bloggy friends!!
Stay tuned for other movement of our family in Him and please keep us and calling in Him in your prayers.
Blessings in these first days of 2010!
Love, Gillian

Extreme Light

Blessed Friday to you!

Has anyone commented on your "light quotient" recently? A little while back, I was reminded of this, as a neighbor stopped my husband in a local parking lot with a devastating prayer request. "I'm telling this to you, Richard, because I know you are a 'real Christian'". He knew that Richard was a source of God's light. He sensed he desperately needed that light--that it was his only hope in this situation. Previously, this guy had written us off as "crazy" for our heart for adoption, "kinda weird, Y'all", and "you guys are just...different--how do ya do it?" "Your life would drive me nuts!!"(ouch)--Now he was asking for the very thing he had thought was "quirky". We love this neighbor and are AMAZED with how simple, Godly lives matter so much in this world -- so THRILLED he's searching for God's light!! May this be compounded by all of our lives in Him!! Think about how many could be brought to Him!!
Several weekends ago we were having a hot dog roast with a couple friends and neighbors--kids were running around and jumping on the trampoline--a typical happy time. We may have not "looked" all that typical :) about 4 or 5 nationalities of children played in the sandbox--some adopted some not--some with physical challenges--others not. Big families, small families --as I write this--I'm reminding myself of "Go Dog Go"--you know, the children's book that talks of all sorts of dogs, Big Dogs, Little Dogs, Blue Dogs, and Red Dogs all at a (emphasis here please as you read it out loud!)--A DOG PARTY!! We were having a great time. Well, some of our sweet neighbors stepped outside and really were floored--they were just hangin' out at their fence--just taking the scene in. It turns out they knew one of my dearest friends, Heather, at our party and as they visited with her, listen to some of the chat,it went something like this--"This is cool--I mean look at ALL these kids running around. And they are all getting along! Really different but really great, I mean it! Hey, I know your husband, Scott from the hospital (aside--Scott is an amazing pediatric RN and loves Jesus--ALOT--by the way) he is just different--tender--an amazing guy...there's something just so different about him...and how's Richard, Gillian...I mean that guy--he always has a smile on his face--he's a unique guy--(are you sensing a theme here?)
People are watching. And they see. They see the light even if they cannot comprehend it. (John 1:5) And we who love Christ are ever giving off His light--EVEN WHEN WE ARE NOT AWARE OF IT. That so encourages me!! For I would not know where to start to TRY to become a light-producer. NO, its GRACE. Like a little lightening bug, as we become His children, by believing in Jesus, AT THAT POINT we are given this "glow light"--its a part of us--it glows the brightest in the dark. A signal to where life can be found. "And the light that came into the world was the light of life" Light chases away the dark places of our Daddy's world, spotlighting His handiwork and will here. That's an amazing thing. To know that as we stepped foot into God's kingdom by our belief in Jesus, we His light just became a part of us--that it shines "ever brighter and brighter until the full light of day "-- till His return--Its happening RIGHT NOW if you know and love Christ!! Be assured, PLEASE have settled hearts as you hear reports on T.V. about this or that or about fear, or darkness, or unrest--we are children of the Father of the Heavenly Lights--we are citizens of a kingdom of Light. We just do not belong to the dark. I love hearing my little children sing, "Even the darkness is light to you and light is as bright as the dawn." This light in us will draw men to our Father's salvation even as little moths are drawn to our outside house lights. In a way, darkness is an excellent contrast/background to truly see light. He is the darkness chaser and pursuer--He WILL NOT let darkness remain or reign--in our hearts and it will not overcome this world--"take heart, I have overcome the world", He says.--Praise Him!!--Thank Him for His light in you!! Thank Him that He is coming back!! and so look forward to that day--encourage one another with this Truth. Thank Him for his kingdom that has come and is coming in more fullness every day.

Here's a powerful devotional from Voice of the Martyrs this is taken from their Extreme Devotion devotional booklet.

"Faith is the invisible expression of our personal relationship with Christ. The Bible characterizes people's faith as light -- a diffusion of hope that affects everyone around them. Jesus chose this illustration because of light's inability to be restrained. For example, reading by flashlight under the covers, unknown to the average child, is hardly effective in terms of disguising late night activity! Light simply shines by its very nature -- despite our attempts to restrain it. Likewise, tension arises in believers' lives when they must choose to fully express their faith or attempt to muffle it someway. With the reliability of the daily sunrise, those who have affirmed their decision once and for all find shining their light to be second nature."

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord...Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Be very careful,then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil...Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (from Ephesians 5)

Shine on, followers of Christ!! Let them ask, "what's so different about that one?"--don't be embarrassed about your light--they need it.
Listen to this powerful Word:

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness over the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and His glory will be seen upon you.
And nations ahall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and exult"
Isaiah 60:1-5

Love, Gillian

He Broke His Body for our Wholeness

It is Finished.
The Price Jesus Paid for ALL of our Sin is Enough.
Thank you for breaking your body for us--for dying in our place--for stepping in and taking our punishment so that we can enjoy freed, forever life.
We are in awe of your choice to live a perfect life and then to die and rise again for us!!
We are clean in God's sight because of Jesus' death on the cross. We are covered and freed. Forever!!
Thank you, Jesus.

Love, Your Thankful Children

Our Easter gift to you--a video on You Tube of Keith Greene singing Easter Song
(sorry if link does not work well--its worth the trip to go view it)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3kc1jDahU4

His Bundle on my Back--From my Ethiopian Journal

"He takes care of his flock like a shepherd.
He gathers the lambs in his arms.
He carries them close to his heart.
He gently leads those that have little ones. " (Isaiah 40:11)

African women carry their babies within long fabric pieces on their back. Like these children, as a child of God, since I was five, I have been securely wrapped up within the love of incredible Father God. First He saved me and simply asked me to love Him and to love others. To walk out my life as He did. He named this love, "adoption", as He wrapped me close to His heart. In time and by degree, He lovingly secured a bundle to my back as well. It is so much smaller but looks like the one my Father carries. I love to walk through His world with Him. Within this bundle He has placed Adoption , Rescue, Care for the Orphan--the desire to give place to the lonely--to set them in families--love for His hurting world. This, He has lovingly has wrapped to my back since I was a tiny girl. He has so much more to fit into my bundle. I gaze in there and marvel and wonder at its beauty -- the honor of carrying a likeness to my Father. Other times it has been very heavy to carry. But then, the gold of His Kingdom can be weighty.

I hope you can see her. She is my heart for adoption, for adoption in Ethiopia. A beautiful African woman stands with dignity under a brilliant, cobalt sky. She is dressed in humble garments and is wrapped in a long piece of colorful fabric. With skillful ease, she bends over gracefully to take the ends of the fabric. Seamlessly, she wraps the fabric over a baby on her back or front until the baby has the cosiest of perches to view the market before them. They walk down dusty streets, past baskets of food on blankets, among begging people with gentle eyes and past the man with withered polio legs dragging his torso to the injera stall (Ethiopian bread). Her baby blinks at the sun and is covered with a light shawl. She jostles to sleep, secured on her Mother's back. On they go through the aroma of Ethiopian "Boona"--the most delicious coffee you could ever imagine, around a young goatherd, coaxing his goats through the crowded, bustling market streets. Lilting music plays out of shanty-type one-room buildings covered in tin roofs lining the street, making up the market's stalls --this is the the vast "Merkato".

Her beauty belies the secret of her heart, greyer than the afternoon storm clouds that sweep across Addis Ababa each day at this time. The German medical lab has given her grave news. She is not the first of her family to receive such news--in fact she has watched all of her family members perish after similar reports. Some lived several years--others just weeks. Their arms--asleep in quiet graves--unable to help her. Unable to come to her aid. And no arms to receive her precious Rekeb. Rekeb, full of life and energy with the cry so loud and lively her Mama's name's meaning fits her well, "one who cries out". In different times there were many loving arms to soothe Rekeb's cries. She would have been passed around to bring Joy to every heart. In this land, there is no original word for "orphan" for children are the treasure of their family circles. Rekeb stirs in her cosy sleep, soon she will want to nurse. Who will feed her? Who will hold her? Will she live? Oh, God, help her, see my child. Let her live...
The mother reaches her destination, the outer wall of the local Orthodox church. She can hear the sound of singing. The daily services must not yet be over. She has heard this is a good place. Surely they will hear her. Will they? Or will the wild dogs who run the streets find her first? She shivers. She unwraps her incredible bundle and ...we do not watch the most private and excruciating of moments between a loving mother and child.

With the greatest of care she finds a gap under the wall and makes a bed of colorful fabric for her little one. Rekeb. Will she live? She stays, until Rekab's cries draw a crowd of street children. They pick her up. One older girl wraps her on her back ,in the colorful fabric. They speak of an orphanage not far away. A good place. She will live...

Across the world, my bundle comes to life! It is full, pregnant with a referral of two babies!! I sense the loving arms that brought these children to my Father even as I see their photos on my computer screen for the first moment and I love them even as love swells for these precious babies. Big brown eyes stare sadly at me from the first photo I open. It is a little boy, he is 2 years old. His parents are deceased. As we have nested we did what many parents do and have looked at Ethiopian name lists. We decided quickly and firmly months back upon the name, Bruik, meaning, "gift of God." I wrestle my eyes off of his photo to glean my first bit of information of my new son. And as I scroll down, I gasp and cry,shout and jump up and down--in Joy-- African woman-style!! His name, before me on the screen is...Bruik. Oh, my little son. Placed "on my back" and in my heart since I was a little girl...
The next image is a tiny little baby girl. Her velvet brown legs and arms are so thin they make me ache--with a mother's longing to tend and to nurture. Her cheeks are so kissable -- I can't stand it. Little...Rekab. Captivator of my heart---so dear to another that she was brought to my arms... I stumble around for weeks--dizzy with love and the closeness of the Father--soaring, sometimes staggering under the glory's weight.
Soon we are on a plane, watching a tiny electric airplane model on a map on the screen fly increasingly quickly away from my land. My daily world shrinks away...I turn toward the land of my new children.

There is no sleep for me, I toss in our hotel bed--tomorrow--we'll meet them tomorrow!! It is like the night before I was married--full of mystery, hope, and elation. My mind jumping to the future and savouring the present all at once.
I rearrange baby bibs and formula and tiny outfits and shoes. I pray and thank my Father. I lay out my" bundle" before me and tenderly consider it. Excited to further fill it tomorrow as we love on the orphans we meet and greet our babies for the first time.

On the following day we pile into a bright blue and white van and bump through the streets. We pull up to a walled orphanage and my stomach leaps, "Kids Care Orphanage" says the painted metal gate.

Bruik awaits us, dressed in a crisp oxford shirt and little blue sweat pants. We gently touch and hug. He smiles brightly and jumps into His Daddy's arms. Richard swings him up onto 6 foot 5 shoulders and Bruik looks triumphantly down at his new family.

Rekeb is waiting for us in a walker in the baby room. Her nannies say to me with laughing eyes, "you must pick out your baby now". Oh, no! I know the baby girl which I believe is mine...but she is the loveliest of all the babies in their white metal cribs--what if I am wrong and she is another? The joke is on me--I have hesitated too long. A nanny reaches down to the beautiful baby in the walker and secures her in my arms. I breathe her in. We sway to the musical sound of children's voices and Amharic speech. A first dance...

We drive away from the chorus of children but they remain still in our "bundles". How God presses them on our hearts.

We rename our Rekeb, Ava Aday, meaning, "breath of life, precious flower." She will live. Our Father.our Savior, has promised "life abundant" for her. And as we carry our children close to our hearts and walk through their lovely people, taking in their beautiful land,filled with pain, awe, and joy, we sense our Father, securing our bundles, walking beside us, sharing His heart with us...

Love, Gillian

"Whoosh, Whoosh" Jacko and the Dandelions

Sweet, Jack. He has his own special way of playing with dandelion puffs. :)

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" And calling to him a child, He put him in the midst of them, and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me;" Matthew 18:1-5b

Funny lips
Blowing puffs of little boy breath
on Dandelion's "heads".
Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh!
And I laugh with my little boy as we
Fall back into the tender green grass.
To watch, to enjoy, to soak it in --
This invitation from the King of Spring and Flowers and Little Boys.
The King of Heaven, reaching,
for me...

Seeds float on Springtime air
And cling onto his bright green shirt.

Seeds, children.
Blown so quickly across our lives.
All the finery of the Kingdom,
Surfing on the Breath of the "one who rides on the clouds".

Blow on us, again, King,
Lift us back on the winds of your Kingdom,
Where funny lips, seeds,
Lives lived with purest abandon,
Take us to your knee...

Love, GG

Mommy, is it time to go home yet?

Many do not know this piece of information about the American Christian Church's response to the orphan crisis.

30% of Christians say they have considered adoption.

1% actually adopt.

Dear "30%", I write to you in love today. Is the Holy Spirit stirring your heart? Has He given you a precious window of response to Him? Respond. Before its too late. Respond before He allows you heart to be hardened. Before you start believing and saying things, like "well, nows not the right time anyway--how complicated this would make things?"or," How could our family take this on in 'these times'? "The poor, The orphan who are they really?" or, "Didn't Jesus say that the poor will always be with us?" (my least favorite!-a misquote of Deuteronomy 15:11 and Jesus' use of it with the woman with the costly perfume--but that's any entry to come soon...),"we just can't afford it", "People wouldn't understand", "People,people, people...", "Our family wouldn't get it--let me take care of smoothing feelings first.", "Our family photo would look really different on the Christmas card" "Does God really speak to me?","Those kids are so far away","It could (gasp!) bring sacrifice to our children--we may have to live sacrificially financially, time-wise, or in other ways", "what if they do not bond to me?", "what if this breaks my heart?","could my children share me with another child?","we should wait until things are smoother--maybe when the job 'settles' or the kids are older","what if we get sick?", "what if this tires us out?", "but I'm really following Him right now--would He call me to this too?","I'll lose my decorating,or gardening, or vacation, or latte,or this season's clothing,or insert your favorite focus here_________fund in our budgeting--could I REALLY live without that?" "We just won't fit in...", "those people who adopt have some need to 'collect' children how selfish THEY are!--they just can't stop!", or some more of my least favorites, "we just wouldn't be as peaceful a family anymore--it would create ripples here." and "I really don't know how we would do it anyway--my heart really could only love my own children -- that's who I am really responsible for...", "what DOES the Word really say about orphans?--I just haven't been taught that this is MY problem--that I am responsible--leave me alone nagging feeling that won't go away!" -- be careful--it just may go away...
And out of love for you, precious child, I pray that if you are being stirred, that you will honestly converse with God about all or any of these questions--also called--EXCUSES.-- He gives us windows of time to obey Him. And as you deliberate--143 million -- a nation of children-- are waiting and growing and dying. The same God who we call, Father, is their champion. He rises to see to their protection--He cares for them and sets His angels charge over them. They are each as precious to Him as the cherubic faces tucked into our beds upstairs. "Mommy, can I have a glass of water? "squeaks a precious, familiar voice, so dear to our heart, and we run with delight to serve these children. "Mommy can I go home now?" and we swing hands on the walk home. Perhaps God has a child for you, which He has planned since the beginning of the world. Perhaps He is whispering, maybe shouting to your heart? and a little one with perhaps different eyes or a song in their lovely voice is calling out your name at night. He doesn't get tucked in. She really needs a cup of water. He is lost and needs to be swooped up into a Daddy's strong embrace. Remember the story of Samuel? The correct response to God's voice, His calling is, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." Ask, Answer,Obey--if it is "today" beware of the hardened heart--it will lie to you and speak such smooth words to you--it will assure you you are making the most prudent and best decisions...that you can always revisit this later, when He calls again...Will He?

Not my Words but His: " Give heed to my reproof; behold, I will pour out my thoughts to you; I will make my words known to you...But he who listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of evil." Proverbs 1:23&33 (read this passage it is very clear about listening to God's voice and His response to our listening or lack of)

This may not be your message above. Adoption is a specific calling to a unique child. What is clear in scripture is that we all are to care about, and visit the orphan, and relieve their needs. Another misthought is the idea that if we just have beds in our home,extra food and clothing or stuff or an extra bedroom or budget that this is our ticket to being an adoptive parent. NO. Not so. I love in Hebrews how God, when He speaks of our adoption as sons says that He is RAISING up many as sons. Some may not be called to do the RAISING up that these children need. For it is not just placing food in their mouths and placing them in a "safe" spot in front of Dora the Explorer. NO! They need to be discipled and raised up in the fullest of ways and we need to stop guilt-tripping the "rich"--most of us in the Western world ARE rich compared to the world.-- We do not want to force children into places where they are not being called to be raised up with full rights and privileges as sons. We don't just feed or clothe our own children but teach them and hug them and sing with them and counsel them--it is a full-time,life-long occupation, isn't it?


Adoption comes from the Greek word meaning "the placing of a son". It is taking a person into the family as a son and giving him all the privileges of a natural son. Some of us need to stop judging other by the number of their bedroom count or the brand of their clothing or car and just let them listen to God's specific call for them to help His orphaned children.

Some of you may be the "senders" and God may be as powerfully speaking to you about giving resource to orphanages, giving to adoption agencies, or taking an family who has an adoptive heart under your wing and caring for their financial needs. LISTEN. He may be sharing shocking ideas with you that may be sacrificial as well. REMEMBER the parable of that Jesus told of a man who sold everything to go purchase a field? Well he did just that. And guess what he knew? The field contained a treasure, a pearl of great price. He understood that pearl was worth far more than the processions in his hand and what they presently were affording him. He sold it, ALL. He gained EVERYTHING. This is a picture of living in the kingdom of God.

The early Christians got this. They understood this far better then us. In Acts it speaks of how they shared everything. And elsewhere, it is written that God's heart is not that some would have much and other's nothing but that we would understand that as followers of Christ our resource should be distributed equally among us so that need is taken care of among the believers and so that the poor are well taken care of. Ouch, that hurts. But our processions really aren't ours--they all come from our Father (James 1). I bet I'm stomping on your toes but I'm a really poor dancer when it comes to preserving people's false beliefs and feelings over what is Truth and what knowledge really will bring LIFE to your life.

You need to know how desperate your brothers and sisters who have been called to adoption are for your financial help. They need much more than what you have been giving them so far--a pat on the back and a "I so admire what you are doing. I certainly couldn't do this myself! I'm not called to it." Sometimes fundraising efforts so drain them of focus and energy that by the time they reach their children, they have not had any time to prepare their hearts and souls and family structures --to dig deep and get shored up for the real push--the raising up of a son or daughter. The paperwork and legalese is enough to label it a full-time job and in addition they are frantically raising redemption costs --some of which would be a third or much more of their family's take home salary. This may not be the same proportion for you. Or maybe it would but God is calling you to be the financial wagon to carry a child home. Let me tell you brothers and sisters--we need much more than the wagons we have now--lets get a TRAIN going!! I know the resources are out there--to take care of one, two, more even a family a year for some of you. I see the vacations, the new pool or car,the cutest outfits,the gorgeous home decorations--could just one of these things be traded for lives? ORPHANS ARE OUR FATHER'S CHILDREN SO THEY ARE ALREADY IN OUR FAMILY. EACH ORPHAN YOU SEE REALLY DOES BELONG TO YOU. THEY DO NOT JUST BELONG TO "THE CALLED". YOU DO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THEM. FIND OUT WHAT IT IS.

Have any of you seen Schindler's List? Well, it is NOT an easy movie to watch in the least. There is one scene in that movie that haunted me. It brought me in some ways to the decision to adopt and to keep the orphan before my heart. It is the end of the war and of the Nazi occupation. The precious Jewish people that Schindler has saved--by redemption money costs--are all grouped around him at a train station. He is saying goodbye. They are saying thank you. As he looks over them--just hundreds of souls grouped around him, he pats his luxury car. and says something like, "This could have been 20 lives." and he reaches into his coat for his watch and pulls it out , "and this 10 lives" by this time he is collapsing in grief, he spots his lapel pin, pinned over his heart and takes it off and cradles it, "this... 2 lives". "I could have done so much more..." Perhaps you are generous, I'm sure you are. But could God be calling you to more--a new level of generosity that could be ...shocking...that could buy a pearl...save lives? Perhaps the "Samuel...Samuel...?" is being whispered or shouted into your ears as well. He who has ears to hear, let him hear...Obey Him while it is still, "today"...

"Oh that today you would hearken to His voice!
Harden not your hearts, as at Mer i -bah
as on the day at Mas sah in the wilderness" Psalm 95:7b&8

"Light rises in the darkness for the upright;
the Lord is gracious, merciful,
and righteous,
It is well with the man who deals generously and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;'he will be remembered for ever.
He is not afraid of evil tidings;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is steady, he will not be afraid,
until he sees his desire on his adversaries.
He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;" Psalm 112:4-9


Love, Gillian