P = Precious Lives

Yes, my little blog has been neglected as of late.  If you follow it, though, you know that I tend to go through phases.  These past few months we have been super busy with our family mission, which, right now, is to love and advocate for orphans.

You may know that we hosted a boy name M*rkus this summer.  He and our son bonded right away.  They were like two peas in a pod, great buddies...brothers.  Hubby, Boy and I had many fun and joyous experiences with M*rkus, and we are blessed to be able to host him in our home again this winter.  God is good that way, eh?

Would your family like to work on a mission trip together? If so, then you can all participate in this hosting ministry without even leaving your home town!  To learn more about what it means to host an orphan and to see all of the many children available is easy.  Simply visit www.NewHorizonsforChildren.org to view the photo gallery.

Meanwhile...here are a few of the precious children who might make a great addition to your family this winter season.  Yes, you can make a difference in their lives, but did you know that they can also make a difference in yours?  

N likes knitting, crocheting and sewing as well as beading with embroidery and making bracelets. She would like to go on a ship someday.  Both want to see the ocean if possible. V likes soccer and ping pong and has received soccer awards. He would like to fly on a real airplane. If a choice was available, they would like to be the oldest children in a family and do well with younger children.

$200 Scholarship -- N and V are Host Only

M is called "a good boy" by his foster mom and "a little stinker" by his teacher. He is a serious little guy, yet had us laughing at some of his antics. He lives on a VERY rural farm, and helps with chores, including bringing the cows in at night. He loves horses, and wishes that he knew how to ride. He also likes winter sports: sledding, skiing, ice skating, ice hockey is his favorite sport.

D came 2 years ago and wants to return. Age 12, talkative, friendly girl with a rare bone disease that keeps her from walking. Favorite foods are chips, candy, and ice cream. Enjoys paper crafts, drawing, and wheelchair basketball. For being in a wheelchair, she is still very active.and can take care of all her personal needs (she does not need to wear diapers).

R wishes to learn how to ride a bicycle and enjoys playing with Legos, toy cars, snowball fights and sledding. The Social Worker said he has very good behavior. He likes cats and dogs, and his favorite animals are the big cats: lions! He is smaller for his age and says his favorite colors are black, blue and orange and likes ice cream but definitely NOT liver.

To learn more about these children and many others available for hosting, visit www.NewHorizonsforChildren.org to view the photo gallery.  Find the child or sibling set who can add some more joy to your Holiday season as you and your family serve God who tells us in Matthew 18:5 that "...whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." 

O = Orphans

Yes, I am aware that I have not posted in two months.  We have been a bit busy. Have you heard of New Horizons for Children?  It is through this organization that we have met the newest boy in our life:  M*rkus.

M*rkus is the orphan boy from Latvia that we hosted this summer.  He and Boy took to each other as well as any two little boys could.  They hit it off from day one.  Language was no barrier!  They laughed together, played together, learned together, and grew to love each other over the five short weeks that M*rkus was here.

Then the hosting period ended, and it was time for M*rkus to return to Latvia.  We brought M*rkus to the airport, checked his bag, got him on the line to go through security, and then waved good-bye and he disappeared to the terminal.  We turned around to walk away, and I could see Boy's face.  It got tense.  The sides of his mouth started to fall.  His lips parted.  His eyes squinched.  He lost it.  He was crying...sobbing over the loss of his new, Latvian brother.  Richard and I felt helpless as we tried to console our sweet Boy.  It was heartbreaking.

That was last Thursday.  On Friday we found out that, by the grace of God, we can host M*rkus again this December.  Merry Christmas!

This detail has made the transition a little easier for Boy because now he knows that he will see M*rkus again.  Boy has told us that it is okay with him if M*rkus comes to stay with us, and he will share all of his toys.  Oh, how I love the heart and mind of a small child.

Now, as the proverbial dust is settling from our whirlwind summer, and we are getting back to a normal (?) routine, I want to take a few minutes to tell you about how YOU can be so blessed during the next hosting season: Open your heart and home to an orphan child or children from Eastern Europe through New Horizons for Children.

Would you like to know more?  There are two ways that you can do this.

1.  Visit www.newhorizonsforchildren.com

2.  Ask us!

When these children come to the United States of America to be hosted, they are shown what life is like living in a loving, functioning, Christian household.  They get to be part of a real family.  They are given HOPE.  Additionally, these children learn life skills that can help them in their future.  They learn self-confidence.  They learn English, which is a second language common to many Eastern European countries that could seriously help them with their futures.  They learn about the love of Christ, and the fact that they DO have a father who loves them no matter where they are in life.

Additionally, while the program through New Horizons for Children IS for hosting, in the end, many of these children find forever homes.  Back home they have between a 0 and 1% chance of ever being adopted.  Here, about 65% of them wind up finding a family that wants to loves them for good.  It is not always the family that hosted them, but it seems to be that for many of them, it is someone.  THAT in itself is a gift that is truly a blessing!

Do you have any questions about New Horizons for Children?  Do you have any questions about our experience?  Do you want to host a child or sibling set yourself?  Do you want to help us raise the money to bring M*rkus back to America for Christmas?  Please tell us what we can do to help you do any of these things.

N = Needs

While the fundraising went very well for the past month, there were also people who asked what things we would need for M*rkus. We still have about $500 to go with the fundraising, but we want to take this time to let you know about some other needs and desires that you might be able to fill for M*rkus' visit in a few weeks.

Items Needed:

Socks Underwear -- Okay, this may be more of a gift certificate to WalMart/Target kind of an item.

Night Lights -- Because of experiences, many of these children are afraid of the dark.

MP3 Player that charges by USB -- cheap, cannot be name brand

Christian Music for MP3 Player -- age attractive beat

Shoes -- Again, this may be a gift certificate thing. WalMart?

Bicycle -- even if we can borrow one to be returned when he leaves

Bicycle Helmet -- not sure of size

28" suitcase on wheels that can be a carry-on bag

Batteries -- pack of AA and pack of AAA (These are like gold!)
Playing Cards and/or Uno

Good and Evil Book -- http://nogreaterjoy.org/shop/good-and-evil-color-book/

Alarm Clock
Flashlight -- To take to bed.
Velcro Wallet
Cheap Watch -- no brand names
Wildlife Story Teller (Latvian) -- http://wildlifestorytellers.com/

Please post a comment or contact us directly if you choose to provide any of these things so that we might avoid doubles.

Fundraising Opportunities:

Pancake Breakfast at Applebee's Mooresville

July 7th from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $7 each.

Comment here or contact one of us directly.

Please invite drag your friends!

500 Game

For less than $5, you can help support the cause!  

Please visit this page on Facebook to see how.

Activities:

We will also be looking to share fun activities with M*rkus on a budget.  Do you have access to free passes or reeeeallly good discounts to family friendly places like zoos, movies, amusement parks, anything?  Hey, it does not hurt to ask, right?

Thank you for taking the time to read this.  We appreciate any help any way that it can be given, and please share on Facebook, Tweet, post on your blog, tell your friends, whatever you can do to help.  We appreciate you!

M = M*rkus

How funny is it that I struggled for so long over what topic to choose for the letter M, and now here is M*rkus with so many people asking questions. Here I can answer some questions and maybe fill you in on a few things.

For anybody who is not in the loop, my guys and I will be hosting a boy from Latvia this summer. His name is M*rkus, and he is eleven years old.  M*rkus, like many of the hundreds or thousands of children in Eastern Europe, is an orphan. For these children, that is a negative stigma. People look at orphans as criminals, and their hope for their futures is slim.

These orphan children are aged out of the system at age sixteen and are turned out onto the street, after which over 80% of them will fall prey to homelessness, drugs, prostitution, lives of crime, and suicide. Many of them feel left out, unworthy, left behind.

And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. -Matthew 18:5

With New Horizons for Children, many of these children are given HOPE. Through NHFC, families, like ours, host children from Latvia and Ukraine for about five weeks at a time twice a year when the orphanages close. Yes, the orphanages close. That confounds me, but that is another story.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. -Psalm 68:5

Through NHFC, children are brought to the United States of America where they will live as a part of a functioning, Christian FAMILY. They will experience LOVE, enjoy fun and LAUGHTER, go to church, do the things that the families do.  All the while, these children will be learning English.  This is a skill that can help them with A FUTURE.

It is said that during the five weeks that they are here, the children will learn as much English as they would learn in four or five years at school back home.  In Eastern Europe, many of the countries speak English as a second language, not Latvian or Ukrainian.  Thus, by learning English and strengthening their skills in that language, these children are able to broaden their future possibilities.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. -Matthew 19:14

Additionally, these children will learn more about the love of God, they will learn that they are not alone, they will learn self-esteem, and so many more positive things that they may be missing living at orphanages and foster homes.

If you have any questions about M*rkus, about NHFC, or about this program, please feel free to ask.  We will do our best to answer. Meanwhile, please be praying for all of the children, and the host families, and the program and everyone involved in making this opportunity a reality for the over 180 children coming to America in a few weeks.

You are invited to join this group on Facebook to follow our journey with M*rkus.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. -James 1:27

Surrender to God

"Dear Lord, I'm on my knees again. I come to You because You understand. I've tried so hard, but I just can't change myself. That's why I know I need your hand. So here I am, this is my plea. My only hope is Your love for me. I'm reaching out so desperately. Take my hand, take all of me...."





How can a person not be moved by that song?

Can you surrender to God?

It is so difficult to truly surrender to God. We humans find it difficult to give up control of the remote. How can we be expected to give up control of our entire lives?

James 4:8 tells us to "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." The first step in surrender to God is being close to God. It takes trust to surrender, and it takes a relationship to build trust. How close are you to God?

Psalm 143:10 says, "Teach me to do your will, for you are my God." Part of building a relationship with God is to learn His Word...and then follow it. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22 reminds us of that.

Humble Yourself

"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

hum·ble verb (used with object)

to lower in condition, importance, or dignity; abase.

to destroy the independence, power, or will of.

to make meek: to humble one's heart.

James 4:10 is simply saying that when we stop trying so hard to be in control and allow God to be the head of our lives, then He will take care of us.

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Part of surrender to God is also resisting evil. Resist what is wrong. Sometimes what is right is not what is easy, and we can fall into the trap of doing what is wrong for convenience. James 4:7 tells us to "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (be capable of). But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure (hold out against) it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 encourages us that we will not face a temptation that we are not humanly able to resist. However, do not confuse that with the common saying that God will not give us more than we can handle (manage or deal with on your own). That is not part of surrender to God.  That is us thinking that we do not need Him.

Surrender

"My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways."  Proverbs 23:26

Give me your heart.  Really think about those words.  Is this simple or difficult for you?  Why?

Let your eyes observe my ways...and then be like that.  The more that we observe His ways and be like Him, the easier that surrendering to Him will become.

Stripper Pole at Church?

A friend of mine posted an article over at Taber's Truths about a story that he had read at The Christian Post about a pastor who chose to use a stripper pole as a prop for his upcoming sermon series about intimacy in marriage. My friend got riled up about this, and it got me thinking. Do I agree with my friend that this was nothing more than a classless display by a preacher who is letting today's culture dictate how he runs his church? I am not sure.

Ohio Pastor Puts Stripper Pole Next to Pulpit

With a bed and a stripper pole next to his pulpit, a pastor in Ohio is all set to begin a series of sermons on sex and relationships beginning Sunday.

Ready to start a new sermon series called "Battle of the Sexes," Pastor Mike Scruggs at the Light of Word Ministries in White Oak, Ohio, has put a stripper pole, video games and sports equipment on one side of the pulpit, representing what men desire. On the other side, he has set up a bed with candies, teddy bears, roses and a bottle of wine to depict what women want.

On all Sundays in April, Scruggs will share about best practices in bedroom, keeping intimacy alive and the need to build and maintain trust. "Right now we're having single people having too much sex and married people not having enough sex," he told Fox19.

Scruggs admits some could get offended by his message. "We push the envelope, that's true," he said.

source: http://www.christianpost.com/news/ohio-pastor-puts-stripper-pole-next-to-pulpit-to-talk-sex-72432/

Is This Wrong?

Some people might be thinking, "Gasp! A stripper pole in God's house?! That is horrifying!" Some people might be thinking, "It is probably not an actual stripper pole. It is simply a prop. I mean, it is not like the preacher is going to have dancers up there twirling at church." What do I think? I fall somewhere in the middle.

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I want to think that the pastor has good intentions. Given that he is displaying "guy's guys stuff" on one side and "fluffy-girly-romance stuff" on the other side, it is clear to me that he is trying to make a point about how each gender desires for what they consider ideal situations or things, possibly rather than desiring for their spouse directly. Realistically, sexy and provocative are what many men desire.

You may be thinking, "...but a stripper pole at church?!"

Isaiah 64:6

You can say anything that you want about how sin, lust, adultery, etc., are wrong. However, they are all out there, and it is a part of life. Lust is a very successful sin, for that matter. Our own pastor said recently that he cannot even going to the mall for clothes with his small children without seeing "sex" everywhere trying to sell something to the public.

Sexy is out in public because it works.

Every human is a sinner by nature...and should it not be every Christian church's desire to reach those people (everyone) and encourage them to make better choices? In this case, I believe the choice is to love and desire your husband or wife and not to go looking for satisfaction in other places.

Romans 3:23

Yes, it may be that standing a pole at the front of the building is a bit extreme and could be for shock value. However, if the media attention caused by that shock value brings in one man, or one woman, or one couple, who may not have come otherwise, if they wind up hearing God's Word and having it speak to them, and if it does something positive for themselves or for their marriage, then was it worth it?

What do you think?

Miss Me?

Apparently I go through stints of neglecting my sweet, little blog. Life is busy...hectic...full. Life is full, and sometimes something needs to be put aside so that I can focus on what is more important. However, as happens from time to time, I have felt a pull to return here again. Then, when someone asked me last Sunday why I stopped writing my blog, it stuck me that there are actually those of you out there who enjoy reading it. By neglecting my little blog, have I been neglecting YOU? Well, we certainly cannot have that, so here I am, back at the keyboard, ready to fill your computer screen with words that I hope will inspire you, touch you, entertain you, educate you, heal you, make you chuckle...or maybe simply annoy you. That last one is not my goal, but not everyone realizes that I am as fabulous as I am, so it is bound to happen.

It would seem that Words from DUG will be two years old in two weeks. What better way is there to get this place rejuvenated than to plan a Blogoversary Party with fun, games, giveaways and more? I say that we do it!

As it turns out, that will also be around tax time, so a bit of cheery fun will probably be in order for some of us, anyway. Hehe. Sooo...invite your friends to follow Words from DUG via Google Friend Connect (over there on the right), via NetworkedBlogs, via Facebook. Tell them to keep reading and commenting, and when the exact date and time is set for the party, they can be among the first to know! Go on...invite them. It will not be one of those awkward parties. It will be fun! Do not make them be upset with you because you did not invite them. (Hmm...does that sound like it might be a message for something else?)

Meanwhile, I plan to get back to the alphabet postings. I am pretty sure that we left off with M. There were a few suggestions posted previously. Someone suggested Marriage. Hmm...wouldn't that be a controversial place to jump back into things? Let me go see what were some other suggestions. Do you have any?