I love blogging, but I also want to make the most of it. So I have been praying about what to "talk" about on a regular basis and thankfully =) The Lord reminded me of this, Revelation 12:11
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
When I began to reflect about this scripture I thought man...I should begin Memorial Day Saturday. I have created a memorial box that I treasure very deeply. It is displayed in a prominent place in my home because it's at the heart of my home, my family and my faith. Here's the background:
In Joshua 4 God tells the Isrealites to collect stones and set them as a Sign (Memorial) to remind them of God's power and provision. He then tells the Isrealites to use those stones as a memorial; that everytime they see them to tell their children and their children's children the stories over and over again, continually reminding them of God's faithfulness.
((He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is mighty and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."))
I thought that this is a great way to share my testimony Sometimes you never know why God takes you the way He does but you must know that it all works together for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. The word of my testimony......I don't really know where to begin. As I look back I know that this All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Capable God has done so much for me! Each of these little testimonies that come to mind represent times when God has miraculously provided, supernaturally healed, or powerfully met a need. Each time I talk about these things I am reminded of all the magnificient things God has done for me.
When tough times come (like when I heard that the Womens Minstry of Ethiopia had decided to close even more orphanges) I can look back at my many testimonies and be reminded that, "He was faithful to make a way out of no way when we began this journey..., I can surely trust Him to move on my behalf again!"
God's Word, my testimonies and yours are the reminders of God's faithfulness. This is the fabric of my faith. Each and every time I think of a memory it reminds me just how much God loves me and how He is #1 in my life.
So I was thinking.....from today on this blogging gal will be dedicating Saturday's to remembering God's faithfulness - calling it officially The Word of My Testimony Day.I do give God praise everyday but this is a special time that I can share with my blogger friends what God has done this week. Maybe this will also cause others to reflect and take a part out of their day to give God praise.
Now, for my first official Saturday Testimony:
I have been extremely busy witih home, family and ministry obligations. I will admit it.....sometimes I get too busy that I forget to enjoy the simple things that God has blessed me with. Today was a monumental day for Shawn and I, and we hadn't really shared it with anybody. In this process there is a ton of paperwork that must be approved by the agency, local government, US government, translated in Ethiopian and then approved by the Ethiopian Government. This is one reason why the process may take over a year to complete.
So on today, Shawn and I finally completed the initial paperwork that was due to our agency. It should take a week or so from the time they receive it to call with feedback. Can you imagine how I feel during this period. At times I become nervous, anxious and even scared. Shawn mailed the paperwork as I was on my way to cheer practice. I entered the gym and was greeted with big hugs from my girls. And then something truly amazing happened.....one of my besties bought some clothes for my treasures, my babies.
I was so amazed. She had no idea that today Shawn and I mailed off more paperwork for the adoption. We finally completed all of the initial paperwork and our next step is to finalize the dossier. On this monumental day for Shawn and I...God, my all knowing Jesus, layed it on my besties heart to buy something for our treasures. God is faithful. He always gives me what I need to keep pushing a little futher in this journey.
I know that one day, after they are home and safe, I will look back and think how this process was amazing and how God NEVER failed. I can't wait to do that. But for now I can stand firm and say, "My God is AMAZING! He has provided, stepped in and granted me peace, comforted me when no one else had the words to say, and most of all He has loved me." I am in love and in awe with this God that I serve. If you have a testimony from this past week. Please share it with me. After all, Revelation 12:11
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
1 comment:
Ugh - I so remember the anxiety associated with all that paperwork. We had to fill out crazy amounts when Alex immigrated. We always marveled at how someone would complete it of they didn't speak english as a first language or if they had something missing or abnormal in their paperwork.
That anxiety will go away and the joy you receive from each approval is equally intense, but obviously wonderful. Expect the bumps, the follow up and the repeated inquiries for the same darn thing. It will happen, but it's not something you've done wrong - everyone I've spoken with has had the same experience.
Another thing we encountered was that people just don't seem to understand. You say you've got paperwork to fill out and they don't envision that the paperwork will take you days to understand and fill out, that you'll worry that you're doing something wrong, that your whole plan rests on this, rather large stack of paper and that you'll need to provide information that not only explains who you are, but why you feel you're entitled to even be pursuing this.
I say all of this to remind you, Shawn and others out there that you're certainly taking the road less traveled, but it's worth it!!!
Post a Comment