Why I love orphans

Five years ago my life was changed. God changed my view of Him. It was a time where I was forced to face whether I really believed who God said He was. It was a time of deep hurt, similar to how a spouse must feel when they are betrayed in marriage. The very people God had asked us to minister to were rejecting us or at least a certain group of people. I didn't understand.

How could we not be good enough? God was the One that called us to sacrifice our personal goals and futures to serve Him, to serve His Church. We didn't choose our path, we were just obeying. Wasn't that enough? Wasn't it enough to live each day in faith and love serving where the Lord had planted us? Why do His people require more than faithfulness? I began to question whether church leaders were right or whether God meant what He said that "His grace is sufficient in your weakness". I had always believed in child like faith that I didn't have to be talented, charismatic, or special to serve... I just obeyed what my Father said to do.

Sometimes, when you hurt, it comes out in anger. I definitely had moments of being angry and felt that God needed to "show Himself", maybe in lightening bolts?, and to bring justice to a situation that seemed completely opposite of what is true in His Word. I kept saying in my prayers, "Where ARE you God?". Because if I believed what certain voices were saying, then I couldn't also believe God was who He said He was. God was testing me. He was testing my faith.

At the same time this suffering in ministry was taking place, I had decided to go to an orphanage in Jamaica on a mission trip. It was early February of 2005.

Many of you know that this is where my love for the orphan began. However, what you may not know is why this was so spiritually life changing. It was there in Jamaica when the Lord finally spoke to me, showing me that it was in the least of these where I would FIND Him. He showed me that we are ALL orphans. And He showed me how much He loves the orphan... how much He loves the rejected, the lost, the untalented, the lame, the least, the unpopular, the unlovable. He showed me how much He loves me.

Not only does He love the least of these but that was actually how He chose to come to the earth as the Savior of the world. As a baby that was born in a stable.

I don't know why we continue to think we will find the face of Jesus in the great, the talented, the popular, the wealthy,... not that He doesn't exist among these too. But we forget too often what the Lord spoke to the prophet Samuel, so long ago. "for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1Sam.16:7)

I love that I serve a God like this... my heart melts in love for Him when I read these words. I love that I serve a God that would choose to come to the earth in a humble position. I love that I serve a God who purposely CHOOSES the rejected for great things. I love that I serve a God who loves orphans.

As I prepare for our upcoming orphan conference in February, God has prompted me to dwell on what He taught me just these few short years ago. These orphans are souls that need Jesus. These orphans represent the Father's great love for the rejected, the forsaken, the forgotten. These orphans remind me how much He loves me. I will press on with endurance as I consider the privilege it is to be sent on a quest by the King of all creation for a people that has captured His heart... possibly the most vulnerable of all the least of these, the orphan.

This is why I love the orphan.

If you are interested in coming to the orphan conference, visit www.connectingheartsconference.org

Calling all Adoption Prayer Warriors...

....this prayer request will resound deep in the hearts of all you adoptive families. I received request for prayer today from a dear sister in Christ, Laurie Martin. I can only imagine what this sweet family must be feeling since the 1st news of the earthquake...

After waiting over two years for the completion of their Haiti adoption,
my sister Lisa, and her husband Roger, were planning to travel to Haiti
on Jan. 24-27 to hopefully finalize paper work. Please pray now for
their boy, Billy, and other orphans in Haiti. The initial report is
that the kids at his orphanage are OK, but one wall fell, hurting the
Nanny. This was prior to the aftershocks, and no one has been able to
get through since then.


Please pray also for wisdom and peace for Lisa and Roger in the coming
weeks. Also please pray for their two other adopted girls from Haiti,
Rebekah and Ruth, as they deal with concern and fear for the condition
of their birth parents. Both of these girls know Jesus, so pray that He
will comfort them as only He can.


Thanks so much. Lisa and Roger are pretty overwhelmed and would so
appreciate any prayers lifted up on their and Billy's behalf.

A few Christmas pics : )

The girls were fighting over who would sit on my lap so the boys thought they'd make it even more interesting by trying to fit too....

Caleb and Zach decided to sleep on the floor between the 2 cribs on Christmas Eve.... hmmm, will we be able to get the girls to stay in the cribs all night with such an attraction on the floor??

Really, who eats popsicles on Christmas Eve before bed???

Emily's attempt at being a loving sister

Stanton grandkids... all ten of 'em ( 9,8,7,6,4,3, two 2s, & two 1year olds) WOW!

A special picture with Great Grandma "Mom"... she got all the "greats" reindeer antlers : )

Zach's favorite present... a real Link sword, well, sort of

Caleb's favorite present... a vibrating football game. And Mommy trying to learn?!

I'll have to add more pics later of the other side of the family after we get our camera back from the "shop". It was a wonderful Christmas!!