Unexpected Lesson

This past week in home group we had an awesome lesson. (Yes, I'm the teacher, but I completely attribute the lesson to God's guidance and teaching.) I don't know if anyone else walked away as changed as I have...but even if I'm the only one affected by the lesson, then it was successful.

So, what was the lesson, you ask? It was from a most unlikely source. Pastor Brian is in our home group and I don't think he was too excited about the source, but he even noticed things I didn't. It was from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (HP #1). Some background...last week Thursday after meeting with a friend, on my way home I asked the Lord to give me a word picture for when we get entangled in busyness, worry, frustration, anger, etc. I no more than had the words out of my mouth, than the scene popped into my head. I hadn't seen the movie in quite a while. We own it, but it's not one of my favorites, so I rarely watch it. Do I have your interest peaked? It's the scene where Harry, Hermoine and Ron are searching for the stone (which incidentally is the stone containing everlasting life, which could be another teaching). They jump into the trapdoor and land on a viney plant. One even makes the comment, good thing this plant was here...then the fun begins. The plant begins to wind around them, ultimately desiring to kill them. As they struggle, more vines wrap around them. Finally, Hermoine realizes it's the plant, "Devil's Snare". (Could it be more perfect?) And they need to relax or rest in order to be released from it's grasp. She relaxes and falls right through. Harry eventually relaxes and falls through as well. Ron just cannot see how he can relax when he is being choked and killed by this plant. Hermoine then remembers that Devil's Snare hates sunlight (or is that Son-light?), displays sunlight from her wand and Ron is released from the snare.

First off, let me just say that I had NO IDEA that the plant was "Devil's Snare" and sunlight was it's "enemy" until I watched it with this lesson in mind! Second, as was pointed out in our discussion, Hermoine had to be plugged in and connected in order to know the information she did. Finally, we were supposed to start a series entitled "When God's People Pray" by Jim Cymbala of Brooklynn Tabernacle Church. However, the books have not arrived yet because, I believe, the Lord wanted to teach us about ensnarement before we could learn the lessons from this series.

There were 5 points to the lesson based on various verses:

I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing." or "Pray continually." We looked at this command to us. We discussed: how can you pray without ceasing? What does this mean?

I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your cares upon God, for he cares for you." What cares should we cast upon God? What are some examples of the cares we have? Again, another command.

Prov 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." We noted there are 3 commands here: trust, lean on God (not on ourselves) and acknowledge Him.

Follow up questions included: what are some of the things that snare us like the plant "Devil's Snare"? What are the benefits the devil receives when he has us entangled? Then we looked at a couple other passages that look at our liberty in Christ and Christ's burden for us is light.

Is there something ensnaring you? The key to being released from the Devil's Snare is awareness...if you are aware of the snare entangling you, you can begin to focus on plugging back into our Power Source. Another key is action...when you become of aware of the entanglement, then you need to do something about it, go to your knees, God's word, etc.

Take an assessment...are you ensnared? Do you need freedom from something? God wants you free!

I'm So Honored!

A sweet blogger friend,Wendy at Adoption & Fire, gave me the "You Make me Smile Award". I'm so honored! Wendy always has such great postings on her website. I love to check it multiple times a day! If you need some inspiration, she's got it! Wendy is also adopting from China. She and DH were also logged in December 05 right around the same time as us! Thanks my fellow blogger friend!

In true blogger fashion, I HAVE to pass it on...and the website that makes me smile every time I read it has to be...David & Amy at Our Journey to China. We met them through our agency and look forward to seeing them at the monthly support groups (which we haven't been to for a few months--life's been too busy!).

Exciting Realization

I think I've gotten somewhat caught up from being gone for six days traveling to SD for Grandpa's funeral. It was an interesting experience...family dynamics, hhhmm. It was so good to see Ashley & Brady and, of course, my siblings. The cousins on that side of family were together for the first time ever. The last time we got together, the youngest two were not born yet, and they are in now high school. It was good to get some extended family photos and catch up with everyone.

Now...on to the exciting realization! I was in a planning meeting on Friday night...where we were looking at the next 90 days. So, in counting out in my head the months/days that includes....I realized something awesome...WE WILL likely HAVE MEGAN'S PHOTO in the next 90 days!!! OH MY GOSH!!!! Ninety days from now is mid-Dec...even if we miss the December batch, which I don't believe we will...we will see her face within the next 110 days! WOW! AMAZING! AWESOME! Needless to say, how can you focus on a meeting when during this quarter our lives will change! I will experience international travel...China...holding Megan. Cool. The sparkling cider is going in the fridge soon!

There are no new rumors yet, but things might begin floating in the next week or so. However, things are still so busy for us, that I likely will read them (assuming I even have time for that!), get excited to myself...likely email or call Keith with the rumor...then wait for referrals to come out! So...here's to referrals coming soon!

What an interesting weekend...

I'm sitting here...taking a moment to get my things together before heading out of town this week. My Grandpa Leo passed away this afternoon at the age of 93. Here is a picture of me with him taken a few years ago. He looks really good here, in fact he's looked like this most of my life. However, mom said that neither she nor my siblings who were with her yesterday at the nursing home recognized him. I'm grateful that he did not linger long.


On another note...referrals are in. The number of days covered are not as many as we would have hoped, nor rumored...the cutoff day was November 25. I will sugar coat this and say that apparently the number of referrals is not less than usual, as there were so many families logged in during this time. But, not matter how you look at it, it still stinks. It does reduce the number days until they get to us to 25 days! That's cool! It's still possible for us to be in November, but December is looking more likely. We are still looking at this year...but we will likely be the first group to hit waiting almost 24 months before referral. Yuck.

Peace Deviated

Last week, Pastor Brian shared from John 20. In this chapter, Jesus raises from the dead and Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty. Brian looked at Jesus' words to his disciples. It was so refreshing, and appropriate for those of us in the adoption world. See, this is the first time I've looked at what Jesus says to his disciples...I mean TRULY looked at the words. Have you? Well, let me tell you, it's truly amazing. A little background...

After Mary finds the disciples and tells them she has seen Jesus (she is the first one he appears to, by the way), the disciples are scared. They are nervous. They don't know what to do. So, they meet together, and lock the door behind them because they are scared. They are scared they are all going to be killed like he was killed. Jesus then came in their midst and says..."Peace be to you" (John 20:19). Not only once, but he again says it in vs. 21. So, he doesn't say it just once, he says it twice! He said they should have peace...when the whole world was turned upside down. Peace. When he later comes back after Thomas is with them, he again appears to them inside the locked door, and again the first thing he says is Peace (vs. 26).

So what does that mean for us? When we are in the midst of fear, loss, pain, death, confusion and doubt, we need to have peace. The disciples experienced all of these emotions, emotions that Brian believes God did not desire us to experience, but we have experienced since the fall in the garden. Jesus speaks peace beyond all of it. If you think of peace as the perfect balance point on the scale, where are you out of balance? What areas do you experience fear, loss, pain, death, confusion and doubt?

Brian's question for us that I pass to you: Where have you deviated in your life from the peace God wants you to have? It is this area (or these areas) that you need to give back to God.