God of Power

Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
I want to share with you some of the ways I have seen God move mountians...
when we started looking at kids I at first was a bit nervous about adopting a special needs child but VERY excited, as I have learned more about adoption, special needs and God this nervousness has faded away.
since we started thinking about adoption I had started learning Russian from a friend of mine and from books at the library.
I am so excited now to be able to go and work with special needs children, these children are loved by God, the Father's heart is for the Fatherless; who am I to say that I don't want to show love? I am VERY,VERY,VERY,excited about going in this trip and meeting and loving on and playing with these children and showing God's love to them.
After we got rejected for the third time after appealing and re -appealing our case with DCFS; (this was all stretched out over a year.) we had the Heim 's three daughters come and stay with us while their parents were in Ukraine adopting a sibling group of four children.
When Mr. and Mrs. Heim got home with their children we were able to see them and their 4 new children and one of the girls who stayed with us, came over to our house almost every Tuesday... (this was later in the summer)
My new Years wish had been to go to Ukraine and be fluent in Russian... we'll see about the fluency but I am definetely getting better with my Russian, and when Mrs. Heim heard about the Ukraine part she said that she would take me with her if I could raise the money. I was saving my money but not actively fundraising or anything like that yet. In June my family moved and I started doing a farmers market in July. I put a little sign on the table that said that all the proceeds went to missions trip in Ukraine. people would donate sometimes and they would buy My jewelry and body products to help support my trip. In August my family, my grandma and my cousins family all had a garage sale. I write Mrs. Heim just to verify how long the trips would be and if I could get anything from the sale to bring to Ukraine. she wrote back telling me the things I could bring, describing each trip and how the winter trip would be cheaper and we would be there ten days... (I had the mindset I was going in the summer but I had prayed and asked God that if He wanted me to go on the winter trip (which I thought was only three days) that He would make it longer.) so God made it longer and the discription seemed like everything I had dreamed of (ok not everything but pretty close!)
I still needed money for my ticket and whatever else. I was anticipating close to 2000 dollars. within a week I (without telling anyone I needed an extra boost) I had raised 800 dollars total. I received an email tom Mrs Heim how much the tickets cost... I needed 100 dollars it was supplied and I had my ticket by the end of the week. 
four days ago I posted through facebook a link to my blog and the post 'Bibles from Believers' to raise money for Russian Bibles.
As of last night God has supplied money for...
1 Child's Bible
2 Russian /English New Test.
21 Russian/English Old and New Test. Bibles
and Transportation
Isaiah 45:2-3
"I will go before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who called you by your name."
It is so awesome to be watching God move mountians, level exalted places, breaking doors of bronze and cutting to pieces the bars of iron.
Psalm 100:4-5
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

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Little Bit More Info

I just got off the phone with Mrs. Heim, we will be going to two different hospitals the baby hospital and the older kid hospital (6-12 yrs)  "Bibles would be awesome to bring." she said.
(Check out the Bibles from Believers page.) We will be staying with a missionary there and going to Church twice :)
we will bring school supplies for some kids there, the missionary (M.) has hired a teacher to teach the kids for an amount of time (that I can't remember :/) because otherwise they just chill in the hospital with no education.   I am very excited to be able to go on this trip.  for now. Susannah

Adopt

The word 'Adopt' means; 'to take as ones own, to claim.' Isn't it amazing to think that God, our heavenly Father chose to take us-orphans, without hope, dead in our sins- and adopted us? He has claimed us as His children, He saw us dead in sin, hopeless, with nothing to offer and loved us.
The Father's heart is for the orphan, He speaks of it over and over again in His word.
When you hear about orphans or adoption what do you think? - "I would love to adopt, but, it costs too much."
"I would love to adopt, but, my house isn't big enough."
would you put a price on your child's head? "you have a broken collar bone? we will take you to the doctor as long as it is under $300." "symptoms of Leukemia? we will take you in but it has to be less than $1000."
No, you make a way, you do without the movie theater that week; or you stop going out for dinner every night.
Life is worth every penny you can give and then some.
Never put a price tag on a precious life. Did Jesus say, "Father, giving up my life for Tony, Anna, Amanda, Bill- it is too much of you to ask, but I would love to if only it didn't cost so much, sorry all you sinners!"
No He did not He went willingly to the cross.  If Jesus would die for us shouldn't we be willing to sacrifice time and money for the least of these?
On to the second excuse...
There are so many children who are starving in little cribs, their limbs growing weaker, their eyes less focused from lack of stimulation, their hearts getting more and more broken. When they are lifted or touched their little bodies hurt, their broken hearts filled with fear. It is easier for people to leave them alone...
don't say my house isn't big enough, is your heart big enough? Jesus fills us with His love, His heart is for the least of these; Jesus did not tell His Father that there wasn't enough room in heaven.

Adopted Is a beautiful word.
Adopted is to be chosen
Adopted is to be loved
Adopted is to be taken care of
Adopted is to be loved unconditionally
Is adoption easy? no, but it is good- adoption is extending the grace and love of Jesus to those who have never received it before.  

Extend God's grace to the least of these...Adopted is being shown the love of Jesus...
            Adopt is showing His love.
“ 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
                                          “ He has showed you,O man,what is good. And what does
                                           the LORD require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and
                                           to walk humbly with your God.”                           —Micah 6:8

Bibles from Believers

 Recently I met with a born again believer from Ukraine. As we talked, she told me many good ways to share the gospel with someone from the Ukraine; "Show love and bring Bibles." were two of the things that she said.
They do not have very many Bibles.
The most prevalent religions are Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox; they fear and worship Mary.
They don't know God, they are dead in their sins...
"It is a dead faith." Mrs. Nataly said. "but if you give them a Bible, which many of them don't have, they will treasure it. They can learn about God; plus, if it is a Russian/English Bible, they can learn about God and they can learn English!"
To give God's word to someone and to show His love is one of the best ways to share His truth

My goal is to raise money for "Bibles from Believers" and deliver 20 or more Bibles to unbelievers in the Ukraine.
One Russian Bible, which includes the Old and New Testaments is $8.00; a Russian/English New Testament is $5.75; the complete Russian/English Bible (includes the Old and New Testaments) is $22.50.
$75 will need to be raised for their transportation (extra bag on plane) to Ukraine.
I need to order the Bibles by November 1st 2013; I am leaving day after Thanksgiving.
please pray, and if you feel led, please donate.

Thank you.

click here to donate to: Bibles from Believers

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9/11

The father ate his meal
the mother kissed her child
the teen gave her mother a sour scowl before flouncing out the door
the father left for work
the mother said goodbye
the father didn't answer
the mother sighed and saw her child to the school bus
the father got on the busy bus and planned how he would take his wife out on a date to make up for the unanswered farewell.
the mother left for work in the trade center
the father on a break called his wife to ask her out for dinner
the phone had been left in the car
the plane hit the trade center;
the news was everywhere.
the father 's heart grew cold with fear
the mother 's tears fell thick and fast as she remembered the only way to say good bye had been left in her car.
the mother said one last prayer as the roof came crashing down.

every one started their days as normal, arguments remained unsolved,  forgiveness unasked,  a right realationship with God was put off for tomorrow.    live every moment as your last was not fulfilled and deep regrets will and have followed.
we don't know what may happen today, tomorrow, next week. when you feel like rolling your eyes, slapping your sibling, yelling at your mom or child.    Remember 9/11

Trip Update and Praise

My ticket is purchased and day after thanksgiving I will be leaving! God has blessed me so greatly these past few days, God has provided all of the necessary amount of money, I am leaving in about 3 months, I have a wonderful, supporting, encouraging and loving family and group of friends, and I have a God who will never leave me or forsake me... I pray that every word of my mouth would glorify Him, that every deed of my hands would speak of Him, and every though of my mind honor and adore Him. all glory to His name!

I am so excited, so blessed, and did I say I was SO excited? I have been dreaming of doing missions work from the time I was 7 years (or younger) I have had the desire to go to Ukraine for almost 2 years now, God has enabled me to pick up the language quickly and placed a love in my heart for Ukraine, He has placed people in my life, (such as Mrs. Heim whom we have not known very long and many others), a peace in my mom's heart to let me go, a feeling of excitement in me for even the before, dreaded plane ride (I was really afraid of it for a long while and He placed many verses in my way telling me not to fear because He is with me.)

Isaiah 12:4

In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.

Psalm 95:2-3

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.  For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods.  

Psalm 106:1

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

The Girl who is Going on the Missions Trip

 I have been going to the farmers market, it is amazing in this town how much saying "all the money goes to a missions trip to Ukraine;"  I have heard myself be called "the girl who is going on a missions trip" a couple of times.
we receive names from the world, such as, the Gentle girl, the Vain Girl, the Lazy boy, the Responsible boy, the girl who is going on the missions trip...  We are "named" for our actions, now this is what is expected from us, some of the expectations are low, some times they are high, but they are all expectations, and when we have low expectations we won't rise above them because there is "no need" to.   When we have high expectations we either fail all the time or we fail lots of the time.
1 Peter 2:16
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living as servants of God.

God calls us to live freely, away from the demanding (or not so demanding) expectations of the world.
When we are in Christ, we are called to live in the freedom of Christ, living as servants of God. I earned the name (by some) of 'the girl who is going on the missions trip'  because I put up a sign and I told people. what do you think are some names that people could name you? rise above the low expectations of the world, and freely follow our perfect Savior Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:23  The grace of the LORD Jesus Christ be with you all.

The Fatherless

Hello, sorry for not posting for so long, I have been kind of busy!    OK I am thinking that I will go to Ukraine in the Summer of next year and I will keep saving for a longer trip. (the summer trip will only be a week... (unless something changes)   ......  

The Fatherless.                 
  God talks a lot about the Fatherless and it is evident that He has a heart for the orphan.                                                                      Psalm 68:5
            A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
                                                                JAMES 1:27

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  

pray that one child may find joy today, pray that one child would receive necessary medical care, that one child may find a family, be saved from the streets, be shown love, come to know their Savior, that one child may understand that they are valued by God... the list could go on and on.   Pray that one fatherless child will realize that fatherless they are no more.    

Independence Day

                                                in·de·pend·ence

  

                                                            noun

1.

Also, independency. the state or quality of being independent.

2.

freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.

Independence was very important to our country in the late 1700's and still is very dear to the hearts of many Americans; it certainly was to Patrick Henry when he said his famous words "... Give me liberty or give me death!"    

...Freedom from the control of others...   This world is so enslaved to sin, humanly speaking we have no INDEPENDENCE to sin. There is NO way that you can be "good enough" to go to heaven; there is NO way that you can do enough "good" things to go to heaven,
Jesus rose from the dead victorious and now sits at the right hand of the Father and some day soon He is coming back to gather to Himself His own, there is no second chance, no "I was going to believe tomorrow..." The time is now, become INDEPENDENT to sin and DEPENDENT upon God.  

John 3:36 "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

This Independence Day I pray that you may learn INDEPENDENCE from sin and true     DEPENDENCE upon God. 

              Isaiah 64:6-7

All of us have become like one who is unclean,

    and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

  and like the wind our sins sweep us away.         

God is SO Holy that any sin at all can not stand in His sight and it is humanly impossible for man to be holy. 

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

so we are all destined to Hell... Hell- the place of mourning and weeping and gnashing of teeth, of pain, of death.

God knows that it is impossible for man to be holy, and being a loving and merciful God,  He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins.

John 3:16

for God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that WHOEVER, believes in Him SHALL be SAVED.

 Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

Jesus is the ONLY way to the Father. Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, confess your sins and ask Him for forgiveness, thank Him for dying on the cross,  ask Him to be LORD over your life. 

Hebrews 11:6

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe He exists, and rewards those who diligently seek Him.

1. Through FAITH you have been saved not "feelings", sometimes you may "feel" close to God and sometimes you may not "feel" close to God. "We live by faith, not by sight [or feelings]" (2 Corinthians 5:7)

2. You might  doubt at times if you are "really saved" it is common for the Devil to try to tempt believers "you aren't really saved." "nothing really happened to you" "you aren't any different now then before"

remember...                                                                                                                                                                    "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).

3. you are forgiven of all your sins. 
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
4. You aren't and can't be perfect, you are FORGIVEN, trust me, you will sin, but Jesus has washed that sin away with His blood that HE shed on the cross, God will correct you and lead you in His ways.
 "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." (Romans 8:1)
5. you are a new creation, the old has passed away behold the new has come! 
"Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).  God will work in you and change you and grow you closer to Him and make you more like Him.
6. you have God's promise of eternal life in Heaven with Him. You must also KEEP living for Him, not just when it is easy. was it easy for Jesus to hang on the cross?
7. Pray and read your Bible daily, go to Church to be with and be encouraged by other believers.
8. The Bible says to be baptized (which is immersion in water) Repent and be baptized, every one of you..." (Acts 2:38)
9.  Walk in God's ways, when you read in the Bible "do good to those who hurt you," that means... DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HURT YOU. it is not easy but through Christ you can do ALL things. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
10. Share your faith with others! Whoever acknowledges me before others,  I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33).
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” MATTHEW 28:19-20

What's up...

~I and my family have moved from our home near Chicago and have moved temporarily into my grandma's house, we will be closing on the new house in hopefully a couple of weeks; (up here near Peoria) so now we will be right near my Aunt, Uncle and cousins, plus; my grandma!
~There is a farmers market going on down here that I will be able to participate in, which will be helpful re: Ukraine.
~I am working in a VBS that almost all of my siblings and cousins are in so that should be fun and growing :)
~Received a button from Mrs. Heim (the friend who is taking me to Ukraine) for Donations and have been setting up a store page (under the tab of 'Store' at the top of this page)
~hanging out with my family and cousins (Aunt and Uncle included)  for Fathers Day.
~ Went to Church, the Pastor has been preaching through the book of Luke for some time now and He was preaching on the part about Jesus in front of the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod. We sang one of my favorite songs.  10,000 Reasons

Bless the Lord oh my soul,

                                               Thank you that you are in control, that you care for the fatherless, and love them I pray that you would have someone bless each of the orphans in this world in some way today and I pray that you would give the fatherless and widows, comfort, and peace. Thank you for your Son.Thank you for redemption.
                                   In Jesus name,
                                                         Amen
                                                    
                                                              Psalm 55:22 
Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.