Labradors Retrieve. Right?

Labrador Retriever. The very nature and purpose of the dog is in the name. Labrador's retrieve.

Nash Ganache Marmaduke entered my world in February of this year. I had a very specific vision for a him when I picked him out of the litter. I wanted a retriever. I had visions of me sitting in an adorondak chair, with a "Chuck It" in my hand, happily launching tennis balls from the ease of my sitting position, while my labrador retriever raced through the yard to fetch the ball. I also had some ideas of putting him on the leash and him and I becoming running buddies, but mostly, I knew I wanted Nash to fetch like a freaking champ.

I think my lab is broken. A few months into puppy ownership, I realized there was a problem. My lab does not retrieve. I didn't get it. I would tell him, "Nash, it's in you're name, you're supposed to run and get stuff and bring it back to me. It's in your genes. It's what labs do. That's why I picked you. I figured fetching was a guarantee. I was just kidding when i told everyone you were going to be my running buddy. In reality, I wanted to be launching tennis balls with my "Chuck it" from a chair!" He never seemed to understand what i was saying. His first language must be Spanish.

I had to come up with a plan. I began to start small to help teach my dog to fetch. Through the power of treats and a little patience, Nash began to improve. He was never great, and he never ran after anything, but he would mosey over and lazily pick up whatever i threw to appease me for a treat. My Lab was in the beginning stages of doing what he was designed to do.

And then one day, While mumbling "my dog is never gonna fetch like a real lab, I'm gonna legally drop retriever from his name" I threw the frisbee for Nash ... and as the frisbee and my words flew through the air, Nash began to run, and then he began to sprint and it seemed he was gonna outrun the frisbee. He went right to it grabbed it in his mouth and began running at break neck speed back to me! I lost it. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be one of those weepy proud parent types. I was jumping up and down, hands in the air, screaming "My labrodor's retrieving! My laborador's retrieving!"

And that's when it hit me. "This must be what God feels like when I live out of His design for me." This must be what He feels in those rare moments, when I live as He intended and created. He created me for a purpose, He gave me gifts and skills to use for His Kingdom. He put a new nature in me to love, show mercy, forgive, hope, to be patient and kind. Its in me to do, just as it is in Nash to retrieve. I just don't always live it out. Sometimes, like my lazy lab, I choose to ignore my God-given nature and calling and do the opposite of what He created me to do and be. But, when I do, when we do begin to live as He designed us, what joy, excitement and weepy pride He must feel for us, His children.

What about them?

This is a repost from Timothy Baker Founder of Shepherd's Field Children's Village

Seth, Stacey, Ling Ling, Josheph, and Grady at Shepherd's Field Children's Village

Who will help these kids if no one adopts them?

With more than 800 children already finding their forever families through the miracle of adoption. The question still remains. Who will help the kids who will not be adopted? Of course adoption is the goal for every child who comes to Shepherd’s Field, but unfortunately for some of the children this will never be a reality. There are many factors contributing to them not being adopted such as the severity of special need, age, or the child's home orphanage’s inability to file the child’s paperwork with the government. As the number of adoptions each year decrease, this further escalates the need to help those who will never be adopted. Our mission of transforming hopelessness into beautiful stories of redemption and love includes helping those children who will never be adopted. These children will need rehabilitation and vocational training to increase their chances in life and prevent them from being institutionalized for the rest of their lives.

Vocational Center construction at Shepherd's Field 

There are not many options for these children so this is the reason why we are building a vocational training center at Shepherd’s Field. Construction began in early 2009 yet two years later we have only completed one fourth of the building. Just last month while meeting with the leaders of Shepherd’s Field, our operations director, Christina Li, prayed for God’s provision for the new building. At the time we didn’t even have enough funds in our bank account to restart the construction this year. That night our founder, Tim Baker, received an email from a Chinese American couple living and working in Beijing. They have become regular volunteers at Shepherd’s Field donating both their time and what ever else they could to the children. Last month they had asked our staff to pray for their apartment in Beijing to be sold. We did and this email was to inform us of that sale and that they are donating the profits of the sale to the vocational center construction. That amount was an amazing Y500,000 RMB ($76923.00 US).


While these funds will help us to restart this years construction, they will not be enough to finish it. It is our goal to complete half of the building this year. In order to do that, we will need your prayers, support and advocacy for this project. Please use this story to inspire and encourage your friends, family and coworkers to help. With your help, the dreams of the unadoptable have a much greater chance of becoming true. Your donations targeted toward the Shepherd’s Field Vocational Center will transform the lives of these older, hard-to-place children. All of us at Shepherd’s Field Children’s Village extend our deepest thanks for your love and support. Lives that were once hopeless are now deeply affected by your generosity. To help, go tohttp://www.causes.com/caus​es/84078 to make a donation today.


If anyone reading wants to go visit these awesome kids, let me know! I am more than happy to round up a group and help get us all to China. Seriously, pray about it and let me know! 

Mother of Exiles

I recently took a trip to New York City and realized that one of our nations most famous monuments bears a striking resemblance to Jesus. 

Our famous Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island struck a particular chord with me. The welcome mats of America. They welcomed the tired, weary, worn out, dejected souls from around the world and offered a new life of freedom and hope here in America. These brave and weary travelers were on a quest for freedom and the sight of Lady Liberty was the first glimpse of hope for a new life in a new land.

Emma Lazarus said it best when she wrote this poem about the Statue of Liberty. I have to wonder, was her inspiration Jesus himself? 

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

"Come to me , all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Jesus

Action Always Creates

This is Emma Grace. 

                                        
Action always creates. This has been my mantra for a while now. I am continually amazed how many stories and side stories have been produced by taking action in my life. This is one of those stories. The out of nowhere, unexpected, cool gifts from God. A story you don't really go looking for, but that wouldn't of found you had action not been taken in the first place.


I chose to take action two years ago and go to Uganda. That act began somewhat of a domino effect of stories and side stories. The choice to take that trip led to a friendship, which led to a conversation, which led to a trip to China, which led to meeting more new people, which led to tons of pictures, which led to a facebook post onto Shepherd's Field wall, which lead to Sarah (whom I had no idea existed until last week) taking a look at Shepherd's Field fb page and finding this picture of her daughter, Emma Grace.

Sarah contacted me to request a facebook tag, so she could have access to the picture. She wondered if I might have anymore. I wasn't sure, but what I did know, is that we met a crew of highschool students from Greater Atlanta Christian School there the same time Kasey, Brooke, and I were there. And good heavens, if anybody takes pictures, it's going to be highschool students, and I can guarantee they took a TON!

A few more facebook tags, a short blurb about Sarah wanting more pictures of Emma Grace (because as any parent knows, there can never be too many!), and we had ourselves a story. As I suspected, my two friends and the students of GAC pulled through and produced several more pictures of Sarah's new daughter.

 I'm not sure how many pictures Sarah ended up with. I hope she got the hook up. What I am sure of, is that this random facebook connection blessed my heart more than I can really put words to. And it has me wondering about all the side stories we don't ever hear about. The ones we may never see this side of heaven. The side stories that our actions in obedience to God produce. What eternal domino effect does taking action for God produce? When we choose to take action, to give more than we think possible, to go hug an orphan on the other side of the world, to cook dinner for the grandmother who doesn't get visited anymore, to speak of Jesus Christ and his love and forgiveness, to live that out in our lives. What effect does taking action make?

Action ALWAYS creates. Don't just sit around and think about what God might have you to do. You have a heart, He gave it to you, act on it.
Go. Do. Act.

Tutus For Emmagrace, chronicles the journey Sarah and her family took for Emma Grace. To watch Emma Grace's "gotcha video", go here.

Eyes on Ethiopia is a blog by Julie, another family in the process of adopting. This particular post talks about the moments she will miss in the life of her son, but also notes the ones who will care for him and love him before he becomes a permanent part of Julie's family.
That could be you, the one who comes before.. Remember, I'll take you to Shepherd's Field. Tell me you want to go and we'll raise money and we'll go love on some kids and some of their nannies and Clay and Jewel Floch (the American couple that lives there). Who knows what that action could produce...

Here is the post about how Kasey, Brooke, and I ended up at Shepherd's Field.

The student group we met from Greater Atlanta Christian

They were amazing! 

I stole this picture from one of their leader's fb page. that might not be legal. 

Brooke and Emma Grace. They played for a long time the day this picture was taken. 

Twitter Tombstones

I joined twitter. When I created my account, I was encouraged to start following 10 people immediately, so that I would begin to have the ultimate Twitter experience. I tried to think of all of my favorite authors, speakers, anyone that might have something interesting or meaningful to say other than, "my socks are blue" or "I just wiped a booger on my sister". As I was searching,  I got distracted by all of the options twitter gave me for people I might want to follow based on the two people I had already begun following.  What I noticed was the personal description of each person or "tweeter", if you will. When you sign up, you write a blurb about who you are and that becomes the summary of you and your twitter existence. As I kept reading these mini bios, they started sounding like epitaphs on a tombstone. Once that point of view set in, that was the only way I could read each person's account of themselves. I began to size of each person's life based on their twitter mini bio.  A lot of them were tombstone worthy (much better than 2 dates separated by a dash); any family member of the said deceased person would have felt a joy and thankfulness for knowing their loved one. Some however, were just depressing. One guy's read "bored all the time". I will not be following him; he needs to get a life.

Below are some of my twitter mini bio finds. There are friends, strangers, and famous people. As I share, I'm going to be thinking about what I want my twitter bio and my tombstone to read.  Would your mini bio be an accurate representation of your life?



Max Lucado: Minister. Author. Husband. Dad. Counting on heaven to make sense of this earth.

Derek Webb: singer/songwriter/producer/remixer/agitator

Jeff Probst: Survivor, Live For The Moment

Josh Melton: Entrepeneur with a daydreaming problem. I own an office cleaning co. & insurance agency; My wife & I have a really cute baby boy. I love my family & community.

Erwin Mcmanus: L A is home. Mosaic my tribe. Temple Bags our fashion Co. Boy and Rocket our Production Co. Awaken Humanity our gift. Kim, Aaron, Mariah, Patti- my family

Andrew Peterson: Singer/Songwriter/Author/Maker of Fine Soups

David Baddiel: Jew

Jenny McCarthy: Mommy warrior and cellulite killer.


Tiffany Forrester: Graphic Designer, Student, Jesus follower, Music Lover. Generally crafty.

Jenny S: i'm a lovely young lady with a flare for the retarded side of life. i can promise to almost never hurt your feelings. i like to go swimming!


Lindsey G: Clay in the Potter’s hands. RN. Southeastern University Grad Student. Wife. Sister. Daughter. Granddaughter. Longleaf's Groups Director & Sable's Best Friend.

Dan Harmon: Low ranking dealer of mass opiate for West Coast Peacocks. Distribution rating: 1.9. Weakness: unbelievable back acne

Shane Sullards: I dream big

Bobbi Newman: Professionally passionate about the digital divide, transliteracy, libraries & tech issues. Personally on a never-ending quest for the perfect pair of shoes. 





 

China Via Uganda

Somehow in the fall of 2009 I landed myself on a trip to Africa with a group of people who's average age was somewhere around 65. I remember sitting in the meetings that led up to our departure wondering what I had gotten myself into. I knew one person, Ken, and he was the one who helped get me on this trip in the first place. I think Ken is 45 or something and that made him the person who was the closest to my age, 29. 


During one of our last team meetings, a girl who looked to be my age, drove from Buckhead (that hip little corner of downtown Atlanta)  to Chestnut Mountain (an unicorporated tiny town in N. GA) to attend our last gathering. At first glance, it looked as if the only thing we would have in common was our age. She was stylish, fixed up, and hip. I, dressed in my ripped jeans and v-neck t-shirt from target, was not. I don't think we even spoke to each other that day. Not because we were being rude, I think we were both "deer in the headlights" stunned at what we were about to embark on.  

It was in the Amsterdam airport that Kasey and I became friends. We scarfed down  $20 hamburgers from McDonalds and chatted about how this will probably be our last good meal for the next 10 days. During this Uganda trip, I learned Kasey's story and she learned mine. Turns out we have a ton in common,  (travel, adventure, sarcastic wit, love for orphans and missions.) Neither of us was very sure how we actually ended up on this particular adventure, but we were both glad we came. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with God being gracious enough to be involved in our lives and knowing our hearts and stuff like that...

                  

I don't know when it happened, whether it was while we snapped pictures of the kids at Busia School for sponsorship bios, or on one of our sneaking away outings with a few other trip members to find a cold coke or on a bumpy van ride to pray over a potential sight for the Village of Eden (Dr. K's vision for the orphans of Busia). But somewhere along the way we talked about China and the special needs orphans that live their too and how I knew of a place that will let us come hang out with the kids and love on them for a while. And we decided to go. 


Most of the time the plans people make of how they are going to live and what they are going to do after a mission trip rarely pans out. Everyday life and busyness usually takes over. But, God didn't let me or Kasey forget that we said we were going to China. And so it was through a book by Donald Miller (surprise surprise), the loss of a good friend, a new understanding of abandonment and a new slight, very small understanding of the heart of an orphan, the need to see the face of God, the longing for adventure, and a hunger to taste real Kung Pao chicken again turned our conversation of going to China into a reality. In June 2010, Kasey, her friend Brooke, and I arrived at Shepherd's Field Children's Village. And I finally had the opportunity to meet in person one of the orphans I had been sponsoring.  

        This is Avery, the one I was sponsoring!

That was a really long way to say, that's what makes sponsoring a child at Shepherd's Field so cool. You can go. You can meet them. And I'll take you (on your dime of course). 

                        Me and Kasey in China!

Sam and Tiffany (Stories from Shepherd's Field)

Sam was the first kid I picked to support from Shepherd's Field. I picked him because my grandad's name was Sam. Sam was adopted only a few months after I began supporting him. I was just a small part of his life for a very brief amount of time. But I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to play a role in his story. If I had a picture of Sam, I'd post it here, but he was mine before this computer was, which means, no picture of him. I wonder what he's up to now?

After Sam was adopted, they gave me Tiffany.  She was my second special needs orphan and I have to say, quite possibly my favorite. I don't know if favorite is the right word. Its just that even though I never met her, I somehow felt like I knew her personally. I prayed for Tiffany more than any of the others, so perhaps that's why i felt a deeper connection. Tiffany had an inoperable heart condition. I guess I knew from day one that Tiffany wasn't going to be mine for long. I prayed that she would find a home at Shepherd's field and that she would be happy, and experience the love and joy of God during her short life. No doubt she did. Tiffany met her Heavenly Father in November of 2009. How cool to be a part of a life when they get to meet the one who connected us in the first place.


If you want to support a kid from Shepherd's Field. You can visit their website at www.chinaorphans.org or you can contact me and I can give you information that you can hold in your hand.