A Devotional Worth Sharing With You...

Anvil Timeby Max Lucado On God's anvil. Perhaps you've been there.
Melted down. Formless. Undone. Placed on the anvil for...reshaping? (A few rough edges too many.) Discipline? (A good father disciplines.) Testing? (But why so hard?)
I know. I've been on it. It's rough. It's a spiritual slump, a famine. The fire goes out. Although the fire may flame for a moment, it soon disappears. We drift downward. Downward into the foggy valley of question, the misty lowland of discouragement. Motivation wanes. Desire is distant. Responsibilities are depressing.
Passion? It slips out the door.Enthusiasm? Are you kidding?Anvil time.
It can be caused by a death, a breakup, going broke, going prayerless. The light switch is flipped off and the room darkens. "All the thoughtful words of help and hope have all been nicely said. But I'm still hurting, wondering....."
On the anvil.
Brought face to face with God out of the utter realization that we have nowhere else to go. Jesus in the garden. Peter with a tear-streaked face. David after Bathsheba. Elijah and the "still, small voice." Paul, blind in Damascus.
Pound, pound, pound.
I hope you're not on the anvil. (Unless you need to be, and if so, I hope you are.) Anvil time is not to be avoided; it's to be experienced. Although the tunnel is dark, it does go through the mountain. Anvil time reminds us of who we are and who God is. We shouldn't try to escape it. To escape it could be to escape God.
God sees our life from beginning to end. He may lead us through a storm at age thirty so we can endure a hurricane at age sixty. An instrument is useful only if it's in the right shape. A dull ax or bent screwdriver needs attention, and so do we. A good blacksmith keeps his tools in shape. So does God.
Should God place you on his anvil, be thankful. It means he thinks you're still worth reshaping.

The pathway is broken...the signs are unclear...

I just got off the phone with Ted Skiles in Taiwan at the Home of God's Love, and it was a terrible, terrible phone call. I heard his voice quiver as if he had been crying. He said, "The whole morning has been awful...the government is putting so much pressure on me. They want us to have 3 social workers and a psychologist at the orphanage." He said they keep asking for so many things that he can't even get his work done.
I had e-mailed earlier tonight, just because I was thinking about them, had a few questions and wanted to encourage them, and now I wish I hadn't. He said he got my e-mail but doesn't even have time to respond. The whole time we were visiting, I just wanted to get off the phone so I wouldn't be taking up his time. I asked if I could pray for him and he said he would appreciate it very much. I prayed that God would show his Will for Ted and Bev, and that He would lift this heavy burden from them. I prayed for a renewed spirit, and a softening of the governments heart.
Ted said he is so frustrated, he wonders if God is leading him elsewhere...he wonders if God is asking him to close the doors. I am writing to all of you, begging you to get on your knees and pray. I am not selfishly asking for prayers for OUR adoption process, or anything to do with US, but for TED and BEV, and this heavy burden they carry.
They have done so much for Eric, Aden, Avery and I, and we are their family now. Would you be willing to pray continually tonight and tomorrow for them, please! I feel desperation, and longing to cry out to our God to help them...
On a side note, I have no idea what this means for Avery and our family. If Ted can't get his work done for the orphanage, then he can't work on adoptions. They have 21 babies now...more than they have ever had before. They are short handed, and one of their 3 helpers is flying home today to the states as she can't be there any longer. If they can't work on adoptions, this not only means that our process could be delayed for a long time, but it could mean that it may never happen at all. Who knows...please just pray...I am not even sure what else to say right now.

Lord, I sing this song to you now...

The Pathway is broken...the signs are unclear
I don't know the reason, why you brought me hear...
But just because you love me, the way that you do
I'm gonna walk through the valley, if you want me to

For I'm not who I was, when I took my first step
and I'm clingin to the promise, your not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to you
I will go through the fire that you want me to

It may not be the way...I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But you never said it would be easy...
You only said I'd never go alone.....alone.....yeah, yeah

So when the whole world turns against me, and I'm all by myself
And I can't hear your answers to my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering your love put you through
And I will go through the valley.................
If you want me to... Ginny Owens

Adoption Update!

Hi Eric and Amanda,

Just thought I'd give you a quick update on things. I've gotten the Iowa criminal records checks, the Missouri child abuse registry checks and the Iowa sex offender registry checks all back. We just need the FBI and the Iowa child abuse registry checks back yet. My licensing worker was just here on Tuesday for my recertification and she said she's heard that the FBI checks come back to the family, but she wasn't sure if that was true or not, so I guess it's possible you'll know before me. I've written your study, just need to add the results of the background checks and get it typed up. My guess is that we still have a few weeks; they've only had the FBI info for three weeks. I'll keep you posted!

Ann

Flapping, Gliding, or Soaring...how will you chose to fly?

Did you know that a humming bird flaps its wings 70 times a second? I was driving home the other night and this awesome sermon came on the radio, and this guy was talking about our Christianity and how we emulate birds in our choices of how to live out our Christianity. He was saying that Humming birds flap around, but the flapping really doesn't get them far...it actually makes it easier for them to hover in place...you know...like when we are stuck...we can't move forward...

The next type of bird glides...In order to do this, they use all of their energy to hype up in the air, and then they glide towards the ground. Because there is so much up and down, it is more like the visual picture of a roller coaster. They don't cover a lot of ground, but they go really high and really low, really fast. Sometimes I am a glider...I used to call it emotionally unstable, ha!

Finally there is the bird that soars. Man alive, do I want to be this bird. The one that soars above all the pressures and trials of life, secure in Christ's plan for us. These birds can soar up to 80 miles an hour! Are you thinking what I am thinking??? Sweet! At that rate, the trials can't last that long, ha!

Anyway, I was put in a situation with my son today and I was reminded by this silly visual, that I really truly do want to soar like an Eagle like God's word talks about in Isaiah. I want to see the world from God's perspective and know that there is a bigger picture. I want to do my job well as a mom, but know the things that are taking place are not personal, but all part of the bigger plan.

Where are you at in your walk? Are you stuck...flapping away, hovering in the same place you always are? Maybe you appear really busy so you don't have to deal... Are you gliding...using all of your energy to get as far as you can...you start off great, and your travels look promising but before you know it you are plummeting to the very ground you were leaping from in the first place... OR, are you soaring along, seeing the big picture in life, knowing that every trial you go through is part of a bigger plan. My prayer is that we all strive to soar...it is so much faster, so much easier...I love to do it Jesus' way!

Dear Heavenly Father, please save me from myself! Please lift me up when I don't have the strength, reveal your bigger picture to me, and help me to fly strong. Help the trials to move underway quickly, and to God be the Glory!