Spoken To...

I was hit hard today while reading a friend's blog spot. As many of you know our family is in the process of adopting from Africa. We felt God was calling us to help by offering our love to a child who needs it. I will let what I read speak for itself and maybe you can get a glimpse of what breaks my heart. It's from a missionary in Africa. This is what God sees when he looks at the world. We have a team in Swaziland, that nation in Africa where nearly half the adult population has the AIDS virus. I received this email from Gary Black in Swaziland today and it wrecked me:"The team found a four week-old laying on its dead mother yesterday, they kept it - we are getting it to the abandoned baby hospital Friday." What do we do with this? That's my son's team down there. I don't know about you, but I'm outraged by a world that produces situations like this. And while that may seem like a world away to many, for my son, it's as immediate as it is heart-wrenching. The only thing that appalls me more is that so many of us Americans who can do something about this are more interested in stuff that will only ultimately burn up in the big fire. God help us. God, help us to wake up. Help us to see how much you love the widow and the orphan. God help us to break as you are broken up over this four week-old. God, help me to lose this tortoise shell religion that sheds these kinds of tragic situations like water. Forgive me God for not praying more. Forgive me for not emptying my bank account for your little ones. God, we have lost true religion. We have sought finer sanctuaries and better parking lots. We have tried to fill our church pews with seekers, but we have not sought your children dying on their mother's chests. We need to see a way out of this mess that we've got ourselves in. God, help us in this 21st century mindset that we've acquired. I don't even know what else to pray." I was reading in Philipians today and God spoke loud and clear to my heart again on this same topic. The passage is Philipians 2: 5-11. Basically it speaks of how Christ came to Earth to become a servant and humbled himself to obediance to the point of death on a cross. Earlier in the chapter 2:1-4 Paul is telling the Philipians to be humble and "Do not be interested in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others." Just like Paul spoke in these few passages as painful as it descending is the only way to greatness. Jesus obeyed for the sake of love and we as His followers and the recipients of His love are called to do the same. Jesus says that the two greatest commands are to love God and to love others. That is what motivated Jesus and that is what should motivate us. I'm not saying we all need to go out and adopt. I'm saying God is calling all His followers to go and love others and be interested in other's lives not just our own. We come up with so many excuses as to why we can't. The truth is we can...everyone can pray. It cost nothing and there is so much power in it. By the way, WE don't do anything. It's all God's doing. We are merely the vessels that he works through. There was a time when I thought I couldn't do anything then I was reminded, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Paul says in Philipians 2:13 "God is working in you to help you WANT TO DO and BE ABLE TO DO what pleases him." Please pray for the mother and fatherless. Pray for their little lives and their salvation. That they may be given the things they need today. And if your bold, pray that God will allow your heart to be broken for the things that His heart breaks for. As His followers He has a lot of work for us to accomplish for Him.

Colten's 3rd Birthday

One more game...pin the car on the race track. Colten wasn't very good at this one. But he had fun being spun around by his daddy. And he got to be Lightning McQueen so he was pumped up!

The famous race car cake! Colten was so excited when he saw the cake. He actually ran around the house looking for his racing shirt and put it on and told me that Tyler (a race car driver my parents know) was coming to his party and was going to let him sit in his race car...the poor guy was crushed to find out that wasn't happening...but he loved the cake!)

I also made these cute little candy cars. I even thought about those kids allergic to peanuts, but kinda forgot that alot of kids Colten's age don't know how to chew gum. I caught one little girl after she had eaten 3 pieces! OOOOOPS!


Colten loved all the attention when we sang 'Happy Birthday' to him. I can remember him just looking at me and smiling from ear to ear! Doesn't he look so old in this picture!!!!


Colten had a slew of presents to open. Matt helped him out with them. It was funny cause while he was opening all his presents all the other kids were checkin out the 'loot'! It was the funniest thing! I love the chocolate on his face too!

It's a good thing he got this microphone for his birthday. He had to use it after each present to say 'thank you' to his friends. Most of the time you still couldn't hear him though!
After all the presents were opened Colten couldn't wait to play with his toys...either that or Tom couldn't wait to help him play with his toys, I'm not sure which????

What a party! On his actual birthday, which was Wednesday, we got to go to the airport, to pick up Matt. Colten was excited about that because he loves airplanes. On the way home we asked him where he wanted to go for his birthday and he said, "Hobby Wobby, do they have food there?" We didn't go to 'hobby wobby' we ended up going to escapades. Matt loved it cause he got to chase him all through the tunnels, might be a little sarcastic there. But Colten mastered it on his own and didn't need any assistance from us. I've already decided next year's going to be a little more low key! It was fun but expensive in the end!

Colten's 3rd Birthday

Well, the party was great! Colten had a blast and can't wait for his next birthday. The cake that I made turned out to look like a car and not a bus (that's a plus!), but the lollipops didn't look so great, but everyone thought they tasted great so that's what counts I guess. Looking back at some of these pictures I just can't believe how old he is getting! I heard someone talking about kindergarten the other day and thought, I'm not even going there....I want it to slow down! It's fun to watch him learn new things and grow and change, but then you look back and wish it wouldn't go so fast! Thanks to all who came and made it so much fun for him! I know he appreciated it and it wouldn't have been the same if he wouldn't have been able to share it with his friends and family! Here are a few pictures from the party, (I say a few and there's a ton!)

We started off with some painting! That didn't last long for the boys. As you can see in the next picture there are only girls left at the table painting! I think Colten painted a whole 3 minutes on his car! A swipe of orange of course and black!

I was trying to think ahead because I knew there would be older siblings there. I thought they would enjoy putting a race car together more than painting a little car. Little did I know that it was like rocket science trying to get these cars together and it ended up keeping the adults more occupied than the kids!

Matt had made a race track around the room and we found these cute little race helmets! Colten and his friends had races around the track on his toys. This is where the boys spent most of their time!!!
Of course the adults had to join in on the fun too!!! They couldn't resist! Matt and his brother Josh battled it out in a crab race around the track! I can't remember who won, I'm sure they both would have been disqualified for not staying on the track...you know those Lee's everything turns into a wrestling match :)