Melvin & Sharon

I had the honor and privilege on Monday to take a drive down to Kenney, IL to deliver items to a foster family that had lost everything in a fire. We started collecting items and donations at the end of April and the first weekend in May we were able to take a few items we collected and items from our apartment to sell at a garage sale in Rockford at my parents house.

God truly was working at this sale. I had a few people come up to me and just hand me money without even purchasing anything.

One lady I will never forget. She came up to me and said, "I know what it is like to loose everything in a fire. Just recently our house burnt down in a fire, and my 15 year old son was in it." She said she would chose to loose everything again everyday if she could just get her son back. She then handed me $5 and said, "I wish I could give more, but my husband and I just both lost our jobs." I was speechless.

God has been working through this process of raising funds for this family. I met a wonderful lady named Kathy who worked with me in gather items for this family. We drove down together on Monday to deliver these items and we had such a wonderful time serving together.

We arrive in Kenney with a van load of items and we pulled up to a very small camper in the middle of a grass lot. Melvin and Sharon were standing out front to greet us. We started unloading and we were able to speak with them and hear more about their story. It was such a blessing to hear about their lives and how much they love and care for children who don't have a place to call home. This older couple has truly lived their lives to provide some sort of security to kids whom otherwise would be on the streets. I was so encouraged by their positive attitudes and their love. Their living situation is anything from ideal but yet they had a permanent smile planted on their faces when they spoke about their two foster kids.

While speaking with Melvin & Sharon we learned that it's the little girl's birthday on Sunday. Kathy & I told them that we would like to get some birthday gifts for her to open on her birthday. I went out shopping with Gracelyn yesterday for a birthday gift for a soon to be 7 year old girl. I kept thinking about the story Melvin and Sharon told us about these kids and my heart just broke for her. I thought about how Melvin said that the kids have never had anything to call their own.

I began thinking about all the other kids that have similar painful stories. All the other kids who do not have a Melvin & Sharon. All the other kids that are still living in a painful world. We do not have enough Melvin & Sharon's in this world. I realize that God may not call every person to be a foster parent, but God does call us to care for the orphans. In what way can you make a difference in a child's life for the Glory of God?

health update

After my 7th knee surgery in February, my doctor in Chicago said that we would come up with a new plan once I healed and came back a few months later. My knee has not improved at all since the surgery so I was a bit nervous driving up to my appointment in Chicago today.

After waiting in the waiting room for 2 hours, I was finally able to go back and meet with Dr.Cole. He seriously is an amazing doctor, and has numerous awards and has been rated top orthopedic doctor. Although this journey with me knee has been very long and painful, I have always had great faith in my doctor. (even though in general I'm not the biggest fan of doctors)

He came in and examined me and asked me a few questions. I informed him that my left knee has still not improved at all, and my right knee continues to get worse. I told him about my recent back issues and how I think it relates a lot to me not being able to bend with my knees when I pick things (Gracelyn) up.

After a long discussion, he looked at me with sadness in his voice, and said, "Abby, I have had many difficult cases with patients but I am always been able to come up with a plan of action, and I am completely stuck here, I don't think that this is ever going to get better, and the only option I see is to refer you to a pain management doctor and just manage the pain with drugs."

I broke into tears. I have been told from many many many doctors that they cannot explain the pain I have in my body. For the most part, I have been able to still function through my body pain to live a normal life, except for my knees. I know my pain in my body was unexplainable but I had faith that my knees would be able to be fixed so that I could at least live somewhat of a normal life.

This really shattered my hope in a "normal" life. After I left Dr. Coles office I started headed 2 hours to Rockford. I began mourning "the life I wont ever be able to have" and I began to think about all the things I can't do and all the things I wont be able to do with Gracelyn as she grows up.

God was so ever near in comfort on my trip home. As I cried, I felt His presence there to comfort me. God has been revealing to me the more he wants to do in my life, and I just got smacked in the face on my drive home. God clearly has a plan for this. I may never get to live a "normal" life and "normal" activities, but God is my Lord, and he wants to do so much more in and through me and by the grace of God I am not going to take my eye off of the prize. I will not grow weary, because He will give me rest. Just because I didn't expect this to be the outcome, doesn't mean God is in any way shocked by it.

God can heal me, this I know, but I also know that He can use this situation for His glory. My prayer now is that whatever the situation with my health will be, His glory would be more revealed, my heart would continue to Praise Him and be fixed on the ultimate Prize, My Savior.

Are you willing? or are you ready?

I have been studying Mark 10:17-22 for thepast week and a half. I have been wrestling through this passage and convicting me on truly where my heart is. It has brought new light to my world, and how I view my possessions. Most of people have read the story of the rich young ruler, if you haven't or want a refresher you can read it here .

I have heard this passage preached on many times, but I have been listening to David Platt preach on it and it has been a bit different message. Many times when we read about the rich young ruler we try to water down what Jesus is saying here. This is the message I have usually heard when hearing a sermon on this passage. Would Jesus really call you to sell all your possessions and giv

e it to the poor? We tend to answer this question with, "well, what Jesus was saying here is just that we ought to be willing to sell our possessions and give to the poor." Is that really what Jesus was saying here? Or do we try to minimize this passage in order to fit with the comfort of the Christianity we've created?

What I have been wrestling with this past few weeks is God asking me, "are you willing to sell it all? or are you ready to?" It is so v

ery easy for me to answer the first question with a "yes God, I'm willing!" but the next question is where I stop. Am I ready? Am I ready to go to God with it ALL? Am I ready to lay it ALL on the table for Him to use for His glory? Am I ready to ask God what He would have me sacrifice? I get a knot in my stomach. It makes me uncomfortable to think about, and even more uncomfortable to do.

I do not think that Jesus calls every Christian to sell all that they have and give it to the poor, BUT I do think that He does call some of us. It has been so difficult for me to wrestle with; am I willing and am I ready? It is extremely easy for us to say that we are willing to do this, but then we hoard our possession

s, and hold onto them with a closed hand. I think that if I truly went to God with open hands, with all my stuff, all my money, all my time, and ask Him what He wanted to give up for His glory, my material possessions would look a lot different. My life would look a lot different. I think this sadly might be true for a lot of us Christians.

I have told God he could have it all many times, but slowly I remove the "all" off the table, until "all" that is left, is what I am comfortable giving up, my leftovers. If what you are giving doesn't cause an actual sacrifice, it

is not sacrifice, merely leftovers. I do believe that Jesus' command to the rich young ruler in Mark 10 is a command He gives to some Christians today.

I am so tied to my possessions and money, that I find it uneasy and scary to actually think of give up all my things. I find so much comfort and security in what I "have".

Jesus knows this. Jesus does not call me to give up my possessions so that I would miss out, or not have joy. He calls us to give up our possessions so that, we can experience more joy than any other thing could p

ossibly provide. Love of stuff will inevitably rob us of the joy that God created us to experience.

What is God calling you to get rid of in order to experience His joy? everything? the items you cling to most? We can only serve one master, God or money? (Matt 6:24) Where we spend our money is a strong indicator of where our hearts are. (Matt 6:21)

I have been challenged through this passage in a very scary way, to go to God, with open hands, with it all on the table, and ask Him, what do you want me to give up, for Your glory? Do you need to do the same?