Coach Mom Newsletter - MAY 2013
OGK. These may look
like Greek letters, but they are actually my
newly adopted response to the questions
being asked of me lately. “When do you leave
for Africa to adopt?” “When will the kids
get to come home to the States?” “When will
you be moving?” “What city are you moving
to?” “Where will your new church plant be
located?” My response, “Only God Knows” has
been repeated so many times it’s just easier
to say “OGK”.
“OGK” may seem trite,
but it’s a comforting reminder to me. While
God may be the only one who knows the
details of our future, He does
know. As speaker/writer Jill Briscoe says,
“My job is to manage my relationship with
Him, so that He in turn can manage me.” It’s
really that simple.
I can’t say I wasn’t
warned that my faith was in for some
stretching. At the beginning of 2013 as I
prayed for my theme verse, God told me it’s
all about living out what I believe this
year. A friend gave me a quote from the book
Blue Like Jazz that summarized it
beautifully: “I don’t believe what I say
I believe. I believe what I do” [emphasis
added].
Yes, God has provided
me a number of opportunities to live out my
beliefs. To name a few, add two more
children to our brood, which already seemed
large to me. Merge them in at a
late-childhood age, and help them through
their trauma issues that go along with being
orphans. Patiently wait on a legal system
that takes long anywhere, but seems to take
ten times longer in a third world country.
Travel a long journey solo by plane, bus,
and boat to get there. Then leave extended
family and a thriving life in McKinney and
move our family to a new community a
thousand miles away. Leave a precious church
and go start a new church.
The bad news is that it
looks really overwhelming in the natural. (I
just took a stress test online that told me
that I had an 80 percent chance of a
significant illness or injury in the next
year according to my life circumstances!)
The good news is that the Lord is
spiritually renewing my mind as I reflect on
His promises and character. Reading from the
Bible each day reminds me to have a right
view of God. He is in control, He loves me
beyond what I can comprehend, and He is able
to do whatever He wills. Last year my verse
was 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV): “And God is
able to bless you abundantly, so that in all
things at all times, having all that you
need, you will abound in every good work.”
We will abound in every good work
God has for us…because He is able.
All the uncertainties
remind me of a fact that is true in any
season: I can’t control my life, but God
can. Things are so up in the air I don’t
even know how to pray. “Lord, please help
the house sell soon…I think? Wait, will we
have to move out before the kids finish
school, and move into a rental?” “Lord,
please get me that court date in Africa to
do the adoption soon…I think? Or do I need
to be here in the next week or two to sell
or buy a house?” The only prayer I can
really pray with surety right now is, “Your
Kingdom Come. Your will be done.”
So, no, I don’t know…
-
When I leave for my
40-hour journey to Africa
-
How long I need to
stay in Africa
-
What events I will
miss at home while I’m gone
-
How many months it
will take to get visas before I can go
back and bring my children home to the
U.S.
-
Who is going to buy
our house or when they will want to move
in
-
How many weeks we
will have to keep our home “show ready”
-
What Phoenix-area
house we will live in, or even what
city, or when w will make the move
-
Where my children
will attend school
-
How long I might
need to homeschool my new children once
we bring them home
-
Where we will hold
meetings for our new church
-
Where we will buy
land to build our future church
I don’t know what the
future holds, but I know who holds
the future.
What uncertainties do
you have in your life right now? Would you
consider joining my OGK sorority? We aren’t
as actively social as other groups, but we
are very social with one—the One who says we
can call on Him at all times and He hears
us. To be a member of this club you must
choose to pray continually, “Your will be
done”.
Father, I pray for
every family represented by the one reading
these words. I pray for everything that
causes them to fear. Help them to trust you
with their future in every area of their
lives. Help them remember you have already
been to all their tomorrows and they can
trust you with them. Thank you for always
keeping your promises. You are faithful in
every way. I praise you, my God and King! In
Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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As I arise today,
may
the strength of God pilot me,
the power
of God uphold me,
the wisdom of God guide
me.
May the eye of God look before me,
the ear of God hear me,
the word of God
speak for me.
May the hand of God protect
me,
the way of God lie before me,
the
shield of God defend me,
the host of God
save me.
May Christ shield me today.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ
behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath
me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my
right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I
lie down, Christ when I sit,
Christ when
I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone
who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of
everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in
every eye that sees me,
Christ in every
ear that hears me.
I arise today through
the mighty
strength of the Lord of
creation.
Amen
(Source:
http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/Patrick.htm)
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Brenna shares more about her family's
upcoming move to Phoenix and how God never
forgets his promises. Read her latest post
A Promise Revisited.
http://brennastull.com/2013/05/03/a-promise-revisited/
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Congratulations to Lisa
Copeland, last month’s winner of the Helpful
Handy Hal book on family teamwork.
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