Radical

I have been pondering this post by Ann Voskamp this week because it is right where my heart has been for some time.  Those of you who follow either Ann Voskamp or Katie Davis are in for a treat as these two worlds collide!  For those of you who don't, make sure to hop on over to their blogs - they are awesome!!

So what does a radical life for Christ look like?   As Ann posed the question, "Is it even possible to be a radical Christ-follower — and own a mini-van, have more than one bathroom, order clothes from Land’s End, and lay your head down on a pillow when He had none? "  Obviously, we know that it is - and I do!!  But I can't help to echo the question - What then are we supposed to do?? 

As believers, how are we to "go into all the world" when we are wives and mothers with responsibilities HERE!!??!  How are we then ~ how am I then~ to impact this world for Christ?  I believe it is possible, but it will take a radical abandonment to Jesus.  Proximity, after all, isn't always as important as what we do once we're there.  Yes, some of us will be called to go, but others of us will be called to stay.  Not to stay simply to enjoy the benefits of the American Dream however. 

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted much, much more will be asked."

~Luke 12:48



Haven't we been given all we have to turn around and use it for His glory anyway?  Our fancy houses and beautiful cars, our designer clothes and lavish lifestyles.  Even those, who do not have much by American standards, if they have a roof over their heads at night, a means of transportation (including public), clothes and food, they are among the top 10% of the wealthiest people in the world.  I'm fairly certain, that if you are reading (or in my case, typing) this post on a computer, that we qualify. :)  I haven't been blessed simply for my own purposes, but to instead glorify Him, the Creator of all things.  To give like the poor widow in Mark 12, instead of out of a surplus of what is leftover.  That is the kind of heart I desire.  The kind of heart I am praying for.  A heart that is overflowed with love from above, so much so that it DESIRES to give away. 

So what does this look like in suburban America?  Perhaps it is taking a meal to a family in need.  Perhaps it is giving away "stuff" that is simply taking over our houses.  Maybe it is taking another child into your home. Maybe, just maybe, it is freeing up your expenses and living on less, so that we have more to give.  To the widow...to the orphan....to the shut-in....to the single mother of three kids....to the least of these....for His glory.....to spread His fame.

What if as Christians, we lived like THAT, instead of working to gather as much stuff for ourselves?  What if we lived as if none of it were ours anyway?  What if we acquired, only to give it away?  What kind of impact could we make globally?  What if....

In David Platt's book, Radical (HIGHLY recommend this book), he writes,

"The way we use our money is a barometer of our present spiritual condition.  Our neglect of the poor illustrates much about where our hearts lie.  The mark of Christ followers is that their hearts are in heaven and their treasures are spent there."


"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
~Matthew 6:21 

My husband and I have much soul-searching to do this week.  How do we fit into this global mission?  How does God want to use our resources for His glory?  What is He asking us to do for His name?  I challenge you to ask those same questions of God.  What if we all, not only asked those kinds of questions, but then DID what God showed us to do within our own sphere of influence?  What if we, as Christians, chose to live radically, instead of comfortably, even if we weren't the ones necessarily called to physically "GO"?

What if......

Kirsten

GNO Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to our Girls Night Out Fundraiser!  It was a great time with friends and family and I left feeling incredibly loved and blessed.  Thank you to my wonderful sister-in-laws,  truly some of the most giving people I know.  From opening their home, to making TONS of delicious food and drinks, to organizing the whole night so that it ran smoothly.....they took care of all the little details effortlessly so that I was able to enjoy the evening.   I love you girls!!

For those of you who were not able to make the event, here are a couple pictures of our evening...



Our "spa" - set up in Sarah's bathroom. :)



Some of our guests....



It is NOT too late to order jewelry from Premiere!  Email me if you are interested in looking through the catalog.  I think I wanted just about everything, it is just THAT beautiful! :)




The chocolate fountain never fails to be a hit!



Along with mini-facials and eyelash tinting by a professional esthetician, we also had a massage therapist on hand!! 



My sweet Kaya (right) and her friend, Hailey, even got to join in on the festivities.  They felt so grown-up. :)



Our three youngest ladies. So sweet. :)



So there you have it!  A fun-filled night with friends, food and drinks, jewelry, facials, massages and CHOCOLATE!!!  Truly a girls night out!  We are still waiting to close out our jewelry show (this Sunday) before we will know how much was raised.  I'll make sure to post as soon as I find out!  Thanks again for all your support in this process!  We have really been blessed with some of the greatest friends and family ever! 

Kirsten 

Girls Night Out!

It's almost here!  Next Saturday is our big adoption fundraiser, and those of you in the area, I hope you will be able to make it!  I've tried for the longest time to copy and paste our Evite to the blog, but I'm just not that computer-savvy.  So....here is the information, not necessarily in a cute, well-put-together Evite package, but the info none-the-less. :)

Girls Night Out!

FOOD!  FUN!  FRIENDSHIP!

Join us for a Premiere Jewelry Demonstration and mini-facials by a professional esthetician!

Saturday, June 11th, 2011

7:00 pm

Harleysville, PA

All proceeds go towards bringing our child home!

Invite your friends!  Guaranteed to be a great time!



Email ckgregoire2@yahoo.com for more information.

So, that's all!  Hope to see you there!

Kirsten

Thank You!

Thank you everyone for your prayers and words of encouragement this week!  We were so blessed by email after email of people letting us know that they were praying for our home study visit to go well!  And....I think it did! :) 

My mother-in-law was so wonderful helping me clean my house from top to bottom (literally!!) and I spent weeks organizing closets and rooms.  I was so proud of the work we had done, and honestly, I don't even know that our case worker took notice or checked half of it.  Oh well!  At least I have a clean and organized home - for a couple days!!!  :)

So, anyway, at this point we are just waiting to receive our approval for our finalized home study.  Best case scenario?  It could be approved within the next week.  Worst case?  It could bounce back and forth between us and our case worker for a couple weeks because of revisions needing to be made (very normal!).  Obviously, we are praying though that everything goes through quickly!!  Pray along with us that we would have favor with God and man.

Thanks so much for pouring out your love on our family!  Can't wait to update you all soon. :)


Kirsten

Home Visit Today!!!

If you think about it, would you remember to pray for us today?

This afternoon is the dreaded home visit for our adoption.  The one piece of the whole process that I have been the most anxious for.  In one sense, I am nervous, however, I am also somewhat relieved that it is finally here and (almost!) over. 

Already, it has been an interesting day.  I can sense a mixture of panic and weariness setting in.  I went to bed late (my fault!!), was awoken a couple times throughout the night, woke in the morning to a child who is not feeling well and there is a list of last-minute things that need to get done.  On top of all that, I have a big three-day practicum for homeschooling on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week that I need to prepare a little for.  I've already had to resign to the fact that a couple of my home projects that I wanted to get done before today just will not get done.  And it will have to be ok.

Some verses that are particularly helping me today:

"For God did not give me a spirit of fear, but of power, and love and a sound mind."

2 Timothy 1:7

"Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING, but in prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Finally brothers, whatever is true.....think about such things."

Philippians 4:4-8

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

Philippians 4:13

"If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Romans 8:31

I have said it before, the most important thing you can do for us in support of this whole adoption process, is to pray for us.  Nothing of value can be done apart from prayer.  We know that.  Yet it is always so tempting to fall back on the flesh and to think that we are actually in control.  Pray that we would sense God's hand on us today as we prepare our home and our hearts.  Pray that His perfect love would drive out all fear (1 John 4:18).  Thank you all so much!!

Kirsten

Parenting is not for the Faint-of-Heart

So, I've spent the last hour, roughly, sitting at my dining room table, just thinking.  My house is relatively quiet (well, as quiet as a house with four young kids gets!!) and the kids are busily playing downstairs.  And, yet,

Here.  I.  Sit. 

Not because there is nothing to do.  Upstairs, there is a musty stench that hits you when you reach the hallway.  I'm not sure if it is the three loads of dirty laundry that await me or the bathroom that desperately needs to be scrubbed.  There is a sink of dirty dishes in the kitchen and toys strewn around the house.  I haven't even peeked in the basement for fear that the kids will see me and then quiet time will be over.  We only got through about half of our schoolwork for the day before we (I) needed a break.  I have a mountain of projects to get done around the house before our home visit next week and some more paperwork to complete.  And yet, the silence beckons me.  To come.  To sit.  To do nothing.

Being a parent is hard.  Even when our day is through and the kids are all tucked into their beds, there is still much to be done.  A checklist to complete.  In some ways though, the checklist feels like the easy part.

Clean the toilets.  Check.
Make dinner.  Check. 
Give the kids baths.  Check.

What complicates my checklist though, is trying to balance it in the midst of relationships.  Making dinner looks a lot different with one kid hanging on me, another trying to show me the project she just made and two others fighting it out over a toy (can you guess who's who??!).  Yes, the checklist itself is the easy part...trying to complete it with diligence and grace, all the while loving on my four littles is what complicates things a bit. How often though, do I allow my "checklist" to come in the way of these relationships that I so value?

Isn't it the same way with God?  I have MY agenda.  I have MY plans.  I have MY checklist.  And in some ways, it would be a lot simpler.  This relationship thingy is what complicates matters!  Trying to do all that I need to do, while I am extending the love of Jesus to those around me and maintaining a relationship with God.  Yet, that is where the problem lies.

Too many I's and MY's and not enough of Him. 

David Platt, in the book, Radical, states:

"Instead of imagining all the things we can accomplish, we ask God to do what only He can accomplish.  Yes, we work, we plan, we organize, and we create, but we do it all while we fast, while we pray, and while we constantly confess our need for the provision of God.  Instead of dependence on ourselves, we express radical desperation for the power of His Spirit."

Learning to surrrender my plans is hard, however, settling for a life apart from His resources and His Spirit is even harder.  Because, in the end, when I don't depend on God and try to do things in my own strength, I am nothing more than a Pharisee, trying to do good by my works.  I am holding onto the law, holding onto what is comfortable, and forgetting about the relationship.

In Luke 10 we find the all too familiar story of the two sisters, Mary and Martha, as they anxiously await the arrival of Jesus to their home.  Martha, is busy in the kitchen....cleaning, cooking, baking....she's got her checklist!  Mary, on the other hand, is sitting at the feet of Jesus.  She has put aside her "to-do list" and is invested in the relationship.  And what does Jesus say of her?

"Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen the better part." 

 ~Luke 10:42

 

So I'm gonna give it another try today.  I'm gonna give myself permission to enjoy my kids amidst the clutter and chaos.  I may not have the luxury of abandoning my checklist altogether, but I will press into Him and attempt my chores in His strength, all the while investing in the relationships around me. 

The laundry can wait. :) 



Kirsten

Where We're At

It has certainly been awhile since I've posted last!  We've had a busy couple weeks of allergies, E.R. visits, picnics, playdates, school and work.  And in the midst of it all....we finished our home study and all our adoption courses.  We will be starting our interviews this week!

On one hand, we are REALLY excited to be at this place in our adoption.  From what I've heard from those who have gone through this process before, the hardest part (in terms of paperwork) is over!!  The dossier, compared to the home study, is really not as labor-intensive.  All of that being said, I am a little nervous for this part to begin.  Leaving yourself open to having a stranger come into your home and "evaluate" you and your children is a little intimidating to say the least.  Especially in this crazy, nutty home!!  So, we would certainly covet your prayers this week as we begin to prepare for that!!!

In other news, once again, God has completely provided the fees needed for our home study.  When Charles and I first began to pursue adoption, our biggest obstacle was the cost (and rightfully so!!!).  Everyone who had gone before us said that the money would just be there.  God provides for the things that He favors and He favors the adoption and care of orphans. 

Now, it is one thing to believe this.  It is another to LIVE it.  However, I can honestly say, that our experience so far has been just that.  Every single dollar (and it has been ALOT!) has been provided at EXACTLY the right time.  We have never been without.  We have never missed a payment.  We are exactly where we should be in this crazy process.  And I am continually AMAZED!!  We are still not there yet...about a third of the way to our goal.  Yet, we are confident that God will provide.

Now, being confident and having faith that God will provide DOES NOT mean we know the end of the story.  It does not mean that we know HOW God will do it or what that will look like. We simply trust that He WILL.

ONE LAST THING!!!!  Many of you have asked if we were planning any fundraisers (other than the t-shirts!)....and....mark your calendars, because here it is. :)

GIRLS NIGHT OUT!!!

Saturday, June 11th 2011

7:00 pm 

Harleysville, PA

Email ckgregoire2@yahoo.com for details.

Join us for an evening of FUN, FRIENDSHIP and FOOD as we celebrate adoption.  Featuring a Premiere Jewelry demonstration and mini-facials by a professional esthetician.  Guaranteed to be a good time!  Invite your friends!!  

Hope you can make it!  We're also still selling t-shirts for anyone interested.  We're hoping to sell 25 more to reach our goal!!!  Have a wonderful rest of the day....working on a new series to unveil next week.  See you then. :)

Kirsten