HE HAS ADOPTED ME!!!

This was written by my amazing husband!

I was on my way! Head phones in listening to Passion 2011! I was excited as I worshiped! You see last time I went to Lexi’s school I brought pizza for one mother, her 2 kids, Lexi and one of her friends. Several parents and teachers approached me and asked questions about Lexi. I explained that God was leading me to do this as a way to honor Lexi and to help her make friends at her new school. I was able to point them to God and what God has done! This time I was bringing pizza for 24 kids. Tears of joy and amazement trickled down my face as I thought of giving God Glory through honoring Lexi. Then God brought a thought to my mind, “Get Lexi a rose just like last time”. I hesitated, “I cannot afford it...the pizza is already about $50”. Then I pulled up to Little Caesars on 33rd right next door to Jamba Juice. “Get Lexi a smoothie”. There was the thought in my head again! (Lexi loves smoothies!) I got the Berry banana smoothie, 7 pizzas, 4 two-liters of pop, 1 red rose and arrived at John Ross.



I was surprised as one of the teachers said, “Hey Jerome” as I walked by her?? How does she know who I am? Then I entered the office (without the pizza). “Where are the pizzas?” they asked as I walked into the office. How did they know? I walked out into the hallway and another teacher was walking by, “Lexi’s class will be here in 5 minutes” she said. Then I realized that everyone knew AND everyone was excited! I however was the most excited because I knew that God was getting glorified and even the teachers were talking about what He was doing!

Just then Lexis class started walking in the door. “There is Lexi's Dad!” One of them called in excitement! A few kids cheered and were waving me over to them. HAHAHA. Then sweet Lexi walked in, she ran straight toward me lunging for the rose in my hand. “A rose!” she said with excitement! Her face looked like it would explode with joy. Then I carried the pizza to her class table. I wanted to share God with all the kids but I realized I could not just start preaching so I decided to just serve. For 30 minutes I marched back and forth getting orders for drinks and types of pizza. I noticed that Lexi was so excited that she was not eating her ham and pineapple pizza so I asked her if she wanted to help. She smiled really big and said yes. So we served. The kids kept saying thank you. I wanted so badly to say, "thank Jesus not me!" But I knew I needed to just serve. Every kid got all the pizza they needed and there was exactly three pieces left for me at the end. Then came the pinnacle of the day!



Lexi looked at me and said “show everyone your finger” (thank God for shooting off my finger! HAHA). I held up my finger and kids ran over to see my hand. “That was before you were a Christian when you were a bad guy huh? said one little, cute girl. I replied yes and then she said, “God shot it off because you hated Him huh?” HAHAHA I wanted to say “no he shot it off because He loved me and because He knew that this moment would come,” but I did not. Instead I explained that I was making bad choices and put myself in bad situations because I did not know God. Then I told her that I love God now more than anything and that is why I am bringing pizza for Lexi and her friends. Lexi was laughing for joy as I answered all the questions. Then she did something so awesome! Glory to His name! In response to me saying God love was leading me to bring pizza she started singing and dancing! Spinning in a circle singing “that’s why he adopted me! Because God loves me! “that’s why he adopted me! Because God loves me! Again another kid asked me, “Why did you bring us pizza?” I answered and again Lexi stated singing and dancing again, “That’s why he adopted me! Because God loves me!" Oh what joy filled my heart with her! I wanted to cry out, “God loves me and that is why He adopted me!" (just for the record we have not adopted Lexi. She has a mother that is working on getting her back but we love her as our own and she feels like she is part of our family).



As I dove back to work I sobbed for joy! My shirt was wet like I just ran a mile in the middle of summer. “HE HAS ADOPTED ME AND HE USES ME!!!!” A couple of things came to mind as I worshiped.

1. God uses me! What a great gift! There is no greater pleasure on earth except realizing His presence! I would not trade these moments for anything. If you offered me a new car, a vacation to Hawaii with my beautifu,l wonderful wife for the moment I saw His Gory as Lexi danced and sang for joy, I would laugh at you! I would be a fool to trade that moment for anything. It is where I belong! It is what I long for!!!!

2. Our God is amazing!!! Oh how I love Him!! He is aware of every atom in the universe and holds every neutron in its orbit by His concise thought and yet He cares so much for a little girl that is going through a hard time that he dances for joy as she realizes His Love!!!! ” He is the one that was serving those children and bringing Lexi that rose!! HOW BEAUTIFUL HE IS!! HOW HARD HE WORKS TO SHOW US THAT HE HAS ADOPTED US!!! HOW HE HAS LABORED TO REACH US!!! THE BLOOD OF THE HOLY ONE WAS SPILLED SO THERE WOULD BE NO DOUBT!! SO WE COULD SING AND DANCE AND SAY “HE HAS ADOPED ME BECAUSE HE LOVES ME”

Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth

I snuck into the library one afternoon to have a worship time while I was staying in the orphanage. While I was worshipping I text Jerome, he was worshipping the same God at the same time even though an ocean was between us. I love that His Spirit inside of us connects us beyond space and time which I'm in Africa. I love that man so much! I love our God so much! Here is our un-edited, non-spell checked text-worship to God ;)

Me: He is my Refuge! He is my Strength! He is faithful! As I pour out my heart these things I remember! Let faith arise!

Jerome: Show me Your hart! Show me Your ways! Show me Your glory! Show me Your hart! Show me Your ways! Show me Your glory! Show me Your hart! Show me Your ways! Show me Your glory! Fire fall down on us we pray!

Me: Yes Lord, we want your ways, your heart and your glory! Nothing else!!!

Jerome: We are satisfied inYou!!!!! Why would we need anything else but Your beauty and presence! It makes my hart want to burst like a dam in a hurricane!!!!!!

Me: Nothing compares to Him! Nothing is more important than drawing near to Him! Whatever it takes to draw us near we welcome!!! There is never a reason to rush in and out of His Presence! May we sit and soak in all He has for us!

Jerome: We want You more than our lives! We want You! For You we would be shamed in the Worlds eyes. May they label us fools as we seek You daily! May they call us insane as we give every thought to You!! May that see that we are obsessed!!!!

Me: He is all that matters! May our whole lives be a living sacrifices! May we daily take up our cross and follow Him! Losing our lives so that we gain Christ!!! We ask for forgiveness, grace and mercy and you freely give it...you lavishly love us, your children. You are the Beautiful One!!!

Jerome: Please give us more of You! We are desperate for more of You!!!!!!! You are good beyond measure!!! AND MY HART LONGS TO GIVE YOU PLEASURE!!!!! LET US BRING YOU GLORY!!

Me: Yes Lord, let us be a delight to you! Let us know we are pleasing to you! Let our passion bring you fame!!! Let our love for you draw the lost to your beautiful Name!!!!

Jerome: How I long to praise you!!!! To tell of Your beauty!!! And how amazing it is that You delight in our praise!! We are so messed up!!! BUT YOU MAKE EVERYTHING WE DO PERFECT!!! HOW AMAZING!!! Please give us more !!!

Me: Oh what comfort this brings!!! He is working everything together for our good as we seek to do His will! He make beautiful things out of dust! His grace is sufficient for our broken lives!

If you are married, make Christ the center of your marriage. If you are single, choose a man who is consumed with Christ! I could not imagine being married to someone who dud not share my great love for my great God!!!!

HE IS CONSTANTLY HERE WITH US!

Lexi and her brother Dresden have been living with us since I came home from Africa. We are fostering these children while her mom has a new baby and transitions back into being a mom full time. When I pulled into the parking lot to take Lexi into her new school the song by Charlie Hall titled, Constantly Here With Us came on the CD I was listening to. I looked in my rear view mirror and could tell Lexi was sad. I asked her if she was listening to the words of the song, if she knew that God was constantly here with her. I asked her if she believed that when I left her with her new teacher that Jesus would not leave her, but instead be with her every second of the day until I picked her up. She said yes. I asked her who is the One Person who would never leave or forsake her. She whispered, God. OH MY GOODNESS...how my heart was made alive through her simple, child-like faith. It was so hard to drop her off...even though I knew Dad-Jerome would be there in 3 hours to bring her chicken strips and a vanilla shake and eat lunch with her in the cafeteria. I drove off with so many emotions. Once I felt settled in Him, I get a call from my husband asking me to edit a note he wrote for Lexi so he could give it to her when they had their lunch date this afternoon. Here is what he wrote:



To Sweet Lexi,



I want to tell you that the God has filled my heart with Love for you. I will do everything I can to protect and cherish you. I want to show you the gentle love that Jesus has for you. I am very happy that God has brought you to our house. I look forward to us all doing many things as a family.



I am here for you as best that I can be. If you need someone to read to you, I will do it. If you need someone to pray with you, I will do it. If you need someone to talk to, I will listen. If you need anything, I will try to provide. I am however limited. But there is one thing that I want to do more than anything else… To show you that there is a GOD who‘s love for you has no limits! Who is with you no matter where you are. I pray that you will see Jesus in the things that I do! I pray that you realize that everything we do is because His love for you fills us!



He is the one who created the furthest star but He also created your smile and every curly hair on your head! You are His masterpiece and His thoughts are always on you. He knows your every thought and every feeling in your heart! Remember to pray to Him! He is there with you in everything you do and will make sense out of everything in your life. He will grow you into a great woman filled with Love and Joy if you will set your life on Him!



This is what I want to show you more than anything else!! That He loves you with a Love as strong as a river and that is why He has brought you to our house!



Love,

God Dad Jerome

OK, you guys, really. I have the most amazing husband, the most amazing life and best of all the most amazing God who has made my next breath possible. I can not tell you how full my heart is of love for HIM!

I love that we are all one family in Christ. I love that we can help parent and love children all over the world if we choose. I love that we can reach out to single moms,orphans, the fatherless, our neighbors, the lost and hurting and make a real difference because He lives inside of us. I love that if we lose our lives for His sake that we find true life in Jesus!

I do not deserve to have this beautiful life....and yet it makes me love Him so much more!

If I tagged you in this note it is because we wanted to fill you in on the new thing that God is doing in our lives.