Another Big Court Date

Yesterday was another big day. Hudson Lee became our grandson legally yesterday. Of course, this was a nothing more than a legal step. He has been our grandson for months already.
To fill anyone in who may not know the background, our daughter Libby and her husband Mike have a biological son, Carter, who is 14. They also have a 9 year old daughter, Abby, and a 7 year old son, Dillon, both adopted from Korea. (you can read a little about that on my post of Jan. 7, "God's Amazing, Astounding, Ridiculous, Crazy Love").
Well, last February, they received an email from their adoption agency about a 15 month old baby boy in Korea who was waiting for a family. When he was born, the doctors were afraid that he might have a serious genetic disorder, which delayed his adoption. Testing showed that he was fine, but, by that time, he had missed the referrals that are done when a baby is born. So, there he was, a healthy toddler with no forever family. Mike and Libby immediately felt that this baby belonged in their family.

They began the process. International adoption involves mountains of paperwork, boatloads of money, and miles of red tape dealing with governments of two nations.
(I have to add that it is absolutely worth it.) Finally, the first of September, they got the word, and Mike, Libby, and Abby flew to Korea to bring Hudson home.


Hudson is ADORABLE. He is very smart, and very happy. He loves to play with his cars. He would rather be outside in the yard than anywhere else. God was so good to place him in our family. I can't wait to see what God has planned for this little fella.

Face to face with modern slavery

Recently at Cottonwood we had a day of focus on human trafficking. After a pot-luck luncheon, a young woman, Katy Bentley, shared an experience that she had when she went on a mission trip while in college. Katy gave me permission to share her story here. So, in her own words, according to the notes I took, here is her story.

"A few years ago, I went to Indonesia for the summer on a mission trip. My job was to work in an English resource center. Another girl, Sue spent time meeting the girls who worked in the brothels in the city. I asked Sue if I could go with her one day. We went to the red light district, many blocks of brothels, and continued to a house where Sue had made friends with the woman who ran the brothel.
Sue and I went weekly to visit with the girls who worked there. We talked about girl stuff. The girls would touch us, stroke our hair. I realized that was the only human touch they had that was not abusive, and these girls were hungry for that kind of touch. I was amazed at how easy it was to be friends with these girls.
One day, Sue asked the girls if we could pray for each one of them. We intended to pray together in the gathering room, but the girls wanted us to go to each of their rooms and pray. Going into their rooms made me realize how much like me they were. These were real people with interests. Some of the rooms had pictures of the girl’s children. One woman, who was 19, had three children back in her village. Her husband was out of work and they did not have money to feed their children. Her Uncle had told her that he could get her a job in the city. When she got to the city, her uncle sold her to a brothel for $30. As appalling as this was, the young woman said it was really OK, because she was able to send a little money home each month so that her children had food. The system is set up so that the women are paid for the work, but they have to pay for their room and their food, and anything else they have. They are charged more than they make, so that they are in debt from the first day they are there, and never will be able to pay their bills.
I wanted so badly to help these girls. I had some money, and I could get more money from my parents and from my church. I could buy some of these girls and set them free. Sue told me that I could not do that, it wasn’t that easy. There would just be more girls bought and put into the brothel. I realized that these girls may not be rescued, but God could set them free. . Jesus came to set the captives free, not only from physical slavery, but also from the bondage of the soul whether they are freed, or not, God’s love must be sufficient. God’s love can meet their needs. His love is sufficient."

We do want to do whatever we can to fight slavery in every form. We also realize that whatever the circumstances of a persons life, they must hear about God's love for them. God's love truly can sustain them and bring healing and freedom in the soul.

True Freedom that comes through Surrender

It has been a week since the retreat, but I am still thinking about the things Arnita shared. One thing I am thinking about is that in order to have a life of true freedom I have to live a life that is surrendered to God. As a Christian, I had a big moment of surrender when I gave my life to Him, but that is followed by day to day, moment to moment surrender.
What do you think of when I say "surrender". Usually we don't like it. We think of old movies where a man is surrounded and knows that he has no other alternative, so he waves a white flag and surrenders. It is the last thing he wants to do because it means defeat, and he knows that the price will be loss of freedom. It is the last thing he does when he has no hope of victory.
Surrender to God is just the opposite. Surrender is the only way to have freedom.
Real surrender is leaning into God and walking intimately with Him. Surrender is not the end, it is the beginning.
Jeremiah 29:11 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
There are several benefits to living a life surrendered to God.
1. Surrender will bring you an awareness of the presence of God, and the favor of God.
John 8:29 "And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him."
2. Surrender will bring you into your destiny.
Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
3. Surrender will bring you fulfillment, a feeling of satisfaction, and accomplishment.
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
4. Surrender brings you to safety and a place of protection.
It is a paradox of the Christian life that the greater surrender in your life, the greater freedom you will have.
John 8:31-32 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, " If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.