Isaiah 58

In one of my Bibles, much of Isaiah 58 is underlined in red ink or highlighted in yellow. There are marks by some of the lines and notes in the margin. If asked, Isaiah 58, along with so many others, would be named as one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.

I won't type the whole chapter here, though I am tempted to. You can read it for yourself, but if you choose not to, here is a snippet for you...

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter - when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I." Isaiah 58:6-9

I can't help but ask myself, when I read Isaiah 58 and now that I have come across the video below several times this week...what are we doing?

I can't stop myself at this point.

Why on earth did I go to church this morning? Why did any of us go? Did we learn any thing new, draw closer to the heart of God, squirm in our seats or were we not moved at all? Did we take offense to the Truth or not hear enough of it? Did we raise our hands as we worshipped Him and did we tightly close our eyes as we prayed? What did we pray for? Or did we even pray at all? Did we even want to be there?

Some time ago someone said something to me before one of our church services that stuck with me. He said, "We want you to be here. We want you to be plugged in and involved. But truthfully, we would you rather you not be here and instead be OUT THERE, working and helping to lead people to Christ." Isn't it amazing how someone can say something, surely not remember saying it, but continually impact you in a profound way. The church is essential. I am certainly not saying that it isn't. To worship, fellowship with other believers, learn, grow, reach in and reach out...all of that within the church is necessary.

But then we step outside. We live through Monday mornings and Friday nights. And for some of us, the rest of the week is nothing in comparison to Sunday mornings. Why? Is it because we are held to a different standard by God during the rest of the week? Or is it because we feel like we have to put on a happy face and make all of our "church friends" believe that we are just as perfect as them? Because surely they cannot possibly be as broken as we are. Maybe we think that being in the presence of such Godly people as our pastors or Bible study leaders requires us to be at our very best, so we put up our walls and we pretend that we are better than we really are. We worship and praise Him. We thank Him for His blessings and ask Him to keep our families safe, to heal our sick loved ones, to provide us with what we need.

And then we leave. As we walk out of the building, we leave Him inside. On Sunday we are willing to do any thing He asks. Feed the hungry. Clothe the naked. Treat the sick. Love the widow and the orphan. Maybe even die. But not on Monday. Not on Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday or Friday and certainly not on Saturday, our fun day. Because after the hands lifted high worshipping and the eyes tightly shut praying, we walk out. We make the choice not to act. We make the decision to turn away. We decide to ignore Him the rest of the week.

I am guilty of all of this. I may be very familiar with the food crisis much of our world faces. I know a lot about orphan statistics and families that live in poverty. And we are working to reach a handful of families and children though our work will never be enough, no matter how far it goes. But I am guilty. Guilty of not doing enough...guilty of not praying enough...guilty of making the wrong choices at times and not always being open to Him the first time He calls. I am guilty of looking away because sometimes the reality is so hard to face and because I know that regardless of what I do, it will never be enough. I am so crazy about God that I sometimes feel like my head is spinning and I am desperately trying to live this life the way He wants it to be lived, but I fail...every day. When I turn my head so I won't see...when I sing a little louder so I won't hear...I fail. Because of His love, the love that I have for orphans and vulnerable children is unbelievable and uncontainable and it gets a little bigger every day. Still, I am not doing enough. We, as the body of Christ, are not doing enough.

We have to figure this out. We have to get it together. Because it isn't an option. He did not nicely ask us to care for those that cannot speak for themselves, for the destitute, for widows and orphans and all that are in need, both physically and spiritually...He commanded it. And we are ignoring Him.

Except on Sundays.

I did not mean to write all of that. I really just wanted to share this video that I've seen a couple of times this week because it speaks loudly to my heart and says what I have been saying for a while now. It isn't enough to worship Him for ourselves. It isn't enough to raise our hands to praise Him if we aren't willing to reach out with those same hands to care for those that He loves. And it isn't enough to close our eyes to pray because sometimes, if our eyes are closed too long or if they are shut too tight, we miss seeing what He has set right in front of us. If we aren't following the instructions He has clearly laid out, then what on Earth ARE we doing?



*I know I have written a couple of blog posts like this in the last two months or so. Forgive me for being repetitive if that is the case, but when something like this speaks so clearly to me, I just have to get it out...I guess that is what blogging is all about, right?

Returning to Guatemala...without Tommy

Next weekend we will celebrate Tommy's 2nd Family Day. I can't believe how quickly time is passing by.

Next weekend marks two years since I left Guatemala, not wanting to leave and not knowing when I would return.

In three weeks, I will return to Guatemala without my son.

Strange.

I wasn't sure what it would feel like to be back in Guatemala WITH him in June. Honestly, it felt perfectly normal. It felt as if we never left. Of course I worried a little about bringing him back. Wouldn't we all? But not once did I feel uncomfortable while he was there with us and if I could, I would bring him on every trip...and I will have no doubts about moving our Guate-American son right back to Guatemala when that time comes for our family.

Now I am in unfamiliar territory and it is kind of freaking me out a little. I guess I haven't thought about it this way until recently, but how weird is this? I spent all of that time praying that we would be able to bring him home from Guatemala as quickly as possible. Now he is home and I am leaving him here while I go back to Guatemala. It even sounds crazy. I am not going to visit a child, not going to foster or bring one home.

Let me just say I am not afraid of returning to Guatemala. Obviously, I have no fear whatsoever about being in Guatemala regardless of what is said (or not said) on the news at any given time. I am much more comfortable in Guatemala than I am in the U.S. (don't ask me why because I have no idea).

What I am afraid of is stepping out of my comfort zone...again. I'm a mom now. Yeah, so I started this orphan care and family outreach ministry and it is requiring me to hop on a plane and go do missions work, first in Guatemala and soon enough other parts of the world, sometimes without my husband and our son. I am so blessed to be able to do this...all of this...and so thankful that much of the work that goes into this can be done either from home or with Tommy so that he rarely has to be with a babysitter. But now I am getting ready to leave him in the U.S. for a week (with Danny) and it is beginning to terrify me. I'm not sure how to be away from him for so long. I am certain that he will be OK...I'm sure he and Danny will have a blast doing guy things for a week without mom. But my heart is going to break when I have to walk away from them at the airport three Saturdays from tomorrow. I am going to miss both of them SO MUCH...I can't even stand to think about it.

I wondered what this would feel like as the trip got closer. Honestly, it's bad. I have been "practicing" being away from him sometimes for a couple of nights at a time. Twice he has gone with Danny to FL for the weekend and once, I even got on a plane and flew to Charlotte for 2 nights without him. But I was always in the U.S. Never more than a 2 hour non-stop flight or 4 hour drive away from home. I can handle 2 nights. I can handle being hours away. Surely I can handle it in Guatemala. Maybe I can just pretend that I'm going to FL. Or maybe not.

Two other moms will be traveling in our group. One adopted from Russia and Guatemala, the other has two biological children. As moms, it is only natural to feel this way when you are getting ready to leave your children for a week and I know that they are getting a little more concerned about this as the days fly by. If you are already praying about our trip, as I know some of you are, will you please spend a little extra time praying for those of us that will be leaving our children behind.

For me, it was so easy to say "yes" to the Lord about this trip, but that doesn't make leaving Tommy any easier. In the end, even though we all have young children, I believe that what we are doing is showing our children that serving God by serving others is good...no matter how hard it is for us to do. I am praying that each of the moms will be at peace with their decision to follow Him to Guatemala during the next three weeks and as they hug their little ones good-bye on 10/17.

When we get back, I get to do this all over again in December...for 5 nights instead of 7. I am so excited about the December trip, but already dreading leaving my guys at home. Thankfully, they will BOTH be traveling to Guatemala with me for the first AAB mission trip of 2010.

Family Gives Back on "Gotcha Day"

I am overwhelmed. Completely and totally overwhelmed.

Several weeks ago I received an email from a family saying that they were having a party to celebrate what they call their daughter's "Gotcha Day" and instead of having their family and friends bring gifts for their daughter, they asked them to bring items to be donated to Across All Borders instead.

What a GREAT IDEA!!

I just received the shipment of 6 BOXES (!!) of children's OTC meds, toothbrushes & toothpaste, socks, shoes, crayons & construction paper galore, soap, baby shampoo and the list goes on.

A 3 year old said to her parents, "The children of Guatemala are going to be SO happy when they get all this stuff!" She is so right!

I am overwhelmed, not just by the amount of items that I am currently sorting through as I get ready to begin packing, but by the generosity that is being learned by so many children that have parents with such big hearts. It has always been my prayer that our children would begin learning, not only through what they hear us say, but by what they see us do. This family is teaching their daughter through acts like this and it sounds like she is already well on her way to understanding that giving truly is better than receiving.

Fellowship Church

Dana S. will be traveling with AAB in October as our photographer. We are SO EXCITED that she will be with us because she has a much better eye behind the camera than I do which will make the photography project we will be doing much more creative. Dana has been collecting donations from her friends and family for the trip. She collected so much that I had to pick up the extra items that would not fit in her luggage today.

A huge THANK YOU to Fellowship Church in Prairieville, LA for helping Dana collect supplies! Your donations of OTC meds, vitamins, hygiene products and school supplies will go a long way in helping children in Guatemala.

If you would like to see some of Dana's work or if you live in the Baton Rouge area and are looking for a photographer, click here to visit her website.

The World Race & Servants 4 Him

World Race Promo from The World Race on Vimeo.

How cool is this? This is an amazing experience for young adults AND the lives that they touch along the way.

During our October trip, we will be working very closely with our friends at Servants 4 Him. In fact, there is no way that we could do what we will be doing without their help and we are so very thankful for all that they are doing before our arrival and during our time there. A World Race team may be working with S4H the week we are there, as well, which will mean that we might have the opportunity to work with some of these incredible individuals.

I am able to relate so much more to this lately....

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12

I love, Love, LOVE when two or more ministries are able to work together with the people God has called them to serve. We may be going about projects in different ways and actually work on different projects all together, but when the ultimate goal is sharing the love of Christ, it just makes more sense to work together in order to reach a larger number of people.

I will likely say it again and again between now and the time we return from Guatemala...

THANK YOU to our friends at Servants 4 Him for being such a blessing to us by helping to organize a large part of this trip!!! We can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

AAB Golf Tournament

The first AAB golf tournament was held yesterday under storm clouds that helped keep temperatures bearable. We are thankful that the rain held off until close to the end of the day, regardless of how bad the clouds got throughout the day. Our first tournament was small, but we are certain that this annual event will grow as Across All Borders does. Even small tournaments can be a success and we are blessed to be able to say that this one was certainly successful. We have many people to thank, but most importantly we are thankful that God brought so much support to AAB through this event and that the lives of children in Guatemala will be touched through us by Him because of the generosity of so many.

Thank you to every person that formed a team and to each person that played in the tournament yesterday. We cannot tell you how much it means to us that you spent more than half of your day with us, supporting the children and families in Guatemala that mean so much to us. Your support and acts of kindness are more appreciated than you know! And congratulations again to each person that won tournament and door prizes!

We received more support for this event from local businesses and individuals than we imagined we would and we thank each one of them for their contributions that made this tournament a success. Please take a moment to learn more about our sponsors....

Thank you to our HOLE SPONSORS:

The Recycling Foundation of Baton Rouge - sponsored 5 holes!!!
Flowers Foods - sponsored 4 holes!!!
Oroweat - sponsored 4 holes!!!
Carter's Supermarket
Cracker Barrel convenience stores
Brunet's Cajun restaurant
Ralph's Supermarket
Raising Cane's
Perfect Platters Catering
Ambassador
Peterbilt of Louisiana
Piggly Wiggly
Times Grill

Thank you to our PRIZE SPONSORS:

Olive Garden
Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro
Rave Motion Pictures
LSU Athletic Dept.
Boutin's
Bonefish Grill
Walmart (Zachary, LA)
Beau Rivage
Champps Americana
Greystone Country Club
Edwin Watts
Webb Park
Starbucks
Pelican Point
Walmart (Denham Springs, LA)
Raising Cane's
LeBlanc's Supermarket
Peterbilt of McComb
Copper Mill

Thank you to our FOOD and BEVERAGE SPONSORS:

Kleinpeter
Frito Lay
Golden Flake
Manda Meats
Flowers Foods
Coca-Cola
Feliciana Supermarket
Oak Point Supermarket

Thank you to Sonic of Baton Rouge for sponsoring one of our teams.

Thank you to Copper Mill Golf Club for allowing us to hold the tournament on their beautiful course!

Special thanks to Kori Murray, Kelly Turner and Mitch Fontenot for their help yesterday. We could not have done this without you! Thank you for your never ending support!

A personal thank you to my husband and co-founder of AAB....Danny...I'm pretty sure you know this tournament would not have happened without your tireless effort in obtaining sponsors, gathering prizes and donations and the list goes on. Thank you for all you did to make sure this was a success. I love the heart you have for the children of Guatemala, but most importantly, I love YOU!

We will begin planning and organizing the 2nd Annual AAB Golf Tournament in January. Our next tournament will be held in the fall of 2010.

Winners

The winners of the AAB raffle are....

Raffle #1 - Free trip to Guatemala - ticket # 337
(Monique G.)

Raffle #2 - autographed LSU items - Where ARE the online LSU fans?? No online winner for these items....instead, we raffled them off at the golf tournament.

Raffle #3 - $200 Target gift card - ticket # 555
(Cindy M.)

Thanks to all that participated in this! Your generosity means so much to the children and families of Guatemala!!

Info about the golf tournament coming soon....