Light Breaks Forth || Caring for Orphans as a Family.

 “God has called us to be a defender of the defenseless because that is who He is. We are returning worship to God when we show His character to the world by championing the cause of the least of these.” 
- Orphanology 

Caring for orphans is not the responsibility of the state or the government of another country: it’s the work of God’s people. And I believe it starts with us and our families.

IDEAS FOR YOUR LITTLES:

Start with scripture. There are five things God's Word tells us about caring for the poor. Even young children can count to five on their fingers and memorize these things. (Thanks to Lisa Kjeldaarld for giving me permission to share these with you!)

     1. God is concerned. (Psalm 140:12)
     2. God identifies Himself with the poor. (Proverbs 14:31)
     3. God commands us to act. (Isaiah 1:17)
     4. God blesses those who serve. (Proverbs 19:17)
     5. God punishes those who ignore orphans. (Jeremiah 5:28)

Serve with your kids. I have yet to find anywhere in the bible where it says mamas with lots of littles are exempt from serving. There are seasons I understand where serving is not possible, but a season is a season. There are places you can serve with your kids. You just have to seek them out, ask, and sometimes get a little creative.

Visit refugee families. In our area there are a TON of refugee families in need of stuff. We have stuff (we are American after all) so we can give some of it away. I love involving my kids in cross-cultural ministry because they get to see that not everyone looks like them, talks like them or has all of the things they have. Search for a refugee ministry near you. 

Sponsor a child/woman/familiy. Through Compassion International you can search for a child by location, gender, and age allowing you to sponsor a child/children the same gender and age as your kid/dos at home. I think this adds an extra layer of interest and reality for your kids as to the life of your sponsored child. 

PRAY! Our kids pick up on what is important to us. If we are not praying for orphans and vulnerable children, our kids won’t be either. Ask God to break your heart and the hearts of your children for what breaks His.

(THIS POST from our friend Lindsy Wallace was too good not to repost! For the full post, & more words of wisdom, head over to HER BLOG.)

Wild at Heart.

'Don’t climb on that; don’t break anything; don’t be so aggressive; don’t be so noisy; don’t be so messy; don’t make such crazy risks.' ... But God’s design -- which He placed in boys as the picture of Himself -- is a resounding yes. Be fierce, be wild, be passionate.

-John Eldredge

We have a winner!

Congrats, Ali! & THANK YOU, everyone who donated! We are so thankful for all of our sponsors & participants! You have truly been a blessing to our growing family. 

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:15-17

Let's talk about adoption...

In today's busy, self-centered life, it is easy for things like adoption to be pushed to the wayside. There are many (somewhat legitimate) reasons as to why people cannot/will not adopt (ps: I'm not saying every family is called to adopt, they're not), but my heart breaks for 153 million orphans & vulnerable children who need our help... And when I hear statistics that say the number of international adoptions has dropped 60% in the last six years, I'd say we're failing to hear their cries and identify with their lives. 

Just know, this is written from a Christian perspective to Christian readers. Because for us, dear reader, adoption changes everything. Adoption is so intricately rooted in the gospel that we cannot ignore it nor take it for granted. Keeping in mind that each child is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), we must not simply care for, but chase after the forgotten and the undesirables. 

Let's begin by saying: Christians are not called to adopt, they are commanded (Isaiah 58:10; Deuteronomy 24:17,19; James 1:27).

>>> READ MORE HERE!

Fundraiser Giveaway!

From Artistic Adoption: Crown of Splendor - Grey ($32.00).

From Haddon & Co: Boy's Bow Tie ($20.00).

From Handmade Colectibles: Handmade Felt Roses ($45.00).

From Echoes of Mercy: a Print of your choice ($10.00).

From Olive Handmade: a $40.00 gift certificate.

From His Love Apparel: United by Love Grocery Christian Red Tote ($12.50).

From Handmade By Me: Origami Bird Tea/Dish Towel ($18.00).

From Mercy Ink: 5 Prints of your choice ($25.00).

From 147 Million Orphans: A T-Shirt for you & your child ($37.00).

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HOW TO ENTER:

Y'all should be pros by now. :) A donation of $5 equals one entry. For every $5 you donate, please comment below once. For example, if you donate $25, you can comment five separate times. After you have donated, you can tweet, facebook, or blog about the giveaway for another chance to win! Winner will be chosen randomly on May 27th... Winner takes all! 

Thank you for helping bring our girl home!

PS- please take some time to look around the wonderful shops of all of our sponsors! 

The family is God's design for children.

In Genesis 1:28, the Lord blessed the family & instructs us to "be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, & subdue it." God establishes the family as the foundational institution of His created world -- the main context through which the next generation tangibly experiences the Lord's grace, love, discipline, & compassion. This is what Satan most despises & seeks to destroy. 

Through our earthly family, God gives us glimpses into the relationship that we have with Him because of the gospel. He is our Heavenly Father. As believers, we have been adopted into God's family & given a new name, a new family, & a new future (John 1:12). Over & over in Scripture, the Lord refers to us as His children & He as our Abba Father, our Daddy. As kids, our relationship with God the Father is first understood & shaped by our interactions with our own father. 

It is also through the family that real discipleship takes place. God did not instruct youth pastors to bring up their youth group in the nature & admonition of the Lord; He gave that command to fathers (Ephesians 6:4). When it comes to the responsibility of disciplining & shaping the next generation, Scripture speaks directly to parents (Deuteronomy 6:5-9). 

If parents are not there to love, instruct, & shape their children, who will be? We must be there for them. We must fight for them.

-Jonny Carr

winner winner, chicken dinner!

Congrats, Megan!! Email us (rylie.craft@gmail.com) with your info & we'll get those goodies to you ASAP! 

Again, THANK YOU to everyone who donated! We really can't say it enough. Since this week was such a success (we raised almost $400, in one week!), we will be hosting another giveaway with even more prizes! The next fundraiser giveaway will be for the mamas/homemakers! I promise, you won't want to miss it. Look for it, starting May 20th!