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Well I just got back from service about ten minutes ago and our message this morning was all about the fact that we are all imperfect people, and we all fall short of the glory of God, but thanks to the cross Jesus Christ has made a way and He is always close to the broken hearted. :crossThe first song we actually sung but the second song I just really like and it still fits the sermon.




 
Well we had a wonderful sermon this morning all about how we have to remain determined and focus on Jesus in order to make it to His Kingdom, and we don't always have to be strong people to get through tough situations, we just need to trust in Him. :cross Here's a couple of songs that we sung today that are really close to my heart. :)







 
Everyone has a proverbial "Ox in a ditch" Sunday from time to time. It isn't like its your normal habit every Sunday to skip church.

Just saying...






I go whenever I can and I study on my own, so I do believe that God knows what's in the heart above it all. :)
 
Today,
It wasn't what the pastor or Sunday School Teacher said that mattered so much...it was life played out right in front of me that teaches me so much.

And it is about adoption.
We are said to be God's kids by adoption. Jesus is his natural son...everyone else is sons by adoption.
And the Bible talks a lot about adoption. Ruth, Esther, Moses, and Timothy were all adopted by someone in the Bible. In some of these cases it was child adoption...but mostly it was "Older Child adoption".
And in case some of you people aren't aware of "older child adoption" by your local Social Services...its a real thing. And it is usually the absolutely most heartbreaking way to gain a child.
Most people think about adopting babies and all the cuteness associated with it. But here in America it is ridiculously stupid expensive to do so. Most birth mothers, who have no business procreating to begin with, for some inexplicable reason feel the need to destroy a perfect baby by a combination of abuse and neglect for some years before the state takes notice and removes the child from his/her home to the foster system...where the child then is further abused by the state, birth mother, and other foster children before being put up for adoption.
And by this time there is no reasonable expectation that the child will behave in any sort of sane, reasonable fashion in an otherwise "normal home".
Usually the children are only being half treated for genetic maladies such as pediatric bipolar disorder and then there are the environmental issues like PTSD and being treated like so much refuse by your mother. And also considering that many of the social service workers themselves are either half nuts or overworked and unconcerned...its a wonder that anyone survives the process. (The children or adoptive parents) Many times it simply doesn't work and older children that have been adopted get "unadopted" and go back into the system until they age out.

And yet,

Here we are...
We are the "older child" adoption stories. We have this wonderful new Father God. A new family...we have the best family in the world...the dream come true that we wished for on so many lonely nights...and we blow it regularly because where our family has changed we haven't...we are still our same old selves in so many ways despite our best intentions. We are the problem children of household who just don't seem to measure up the same as the natural children do.

BUT

We are loved just the same as the natural children. All the same passion, all the same love that the Natural Children get, so do we. The same rewards and punishments get to be ours.
And even though I am an "Older Child" adoptee...and the "problem child" I am truly grateful for being a member of this family.

And where this wasn't preached from the pulpit...wasn't covered in any lesson at anytime by anyone...it is one I learned at church.
 
Today,
It wasn't what the pastor or Sunday School Teacher said that mattered so much...it was life played out right in front of me that teaches me so much.

And it is about adoption.
We are said to be God's kids by adoption. Jesus is his natural son...everyone else is sons by adoption.
And the Bible talks a lot about adoption. Ruth, Esther, Moses, and Timothy were all adopted by someone in the Bible. In some of these cases it was child adoption...but mostly it was "Older Child adoption".
And in case some of you people aren't aware of "older child adoption" by your local Social Services...its a real thing. And it is usually the absolutely most heartbreaking way to gain a child.
Most people think about adopting babies and all the cuteness associated with it. But here in America it is ridiculously stupid expensive to do so. Most birth mothers, who have no business procreating to begin with, for some inexplicable reason feel the need to destroy a perfect baby by a combination of abuse and neglect for some years before the state takes notice and removes the child from his/her home to the foster system...where the child then is further abused by the state, birth mother, and other foster children before being put up for adoption.
And by this time there is no reasonable expectation that the child will behave in any sort of sane, reasonable fashion in an otherwise "normal home".
Usually the children are only being half treated for genetic maladies such as pediatric bipolar disorder and then there are the environmental issues like PTSD and being treated like so much refuse by your mother. And also considering that many of the social service workers themselves are either half nuts or overworked and unconcerned...its a wonder that anyone survives the process. (The children or adoptive parents) Many times it simply doesn't work and older children that have been adopted get "unadopted" and go back into the system until they age out.

And yet,

Here we are...
We are the "older child" adoption stories. We have this wonderful new Father God. A new family...we have the best family in the world...the dream come true that we wished for on so many lonely nights...and we blow it regularly because where our family has changed we haven't...we are still our same old selves in so many ways despite our best intentions. We are the problem children of household who just don't seem to measure up the same as the natural children do.

BUT

We are loved just the same as the natural children. All the same passion, all the same love that the Natural Children get, so do we. The same rewards and punishments get to be ours.
And even though I am an "Older Child" adoptee...and the "problem child" I am truly grateful for being a member of this family.

And where this wasn't preached from the pulpit...wasn't covered in any lesson at anytime by anyone...it is one I learned at church.





Being an adopted child myself my mother might not have given birth to me, but she still chose me and I find that incredibly special. :biggrin2
 
Being an adopted child myself my mother might not have given birth to me, but she still chose me and I find that incredibly special. :biggrin2
I've seen where people in our church have tried to adopt "Older Children"...and I say try because they really tried. But the children were so damaged that there wasn't going to be a home for much longer if the child stayed in the home. Some have been successful and some haven't. Even those that are "successful" are very taxing on my friends. They look tired and haggard most Sundays.
I'm not saying that you are that way April...
But generally speaking..."Older Child" adoption is one of the roughest ways to go.
 
I've seen where people in our church have tried to adopt "Older Children"...and I say try because they really tried. But the children were so damaged that there wasn't going to be a home for much longer if the child stayed in the home. Some have been successful and some haven't. Even those that are "successful" are very taxing on my friends. They look tired and haggard most Sundays.
I'm not saying that you are that way April...
But generally speaking..."Older Child" adoption is one of the roughest ways to go.




I was adopted at six weeks and most days I'm busy bouncing off the walls,.. and so far today it isn't any different. :boing
 
I was adopted at six weeks and most days I'm busy bouncing off the walls,.. and so far today it isn't any different. :boing
You were one of those "almost never happens" type adoptions.
I know of only one other family that has gotten a baby by means of foster care...and another older child has to go with the baby. (for whatever reason)
 
You were one of those "almost never happens" type adoptions.
I know of only one other family that has gotten a baby by means of foster care...and another older child has to go with the baby. (for whatever reason)




I'm not so sure about that part,.. but didn't I mention that I'm extremely energetic bounce off the walls rather frequently? :boing Like I'm about to right now because burgers are currently being cooked on the grill? :biggrin2
 
Oh by the way, actually I was a foster child at six weeks and officially adopted at a year old. :) Anyways, I'm nowhere near tired or haggard,.. in fact if I had a chance to rechoose my username (even though I like it a lot) it would probably be GodsWildChild. :biggrin2



 
Well we had a wonderful sermon this morning and we talked all about how even though we sometimes forget about God and turn our backs on Him that He never turns His back on us and that He always has a plan for us, and that part of that plan is for us to share the good news with the younger generation. :) I forget exactly how but there were also some tie-ins with "The Lion King." :biggrin Here are a couple of songs from our service that I really liked. :biggrin2








 
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

No matter how many times we walk away God, and I sure have done that many times in the past, He waits patiently for us to return as He knows who are His own.
 
I only made it to adult Sunday School because we had to head to our son and family's home for a grandson's birthday.

But I was told that Christians living in the US today is a lot like the nation of Israel in Babylon during the captivity and we gotta take America back or MAGA or something like that.
 
Well today in church we learned all about how the fact that even though we do things to harm our relationship with God and He gets disappointed in us, our relationship can be healed easily if we put our faith in Christ because of the love, forgiveness, and grace that He shows and that He's the only one that can take away our sin.
:cross
Also, here is a couple of songs that we sang that I really liked. :biggrin











 
Well this morning in church we discussed whether or not we try to live our lives for God, or whether we try to live the life that we want to live. Although I really try to live my life pleasing God, I must admit that a lot of the time I choose to live my life the way I want to live it. That all went with the theme of taking off our masks when we face God and just talk to Him face to face like we would with a friend. :tongue




And yes the service had to relate to the fact that Halloween is in a few days and they had masks for us to try on and I got to take home a cute little decorative pumpkin home as well. :) Here's one song from this morning that we sung that I thought was extremely beautiful. :cross





 
Well we had a wonderful service this morning about how God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus even though she was just an ordinary person like the rest of us, but how He used her in an extraordinary way just like He can use any of us for great and wonderful things. :biggrin2 Here is one of the songs we sang today that I love because it's one of my favorite Christmas songs. :)





 
Hey guys, I apologize that I'm posting this so late but we had a really interesting church service today. First we had something called the candle of hope which was the real flame from the one in Bethlehem that is always burning and traveled all over Europe and Canada before coming to the states. Then my pastor gave today's message as if he was one of the shepherds and it was really good. I felt like I was actually there. :) Then we also sang a couple of my favorite Christmas songs. :biggrin











 
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