Baby Talk

I remember when my nephew was first learning to talk. When someone would walk in the door, he'd greet them with some baby babble and continue doing what he was doing. Can you imagine what a talker this little girl must be by now?! Happy Monday!

Adopting a child of a different ethnicity than your own

My husband and I are interested in adoption. We don’t know when it will be or how but we do know that we see the gospel beautifully represented in adoption, and since we have been adopted into the family of God, we’d like to give that picture to our future family. We want to give that picture more specifically through transracial adoption. 

You may start to feel worried for either the child or for us. “Oh the complications!” you may think. Identity issues! Children teasing! etc., etc. We have our reasons for wanting to transracially adopt but are your reasons for NOT transracially adopting biblical? Below is a quote from Russell Moore’s book Adopted for Life. May his words stop our worldly hesitations about transracial adoption:

“…If you’re not sure you can love a child with a different skin color than yours, the first step for you has nothing to do with the adoption process. Repent, and open your heart to love.”

For most Christians, though, the issue of racial identity isn’t an obstacle. For many of you, instead, the concern is about family members and how they’ll react to a child of a different race. I’ve seen couples convulsing in tears on the couch in my office, asking how they can love their new child and honor their father and mother at the same time. I’ve seen family members of every race and every region of the country turn up their noses at the idea of a niece, nephew, or grandchild of another ethnicity, usually with some highly spiritual rhetoric about honoring father and mother or about ‘the best interest of the child’ or a thousand other reasons.

What I’m surprised by is how many of these extended family members are deacons or women’s ministry directors or ushers or Sunday school teachers in their churches. They’re blissfully unaware, it seems, that what’s resting on them is the spirit of the antichrist. They seem not to comprehend that their own devotion to their flesh would disqualify non-Semitic folks like them from the promises of God. If Jesus agreed with them on adoption and race, they’d be in hell.”

Don’t get me wrong. There are real fears and hesitiations about adopting a child from a different ethnicity. All I am saying is we must use the gospel with our own adoption into the family of God to see if those fears are real barriers.

In November, there was a link posted of Q & A’s with Thibiti Anyabwile. He uses the gospel to talk about those fears and hesitations people may have about transracial adoption. If you’d like to check it out go here or here. 

Also another good article on Transracial adoption can be found here at www.toomanyaborted.com

The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village

Last week I featured a book called Halfway Herbert by Francis Chan. Yup he doesn’t have just one children’s book out but TWO (and another on the way)! Yay for us! Before it was a book, it came out on youtube. So I’ll let you see the story for yourself!

You can purchase the book here.

A Christmas Message from my husband

My husband, James, recently had the opportunity to give a message at his sister’s bible study. Someone was kind enough to record it, so I thought I’d post the Christmas message here. James talks about us being enemies of God and goes on to talk about how God did something we could never do on our own: he sent salvation to sinners through his son Jesus Christ. There are a few minutes missing from the beginning, but it will still make sense. Feel free to leave feedback and I will pass it along to James.

"It blowed up princess Laya's planet"

Happy Monday! This is star wars according to a 3-year-old! Even if you are not a fan, I’m sure you can appreciate her cute details! And remember "Don't talk back to Darth Vader-he'll getcha."

Jesus Storybook Bible

Sorry guys! This post was scheduled for wednesday (my book-featuring-day) but I must have done something wrong b/c it didn't work out. So here is the post that was supposed to be up on weds.  Watch the video with a child in your life! Buy the  the bible too! It's worth it! 

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The Jesus Storybook Bible is rich. It's written by Sally Lloyd-Jones (sorry, no relation to Martyn Lloyd-Jones) and the art is by Jago.We have it at our church and sometimes while we wait for the parent’s to pick-up I love to read the story that relates to our lesson. The pictures are full of color but more importantly, there’s no fluff in this bible. The tag-line is “Every story whispers his name.” So often children’s bible’s are filled with “me, me, me” “Jesus loves me.” “God made me special” Jesus is my friend.” “I am special.” (while those things may be true, we are not the focus God is) So when you come across a children’s bible that with a tag-line like that (God-centered), you gotta appreciate it! 

Here is a timely video about the birth of Jesus. It’s a double-blessing because you check out the words and pictures before buying it AND you can watch it with kids in your life this Christmas season!

 

You can purchase the book here.

Hymns-Page CXVI style

If you liked the hymns I features on Tuesday you will enjoy these too. They also have a 3rd album out, that is available for purchase. Go here if you are interested. Enjoy the hymns my friends.

Hymns & Holy Hip Hop

Lately I've been listening to two types of music that I never really liked. Numero uno is Hip Hop- Holy Hip Hop that is. Times listening to guys like Lecrae, Shai Linne and Timothy Brindle have been so edifying and encouraging. My first time listening to them, I was surprised to find that there is more scripture in this music than most music on the average Christian radio station. But I'll stop there about that because this post is to introduce you to hymns-or should I say re-introduce you? Like Holy Hip Hop, many hymns are filled with rich truth. Many focus on Jesus and his grace for sinners-and oh how often we need to be reminded of that! They are beautiful. So let me re-introduce you: Friend, these are hymns. Hymns, these are my friends. (Jennie, you inspired me to put them back up-I'll put the other album up soon)




Interested in purchasing it? Go here.

Ukulele Boy sings "I'm Yours"

If you watched the video in my post last monday, you saw a little boy that was doing his own pre-k (just an assumption) version of “I’m yours” by Jason Mraz. I had to find him and let you guys watch the whole thing. His facial expressions are priceless. Happy Monday!