You are currently browsing the monthly archive for February 2009.
Ephesians 1:5-6 “Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.”
A guest blog spot by my friend, Ryann of Woolen Wishes for Baby, who requested this colorway in honor of her daughter who joined their family via adoption.
Almost 2 years ago, my family completed one of the most difficult journeys we have faced yet. We bought our third child home. After over 2 years of battling we had our final child. Our battle was not infertility, but mountains of paperwork, and the legal systems of 2 countries. Our daughter Maya is a Guatemalan adoptee.
We fought for our daughter, we went through heartaches and headaches. We cried, and finally, in February 2007, we rejoiced when she was placed in our arms for the first time.
It amazes us still to this day that God created this child, thousands of miles away, that fits perfectly into our family. She was meant to be our child! She has the same curls as our biological daughter, her personality fits our family dynamic perfectly.
In this verse, adoption as sons refers to God taking us into his family. We are now able to inherit His kingdom. I remember when we were finalzing Maya’s adoption here in our state, and we were told that now she was an equal to our biological children in the eyes of the law, and we were to care for her as our own flesh and blood. Of course, although she is not biologically our child, she was born in our hearts, and equal in our minds from the time she was born. I do not see Maya as our “adopted child”, simply as our child. All that are children of God are equal in his eyes.
God wants us in his family. We have been adopted into the kingdom of Heaven, just as Maya has been adopted into our family. God rejoices as one of his children accepts salvation and joins His family, just as my family rejoiced when Maya joined our family.
If you would like to read in detail about our journey to bring Maya into our family, please read our blog–
http://adoptblog.blogspot.com/
Mark 10:13-16 “And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. “
A guest blog spot by my friend, Stephanie of Three Boy Mama, who requested this colorway for her new precious baby.
“When Lamar offered to dye a colorway specifically for our coming babe, I was so touched! I jumped on the chance to have influence on the colors. The immediate thing that came to mind were the bookplates that I had seen growing up, in all of the classic bible storybooks. I remember one that I had that was huge; it was a big hard-backed book and had the most wonderful bible stories in it, descriptive and true to scripture. One of my favorite pictures in the book was a picture of Jesus surrounded by little children. The light around Him was just beautiful, and the children looked up adoringly at him, unafraid and trusting. I knew that I wanted the colorway for our new baby to be reminiscent of that picture.
Children are mentioned frequently in the bible; in Psalms, they are said to be a heritage from the Lord, a reward from Him (Psalm 127:3). In the book of Mark, Jesus mentions children frequently. In Mark 9:36-37, he takes a little child into his arms, saying, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me”…in other words, God Himself. But in Mark 10:14-15, verses I’ve read over and over before, I found something that struck a new chord in me. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these,” Jesus says. “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
Wow…these are such powerful words to me. It speaks of many things; it speaks of a child-like faith and trust in the Lord, in His mercy and love for us. It also speaks of relying on Jesus like a child relies on its parents; when we were children, we were totally dependent upon our mother and father. They fed us, clothed us, comforted us when we were scared, rejoiced with us when we were happy, wept with us when we were sad. Isn’t that how we should think of Jesus, too? He is our heavenly Father; we should depend upon him for comfort, for our daily needs! He is there for us when no one else may be. He is our Savior, our Redeemer…our Father.
Thank you again, Lamar; you are a true friend and sister in Christ. May you and your family continue to be blessed!!”
Deuteronomy 16:13-15 “Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. Be joyful at your Feast–you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites, the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns. For seven days celebrate the Feast to the LORD your God at the place the LORD will choose. For the LORD your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.”
Taken from Wikipedia- ”
Sukkot (Hebrew: סוכות or סֻכּוֹת, sukkōt ; “booths”, also known as Sukkos, Succoth, Feast of Booths or Feast of Tabernacles), is a Biblicalpilgrimage festival that occurs in autumn on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei (late September to late October). The holiday lasts seven days, including Chol Hamoed. In Judaism it is one of the three major holidaysShalosh Regalim (three pilgrim festivals), when historically the Jewish populace traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem. known collectively as the
The word Sukkot is the plural of the Hebrew word sukkah, meaning booth or hut. The sukkah is reminiscent of the type of huts in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. During this holiday, Jews construct and reside in sukkot small and large. Here families eat their meals, entertain guests, relax, and even sleep. The other key and unique observance of the festival is the daily (other than on Shabbat) waving of the Arba minim, or four species, consisting of the lulav, etrog, hadassim and aravot.”
Psalm 103:1-4: “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”
1 John 5:4- “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith.”
Dedicated to a fellow believer who has a precious 2 year old daughter battling Lukemia. May God give them the Victory over her disease!!
2 Corinthians 5:1-6, 8-10– For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven–God-made, not handmade -and we’ll never have to relocate our “tents” again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move–and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less. That’s why we live with such good cheer…We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
In honor of my friend and partner, Colleen Kueter of Spiffy Knits, who traveled to be at home with the Lord in October of 2008.
Galatians 6:1-6 – Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.
... a time to dye 