Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Crazy Love Poured Out.


I've been wanting to do a Crazy Love post Linny Style for awhile now. I loved her post awhile back and then the "pay it forward" done by the Rockstars at Storing Up Treasures inspired me to do something even while we ourselves are fund raising to bring our daughter home.

I love Francis Chan's book Crazy Love - I often imagine what it would be like if we all lived with more of a "reckless abandon" type attitude what kind of world that would be. Francis said this and it stuck with me - “Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for the “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers.” I don't want to be one to be moved by others but sit back and say "wow that's so great of them" and go on my merry way. If we'd all be more giving, less self focused, giving more to others, helping one another. If all of us pulled together to help one another and in this case raise funds to bring more otherwise orphaned children into forever families what an incredible impact that would have. Plus having the financial burden shared makes a lighter load. David and I talk often about how much we want to give more away and we're constantly working towards that goal. I've been challenged by a very good friend on that very thing. She and her family have poured themselves out on our behalf and on behalf of our daughter. She probably doesn't even realize the impact that has made on me personally and on our family. I'm so thankful for the challenge that her families life lived out has been for us.

As a fund raising family things can be crazy. At times you get discouraged, down trodden, and feel as if the end is not in sight. Sometimes things get so crazy it feels like you might be drowning. It is in those times that we choose to lean in on Jesus and I find that when I do that and I GIVE to others I lose sight of my own worries and the Lord reminds me of how rich I am in Him and that HE already has our adoption costs figured out.

My friend Whitney wrote about spending ourselves on others. For her that looks a bit different then it does for me and possibly for you too. However the biblical truth is the same. Pouring ourselves out for others is what the Lord calls us to do. That means if we're called to adopt and it means we have to fund raise we pour ourselves out for that all for the sake of a child. We pour ourselves out for the precious life God has called us to bring into our family. We pour ourselves out for other families doing the same. We have a unique understanding of what it is like to be in that place. I love the support system I have in my fellow fund raising families. I am so thankful for the support we have in other adoptive families. In our friends and our precious family.

Because of the blessings my Jesus has poured out on me I want to be able to help others as well.
Maybe you can't adopt for whatever reason. Maybe the Lord is calling you to pour yourself out in other ways. Maybe to give to other peoples adoptions. To help others be able to bring their children home. I'd like to help you do that. This will be a linky post - I'm inviting other readers to blog about their fund raising and link it through the linky that will be on this post.

To those of our wanting to pour out a little CrAzY LoVe - At the bottom of this blog post will be links to other blogs of other fund raising families, I encourage you to read through some of them. Maybe the Lord is calling you to help bring a child into their forever family? Maybe you've been looking for a way to pour out a little CRAZY LOVE Even a couple bucks, it all ads up. It encourages families on this journey. Lets them know that you are praying for them, encourages them, and every little bit adds up. It really does.

I want to share about a few families here on my blog even though I know they will probably also link below BUT my heart is SO full today with some news from
THESE precious friends! We are OVER THE MOON EXCITED to not only know who God has chosen for their daughter but SO crazy excited to see how He will provide the necessary funds to bring her home. She is worth it! They are in a MAJOR crunch to raise $8200 by next Friday. Yes it's a HUGE amount of money but our God is SO much bigger! Will you consider helping? This is our precious pastor and his family, they officially became a waiting family last Friday and were matched with their girl almost immediately. This wasn't in their plan but it absolutely was in Gods plan. We know HE already has even this figured out. He's not surprised. We are excited to see how He provides. Go read, congratulate them, and consider helping bring little Abby home. Silas is so excited about his little buddy and can't wait to meet her.

There are so many families fund raising it is so hard not to write about each and every one of them. I'm posting about these two here as well and I look forward to reading everyone else's posts in the linky below!

The Maser family also goes to our church and they are adopting a baby boy - check out their latest fundraisers right here.

This precious family is doing a giveaway - for an amazing gift certificate for my very FAVORITE jewelry designer Tracy. Check it out, enter, support adoption, and get a chance to win a great prize! Read all about it right here.

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Here's how it works. If you are a fund raising family and you'd like to participate here's what you do.

1. Become a follower of my blog (because its just blog kindness and I can follow your blog too)

2. Write a post on your blog about your fund raiser and a little bit about your family.

3. Link to that post in the linky portion of this blog post.

4. Comment on this post and let me know.

5. Sit back and watch what a little CRAZY LOVE can do!

8 comments:

Carin said...

Hi! Already a follower, but I just posted on my blog and linked :) Thank you so much for doing this Erica!!! Blessings!

Anonymous said...

added ours...can't wait to check out the rest :)

Unknown said...

Hey friend...I'll be blogging about it tomorrow after my raffle is over! Hugs...thanks for doing this!

Rachel said...

Love you and your {HUGE} heart for serving others!! Thanks for the shout out! So thankful we are in this together!!

Love you!

Janet said...

Thanks so much for opening your blog for all of us to share this load. What a blessing to these kids!!!

Sean's Ladies said...

Love this!! I have been following you on FB but glad you reminded me to link our blogs, too!! :)

Praying for your family!!

sallee said...

Hi Erica,
Posted on my blog...am a follower of yours'!... love your shirts!!
THANKS!!
blessings, Sallee

Terri Fisher said...

Thanks for doing this! I became a follower (although it was my first time doing that, so I have no idea where the little pic came from!) and I will post and link soon. Blessings!