The Lifeline Blog--New Website!

Our new Lifeline blog website!

We wanted to introduce you to the newly updated Lifeline blog!  We will now begin posting all of our new blog entries to this website at this link here.  You will find it easy to navigate, with six categories at the top: Adoption, Foster Care, (Un)Adopted, Faith & Encouragement, Equipping, and From the Director.  You can use these categories to search older posts from this webiste.  We are so excited to begin using this new blog as a tool to share stories of hope, encouragement, prayer needs, staff testimonies, views from adoptive and foster care families, and much more!

The Heart Muscle

I have recently started an exercise program, and I am about 3 weeks into this new commitment.  I became a little over confident and pushed too hard last week and pulled a muscle.  The weekend was spent resting and icing the sore spot and then it was time to try it again.  I was extremely apprehensive.  I didn’t want to get hurt again.  I wasn’t certain that I could trust the muscle to perform the way I wanted.  The way I needed.

It occurred to me that the children who come into our care may feel some of this same apprehension as their “heart” muscle has been wounded by their past and the hard places where they have been.   Are they afraid to trust that muscle again?  Do they worry that it won’t hold up?  That it might hurt worse than before?  That it won’t provide what they need?

After rest and recovery I did my work out yesterday, tentatively at first.  I started slow. The muscle worked.  It didn’t hurt.  I was careful but I was able to trust it.   Maybe tomorrow I will be able to trust it to go just a little further and work a little harder.  This is my prayer for our children: that as they heal and rest and recover that they will be able to allow their “heart” muscle to trust a little more and go a little deeper in their relationships with their foster, adoptive and birth parents.

Lynn Beckett, International Social Worker

It's all about perspective...

As I ponder over the thoughts that Mary and Martha might have had as their brother Lazarus was sick and near death, I can only imagine their sense of urgency, heartache, and wonder.  We read in John 11, the sisters sent to Jesus a message about their brother’s health, believing that Jesus has power over sickness.  Surprisingly instead of coming quickly, Jesus remained where He was for 2 days and meanwhile Lazarus past away.  Did Mary and Martha think Jesus forgot or that Jesus was late?  Did they plan for the results to be different?  Did the sisters wonder why Jesus allowed Lazarus to die?  Did they ask questions and demand answers?  If I was in their shoes, I am sure I would have these thoughts.  Don’t these emotions sound familiar as we, adoptive families, wonder why we wait?  Or question God’s timing in bringing our son or daughter home?  We wonder why this step or that process is staying where it is for an extra 2 days, weeks, or months.

John 11 reminds me every time that it is ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE.  It’s all about a perspective that is not of this world and one we can only be given through God’s grace.  It is an eternal perspective.  It is realizing that the words Jesus spoke, “This illness does not lead to death.  It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4) must be central in our lives.  We must realize that the glory of God is worth the journey we walk through adoption.  The moments where we wonder what is happening, we must hold fast our confidence in the Lord.  It’s an eternal perspective that will carry us through the times of uncertainty, change, and the burden of urgency. 

We must know God’s character of love, goodness, and grace and believe that he plans all things for our good.  We must walk each day in the light, as scripture says, “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” (John 11:9) Because at the end of our journey, Jesus will prove his timing is always best.  Although the disciples and the sisters thought Jesus was late, He showed himself faithful when He called Lazarus to come out. 

Be encouraged as you walk through along the path of your adoption and remember that it’s all about perspective.. an eternal perspective.  A perspective that truly believes God’s timing is never late.  The adoption journey is full of emotions, hard decisions, uncertain answers, and possible changes; however, we can humbly make it through as we rest in Christ.

Logan Gibbons, International Adoption Specialist

ONE body of BELIEVERS...

I don’t have to tell you that there are so many children in need of love, care, and attention in this world. One can be overwhelmed by the photos of so many children in orphanages, on the streets, and in foster care. To hear the number 147 million orphans in the world is staggering & painful.

Several years ago, God provided the opportunity for me to go on several missions trips to various countries. Each of these countries were vastly beautiful with God’s natural creation, yet just to look at the children close by was a stark reminder of the poverty they lived in.  As I left the airport I was shocked at the site of children begging, their clothes tattered and torn, and their little eyes so weary from the worries of life.  Despite the fact that the caregivers were trying their very hardest at what they knew to do,  I was saddened by seeing babies lying in their cribs day in and day out with very little attention.   These little ones were rocking back and forth to soothe themselves most of the day.  One caretaker told us that if we took a baby from a bed, to put them back in the same bed as their names and birthdates were written on a little piece of tape to each bed; otherwise they would not know who they were.  Their cloth diapers were only changed a few times a day and were so thick that these little ones could not roll over or even touch their toes. Bottles were propped and they were not held while they ate. In the bottles was a mixture of pureed vegetables and potatoes.  With streams of tears running down my face and a loss of what to do, I did at that moment the only thing I felt I could do, I gently told each one of them, “Jesus loves you so much”.

The older children, ages 4 and 5, flocked to you like a magnet just wanting a smile and some attention. If you sat down on the floor with them, they sat with you and would not let you get up. When you did leave, they would bang their heads on the floor crying at the top of their lungs. How my heart broke and once again, tears streamed down my face for these precious forgotten children.

But… they are not forgotten, no not a single child!!  Jesus our savior knows every detail of their heart and soul. He wants the very best for them in a family and someone who will tell them on a daily, moment-by-moment basis how much Christ loves them and wants a personal relationship with them. He knows them not by a piece of tape with a name and birthdate written on it, but he knows them as HIS child.

Once again we ask ourselves, how do we deal with the number of orphans in this world?  How do we feel like we can make a difference? Anyone can make a difference even if you are 7 or 107 years old.  ALL believers are called to help! Each and every one of us who have Christ as our Savior are united together into one body of believers.

1 Corinthians 12:20 says: But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”: nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you”.

Here at Lifeline we are also of one body in Christ.  We work together as a team to help make a difference for as many of His precious children as we can! 

So, now the question is for you - Can you foster, or adopt, pray or give of your resources, or time? We would love to talk with you about Lifeline and how you can be a part of HIS hands and feet for HIS children. Please pray and give us a call.

Angela Beemer, Lifeline Children's Services of Kansas Administrative Assistant

His Timing

My name is Lauren and I have recently joined the Lifeline family. I am serving as a foster care recruiter and trainer for new foster parents in Lee County, Alabama. I am so excited to have joined in with Lifeline and that I am able to be a small part of witnessing Christian families serving as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. Through God’s provision, we will be able to witness these foster families making an eternal difference in the life of a child by teaching these children God’s love for them. Although I am very excited to have this opportunity, I should forewarn you that I am not a blogger and that this is my first experience in blogging so bare with me.

I have been thinking of what I would like to share for sometime now and I keep coming back to God’s timing. I have always thought of myself as a very patient person. Through my many adventures to get to Lifeline, I have begun to realize that I am not as patient as I thought I was. Before I started with Lifeline, there was not a Lifeline ministry in Lee County. I previously worked for the Department of Human Resources completing Child Abuse and Neglect Assessments. This job was extremely hard, but very rewarding. There were many times where I felt like I could not go another day, but I am well aware that Jesus led me through those trials. In November, I left my position at the Department of Human Resources and took a huge leap of faith. It was very scary, but I felt that God was leading my path. I was no longer able to serve as the mother and wife I wanted to be due to the stress I was experiencing at the time. This is where I lead into God’s timing. He led me through two amazing years at DHR that gave me so much experience and knowledge into Child Welfare. When I left, I knew that I still wanted to work in Child Welfare in some way, but I was not sure how this would look. I prayed constantly that God would find me a place that would allow me to continue to serve children through social work, but would allow me the time to be the mother I have to be. It is amazing how God answers prayers. Almost immediately after leaving DHR, I was told at church one Sunday that our church was working with Lifeline Children Services to start a foster care ministry. At the time I thought this was very interesting and that I might be able to volunteer, but never considered they might be hiring. I should add that my family had recently moved to the area two years before and had tried several churches to see which church God was calling us to. Cornerstone Church was our first visit and even though we visited several other churches, we always felt pulled back to Cornerstone.

Shortly later, I was contacted by an employee of our church and also a foster parent who I had previously placed children with, that Lifeline was looking to hire a foster care worker and if I was interested, this is the name and number that I should call. Wow! I was amazed and I think I sent an email within the hour! I knew that this was God’s plan for my life.

I was hired within the next two months and have slowly started making contacts in Lee County Churches to initiate our foster care ministry. I am so happy to say that we start our very first foster care training class this next Monday night. I feel that this is just the first of many amazing things that the Lord is going to do in Lee County. We have amazing support including a wonderful DHR team and an amazing family court Judge who is very dedicated to seeing more Christian homes in our county. We are all thrilled at what we will be able to do in the lives of our families here. It is still amazing to me that God placed my family at the right church, knowing that years later this would church would be called into an incredible foster care ministry and that God would bless me with being a part of this ministry.  I know that God has placed all of these events to take place at the right time, His Timing! This gives me the knowledge to realize that when something does not happen as I expect or want it to; it does not mean that I should be discouraged or give up. It may simply mean that it is not meant to happen at this time.

“To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the Heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1

“But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy Salvation.” Psalm 69:13

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Lauren Penton, Foster Care Social Worker

You will never be too old to want a family...

I read the below blog post on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption website several months ago. The words of this young women so moved me that I wanted to share it with our Lifeline family. If you are interested in our foster care program, please contact the office and ask to speak with someone in our Foster Care Department.

Amy Griner, Domestic Social Worker

 

You will never be too old to want a family...

After unpacking my belongings on Taylor University’s campus in 2004, I melted onto my twin-sized bed in relief; I was officially an adult. Starting that August day, I was financially and emotionally on my own. There would be no more moving homes, no more veiled threats, no more walking on already cracked eggshells around new people. Two days later, it hit me that the oft uttered “on my own” was a mere euphemism for the estimated 29,000 children who will age of foster care this year and will be “all alone.” I was paralyzed by the knowledge that there would be no one to check on my well-being, no financial safety net, and no one to help navigate various barriers in place on a college campus. That first year was terrifying. I was alone, depressed, broke, and furious that, at 18, the system just dumped me.

While I could speak volumes on the aging out process and the system, this not a commentary about a foster care system under increasing pressure to find permanent homes for the hundreds of thousands of children in foster care. This is a post for the families. An ode of sorts for those who give with no ulterior motives, who never stop inviting people into their homes and their hearts, who never lock their refrigerators, and who endlessly and (some might say) recklessly pour into the lives of foster youth.

I was a sophomore in college when I found my forever family; well past the age of “adoptability.” I had long given up on finding a family and was focused on just “making it” when I miraculously stumbled into a loud, boisterous, laughter-filled, caring, and passionate family. It started when I came home with my “sister” for Thanksgiving to escape the dull of the dorms. They were the craziest, loudest, biggest family I’d ever had the pleasure of hanging out with. I came back for Christmas, New Year, and Easter. Each year for every holiday, I was invited back. In 2009, I reached a milestone. Five years was the longest I had ever spent with any family in my life; after that, it was just icing on the cake.

I won’t lie and say that it was easy to come into a new family at 19. It was awkward at first. I spent most of my time during the holidays quietly devouring books so as not to disturb the family dynamics and so I wouldn’t mess things up. Eventually though, my cousins conned me into one of their silly games, my “sister” would flop dramatically on my lap, an Indianapolis Colts game would be on, or we would all just gather for a few moments to listen to Grandma and Grandpa talk or pray for the family. I wept over simple things like actually having a stocking at Christmas, and family members who spelled my name correctly. Our relationship functioned much like a call and response — and they always responded. 

As time has gone on, things have also gotten “real.” As a family, we mourned the loss of close friends from Taylor, and later, the loss of our grandmother. I battled with my own trust issues and the wondered if I was “good enough” for my family. I often hid my struggles from them in an effort to prevent rejection. Eventually my own strength failed me: I reached out to the family who surrounded me with love, prayer, and grace as I battled through my first year of law school. They were beside me during the midnight calls, the times of self-doubt, and the two weeks that make up finals week.

The value of my family comes from the extraordinary things they do that they believe to be ordinary. Like making dried apples, mixing homemade hot chocolate, giving me one of Grandma’s quilts, sculpting butter trees (don’t ask), talking all night, doing crossword puzzles, and eating grapefruit while watching “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” This year, I got to give Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts; and that is extraordinary. Most recently, while rushing out for work I glimpsed a letter in my mailbox from a member of my family letting me know that she thought I might like a nice note. Thank you Grandma S., I liked it very much. My family is not perfect, nor would they claim to be, but as many groups have stressed, you don’t have to be perfect, to be a family.

I write this blog to highlight a simple point: You will never be too old to want a family. My family is this wonderful, unexpected, hilarious, and compassionate gift from God and I feel honored to have them in my life. But it also saddens me that there are 107,000 other children waiting for their own imperfect family. Even more disheartening are the 29,000 children who will age out of foster care this year by stumbling into adulthood with little support.

So to the families who have heeded the call and continually open their homes to my many brothers and sisters in foster care … thank you, and may you inspire the masses.

By Sharde Armstong

(Sharde Armstrong, is currently a candidate for a Juris Doctor at New York University School of Law. She went to law school because of a belief that child welfare reform can often be accomplished via legislative and judicial action. Her interest in the foster care system stemmed from her own 12 years in foster care in Indiana and Michigan. After graduating from Taylor University in 2008 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, she interned with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and Senator John Kerry.)

His Plan Always Leads to Himself

My church family put together a devotional booklet to walk through together over the Lenten season leading up to Resurrection Sunday. I would like to quote from the devotion written by my friend, Jimmy Sampson: “The Lord’s plan is perfect. It is never detoured. It is never compromised. Most importantly, at the center of it all, His plan always leads to one thing – Himself… He will always point us in only one direction, to Himself. How often do we look for other answers? How often do we seek other ways?”

How often do we try to understand the ways of the Lord? We crave comprehending what He is doing with us, and how, and why, and to what end... The simple answer is that He wills it and that He is using it to point to Christ – for our ultimate benefit and the benefit of others. Of course that is easy to say, but far more difficult to grasp and then to actually practice contentment with that answer. “Why are we going through this trial?” “Why is this bad thing happening to me?” Well, because Jesus wants you to know HIM more than He wants you to be happy.

Because He wants you to know ALL of Him and the joy that goes beyond temporal happiness and allows you to be at peace because you know the One who is the author of all things, holds all things in the palm of His hand, and has every finite detail under His masterful control. That joy that runs so deep that it remains steadfast when the happiness that is dependent on circumstances is rocked and tossed by the waves of tribulation. He wants you to know that when you come to the end of all things, He is enough. He is sufficient. How can you know His sufficiency, unless He permits you to come to the end of all things you cling to for comfort? He wants you to know Him as your Comforter. How can you know Him as Comforter and proclaim Him as that to others unless you have experienced Him as that yourself? If you have been comforted by Him in times of deep hurt and sorrow, what a testimony of His comfort you can be to others! He wants you to know Him as your Provider, but how can you know Him as such unless He permits you to lack and to need and to go without? A deeper knowledge of Himself and a greater intimacy in your relationship with our Lord is worth everything to Him… it matters more than anything else and He will stop at nothing to get that from you. Not because He needs it but because He made you and He knows it’s best for you and you need it! He created you to KNOW Him and as a result, you will never be completely, truly satisfied with anything else!

Again, “His plan is perfect, and it always points to Himself.” Thank you, Lord that you are our answer to every question and that you are both our means and our end in every situation we face.

May we, like Paul, have the chief aim of knowing CHRIST above all things and at all cost. There is nothing more valuable. That we may recognize, believe, and live this! May we welcome all things – trial and difficulty and joyous occasions – with open arms, whatever it takes to push us one inch closer to His throne and into His presence! In Philippians 3:8-11, Paul says, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith – that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE, I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

Allison Fuqua, Foster Care Social Worker

Only Because of the Gospel

Easter Sunday is the most fundamental, essential, and important day in the life of any Christ-follower.  We acknowledge this fact each year on Easter Sunday when churches all throughout the nation recruit child-care workers, put out metal chairs, increase the amount of ushers, and find more parking attendants.  Easter Sunday is by far the high watermark for church attendance throughout the US.

However, do we live with the victory of Easter and the battle of the cross stamped on our foreheads and burned in our hearts the weeks after?  Or do we move on with life, business, and pleasure?  Do even ministries and churches, move on to programs, aid, and social justice apart from the Gospel which was so plainly profound from Good Friday to Easter Sunday?

May it not be so, may we realize that, "Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus is the foremost, fundamental, necessary, nonnegotiable way to address evil and suffering in the world.  To work against evil and suffering in the world apart from proclaiming the gospel of Jesus will ultimately be futile."

Furthermore, the book of Malachi says in Chapter 3:5-7, "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.  For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.  From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts..."  

If we want to evil purged from our world, we must return to the Lord, we must return to the Gospel.  It is this Gospel that is the heart of the mission at Lifeline.  We cannot avenge the evil that has placed over 500,000 children in US foster care just by putting them into good foster families.  We cannot begin to right the atrocities that have left over 143 million children orphaned around the world devoid of the Gospel.  We cannot make a dent in the epidemic that creates so many fatherless children until we return to Yahweh - the Lord of Hosts.

Two weeks ago, a sibling group of 3 children were ordered by a judge in Alabama to be returned to their biological family, a family they had been removed from in November for many issues.  These children had been in one of Lifeline's growing number of foster homes.  Because these homes aren't for mere altruistic or humanitarian purposes, each family agrees to proclaim the Gospel to these children and invest in their lives no matter how short or long the child's stay might be in the foster home.

As this particular family was preparing these children for their return home, the foster dad asked the oldest, a 9 year old boy, what he had learned and what he’ll remember from the time he lived with them.  He answered, "to love Jesus with all my heart and to read my Bible."  Then his 7 year old brother chimed in that he had learned, "to be a good boy so I can help my parents."

At Lifeline we praise the Lord for godly foster parents like the Lawsons, who are providing their home to Alabama's foster children because they embrace the Gospel and want to see it proclaimed, viewed, and lifted high.  As the apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:2, may we, "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

The heart of Lifeline's ministry is to proclaim the Gospel to the nations through care, compassion, rescue and discipleship of the fatherless.  Please pray for Lifeline that the Gospel will always be central in everything that we do.  Pray that the Lord will continue to open doors for his name to be proclaimed, not only to those children in US foster care, but also to the street orphans in Puerto Plata, DR; to the institutionalized orphans living in Odessa, Ukraine; to the orphan vulnerable deaf children learning to communicate through the deaf school in Busenga, Uganda; as well as to the 143 million orphans in every hamlet, village, and people group which is representative of every tribe, tongue, and nation.

May our heart be for the great city revealed to John on the isle of Patmos, which Revelations 22:23-26 proclaims, "the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.  By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day-and there will be no night there.They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations."  This day will be realized beloved, only because of the Gospel which we celebrate Easter Sunday, and every day the Lord gives us breath.

Has the Lord put your family in a place where you could adopt or foster a precious child in need and in so doing disciple them in the Gospel of Christ?  Has the Lord burdened you with his command in James 1:27 to care for orphans in distress?  If so, partner with Lifeline today. Visit LifelineChild.org to donate to the cause, to apply to adopt, to sign up for a trip through our (un)adopted ministry by visiting orphans in need, to apply to be a foster parent for a child in US foster care, to volunteer in one of many ways for the sake of orphans, and ultimately to partner with us as we seek to take the Gospel to the fatherless.

"He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.  Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.  You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear."  Deuteronomy 10:18-20

Oh beloved, will you allow God to use the Gospel through you to impact the life of a child? Please do not hesitate to give Lifeline a call because we are here...

On behalf of the orphans and fatherless.

Herbie Newell, Executive Director

Twitter: @hmnewell

Summit VIII

 

Lifeline will be sending several members of our staff to the eighth annual Summit conference in just a couple of months!  This is a wonderful orphan care conference and we are honored to be apart once again.  It is an incredible opportunity to gather together with others who are passionate about bringing hope to orphans and also love our great God.  Summit: inspires, equips and connects for adoption, foster care and global orphan ministry.

This year's conference is held on May 3-4 at Saddleback Church in Southern California. For more information on how to attend and what Summit is all about, visit the Summit Website. Participation is open to anyone who hears God's calling to care for the orphan.  We hope to see you there!

An Unexpected Gift

I am sometimes caught off guard by the grace extended to me by my own children.  Recently, when I realized I had been a bit harsh with my eleven year-old over some minor offense, I returned to her room to ask for her forgiveness.  Her response was unexpectedly gracious and convicting.  After I issued my apology, she, without hesitating, said “Of course I forgive you.  There’s no way that I won’t forgive you after Jesus forgave me!”   To put this into perspective, this came from the same little girl who, almost nine years ago, entered our lives through the foster care system.  At that time, I suppose there was a part of me that believed we were a gift to her.  However, watching God shape her heart and character has been the true gift of her adoption. 

Traci Newell, Education Coordinator

Take Courage - Be Courageous

It is one of the most decaying, pervading, afflicting and destructive epidemics and diseases that our world has ever known. Currently well over 300 million people in the world have been ravished by its effects. It has ravaged 79% of African American households and currently grips 30% of Caucasian households in the States. It’s most devastating effects are those seen in children and as it is highly contagious, and spreads to over 80% of its victims to their offspring. So what is the pandemic outbreak that is destroying our world? Fatherlessness!

Titus 2:2, 6-8
Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Various studies have shown that 70% of juvenile murderers, delinquents, teenaged mothers, drug abusers, dropouts, suicides and runaways come from fatherless homes. More than 80% of fatherless homes are homeless and on welfare. 85% of abused, neglected, and children killed in their homes are a result of fatherlessness. In the United States if crime rates were adjusted by removing those crimes committed by the fatherless, the crime rates don't differ between races or socio-economic levels.

Worldwide, the epidemic has left 143 million children as orphans and another 100 million or more living in poverty or on the streets. Men have abandoned the family, left their responsibilities, and overall have become cowards.

We need Godly Christian men who will stand for principles and values, who are self-controlled and worth of respect, and who have integrity. We need men who heed the words of Paul to Titus and invest their lives in younger men, teaching them what manhood really means - submission to God. We need men who have courage like Joshua who are willing to stand passionate before a generation of Godlessness and paganism and say, “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14-15)

The Word of God says in Micah 6:8, "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?"

As men we are standing on the sidelines as the family slips away. We corrupt our minds with vile images, we become armchair warriors more interested in sports and gadgets than in the spiritual condition of our families, and we are far too easily pleased and wooed away by meaningless affairs. Where are you men of courage?  You were made by your creator for so much more. We need to get on our knees and take our stand and be courageous in the battle of the heart and the battle of the mind - let's take a stand and lead the way.

What would it look like if men discipled men, if men defended women, if men loved their wives and children, and men took a stand for the fatherless, the downtrodden and the orphan. What if it was the men going to their wives and asking if she would pray about adopting or getting involved for the orphan. What would it look like if Godly, passionate men, followers of Christ took a week of vacation to disciple an orphan in another context, or took out time each week to invest in a foster child, or led the charge in their community to say for me and my house we will serve the Lord!

On September 30 a new movie will be released by Sherwood Pictures and Provident Films called Courageous and it is an awesome opportunity to awaken men to what God has called them to. Visit www.courageousthemovie.com to see how you can join the movement and be a part of this very powerful film. Encourage your church, your small group, and your co-workers to see and support this needed film.

“How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

So lastly, are we ready to be men of courage. Are we ready to be families of principle and influence? Men will you lead your family to defend the fatherless, the widow, and the downtrodden. If so, partner with Lifeline today. Visit LifelineAdoption.org to donate to the cause, to apply to adopt, to sign up for a trip through our (un)adopted ministry and visit orphans in need, to apply to be a foster parents for a child in US foster care, to volunteer in one of many ways for the sake of orphans, and ultimately to partner with us as we support the family and restore fathers.

Oh beloved, will you allow God to use you to impact the life of a child? Please do not hesitate to give Lifeline a call because we are here...

On behalf of the orphans and fatherless.

Herbie Newell
Executive Director
Lifeline Children's Services
giving children a hope and a future
twitter: @hmnewell

Foster Care, Adoption & the Body of Christ

During my time at Lifeline, I have watched both adoptive and foster parents live out the ministry they feel they have been called to. These roles are no-joke-non-stop-hard-work; and I am not even talking about the process to become adoptive or foster parents! Once a foster family is licensed and receives a placement, or an adoptive family arrives home with their child, the hard work is only beginning. Work that is rewarding? Yes. Work that is worth it? Yes. But work that is difficult and draining? Absolutely. Two things that I have seen, time after time, make a world of difference for each of these families, are really quite simple concepts: encouragement and support.

I know in our minds, we instantly jump to financial support. Of course financial support is huge and always welcome, but it is not the only form of valuable support that can be offered. Examine what you have available to you – what God has given you to use for His glory – your time, your resources, your gifts, your talents, and your interests. How can you serve others by using those things (and thereby serve Him)? I am reminded of a beautiful, familiar story from Luke 21 – “Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’”

Our Lord does not ask that we give out of our abundance, but out of our poverty – when we do not see how we can afford to give, when we feel we have nothing of value to give. He does not want our extra, our afterthought, or our leftovers. He wants that which costs us something; that which we feel the absence of when we gift it to Him; that which we have to depend on Him to meet our needs after it has been given. Part of the beauty of giving is giving beyond our capacity and learning to trust Him. He desires to build our faith. He seeks not only our gift, but our faith, trust, and obedience behind it – and He calls that beautiful. That is true worship through giving. And not simply giving monetarily, but giving sacrificially of ourselves – whatever that may look like. Our God does not measure the value of our offering the way we do. It is all about His glory – and it is possible for Him to receive more glory through a smaller amount or an untraditional gift when that amount/gift is given from a pure heart.

My point in all of this is that a huge, constant need Lifeline has is support and encouragement for our foster and adoptive families. We are all equipped in different and specific ways to provide these things. If you enjoy children, you could be used as a baby-sitter to give parents a much-needed night off. If you have a gift card leftover from Christmas that you have not used, you could give that to a family who now has more mouths to feed than they did before. If you enjoy sending cards, you could send a note of encouragement to one of our families. If you paint, draw, sew, sing, or dance, you could hold art classes for children who are in foster care or have been adopted. You could give away your car seat, prepare a meal, provide hand-me-down clothes, offer music lessons, tutor a child, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I am asking for your help as you read this. Our families cannot do what they have been called to do alone. That is the very reason for the body of Christ. We aid each other in accomplishing the work He has called each of us to complete. Maybe you have spoken with the Lord, examined your heart, and you are not called (at least at present) to foster or to adopt. My request today is that you consider other ways to serve and give to the children and families with whom Lifeline works. There is no such thing as a small, insignificant offering in God’s eyes. He has gifted you that you may use that gift. So do not delay in putting it to good use!

Allison Fuqua
Social Worker