Stop Limiting God

Why is it so easy for us to put God in a box?  We pull him out on Sunday and then the rest of the week we put him back in His box and on the shelf. I am just as guilty.  We have our plans, routines, and schedules and God forbid He come in and mess up all of that. We put limitations on ourselves, but God see what we could be doing.  We say God I can't do that, yet God says Yes You can. God Dares us. Our fears hold us back.

There is a story of a widow woman whose fear was holding her back.  She had a debt she couldn't pay and was in fear of losing her two sons.  The man of God asked "what do you have in your house?" She answered "just a little oil."  In her mind that was not enough to matter. She was expecting the man of God to
something Grand. A lot of time when we pray and ask God for something we expect some grand expectation from God. Sometimes God does things SLOWLY. This is one of those times.  The man of God told her to go to her neighbors and ask for ALL empty jars not just a few but ALL.  And to start filling them up with oil and selling them.  God was daring her to trust Him. God knew where she was. He knows where you are too.

You may be sitting here reading this going this doesn't apply to me. I have it all together. I read my Bible and go to church and there is nothing God could be daring me to do.  God knows you and knows where you really are. He knows you appear on the outside to have it all put together but on the inside you are struggling.

God has planted a seed in all of us that we have yet to touch.  Bring your empty jars and fill them up with your worship, your joy, peace, happiness, faith, hope, etc. Let God

I want to leave you with a verse that has been very impactful in my life

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

A Family Making Ripples

Many years ago there was a couple who couldn't have kids of their own. They really wanted to be parents and so they decided to adopt. They adopted a little baby boy who was six months old. They were so excited to be his parents. They raised him and over the years they had fostered another little boy whom they had considered adopting. Later in life they decide to work at a Boy's Ranch. The man worked on the grounds at the Boys ranch and the woman was a cook. Their son whom they had adopted was now in college. He was going to college to become a Pharmacist.

The son had met and married a wonderful woman. While in college they were blessed with a son. A couple of years later they were excited because they were having another baby, but were soon hit with disappointment. The son whom they were so excited to have would be going onto heaven. They would be hit with disappointment 2 more times before they would get a blessing. After two more miscarriages they decided to adopt. In January of 1979 they applied to adopt. They had decided on a little girl if possible. Well, nine months later on September 20th they got a call asking if they were still interested in adopting. The answer was a resounding YES. The person on the phone then asked them if they could make it to Oklahoma city the next day! So on September 21, 1979 they added a little girl to their family. That little girl grew up to have a strong desire to help foster families and kids.

The people in this story are my grandparents Alvin and Nadine Martens, who made the first ripple and adopted their son Michael Martens. Michael Martens got married to Jolene Martens and they made the second ripple by adopting their daughter me. Now both of these ripples took place in Oklahoma. The third ripple was made by me here in Washington where I work with foster kids through Abe and Sara's Kids and also Orphan Sunday and many other ways.

One life touching another life and another.

Angela Kienzle

So School Has Started!

As we get the kids ready for school this first week of school we hear alot of complaining from our kids.  For example, this morning my oldest was complaining that she wasn't going out until she absolutely had to cuz it was cold out. Yet, as adults we tell our kids of how we had to walk to school in 5 ft of snow and up a hill to and from school. There are kids around the world who have more of a journey then we do just to get to school.

Lets take a look at some.

1. Gulu, China -to get to the most remote school in the world kids have to travel 5hrs on a 1 foot rail up the side of a mountain.

2. Now if your child was complaining about the bus and how crowed it is.  Well, then they can be thankful they are not in Delhi, India! Now that is a crowded bus. 

3. How about a trip across an old suspension bridge in Lebak, Indonesia!  Who would be brave enough to cross?

4. How about having to climb ladders to get to your school?  That is what kids in Zhang Jiawan Village in Southern China do. 

5. How about walking across a tight rope 30 feet about a river? That is what kids in Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia have to do. 

It makes you think about how good we have it.  It makes you want to stop complaining about the cold, or a crowded bus.  

Image credits: Bullit Marquez /AP you can check out more Dangerous Trip to school on the www.boredpanda.com  

Have a wonderful School Year!