Guest post with Hannah Bryant

 Hey there! Today we have a fun little guest post from the lovely and talented Hannah Bryant. Won't you give her a bit of blog love?

There wasn’t even a question. I needed to act and the time was now.

It was a few years back when I worked as a solo Flight Attendant on a small aircraft, the pilots flew the plane and I got a group of thirty passengers to myself. I must admit, I had a lot of fun on longer flights playing games with those I welcomed on board. I always wanted to have a karaoke competition but never found the courage to be the first one to start singing.

This particular day had seen a lot of rain, there before me was a mother who had an intellectual delay in my cabin with her eight month old baby. She was flying into Sydney where she would catch a connecting flight to Lismore, a rural country town north of New South Wales. The straight forward journey had been complicated due to the runway at her destination being under water-flooded.

I sat next to her and asked if she had a ‘plan of attack’ as she would not be flying out of Sydney until the following morning. She would need to wait a full twenty-four hours.

Her answer was to stay in the airport where she and her baby would sleep and survive the night as she didn’t know anyone in the big smoke and had a small amount of money.

Not on my watch.

I had a decision right there, in that moment, to choose a love which Christ demonstrates to me. A type of love which begs a response in practical measures.

I gently asked her if she wanted to come to my home? I had been fostering infants (as my three children weren’t thought of) and had a car seat set up, clothes which would fit her baby, a crib and all things needed to make her stay comfortable. She agreed.

After a call to management and my husband, giving him a “heads up” it was settled, my passenger was coming home with me.

I feel a little sheepish writing about my morning flight to Sydney as this is a very small gesture of extending love.

I know that you are being more radical in your expression of agape, so my story is to simply spur you on, to encourage and remind you,

That love finds a way to demonstrate itself in our everyday life.

We just need to be willing and then compelled to act accordingly.

God’s love moves us to act, it motivates action so His goodness can be displayed.

The ironic part is…Displaying His love is often done with things unseen.

Cooking someone a meal, cleaning a friend’s home, bending knees on the hard floor petitioning on behalf of a brother or sister, being generous with finances, placing others needs before your own, the list is endless.

“But the kind of love that God created and demonstrated is a costly one because it involves sacrifice and presence. It’s a love that operates more like a sign language than being spoken outright.”
Bob Goff, Love Does

‘Love unseen’ moves you into a decision making process that often doesn’t make sense to the naked eye, but makes complete sense in the spiritual world.

Getting your hands dirty for the name of Jesus is not in vain my friend, He sees the unnoticed and smiles at your heart with sheer delight.

He understands that its costly, requires energy, using your resources, sacrificing self and interrupting your plans.

It may not make sense in the moment when you hear the Holy Spirit inviting you to step out on His behalf, but the thing is this, you don’t need all the answers to respond immediately, just a willingness to listen and obey.

There is going to be a moment presented to you in the very near future where loving outwardly calls your name.

What is your response going to be?

Hannah, her husband & three children are currently living in Ontario Canada and are heading home this December to Sydney Australia to begin Three Rivers Church, a home church movement. Hannah is passionate about teaching women about their uniqueness in Christ and encouraging them to abandon fear in order to live radically for Jesus. You can keep up to date with her at Ashes-to-beauty.com

Guest post: THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS

Lately we've been talking about finding God in the mundane, today we have another guest post from my blogging buddy Molly. Couldn't love this article more.

I was attending a conference recently, and one speaker had a slide show playing in the background that she called,  “A photo collection curated by my iPhone.” I can’t lie, I laughed a little inside.

Sure. We all have the Instagram with poorly filtered pictures of our children ... I know I do.

Until the pictures started flickering past my vision. And oh, there was art there to be curated. {She is kind of amazing - http://www.the-lifeartist.com/}.

There is a holy cry in the rocks and trees, in bird wings, and single leaves.

I have my own curated collection, of spiderwebs and backyard cardinals, a few finger painting toddlers, an eggplant. And each piece of His creation singing a song of heaven. God in the moments that swarm us, that flicker past our windshields. God in the birdbaths at the gas station. {http://wp.me/p2F4Gp-BI}.

Luke 19:38-40 repeats this truth for us ...  “As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

At the sight of the King of Heaven, the very stones would cry. I maintain they are singing yet, a song of creation, a song of worship.

And in the mundane moments of motherhood, of living, there is art to be found. God-whispers in the trees.

And friends, I think if trees could sing, this cacophony of color would be their Hallelujah chorus .

Look up. {http://wp.me/p2F4Gp-aG}. Look out your window. Sing with them.

~Molly Huggins {All photos curated by my iPhone}.

Molly Huggins (All The Grace Between - www.allthegracebetween.com) is an Army bride, one-time helicopter pilot, compulsive writer, friend seeker, and lover of color and all things textile. Her current occupation is ringmaster of the Huggins family circus (party of five). She has a B.A. in English from Covenant College and a passion for meeting other women right in the middle of their own messy stories. Pull up a chair at her virtual beat-up kitchen table, listen to her stories, and maybe even tell her yours.

Guest post: And God laughed at my fundraising.

Hey all!
Today I'm sharing a post at Future Flying Saucers about the financial miracles God orchestrated while we were in the adoption process with Max. A lot of you have heard those stories. But I'm willing to bet that some of you have not. This is for those of you who are looking for a reason to boast about what your God can do... 

Three years ago, I was a mother of 3 slightly, ornery children, with my eye on a six year old Russian boy who was the spitting image of my husband.

This particular little boy came to us through a local hosting program. He stayed with us for two weeks that summer. Predictably, we couldn’t stomach the thought of what would happen to this little guy if we did not make a place for him at our table.

But.

International adoption is not cheap. Especially those Russian adoptions.

So there we were, a family of 5, presented with a little boy who had a $47,000 price tag on his head – nearly a year’s worth of income for our family – and no way to pay for his ticket home.

So we counted all our pennies, squinted at our financial resources and scratched our heads as we tried to figure out how to pay for this kid.

The best we could figure was we needed to raise at least $9,000 to cover the gap between what he would cost and the amount we could scrounge together in a year’s time.

So we took the blind leap. We strategized our fundraising plan. We put together an army of people who wanted to help us with our crazy task. We managed to raise about $7,000 through our various fundraising endeavors. But halfway through our campaign our church decided to make a “no fundraising policy”, effectively sinking nearly all of my event plans.

Which meant no more fund raising money. And we were still $2,000 short. With no real way to get it.

But we clung to the promise that it was all a part of the plan. That God was going to provide, and He didn’t need my plans to do it.

So out of ideas and nearly out of money we did what anyone would do. Cried out to God and twiddled our thumbs while we waited for Him to show up.

Oh this is the best part. You know God's going to show up, right? But what he did next is going to give you goosebumps. 

Even if you already know, go read it again. Remember what my God can do. You'll get goosebumps all over again.  I promise. The rest of the story is here.

Adoption blogger carnival...

Today we have an exciting treat for you, I've opted to host an adoption blog carnival with some of my fabulous adoptive blogger Mama pals. You may recognize a few of them as old friends who've shared their wisdom with you before.

Enjoy!

International adoption usually includes both a new family and a big move to a new country in one fell swoop.  In Kim Smith from Asia Ramblin's case those events were separated by a year, and gave us a heartbreaking look into the fear of abandonment that she still battles.

Becky Wenrich shares a few thoughts with us about with whether or not open adoption ever gets easier in her post on Wenrich Family Adoption: Becoming a Family of 4.

The authors at Ordinary time share with us a few words that I totally get about how clutter in our homes affects our children from hard places.

And...

Suzanne Meledeo from Surpassing Greatness helps us consider how some children feel being ripped from all they have ever known for a whole new life. More adventures with special needs adoptions

Guest post: Truth among shoes

Hey all!
Over the last few weeks we've been talking about finding God in the mundane. Today I'm so thrilled to share about God showing up in an ordinary moment of life from my blogging buddy Anne Marie Gosnell. Isn't she fabulous? Check her out.

I finished brushing my teeth, dropped the toothbrush in the holder, took one last look in the mirror, and formed the words I was going to say in my head. I walked into the living room and was justified. My son had been playing with his army men instead of putting on his soccer socks and shoes.

Exasperated, I said, "The next time you try to tell me something, I don't think I'm going to listen to you. I tell you to do something, and you ignore me. How do you think it will feel when I don't do as you ask?" Heated, I walked back into my bedroom and then the Truth hit me in the gut.

Daughter, how many times have I tried to tell you something? How many times have I tried to meet with you in the quietness and busyness of the day? And yet you do not listen to me. How many times have I answered your prayers, but they aren't answers you want to hear? And so you ignore Me. Remember the Israelites? Over and over again they did not heed My words and commands. And, unfortunately, it came to the point when I would not listen to their groanings any longer. Remember the desert? Remember the exile? Child, I want what is best for you, but you must listen. Be still, and know that I am God.

I walked back into the living room. My son did manage to have one shoe on a foot and one sock on the other. Instead of being irritated, I humbly, and quietly, told my son to get his other shoe and go to the van. Mercy, grace, and discipline. None of these come cheaply. And they aren't carelessly given out. The cost was blood that was spilled over two thousand years ago. The cost was love. How can I not choose to be still and know the God who loves me? I need to listen, and I need to obey. I need to make myself quiet and cease saying prayers that only fill up the air around me. Reader, prayer is two way communication. If you don't think God is hearing you, maybe it's because you need to listen for a little while.

 *****************************************************************

 Anne Marie is an Austenite and the author of the blog Future.Flying.Saucers. She is a southern belle who is married to her Mr. Darcy. They have two of the silliest children in South Carolina. Anne Marie has a passion for Bible study and teaching the Word to adults and children. On Wednesday nights you will find her teaching Biblical concepts to Awana clubs at her church. All of her Awana and Bible lessons can be found for FREE on her blog. You can also find her on Facebook. -- Blog: http://futureflyingsaucers.wordpress.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FutureFlyingSaucers

Guest post: Cook. Clean. Repeat.

Over the next few weeks we have a handful of guest posters who have stepped up to the plate to share their thoughts on finding God in the mundane moments of life. Today I'm so thrilled to share a few words from Rebecca Wenrich. Enjoy!

As a stay-at-home mom to a very VERY active toddler and three puppies, a lot of my days look the same. Here's a glimpse...

My daughter wakes up super-early and comes to my room for a little more sleep. I get her a sippy cup of milk before she realizes she doesn't have one. After she wakes up, I get her dressed and quickly try to take the dogs out before they make a mess in the house.

We all have breakfast. We read. We play. We do preschool from home. Inevitably we watch something on the Disney Channel. We have lunch. Then we have the nap time fight.

While nap time happens, I try to straighten the morning's mess and get dinner started. She wakes up. I finish making dinner. We eat. My husband comes home. Before too long, it's bedtime.

The next day, we start again.

For me, at least, it is far too easy during these repetitive days to slip into the mindset of: what am I doing here? Am I making a difference? Is my daughter going to remember any of this?

But then I get little glimpses of what's going on in her little head and heart. When we're having a tough day and she says "don't worry, Mommy. God loves your heart." Or when my husband has been working for 12 hours straight and we both miss him and she tells me, "I know you miss my daddy, but I'm here with you." Or when she says, "Mommy - I need to tell you something. You will always be my mommy and I will always be your baby. No matter what."

I thank God for these moments that pop up in the middle of a hum-drum day, when I've just put away a shelf full of books for the 15th time or I've just tripped over the Thomas riding toy AGAIN. God uses this sweet child to remind me that He has not forgotten me. He directed my path and brought me right here - right in the middle of the laundry and the toys and the dogs and the mess.

And really, I wouldn't have it any other way. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to start on the dinner while she finishes her nap. :)

Becky Wenrich is a wife, mom, dog-lover and Jesus-follower, though not necessarily in that order. She loves reading, hanging out with her family, and all things Penn State. You can follow along with her family’s second adoption journey at http://wenrichfamilyadoption.wordpress.com

 

guest post: Beautifully Mundane

Over the next few weeks we have a handful of guest posters who have stepped up to the plate to share their thoughts on finding God in the mundane moments of life. Today I'm so thrilled to share a few words from Richele McFarlin. Enjoy!

My eyes were trained to see blessings which threaten to go unnoticed.  The training came through trials.  Until I experienced trials the beauty in the mundane laid buried under the day to day operations of life.  I would praise God when money fell into my lap and I never failed to cry out to God when trial struck.  I failed to understand the mundane revealed the constant support of a God who is active in my life. 

The last two years of my life taught me to be thankful for simple things.  I learned ordinary days were a gift from an extraordinary God.  Paid bills, food at the dinner table, overflowing laundry, and dishes that needed to be washed were proof God blessed my family daily.  Watching my children play outside as their shadows danced in the sun reflected God's love.  Children who stammered for attention or cried when things didn't go their way reminded me of how I must look to God when I trust myself and not Him.  Remembering not to yell at frustrating little blessings reminded me of God graciously giving me mercy and love.  Forgetting not to yell reminded me of God's forgiveness.  Flowers on a walk provided a glimpse of Heaven's beauty.  The giraffe at the zoo was evidence God's creativity.  My husband coming home tired and ready for dinner revealed God's provision.  Narrowly escaping a car accident proved God's mercy. 

God surrounds. 

He sustains.  

He is constant. 

God's power is not lost on the ordinary. 

I came to this beautiful revelation after enduring a difficult few years.  Oppressive financial trial weighed heavily on my marriage.  My mother's cancer spread to her brain and she died shortly afterward.  As soon as I thought I couldn't take another blow I would get hit harder.  My escape was to settle into normalcy.  I appreciated simple things that may even sound silly if admitted.  Yet, it was in those moments that God showed His power.  He proved to be a constant that provided hope for another day. 

Day to day life continues to move forward giving no thought to the impact on your heart.  It drags you along causing you to make the choice to lose sight or gain vision.  You must choose to fall into the safety net that holds each fragile day together; the mundane.  There are times we ask "where is God?"  We wonder why He stays silent when we call out. Look around and hear His promises in chirping birds, laughing children, and encouragement from a friend.  God is never silent.  The rest between trials and victories is beautifully mundane. 

Richele is the author of Under the Golden Apple Tree and founder of Moms of Dyslexics. You can also find her giving Photoshop a work out as the co-owner of Crisp Apple Design and Consulting. Her passion is Christ and using her writing to glorify Him and encourage other moms.

LINKS:
 http://www.underthegoldenappletree.com,
 http://www.momsofdyslexics.blogspot.com,
 and
 http://www.crispappledesign.com