The Intentional Life

It was celebrated how typical Suvar birthdays are celebrated around here. Not a lot of fanfare, but most assuredly the celebrant feels special by the time the day is out. Their pick of a meal (she chose spaghetti, of course.  The only Suvar to not pick Cabbage, Bacon, and  Noodles.) Their choice of cake (Cherry Chip!) A chance to sit in the birthday chair at dinner. And a few small, but carefully chosen gifts. Hannah, we love your heart for the fatherless, your continual prayers for your missionary friends, and your creative spirit.  I know God has great plans for you.  Our prayer is that you can trust your life to Him, and allow Him to direct your paths.   Happy 6th Birthday, Hannah! (a day late, yeesh, I know.) We love you!

He was just being a boy. Curious.  Discovering.  Playing in the dirt.  Finding cool rocks. He just wanted to crack the rock open and see what it looked like inside. He just needed a smooth patch of concrete to throw it down on. He didn't think about the fact that it was right next to the house. Right next to the large front window... Initial reactions: Unbelief - the contractors were literally finished with the house as of yesterday Anger - how could you not think through that?  Didn't you realize the rock could hit the window? Frustration - more unexpected money going out the door.  I feel like we are hemorrhaging cash right now. Tears.  His and mine.  He was so sorry.  He's been gifted with that quality.  Instantly feeling bad for messing up.  For disappointing. We talked.  We hugged. He offered to make more glass.  He knows how to do that because glass is made from sand.  He offered to help pay for it - giving $4.57 of his birthday money that

Lifesong Farms.  We are thankful, with the help and expertise of our friends at Plant Sciences, Inc. , to have active strawberry farms in Ukraine and Zambia. Our hope is to not only create jobs & self-worth for orphan caregivers, but also  provide future employment opportunities as orphans grow into adults. Eventually, we aim to establish sustainability to help fund on-going orphan care. Hear the stories behind the farms... Bearing Fruit in Sergey {UKRAINE} Like each and every child our Ukraine team reaches out to through Constant Christian Presence, Sergey was full of potential. Coming from a life of hurt, God breathed hope into his heart and life. Through the team's support, mentorship and love, Sergey came to know Christ while developing relationships and life skills that is leading him towards a fruitful future. Now, he and another orphan graduate are involved in helping manage a nursery, as well as play an important role in Lifesong Farms-Ukraine. Listen in to h

  Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Romans 12:9a When I saw this would be the verse I would focus on for April, my first thought was that it should have been put in February to go along with Valentine's Day.  All that lovey-dovey stuff and such. Then a few days ago the thought came to me. This year, this is the month that embodies love. Romans 12:9 speaks of loving from the very core of who you are.  True authenticity . This isn't fake love.  Pretending to love someone. Pretending to care in hopes and gaining something in return. But, we may argue, some people are hard to love. I could not agree more.  I have seen some of them.  And some have even asked me why I care. And I have to tell them honestly. The only good thing coming out of me is Jesus. I love you because of Jesus. To authentically love someone, regardless of their actions towards us, takes Jesus. And we are now into the week that showed the true, authentic love.  There is

Last summer I mentioned burnout.  I had been feeling a certain way for awhile but didn't know how to identify it.  Then I read this article. Listed below are the signs of burnout listed in the article: 1. Your motivation has faded.  The passion that fueled you is gone, and your motivation has either vaporized or become self-centered. 2. Your main emotion is ‘numbness’ – you no longer feel the highs or the lows.  3. People drain you.  Of course there are draining people on the best of days. But not everybody, every time. Burnout often means few to no people energize you anymore. 4. Little things make you disproportionately angry.  When you start losing your cool over small things, it’s a sign something deeper is very wrong. 5. You’re becoming cynical.  6. Your productivity is dropping.  You might be working long hours, but you’re producing little of value. Or what used to take you 5 minutes just took you 45. That’s a warning bell.

 March gave us some more winter weather, despite the fact that Spring was on the calendar 2/3 of the way through the month. So, we tried to pull ourselves up by those winter bootstraps and enjoy it while it was here. We saw some improvement on our house (praise the Lord!) and delved even deeper in exploring how our God is in control...always. Now April is in full swing, Spring Break is just about in the rear window, and we turn our faces to the sky, hoping for that sunshine. Hannah's 'snowman' she made by herself Wacky Wednesday at school.  Ironically she didn't dress much different than she does any other day...  Homemade Bird House/feeder.  As always, Hannah was the architect  and I was her construction worker  The month started out with studs  Drywall was dropped off  then installed  and then painted!  Heading out to Illinois for a family wedding meant a night at a hotel - and swimming. As we were sitting on th

1 Corinthians 12:13 “ For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” I would say, hands down, she was the toughest kid we've had in our house. She brought chronic disease that affected every part of her life. She brought years of severe abuse and neglect with her. It manifested itself with screaming, throwing, name-calling, defiance. When she lived here she taught me so much about trust and patience and unconditional love . She lived here for 9 months. That was three years ago. And last Sunday I got to witness her stand in front of 200+ people and profess her need for Jesus and His Saving Grace. I got to be there to see her be baptized. She was part of my lowest moments here as a houseparent. And now she is part of one of my highest moments, too. She is a living, walking example of prayer working.  His Body reachi