"Unispired Latenight Ramblings" by Ashleigh

As the title suggests I am feeling rather uninspired to be blogging today. That is the only thing about having a specific day in which you are responsible to blog, sometimes it just doesn't line up with wanting to actually share anything. :)

To start off, the Marshall's were sorry that they didn't blog on Wednesday. They were working their tails off trying to get the apartment in some kind of working order for Lucy's mom, sister-in-law and niece who arrived today. I am happy to announce that they slept in the apartment last night for the first time! :) Mark was able to get the toilet and the sink in the bathroom working (barely, after many complications). They will still need to share the shower with us, in the other part of the basement, for a little while longer, until they get theirs finished. But, praise the Lord they are in!

In many ways FOM is a very unique ministry. I have the opportunity to watch the changes in each of the children. I was thinking back on this week and what all it held. Many things that came to mind actually were attitudes that had to be dealt with, complications in school with older children not understand basic logic/problem solving (because they were never taught it before) and even a few moments where someone stepped a little deeper in their expression of love to someone else. Each of these is a miracle (yes, even the attitude). When the children first come they so often are on a survival mentality. Preferences are a non-issue and have never even been awakened. What is an attitude anyway? It's when someone doesn't like what is happening. When things aren't going their way. James 1 says that fighting and quarreling come because we don't get what we want. God wants me to be grateful for the attitudes. It's part of the growing process for the children. You can't skip over that stage of life. They are no longer just surviving in life but now have the opportunity to thrive!

It's easy for people (including myself) to get entrenched into the day to day aspects of life and forget where these kids come from. At times they seem "normal" and unscarred by their past. Praise the Lord for that! However, reality usually isn't far in coming. My deepest prayer for each one of the children as I have been living with them is that they will choose to believe (aka - live out of) the knowledge of the TRUTH! That is the only thing that will set them free from their past. They have to grasp the truth of Christ with both hands and not let go. But then again, so do we. Isn't that right?

Would it be fair to say that we all live what we truly believe? Or rather, that our actions tell the world what are belief system is? Isn't that why a believer in Christ can shine a light without saying a word? So then I ask you, "What would those that live around you say you believe?" Do you trust God with money, family, future, plans and goals? I mean really? Howe quickly does your blood pressure rise? How often do you lay awake at night and can't sleep because of something you are think about? How often do you you let something consume your thoughts because you are worrying? Do you really trust God with those? Here is a little logic test. If someone asked you to drink arsenic would you do it? Of course not. You know (and trust) in the proven results that it is deadly. Take that into the spiritual realm. To not trust God is poisonous and deadly to our souls and our relationship with Him. Yet, how often are we guilty of worry, an obsession with something that happened or might happen, allowing something else to consume our thoughts other then Christ! We cannot live fuller in Christ if we continue to consume the poison!

I'll be the first to shout GUILTY! Not only guilty but guilty on all accounts. But the Lord is ever so loving and faithful to open my eyes to this and continually draw me closer to Him. He is taking me on a life journey in learning how to trust Him deeper. That is what I pray for the kids. With my whole heart I cry out to God that they would understand this and grab onto the power that lies within it. It will be their only way to true freedom. He has called all of us precious, acceptable, worthy, loved, completely redeemed, sanctified, more then a conqueror and so much more. We have, through Christ, direct access to the God of heaven and earth, the mind of Christ and the power to do all things. Not only that but we cannot be separated from God's love, be charged or accused or be condemned. Can you imagine what any one of the kids could do if they fully believed half of this list? How about you....do you fully believe this list? Do you trust that what Christ says is true? Does your life display it?

Why do I share this with you? It is sometimes so hard to know what to type without disclosing personal and private information. But in giving you a glimpse (as I have tried) of my heart's pray for them I pray that it helps you in knowing how better to pray for them and feeling more connected to the spiritual needs of the children. But not only the children. This would also go for each one of the staff members here. (For that matter, it would be a good pray for any person you know living on the earth!)

Have the courage to radically believe God. The little taste I have had in my short life has already told me it more then worth it!

(I guess I found something to say after all!) :)