Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear preceeds the crown we wear. To be a Christian one must take up his cross with all its difficulties and agonizing and tension-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its mark upon us and redeems us to that more excellent way which comes through suffering.

-Martin Luther King Jr.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the good news you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul?

Mark 8: 34-37

I carry this verse in my wallet to remind me of my true purpose, so that when I become blinded by my selfish ambition, I can be reminded that all things I do are from my soul and the Lover of my soul.

Keeps me thinking

"I believe in adoption. And I believe in adoption because family is powerful.

It’s the way God made us. And every child deserves one." - Jody R. Landers

I love when fellow bloggers continue to challenge and inspire me, urging me forward to what my heart knows is good and right and true. Thanks Jody for your words and sharing the adventures of your family.

Spring Break!

Over spring break I have several goals for myself... I hope I am not being too lofty by setting them in blog writing:
Goal #1- Spend uninterrupted time driving to Texas with my amazing, albeit, exhausted husband
Goal #2- Write 2 term papers, take a midterm exam, write lesson plans, and get caught up on all undergrad work (not likely to be successful here, but its worth a shot)
Goal #3- Not think about my students
Goal #4- Blog about this book, From Ashes to Africa, but Josh and Amy Bottomly.

"We don't choose the books we want to read, instead the books choose us. The question then becomes whether we will respect the book enough to listen to the secrets that it wants to whisper to us." ~Josh Bottomly

This book choose me, God has always placed upon my heart a desire to help the orphans of third world countries and the orphans of our own countries. Daily I meditate on the plight of the Fatherless and the Motherless all over the world and it breaks me.

I am broken by the injustice of poverty in children's lives.

I am broken by child labor.

I am broken by child soldiers.

I am broken because I know that I cannot sit by ignorantly while God's heart breaks for these same things.

How will I act? Will we adopt children from Africa? Most likely. Will we send funds? Definitely. But what will we do that is out of the ordinary? What will we do that pushes the limits and really says, "This is GOD's will and GOD's work and no one- no one is going to stop it!"?

How will we change the world?