Last year we attended our first ever Winter Jam in Little Rock, AR. It was AMAZING!!! If you are a lover of music, YOU MUST ATTEND! Where else can you pay $10 bucks to see such great headliners like Toby Mac, Brandon Heath and other great bands! Last year they had MercyMe, Mandissa, BarlowGirl and Skillet. The boys LOVED Skillet! (They Rock it out!!)
Last year thousands dedicated or rededicated their lives to Christ that night! Since I'm older and the mind doesn't retain as much information as it used to....I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY!! But it was A LOT!!! Praise God! And like 4,000 orphan children recieved help from Holt International, the national sponsor, of Winter Jam.
This year the concert is on Feb. 6th! So mark your calendar. Email or call me if you want to know more about it 870-321-1222 or cpevans@yellville.net. My hope is that we get so many folks wanting to go we have to take bus loads!! My boys are already inviting their friends! What a great opportunity for our children to be ministered to and a fun night for all!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
PRIDE Classes
Well we've went through 2 class sessions with 4 more to go. They have been both interestingly informative and helpful...not just with the foster/adopt process but understanding child behavior and the very sad reality of what many of the children in our community, state and nation our faced with every day.
The foster system in Arkansas is committed to reunification. I guess you'd say it is a catch 22 in most cases. So many of these parents don't know how to parent and because of poor choices,bad decisions and what I call generational curses...their children never have a chance to have what we know as a normal family life.
It is with heartfelt prayer that I pray our Lord will look down and protect these children and give them peace and strength in their time of need. We as Christians need to understand our responsibility to these lost souls. I know that many of you aren't called to adopt. But, please think of a way that you, your family, your church family could offer some hope to these children.
Thank you Lord for guiding and directing our path. Thank you for knowing our every step. We turn to you and know that you are the Author and Finisher of our faith. You know our every step before we even think about it. I pray that we continually search for your guidance and wisdom. Bless the lost children here and every where. May a people rise up to embrace them and offer them the same hope that you have given us. Open our hearts Lord that we feel your Spirit and act on your call. May we all become more obedient, loving and faithful. Your Son's blood has made us free, healed and blessed beyond measure. Let us bless each other. Amen and Amen!
God is good- ALL THE TIME!
The foster system in Arkansas is committed to reunification. I guess you'd say it is a catch 22 in most cases. So many of these parents don't know how to parent and because of poor choices,bad decisions and what I call generational curses...their children never have a chance to have what we know as a normal family life.
It is with heartfelt prayer that I pray our Lord will look down and protect these children and give them peace and strength in their time of need. We as Christians need to understand our responsibility to these lost souls. I know that many of you aren't called to adopt. But, please think of a way that you, your family, your church family could offer some hope to these children.
Thank you Lord for guiding and directing our path. Thank you for knowing our every step. We turn to you and know that you are the Author and Finisher of our faith. You know our every step before we even think about it. I pray that we continually search for your guidance and wisdom. Bless the lost children here and every where. May a people rise up to embrace them and offer them the same hope that you have given us. Open our hearts Lord that we feel your Spirit and act on your call. May we all become more obedient, loving and faithful. Your Son's blood has made us free, healed and blessed beyond measure. Let us bless each other. Amen and Amen!
God is good- ALL THE TIME!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
I love Jesus!
I love Jesus. I love His ability to take something bad and make it good. I love His soft whisper when I feel beyond dispare. I love His loving way when I want to get really mad. I love Him. He loves me. Not one thing do I have to do but to sit right beside Him and soak it in. I don't have to recite memory verses. I don't have to know all the bible stories. I don't even have to do everything right. He loves me, no matter what.
Do we love no matter what? Or do we store it all up? Do we play it over and over in our minds? Do we keep blaming? Do we keep hashing it up? Until we can love no matter what, we will never understand how utterly amazing His love is for us. Or even better let's grasp how amazing and forgiving our Savior is and use that freedom in loving others. I LOVE JESUS!
Do we love no matter what? Or do we store it all up? Do we play it over and over in our minds? Do we keep blaming? Do we keep hashing it up? Until we can love no matter what, we will never understand how utterly amazing His love is for us. Or even better let's grasp how amazing and forgiving our Savior is and use that freedom in loving others. I LOVE JESUS!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Next step
Today a guy from DHS comes to inspect the house. Hopefully, he can overlook the fact we are living like sardines in here. Our house will be done in about 2 months. Praise God!!! Anyway, our paperwork is approved and this is the final step in approval for attending class. We will begin the Foster/Adopt PRIDE Classes in Harrison Sat. Every Sat. for the next 6 weeks! After that, we will just wait. Boy there is a lot of waiting....
It's been a long time coming and we feel really good about pursing this option. We still have the international adoption option as well as a private adoption (if that may come available). International just doesn't seem right because of the expense. We know that God does not want this to be financially burdensome on us and just the initial amount to get started is something we could not afford. Now we may win the lottery tomorrow. Oops, you have to play the lottery, to win, right?! Anyway..we may come into lots of money at some point, and then we'd know. But for now, this is where we stand.
We are all very excited. The boys helped me clean and then this morning they were so excited. He's coming today right? You start classes Sat, right? Can we get a sister right after you're done with classes? I just love it. I'm afraid when this little girl or girls gets here, she's going to be so spoiled it won't be funny. She will definetly have the love and I'm sure a just a few pink things!!
Please pray for the children in foster care. Please pray that God will move on those that want to do something but may be scared of the process. Children are waiting. They need homes. God is good.
It's been a long time coming and we feel really good about pursing this option. We still have the international adoption option as well as a private adoption (if that may come available). International just doesn't seem right because of the expense. We know that God does not want this to be financially burdensome on us and just the initial amount to get started is something we could not afford. Now we may win the lottery tomorrow. Oops, you have to play the lottery, to win, right?! Anyway..we may come into lots of money at some point, and then we'd know. But for now, this is where we stand.
We are all very excited. The boys helped me clean and then this morning they were so excited. He's coming today right? You start classes Sat, right? Can we get a sister right after you're done with classes? I just love it. I'm afraid when this little girl or girls gets here, she's going to be so spoiled it won't be funny. She will definetly have the love and I'm sure a just a few pink things!!
Please pray for the children in foster care. Please pray that God will move on those that want to do something but may be scared of the process. Children are waiting. They need homes. God is good.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
What do you see?
It's funny as I sat doing online banking tonight...I started feeling an overwhelming sense of peace and joy. Not quite sure how that happened looking at online banking but it did and it wasn't because a bunch of zeros were line up behind my balance! It was an overwhelming feeling!!! Like God had put His hand directly in mine and said, "Come here, I want to show you something!" So here I am sitting in my chair in my little, messy office with God right here by me! Tears begin to just fall and I just got happy all over...I see our little girl!! He showed me her face, her little hands, he gave me peace that she is there. Now don't get me wrong, I've pictured her before...but tonight it was different. It was Him showing me her, reminding me that He is the Author and Finisher of my faith! As I try and type...I can't even put it in to words. Except...God is so good.
Now don't get me wrong...boy I'd love to have her right now, I'd love to know that this "plan" was laid out and I had my timeline in place....but I don't....no timeline, no plan....just faith...Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Don't you just love that verse!!! Our God will never loose faith in us, let's not loose faith in Him.
So what do you see in your faith eyes?
By faith Abraham, even though he was past age -- and Sarah herself was barren -- was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. Hebrews 11:11.
Now don't get me wrong...boy I'd love to have her right now, I'd love to know that this "plan" was laid out and I had my timeline in place....but I don't....no timeline, no plan....just faith...Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Don't you just love that verse!!! Our God will never loose faith in us, let's not loose faith in Him.
So what do you see in your faith eyes?
By faith Abraham, even though he was past age -- and Sarah herself was barren -- was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. Hebrews 11:11.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Starving or Full?
We've been attending this great little church up on the hill here in Yellville. The Spirit is moving in a mighty way within that body of believers. We are blessed to have been led there so we can be fed His word. It would be hard to even begin to share with you the Spirit moving testimonies, sermons and ministries at work but I will try my best to give you just a glimpse of a dream that was spoke about Wednesday night.
Picture if you will walking in to a room where a huge table is prepared and in the middle of that table there is a large pot of homemade stew just waiting to be devoured and enjoyed. Now around that table are all these people, but they are as skinny as a rail. They are looking around at each other wondering how they were ever going to enjoy the stew. Because you see these spoons were so long they could not feed themselves. There arms were too short to hold the spoon to their mouths.
Now let's move to another room and as you open the door you witness a room full of people, they are fattened and overjoyed with the abundance of food...They were picking up the spoons and enjoying every bite...What's the difference, you ask? They were picking up their spoons and feeding EACH OTHER! Chill bumps rise up all over me as I recall hearing this Wed. night. They got it! They realized that it's not about trying to feed yourself. That if you will pick up the spoon and feed another, maybe just maybe you can realize YOU WILL GET FED!! Isn't it amazing how we can get so caught up "ME"! But when it comes to really getting "fattened up with the Love of God", we miss out because we are so busy trying to feed ourselves we forget about feeding each other. Bearing one anothers burdens, loving others as Christ loved us, feeding each other!
Never before have I even came close to grasping the amazing love in freedom we have in our Maker, our Creator, our FRIEND! He's not something that we look up to and just imagine how great it's going to be when we see Him and get to Heaven. (Now, don't get me wrong that is going to be great....) He's available to us every minute, every hour, every day. Right here beside us. Calling us Friend. We have the same authority in Him today as we will when we stand with Him face to face. The great thing though is we can enjoy all that "Loving" right now. Loving each other, Loving Him....picking up that spoon and feeding each other.
Lord, I pray that we can all look for ways to pick up that spoon and feed one another. May we use the gifts and blessings you give us to help each other. May we love one another so that through that love they will know we are your disciples...BECAUSE WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
I just love you Lord and I pray that your love will grab hold of every person that reads this and not let go! We all make it very hard...I made it very hard for too long...it was always to hard...all that wanting to be perfect for You...Lord, I thank you for sending Your Son, I thank you for bearing it all so I could be free, I thank you for your love. It is my prayer that we all start "fattening" up on your stew! Let's start looking across the aisle, the girl sitting alone at the ballgame, the lonely man across the street. Let's quit lying complacent and DO SOMETHING!!!
Picture if you will walking in to a room where a huge table is prepared and in the middle of that table there is a large pot of homemade stew just waiting to be devoured and enjoyed. Now around that table are all these people, but they are as skinny as a rail. They are looking around at each other wondering how they were ever going to enjoy the stew. Because you see these spoons were so long they could not feed themselves. There arms were too short to hold the spoon to their mouths.
Now let's move to another room and as you open the door you witness a room full of people, they are fattened and overjoyed with the abundance of food...They were picking up the spoons and enjoying every bite...What's the difference, you ask? They were picking up their spoons and feeding EACH OTHER! Chill bumps rise up all over me as I recall hearing this Wed. night. They got it! They realized that it's not about trying to feed yourself. That if you will pick up the spoon and feed another, maybe just maybe you can realize YOU WILL GET FED!! Isn't it amazing how we can get so caught up "ME"! But when it comes to really getting "fattened up with the Love of God", we miss out because we are so busy trying to feed ourselves we forget about feeding each other. Bearing one anothers burdens, loving others as Christ loved us, feeding each other!
Never before have I even came close to grasping the amazing love in freedom we have in our Maker, our Creator, our FRIEND! He's not something that we look up to and just imagine how great it's going to be when we see Him and get to Heaven. (Now, don't get me wrong that is going to be great....) He's available to us every minute, every hour, every day. Right here beside us. Calling us Friend. We have the same authority in Him today as we will when we stand with Him face to face. The great thing though is we can enjoy all that "Loving" right now. Loving each other, Loving Him....picking up that spoon and feeding each other.
Lord, I pray that we can all look for ways to pick up that spoon and feed one another. May we use the gifts and blessings you give us to help each other. May we love one another so that through that love they will know we are your disciples...BECAUSE WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
I just love you Lord and I pray that your love will grab hold of every person that reads this and not let go! We all make it very hard...I made it very hard for too long...it was always to hard...all that wanting to be perfect for You...Lord, I thank you for sending Your Son, I thank you for bearing it all so I could be free, I thank you for your love. It is my prayer that we all start "fattening" up on your stew! Let's start looking across the aisle, the girl sitting alone at the ballgame, the lonely man across the street. Let's quit lying complacent and DO SOMETHING!!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
It's turned in!
The paperwork is in DHS hands! I called about the Adoption/Foster PRIDE Classes that are offered through The CALL in Little Rock. Problem is they are only offered to Pulaski and Lonoke County residents. After emailing back and forth with the director a few times, it became quite apparent that The Call needs to come to our area. I won't bore you with all the details but when things happen and those little "ironic" moments come up, it's hard not deny that those are "God things" as now I like to refer to them. I think about all the times I missed the "God things" in my life.....those little nudges, phone calls, signs that he sent and I refused to listen because I had a plan!!! Boy, I'm so glad that I don't have to plan it all anymore. That was tiring..... :)
God is so good. The cool thing is that He will lead us if we just ask Him. Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and door shall be opened. Never quite understood the power from these words!
So anyway, The Call is an awesome Spirit led program that helps simplify the foster/adopt process by offering the classes 2 weekends in a month and your done. Right now, I'm continuing to pray for guidance. I sure don't need just another thing to do but I do want to do what God has called me to do. He prepares us daily to do Kingdom work. We just have to not live in fear and go for it. I've learned that lots of times He is just waiting for me to take the one step in faith. So just pray that I listen to Him and what will bring Him the most glory.
I can't help but think that there are more families in this community that don't have 10 weeks to commit to PRIDE Classes. How great would it be to open the door to many that may have never felt like they could commit to all that but would be interested in giving a child a home. It gets pretty emotional for me as I begin to think about the many children that are lost in the system. 35 years ago...I was one of those children but I was fortunate enough that I found my forever family. These children do not ask for this....they didn't ask to be brought into this world and then just set to the side like some unwanted pair of shoes that no one wants anymore. Each of these children have things in them that are just waiting to flower but like any seed if it's never watered it will die and never be what it was called to be. That breaks my heart. I could have been one of those kids....It's very important that I now use what God has placed inside of me to do His work not just to satisfy my needs (did that way too long). So if you don't mind pray that God will move in a mighty way to help the children in our community as well as across the nation. That folks will begin to stand up and offer their hearts to adoption or foster care.
May each of us look at the cards we have been dealt (good and bad) and really search for what God has given us. What is your heart's desire?
God is so good. The cool thing is that He will lead us if we just ask Him. Ask and it shall be given, seek and you shall find, knock and door shall be opened. Never quite understood the power from these words!
So anyway, The Call is an awesome Spirit led program that helps simplify the foster/adopt process by offering the classes 2 weekends in a month and your done. Right now, I'm continuing to pray for guidance. I sure don't need just another thing to do but I do want to do what God has called me to do. He prepares us daily to do Kingdom work. We just have to not live in fear and go for it. I've learned that lots of times He is just waiting for me to take the one step in faith. So just pray that I listen to Him and what will bring Him the most glory.
I can't help but think that there are more families in this community that don't have 10 weeks to commit to PRIDE Classes. How great would it be to open the door to many that may have never felt like they could commit to all that but would be interested in giving a child a home. It gets pretty emotional for me as I begin to think about the many children that are lost in the system. 35 years ago...I was one of those children but I was fortunate enough that I found my forever family. These children do not ask for this....they didn't ask to be brought into this world and then just set to the side like some unwanted pair of shoes that no one wants anymore. Each of these children have things in them that are just waiting to flower but like any seed if it's never watered it will die and never be what it was called to be. That breaks my heart. I could have been one of those kids....It's very important that I now use what God has placed inside of me to do His work not just to satisfy my needs (did that way too long). So if you don't mind pray that God will move in a mighty way to help the children in our community as well as across the nation. That folks will begin to stand up and offer their hearts to adoption or foster care.
May each of us look at the cards we have been dealt (good and bad) and really search for what God has given us. What is your heart's desire?
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