You could be a CASA!!

CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocate

New Volunteer Orientation is scheduled on Tuesday -March 2 at 5:30.

Volunteer Orientation is a great way to hear about CASA and how you can be part of the training session coming up in April.

A note from Maureen about the training: They will be held at the Larimer County Justice Center, 201 Laporte Ave. Important: come to the WEST door as it is the only one open at that time. We will begin and 5:30 sharp. It's a great way to get an over view of the role of the CASA. I always say CASAs are ordinary people getting extraordinary things done for abused and neglected children. We will teach you how to bring justice and peace into the life of a child in need in our community. It's not as hard as you might think.

Contact Maureen Carrigan for more information at (970) 377-9445.
:)

Dr. John Piper on Orphan Summit VI

Invitation to Summit VI from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Orphan Summit

I went to Orphan Summit for the first time last year. It was a great experience - I am looking forward to going again this year. They have excellent speakers for the main services and a wide range of break-out sessions. It is good for more than one person from your ministry team to go because you can all attend different sessions and get more information. It is also AWESOME to be with other people who have a heart to answer the call for the widow, the lonely and the orphan! You will be Blessed, Blessed, Blessed!!! :)

Registration is now open at: http://www.christian-alliance-for-orphans.org/

Haiti - What can we do?

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Who shall I send? And will go with us? Then said I, Here I am; send me.

Sending looks different for all of us. God doesn't speak to each person the say thing or speak to them in the same way.
I have received many phone calls and emails in the past week with some great questions. God is stirring peoples hearts for the people and children of Haiti. God is stirring each and every heart for a reason --- to bring Glory to God. You might ask how can this situation bring glory to God? When God's children respond with forward motion (a "yes" answer) to what He has put on their hearts it brings glory to God. Obedience.
#1 Question - Are orphans coming to Colorado? For the most part the children that have come to the US are the children who have been matched and in process to be adopted. No one knows for sure what the next couple of month will bring for the newly orphaned children of Haiti.
#2 Question - We really feel like God may be calling us to adopt from Haiti - what should be do? First and foremost you need a homestudy. If you have a homestudy already done it can be amended for an international adoption from Haiti. Colorado Adoption Center in Windsor is very familiar with working with Haiti and preparing homestudies for families 493-8816. Ask family and friends to join you in prayer during this decision process and ask the Lord to confirm His will for you and your family.
#3 Question - Is there a way to serve in Haiti? Absolutely! Contact organizations that are already serving in Haiti to see where you can be used. You will need a passport.
The most important thing that we can do as the body of Christ is to Pray. Never underestimate the power or importance of prayer. Prayer changes things!!
Be Prepared!! Be prepared to respond according to how the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart. We can rest assured that where ever God leads - He will be with us.
Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched Nor will the flame burn you.
Inquire of the Lord about how he wants you to respond to the needs in Haiti. You just never know when you say "yes" to the Lord how far reaching His hand already is moving on your behalf. :)

Waiting for a Family

Amber needs a family could it be yours? Contact the Adoption Exchange at 303-755-4756 for more information. :)

Name: Amber S
Child ID: 7301
State: CO
Birthday: 8/1996
Grade in school: 7
Special Interests: Singing, dancing , Hannah Montana
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Listed On: 1/2010

Name: Amber S
Profile: Next on the stage is Amber! This music enthusiast is practicing her singing and dancing in hopes of becoming a star when she grows up. Like most young women her age, she simply adores Hannah Montana! This likeable, happy and engaging teen also can be found drawing, being outdoors, having her nails painted, and wearing skirts, dresses and girl colors. Making friends is one of her priorities. Amber is in the seventh grade where she benefits from an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). She has been making great strides at school! Amber is excited to begin taking a new science class this year. She benefits from counseling, which will need to continue after placement. She may need some assistance as an adult, but she can have a great life. Her caseworker prefers a two-parent or single-mother Colorado home where she could be an only child; however, all family types will be considered. Amber hopes to remain in contact with her brother. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. For Colorado children, both homestudied and non-homestudied Colorado families are encouraged to inquire; only homestudied families from other states should do so.

Tobymac - City on our knees - Haiti

Dear God - It is so hard to see the suffering that this earthquake has brought to the Haitian people. It breaks our heart and sometimes we do not know how to respond. Speak to our hearts this week in ways you would have us reach out and minister from afar. You may call some of us to go given the opportunity to be your hands and feet in person. We pray for all of those in desperate need of water, food and shelter. We pray for each and every missionary in Haiti. Protect them, Guide them and give them rest even while they are ministering to others. Restore peace and order where there isn't any. We love you Lord and desire to do your will. Amen.

Haiti Relief Effort

The earthquake in Haiti is devastating. One of our sons was born in Haiti and it was hard to sit and look at the pictures of the devastation with him. Even though he doesn't live there anymore, Haiti is the country of his birth and what happens effects him and our family. We have heard from the orphanage that he was at and they are all okay. It will be hard in the days to come to get supplies, fuel and food.
Many ministries in Haiti need support as the need is great to help the people of Haiti.
Here are a couple of agencies that are already at work in Haiti and need your help:

http://www.childrenofthepromise.org/
http://www.convoyofhope.org/

http://www.glahaiti.org/

The orphanages that I listed are truly servants of the Lord in Haiti. A big challenge is the cost of fuel to run their generators. They care for a lot of sick little ones and the generators are essential to keep this precious little ones alive. Below is an interview that Dixie Bickel at God's Littlest Angels did with Matt Lauer on the Today Show.

Please pray for all of these organizations as the minister to so many needs.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Willpower : The Fair-weather Friend Devotion

aaahhhh - This was my morning devotion today. It is so true - my willpower gives out on a daily basis. How about yours? I need the infilling of the Holy Spirit daily to accomplish the things He has laid on my heart as a wife, mother and serving in adoption/orphan ministry.
Let this devotion pour into those place in your heart that need this word today. :)

But I say, walk and live (habitually) in the Holy Spirit (responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit); then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (human nature without God). Galatians 5:16
Willpower sure sounds like a great thing. We are led to believe that we have enough of it to fight off every temptation that comes our way. And sometimes it works. But let me tell you a little secret about willpower. Willpower is your best friend when things go well, but it's the first friend to check out when you get weary. I have found that if I really don't want to do something, my mind gives me plenty of reasons why I don't have to. My emotions even join in, saying, "I agree because I don't feel like doing it anyway." Our souls (mind, will, emotions) would love to run our lives, but the Bible says we are to be led by God's Spirit. We are never instructed to be willpower-led, we are told to be Spirit-led. Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won't be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for awhile, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line. Zechariah 4:6 says, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, say the Lord of hosts." What happens if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turn to God instead? God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Willpower does not get the credit for our success, God does. Jesus said in: John 15:5, "apart from Me(cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
written by Joyce Meyer
Dear Lord, Thank you for your love and grace that are ready to pour over us everyday. Help us to seek you and your word first and foremost when we feel weary. You lead us beside still waters where it is calm and where we can hear your tender voice speaking to us even in the midst of our busy days. We love you Lord! Amen.

URGENT - FAMILY NEEDED

Please pray for a Larimer County, 16 yr. old boy that needs a forever family. Alex is a Jr. in High school and wanting to be adopted by a Christian family. He is 6'3, loves sports, working out and eating healthy. He enjoys cooking, trying new recipes and thinks he wants to be a chef someday. He is funny, easy to talk to and is positive, despite what he has been through in life. He is a pretty typical teen that likes to sleep in on the weekends, enjoys his music, wants to hang out with friends (including girls) and needs to be reminded to do homework and finish his chores. He enjoys the outdoors, being active and trying new sports. Alex has experienced a lot of loss in his life and is very sensitive to rejection. Alex has so much potential and needs a family to help guide, encourage and help him achieve his goals. I am open to home studied and non home studied families. For further information please contact Julie Mavis 970-686-5519.

Sanctity of Human Life Day

I would like to introduce Lorraine Meyer to you. She is the coordinator of our Birthmother Ministries at Timberline Church. I met Lorraine one weekend when we were having sign-ups for a Fields of the Fatherless class. She came to our table and said that she had a heart for Birthmoms and wanted to know if this was a place that she could serve. Ofcourse our response was "YES". Our ministry team had been praying specifically for someone that had a heart for Birthmoms and how we can serve them. You never know when you say "yes" to something that God has put on your heart how the ripple effect will touch so many lives. That is exactly what is happening in this ministry - it is very exciting!!!! :)

Please join us at Timberline Church at our regular service times on

Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. or Sunday, January 24, 2010, at
8:30, 10:00 or 11:30 for a spotlight on Sanctity of Human Life Day!

Come hear about a newer ministry at Timberline Church, Birthmother
Ministries, at the beginning of each service. Birthmother Ministries is a
ministry that trains and matches Christian volunteers in a one-on-one
friendship with pregnant women who are in need. This friendship is meant to
provide emotional support, help in overcoming obstacles to choosing life for
their child and assistance with finding practical resources in the
community, whether they are choosing to parent or consider an adoption plan.
The ministry's motto is, "A Friend loves at all times."

Also, scheduled to be at Timberline are the CSU Students for Life Club,
Alpha Center of Fort Collins, LifeChoices and Birthright of Loveland and
Pregnancy Resource Center of Greeley. These organizations will be eager to
talk to you about how they encourage women and their families within our
community in choosing life for the unborn children and the services they
provide. They will be available in the church mall area before, during and
after all church services on Saturday, January 23, 2010 and Sunday, January
24, 2010.

We would love to have you come!



In His grip,
Lorraine Meyer
(970) 481-4787
Birthmother Ministries, a ministry of Timberline Church

Fields of the Fatherless Class Schedule

FIELDS OF THE FATHERLESS

CLASS SCHEDULE

Room 208

Sunday evenings, 5-7pm

January 17 - Intro

January 24 – Timberline Summit – no class

January 31 – Chapters 1 and 2

February 7 – Super Bowl Sunday – no class

February 14 – Chapters 3 and 4

February 21 – Timberline Summit – no class

February 28 – Chapters 5 and 6

March 7 – Chapters 7 and 8

Childcare is available – register your children at: http://fs8.formsite.com/timberline/Childcareenrollmentform/index.html

For Group Leaders name put: Jeff and Kari Stewart

For Ministry name put: Fields of the Fatherless

Sunday night is not a choice right now (it will be soon) just click on Monday night so that you can complete your registration.

Project 1.27

Have you heard of Project 1.27?

Project 1.27 is a faith based adoption program working with counties in CO to place waiting children in Christian homes. I have had the opportunity to sit through some of their training for prospective adoptive families and have been impressed. They are very thorough in their training and thorough in their support of adoptive families.

Their next orientation is coming up soon.

You can check out their website at: http://project127.com/

550 children currently wait in the state of Colorado for a forever family. Is it the churches responsibility to stand in the gap for these kids? I believe it is.

God's word says in:

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

:)

.

I need a Family!! :)

Name: Morgan T
Child ID: 7975
State: CO
Birthday: 3/1998
Grade in school: 7
Special Interests: Architecture, planets, outer space and the universe
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Listed On: 9/2009





Name: Morgan T
Profile: Morgan is a charming and comical eleven year old who can delight almost anyone with his sense of humor. Known for his ability to light up a room, Morgan effortlessly engages in conversation and play with his peers. He also enjoys time by himself, where he can let his imagination soar about planets, outer space and the universe. Art and architecture are two of Morgan’s great passions, and he is always looking for an opportunity to exercise his creativity. He thrives on discovering how things are made and derives great enjoyment from hands on activities, such as building objects. He is a die-hard Spider Man enthusiast and treasures most comic book heroes. A fifth grader, Morgan can be curious, playful and interactive with his peers. Always full of energy, he delights in finding new to topics to explore. Morgan is very loving and eager to develop lasting relationships with caring and compassionate adults in his life. He benefits from counseling, which will need to continue after placement. Financial assistance may be available for adoption-related services. This is a LEGAL RISK ADOPTIVE PLACEMENT. In a legal risk placement, it is expected that the family will eventually adopt the child, even though the parents’ rights have not been fully terminated at the time of placement. For Colorado children, both homestudied and non-homestudied Colorado families are encouraged to inquire; only homestudied families from other states should do so.

Guest Post - Not to Us Be The Glory --- But To You!

Guest Post by: http://www.hishandshisfeettoday.blogspot.com/

Kim has been a friend of mine for many years. It has been a blessing to share in this journey with her. She recently shared a post on her blog that really blessed me and encouraged me in this journey called "parenting challenging kids" and I thought you would be blessed to read it too.

Grace, Grace, God's Grace - it's an amazing thing - something we are not only meant to receive, but also extend. In the following post Kim shares how God used this gift "grace" to minister to one of their children and ultimately to them. Parenting challenging children is the most difficult thing anyone will experience. Falling on our face before God, allowing His healing balm to soothe our hurting hearts then getting back up knowing that He has our back - He is our rear Guard!!! Hugs :)

Isaiah 58:8 Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Not To Us Be The Glory....But To You!

As I was reading the chapter on "demanding kids" in Sacred Parenting the other night I was really encouraged by his thoughts and thought I'd share here ... because I know that a lot of you have a/some demanding kids. Some of you have kids that have what the world would call an attachment disorder. Some of you have kids who were abused and don't know how to feel safe and so they make it miserable for you. I have one. I have a child who sees right and wrong ... and will usually choose wrong(not tonight, but I will get to that in a minute).... he self sabotages because he doesn't feel he deserves the love, the blessings, us (his parents). He is believing the lies of the enemy. Plain and simple. He can say all the right things (it's been drilled into his head! lol!) .... but his heart just isn't in the place where he is *fully* able to receive the love showered on him and choose behaviors because he loves/honors us. That's not what motivates him.

The author made the point that we don't parent these kids because we get something out of it (or any of our kids really - but not the particular point here)... we parent these kids because GOD ASKED US TO and out of reverence TO HIM.... not for ourselves. Through parenting demanding children, we also learn/perfect skills within ourselves that we wouldn't have been able to learn/perfect without this or that particular child. So I started thinking .... through parenting this child what have I learned that the other kids don't teach me/perfect in me (at least not as much).
Patience. Endurance. Courage. Physical strength I never knew I had. How to see something and call it out in someone. How to fall on my face and then get back up again. How to cry out to God ... and Him alone. Prayers of deliverance. How to seek the wisdom of God.

When I looked at that list I was thankful. It's not something I would choose to go through ... but He's asked me to. It's about living a surrendered life ... not a comfortable one. People often quote the quote "He's more concerned about my character than my comfort" ... and our kids can help perfect those character flaw in us can't they? (our spouses too! :)).

Two recent concrete examples ... a glimpse into my reality.
Example One:
Two weeks ago (the night Baby I had his brush with death) .... this child started on a "stealing rampage".... even in the middle of the night he'd get out of his bedroom, take stuff from the kitchen and eat it in his bed. The banana peels under his bed, cheese from the enchiladas and the chocolate cookie crumbs kinda gave him away :). Among the discipline he received was loosing snacks for X amount of days. Our kids are blessed with three snack times a day ... the key word there is BLESSED. Snacks are a blessing .... meals are mandatory :). Well, he continued to steal food any chance he got throughout the days (and he's FAST! lol!) that followed... from a noodle on the floor to a bowl of oatmeal left out on the counter. His heart was just not repentant is what it came down to. Christmas Eve, we sat down with him and expressed how sad we were that he had continued to steal food ... but we were going to give him a gift that Jesus (his birth was being celebrated the next day of course) gave us ... GRACE. We told him that he was going to get all his snacks back ... not because he earned it (heck no!) but because we wanted to show him in a tangible way what God's grace looked like. Well, not 30 minutes after we had that conversation (and he said all the right things) ... I came around the corner just in time to see him fly out of the kitchen with a big mouthful of something. He was trying to self sabotage ... he didn't think he should get this gift of grace and so he tried to get us to take it away again. We didn't. Instead he got a meeting with daddy :). Have I mentioned sometimes I feel like banging my head on the wall? Oh good.

Example Two:
Over the last two days, IH's parents have taken the oldest six swimming and out to eat at McDonalds (a huge treat). They have all come home with these (junk!) toys from the movie Avatar. I have NO idea what this movie is even about... but my first impressions weren't so hot! lol! Some of the kids came home with this dinosaur looking thing. Fine. However, the others came home with this blue demon looking "thing" that immediately repulsed me! Seriously. I talked with the kids casually about why I didn't really like that toy ... that it looked like a demon ... what did they think? They started pointing out it's "good features" ... one (it lights up!) ... but couldn't come up with anything else. I got up and kinda let them ponder that conversation looking at these "toys". A few minutes later, the child mentioned above, came over to me and said "Mom, you really don't like this toy huh?". I said, "No... I really think it looks like a demon and we all know demons are bad." He very matter-of-factly said, "Then I will just throw it away"... AND HE DID! This is a child who will SCREAM if I take anything of "his" away, if he gets one chip less than someone else, etc .... IT GAVE ME HOPE! God is like that isn't He? When you are in the trenches, trusting God and His plan for you/your child ... He sends you a little nugget called HOPE.

To all my readers living this life with me ... cling to HOPE. Choose to be THANKFUL (find SOMETHING!). And raise this child up FOR HIM. You may never get anything back in this life... but when you enter heaven you will get this"Well done good and faithful servant"..... and that's all we should need.