Thursday, September 28, 2006
Movin' on up!
We got our move in date today and were shocked to find out that it is November 28th. What a surprise! Originally, we were told maybe end of December but most likely end of January or longer. This has been an exciting process for our family. We couldn't have asked for a better time. This will happen right at Thanksgiving.......how symbolic is that? We will be able to have our First Christmas in our First home. Wow.....we have really been awed at God's faithfulness and provision in our life the last few months. Years of prayers are being answered in a matter of months! We feel like we just need to "hold on" and watch God work! We continue to appreciate all of your prayers for our family and are thankful for this blog as way to share in these experiences with friends and family far away. If you would like to leave a comment or prayer, we would love to hear from you. God Bless.-Hume's
Monday, September 25, 2006
Gotta love those husbands!
I just have to give a shout out to my wonderful husband! After a long day (which consisted of a fourty five minute drive to work, nine hours at work, a night at school with in class projects, and a late fourty five minute drive home), I came home to a new fall jacket I have been eyeing at Target and other simple pleasures (such as lotion, Starbucks coffee:) and a few other things. Not to mention, Tayler's science project worked on by Brian and Tayler that is almost completed and isn't due for a few weeks. And all of this amongst his job, a meeting tonight at church, and his own school work! What a blessing to have someone like Brian in my life. He knows just what I need and when I need it. He is so thoughtful and is always thinking of ways to bless me and provide for me. I couldn't ask for a better mate or a better father!
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Friends offering service!
A friend from church who does photography has offered to take new pics of the jewerly for our fundraiser. I am so thankful as this will help better capture the charm and the beauty in these unique pieces. So, look in the coming weeks for these new pics!
We have also had a dear friend offer to organize a church gargage sale to help raise funds for our adoption. She is very excited and has a lot of ideas.
We are so thankful for these friends and see how God is working in this. Continue to pray for these efforts and God's timing.
We have also had a dear friend offer to organize a church gargage sale to help raise funds for our adoption. She is very excited and has a lot of ideas.
We are so thankful for these friends and see how God is working in this. Continue to pray for these efforts and God's timing.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Blessings from above
We received our first support tonight! We can now open a savings account specifically for the adoption. We received donations for one bracelet and one necklace totalling $50.00! Wow, God is so good! This is exciting but also scary. It again, is such a leap of faith to believe this will all happen and that we will raise the necessary funds. It is also a little weird receiving money from people. But, we are so thankful and trust that if these ladies felt led to give, then it is okay to receive. Thank you girls, you know who you are!
Please continue to pray as this adoption feels so out of our reach that it is almost too hard to believe. But, again, we are praying each step of the way and can only trust that this will all happen only if it is God's will and in His timing.
Please continue to pray as this adoption feels so out of our reach that it is almost too hard to believe. But, again, we are praying each step of the way and can only trust that this will all happen only if it is God's will and in His timing.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Jewerly fundraiser
This jewerly is designed by Karin and her friend Judy Weese. The chinese symbol stands for orphans. We are using the theme/verse "I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you." We also have red lines inside of the beads to represent the old Chinese proverb "An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." These bracelets we will offer to those who choose to give to our effort of bringing home our daughter from China. Our hope is that they will serve as a reminder to pray for all of the orphans in China. Their are a lot of fees involved and as a way to fundraise, we came up with this concept. We are very excited about the bracelets, and a lot of heart and soul went into designing them. If you would like a bracelet, leave a comment and we will get one to you. Thanks! And we would love for you to continue to follow our journey.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
A sign from Heaven?
This morning on my way to work I was so graciously asking God for confirmation if we were to indeed adopt from China. We are planning on pursuing this but so much is in the air........mainly, can we afford it? About a hour after coming into work, I was using the copier and saw lying on the table next to me, a paper that stated "International adoption....you can afford it." I mean I do work at an adoption agency that handles international adoption :) But, who knows? So, I said "God, okay I am not believing this, so if this is you, please give me a second confirmation.
The second thing, very minor, was in the afternoon. I was once again at the copier (I think this copier has magical powers:) and I saw lying on this same table (okay, I see a pattern here) a China Dossier packet. I thought hmmmm my second confirmation? Could this be my second confirm or change and probability? But, I will say, I have never seen one for China up until today.
So, then (it gets better) I couldn't get this blog out of my head called "Cheese in China" I have been following them, but this afternoon the name kept popping into my head. So, I went to the blog and looked at their timeline for their adoption, pics, etc. They sent their Dossier off on May 31...(my birthday, but also the day we are planning on submitting our dossier) Sometimes God gives us more than we ask for, right?
So, let me know what you think. Is this my confirmation?.....my sign from heaven? or is it just wishful thinking?
The second thing, very minor, was in the afternoon. I was once again at the copier (I think this copier has magical powers:) and I saw lying on this same table (okay, I see a pattern here) a China Dossier packet. I thought hmmmm my second confirmation? Could this be my second confirm or change and probability? But, I will say, I have never seen one for China up until today.
So, then (it gets better) I couldn't get this blog out of my head called "Cheese in China" I have been following them, but this afternoon the name kept popping into my head. So, I went to the blog and looked at their timeline for their adoption, pics, etc. They sent their Dossier off on May 31...(my birthday, but also the day we are planning on submitting our dossier) Sometimes God gives us more than we ask for, right?
So, let me know what you think. Is this my confirmation?.....my sign from heaven? or is it just wishful thinking?
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Faking Church
Faking Church
By Dan Schaeffer
He waited his turn, practicing what he'd rehearsed with his wife, anxious to experience the adulation he knew was coming. Soon, he would be drowning in praise for their "selfless" act of generosity. Little did he know they were making history as the first documented church fakers.
The account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 is a disturbing one. They both fell down dead at the end of the story, and "great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events" (v. 11 NIV). It began subtly enough. The couple had witnessed the generosity of others in the Jerusalem church who sold their personal land and gave the entire proceeds for distribution among the needy. (4:32-37) What Ananias and Sapphira noticed most was not the selflessness but the spiritual prestige such an act produced.
The couple sold a piece of property they owned. But when they brought the proceeds, they gave only half to the cause. So far, so good. Any act of generosity would have been welcomed. The problem was the deception in their hearts. They claimed they were contributing the entire amount of their gross profit. One can imagine Ananias handing the money over to the apostles with a self-satisfied smile. He'd figured out how to gain a lofty reputation for half price, the ultimate spiritual bargain.
People often question why the Holy Spirit chose to illuminate this couples' sin in such a drastic way. Death seems a bit harsh to us. While we don't know all the intricate workings of what was going on that day, we can know one thing for sure: the holiness of God within His church was at stake. He wanted to remind His people of this early on. In the Kingdom of God, purity of motive trumps self-serving ministry or philanthropy every time.
We're taught to loathe their example. But I'm afraid we've simply copied it, albeit to a lesser degree. I've discovered there's a great deal more of Ananias and Sapphira in me than I care to admit. I've often received (and yes, even cultivated) a spiritual reputation I didn't deserve. And, I know I'm not the only one. Why did "great fear" seize the whole church when they heard about the death of these two "fakers"? They probably were scared of what might lie in their own hearts. Because in truth, there was a little Ananias and Sapphira in the best of them, too.
This is healthy "fear" because it causes us to examine our hearts and turn our eyes back toward God. Without this consciousness, we begin to deceive ourselves about our spiritual motives. And, that's only a small step from believing we can deceive the Lord.
I've spent many years as a recovering church faker. I've been a pastor, author, and speaker for many years, and I have struggled with a tendency to "fake church" the entire time. And now, I know why.
An Appearance of Godliness
As children, most of us loved to play "pretend." We could indulge our deepest desires to be something we're not for a timeand do it guilt-free, since it was just a game. But one day, we graduated from childhood, possibly realizing (with some chagrin) that we still want to be something we're not. These desires follow us into adulthood, out of the world of make-believe, fun, and games. Life soon educates us in a process of deception. We learn we can sometimes make others believe in our false imageand that it often pays off.
Becoming a Christian doesn't immediately tame this monster within our "flesh." In fact, it often gives the monster a new outlet for tempting us. This is probably what happened to Ananias and Sapphira. Once we learn the correct spiritual jargon and appropriately pious body language, we can appear and sound very godly. Pride, bitterness, lust, jealousy and a host of other sins can continue to rage within us, safely hidden behind a sanctified façade.
Years ago, as a young pastor-in-training, I tried to become what I thought every pastor should be. I spoke with an air of excitement, confidence, and "joy"even when I couldn't have been further from possessing those qualities. Ironically, I even received "The Joy Award" from our children's ministry, who gave out awards corresponding to the fruit of the Spirit! It was a plastic award for a plastic Christian. As writer Paul Eldredge aptly noted, "We mold our faces to fit our masks." I was not only faking it. I was being rewarded for my actions. Scary isn't it?
As I've grown in my faith over the years, I've begun to understand how deeply my mind and heart have been stained with sin. Some of my sins are easily visible to me. But, there are others which take years to identify. Pride, for instance, runs far deeper in my life than I ever thought, flowing freely in the subterranean caverns of my soul. While I have kept it hidden for a long time, it's still there. And then, like a geyser, it suddenly erupts with incredible, unexpected power.
What Are Your Motives?
"Faking church" is a subtle defection from the truth about our real spiritual condition and motivations. If left untreated, it can eventually result in a physical defection from the church itself as our façade becomes too hard to maintain.
I don't believe we really start out intentionally wanting to deceive. We don't stop serving Christ all at once. But over time, our motives for service gradually become more diluted. Convincing ourselves that all we want is "God's glory," we often serve for good "scriptural" reasons. But, they are no longer the primary reasons we serve.
At some point, we pass a threshold invisible to most but clearly detected by God. We begin to minister, help, lead, organize, plan, bake, teach, preach, sing, visit, and give, primarily (though not exclusively) for the satisfaction of feeling spiritual and receiving accolades from others. Soon, the slightest trace of sincerity is enough to define our motives as pure.
When I'm asked to speak at a conference, I can easily convince myself this will be a great ministry opportunity, gamely ignoring the fact that the excitement my ego is feeling has little to do with actually serving Christ. And once again, the story of Ananias and Sapphira is played out. When we forget who we serve, we lose sight of why we serve, and we end up serving only ourselves. If we truly desire to glorify God alone, He must be the one to define our service. And, more than likely, our service won't look a bit like we want it to. When we have some part in it, merely filling and frosting our own purposes with spiritual elements, He will not be fully glorified. But if we have the courage to face the truth of our mixed motives, God will give us the power to change.
Do we want to change? Will we admit it when we're faking it? Therein lies the greatest struggle. But changing our course is a move into the authenticity, freedom, and peace Christ promised us. The greatest joy we can have is learning to live and minister to an audience of One. The first Christians learned the hard way the lesson Ananias and Sapphira never did. Maybe it's time we learned as well.
By Dan Schaeffer
He waited his turn, practicing what he'd rehearsed with his wife, anxious to experience the adulation he knew was coming. Soon, he would be drowning in praise for their "selfless" act of generosity. Little did he know they were making history as the first documented church fakers.
The account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 is a disturbing one. They both fell down dead at the end of the story, and "great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events" (v. 11 NIV). It began subtly enough. The couple had witnessed the generosity of others in the Jerusalem church who sold their personal land and gave the entire proceeds for distribution among the needy. (4:32-37) What Ananias and Sapphira noticed most was not the selflessness but the spiritual prestige such an act produced.
The couple sold a piece of property they owned. But when they brought the proceeds, they gave only half to the cause. So far, so good. Any act of generosity would have been welcomed. The problem was the deception in their hearts. They claimed they were contributing the entire amount of their gross profit. One can imagine Ananias handing the money over to the apostles with a self-satisfied smile. He'd figured out how to gain a lofty reputation for half price, the ultimate spiritual bargain.
People often question why the Holy Spirit chose to illuminate this couples' sin in such a drastic way. Death seems a bit harsh to us. While we don't know all the intricate workings of what was going on that day, we can know one thing for sure: the holiness of God within His church was at stake. He wanted to remind His people of this early on. In the Kingdom of God, purity of motive trumps self-serving ministry or philanthropy every time.
We're taught to loathe their example. But I'm afraid we've simply copied it, albeit to a lesser degree. I've discovered there's a great deal more of Ananias and Sapphira in me than I care to admit. I've often received (and yes, even cultivated) a spiritual reputation I didn't deserve. And, I know I'm not the only one. Why did "great fear" seize the whole church when they heard about the death of these two "fakers"? They probably were scared of what might lie in their own hearts. Because in truth, there was a little Ananias and Sapphira in the best of them, too.
This is healthy "fear" because it causes us to examine our hearts and turn our eyes back toward God. Without this consciousness, we begin to deceive ourselves about our spiritual motives. And, that's only a small step from believing we can deceive the Lord.
I've spent many years as a recovering church faker. I've been a pastor, author, and speaker for many years, and I have struggled with a tendency to "fake church" the entire time. And now, I know why.
An Appearance of Godliness
As children, most of us loved to play "pretend." We could indulge our deepest desires to be something we're not for a timeand do it guilt-free, since it was just a game. But one day, we graduated from childhood, possibly realizing (with some chagrin) that we still want to be something we're not. These desires follow us into adulthood, out of the world of make-believe, fun, and games. Life soon educates us in a process of deception. We learn we can sometimes make others believe in our false imageand that it often pays off.
Becoming a Christian doesn't immediately tame this monster within our "flesh." In fact, it often gives the monster a new outlet for tempting us. This is probably what happened to Ananias and Sapphira. Once we learn the correct spiritual jargon and appropriately pious body language, we can appear and sound very godly. Pride, bitterness, lust, jealousy and a host of other sins can continue to rage within us, safely hidden behind a sanctified façade.
Years ago, as a young pastor-in-training, I tried to become what I thought every pastor should be. I spoke with an air of excitement, confidence, and "joy"even when I couldn't have been further from possessing those qualities. Ironically, I even received "The Joy Award" from our children's ministry, who gave out awards corresponding to the fruit of the Spirit! It was a plastic award for a plastic Christian. As writer Paul Eldredge aptly noted, "We mold our faces to fit our masks." I was not only faking it. I was being rewarded for my actions. Scary isn't it?
As I've grown in my faith over the years, I've begun to understand how deeply my mind and heart have been stained with sin. Some of my sins are easily visible to me. But, there are others which take years to identify. Pride, for instance, runs far deeper in my life than I ever thought, flowing freely in the subterranean caverns of my soul. While I have kept it hidden for a long time, it's still there. And then, like a geyser, it suddenly erupts with incredible, unexpected power.
What Are Your Motives?
"Faking church" is a subtle defection from the truth about our real spiritual condition and motivations. If left untreated, it can eventually result in a physical defection from the church itself as our façade becomes too hard to maintain.
I don't believe we really start out intentionally wanting to deceive. We don't stop serving Christ all at once. But over time, our motives for service gradually become more diluted. Convincing ourselves that all we want is "God's glory," we often serve for good "scriptural" reasons. But, they are no longer the primary reasons we serve.
At some point, we pass a threshold invisible to most but clearly detected by God. We begin to minister, help, lead, organize, plan, bake, teach, preach, sing, visit, and give, primarily (though not exclusively) for the satisfaction of feeling spiritual and receiving accolades from others. Soon, the slightest trace of sincerity is enough to define our motives as pure.
When I'm asked to speak at a conference, I can easily convince myself this will be a great ministry opportunity, gamely ignoring the fact that the excitement my ego is feeling has little to do with actually serving Christ. And once again, the story of Ananias and Sapphira is played out. When we forget who we serve, we lose sight of why we serve, and we end up serving only ourselves. If we truly desire to glorify God alone, He must be the one to define our service. And, more than likely, our service won't look a bit like we want it to. When we have some part in it, merely filling and frosting our own purposes with spiritual elements, He will not be fully glorified. But if we have the courage to face the truth of our mixed motives, God will give us the power to change.
Do we want to change? Will we admit it when we're faking it? Therein lies the greatest struggle. But changing our course is a move into the authenticity, freedom, and peace Christ promised us. The greatest joy we can have is learning to live and minister to an audience of One. The first Christians learned the hard way the lesson Ananias and Sapphira never did. Maybe it's time we learned as well.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Hume Home first pictures
The Abbey Road sign is actually a cool painting we found and will be hanging in our house somewhere.
I love my job!
Bethany Christian Services
I love my job! I am working for Bethany Christian Services and I love it. Those of you who know me well understand my love for Bethany. This organization does so much work advocating for children. They have international adoption programs (which we are looking into), domestic adoption programs, foster care/home based services, and orphanages and social service agencies in third world countries. I am definitely proud to be working with an agency that is making a difference in the life of orphans and kids in need around the world.You can view their website at www.bethany.org
I love my job! I am working for Bethany Christian Services and I love it. Those of you who know me well understand my love for Bethany. This organization does so much work advocating for children. They have international adoption programs (which we are looking into), domestic adoption programs, foster care/home based services, and orphanages and social service agencies in third world countries. I am definitely proud to be working with an agency that is making a difference in the life of orphans and kids in need around the world.You can view their website at www.bethany.org
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Home Sweet Home
The journey begins...
We got approved for a loan to purchase a house here in Pittsboro. They laid the foundation this week and will start working on the frame next week. We are very excited and very scared. We are excited because we have never owned a home but also scared because everyone keeps giving us advice.
We were surprised when we got approved for the loan because we went in to apply on a whim. Literally. We just drove up to this neighborhood, picked out a house and applied. It has been a long process and there were times that I had given up but Karin continued to believe that it would work out. Finally, we got a call last week saying everything was a go. So what does this mean for our time in Pittsboro?
I would venture to say that we are not going anywhere anytime soon. I guess it depends on who you are whether this is good or bad news but for us it's great news. I am having a lot of fun at my job, Karin loves working with Bethany Christian services and Tayler loves school. We are in a very good place right now.
With Karin working at Bethany (it's a Christian adoption agency) we have begun looking at international adoption. We have always talked about having a large family made up of biological, adopted and foster kids. It was actually one of the things that drew us together. However, after almost six years of marriage, we have not had any biological children. We were foster parents and have had over a dozen children live with us.
While I value that experience and would never change it for anything it did leave me with a lot of pain. We had two girls that we absolutely loved and had the hope of adoption. That hope was crushed as we chose to place them with another family in order to move to Indiana. We made our choice because it was the best one for our family. I'm glad we made it too because the girls still are not eligible for adoption (which can be a whole other blog).
But, this did leave me angry and bitter toward the foster care system. It has taken me several years to allow God to start opening and healing that part of my heart again. I just cannot ignore the need and be honest to who God has made me. I did not want to make any decisions about adoption or foster parenting until we knew something about our house. Now that we know we are moving forward with the adoption or foster parenting.
This is extremely scary but I do trust God's plan. We will be going to a couple of information meetings over the next couple of months to decide which we want to do first- foster parenting or international adoption. I know eventually we will be doing both but for now I believe we can only handle one or the other.
I am glad that God has opened the door for us to stay in Pittsboro a little longer. This was a great (and unexpected) move for our family. But, I can look back over the past three years and see how we have grown as individuals, a couple and as a family.
We will be journaling more extensively about our home and adoption (with all of us commenting and pictures) at this blog address if you want to walk with us on this journey. We are excited to see where this journey leads us.
-Brian
We got approved for a loan to purchase a house here in Pittsboro. They laid the foundation this week and will start working on the frame next week. We are very excited and very scared. We are excited because we have never owned a home but also scared because everyone keeps giving us advice.
We were surprised when we got approved for the loan because we went in to apply on a whim. Literally. We just drove up to this neighborhood, picked out a house and applied. It has been a long process and there were times that I had given up but Karin continued to believe that it would work out. Finally, we got a call last week saying everything was a go. So what does this mean for our time in Pittsboro?
I would venture to say that we are not going anywhere anytime soon. I guess it depends on who you are whether this is good or bad news but for us it's great news. I am having a lot of fun at my job, Karin loves working with Bethany Christian services and Tayler loves school. We are in a very good place right now.
With Karin working at Bethany (it's a Christian adoption agency) we have begun looking at international adoption. We have always talked about having a large family made up of biological, adopted and foster kids. It was actually one of the things that drew us together. However, after almost six years of marriage, we have not had any biological children. We were foster parents and have had over a dozen children live with us.
While I value that experience and would never change it for anything it did leave me with a lot of pain. We had two girls that we absolutely loved and had the hope of adoption. That hope was crushed as we chose to place them with another family in order to move to Indiana. We made our choice because it was the best one for our family. I'm glad we made it too because the girls still are not eligible for adoption (which can be a whole other blog).
But, this did leave me angry and bitter toward the foster care system. It has taken me several years to allow God to start opening and healing that part of my heart again. I just cannot ignore the need and be honest to who God has made me. I did not want to make any decisions about adoption or foster parenting until we knew something about our house. Now that we know we are moving forward with the adoption or foster parenting.
This is extremely scary but I do trust God's plan. We will be going to a couple of information meetings over the next couple of months to decide which we want to do first- foster parenting or international adoption. I know eventually we will be doing both but for now I believe we can only handle one or the other.
I am glad that God has opened the door for us to stay in Pittsboro a little longer. This was a great (and unexpected) move for our family. But, I can look back over the past three years and see how we have grown as individuals, a couple and as a family.
We will be journaling more extensively about our home and adoption (with all of us commenting and pictures) at this blog address if you want to walk with us on this journey. We are excited to see where this journey leads us.
-Brian
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