I was going to write about chicken, but instead......

 I love rainbows!!!This one is right above our home.  Yep, that would be our 15 passenger van in our driveway.  This was taken a weekish ago.  I didn't see it, but Jason and the kids said it had ALL of the colors and was so very vivid!!!

 I LOVE IT!!!  Because rainbows are reminders that God will not flood the whole Earth ever again.  Kind of like a reminder of HOPE!  HOPE is a great word and is in my favorite Bible verse....Hebrews 11:1 "Now Faith is the substance of things HOPED for the Evidence of things not seen."

I think the reason I love it so very much is because there are sooo many times we don't see the HOPE in a situation.  Oh we try to have some Faith that it will happen or that things will turn out ok, but so very hard when we can't see it.  BUT HOPE- HOPE can bridge that gap!!! 

 Just take this little man.  He is so FULL OF HOPE!!!  His situation when he first came into the world....not so much.  It was full of pain, neglect, and unknown amounts of complete and utter uncertainty.  With very little resources or hope at that time......I am sure his sweet baby self could have given up all together.  I PRAISE GOD HE brought him through that time.

That he is still alive is such a MIRACLE!!!  Low apgar scores, preemie, young mother, cebral palsey, small head, hiv, drugs, alcohol, and on and on and on....and yet the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE kept him safe in HIS ALMIGHTY ARMS!!

Then it would seem that all hope was GAINED- because he found a wonderful family that was giving him NEW LIFE!!!  Then tragedy, of untold amounts fell on the home......a story that would rip your heart out......and still does mine and his precious first healing family.  There are no words......EXCEPT.....God was still stirring hope- it looked hopeless.  And to this day is still seems sometimes hopeless for his first healing family....except I pray for hope for them every single day of my life!

This cutie pie that God created.......has sooo much HOPE!  Hope in his 8 siblings that love on him and squish his cuteness all the time.  Hope in a mommy who is pretty stubborn and won't let him get away with complaining just because something is hard to do.  Hope in therapists who he sees twice a week for a totally of 2 1/2 hours.  Hope in a daddy who loves him so very unconditionally and loves to swing him around and tickle him and play.  Hope in the fact that HE IS SOOO VERY LOVED- by us, by his birth family, by his first healing family, by all the fans he has out there cheering on every step of progress!!!

This handsome boy is hanging onto that HOPE! 

The HOPE that God said was true- having faith we know that HOPE will give us and evidence of things unseen. 

That this little boy will become what God wants HIM to be!  A WORLD CHANGER FOR HIM!!!!!!

Oh but what I have seen this last week has been more like a world destroyer........passions have flared.  And passions can be GREAT.  Except when we use them to do this.......you see that thing my hubby is holding?  It is a thorny bit from our tree out front......

This is the culprit.  We have trimmed it already a few times and want to rip it out altogether!!!  It's not that we don't like palm trees- we do.....

Just not the severe spikes on this thing!!!!!  And this is AFTER it was trimmed!

My hubby is having fun demonstrating the power in this little thorn. 

Piercing the milk jug several times easily....Ummmmm......just like it did HIS FOOT!  Yes that is right.  Not this particular thorn, but one just like it pierced my hubby's foot!  Thanks to a trip to Ethiopia to get our Jonathan he has had his shots!  Whew.....and with some soaking and ice, and some love from a wife...he made it. 

When we say piercing things with our mouth- EVEN out of a good cause or good thoughts.  A place of love and passion we can deflate that HOPE.  We can cut it out altogether.

Then we act as if HOPE was never there in the first place.  We close our eyes to it.  Passion is wonderful....it is what makes us help each other out in hurricanes, tornadoes, loss, death, war, hunger, fatherlessness, trials, and the list could go on forever.  BUT when we choose to only see our side of things we hurt others....even with great intentions to just "preach to them". 

I have seen Christians ATTACK other Christians this week- and I am NOT arguing about this point- it was obvious on facebook.  It hurt me greatly because we miss so many bigger things- LIKE HOPE!!!!!

I am also not ashamed to have eaten chicken this week.  And you know what I saw as I stood in line that was long in the sun with others (actually we were served in about 20 minutes despite the long lines).  The compassion in their hearts.  The yearning to send a clear message.  The fellowship of those who say enough is enough- Marriage is for real not a joke as our society treats it/ or free speech is important to me.  They were polite, smiling, talking, fellowshipping, laughing, and I can truly say it was not the vulgar "hate" that everyone says it was.

Yes I know I mentioned chicken....sorry.  I just want there to be passion, but with HOPE, and not tearing down.  Tearing down those who aren't paying for adoptions or even thinking about the hungry- because I beg to differ that you can do all of the above. 

I have FAITH that the Body of Christ can come together and STAND FIRM on their beliefs AND STILL LOVE EACH OTHER!!!

Whether you are a baby wearer- or don't know what that is
Whether you adopt or not
Whether you eat all organic or you feel a little mac n cheese will not kill you
Whether you breast feed or choose not to
Whether you cosleep or your child has their own room
Whether you homeschool or send your kiddos to public school
Whether you feed the hungry, stand for marriage, preach the gospel to everyone you meet, sponsor several children around the world, or help children in foster care........or ...........

I am pretty sure that is why God said- He has given us all gifts....

1 Corinthians 12

New International Version (NIV)

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

12 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. ³ Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. ⁵ There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. ⁶ There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. ⁸ To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,^[a] and to still another the interpretation of tongues.^{[b] 11} All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free —and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Love Is Indispensable

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

AMEN!!!  A MOST EXCELLENT WAY!!!!!!!!  PRAYING FOR THAT TODAY AND DAILY!!!!!!! 

***For more great words on how I feel- I promise they wrote exactly what I was thinking.....