Monday Musings

So... for my birthday I've come up with a list of "goals" to start working on... one of them is more purposeful blogging. I send out a prayer email and update all my stateside friends about what I am learning/doing in Japan... and I let them know several different ways to pray... but I started thinking. What if I used my blog for more meaningful things... like prayer requests...

So I decided to use MONDAYS as my day to feature someone to pray for, for the week. I'm about to start up with BEST club in a week or two, so I hope I'm not over committing myself here, but cultivating a heart of prayer is a huge desire of mine so it's time to start.

Without further ado... my first (of Lord willing many)

Monday Musings.

This is a picture of Jamie (black sweatshirt) and me (yellow) my junior year of college with our friend Sato. (that is another story worth telling another day)

Jamie, discipled/mentored me in college. She was the older sister I dreamed of when I was growing up. She is hilarious, beautiful, playful, protective, gracious, fiesty and yet, carries a deep and tender side of her that is so amazing it makes you want to clear out your schedule and sit with her for hours. She's a well-spring of knowledge and has a love for Jesus.

I really cannot say enough good about Jame. She was the first picture of redemption and purity that I had (outside the bible and family).

The verse I always think of when I think of Jame is Habakkuk 3:17-18 which I have seen Jamie live out in her life! *Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food,the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.*

So PRAYER REQUEST for Jamie, her husband ANDY, and their twins Josiah and Abigail...

Right now, Jamie and Andy are in the process of adopting a little boy from India.

That's right, I said INDIA!!
Jamie said this about her reasons for adopting:

why we are choosing to adopt- a couple of reasons. we think that it's a sweet picture of what Jesus has done for us. He has adopted us into His family by His grace and mercy- Our baby boy in India has been chosen for us- sovereignly just like Josiah and Abigail were sovereignly chosen for us (or your children were chosen for you) It is ordained way before time that he would live with us. God asks us to care for the orphans and widows. another reason- we want Josiah, abigail and our other children, Lord willing, to see no color or ethnicity..

So prayer requests:

Pray for their son, that he would be taken care of. Jamie said that often these kids are not taken care of inutero, so he could be a sick little guy OR they go to places before being placed in a home that could lead to some sickness now or later on. So please pray for God to protect his little body.

Pray that Jamie, Andy, Josiah and Abbie would be patient as they move into the 2nd half of adoption. Pray that things would move in God's timing.

Pray that little details would get smoothed out as they wait for this little guy.

And pray that God would use his life to open others's hearts to India and the world beyond Iowa, America, etc. Pray that this little guy would be a testimony of God's heart for all people.

If you want to know more you can follow the story via Jamie's blog, titled:

Squirrel Haters Unite... it's a Jamie and Joanna thing

or by clicking on Jamie's name anywhere you see it underlined.

Jamie, if there is anything you want to add, please comment and let us know how we can be praying.