Temples

We visited two different temples today.  One was a Hindu temple dedicated to their gods, Shiva and Vishnu.  The other was an American temple called Westfield shopping mall dedicated to materialism and consumerism.  

What struck me today was how very similar these to trips were.  Let me start by saying they both really disturbed me.  

Walking into the Hindu temple, there was a feeling of emptiness.  Though it was filled with hundreds of people, with the sounds of bells, chants and the smell of incense.  Everybody was standing in line so that they could pay their respects and bow down to the different gods of wealth, love and a variety of other things.  It broke our hearts as we watched people worship idols.  Idols that were made by men.  It just didn't make sense.  The chanting and the prayers to the idols did not go above the ceiling.  It was empty.  Though it was fascinating watching, my heart was calling out in prayer to my God.  Yahweh.  The Holy of Holies.  The God of all gods.  God help them to see your face.  Help them to turn from their empty worship to worship the one true God who gave his Son Jesus to redeem us.  

Walking into the American temple later was so similar.  I needed to get my phone fixed and didn't know where else to go.  It has been at least six months since I have been in a mall.  I (Adam) hate going.  Today though, I realized why.  Though it was packed full of thousands of people, it was empty.  The chanting and praying were there too.  They were just in different forms.  Like the Hindu temple, the idols were everywhere.  Come to this store, buy this, and you will be happy.  This item is sure to make you look wealthy.  The gods in this temple were materialism and consumerism.  What are we all doing I kept thinking?  Is this really how we Americans should be spending our resources?  Yet again, I found myself praying for those around me to see past themselves and find Jesus.   

Pray with us.

Last week, the Joint Council announced that MOWA (ministry of women and children affairs) in Ethiopia was drastically reducing the number of approval letters that they are going to write. They stated that they are going to reduce their work by 90% effective immediately. Their letter is the letter that every family needs to be presented to the judge in court. Without their approval letters, the courts can not approve a child to become part of a family. This will mean that the adoption process will really take a very long time.
We trust that God is fully in control. We serve a God who made time, and is above time. We continue to put our faith and hope in our Lord as we ride this roller coaster. We know that we will be united with our child in God's perfect timing.
We ask for your prayers, as there are many families in Ethiopia this week trying to pass court and are waiting on their letter from MOWA. We pray that these families will be approved and be united with their children forever. We are praying that God will be glorified in this process. MOWA, the courts and the embassy are meeting and trying to work things out so that things can continue. As we pray for the families currently over there, we have moved up on the waiting list for our referral. We are #7 for a boy and #10 for a girl.

Our God is BIG

A week and a half ago, we were having our family faith talks and I asked the kids to pick out a new country on the map to pray for. It was Geneva's turn and she had already picked a country and kept pointing to it all week anticipating her turn. The country she chose was New Zealand. Yes, that is right, the very same country that has just had a massive earthquake. When the earthquake hit, we as a family had already been praying for this country for a few days. God had impressed it on her heart for weeks that this was a country that was in need of prayer. How awesome is that?

Our God is BIG

Yesterday was a monumental kind of day with our adoption agency. There was a ton of movement. I think that a couple of referrals were given out and 8 families received court dates for when they can go and travel and meet their children and pass court. Normally, it seems that there are usually 2-3 court dates per week. We, however, are still in the waiting stage for our referral. We came to the realization a week ago or so that we are very close to getting our referral and seeing the pictures of our new baby. It can come in a week or so, or it can still be a few months away.

Our God is BIG

This week I have had one of those moments that me stop and thank God for the blessings he has given to us. For the last 3 weeks or so, all of our 3 kids have been sick. Coughs, 104 degree temps, ear infections, the runs (really bad), vomiting, etc. The kids just kind of keep passing things around the house and we can't quite seem to get over it. Heather hasn't been able to go to bible study in weeks. I realized that if we lived in another country like Ethiopia, the likelihood that one of our children would be dead by now from these illnesses is almost certain. I don't mean to sound gruesome but it is a reality. I have spent lots of time thinking about how do you gets a child's fever down from 104 when you don't have Tylenol, or ice packs, or even the ability to take a cool bath? You can't. How do you keep a child from becoming dehydrated due to diarrhea and vomiting, with no Gatorade, no pedialite, no soda crackers, no IV fluids, no clean water to be able to drink? You can't. The majority of childhood deaths age 5 and under occur due to preventable things such as diarrhea, fevers and malaria. We have been blessed to have access to clean running water whenever we want it, or to have hospitals to take our sick children to, or to always have food on our tables. Why are we the ones that have been blessed? It is so that we may in turn be a blessing to all the nations. This is how we bring glory to our God.

Our God is BIG

Dreaming

It has been a while since I have posted anything. We have been BUSY. We have started the Perspectives class and that has added about 8 hours of class or studying to our week. It is totally worth it though. I think that all Christians should go through it. I have been wanting to post something for a while, but just haven't gotten around to it. I could have posted that the last 2 months things have really slowed down in the adoption world. I could have posted about how our wait time has gotten longer. I could have posted about another awesome gift that some friends have given us this week! I could post about how we are mentally planning on traveling in the fall as opposed to late spring. However, I feel led to tell you about a dream, my dream.

I (Adam) am not normally a dreamer. In fact, I rarely remember dreams, but when I do they are normally profound. I am not a dream expert, nor do I think that all dreams have significance, but sometimes they do. So here it is.

My kids were all fast asleep in their beds at home. (ages 4,3,1) Heather and I were not in the house with them though. Nobody was. We wanted to be home with them, but for some reason, something was holding us back. I don't know what. It was almost like the Christmas story with Tiny Tim. We were looking in on them from the outside. We watched them wake up, scared, crying, searching. After a while, they started to care for each other, rummaging the cabinets. I saw the fear in their eyes. It was BREAKING my heart. I don't know how long it lasted, but after pushing the snooze button a few times, it kept reoccuring. We never got the chance to comfort them, we never got the chance to calm their fears.

I was still in that dreamy state when I questioned why God was allowing me to see this? Why must I witness this dream over and over? Why am I watching my kids hurting? Why can't I do anything about it? Then the dream turned towards the orphans. The number ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN MILLION (147 million) kept flashing as I saw the faces of children around the world hurting.

I woke up in a cold sweat. My heart HURT. As their father, I could not imagine seeing my children with so much hurting. God, as our Heavenly Father is looking at 147 million that are hopeless, defending for themselves without someone to care for them, without someone to teach them about His love. His questions are aimed back at us. What are you (His church) doing about my children? How can you make me watch this? Why are you just watching my children hurting?

As a body of believers we need to ask ourselves how did we get to this point? More importantly, how are we going to change it? I implore you to seek Christ and His heart for the orphan.
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

I didn't really plan on sharing this, but it has been nagging at me all day. I have stayed up an hour later than normal, but I don't really want to go to sleep. I don't want to go back to the dream world. It is not easy getting your heart broken. Maybe I should stop praying that God would show me His heart. Just kidding. I will continue to boldly pray that God will teach me.

One last Christmas Present

I am the girl who puts Christmas away on December 26th. The fact that our local Christian radio station was still playing Christmas music up until the new year was, well, I don't want to say annoying, because it sounds so Grinch, but I couldn't help feeling like I was ready to move on, get back to some of my favorite "regular" Christian music. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas music. Maybe I'm ready to move on after Christmas is over because I have been enjoying Christmas music since October (well, September if I am being honest--What that's not normal??)
Anyway, so it came as quite a surprise when on Jan. 3rd, I received one final Christmas present. This was no ordinary Christmas present though. This was truly a gift that came from the heart. A very dear friend of mine, and her whole family decided that rather than buying each other more stuff, they would use the money they would have normally spent, and donate it towards our adoption!! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE GIFT! As I hugged my friend, and thanked her for this AMAZING gift, she said that they are so excited to meet the newest Cheney.
So, to this family who did without this Christmas, we just want to thank you from the very bottom of our hearts. We are so truly grateful for your generosity.

Goodbye 2010 Hello 2011

What a year! I will always remember the year of 2010. Why? Cause this is the year that God has changed my life! I have always been a Christian, growing up in a Christian house with a wonderful extended Christian family. However, this year was different. This year God took some of the blinders off of my eyes that I had on. He has allowed me to see more clearly! My daily prayer has been to "see things as Jesus sees them." As the months have rolled by it has actually gotten harder to pray that prayer. It has gotten harder because it is changing my life. Sometimes, I lie awake at night heartbroken for the lost, the hungry, the orphan. At times it aches me and it is all I can think about. But this has been the best thing that could have ever happened. The more I learn about Christ the more I want to know. I would never want to go back to where I was. Once I started to really taste and see the glory of God there is an overwhelming desire for more.
I am starting this new year as a completely different man than who I was a year ago. Yeah, I look mostly the same, maybe a couple of more gray hairs.
But mentally I am different.
My thoughts are different.
My prayers are different.
The way I read my bible is different.
The way I give my money is different.
The way I spend my money is different.
My conversations are different.
My concerns are different.
The way that I lead my family in Christ is different.
I want my life to count.
I want to live a radical life for Christ in light of the fact that there are billions that do not know Him, and billions living in desperate poverty.
I don't want to waste my time anymore.
There are too many important things to do now.
I am not normally a new years resolution type of a guy, (except for when I gave up soda at work.) This year, my goal is to
BE INTENTIONAL! I want to be intentional about everything that I do.
What an awesome year this has been. I so look forward to seeing all that Christ is going to be doing through this next year.
I hope that you have an incredible year. I will end with a prayer. Ephesians 1:15-21

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may five you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance of the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Now that is one long sentence:)

We are so very blessed

WOW!
We spent the day with family celebrating the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. All of our kids are fighting some sort of illness, which makes for a long night and day. By the time that we pulled into our driveway to recoup, so that we can celebrate again tomorrow we were beat, and tired. We put the kids to bed, put the presents under the tree and brought the mail in. In the mail today was a stack of Christmas cards, as usual. However, one of these cards had an amazing present in it for us. Somebody sent us a check and a little card with it. What a mood changer! The card said that they had been watching us as we have traveled along on this adoption journey and they have been encouraged and challenged by it. WOW! We don't really even know what to say but Thank you God. All the glory is His!
It is very humbling to know that God is choosing to use us to challenge and encourage others to the point that they give so sacrificially.
We are grateful that God has put this journey before us. We are blessed beyond belief. Back in April, when we started this adoption, we felt God telling us that HE is taking us on a journey. This is only the start of our journey and we just need to trust in Him, follow Him, and he will be with us. So, that is what we are doing. Since then God has taken off blinders that we had on and we see Him more clearly. We pray that God will allow us to see Him.
Our God is good!

Have a Merry Merry Christmas.