No new news on our adoption.  We are waiting patiently for the relinquishments as we know that it is not in our time but in God's. 

Today I would like to share with you some scripture I read in my Bible this morning.  It is about God's command to love one another.  Sometimes that is a hard concept to understand and to do, but it is a command from God.  This morning I was reading out of 2 John in the New Living Translation.  "And now I want to urge you, dear lady, that we should love one another.  This is not a new commandment, but one we had from the beginning.  Love means doing what God has commanded us, and He has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning," (2 John 1:5-6). 

I recently had a conversation with someone about the recent abduction that happened at Target.  This person was telling me all the details of the incident and the history of the young man who was responsible for the crime and murder of the young lady.  The conversation went something like this:  "It was reported that this young man had grown up in the foster care system and that he had been in and out of homes.  A family felt sorry for him and adopted him.  He did things that were wrong and had him removed from their home.  Then someone else felt sorry for him and took him in and the same thing happened.  This is why we can't support your adoption because you don't know what these boys have been through." 

I was a little bit floored by this conversation.  If everything that they said was true, I am very sad for this young man.  The system did fail him.  Yes, he is responsible for his actions and I do not know his whole story, but the system failed him.  I went on to explain that God had given us clear direction and calling for this adoption.  The response was, "Well, those families thought they had clear direction, too!"

I take you back again to the scripture.  I would like to give you the commentary that is written in my Bible:  "We can show love in many ways: by avoiding prejudice and discrimaination, by accepting people, by listening, helping, giving, serving, and refusing to judge.  Knowing God's command is not enough.  We must put it into practice, 'doing what God has commanded us,'" (Life Application Study Bible, Tyndale).

I love that!  It tells us that knowing is not enough, but we must put what we know into action!  We have to be able to apply God's word in our life, not just read about it!  God has given us clear direction on this adoption and has provided just as He said He would.  We are following God's commandment to love through this adoption.  Genesis 22:18 states, "In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."  God wants to bless us and to allow those blessings to overflow onto others.  We have obeyed God's voice and He is blessing us in so many ways.

I encourage you today to put love into action.  Your neighbor is anyone around you.  Let God's light shine through you and overflow from your heart so that others may see the Lord in you.  Reading the Word is not enough!  Let the Word live in you and through you.  The Bible is not just a list of rules and regulations.  It is a life style that can be reflected in your life through love.  Look around you today and see how you can live your life for God!

 If you would like to send us a donation, please send to: Russell Schweighardt1345 ShirebournHickory, NC 28602