Update (Learning to wait upon Lord's timing)

(From Heidi)

Hello all,

       Finally got some interent connection but I don't know how long it will last.  We wanted to update you to give you the info we know at this time.

     When we went to court yesterday, the judge gave her consent which is good and means we dont' have to return.  However, MOWA had not gotten their letter of approval to the judge in time so they couldn't put all our papers together and stamp it 'done'.  That would have completed it and said that Moses was legally ours and that we could apply for an embassy date.  Since the paper was not there, hopefully it should come that day or the next week.  For some reason we had to apply for another court date and they woudln't be able to put all the documents together and stamp it done until Feb 21st.    Needless to say, we were very discouraged because now we cannot even apply for an embassy date until after Feb. 21st making it about a month later than we had thought.  We did get to go back to the orphanage yestereday after court and spent about 2 hours with Moses.  I cried on the way out knowing it might be 2-3 months before getting to see him again.  We came home and read James 1 again and poured out our hearts to the Lord, asking for help to trust in his timing and not ours.  

      It is good that we leave for Soddo today as it will keep our minds preoccupied.  And it will be nice to get out of the city.  I'm finally doing better with my blood pressure.  The high altitude is still effecting me quite a bit, but it could be the pollution too.  Yesterday we went to the markets and found Ezra's hair cream.  We bought 9 jars so it will last us a long time.:)     

      Thank you for all the prayers- we are needing them especially as of late.  Our hearts are a bit heavy but we want to be an encouragement to the Bowers in Soddo so we're praying for strength and faith in the Lord to beleive that He can still work miracles.  We love you all and miss you,

God bless,

Heidi 

(From Dustin)

Hello all, 

  As you might have seen from our facebook post, court hearing went ok...but not exactly what we were expecting. We now have to wait 3 weeks until the Ministry of Women's Affairs updates 1 document and the judge reviews the case. They assure us this is just a 'non-issue' but it delays Moses becoming our son by 3 weeks...so likely won't be coming back to Ethiopia until April sometime. Hardest part is the journey of waiting. 3 of the 6 families got their court appointment approved, which we are thankful for...though it was hard not to be one of the 3.

Heidi and I had some serious tears yesterday, but James 1:2-4 and the whole chapter was where the Lord brought us. We are thankful to Him that He desires that our hope be sure in Him, and that our joy would be in Him and not in circumstance.

We have much to be thankful for and are continually forced to set our mind on giving thanks in all circumstances. Pray that we would set our minds on God, His Faithfulness, and that His timing in perfect in all things.

It has been a priceless treasure to spend time with Moses each day, hold him, smile with him. Without a doubt a piece (big piece) of our heart will be stay here with him while we are back in the States. 

We are headed to Soddo (Southern Ethiopia) this morning and will be there through Tuesday morning. This is the time we'll be spending with a few missionary families. Pray that we'd be a great source of encouragement and help in whatever ways possible.

We had people praying that God might allow for the Embassy appointment to occur before we left, but our Good and Gracious Father has seen fit to receive glory in testing our faith to make sure our hope is not in our timing and circumstances, but in His. Waiting is very hard...but it refines our heart and soul far more than if everything went smoothly like we were hoping. 

Pray Hebrews 11 and 12 for us...that we would consider Jesus, keep running toward & with Him, and our love and affection would be set on Him!!! 

Love you all,

Dustin and Heidi and family

We got to talk to the other kids this morning. Such a joy to hear their voices and good to see them helping and loving each other and encouraging one another when daddy and mommy are gone. 

Meeting Moses...

It all happened so quickly.

We got to Acacia Village and 2 minutes later we were walking up the 2 flights of stairs onto a open outside balcony in the shade. There were 4 other families present and 3 seconds later the nannies handed each of our children to us. I was busy catching video and photos while Heidi held our son for the first time.

We got about 2 hours with Moses and got to nursery, talk to the nannies and talk to the nurse.

Time passed too quickly. It was so good to focus on our son and we will always remember day 1 of our time with our son.

Seeing the other families hold and care for their children was also a wonderful gift. So much time and energy has preceded these moments and it was a joy to share this life-changing experience with them.

We are headed back there this morning for some more time with our son. He is a little guy. He has definitely improved since the first pictures we received of him back on October 1st...so we were thrilled and overjoyed about that.

We were able to give him a bottle while we were there and he drank a full 7 oz. of formula. They don't have him started on any solid foods as of yet...but my guess is that will occur shortly.

Today is Thursday and then tomorrow is our court date.

I slept in longer this morning...4 am instead of 2 am.

My heart and understanding is continually reminded of the great love to which the love of the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God, adopted as his children and heirs of the Living God.

Hello from Ethiopia

Internet access is pretty limited here, but we'll try to update as much as possible. I highly doubt pictures will be available for upload until I get back to the states. 

Monday was our first full day and arrived early in the morning in Addis and then just kind of existed until dinner time. 

We had a wonderful dinner with 7 other adoptive families. 

We are headed to see our son in a few hours. 

Love you all,

Dustin and Heidi

Happy Birthday our little bundle of joy...Camille Faith Greenup 1 year old!!!

So peaceful...the early days

Our youngest turns 1 year old today. (At least she is our youngest for another week).

Camille,
 You have been such a blessing a joy to us this past year.

God has exceedingly blessed us with each and every day we have had with you. Your mom prayed that you would be a cuddler and you have exceeded any expectation.

Your beautiful dark hair surprised us from the second I saw you, especially those very first few seconds.

Big beautiful Smile

You have taken your first steps this past week and weigh nearly as much as your sister who is almost 2 years older than you. (just kidding, but you are getting closer)

You have won the affection of your big brother (even though he bites your hand once in a while).

You love it when your daddy flips you and makes you giggle.

You can scream really loud, especially when we get ready to put you to bed. :)

Ezra showing her the ropes with Buzz Lightyear

There are bets that you are going to be the first of our children who will pass out because of your little will being NOT so little.

You have your front two 'lower' front teeth and the front two 'uppers'

Here's a post from when you were 10 days old.

Happy Birthday my dear Daughter!!!!

                                            

                                    Aunt Julie and Camille Smiling

Camille with Papa & Nana Sawatzky and Cousin Daniel (almost the same age)

Camille with her beautiful mother

Ezra reading to Camille

We love you our little beautiful!!!

Moses or Hudson...what will we name our son???

For the longest time, we thought we were going to name our son Hudson. This is a special name for Heidi and I, and used this great biography of Hudson Taylor, It Is Not Death to Die, to actually spark our relationship together.

When I first read this book (back in my college days), it was while I was in Venezuela for 3 months serving alongside some missionaries. This book was one of my closest companions during those 3 months.

That next year, Heidi (who I barely knew), was headed to Zambia for a short-term (4 week) trip to serve alongside a long-time missionary nurse from our church. Before she left, I gave her this biography of Hudson Taylor to read and take with her.

We weren't even dating at this point in our relationship. A beautiful story made short, she came back from Zambia and God quickly knit our hearts together and we were dating, engaged and married in less than a year.

Hudson became a very special name for us and thought we'd be naming our next son Hudson...UNTIL we actually got the referral this past October 1st!

When we got the call on October 1st, 2011 about a few month old boy, who was found by police alone in a street without any parents or relatives and brought to the orphanage at a very young age, who the care workers named 'Musse', which in English is Moses, we knew that that name fit him and be a part of his heritage and life.

Our son will be named Moses and we pray that God would use him in miraculous ways to testify of the greatness and power of God. God has already used our little boy to teach us about the love and care of Our Father and are so expectant and looking forward to having him in our arms as our son.

If you have followed this blog since the inception, you'll know that a lot of our earlier posts mentioned Hudson...so I want to clarify that Moses will be his name.

Ways to pray while we are in Ethiopia

Several people have asked ways they could be praying for us while we are in Ethiopia, so I thought I'd post some specific ways to be praying while we are in Ethiopia.

1. A successful court hearing in the adoption of our son Musse
The court hearing is on Friday the 28th of January. The court hearing should be quick and simple, but you never know with these things...so please pray it goes through quickly and smoothly. Also, once it goes through, we'll be able to post pictures of our son!

2. Time holding & caring for our son
 For being gone as long as we are going to be gone, we aren't going to have as much time with Musse as one might think. Of the 5 full days we are going to be in Addis Ababa, we'll probably only get a few hours a day with him. Obviously we'd love to have every hour of the day with him, but we are excited for each and every second we will get with our son.

3. Redeeming of time the 'flexible' time
In light of the fact that we won't be spending 24/7 with Musse, there is going to be a fair amount of flexible time while we are in Addis, between Tuesday and Friday. Heidi and I really desire to use the time and opportunity as best as possible, so pray for wisdom in how we would spend each and every day. We are excited about meeting fellow adoptive couples who will be there at the same time and the servants who work and facilitate life at Acacia Village.

4. Encouragement to the missionaries we are going to be visiting
In an earlier post, I mentioned that we'll be spending some time with some missionaries (Harry & Stephne Bowers) in southern Ethiopia for a few days seeing and learning about their ministry in Soddo Ethiopia. We really want to be a source of encouragement to them and the others we'll meet...so please pray that would/could have opportunities to edify those we spend time with.

5. Heidi and my heart to be united together
The past 3 1/2 years have flown by so quickly and this will be the first time in the last 3 1/2 years that Heidi and I have had alone together. Being away from the kids at home is going to be very hard, but we really are praying that this time would be a great time of edification for our relationship. Granted this isn't a vacation trip, but pray our relationship is strengthened as a result of this time together.


6. Ezra, Olivia, and Camille back at home (and the grandparents who will be caring for them)
We have the best parents in the world and they are graciously serving the Lord and us by caring for our three young children over the course of these 10 days. Our parents are such servants and will care for our children wondrously...but it is going to be a stretching time for them.
Like I mentioned, we have never been away from the kids for this amount of time and know it is going to be an ordeal for them (and us).

Halfway Herbert and The Big Red Tractor

Have you ever read a 'kids' book and you walk away with a sense of conviction that God meant for you to read that book, and be changed by it?

Francis Chan's The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village and Halfway Herbert are both that way for me. Many of you know of Francis Chan from his books, Crazy Love and Forgotten God. Fewer of you probably know of him as a children's author. Each of these books are a easy to understand story and illustration of God's heart for his people...kids specifically, but not just for kids. Chan wrote these books because the role of the Holy Spirit is often a topic neglected in children's books, and he wanted to write a simple, but clear (and visually appealing) book to help children understand the role of the Holy Spirit in one's life and pursuit of God.

These are excellent books and I greatly enjoy reading these books to Ezra and Olivia. It has sparked some good conversations and questions...

'Dad, why didn't they just follow the directions on how to run the tractor?'  


'Dad, why was Herbert called Halfway Herbert?


'Dad, so much more occurred when they asked God for help.'
(you'll have to read the books to understand the context of the questions.)

We have personally found these two books enjoyable to read , full of excellent content, visually stimulating, and a aide in helping our children grasp with a little greater clarity the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

                     

It is only January and I am pondering Christmas in 2011

It is 11:30 pm, I am as awake as if I had just drank 3 cups of coffee (I didn't) and I'm thinking about this upcoming Christmas, 2011 that is. (Forgive me for my blabbing, but I needed to get it written)

Honestly, what got me thinking about this, was this blog post about Christmastime. Ann is the author of One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are, which looks like an excellent read, just read the reviews on the Amazon site.

Obviously there is great joy and celebration each and every Christmas, but as Christmas ends I am struck with the reality how I usually think to myself, I wish this Christmas would have been different. I wish I would have taken more heart and soul, time and energy to focus time and attention on Christ, the incarnation, Why He came and that IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS. It is always about Jesus, but especially Christmas.

Have you ever had that sick taste in your mouth, thinking...this Day is too commercialized, all about self, and I just meander with the tide of culture and we'll tack on some Christian 'stuff', but really it isn't THAT different from the way everyone celebrates, and that there is a lot in my life/family that weighs me down from truly celebrating Christ as He deserves?


As a husband and dad, I want to set some priorities for my family and have our heart set upon Christ in great and grand ways, and in the everyday aspects of life.

Children are REALLY smart and the patterns that are set now will continue unless there is a conscious decision for change to occur. Why is that the most referenced sentences on and around Christmastime are...'is that for me, where is my next present, are there more to open, I want that, etc. etc. etc.'

You might be saying to yourself...'Dustin, relax, they are just kids'. I know they are just kids and that is partly what scares me the most. These are patterns, habits, priorities that I see in MY 3 and 4 year old and I play a huge role in these attitudes occurring or lovingly addressed.

'But Dustin, they are selfish and sinful, this is normal.' Is that supposed to be some source of encouragement? This causes me to weep and pray and beg God work the miracle of salvation in their souls and to provide for them a father who is selfless and living with remarkable clarity that Jesus is his greatest Treasure...and Jesus radically changed HOW, WHAT and WHY we celebrate Christmas.

Questions I am and will be asking myself regarding this upcoming Christmas. I don't know the answers to them, I am just beginning to pray about this and think through it?
1) Is it honor the Lord and edify one another the way we (Dustin and the family he leads) give and get presents for one another?
2) What are some practical ways I can lead my family in a joyous celebration each day of December leading up to Christmas?
3) Should we even exchange presents?
4) It is of great joy to give, love, and serve...what ways and to whom can we do that WITH NO EXPECTATION of return.
5)What can I do to lead my family's heart to treasure Jesus above Buzz Lightyear, Dolls, Cars and Trucks?
6) Hebrews 12:1-2 commands us to RUN, to throw off sin and the encumbrances that hinder us, keep us from running the race set before us. I will be meditating upon these verses more in terms of what our Christmas time, traditions and priorities will be this upcoming year and thereafter. 

How is Christmas going to be different in 2011 for the Greenup family? I don't know exactly yet...I just know it is going to be very different, radically different, uncomfortably different...but more Joyous than ever before, for our hearts will be growingly fixed upon our Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Redeemer and Savior!


The ways you celebrate Christ at Christmas are completely welcome...I'd love to hear them.

'To Ethiopia and Beyond...'

Buzz Lightyear's words echo from Ezra's mouth on an hourly basis, so it is fresh in my mind.

Our paperwork is in Ethiopia and all the deadlines were met, so we are set to travel...soon.

I wanted to update everyone about our upcoming trip and give people a picture of what it is we will be doing while we are in Ethiopia.

First and foremost, our primary purpose of this trip is to see and hold and care for our son. Our court hearing is on the last Friday of this month and then Musse will legally be our son. We are looking forward to getting as much time with him as possible and are excited to begin our journey together with him.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the process, we won't be able to take him home with us (that is unless God works a 'stop the sun in its place' type of miracle and are able to arrange our embassy date the week after). I mention this because some people mentioned they were praying in this way for us. We'd be delighted, but it has never happened this way, and I don't foresee this happening (but I am a nobody and if this is what God would desire, Wonderful).

Our Embassy date (the day we actually get Musse in our full care) would occur 6 to 8 weeks after our court date.

After 5 days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, we will be headed down to the Soddo region of Ethiopia.

New Covenant Foundation is an organization based out of the Spokane area that is very involved in the process of helping build a care facility in the Soddo area (the place in Ethiopia that both Ezra and Musse are from).

We will be staying with the missionaries and the purpose of this trip is very open-handed and somewhat undefined. We will not have an itinerary, will be there less than 3 days...we will be going to learn, see and pray about future possibilities of involvement. Again, open-handed. We don't know what the Lord has in store for these few days, but there are a few things I am excited about (apart from the most exciting part for us of being with our son the few days prior to this).


1. It has been over 3 years since I have been outside the United States. I want my heart and eyes to continued to be opened to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth and being encouraged, exhorted and strengthened by those who are serving and giving their lives for the glory of Jesus and a love for the people of Ethiopia.

2. Spending the time with Heidi. Seeing Ethiopia, the people of Ethiopia and having our hearts united together as we do so. (Though this isn't a vacation trip, but being with my wife and having the kids at home, it might feel like a vacation).

3. Seeing the work God is doing in the Soddo area. God is using the Bowers family, New Covenant Foundation, and the Joseph Alliance in some great ways and it will be a joy to see and take part (as much as can be in a 48 hour period).

4. See Wolaitta Village begin construction (hopefully). If you want to see how God used some graduate students from Arizona State University, check out their website here. It was a joy to see God's hand behind this all and how He is using Ethiopia Studio.

My bad habit of starting 'good' books and not finishing them

You bought more books? Heidi asks.

'Yea, these are going to be really good ones' I sheepishly reply.

(She has heard the same story from me many a times)

'Dustin, why not just read the countless books you have and haven't read yet..or started but haven't finished?'

'Uggghhh...well...that'd be ideal...hmmmm...'

Heidi isn't against having/buying new books, but I think it would delight her if I would make it a point to NOT buy new books, until I read through the list of the ones I have. No harm in that...it'd probably do me good to heed that advice.

If the book does not impact my life in some way, then reading is merely entertainment. Maybe a little better than TV or browsing the internet. I have to ask myself this:  if change doesn't occur in my life as a result of what I read...why read?


Again, like I mentioned in my list of books I'll be reading this year, one of my goals is to actually finish books I start, do a blog post of each of the books, and hopefully be able to articulate some of the ways I've been changed by God using books (ideas) to sanctify us and refine us.


When Heidi and I are in Ethiopia, we are going to have a lot of down time...so we are each going to bring a few books. Here are the books I'll be bringing, reading, and maybe even finishing, and most of all, being changed by.

Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father

Wrestling with an Angel: A Story of Love, Disablity and the Lessons of Grace 


Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit




Heidi's Taking...(I think)


Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches

Treasuring God in Our Traditions

Safely Home - Historical Fiction by Randy Alcorn. This is an EXCELLENT book. Can't put down, will grow your heart for missions.

John Piper on the Importance of the Bible

5 good questions to ask on the importance of anything. Thinking in terms of the Bible, below is a video of John Piper answering those questions. Great to listen to and apply.



John Piper @ GELF Breakfast - Lausanne 2010 from Crossway on Vimeo.

What would happen if it did not exist?

• No saving knowledge of God 

• Where the Word goes, the Holy Spirit reveals

What would you give to have it or keep it?

If you came across someone who approached you and said, 'I'll give you 500 million dollars to do with as you wish, but you'd be required to get rid of all your Bibles for a year...would you take it? Piper, 'Not on my life'.

 You know the worth of something by what you are willing to take instead of it.

 "I am groping to find a way to express the preciousness of THIS book."

 This book is Infinitely precious

What does it make possible?

It makes possible fellowship with the Living God 

 God talks to me through His Word, the Scriptures 

 He talks to me very personally, through His Words, through His Spirit.

How does it weather critics and detractors?

All hammers go against the Bible wear out and break. It outlasts them all.

How much effort should be given to spread it and preserve it?

MORE...MORE...MORE 

Change of Plans movie...tonight on Fox

I have heard about this from several people and if we are around tonight, we'll probably try and watch it. Lisa Qualls gave a helpful review of the movie and her thoughts if you like to read it.

Together for Adoption 2010 Audio - General Sessions

Dan Cruver and all the people who play a part of Together For Adoption have just blessed everyone with the full audio download of all the general sessions at the most recent National Conference this past October.

Soon the 50+ breakout sessions will be available also.


Listening to these sessions is going to be well worth your time and investment!!!!

Thank you Dan Cruver for providing this!

What are you reading in 2011...

Before I start describing the initial 20 books I'd like to read this year, I need to say that the Bible is hands down the Book that I will spend the majority of my time in.

Our day in age is full of people who read a lot about the Bible, without reading the Bible, without thinking, meditating, cherishing, loving the Word of God.

You might say, 'Well of course, Dustin', of course will read the Bible...that is our Christian duty, that is our responsibility, we need to get our 'quiet time' in each day.

Thinking that way is so dangerous and programmatic and lifeless. God wants to reveal Himself to those who draw near to Him, and

If I read all these books, yet the the Word of God is left on the shelf getting dusty, bad idea.

Of the books I read this year, here are my simple desires and goals:
1. Finish the books I start
2. Write at least one blog post about the book
3. Be changed by the books I read.


(This list will continue to grow over the year)

Here are 2 questions that I am going to address with each book:
1. Why am I reading this book?
2. What information do I want to get from this book?


Christian Living/Church Life

Unleashing the Word: Rediscovering the Public Reading of Scripture

I think the public reading of Scripture is one of the most neglected parts of ministry in the body of Christ. I'd like to be a help to encourage others to READ IT LIKE YOU BELIEVE IT. I think this might be a good resource.

Generous Justice: How God's Grace Makes Us Just

Tim Keller's newest book. He writes stuff worth reading and living. Counterfeit gods, The Prodigal God, Reason of God are a few of this other books worth reading.  

Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God

Piper's most recent book. I try to read at least 1 Piper book a year and I don't think very well a lot of the time, so I think this will be a good resource.

Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ







Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father
Dan Cruver has compiled a great resource and think this will be an excellent book.

Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Husband Needs to Know

This book is a yearly read for me. 'Touch her mind before you touch her body'. :)

Church Planter: The Man, the Message, the Mission

This video is a good enough reason to read the book. I linked to a 2 hour video interview he did with Desiring God a while back.

Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church (Jossey-Bass Leadership Network Series)

Francis Chan wrote the forward to this book. He (Francis Chan) has been thinking through a lot lately regarding 'church' and thought this would be a good read.

A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love

 Many people have mentioned this book being a great source of encouragement to them, so I look forward to this one. 

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

You have probably heard of this book. I have listened to the majority of David Platt's sermons in which this book is based upon, but I imagine I will be rightly challenged from this book also. My dad just finished it and got if for me for Christmas. I love having conversations with my dad about this stuff and praying God to do a great work in our hearts.

Parenting

TEN WAYS TO DESTROY THE IMAGINATION OF YOUR CHILD

Russell Moore referenced this book on one of his blog posts. As a dad who has young children and lots of them, I want to stoke of the fires of my children's God-given imagination and do not want to be guilty of destroying it.

Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting

I have had this book for a good 2 years, but haven't read it yet. Bill Farley is the lead pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship, here is in Spokane and some of his children are good friends of Heidi and I. I have looked through the book some, but never really read through it as of yet. 

Biography

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

WWII Veteran, POW, Olympic Runner, Saved by Grace...this is going to be a good one. It is already on the New York Times Bestseller list and heard that it is already in the works to be made into a movie.

Wrestling with an Angel: A Story of Love, Disablity and the Lessons of Grace

The manner by which this author (Greg Lucas) writes is incredible...from everyone I talked to, they read this book in less than a day, it is that captivating, riveting, honest, and remarkable. I have also heard (from other men) that they cried several times throughout this book.

Business/Development/Missions

Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa

God's been growing my heart for Africa and I know this is a book being widely read and want to see how the author describes 'a better way'.

The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways To Use Social Media to Drive Social Change
Facebook, Twitter, and the countless other forms of social media have changed and will continue to change almost everything. The first few chapters of the books read like a well-written biography, so I look forward to reading this and to see what I can implement.



The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness
 I also try to read at least one personal finance book a year. Obviously Dave Ramsey is not new on the block (which is usually a good sign) and has some great principles regarding personal finance. He has a background in real estate, so he gets the up's and down's of a Realtor's income.

When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. . .and Yourself

Ok, so I read most of this book in 2010. I got this book for my dad for Christmas, and before I wrapped it, I read nearly the whole thing. This seriously was a 'I can't put this book down'. For those interested in ministering to those in need, this book serves as a helpful tool and asset in asking the HOW and WHY of what we do.

Fiction

Heidi's List
Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches
The author, Doug Wilson's daughter, has 5 kids under 5 years old. From what I previewed, she is very honest and transparent regarding the struggles and trials related to mothering young kids, and a large number of them at once.





Books to Read to the Kids

The Chronicles of Narnia

Ezra is getting to the age where his imagination is starting to grow and is able to sit and listen while I read books without pictures. We read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in about a week and every night asked if we could keep reading. I'd like to finish the whole series this year.

What books are you going to be reading this year???

Memorizing Scripture, Football Statistics and Recipes

Hebrews 11 and 12 have been two of my favorite chapters in all of Scripture for a long time. Recently I was challenged, stirred by, thrilled by the reality of the promise of Hebrews 11:6 -'And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to Him must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who seek Him.'

Get it...God rewarding me!! Rewarding me not with the trinkets of this world, but WITH HIMSELF. As I meditated up this verse,  God made it clear that it would be of great benefit/reward for my soul to meditate and memorize Hebrews 11 and 12.

So, I am about 10 verses in and hopefully by the end of January I'll worked through chapter 11.

Important to note: Mere memorization is not the end goal or purpose. The Pharisees knew/memorized a lot of Scripture and they were hell-bound and hated people. Purpose of this is to Know Him, Love Him, Draw Near to Him, Treasure Him more than gold, fame, or knowledge. 

We memorize what we love, cherish, appreciate, care about. 

Men: Think about the sports you like/love. You know detailed statistics, you know records, you know players, history, etc. You might not think about it in terms of memorization, but it is. It isn't hard because you love it.

Ladies: Do you have to reference your favorite recipes? Probably not, not if you use them often enough. It gets en-grained in your heart and mind.

I am trying to learn how to better use a camera this year. I have no idea what the majority of functions are, what White Balance is, what M, Av, M mean in camera talk. But, I will learn them. WHY???

Because there is Desire!

May it be that my desire, my passion, my craving would be set ablaze this year for King Jesus and that He would use (I know He will) the memorization of Hebrews 11 and 12 for His glory and my eternal good. 

I know there are countless tips and tricks out there on how to memorize Scripture...and I know they are helpful...but I think the bigger issue is a craving in your bones, a relentless stir in your soul to have more of Him and you will pursue it at all cost with great zeal. Make it so in my life King Jesus!

Hebrews 11:6 is a wonderful promise to start with!!!!!!

2011 Goals, Desires, Prayers and Pursuits

One of the purposes of this blog is for me to keep track of thoughts, links, etc. Thus, the safest & scariest place for me to write down some goals and desires for this upcoming year is right here...in broad daylight for the world to see. This seriously helps me be disciplined and focused. So, read if you wish, stop if you don't care.

Some Priorities and Goals for the Year 2011.

Key Verse of the Year: (At least beginning the year)

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God, must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.

Key Word/Phrase of the Year: Follow-Through

Serve/Love Heidi Zealously
I desire though humbly seeking the Lord that as I seek to love, serve and honor Heidi that at the end of 2011, Heidi would be overwhelmingly convinced that she is 1st a wife and then a mother as demonstrated by my love. (This is going to take some serious prayer, action, in light of adding our 4th child to our family and her serving them 24/7, and around March or so, having 4 children 4 years old and younger.) I have much to grow in this area, but good fruit results from Abiding in the Vine. 

Redeem 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. 

These are 2 hours that fly by with a blink of the eye. As Heidi and I look back at this past year, we realize that this time goes wasted, misused, spent on ok/good things, but not on the best. I see that I do waste a lot of time checking Facebook and it often distracts me from other conversations, especially with Heidi. 

For the month of January, I am going to keep track of how we use that 2 hour window in the evenings...so we can begin to use that time in ways that feed and nourish our souls, growing us closer to the Lord and one another.

Memorize Hebrews chapters 11 through 13
I want 2011 marked by cherishing the Word of God closely in my heart. One of the ways is going to be by memorizing some bigger chunks of Scripture. Our preaching pastor is working his way through Hebrews and thought this would be a good fit to memorize. When we get to chapter 11, I asked our pastor if I could recite from memory these chapters on a Sunday morning, and he agreed thinking that would be a good use of time and would hopefully be an encouragement to the body of Christ. 

Exercise Regularly
2010 was a great year for me in this area. I started out January 1st, 2010 at 188.5 lbs and on December 31st, was down to 164.5. I'd like to get down to the 155 lb mark (I think this is a healthy spot for me) and more than that I know it would require regular physical exercise to get their. Thus, if I can exercise consistently throughout 2011 three times a week, this will be a step in the right direction for me. By God's grace and enablement, I'd like to hit the 155 mark by the end of March and on December 31st, 2011...remain at the 155 mark.

Complete Musse's adoption
If you read this blog, this is an obvious one. We look forward to traveling in late January for our court date and then hopefully in March sometime for the embassy appointment. I look forward to posting updates, pictures and video's of our time and journey.

Finish Reading the Books I Start
I have a horrible habit of starting things and not completing them (hence the key word for the year...follow through).
I have a list of the books I'd like to read this year (I'll post that list tomorrow). This list will change, grow, maybe shrink, throughout this year. I am going to actually keep track of the books I read, along with writing at least 1 blog post per book I read. It will not be the typical book review (there are plenty of writer's out there who do great work at reviewing books. I will link to them). The purpose of my review will be...how has God used this book, this author, this theme to change me and sanctify me.

Spokane Adoption/Foster Care Conference
I'd like (of course Lord willing and Lord enabling) 2011 to be the year in which the 1st adoption focused conference was held in Spokane. I know they used to happen in Spokane often, but they haven't in a while. Heidi and I literally have about 2 conversations a week with people who are either considering adoption, wanting to know ways to be involved and serve, or are struggling through the specific challenges associated with adoption.
There are many people in Spokane that are desirous of an occasion in which something could be held to help, be a resource, and encourage adoption and those who have adopted, and those considering adoption.
There are a lot of Christian voices in Spokane that are passionate about God's heart for adoption, but no united Christian voice (at least right now).

Learn to take some great photos and video
For Christmas, my dad bought a new Canon 35X Powershot camera and is letting me use it for our trip to Ethiopia. I really do desire to take some great pictures and video with the hope and intention of communicating with others the story of our adoption, life in Ethiopia, and to stir understanding of life outside  a

What goals do you have?

2010 Greenup Family Year in Review

2010 was an amazing year, God has provided and blessed in magnificent ways.  

(There is a 12 minutes video below if you want to watch our year in review)

January started off excitingly with the birth of Camille on the 20^th. 5 weeks later, Heidi’s sister Julie gave birth to her first son, Daniel.  It’s fun to be able to have the cousins growing up together and being so close in age.

 

Other than celebrating Olivia’s 2^nd birthday in March, the family laid low for the next few months as we adjusted to the new baby.  Finally, come July we decided that it was time to start back up the adoption process that began way back in Dec. 2008.  Along with that came the news that we'd be making two trips to complete the our adoption in early 2011. Thus, we still had about $9,500 needed to finalization our adoption.

We celebrated our 5^th wedding anniversary on July 30^th and went on a trip to Glacier National Park and Shelby Montana to visit Grandma Emily Greenup until we returned and kicked it into fundraising high gear.

We made plans for a HUGE garage sale. This consisted of Dustin making over 20 or 30 trips to people’s houses to pick up their unwanted, cleaned-out closet items and bringing them back to the house for Heidi to clean and organize as rooms began to fill.  The day before the biggest garage sale of our lives, the baby’s room was un-enterable and full of glass and breakable items; the living room was packed with books and clothes; our bedroom was full of kids toys, the hallways full of stuffed animals and our garage full of everything from lamps and yoga balls, to toddler race car beds and TV’s of all sizes.  We even had to borrow our neighbor’s garage because we couldn’t fit everything!  We praise God for all the donations that came in and for the body of Christ who helped us move everything over to Dustin’s office building the night before.  With all the help and much prayer, we raised close to $5, 400 for our adoption!

August brought the birth of another cousin- Dustin’s sister Connie giving birth to Sonora!  And the end of the month we spent celebrating Heidi’s parent’s 40^th wedding anniversary up at Deer Lake.  September 1^st Ezra turned four and big news came only a month later on Heidi’s birthday- a referral of a 3 month old baby boy named Musse, or ‘Moses.’  We accepted the referral and in December made travel plans for our January 28, 2011 Ethiopian court hearing appointment. 

As we reflect on the last year, we see so much of God’s goodness and perfect timing.  We hope to bring home Musse in early March 2011 and will probably be staying home the rest of the year to get him adjusted to new life with our family.  Thank you to so many of you who helped us financially, gave your time or who kept us in your prayers.  Many blessings to you and your families in the coming year!