He is Greater.....John 3:30 says He must become greater, I must become less"

 April is Child Abuse Prevention month.  It has been Child Abuse Prevention month as long as I can remember.  This is something that is very important to me, and a big chunk of what I do professionally and personally.....strive to prevent child abuse.   Children deserve to be safe, healthy and loved.  They deserve to be in relationships with caring adults who are supportive and who strive to make their lives good.  Sometimes this looks like foster care and/or adoption.  Sometimes it looks like education, sports, dance, tumbling, lego club at the library, Spanish club after school and so much more.  Sometimes it looks like teaching parents of kids birth to three how to care for their kiddos in ways that build trust and secure attachment instead of fear and isolation and independence.....child abuse prevention looks like so many things.   Child abuse prevention may be me noticing the kids that walk by my house to and from school everyday.  Do they look safe?  do they look happy?  do they

 Today I drove over to a local coffee shop to meet a friend for lunch.  She's a special friend, that pours herself out in ministry to help all children know Jesus, through adoption, through orphan care, through support and foster care....she works full-time in this ministry without pay and has dedicated her life to this work.  I wish we could have lunch every week but we do seem to manage a few times each year to get together.  It's been raining and cold in northwest Iowa these last days.  Spring is like that here.  I pulled into a parking spot and before I got out of my car, I saw this bird.  It was a robin and it was swollen and looked ready to lay eggs.  It was likely working on a nest for the eggs and stopped in a tree for a rest and a break from the rain and cold.....it was so close to me.....and it was nestled in the branches of a beautiful little tree with fresh spring buds just begging for some sunshine to burst open.  Everthing about it screamed hope to me.   Mama bird

 April 6 is a holiday at our house.  Every year with few exceptions, over the past 27 years, we have eaten Chinese food on April 6.  We do this to remember that 27 years ago Roger asked me out on our first date and it was a Wednesday because I worked weekends waitressing and bar-tending, paying my way through nursing school.  I was super nervous for this date because Roger was a nice guy and I didn't want to screw it up.  I skipped classes that afternoon and raided my mom's closet because her clothes were nicer.  I wore a salmon colored blazer because it was the mid-90s and that was stylish....and he likely thought I had really good taste in clothes that day.  Later he would learn that I wore more long flowy skirts and t-shirts and sandles but whatever, I wanted to make a good impression.   We drove to Sioux City and ate at a nice chinese restaraunt and we talked and laughed and I just kind of knew that it mattered.  The next year on April 6 we were committed and exclusive and

 This world is not our home.  That is why Jesus went to the cross, battled Satan, waged war for our souls so that we can be called home to him....and that our days here can be more than meaningless, selfish mass taking up space.  This world is not our home.  We are a bit displaced here.....living in the world but not of the world....doing our best and falling short until we get to Heaven and there will be no more struggling, no more hardship....no more suffering.   XK came home today after being at a respite foster home for 4 days.  When I went to get him they were playing outside and he was flushed and sweaty...and he strapped into the carseat and said "I'm sad mom.  I didn't want to leave".  I get that buddy.  You were having fun.  I'm glad you were having fun with them.  I knew you would.   We got home and unpacked his stuff and within 10 minutes he said...."Its good to be home again, mom.  I missed you"   later he said it felt new to be home.  I get

 For Christians, today is Good Friday.  It begs the questions, "What's so good about it?"  It is the day of Jesus death.  It was a horrible death reserved for the worst of criminals and yet Jesus never sinned.  Ever.  He never did a single thing wrong.....which is why we call him the Lamb of God....the perfect sacrifice to take the place of our sins.....but thinking about that doesn't feel so good to me.  It feels sad and frustrating and tragic.  There was no other way for us to get to God because a perfect love cannot share space with so much sin.....and so that's it.  Love had to come to us and make a way for us to get back to Love..... Here is what makes Good Friday good for me.  That dirty devil probably thought he won on Good Friday.  Jesus had died.  He didn't rescue his people right then or declare his kingship over all...and I'm guessing that stinking, lying, cheating, rotton devil thought he had it in the bag.  The master of lies, the author of al

 It is Maundy Thursday and in the Reformed church we recognize tonight as the night that Jesus had the last supper with his diciples, was betrayed by Judas, and was arrested.  It is the night that we know from the Bibl, that he asked that if possible, he be spared from this assignment but as we know, it was part of a bigger plan....to save us....and so he did it.  He did it all.   I have not had this assignment from God but I have had other ones that are hard.  Early on in my walk with Him I would either say no or I would argue and wrestle with Him before I said yes.  As I matured my yes came quicker.  But quicker is not easier.  God has called me to adoption, to foster care, to help the hurting and the lost, to live sacrificially....and it is not an easy yes.  I see others with more, with better, with easier and I can start to feel really sorry for myself....until I remember that His ask is my yes.  My yes is His best.  His best is my way and the only way for me.   Maundy Thursday rem