Cowards of the Keyboard

We had our yard sale this past weekend. Friends from work and church were just incredible and donated items for us to sell. We ended up making over 800 bucks towards adoption fees, which is an awesome blessing. Thanks to everyone who helped out or came by and shopped.

In preparation for the yard sale, Wife posted it out on the BuySellTrade Yahoo group, explaining it was to help raise money to bring our kids home from Africa. Who knew it was going to start such a problem? We got roasted something good by people asking who we were and how people could know we weren't trying to scam them?!?!?!?

Here are some snippets of emails we received:

"I'm so sorry, I just remembered that you outright tole me that this adoption didn't go through and how upset and sad you and your husband were about it. I'm not gonna start anything here, but I will end with this, if you are lieing (sp?) to me, how do the rest of the people in this group know weather or not you are even telling the truth about adopting at all? Just something for everyone to think about. I for one DONT believe in lying.

Victoria"

"I am interested in knowing if you are the person that has been accused of scamming members of buyselltrade in reference to your adoption. My feeling is if you need money to adopt three children then you can't afford them in the first place. I have three adopted children so I know how expensive it can be. But if what you are claiming is not true then the kind and generous people in the Mayberry area need to know. I will help get the word out and I will also help you clear your name if your claims for these children are ligitimate. Please let me know. Eldora

My Reply:
"Here is the deal folks...As the moderator has already mentioned, keep
your personal feelings off this board. While I find it commendable
that Victoria and Eldora feel the need to inquire about 1. the
authenticity of a member on the board and 2. the financial status of
a member, lets remember it's none of your business.

A yard sale is a yard sales folks. Would you rather a family raise
funds to offset some of the costs to give kids a home? Or is it more
acceptable in this "me me me" world to have a yard sale so you can
purchase a new big screen tv?

I find it so amusing that you will question a family for doing the
right thing, behind the privacy of the internet. You know the address
of the yard sale, so stop being cowards, stop on over to the yard
sale and ask your questions face to face.

Moderators: I apologize for posting this, but as the father of these
3 children in Liberia and the 4 children already home, I felt the
need to put a few people in their place. I fully expect this post to
be removed, so please do accept my apologies.

Last note to these keyboard cowards, I think proper etiquette for
questions of such personal nature, is to email the person privately
and not show how ignorant you are to the rest of the community.

Thank you for your time. And I thank those of you who came out to
help us with our adoption, you are true blessings.

Randy ."

Amazing. What kills me is not one of these Cyber Cops showed up to talk to us in person. Unfortunately for them (and me) I loooove arguing :) We got a bunch of emails, some supporting us saying we are doing the right thing, others telling us we are scam artists and too poor to adopt..blah blah blah. Thankfully I know we aren't in the business of making people happy, just our Father.

Make me think about Saul. When he was hunting down the believers, non-believers were cheering and supporting his efforts. As soon as God removed the shales from Saul's eyes and he started preaching the Good News, his supporters wanted him dead as well. I guess today it's ok to raise money for self pleasing reasons, but attempt to do God's work and Satan has full control over people and attacks.

That being said, it was fun going "Boston" on them. I'm still trying to figure out what "Going Boston" means, people at work tell me to "Go Boston" all the time. I tell them after I eat a huge lunch..."That's going Boston"....or when I finish my work..."That's going Boston"...or when I get cranky and grumpy...."That's going Boston". It's fun.

On a totally different note...I bought the Daughtry CD...Yes..Chris Daughtry...from American Idol...and it's awesome. I hate to admit that, because I promised myself to never buy an American Idol CD...and I did. And I may buy Blake Lewis' Cd as well.

What a girl I have become.
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His lovingkindness is Everlasting

What's Your Story

"If you cannot stand up and share how you came into a relationship with our Lord, then your Christianity should be questioned!"

God spoke this one truth straight to my heart one night as we were in Romania talking to our friend Doru. He has been doing God's work for almost 20 years now in the Romanian orphanages, children's homes and prisons. Doru appreciated the willingness we had as a team to share Jesus with the children, through skit, bible teaching and personal testimonies. I had been so nervous that whole trip to get up in front of a large group of people, in a foreign country, to share "my" story of salvation. (is it really my story...or just another chapter in the book of Life Jesus has already written?). I prayed over that statement Doru made and it put my heart at ease, knowing it's part of my job as a Christian to share Jesus with the world. For me, a HUGE part of that is my life and story of salvation.

I still get a little shaky inside when asked to share my testimony with people. But I also look forward to sharing my story with anyone who wants to hear it. God used so many different things in my life to bring me to Him. Who am I to judge how moving my little story is or how big of an impactful it can make? He will use my story as needed. He will use your story as well.

We watched "How I Met Your Mother" last night. It's a typical show of the world, about boozing it up, sexing it up and just living for "me". (see "crier" post). Last nights episode was all about each character telling their stories. These stories were about when they lost their virginity. They were so eager and willing to share their stories of teenage, premarital sex. Am I one to judge on that subject? I don't think so. It just struck my so ironic that the world, the world that Christians are to be the salt and light to, is so willing to talk about THEIR feelings, THEIR experiences, THEIR ambitions.

How willing are we to share how God has changed our lives? Do we find it easy to talk about OUR feelings, OUR experiences, OUR ambitions which the Lord has blessed us, transformed us and guides us with?

Something that is so easily overlooked: The great Paul, writer of all those little books at the end of the bible, He was a Christian killer. He was hand picked and transformed by Jesus, just like we are and Saul took HIS testimony and used that to spread the Word of God, just like we are to do.
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So...for the record...I never intended this Blog space to be all preachy and whatever. These are the thoughts that have been coming to mind lately. I will at some point get some more humor on here or sports or something...I think :)

God is Good!