Funny?

I wanted to share something I noticed while I was talking with a friend not too long ago (If you are a Facebook user, you might have noticed as well).
I post many statuses throughout the days and weeks telling of little things I'm doing. Things like watching movies, who I'm hanging out with, a verse, quotes, or whatever. These statuses of mine usually receive many comments and "likes" from various friends of mine. This, however, is not what troubles me. I have been posting a link to our Sponsor children page on my facebook over the last couple weeks. There has not been one comment from anyone (a few "likes" from others in our Faith Family), but not one from anyone who isn't already supporting these kids. It is very discouraging to me that people tend to stay away from those things that convict them or are of no importance to them. In reality, this is very important! James 1:27 talks about caring for the orphans and widows in their distress. We are all called to this, whether it's adopting or sponsoring. Praise the Lord that 2 of the children have been sponsored so far, but that 2 is out of 20. And that is nothing compared to the other 147 million orphans in the world. It saddens me that people do not realize the needs of these children. They are real and they are HUNGRY!

I just want it to be clear that I'm not pointing out one person in particular or judging anyone. I'm simply sharing my frustration. I have full faith in God that he is going to supply for these children. How wonderful to be a part of something like this! Please pray about it and check out our page! (: To God be the Glory!

147 Million Orphans...Minus 3?

This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then God's love is not living in that person. 18 My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring. 1 John 3:16-18

This has become one of my favorite verses, along with James 1:27, over the past couple months. This is what love is; to care for others. Not just with our words, but with our actions. I have come back to that verse often, especially, in the last couple days.

God has presented me with a responsibility. This responsibility is to stand and speak on behalf of 3 orphans who were left behind. Sisay, a 13 year old girl, and her two younger siblings. My Auntie Drea posted about Sisay while they were in Ethiopia picking up the 3 new additions to their family; Meskerem, Eyob, and Samuel. Sisay and Meskerem had become very good friends. Since Meski is now home with her forever family, the two had to part and say goodbye. Sisay and her siblings have not been adopted because she is older and it's a package deal. As soon as our friend Tonya read Drea's post, she texted me saying, "Taylor! Your family needs to adopt Sisay!" I, not know what she was talking about, read the post with tears in my eyes. Since that night, the siblings have not left my heart. I began praying without ceasing. Praying that God would move to bring their forever family and asked if I would be used.

All 7 of the Thiele's arrived safely on Friday evening to greet their other 4 children. After everyone had made it to the van, our friend Seggy began to pray for them. He ofcourse thanked God for them, the work they are doing for these children, and bringing them home safely. What happened next I did not expect. Seggy began to pray for Sisay and her siblings and I began to bawl. The Holy Spirit overwhelmed me with compassion.

Later that night I was sitting on the couch with my momma. She was on the phone with my Auntie Drea when I began to sob, yet again. My mom asked me what was wrong. I told her that I was sad and she asked why. Trying to push past the tears, I managed to tell her, "I'm sad for Sisay and her siblings. I just feel like they're ours." She said, "You do? Well I will be praying too." While I was talking to my mom, I was also texting Tonya. I was telling her that I was still upset and overwhelmed about Sisay. She told me to have faith and keep praying for God's will. She was praying for my family as well. I sent her a text that said, "I have so much faith I am ready to go to Africa right now!" At the same time, I received a text from her that said, "You will go to Africa to pick up your sister!" Crazy, right? But what happened next, I really wasn't prepared for. Just as we were concluding our conversation, she received a message from Seggy. He told Tonya that he had been praying for Sisay since we first learned about her. He also said that he was praying for my family. That we would step out in faith and trust God in this situation. When Tonya called me and told me this, I began to bawl again. I was so amazed at how God continued to speak to me about Sisay and her siblings. He kept saying, "Taylor, they're yours." I am still in awe of what God is showing me.

Okay, great, we're all set to go right? Not really. I know and God knows that there has to be change of hearts in my parents. To them, this would just sounds crazy. But I'm on board because God has continually shown himself to me. I faithfully asked God to work on my parents hearts so that they could clearly see this opportunity God has laid before us. On Sunday night I had the opportunity to tell my parents how my heart is breaking for these kids. I told them that I would continue to pray for Sisay and her siblings, as well as, my parents. And I actually got to pray with them on the spot! They told me that they would continue praying as well. How exciting!

So now what? I did what God told me. I've continued to pray for the orphans, I took a stand and talked to my parents, and I encouraged them to pray. The rest is God; Yahweh is faithful to fulfill his promises. Now, I ask you to stand with me in prayer. I fully believe that God will answer in his perfect timing.

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt it in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefor I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - Mark 11:22-24

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - Hebrews 11:1 & 6

Here is a video of a family who stepped out in faith because God spoke to one girl.

Do You Love God?

I just want to share about a topic that has been on my heart alot lately. Giving to the poor. It's a pretty controversial subject even amongst believers, but I'm still going to share what I believe is true.

Matthew 22:35-40 says: One Pharisee, who was an expert in the law of Moses, asked Jesus this question to test him: 36"Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?" 37 Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' 40 All the laws and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands."

As it says, the Pharisee was an expert in the law. The Pharisees had 600+ laws that they would live by which they considered religion. The definition of religion is man's attempt at reaching God. So in this, Jesus is basically telling them, "Throw away your laws. It isn't about religion. You are commanded to love." Love means relationship so we are to have a relationship with God. Even though the relationship starts with the forgiveness of sins through belief and recognition of Jesus Christ, it's not supposed to stop there. When you love someone, you work at the relationship. Which brings up another point: love is NOT a feeling, it is a choice. We choose to love God because He first loved us.
Notice, the second command is like it. This means that they go hand-in-hand.

1 John 4:7-8 says: Dear friends, we should love eachother, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become God's child and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

You can't love others if you don't love God. You can't love God if you don't love others. It isn't an option, it IS a command. This means our love for others will require sacrifice.

John 13:34-35 says: "I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love eachother as I have loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my followers if you love eachother."

Jesus gives us this command shortly before he went to the cross as the ultimate sacrifice. His sacrifice was because he loves us. From this we should realize that when he tells us to love others as he has loved us, that it obviously means sacrifice. He also says they "will know that you are my followers if you love eachother." The world WILL see God when we love eachother. It can also be said that when we show love for others it shows our love for God. How we love others DEFINES our love for God. So how do we do it?

James 1:26-27 says: People who think they are religious but say things they should not say are just fooling themselves. Their "religion" is worth nothing. 27 Religion that God accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world's evil influence.

The word "care" that he uses here means "to take in." It doesn't just mean be aware of them and care that they are in need. This means to take them in and actually help them. I don't know about you, but this passage scares me a little. Only because we don't always understand it. It means that if we are not doing these things, our "religion" or "love" is not acceptable.

1 John 3:16-18 says: This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then God's love is not living in that person. 18 My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring."

This needs no explanation and there really isn't any watered down version of God's command. It simply is. But here is also a bit of encouragement as well as a warning.

James 1:9-11 says: Believers who are poor should take pride that God has made them spiritually rich. 10 Those who are rich should take pride that God has shown them that they are spiritually poor. The rich will die like a wild flower in the grass. 11 The sun rises with burning heat and dries up the plants. The flower falls off, and its beauty is gone. In the same way the rich will die while they are still taking care of business.

Here he is saying that we should not be afraid to give. We will be spiritually rich and God will be glorified. But if we are rich and remain comfortable, we will lack spiritually and will not show God's love.
When we give we should not boast to gain approval from man because that is not honoring to God. But we should tell others to encourage them to do the same.

I pray that your eyes will be opened and that you have a new understanding of these commandments.

Message to All My Girls & Dean's Promise.

First, I would like to say a few things to my girlies.

To those who have yet to start dating, or those who have but are still waiting for "that guy", or those who are in a relationship:

Set standards for yourself and stick to them! I strongly encourage you to make a list of all the characteristics that you want in a boyfriend and, eventually, a husband. I did this at a very young age and it helped alot in my dating life. It helps you see what will work and what won't. What you need in a relationship and what you don't. And the best advice I could give is to be PATIENT!!! God wants to work in your life in wonderful ways, but he can't do it unless you are focused on him instead of "who's gonna be my next bf?" You will be so happy with your life when you are truly right with God. It is when you say, "Alright God, I'm yours." that he will really bless you. As far as being in a relationship, while there can be some fun and exciting times, there can also be some confusing and trying ones. Keep praying that God would guide you both in the relationship so you may know what God has for you.

It was summer of last year(08) that I experienced this for myself. I just ended a messy relationship in the spring of last year and very quickly started a new one. I went through alot of confusion and heartache and I was still in chains from my previous boyfriend. So I prayed about the relationship I was currently in and knew it was not right or fair to him to continue, so I ended it. It was after that that I cut off from the guy who had held me captive for so long. I began to read my Bible again and got closer to God. I enjoyed going to church and hearing what God had to teach me. I was seeing areas that God wanted to use me in and areas I still needed to grow. I wasn't just happy with my life, I had joy. Joy that I had been missing for so long. It was a couple months later, when I started my first semester in college; that I met a cute, nerdy, sweet guy in a random Chinese class. As our friendship grew so did our feelings for one another and our friendship melded into a relationship. It has been a year and almost three months since our first date and it has been the best time of my life. I have experienced real love for the first time. The kind of love that means sacrifice. I have changed for the better and I have really been blessed with this wonderful man. I know that there is no one better and that he is the one God planned for me to spend the rest of my life with.

Now onto his promise to me.

Dean would probably be embarassed to know I'm putting this up.

But it is so special to me and almost makes me cry every time I read it. He wrote this for me and gave it to me on my birthday along with my promise ring. (: I love him so much and I thank God for him every day and can't wait for the rest of our life together. So heres how it goes...

As I strolled through jewelry store after jewelry store with you in hand, looking at necklaces, rings, and jewelry of all sorts it got me thinking a couple things. First thing is that jewelry is way over priced and second is I don't really like the ideals of the promise ring they try to sell. "Promise her you, promise her happiness, promise her forever." Uh...no.

How about I promise you truth.

Here it is

I promise you life will be hard, life will be trying

I don't promise you this every night, but you will be crying.

For good and for bad and I promise you both.

I promise you we're going to have to work, but what I promise you most

I don't promise you me, no I promise you better.

I promise you I will be as Christ-like as I can through every type of weather.

I don't promise you happiness cause that's not enough

I promise you joy as long as we look straight above.

I don't promise you forever, not because it's too long

But its not long enough, I promise forever and beyond.

And WHEN we fight, I promise to be fair.

No names or shots no matter why, when, or where.

I promise you all I have even though it's not much,

And longer than I live I promise you love.

My Birthday

I just recently celebrated my 18th birthday on Saturday, the 29th. As some of you may know, I am attending Glendale Community College. My plan is to receive my AA degree, then I will transfer to ASU to study kinesiology to become a physical therapist. Although, lately, I have been realizing what is so wrong with that statement, "My plan." It's not up to me, or my parents.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

And so I must trust in Him. It's so much easier said than done. So often I find myself worrying about what I will do with my future. I have to pray constantly and remind myself it's not what I will do with my future, but what HE will do with my future. I do believe he has given me the desire to become a physical therapist for a reason, as well as wanting to adopt and have a large family. Whether either of those happens is entirely up to Him, no matter what I think I can do about it. I am so thankful to have a God that loves me so much to plan the best for me, better than I could ever imagine. And that he has put so many loving people around to guide me.

Psalm 25:4-5

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

This is my prayer, Lord.

Here are some pictures from my awesome, sports-themed party! :)

My awesome cakes made by my amazing mother!

Coral And I both missed it...

She's just as good!

HEISMAN!

AWH! My favorite!

Summer Camping

I sat in our packed GMC Yukon, staring into the black and mysterious abyss of the surrounding forest. With no sound but the rain pouring down, hitting the windshield like cannons. My sister, cousins and I were trying to get comfortable in the seats of the car. There we would spend the rest of the night waiting out the rain. It was getting stuffy and we felt as if we were nearly suffocating from breathing in the same oxygen over and over again. It was at this point that I realized that camping is not for everyone.

My mom, siblings and I along with my aunt and cousins had begun our adventure on Sunday earlier that week and the twelve of us were planning to stay until the upcoming Sunday. It was now Thursday and I was already miserable, as any teenager would be with the loss of cell phone service. I was cut off from my social life, ten miles off of the highway, and I had to endure it for a whole week. The day had been the same as all the others since we had arrived. Early awakening from the monstrous sqawking crows; the aroma of breakfast consisting of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and if I was lucky, leftover French toast. As the afternoon crept in, so did the dark, gray, and gloomy clouds. At first it was a light sprinkle, but by early evening the raindrops were multiplying and growing even larger. The moms were preparing our spaghetti dinner, which was spent in our tents sheltered from the rain.

It was after dinner that we started experiencing the worst. As the rain started to come down even harder, the tents began to leak and flood. My cousin and sister's tent went first; soaking the mattress and sleeping bags. Sopping wet sheets, even shoes and socks. There was no hope of being dry for the rain had just begun. Fortunately for my cousin and I, our tent had only leaked down the side leaving just the edges of our mattress wet. Not so fortunate for my mother and aunt, whose mattress was like an island oasis in the middle of their tent. No matter how much hope we had, the rain was not letting up.

Wet dirt and the stench of waste from the nearby out house all around. We began packing up our things because our mothers had decided that if got any worse we'd consider checking into a hotel. At last there was hope. A warm, comfortable bed, a toasty hot shower, and of course, cell phone service. We loaded into the vehicles, girls in one, boys in the other, while the moms cleaned and tried to save as much as possible. We enjoyed the radio until the car battery died. Since there was still a chance of leaving, my aunt and brother risked their lives to jumpstart the vehicle in the pouring rain. We were able to start the car again, but were no longer able to listen to music because we couldn't let the battery die again.

After enduring another hour or so, my hope was shattered when my aunt came to tell us, "We are going to stay here and wait it out."

Those words echoed in my mind for the rest of the night. We were stuck here. All of the girls got out our Bibles to find some encouraging words. One of the first verses we came upon was about the rain being a blessing. That was like a hard slap in the face. We had been complaining, too ignorant to realize how great this rain actually was. Regardless of its blessings we were still miserable. We couldn't go anywhere. I slept upright in the driver's seat of our vehicle. Perhaps the worst night of sleep in my entire life for I got little of it. Thankfully, we had more hands to help clean up in the morning. My dad and uncle had driven up to meet us late that night and managed to find a place to sleep; dad in his car and my uncle in my cousin's and my tent.

I awoke to the pitter-patter if rain still. Our camp and everything in it was still dripping wet. It was about five o'clock in the morning and my eyes were burning. We stayed in the car trying to catch a few more hours of sleep which eluded us. At about seven o'clock we decided to get up and eat breakfast. As the morning went on, the rain had slowed, and slowed, and slowed, until it stopped. Finally, my torture had ended. But only long enough for us to rinse out the muddy tents and rebuild them. My dad and uncle strategically placed and staked the tents having hope that it would allow less water in the event of another downpour. Of course it did start to rain again. I felt as if I was in a nightmare that would never end. It kept coming back like a nagging fly, but for now it was just a sprinkle.

The girls spent midday and early afternoon playing tactical board games awaiting our turn for fishing with my uncle. When the time finally arrived for us to fish, my aunt drove us down to the lake to drop us off and pick up the boys. As we waited on the peaceful shores for them to pull the boat in, it started to rain intensely. It was almost more powerful than the night before and lightning was flashing all around. I had to think twice before entering this death trap. Here we were, soaking wet in a metal boat, holding up metal rods in the middle of the lake, with lightning striking nearer and nearer. Our quest for that one fish was a failed attempt; we left empty-handed. Friday evening was approaching and I knew that I only had to endure one more day for we were leaving Sunday morning.

I cannot recall what happened on Saturday because my day was spent packing and dwelling in the excitement of returning home. Sunday morning came, but so did all the camp clean-up. We had to wash out all of the grimy, stinky tents. This was no where near as exciting as it sounds. After helping with the cleaning, all I could do was sit and wait while my uncle meticulously packed the trailer. My mind was running at what seemed like five thousand miles per hour. What was I going to do first when I got home? My pleasant daydreams were interrupted when my uncle yelled, "Let's hit the road!" This, of course was even more pleasant for me to hear. I was finally getting out of this pit of despair.

As we drove down the mountain I turned on my cell phone, anxiously waiting and watching for the moment when I got five bars. My heart jumped when I heard that "Bloop!" My first text message had arrived, followed by roughly thirty more. I had my life back and everyone in it. I sent text messages to all my friends just to let them know that I was still alive.

Although I was excited to leave, the traffic was not so thrilling. Sunday was the designated departure day. It seemed like the rest of the state of Arizona was on the same road as we were. It took a couple hours and we made a pit stop at Chili's, but I arrived at home at last.

I have never been so excited to step into my home. I finally took that hot shower that I had taken for granted before camping. I changed my smoke-filled clothes and gave myself a spa treatment. When I got into my warm bed that night, not at all cold or wet, I came to a conclusion: camping was not something that I wished to experience again, especially in such unpredictable conditions.

My Essay: "Adoption"

Like the sea tosses waves onto the shores of the surrounding beaches, adoption tosses waves of emotions onto the shores of the surrounding lives. Anyone who has experienced the adoption process is aware of the emotional tolls it can have. For those who have not, I want to give a few personal examples of situations and emotions that I have experienced in the adoption process. In having a close relationship with an adopting family I have learned that adoption can touch family friends and certainly the family itself, but adoption is most life altering for the child or children who are being adopted.

One way that friends can be affected is simply through connection and having a close relationship with the adopting family. From fundraising garage sales, raffles, and spaghetti dinners to preparing a place in the home; there is plenty of work to be done. I can recall nights that some of us would have to spend outside to guard the garage sale merchandise because of the vast donations. Adoption also opens doors for others. When a family adopts, it gives others a chance to see how they, too, can change lives. It goes outside the "normal" that is usually associated with the way of life. The typical idea of a family would be a man, wife and their biological children living together as a unit. Bringing in an outside, so to speak, gives everyone a completely different perspective.

There are numerous adjustments, both physical and mental, that a family must make when adopting. They have to reorganize their lifestyle from rooming to buying greater quantities of breakfast cereal. There will be one more child to care for, feed, clothe, educate, and discipline. Adopting alone costs a great amount of money, but the of one more child's-worth of all the essentials has to be considered. Despite the financial modifications, the rewards are so much greater. I find nothing better than getting the opportunity to show a child something that they have never known, felt or seen; in this case, love. In that sense, there are many emotional tolls that adoption has on a family. First of all, they have to be accepting and understanding of the child in this situation. This, however, is a learning process because the life of an orphan is nearly impossible to imagine unless one has been through this experience personally. They also have to "show them the ropes" of how things work around the household. Such as traditions and routines like washing the dishes and caring for the family pet. There is a form of discipline that must be established. Because the child has, most likely, spent his or her life without a parent-like figure, they become independent. It is the new guardian's responsibility to teach them to respect and abide by the rules.

The whole purpose of adoption is to change the life of a child and it certainly does so. They have to transition from one way of life to another in so little time. Situations, as well as emotions, can vary from child to child. For example, a child can be adopted at a very young age, understanding and experiencing little of life outside of the orphanage. All that they have ever known in the first months or years of their lives is the orphanage and caregivers. The day that they gain a new family is the day that they begin experiencing new everyday life experiences. Children can also be adopted at a later age, spending most of their early childhood in the orphanage. As they mature they gain more knowledge of this thing called "family." Their nights are spent dreaming of the day when someone will hold them and say, "I love you." Unfortunately, in some cases, a child can be placed in a home and the result is a non connection. In which case they would be removed. More often then not they eventually find their "forever family" to share the rest of their lives with.

After all the time and effort that is put into the adoption, the journey of bringing the child home forever is a clear reminder of its eternal worth. The emotions are almost indescribable and incomparable. It goes without saying that adoption affects every individual involved in the extremely long and testing process.