What Do You Celebrate About Your Family?

I celebrate being part of my family.  Since the Lord began to increasingly open my eyes to the needs of the orphans of the world, He has also also given me a heightened sense of the blessing of my own family.  I wrote a blog post "Entitled to a Family Vacation" a few months ago about the things we who are in families take for granted.  Today, in a similar yet different vein, I just want to introduce you to my family and celebrate each of them.  This post is especially intended for those who have at least somewhat healthy families.  What do you celebrate about your family?
 

Yes, I do realize that I "outkicked my coverage."

I celebrate my wife, Loretta.  We celebrated 20 years
of marriage this past June.  Some have been wonderful, and some have been rocky, but she has been an incredible partner in the journey on which the Lord has led us.

She loves animals, and you'll get to meet every one of them.  She is fiercely loyal to her family, to her friends, and to our church.

One of my favorite parts of my kids growing older is the increased capacity to enjoy date nights/date days with Loretta.  We'll do something for Valentine's Day in a couple of weeks, but guess what?  We will wait until February 15 (Shhh, that's our secret), when we get our personal spending money, when the restaurants aren't overcrowded (and overcharging, in some cases), and when all the candy is on sale . . . and we won't be any less in love because we waited a day!


This is my daughter Ashton and my younger son, Drew.  Ashton started driving, and everything about our family dynamic changed, as we knew it would.  She is at work or church just about every night, it seems, so the time I get to spend with her seems much more valuable these days.  She has more of a plan for her life at her age than just about any teenager I've ever known (and I taught a couple thousand of them over my years as a teacher and coach).

Here, she's taking Drew out to lunch.  That's cool on so many different levels!

The little fella is nine years old and has something my other two never had, a roving gang of neighborhood kids to play with most every day.  I never really had that as a kid, either, so it's pretty cool to watch them paint their baseball field on the vacant lot, build and paint their clubhouse, and ride up and down the street in or on their various kid vehicles.  Drew has a vivid imagination and is one of the most interesting nine-year-olds with whom you could carry on a conversation.

Garrett, my middle son, is a "fresh-more" (started the year a freshman but will graduate with this year's sophomore class) at Lewisburg High School.  He is in his first year of high school baseball, and I can't wait for the season to start.  Most of my best high school memories came from the baseball team that I was a part of, and I had the privilege of learning some of life's toughest lessons through a game.  I'm proud of him for working so hard to make the most of his opportunity.  Garrett has learned the values of being a part of the team and of being coachable, values that are in short supply in sports and in life.

And we love our pets:

Molly, the cute, cuddly puppy  (She's actually playing in the first photo.)

Molly, the ferocious guard dog

Mookie (aka Mr. Fatty Woo, among others)

Mittens -- what a dumb cat

And then there's Mr. Fluffy and his pet squirrel, Buschy (actually, his tail)

I hope you have enjoyed this brief introduction to the Ainsworth family.  Even more so, I hope that you will take the time to celebrate your family today.  Not everyone is so blessed.

Thanks for reading.

4theVoiceless,

Al

What Is the Summit Conference and Why Should I Go?

The Summit Conference is coming to Nashville May 2-3.  What is the Summit Conference, you ask?  So glad you did ask.  This is THE conference for those involved in orphan care ministry, and Nashville is as close as Summit will come to many of us, especially those of us in the Mid-South area.  Everyone I have talked to who knows more than I do about the movement of churches and other organizations toward God's command to care for orphans has said that this is where I need to be. 

Here's what the Summit 9 page has to say about the conference:

The Christian Alliance for Orphans’ annual Summit has become the national hub for what Christianity Today recently called, “the burgeoning Christian orphan care movement.” Summit IX on May 2-3, 2013, at Brentwood Baptist Church in Nashville, TN is expected to draw 1,800 to 2,000 pastors, grassroots advocates, organizational leaders and church ministry heads. Alongside more than eighty workshops, the unforgettable plenary sessions will include David Platt, Randy Alcorn, Michele Bachmann, Bishop & Donna Martin, and other global leaders. Summit inspires, equips and connects for adoption, foster care and global orphan ministry.

For more information about the conference, check out the Summit FAQ page.

Interested in going?  This would be the year.  If you attend CHC and are interested in going, let me know.  We would love to take a group.

I'm going.  I hope to see some of you there.

Earlier this week, the 4theVoiceless blog hit 5,000 page views in less than a year.  Thanks for reading. Awareness matters.

4theVoiceless,
Al

Pre-Law Observations from Job

In recent years I have made a habit of reading through the Bible every year in a different translation.  I fully expect by the end of this year to know the Word better and yet to have just scratched the surface of what this treasured book has to say.

Take Job, for instance.  I have read through this book a number of times and even felt like I lived it for a season in my life.  As I was reading yesterday, He reminded me of something I saw brand new in 2012.

Last year, as the Lord began to connect my heart and my mind to His in regard to orphans, I saw how His reflections of Himself over time (creation, Israel, Jesus, the church) also included His heart for widows, orphans, sojourners (also called foreigners, aliens, strangers), and the poor (more specifically, for those who were poor because of injustice).  I wrote about this in more detail in the post entitled "4 Reflections of God's Care for Orphans."

Back to Job, which Bible scholars believe may have been the first book written.  The person Job is believed to have existed during the time of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob).  That is, before God gave the law to Moses.  Before He commanded His people to care for widows, orphans, sojourners, and the poor.  Yet, we find the following statements from Job as he defends his integrity (from the baseless accusations of a "friend" in Job 22:5-11) before his friends and before God in Job 29-31:

• "When they (the noblemen of Job's city) heard me, they blessed me, and when they saw me, they spoke well of me, for I rescued the poor man who cried out for help, and the fatherless child who had no one to support him.  The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow's heart rejoice" (Job 29:11-13, HCSB).
• "I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.  I was a father to the needy, and I examined the case of the stranger.  I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth" (Job 29:15-17).
• "If I have refused the wishes of the poor or let the widow’s eyes go blind, if I have eaten my few crumbs alone for from my youth, I raised him as his father,and since the day I was born I guided the widow— if I have seen anyone dying for lack of clothing or a needy person without a cloak, if he did not bless me while warming himself with the fleece from my sheep, if I ever cast my vote against a fatherless child when I saw that I had support in the city gate, then let my shoulder blade fall from my back, and my arm be pulled from its socket" (Job 31:16-22).
• "Haven’t the members of my household said, 'Who is there who has not had enough to eat at Job’s table?'  No stranger had to spend the night on the street, for I opened my door to the traveler" (Job 31:31-32).

How did Job know that caring for the voiceless was just and right?  Were compassion and hospitality just intuitive to him?  Evidently, on the basis of the accusations of his friend and of the noblemen of Job's town, justice for the defenseless was a widely-recognized indicator of righteousness -- even before the Law.  I'm not sure how God revealed this to them, but it was obvious that He did in some way.

Nothing has changed.  The Bible never backs away from the call to be a voice for the voiceless.  If anything, that call is intensified throughout Scripture.  And though I trust in the redemptive work of Christ (and not good works) for my salvation, I want to be a good reflector of the nature of God to those who don't know Him.  Don't you?  Kindness to widows, orphans, strangers, and the poor is still a remarkable indicator to those far from God.

Thanks for reading.

4theVoiceless,

Al

And Suddenly...Orphan Run MS

With just a simple Facebook message, bam!  This Wednesday morning, I saw a notification of message from my niece, a freshman at the University of Arkansas.  Through some connections at her church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, she had seen a video about a 5K run in Hernando, Mississippi (where I live), to take place in April to benefit orphans in Uganda.

I clicked on the Orphan Run MS video link and realized, "Hey, I know these people!"  Well, at least I had met the race director's parents, and they had visited our small group.  Did I mention that the race director is 14 years old and new to the Mid-South?

A couple of emails later, and EmilyFaith and her mom, Jennifer, were sitting in a 4theVoiceless planning meeting that very night.  It was a call to action for 4theVoiceless through way too many "coincidences."

You will have the opportunity to read EmilyFaith's story here and in the newspaper in the days to come, but I wanted all my readers to have a head start on what is sure to be THE event to attend in Hernando, Mississippi, on April 20, 2013.

If you have a group of people (school clubs, small groups, business associates, etc.) whom you would like to get together to hear EmilyFaith's story firsthand and get involved with Orphan Run MS, contact me at al.ainsworth@mychc.tv, and I will do my best to make that happen.

Here are some links to get you started on being a part of Orphan Run MS:

The YouTube video that started this whole process.

Orphan Run MS on Facebook.  Go "like" their page!

Orphan Run MS on Twitter.  @OrphanRunMS

Sign up for the race itself!  Sign up early as the funds generated from race sign-ups will provide operating expenses for all the other really cool things that will be associated with this run.  Sign up to run the 5K or the one-mile fun run.  Or (and this is a term I learned Wednesday night), you could be a "virtual runner," one who signs up and pays for the run but doesn't actually run the race.  I am somewhat of a runner, but "virtual running" sounds much easier.  In fact, my friend Jeff ran a marathon in one minute before bed last night; what a beast!

In Other 4tV News:

CAFO Membership

We received notification this week that Colonial Hills Church has been accepted into membership of the Christian Alliance for Orphans.  CAFO is an umbrella organization for many churches and para-church organizations doing great work for the world's orphans, and I am pleased to be "officially" associated with them. I serve as an area coordinator for Orphan Sunday (sponsored by CAFO), so if your church has never recognized Orphan Sunday (first Sunday in November) and would like to do so this year, please let me know.  I have found the resources offered on the CAFO site to be plentiful and helpful.

PATH Training at CHC

Interested in fostering or adoption through the foster care system?  Harden House is providing the training that you need on January 26 and February 2 at CHC.  Email Lauren Johnson or Heather Wright (who will actually be leading the training) for more information or to let her know you are coming.

Countdown to Haiti Mission Trip: 56 Days!

 

Thanks for reading.  Your feedback is always welcome!

4theVoiceless,
Al

Two Ways to Live Out James 1:27

Looking for a place to live out James 1:27 in 2013?  Here's a brief look at what's going on with the 4theVoiceless orphan care ministry during the early part of the year.  More to come later!

PATH training coming to CHC

Interested in becoming a foster parent?  Harden House Adoption and Foster Care will be conducting PATH (Parents as Tender Healers) training at CHC Southaven on January 26 and February 2 (both Saturdays) from 9:00-5:00 in the Attic, upstairs in the main building.  Both weeks are required for the training.  For more information about foster care, check out the Harden House site.

We have had families travel to Corinth, Tupelo, and Jackson for this training in the past year, so we are pleased to make it available close to home for families in northwest Mississippi.

Haiti 2013

A team of seven people from CHC will be heading to Haiti March 15-22 to serve at the House of Abraham and other discipleship programs in and around Jacmel, Haiti.  The trip is more expensive during this time of year, so some of the members of our team would really appreciate your prayers for their provision.

Have a great Friday.  Thanks for reading.

4theVoiceless,
Al

Resolutions Unmade?

Are New Year's resolutions a thing of the past?  I have asked several people if they made them, and I have yet to have anyone answer affirmatively.  I have seen some new faces in the gym, but, as a whole, I wonder if we just pass on the resolutions these days.

Is it because we know we are going to break them and so we don't make them?  I tend to think it is because we just don't slow down long enough to consider where we are in life, how we got there, and what it will take to get us where we want to go.  Am I right?

A Few of Mine

I made a few resolutions this year.  I'll share some of them:

• I read through the entire Bible for the second year in a row in 2012.  I have already started a different reading plan in a different version for 2013. 
• Discipleship is a top priority.  What I have learned about God is not just for me -- not even especially for me -- but for the sake of the kingdom of Christ, for others.
• I am going back to school this year.  I consider myself a lifelong learner, but it has been over 10 years since I have actually been in school and even longer since I last took an academic class.
• I am going back to Haiti and investing in one of the children at the House of Abraham on a monthly basis.
• I'm not good at keeping tabs on all the maintenance needs of my vehicles.  I do have an iPhone with a really cool feature: a calendar with reminders that I can use to remind me of something I wouldn't just naturally move toward without them.
• I plan to read more.  And go to bed earlier.  There's a correlation. 

What About You?

There are more, but you get the picture.  Have you slowed down enough to consider adjustments that you need to make in your life?  Will you go on that first mission trip this year or start that blog or go on that first daddy-daughter date?  What are those good intentions that will remain just that until you determine to act on them?

Good intentions tend to lead to what my friend Jacob refers to as "rollover days," when one day begins to look like the one before and the one before that.  Good intentions just lie on the table until they become regrets of what could have been. 

Here are a few simple suggestions to get you on track to breaking away from the rollover days.  I'll start with the hardest one for most people. 

1. Schedule some time alone -- 30 minutes, a couple of hours, a long weekend.  Be really alone.  Turn off the phone!
2. Pray.  God knows much better than you do what adjustments your life needs.
3. Journal.  Write it down.  Start with random thoughts and then go about processing them into an action plan.
4. Get started.  However small your initial steps are, start moving.  Begin with the end in mind, but know that you won't get there immediately.  (I fully expect to finish reading through the Bible again this year, but right now I am still in Genesis and Job.  Revelation won't come until the end of the year.)

Thanks for reading.  I would be very interested to hear what resolutions you have already made for 2013 and the ones that you make as a result of spending some time alone in the next few days.

4theVoiceless,
Al

Walking Away from the Fiscal Cliff: Two Victories

I'm not a fan of media-or publicist-created terms that are then propagated by the media themselves.  Are you as tired as I am of hearing about the so-called "fiscal cliff"?  As far as the politics of the whole fiscal cliff mess, I guess I have lived long enough to recognize political frenzy to accomplish a task that could and should have been accomplished weeks earlier.  It's the term fiscal cliff  itself that has bugged me.

However, perhaps because of the general good cheer of the Christmas season, I have found a couple of victories to claim from the fiscal cliff frenzy:

A Word Correctly Used

Victory #1: The word fiscal itself, used correctly.  I can't tell you how much it has bugged me for years to hear otherwise very intelligent people talking about the end of their company's physical year.  Perhaps the fiscal cliff talk will lead to a more proper use of the word fiscal in general.  Here's hoping.

Disclaimer: Although I have not been an English teacher for over 10 years now, the misuse of the English language still bothers me.  I have gotten better about correcting people, but you have to understand how far I had to come to get to this point: I corrected my wife's first love letter to me -- she didn't think it was funny like I did, but I digress.

Fiscal is not the only word that otherwise intelligent people butcher:

• School administrators (all intelligent individuals) who sought recognition from accrediting agencies called the process accredidation.
• I know that Alzheimer's is not the easiest word to say, but as many people as not say Alltimer's instead.  I think the etymology of this mispronunciation can probably be traced to some originally referring to the disease as "Old-timers."  (This is one that you and I should be careful not to correct in conversation because, chances are, the person saying this word is dealing with a family member with this cruel disease.  Having had a family member who had Alzheimer's, I can say that dealing with the disease with love and compassion is much more important that pronouncing it correctly.  See, I try to not be a chump.)
• Here's my current #1 language pet peeve: "all of the sudden."  I don't know when the proliferation of the misuse of the phrase "all of a sudden" began -- I first noticed it about three or four years ago -- but it has spread like wildfire.  (Interestingly enough, the phrase began in the 1500's as "the sudden."  Maybe everyone saying "all of the sudden" is just trying to get back to the roots of the phrase. . .you think?)

See how easy I can still get off track with grammar issues?  Remember, I'm still in recovery.  Be patient with me.  I have probably misused some part of the language in this post itself.  Now, where was I. . .

A Second Victory

Oh, yes, there was a second victory from all the fiscal cliff pandemonium.  This one is serious and meaningful to the movement of Americans toward orphaned children both in the U.S. and around the world. 

The adoption tax credit has been made permanent!

Jedd Medefind, the president of Christian Alliance for Orphans, has written about the specifics of this part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act (How many of you knew the fiscal cliff bill had a name?) on the CAFO blog.  It's well worth the minute or two that it will take for you to educate yourself on this important piece of a much-maligned piece of legislation.

I'm not typically much of an advocate on political issues -- call me a cynic -- but I wrote both of my senators and my Congressman on the specific issue of preserving the adoption tax credit.  I did not get a response from one of my senators, and I received a poorly copied and pasted email from the other.  However, I got a personal phone call (that I missed) and a voice mail from Rep. Alan Nunnallee's office that laid out his recognition of the importance of the issue to his constituents. 

The message also reminded me that the adoption tax credit would be part of a much larger bill that might affect how the Congressman voted on the overall bill.  Understood but still not a comforting thought. Regardless of our confidence in the rest of the "fiscal cliff" legislation, orphan care advocates must say specifically on the adoption tax credit portion of the law: They got this part right!

Thanks for reading.

4theVoiceless,
Al