Distractions vs. Deception

We have been busy.

Like everyone else, the end of summer and start of a new school year brings all kinds of transitions to our home.  Add one child traveling to Hawaii with her grandmother for 10 days, another child entering high school, a family business....well, you know the song and dance.  Many of you are singing the same verse or making the same dance steps:).  

This year, though, I have had this nagging thought bouncing around in my head that I couldn't quite get to formulate until the wee hours of this morning.  You see, in all of our busyness, some of our family routines have changed.  Some for the better...some not.  Same for my personal study time with the Lord...it has changed and I haven't quite settled into the routine that fits our new family schedule.  But I digress.  

The thought that finally bounced out this morning, with the help of Ann Voskamp's blog, A Holy Experience, is this......I have THOUGHT I have been distracted but I have been deceived.  

Ann says, "It is my own inflated sense of self-importance, the elevation of my work, of my agenda, that keeps me from prayer communion.  That's called idol worship.  I don't pray enough (or read/study my Bible enough) because I am practicing idol worship."  (italics are mine)

Whoa.  

What??

As I got honest with myself and with the Lord, I had to ask myself two questions.  

1.  Do I honestly believe that the longing in my soul can only be filled by Jesus?  Psalm 107:9 tells us He satisfies that longing and hunger within us.  No one or nothing else can.  Why do we try to fill ourselves with other things and other people??

2.  What are the distractions in my life?  or to be gut-wrenching convicting,  what are the idols?  

• Work
• Sleep
• Family obligations (like cooking, cleaning, teaching, etc)
• Computer, iPads, Mobile devices
• Texting, FB, Twitter
• Friends, Social Activities
• Sports, Hobbies
• TV, Movies

Ask yourself, what is the first thing on your mind in the morning when you wake up?  If it is not Jesus, then make a choice for it to be.  CHOOSE JESUS over the above distractions/idols.  CHOOSE to commune with Him first.  

Then ask Him how you may serve Him today...or what does He desire you to do today?  He may have you tweetin' and FBing....or watching college football....all for His glory.....or He could call you to an all day Social Media fast.  

Either way...........your soul will be satisfied.

Interview with an Author: Kim Abernethy

Interview with Kim L. Abernety

We understand that you kept rather detailed journals as a young missionary woman in Liberia, West Africa. What prompted you to do that? 

My husband and I, along with our 2 1/2 year old daughter, Michelle, was absorbed deeply into the Liberian jungle (180 miles from the capital city Monrovia) at a time when communicating with the “outside” world was still an anomaly. In the mid 1980’s, our key communication source to our family in America was through ham radio operators and by that means, we usually talked to our families only once a month.

There was never enough time to tell them all the cultural things we were learning or share the cute things about their granddaughter, so I felt the need to supplement with journals. I would handwrite the journals as events happened, but then would use my Selectric II typewriter (during electricity time - you’ll understand that more if you read the book) to type out the journals and mail them off. My mother wisely put the journals into a large manila envelope and saved them. She and my father knew my hankering for writing and prayed that I would one day use those journals to write a book.

How (exactly) did you go about writing the book? Did you take your journal entries and just add more details? 

I wrote the first couple of chapters almost six years ago. Between a busy college ministry and an active family, it was difficult for me to know how to carve out the time I needed to make the writing effective. Of course, I always tried to give myself a self-imposed deadline, but being new at the writing and knowing I was going to self-publish did not help my need for discipline so lacking in the early formation of this book. Two years ago, after constantly reaming myself out for not getting serious and lamenting to my husband and family that I needed to get this book done, they rallied around and helped me carve out more substantial amounts of time for serious writing.

Not having any template on how to write from detailed journals, I just decided to dig into the coffers of the journals, make notes about the stories I wanted to use, and then started writing. There were times I found that I could not improve on how I had said something in my journal so I gave myself permission to quote directly from the journal.

What helped you make the decision of which stories to include and which stories to leave out?

That was not an easy task. Taking the advice of several friends and other writers, I stopped the constant editing and analyzing of what I had already written and just wrote the story. It soon started to weave itself into somewhat of a continuum.

After I had completely written the story, I went back and read the entire book, critically, as through the eyes of those who might read it but not really know me very well. I prayed much that God would give me the grace to know when to “let go” of a story, especially when it seemed that it was completely self-serving. Grant it, I struggled with God over at least two particular stories that I really wanted to keep in there, but no matter how hard I tried, they did not fit the spirit of what the book had become.

Honestly, I do not believe that I could have written this book in as God-honoring of a way ten years ago. While I am no where near what I need to be in Christ, I do know that  He has taken more of the ME out of the story and inserted much more of the HIM in it.

Can you give us a brief synopsis of this story?

In 1985 I, along with my husband, Jeff, followed a call from God to minister in the small West African country of Liberia. From learning how to effectively communicate with the Liberian workers in my jungle home to witnessing the painful death of a young woman in childbirth, I write candidly. I tell stories of every day happenings in the life of jungle living, but also plod through the painful: when one of my daughter’s fell from an 18-foot balcony and when my husband was exposed to Lassa fever. One of my favorite things to write about were the chronicles of my husband's adventures of being a bush pilot in the jungle of Liberia.

Inside this book you will find disbelief, tragedy, fear, anxiety, discontentment, and confusion, but there is also humor, delight, amazement, wonder, surrender, and a deep-seated joy as you watch how God - little by little - chipped away at the walls of pride, unbelief, stubbornness, and independence that had always held me captive to myself. You may find yourself in these stories.

What was your key inspirational force in writing and publishing your first book?

My three daughters were the primary inspirations. Our oldest, Michelle, was 2 1/2 when we first went to Liberia. Stefanie, our second, was born in the middle of the jungle after we had only been in Liberia for ten months. Third daughter Lauren was born during the tumultuous time after our first evacuation from our ministry & home in Liberia. I wanted them to have a written account of their parents’ missionary journey in West Africa and beyond. It is one thing to be a Missionary Kid and live the life in your “home away from home”, but as they are all now young women in their twenties, I wanted them to see God in a bigger way. To always have a reason to keep trusting Him - no matter what.

Another motivation for writing this book were young missionary couples (particularly the women) who may wonder what they can expect as they enter their field of service. Though the country and circumstances may be different, I want the book to be a cultural, spiritual, and practical guide to those who will come behind us.

The third reason was for those that have always been interested in the intrinsic details of foreign missionary lives. I offer this candid missionary memoir as a means to open the door to seeing us as human, exposing struggles and sharing victories.

Where can we find out more about you and your books? 

Please visit my website at www.kimlabernethy.com.


For more opportunities for a FREE copy of this DVD & Study Guide set of MOVING FROM FEAR TO FREEDOM, please follow this CSS Virtual Book Tour on Twitter (@Christianspkrs) or Facebook.  

I was given a complimentary copy of this DVD & Study Guide set from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speaker Services (www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com).

Prayer......

I am going to take a detour from food for our stomachs and post a brief, albeit important, blurb about prayer.  More specifically Prayer for our Children.

A few months ago, I participated in a 21-day challenge to pray for my son.  It was focused, it was specific. It was good.

All I am going to say is if you have boys, I would encourage you to check it out by going to warriorprayers.com.

You won't regret it......

Praying through your Adoption....an interview with the Author

For all our friends who have journeyed along this path of adoption, some with successful placement, some still waiting, and some who have received the answer of "no", BUT all who have journeyed with grace,  and  to those who have allowed us the privilege of praying with you, bearing the burden as you struggled, I chose this book on purpose.  Watch in the days ahead for more posts related to this topic.  

What can you tell us about yourself, your childhood, and the present?

I grew up as an only child in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Faith was a vital part of our family life, so I believed in God from an early age. About mid-way through college, after heartaches and some poor decisions, I decided to trust Jesus and the plans He has for my life. I graduated, moved to the suburbs, and married my husband, Eric. I worked in the corporate world and Christian ministry before becoming a work-at-home mom through adoption. 

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer? 

I started writing poems and stories for fun as a child. I even had a poem published in Highlights for Children. Through high school and college I enjoyed researching and writing papers, but I never considered becoming a professional writer until I wrote Praying Through Your Adoption. 

What inspired you to write Praying Through Your Adoption?

I've been talking to God in prayer for as long as I can remember. I turned to prayer during our infertility, and I had planned to pray through a pregnancy if that had been God's plan. While adopting our son from Russia, we experienced painful delays and obstacles, such as increased fees and additional paperwork. At a particularly low point in the adoption process, I participated in an online prayer vigil that directed me to pray for very specific aspects of adoption – from government officials to waiting children. I realized the power of prayer specifically in adoption and saw the need to help other families pray through their adoptions as well. 

How did you come up with the title?

Becoming an adoptive family is a process. First, you make decisions about the type of adoption and the age of the child you wish to pursue. Then you work to become approved, educated, and prepared for welcoming and parenting this new child. Praying Through Your Adoption shows families how to rely on God and their faith through the entire journey of creating and nurturing their forever family.

What other life experiences shaped you to write this book?

Wow, many life experiences influenced this book. Our infertility is probably the biggest since the longing and waiting for our son is a large portion of our story. But even getting laid-off right before our adoption, experiencing post-adoption depression, and dealing with special needs made me want to encourage others dealing with similar difficulties. 

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Retelling my experience with post-adoption depression was hard. After our difficult time becoming parents, I never imagined I'd feel overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed as a new mom. As much as I wanted to skip over that chapter in my life and in the book, I felt it was important to paint a realistic picture for prospective adoptive families. Thankfully, other adoptive families were willing to share their real-life joys and challenges in the book as well.

What's one of the most important things people need to know about adoption?

One of my favorite quotes in the book is from the late Derek Loux, an adoptive father of and an advocate for orphans. He said,

“My friends, adoption is redemption. It's costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him. And when He redeems us, we can't even really appreciate or comprehend it.”

Derek's words capture so much. There is loss, and, yes, there are sacrifices – financial and otherwise – in adoption. But the rewards for answering God's call to care for orphans are priceless.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

In writing the book, I had the opportunity to feature around 20 families and their unique adoption stories. No matter the circumstances, I could see the special love that ordinary families experience as forever families. I'm grateful for their transparency and support for this project, and I think the readers will be, too.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

With over 143 million orphans across the globe, I would love to see more families consider adoption. But I deeply respect the person who reads this interview or picks up this book and, for whatever reason, decides adoption is not right for them. I hope they would at least consider providing prayer support and perhaps even financial support to families pursuing adoption.

Where can readers learn more about you and adoption?

I encourage readers to visit www.PrayLoveAdopt.com, a website I created to provide information, encouragement, and prayer support for families in any stage of the adoption journey. Visitors can read an excerpt from Praying Through Your Adoption and order a paperback or e-book copy if they desire. They can also visit my blog, www.MommyForward.com, and my main website, www.MicheleCScott.com to learn more about me and my other projects.


I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for posting the author’s interview on my blog. This blog tour is managed by Christian Speaker Services (www.ChristianSpeakerServices.com).

"Well You Won't Starve....."

UPDATE on the Zucchini Fries post.  A wonderful friend actually calculated the calories in these fries to be 4 per stick!  NOT BAD!  So, when you have extra zucchini from the garden, make you some fries!

Now, on to the feature of the day.

NEWBIE RECIPE:  Baked Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Takes less than 20 minutes from start to finish. 

Ingredients:

4 tilapia filets
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 450.
Beat eggs and place in shallow bowl.  Combine rest of ingredients in another shallow bowl.
Dip filets in egg wash, then in crumbs until fully coated.  Place on prepared cookie sheet (I use one covered with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.)
Bake 6 minutes on each side.  Viola!

Add a green salad, maybe a roll and Dinner is Done!