Lessons from God…and Aleks

This week God once again used Aleks to bring His word to life through our son Aleks.

The past few weeks have been tough. There has been something building in Aleks that we didn’t understand. All we knew is that Aleks has had a heavy heart that has made him a bit more emotional and irritable.His temper has been short and he has had trouble focusing on much of anything. This past Thursday it all came crashing down….he broke and just sobbed in Cindy’s arms. What we found is that he missed Latvia, his friends and all that was familiar to him. All of this really got me to thinking….

I told Cindy that Aleks had a huge amount of faith to leave everything he knew and trade it for a chance to have a family. As I prayed about this God gave me a little insight into my own life…my own journey. How many times have I looked back at my “old life” and wanted to go back. The comfort of the familiar. The fun of life the way I wanted to live it. Yet I traded all that I knew for a new life, a new faith. There are times that I miss some of the old things…but I also know that I have it so much better now. The life I have now is eternal….what I had then was only temporary. The life Aleks has now is so much better than the life on the streets he once knew…but it doesn’t change the fact that sometimes he just looks back and misses all that was so familiar. He doesn’t want to go back to Latvia but he misses it sometimes he says.

Father…that is so like me. I thank You that You know so much better than me and that Life Is Bigger than me. Bless Aleks, ease his longing for the past. Let You love flood over him and change him forever.

Check Point Update

Good morning….

It’s been way to long since I have posted about the facts of our journey with Aleks. Our time together has flown by, yet it is amazing to see that he has only been with us for less than four months! Each day brings new challenges, new experiences, more laughter…and yes, some tears. We have experienced so many “firsts” with Aleks. Things that we just assume or take for granted. Yes, many of these have been so fun to experience together. The smile and joy he carries in his heart is infectious and spreads to those around him. On the flip side of that coin is also the anger, frustration and confusion which many times also spills over to those around. Fortunately these times are becoming fewer as Aleks learns to deal with the things inside him. But through all of this, both the good and the bad, these experiences have opened the door of discussion. The questions Aleks asks about God, the Bible, Jesus, Heaven, Hell and death are incredible. He is asking the right questions and God is continuing to minister love to his heart. Just as the sun rises each day, so also do the spiritual attacks come within 24 hours of each of these conversations. It has been incredible to see as Aleks is beginning to see and understand  that there is good and evil in this world. It is a fight for the heart…the heart of a warrior, the tender heart of the warrior – Aleks Zachary Tuttle.

In just 10 days I will board a plane to return to Latvia to attend the “Big Court” for Aleks final Orphan Court hearing. The court is scheduled for Friday October 30th, 2009 at 10:00am (3:00am EST). We have already been notified by the court that Aleks does not need to attend this hearing with me. He is excited about this…both the fact that I am going for this last hearing AND the fact that he does NOT have to go with me. Aleks and I will however be returning back to Latvia together about 30 days later to go through his citizenship process. For this we will be spending 4-5 days in Riga so that we can complete all of the stuff the US Embassy requires so that they can issue his IR-3 Visa. This is his ticket to US Citizenship!!!

Just to put this in perspective; January 2009 – Aleks had no citizenship of any country. Though he was born in Latvia, he was not granted citizenship because he mother and father were not citizens of Latvia, February 2009 – Aleks was granted citizenship in Latvia which then would allow him to be adopted. November/December 2009 – Aleks will become a citizen of the United States of America!!!

God is good and faithful to complete that work which He as begun.  This trip will cost approximately $7,500 – depending on the strength of the Euro. Our last trip together next month will be about $5,000 more for flight, food, lodging and fees. Please pray with us for God’s continued provision and blessings!

Thank you…..

Blend for Hope…Adoption Fundraiser

Want to help? Like Coffee?

Here is the program…really quite simple and we can modify it to any organization or fundraising event you need.

I have coffee bag samples for you to go with your order forms…

• Each bag of coffee is Fresh Roasted each week so you will receive it within 48 hours of roasting.
• The blend of coffee we are offering is a delicious blend of specialty grade coffee. It is a medium roast blend of Central and South American coffees with a touch of Ethiopian. This aromatic blend releases a wonderfully smooth cup of coffee with rich nutty and chocolate tones to please your palate. With every cup you drink you can know that you are making a difference in the life of an orphan and helping to change their life forever!
• Each bag contains 12 ounces of Fresh Roasted coffee and costs only $10…the same as what you would pay at the grocery store or your favorite coffee shop.

Complete the order form…

• Complete customer information
• Choose whole bean (W) or ground coffee (G)
• Choose Regular ( R ) or DECAF coffee ( D )
• Total the number of bags the customer is ordering
• Total the amount of the sale for the customer
• Collect the amount due…

Each Monday by 12:00 noon…please fax or e-mail your order to me so we can consolidate the orders.

• FAX: 770-889-0337
• E-Mail: Kevin@EverythingCoffee-Tea.com

· Your coffee will be roasted and packaged each Tuesday and delivered to you each Thursday…just 48 hours after roasting! Fresh Coffee!!

· I will collect your money each week when your coffee is delivered to you.

All profits from this fundraiser will go toward the adoption costs for Aleks and making him a part of our family forever. $5 of every bag sold is going to the adoption fund for Aleks. Our goal is 2500 bags of coffee. If we can get just 100 people to sell only 25 bags of coffee…we have reached our goal. Any extra funds raised over and above our adoption expenses will then be donated to One World Adoption to help others offset the costs associated with adoption.

If you are interested in participating in our fundraiser please e-mail or call myself or Cindy.

Storing Up to Overflow

This is worth meditating on...

Today I am going to post from a series of devotionals that come from Ransomed Heart Ministries. This series of devotionals are all excerpts from books written by John Eldredge.

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Storing Up to Overflow
10/06/2009

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If then you are wise, you will show yourself rather as a reservoir than as a canal. A canal spreads abroad water as it receives it, but a reservoir waits until it is filled before overflowing, and thus without loss to itself [it shares] its superabundant water. (Bernard of Clairvuex)

A beautiful picture. The canal runs dry so quickly, shortly after the rains subside. Like a dry streambed in the desert. But a reservoir is a vast and deep reserve of life. We are called to live in a way that we store up reserves in our heart, and then offer from a place of abundance. As Jesus said, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old” (Matt 13:52). I’m thinking, Storeroom? What storeroom? “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart…for out of the overflow of his heart, his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45 emphasis added).

I’m afraid I live spiritually like I live financially – I get a little, and go spend it. I live like a canal. I look like a reservoir when the rains come, but shortly after, I’m dried up again. (My financially responsible readers have just congratulated themselves on living a more disciplined life. But may I ask, are you using those reserves to do things that nourish your heart? Many a Scrooge has filled his coffers while starving his soul). “There are very many canals in the church today,” laments Julia Gatta, “but few reservoirs.” One woman deeply involved in ministry wrote to me recently that she is “burned out to a crackling crunch.” She has been a canal. She hasn’t cared for her heart. She is not alone.

How would you live differently, if you believed your heart was the treasure of the kingdom?
(Waking The Dead , 199, 200 )