You Rock Mom

You Carry for One–I Carry for All

ekhum — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 22:56:25 +0000

As I listened to a friend bare her soul, my heart grieved for her. Later my thoughts were weighed heavy for her. My prayers are earnest and full of tears for her. In those prayers I writhe in pain for her. My heart bleeds for her. My soul is in anguish for her. I struggle to find answers because of my own inadequacies, my own sin, my own struggles, my own pain.

And then Christ's Spirit says to me, "You are carrying the sorrow for one. I carry the sorrows for all. The weight of this world's sin, pain, sorrow, disease I bore on the cross for you, and for of you, and you, and you, and you, and you…" How can He bear up under it? How can He carry it ALL? I can't solve it for one. How can He solve it for all? He died for it ALL--a criminal’s death (Luke 19)--from the beginning of mankind until the end.

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,

that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

By his wounds you have been healed.

For you were straying like sheep,

but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

I Peter 2:24-25

I am humbled that my friend would bear her soul to me. I am more humbled to point her to the Christ, who bore it all.

"Surely He has borne our griefs 

And carried our sorrows; 

Yet we esteemed Him stricken, 

Smitten by God, and afflicted. 

But He was wounded for our transgressions, 

He was bruised for our iniquities; 

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, 

And by His stripes we are healed.

 All we like sheep have gone astray; 

We have turned, every one, to his own way; 

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,

Because He poured out His soul unto death,

And He was numbered with the transgressors,

And He bore the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors."

Isaiah 53:4-11

Love Pursuit

ekhum — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 18:26:55 +0000

I awoke this morning with the below verses on my mind. Why God? What are you saying to me?

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

I Corinthians 13

As a people in our culture, we have many opportunities, from education, to making wealth, to promotion, to leisure, to even good deeds through philanthropic opportunities, and the list goes on and on. Through hard work and determination, we have many opportunities. That's the American way, right? But is it God's way? These verses speak of a more excellent way in one simple word, "LOVE." As you can see above, the fruit of this "love" is patience, kindness, and honoring others; no pride, envying, boastfulness, or self-seeking ways; not easily angered or keeping record of wrongs; delights with the truth; always protects, trusts, hopes & perseveres. This love never fails. The Matthew Henry Commentary says, "…this type of love excels the best of gifts and other graces, by its continuance, when other gifts and graces are no longer of any use…," as mentioned in the above. You get that? The author of I Corinthians, Paul, is telling the Corinthians in this 13th chapter that this love will out last supernatural gifts like prophecy, tongues, and even basic knowledge (gifts on which the early Christians prided themselves in, to the utter neglect of love.) In our culture today, what are those things that we pride ourselves in to the utter neglect of love? Education, wealth, promotion, philanthropy, leisure… Do we neglect our marriages, children, families, and friends for the pursuit of these things? I think education is a good and admirable. Wealth can be used greatly to help others. Promotion is often from God. And leisure and rest are needed. But these pursuits can become our "gods," if we're not careful. Loving our families and others can often take the back seat to these pursuits. The above verses end with, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." When all is said and done, will it be said that faith, hope and mostly love dominated our lives? These verses remind me of my life verse, “…Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37 Until my dieing day, I will always be venturing to live out this verse.

Life is short! What will you pursue above all else? God is saying to me today that the surest offspring of God is love. Love bears its most favorable impression of God. For God is love. And where God is to be seen as He is, and face to face, there love is in its greatest height—there, and there only, will it be perfected.

Recommended Affiliate Links:

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (with Cross-References)

Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream

Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live.

Africa Bound!

ekhum — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 02:48:18 +0000

Over the last few months, and through a series of providential occurrences, God has deeply laid it on my heart that I am to return to Zambia, Africa for a third summer and minister to orphaned children!

I will be going to minister to the orphaned and vulnerable children of Zambia with dear friends through an organization called Family Legacy Missions International based in Dallas, TX. Family Legacy Missions International is a public charity whose mission is to alleviate the suffering of children in Zambia, while bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

I look forward to serving through two of Family Legacy’s three main outreach programs called Camp LIFE and Father’s Heart Sponsorship. At Camp LIFE I will be directly ministering to a small group of 10 kids each day: playing games, teaching Bible lessons, singing songs, and just plain loving the kids. I will be on a team with over 100 Americans serving over 1,000 kids the week that I am there. Everyday, we will bus all of the children into a giant recreation facility and give them an incredible day of discipleship, counseling, food, fun, and love – all in the name of Jesus!!

And through the Father’s Heart Sponsorship. program I will be visiting one of our sponsored boys, Kenneth, spending time with him and providing him with a special blessing of food and gifts. I also hope to visit our other sponsored boy, Edward, as well as Gift and James, who are sponsored by two of my dear friends. As I was preparing my heart to write this post, I was reading in Psalms 68 and David the King was praising God in verses 4b-6a saying “…His name is the Lord—and rejoice before Him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing…” These verses are especially meaningful to me, as I truly feel that I am the hands and feet of Jesus to these orphans in Zambia. And God has set two lonely Zambian boys in our family, Kenneth and Edward, as our sponsored boys. Kenneth has no parents, as they have died, and Edward’s mother has died, leaving him the oldest of six children to help his father raise. Zambia is a landlocked country located in south central Africa. It has a population of 12 million people, but a full 1 million of these people are, in fact, children who have been orphaned due to the ravages of AIDS and other extreme poverty-related diseases. The U.N. says that Zambia has the highest per capita orphan rate in the world. Although Zambia is some 10,000 miles away and seemingly forgotten, these children are ever before the heart of God. And as such, God has continued to lay that burden on my heart. God has called me back and I have committed to trust Him and follow His lead, as He has provided the last two summers. But going is only part of the investment required to serve these children. Those who can’t go, but can pray for and financially support those who do go, are fully equal co-laborers in this ministry project. The total cost for this trip is $5350 and all funds must be raised by April 1st. So far I am half way there in my savings. God has given me a job that is helping me save a large portion of these expenses. But I very much want you to be involved with me on this project so that you, too, will be blessed as a result. Because I know that God has called me back to Zambia, I am confident that He will also provide a way. Proverbs 19:17 says, that “when you give to the poor, you are lending to God, and that God Himself will repay you”. By helping me help these kids is an investment for which God will surely repay you – likely in this life, and definitely in eternity! Please consider the plight of these countless orphans and consider giving me and them the joy of seeing God’s hand at work to change their lives. I know that I truly will never be the same for having gone and I will be forever grateful for your willingness to invest in me and in the orphans of Zambia. If you are able, please donate at this link: www.camplifezambia.com/humphries. Or, if you know me personally, feel free to donate any of the below items that I can bring for Family Legacy’s Tree of Life Children’s Village, a 130-acre community of homes for orphaned children.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES Pens Wood pencils, sharpeners, and erasers *Dry erase markers and erasers (urgent need)* Small calculators Rulers Personal dry erase lapboards Crayons Composition books (please no spiral notebooks) Pencil bags Stickers	ENRICHMENT MATERIAL Christian children’s DVDs (i.e. Veggie Tales) Christian music CDs (adult and children) Bibles (adults and children versions) Ministry books/curriculums
CHILDREN’S CLOTHING School uniforms (new/gently used):Khaki/Navy pants Collared, polo-type shirts (any color) Undergarments for boys and girls (new only) General children clothing items for ages 15 and under (new OR high-quality gently used) Jackets, shirts, pants, dresses,	HEALTH AND HYGIENE PRODUCTS Toothbrushes/toothpaste Toothbrushes/toothpaste DeodorantBar soap Combs and hair clips Feminine hygiene products (pads only) Children’s vitamins/Nutritional supplements (i.e. JuicePlus) General first aid supplies Band aids, bandages, antibacterial ointment Latex gloves

Serving HIS Kids, Ellen

Picture Path Monday – Serve

ekhum — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 03:16:13 +0000

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does…" Ephesians 6:7-8 How do we serve wholeheartedly when there's nothing left to give? Many times we need an extra supply of patience, forgiveness, love, wisdom…before we can give it to others. This extra supply we can't muster up. It only comes from time spent with God, the Father--from being in Jesus' presence, meditating on scripture, focused prayer, and waiting quietly on Him so our spirits can hear His voice. When we sit at Jesus' feet, we will walk away supernaturally with something to offer someone else. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45

Thankful Thursday – The Power of the Written Word

ekhum — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 05:02:22 +0000

Counting to One Thousand Gifts on this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful 457) I received a letter from my sponsor child, Kenneth. As it lies open on my African blanket, I wonder in amazement of the timing, as I wrote Kenneth a letter this week! Our letters crossed. We were both thinking of each other. I don't know what it is about this child, but my heart continually thinks on him and prays for him. I recently made the decision to return to Zambia, Africa this June to serve at Camp LIFE once again. And today I made the final decision to add on the Father's Heart Sponsorship trip, so I can see Kenneth. His letter says he misses me "so much." He and his care takers recently received mealie meal (the main ingredient in Zambia's staple food nshima). It was a special day of blessing for Kenneth. He thanked me for the food, as well as school supplies. He's advancing to 7th grade and enjoys school. Zambia's school year is starting now, so he's receiving all his supplies to start the school year off right. Kenneth also shared that his favorite sport is football (soccer) and he enjoys playing outside with his friends. But what struck me the most was the last two lines in his letter which say, "My best Bible verse Isaiah 59:1. I love you a lot!!!" My heart melted. Kenneth is a very quiet and shy boy. So for him to say, "I love you a lot!!!" with three exclamation marks, means the world to me. Isaiah 59:1 says, "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save you, nor his ear too dull to hear." Wow! Just Wow! This orphan boy has cried for help to God and I'm so honored and thankful (458) to play a part in God saving him from the streets and hearing his cry. Counting the days to see Kenneth! Please pray for me on this faith journey. If you would like to contribute monetarily, you can do so here: http://www.camplifezambia.com/humphries.

Picture Path Monday – Building Fences

ekhum — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:21:34 +0000

Our fence fell down. It was old, for a cedar fence--17 years old.

My guys saved $30 a foot by rebuilding it.

We had the day off and could've done more entertaining things.

But there's nothing like learning the value of hard work and father/son teachable moments.

Thankful Thursday – My Daddy is a Preacher Man

ekhum — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 20:13:22 +0000

Counting to One Thousand Gifts on this Thankful Thursday, I am thankful 451) my daddy is a preacher man, and this Christmas 452) he gave my brother and me each one of his study Bibles. Chocked with tears of gratitude, I hugged my dad for sharing this most deep and precious gift of his learned walk with Jesus Christ. As a youth, I remember dad preaching to be "teachable" by God's Word and Spirit. 453) I am thankful for sitting under dad's teaching, helping my heart to be tender towards God, His Son, Jesus, and the Spirit's presence in my life. One of dad's many notes on the inside of this Bible reads, "This is my Bible. This is God's word speaking to me." Another note says, "We are filled with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as impossible situations." Dad's faith has bolstered my faith, helping me do impossible faith adventures like go to Africa to minister to orphaned children, and to be bold in my daily walk with God, lived out before others, contrary to culture. 454) I am thankful for dad's frequent risks of faith lived out before me. He too went to foreign lands, such as India and the Philippines to share Christ's love, as well as preached God's Word from California to Texas. I'm a visual learner, and as an older youth I took frequent notes of my daddy's preaching. Now to see his preaching from this side--scripture and text underlined, notes taken, dates written, is a treasure 455) I will always be grateful for. 456) My daddy has truly given me a spiritual legacy I will not depart from.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Whimisical Wednesday Christmas Trees

ekhum — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:33:42 +0000

I sweet-talked my husband into a mini tree for our family room this year. In additional to a tree in our formal area, where we've always displayed our tree, my spoiled-self wanted a little tree where we hang out the most. I wanted to decorate it simply, with burlap and rustic ornaments. But after I got the burlap ribbon home, I quickly discovered there wasn't enough for my little tree. I happened to also buy burlap fabric for another project, so I made my own burlap ribbon. I cut the fabric and tore the side strings off. Viola! The fabric ribbon looked exactly like the spool of burlap ribbon I spent three times as much on. I made enough for a tree topper as well, with the strings I pulled off the fabric. Our tiny, sweet nativity where the donkey is missing his ears, and we've had since the boys were little, fit right under our special mini tree. A match made in heaven. My men humored me while they helped decorate the larger tree. They don't like their pictures taken any longer, so they do things like make walrus tusks with icicles, and use footballs for faces When all is decorated, I enjoy our trees which remind us to focus on the real reason for the season.

Thanksgiving Bouquet

ekhum — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 18:46:17 +0000

Counting to One Thousand Gifts on this Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday, I encourage you to go throughout the day picking flowers of blessings in your life. Maybe you have a small blessing as I have of being thankful for 433) dark chocolate. Or a large blessing like 434) my body and it's organs functioning like clock work, as a dear friend lies in the hospital receiving dialysis, praying her kidneys start functioning again. I'm picking my flowers throughout the day, one by one, until I've gathered enough to make a beautiful bouquet of thanks to my Lord. 435) A husband who is generous in love and support. And he cooks too! Bonus! 436) Sons who have a tender heart towards God. 437) Both sides of our families dine and celebrate special holidays together, as one family. 438) Friends we call family. 439) The opportunity to travel to Zambia to find our special boys to support: 440) Kenneth, 441) James, 442) Gift, and 443) Edward. 444) Special women and children I work with every day. They make work meaningful and fun. 445) A mani/pedi in a massage chair. 446) Apple pie. 447) Pumpkin Crunch Cake 448) A walk in fall weather. 449) Sleeping-in a few days in a row. 450) Salvation and God's continual presence in my life. With a grateful heart, I will offer my bouquet to God, my Savior, the giver of all good gifts, both great and small.

A special chorus from my youth in church is resounding in my heart today. If you know it, sing it with me:

"Give thanks, with a grateful heart

Give thanks to the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now, let the weak say, 'I am strong.'

Let the poor say, 'I am rich.'

because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give Thanks."

Full Schedule, Full Hearts – Zambia Day 7

ekhum — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 04:44:26 +0000

Day 7 was so full, it felt like we lived a three days. We began by going into our boys' compound called Chipata. They were eager to share the Evangecube, as we shared with them. It's a unique fold out cube that tells the story of Jesus Christ and His redemption for our lives. They carefully shared what they had been taught while they eagerly helped clean up neighbor's courtyards and porches. As we walked in the compound, curious children followed us--children carrying children, because the median age is 16 years old, due to AIDS and preventable diseases. They asked for simple things, like an apple. They look happy but their lives are difficult and often alone. This very little one walked along this path by himself with no one to protect and nurture him. A boy wearing cast off girl clothing. His eyes said to me "I'm alone. No one cares." She asked for an apple and found a mirror to peer at her sweet face. As we wrapped up our time in the compound, other curious boys slithered into the group wanting a taste of Camp LIFE and a sneak peak at what it has to offer. The Chipata Compound has a Lifeway Christian Academy school that we were able to visit. It's a work in progress but a school the compound is proud to have. It looks meager according to our standards but the sponsored kids are getting a very good, Christian education. Proper foot care is important to many children who have no shoes or ill-fitting shoes. We then headed to the Tree of Life Children's Village where the CEO of Family Legacy did some vision casting on the pristine property God has given them. Much of the grounds are under construction with big plans to touch many more children's lives. Here stands Hudson in front of a future cabin for Zambian boys to stay in when they come to Camp LIFE, instead of being bused back and forth everyday. Our day ended with a glimpse of what was to come the next day--a room full of boxes and boxes of shoes. These school shoes we would give the children the next day--their last day at camp. Our day was full and our hearts were full in eager anticipation for the next day to come. It felt like Christmas Eve.