YOUR Prayer Requests

Well, I've been asking for so much, I'd like to know what YOU need to be prayed over. :)

Prayer Request, Please?

Sorry! I know I freaking keep asking for these.

When God sends His blessings, it is CRAZY!

Yesterday, my husband had an interview in Boston.
Monday, my husband has a phone interview for Alaska.
Tuesday, my husband has a face-to-face interview in New Jersey.

If God were to say, "Danae, if you had any sort of choice in the matter, what would you want?'

I would say, 'You know, Father, if You were feeling gracious, I would ask you to please not let us stay in New Jersey. But if You're feeling the Jerz, that's cool too.'

So if you could please pray that 1) I do not drive my husband insane with my worrying (and what the hell can I do anyway?! Just give myself an ulcer, that's what) and 2) that God would be with Steve during all of this.

And thank you :) I really appreciate all of your support. I don't feel like I have a lot of people that I can talk to in New York, but I feel like I can here.

ALSO, super amazing blog post on how to help orphans when adoption isn't an option. Check it here.

"God is love. Therefore love. Without distinction, without calculation, without procrastination, love."

Henry Drummond

Mini Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Trying To Remember

That God and my husband love me no matter how big my butt is. They prefer a bigger heart.

A size "8" is okay. "Two sizes too small" is not.

Why It Matters

Sit with me and tell me once again
Of the story that's been told us
Of the power that will hold us
Of the beauty, of the beauty
Why it matters

Speak to me until I understand
Why our thinking and creating
Why our efforts of narrating
About the beauty, of the beauty
And why it matters

Like the statue in the park
Of this war torn town
And it's protest of the darkness
And the chaos all around
With its beauty, how it matters
How it matters

Show me the love that never fails
The compassion and attention
Midst confusion and dissention
Like small ramparts for the soul
How it matters

Like a single cup of water
How it matters

GPG 2009 - "Why It Matters" by Sara Groves from International Justice Mission on Vimeo.

"A Little Bit Fatter"

Our Albanian janitor (who I love to death) just told me that I got a little bit fatter.

Oops!

That's okay. I knew that.

Maybe I should skip the Five Guys tomorrow then?



NAH!

Woe To Those Who Are Rich

So I was reading Luke 6 last night and Luke 6 contains a slightly different version of the Beatitudes. And it says,
"Woe to those who are rich, for you have received your comfort."

And I went to my MAP book. It's a reference book that's also kinda funny and explains a lot and leaves things alone when we are uncertain.

The only comment is makes is that Luke's version speaks directly about the poor in stuff and Matthew's version speaks also of those who are poor in spirit.

And I just kept thinking...are we the rich?

I've looked at this before: http://www.globalrichlist.com/

Does anyone else have a take on this? Are we the rich? And, if so, what does that mean?

UPDATE: I was doing a Google search on it and here's something I've found: The woes also reflect prophetic tradition. A woe warns of condemnation. Here Jesus addresses the judgment of God to the callous rich and others who are comfortable with their state in life while being unconcerned about the needs of others. The lack of a genuine spiritual dimension in their life is seen in the comparison Jesus makes between them and the false prophets. For those who do not engage God on the divinity's terms there looms nothing but the terrible expectation of a day of reckoning. One of the dangers of wealth is that it can lead one to believe a life of independence is possible--a view that Jesus teaches is arrogant and misguided (12:13-21). The world's values are not God's values. The reversal portrayed in the beatitudes and woes reflects the idea that "the one with the most toys" often loses. God's blessing can be found in surprising places. It rests on those who rest in him.The Call to Exceptional Love and Mercy (6:27-36)

"Preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words." ~ St. Francis of Assisi

If You Want Me To

I want to thank everyone for their prayers! My husband is in the first step of a multi-step process in a job interview. I really hope he gets it, but it would be a HUGE adjustment for us.

We'd be going from here:


to here:


It would be a major uprooting, but I'm kind of itching for an adventure. I figure that, wherever God wants us, He'll put us. My husband is kind of brushing off this interview, figuring that he's not going to get this job, but...you never know!

I'll keep you up-to-date on it. I'm going to be praying for weeks with this one! ;)

I'd like to leave you with a song I've been listening to a lot lately. I love it.

If You Want Me To by Ginny Owens

The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Chorus:
Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

ya oh oh no

So When the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley If You want me to

PRAYERS PPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEEE!!

My husband has a big job interview in an hour! And I feel bad asking for a prayer request for this, but I'm trying to let go that God wouldn't want to help me when there are such big things.

So, to at least feel better, could you also pray about:

- My friend Jessica went into labor at 26 weeks, but the doctors have been able to stop it. If you could pray that God keeps that baby in her uterus for as long as possible, I would appreciate that!

- My friend is hoping for a baby and I've been praying for her for that.

Thank you!! We love you guys so much :)

Community Center Construction: Northern Iraq

My husband would call me a 'bleeding heart,' but I just can't help myself. I received a message on Facebook about the organization World Orphans. They are both helping restore the church in many places and reaching out to hurting communities.

I was really excited to see something happening in Iraq! So here's the information below:

Community Center Construction: Northern Iraq

Iraq has been torn apart by conflict and strife for decades. Sectarian violence and an international war have wreaked havoc on this land. Around two million Iraqis have been displaced just since the recent conflict and about 100,000 have died. In a place hostile to Christianity, the church is small yet surprisingly strong. In Northern Iraq, referred to as Kurdistan by the locals, the church is reaching out to a hurting community comprised mainly of widows and their children who lost their fathers fighting Saddam Hussein. This area is known as "The Freedom Martyr's Village" and is where the government gave World Orphans one acre of land for the building of the community center and playground facilities. The community center to be used as a vocational and counseling center. In order to provide a measure of sustainability to the project, they have decided to build a second floor that will house a celebration hall for weddings and other special events in the community. Construction of the community center will cost approximately $285,000 with $100,000 already raised.



If you would like to visit here, just click the link here.

Last Week In Pictures

I have a new found love for bingo


Red velvet pancakes!!


Double rainbow!! All the way across the sky. What does this mean?!

Dear God,

Please take care of Jessica and her child. Whether You want this child born tomorrow or in 3 months, please take care of her. Hold her hand and hold her heart.

With All My Love,
Danae

"I do it for the joy it brings, cause I'm a joyful girl. 'Cause the world owes us nothing, we owe each other the world."
- Ani Difranco

A Prayer Request, Please!

My husband is up for a job in Boston at the moment. It's with a MUCH bigger firm (#13 in the nation) with a job that's a little intimidating for him.

My husband JUST got a call from the #3 firm IN THE WORLD for a phone interview with a job that he would be much more comfortable with. BUT this job is in a place that would wildly displace us from friends and family (more so than we already have been).

I'm willing to go wherever. Could you just pray that, if God wants us to go, we'll go? And if God wants us to stay (even if it's here), that we stay?

I would really appreciate that :) Much love to all of you! I'm hoping to put up pictures of my red velvet pancakes soon.

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.

~St. Francis of Assisi