The Faces of Christ!

Matthew 25: 34-40

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Willing heart!

One willing heart...that's all i want! One willing heart...that's all I need! One willing heart...that's all I have! One willing heart...that's all!

WAIT...no, that just sounds ridiculous...CRAZY even. Ok Ok, I give up! One person can't change the world. Childish thoughts of a dreamer. How often have I deceived myself? Stopped myself from believing? Way to many to count, I'm afraid. I know better! I'm a Christian. Of course one willing heart can change the world! One heart DID! THANK YOU JESUS!!!! Good Lawd woman get a grip on yourself... how often you forget! Well, if this past year has taught me anything, it is that I can not afford to forget anymore. Really...I can't! (welcome to my conversations with me!)

Now Jesus and I , we're close. He's for real everywhere I go, making himself at home. I'll be trying to figure things out on my own, and He loves me enough to be like...I'm here...just waiting for you to talk to me. And you know, when I start talking, He's there listening. And He even starts talking back. I tell Him..."God I don't hear you. If you're whispering...You know everything, so You know I'm deaf. I need You to be dramatic with me here b/c I'm afraid I won't hear You otherwise." So He answers me, with a big slap in the face...and I mean this in a good way!

Now before I go any further, I would like to take out a disclaimer that I do realize that Jesus and I are polar opposites...like day and night, or sugar and salt, perhaps good and evil, or more like perfect and...NOT even close! You get the point. I just wanted to make myself clear before anyone started thinkin I was trying get up on His well deserved pedestal. Never gonna happen...I KNOW this! However, thanks to His willing heart, mine can be and is willing too. Yeah sure...mine is more often unwilling than I like to admit, but you see, God and I, we've teamed up and we're working on that. And now my broken selfish heart is willing.

Willing to admit that I basically suck (Jordan if you read this, i know you approve of my choice of wording here:) without HIM! Willing to admit that I need HIM for everything. Willing to admit that life is better with HIM. It doesn't matter if times are good or times are bad. These times are better with Him. I am sufficant in Him. So...Like the song says, "In the morning when I rise...Give me Jesus! You can have all this world...Give me Jesus!" "When I am alone...Give me Jesus!" When I come to die...Give me Jesus!"

Willing hearts CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but someone's world! And the more willing hearts we have, the more worlds we can change. So won't you join me in willing your heart to HIM! It's the coolest thing you'll ever do! I promise...No crosses count!

To my friends and family WITH willing hearts...Thank you!
And THANK GOD for willing hearts!!!!!

As my soon to be sister Natasha said,

Love you! Kiss you!
Taryn Lia

Ukraine Bound!!!!!!

(Ok...so I found this entry saved but not posted. Don't know why it didn't post, so here it is a month later. Oh well...I have gone and come back and have lots to tell!)


I am going back to Ukraine!!!!!!!! Get excited with me people because this means the world to me. This will be my third trip there, and God willing, the third of many many more to come. I was not sure if it would happen this year because of everything that has changed over the last several months, but I'm going, and I am soooo very thankful to God for this trip. The children there in the orphanges truly have little pieces of my heart in thiers. The countdown is on, and I'm just waiting on take off!

I will leave on October 22 and return on October 31. I will be just outside of Lughansk, Ukraine, which is about half an hour from the Russian border. Friends, please pray for me and the Servant Life team that will be traveling to serve these children in whatever capacity is needed. Also, please pray for these orphan children that they will be open and receptive to us and the love of Jesus Christ.

It has been so long since my last post that I have much catching up to do. My life has changed in so many ways. There have been a lot of tears both from joy and sadness. All of which I will eventually discuss, but not today. Today, I just wanted to express my sheer joy to you because I am returning to see my Ukrainian family!

Blessed

Good Friends and Good Family...I have both, and I am hanging out with two of them right now! I am blessed!!!

Love Ya'll :)

taryn

Pictures of Faith!

Time...don't go so fast!

"Time...where did you go? Why did you leave me here...alone? Wait...don't go so fast! I'm missing the moments as they pass!" Time by Chantal Kreviazuk

Sooo...this statement pretty much sums up the way I feel right now. Everything seems to happen so fast, and then it tends to fade away into some blurry memory that I vaguely remember. Where has the time gone? Faith has lived with me for almost 9 months now. That can't be right...so I count on my fingers (yes on my fingers) just to make sure. Yep, we are going on nine months now, and I barely remember them at all. Nine months, she has been a part of our family for nine months, but yet it was just yesterday when this young broken girl stormed into my comfortable little world and made it a little less comfortable...and much more loud!

Faith was such a different person when I first met her. Life had mistreated her for so long, and it was evident in her personality. But now, she is changed. She smiles all the time. She laughs and jokes and acts like a kid. She has love in her heart for Jesus and for others and for me and my family. She has turned into a helper and a giver. She still loves to receive FOR SURE, but she loves to give now! God has worked a miracle in this child, and it needs to be acknowledged. He has answered my prayers so clearly. He has answered the prayers of my friends and family who have prayed with me for her. Thank you to everyone who prays for us! God is listening to you!

Please continue to pray because our journey is still long with many obstacles, some of which we are dealing with now. Some of which I can not help her with, and most of which I have no control over. She is not strong enough to handle this on her own, although she thinks she is. Pray that she will continue to trust in God and lean on Him now matter where she is or what she must go through or face! Pray that she is reminded everyday how special she is and how much God loves her!

My sweet new sister in law posted the below verses as her facebook status. Yes, I have a new sister. A lot has transpired since my last post. By the way, she is another answered prayer because I have prayed and begged for a sister pretty much since the beginning of my existence, and now I have one. Her name is Jessie Marshall Kilpatrick, and she is wonderful and beautiful and Godly and as perfect as any imperfect human can be. I love her and her family. My brother Josh has found his soul mate and earthly love. Another answered prayer! Wow...how blessed am I and my family! Thank you God...I do not think I say this enough to YOU! Just Thank You...nothing else!

Anyway, back to the verses:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything...Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1: 2-4, 12

We are facing trials. Faith is facing trials. Please pray that she (and I) will handle them with faith and that she (and I) will persevere so that she will be blessed beyond her imagination!

Thank you and God bless!!!!!!!!!

Until next time...

Taryn

Blog World

Soooo...who knew that in three days I would find two blogs about people doing the exact work that I feel led to do. Please check out the blogs I now follow. You will be introduced to some truly amazing people showing complete faith in God through their actions.

Please pray this prayer with me and for me:

God I pray that You give these two families strength to continue. Provide for their needs: physically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially. If and when they question their abilities, please reassure them that they are more than qualified and capable in You. Remind them that You are in control, and You have their best interest and the greater good in mind. You, our Creator and our Father, are making a difference in peoples lives through them! Never let them forget that! Wrap Your arms around them and fill them with Your love everyday so that it continuously overflows from them out to everyone they meet!

I also pray that You will open my eyes to see Your will for me! Remind me that it is day by day that we live. Take the fear away, and replace it with courage and desire...make me ready and willing! Remind me of this everyday...when I start to doubt...that there is no room for doubt in Your plan...only Faith!

Thank You for Your son, Your love, and Your Grace! I love You! And remind me of that when I do not act like it!

Amen and good night :)

TK

Beautiful Sunday

April 25, 2010, will be cataloged in my memory as one beautiful Sunday! I do not think a day could be any prettier than today. Faith and I woke up this morning and went to church in ob, and afterwards we met Bryan, dane, and chey for lunch at lillians which was conversation filled as usual. Then Faith and I went to the beach to lay out with two of her friends...and I was invited. A step in the right direction...she wanted to hang out with me...whaaaat? Have I moved up a few notches on the coolness chart...I think so!!!!!! Success!
After a little sun we headed back to the house to get ready to go chill with Christian life foley folks at gulf shores retreat. We had good food and good fellowship with good people. Today was a good day, and I pray for many more like today. God has blessed us in more ways than we can count, and He continues to show Himself in little ways that confirm this is not all in vein. Today was a good God filled beautiful Sunday!

Missing Ukraine

Over the past two years, I have grown to love the people of Ukraine. I have many wonderful friends and amazing children there that I miss on a daily basis. There was a little girl that came into my store today who reminded me of my precious little Anya. I see her face everyday, and each day that goes by I consider myself to be one day closer to returning to see all the children that I have fallen in love with there.

One night a couple of weeks ago, I had a dream about Ukraine that was so vivid that when I awoke I thought that I was there. When reality sank in I was so disappointed to find myself still in Orange Beach. I plan to return soon, so please pray with me that soon will actually be SOON. And please pray for these special children that God will protect them and give them courage so that they will turn to him and trust in him completely.

It Sucks!

Sometimes the only appropriate response to something is "It sucks!" When asked certain questions, that response is simply the only response that will accurately reflect how I feel , and I am so thankful to have friends who realize and appreciate that.
My grandfather Dan died one week and a half ago, Saturday, March 13, 2010, at 6:08 pm, and all I have to say is "It sucks!" And I mean this with all my heart. The thought of him not being here sucks! Yes, I know that he is in heaven living it up with Jesus right now not suffering at all, and that is great and awesome and wonderful, but him not being here simply sucks. The thought of not being able to talk to him or hear him tell stories, and see him fall asleep in the middle of telling a story sucks!
Seeing him take care of Pat (my grandmother, we call them Pat and Dan), riding around with him in Enterprise while he tells me about everything we pass, hearing him laugh, hugging his neck, telling him I love him...not being able to do any of these things anymore just SUCKS!

My grandfather was and always will be one of the most amazing men to gracefully walk this Earth. He was smart, honest, athletic, kind, loving, funny, and much much more. He used to write letters and numbers on my back and get me to guess what he was writing. He would do this for what seemed like hours, and I loved it! I miss him, and there is nothing that anyone can do about it. A week and a half ago, my response was tears, rivers of these uncontrolable tears. But now after the rivers of my face have dried up and gone away, I have but only one response left about Dan's death, "it sucks!" It really really sucks!

4 Month Old Mom

So I've been thinking about and saying (to myself) that I was going to start a blog for a while now because I always have so much going through my head but have the inability to remember 99 percent of it. Blogging sounded like the answer, and it seems like a good way to keep everyone informed since I clearly am not good with keeping up with people via phone. I really thought I would get better, but that hasn't quite worked out the way I planned! And I apologize to everyone now! This blogging thing is my attempt to correct a weakness and document my life as boring or as interesting as you might find it. So here goes...

Yep that's right...for those of you who do not know, I have been a foster mom for a little over four months now. Crazy, maybe, but if you know me at all...then you know if it sounds crazy then I typically want to do it. The difference here is that taking Faith (my 15 year old foster child) into my home, to me, was not some crazy idea at all, but instead a direct request from God to help this child.

For the first time, I heard Him loud and clear. It was amazing and scary and comforting all at the same time to know for sure...to not question whether it was real or not. Now four months in, I still know without doubt that He is using me for His purpose. As human and screwed up as I am; He is still willing to use me, now that's what I find crazy. :)

It is not easy; it has been hard at times for both of us. I went from being 28 and single, living alone and doing my on thing on my own schedule to having a 15 year old girl living with me. I am responsible for her, her well being, her actions, her education, her LIFE. A little scary, but much more exciting than anything.

She is a great kid. She has her issues, but we all do. She is a drama queen, but what 15 year old girl isn't? She is loud and demanding and difficult. She is stubborn and emotional and stingy. However, more importantly, she is unique and smart and beautiful. She loves life even if she says she doesn't. I see it in her eyes. There hides a hint of happiness that sneaks out and shines bright even if just for a second. She knows it's there, but it's well guarded. It has to be. Her life has not been easy. She's been acting as an adult for most of her life, yet she is only 15.

She been through more than I will probably ever see or know. That has been hard for us. I try to relate, but it's hard to relate to something that is unknown to me. I try hard, but there are some things that I will never relate to. I only hope that see will learn to trust me to help her through what she has gone through and continues to go through as best I know how. I have to trust God completely because I am new at this, and I am still learning as we journey together. God is faithful, all He asks is that we trust Him and be faithful as well.

I now have a better appreciation for my parents. I realize and understand their reasoning when I was younger (for the most part :). I am thankful that they did not let up, give in, or give up! Please join me in my journey by praying for me and for Faith. This road is definately not easy. It is a daily struggle at best some days. I need prayer warriors. If you pray, please pray for us!!!!

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I can keep blogging. Time will tell...it always does!
Sweet dreams :)

Taryn