We have Praised, {Fasted} and Prayed. 

And now we get to Respond to all that God has shown us.

How stinkin’ cool is that?

Kind of like training, eating well, and then running the race!  

While we were Fasting and Praying on Tuesday, toward the end of the day, answers to prayers posted earlier in the day began to roll in on the Prayer Request post.  

Were you able to see that?  

Friends praying for one another right there on the post…it was amazing!  

Then seeing results the very same day as many around the world joined together to pray for each other’s needs – absolutely delightful! 

Today is the day to post the links of families among us who are nearing travel to bring home more than one treasure.   

Each person was required to fill out a questionnaire for several reasons.  I have come to the place where I am convinced that I will spend the rest of my days only encouraging stewardship of God’s money. 

For that reason, I also feel strongly that this is almost a sacred time.
  

A few years back I did several of the big “throw the doors wide open, tell all your friends to link up as well and let everyone post their needs”.

But somewhere in there I, personally, began to feel kind of, ummm, I don’t know….almost like it had become a free-for-all, where people didn’t have to have any type of accountability….

Do you know what I mean?   

Because people could post a need, but there was no ‘checks and balances’ of “is this a true need” or is this a “we don’t want to dip into our savings” or “we’re going as a family to Tahiti for a vacation and I want you to pay for my adoption” thing.  

God’s word is clear.  We are to have excellent stewardship over His money that He has graciously and most generously entrusted to us.

For a couple of years I didn’t have any of the “calling everyone out there who is adopting to link up”…it just felt kind of not-okay deep in my soul.

But recently, the Lord encouraged me to do the “He’s Not a Deadbeat Dad” series followed by a time of Praise, Fasting and Prayer…preparing our hearts for the opportunity to Respond to what He showed us in our day of Prayer and Fasting…

And so that’s where we each come in….

To the best of my ability the questionnaire is an accountability system.  I also have Linky set up so that each person posting a link has to be approved.  I will be reading each entry, and am only going to allow up to the first 7 {God’s perfect number}. 

You, bloggy friends, who have been stopping by our Place Called Simplicity for any length of time have been reading my heart.  You know how I only want to please the Lord, unashamedly.  You also know how deep my convictions are about things like Prayer, The Faithfulness of God, Fasting, Tithing and each Individual’s Responsibility to Care for the Orphans in some way.

Hence, we get to.

Some in our Place Called Simplicity Family are in group 2.  Together we can lend a hand.  Help bring their treasures home and forever know that we had a part.  How amazingly cool is that? 

The thing is, no gift is too small.  Remember when I wrote about the penny on the street that I picked up?   It starts with that – one little itsy-bitsy penny.   

Some folks will be drawn to one family…others another.  Still others may be drawn to several.  Pray, seek Him and then, give as the Lord directs.  Our family will be giving and I am so excited.  We have helped dozens of treasures come home.  Many we have not known in any way but through the blog world.  And our hearts couldn’t be more thankful – we got to help!  I could never even begin to name all the ones we have helped bring home.   How fun is that?  The only one “keeping score” is the Lord and that means we are “storing up treasure in heaven”. 

If you are #2, link up…and remember I am only going to allow the first 7, and each one will have to be “approved” before they show up on the listing.  

Thank you each for being willing to participate and thank you to each of the friends of our Place Called Simplicity for your deep love for the orphan.  

 Honestly, you guys are the very, very best!