THE MOTHER SAINT

Mother Teresa was born in 1910 and died in 1997. During her 87 years she practiced religion that God our Father accepts pure and faultless. This is looking after orphans and widows in time of distress (James 1:27). Mother Teresa worked in Calcutta, India to care for many orphans.
It was not easy for Mother Teresa she wrote this in her personal journal about the hardships involved with her lifestyle of living among the poor:

"Our Lord wants me to be a free nun covered with the poverty of the cross. Today I learned a good lesson. The poverty of the poor must be so hard for them. While looking for a home I walked and walked till my arms and legs ached. I thought how much they must ache in body and soul, looking for a home, food and health. Then the comfort of Loreto [her former order] came to tempt me. 'You have only to say the word and all that will be yours again,' the Tempter kept on saying ... Of free choice, my God, and out of love for you, I desire to remain and do whatever be your Holy will in my regard. I did not let a single tear come."

Sainthood includes doing what needs to be done when it isn't easy. What a wonderful example of living for the dying and the forgotten. Mother Teresa truly was a mother because of the way she took in orphans. She was the mother of many. This mothering life came to define her. God bless saints who care that much for the suffering. I want to be one of them.

GOD BLESS SAINTS WHO FOSTER AND ADOPT

This is me and my favorite child at church. Her name is Halle. She is a foster baby currently being loved by Randy, Tricia, and Callie Lillard.
(Not to mention any number of Christians at Sycamore View on a given church assembly).

It makes me sad birth parents are put in circumstances to have to let go of precious gifts like Halle. It does make me glad the birth parents have chosen to give the child to a family who is more prepared for a child. It makes me glad that there are people like the Lillards who are willing to love a child for a short (or long) amount of time. It makes me glad that there are people willing to adopt children like Halle. I am sad that they are missing out on the very thing I am doing in this picture, though.

God bless saints who foster and adopt. I want to be one of them.

WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN

"When the saints go marching in, I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in."
A famous line from a famous gospel hymn. While I want to join the saints on that glorious day when the trumpet sounds, I want to join the the living people who are displaying sainthood today.

I like the descriptions I have seen of the word saint. One being, "a human being who has been called to holiness." But my favorite being, "not just a believer but one who has been unusually transformed." I want to be that. I like seeing it in other people, it inspires me. In the next few posts I am going to bring to light some present day saints that I see in my life to go along with some saints that have already gone on.

I want to be in that number now and forever as the saints go marching on.