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Two years….

// December 23rd, 2011 // 15 Comments » // Loux Family News

It is said that absence makes the heart grow fonder; but in death, the absence of one as dearly loved as my precious husband Derek, causes the heart to ache with a depth that is unimaginable.

Two years later, the hole that is in each of our hearts as we find ourselves remembering the anniversary of Derek’s death today (December 23rd) remains very deep. There really are no words to describe how this loss has affected our family. Every morning, the reality of my precious husband’s absence is there in such a real way. We sit at the breakfast table without him. We have family devotions without him. We celebrate birthdays without him. I tuck my children in bed each night and pray for them, without him. Every night I get into bed alone and wish I could touch his face, hold him and pour out my heart to him just one more time. I miss his voice, his laugh, his passion for life. I miss everything about him. The pain is very, very real and yet so is God’s grace.

My beautiful man

Our family's last trip together with Derek. What a beautiful blessing from God this was!

Two new priceless children added after Derek's death (baby Judah and precious Joanna)

On July 2nd, Teyolla and Keyolla’s biological mom Rosalie, and I, walked our beautiful twins, Teyolla and Keyolla down the aisle. Tey and Key were married in a double wedding ceremony to twins named Eric and Shawn Crow. I was desperately missing Derek and I was hurting for my girls because it should have been Derek escorting them down the aisle. I carried a wallet sized photo of him, tucked in my gown, because I wanted a part of him with me and our daughters. It was a beautiful celebration of redemption, but we missed Derek so much. I am blessed to be Teyolla and Keyolla’s mother and thrilled beyond belief that the Lord has blessed them with amazing spouses in Shawn and Eric. I am sure Derek was beaming that day, but with all my heart I wish I could have seen his face.

This year we pressed on with our fight for justice, to see redemption come to the lives of precious children who need fathers and a family of their own. With my own children now fatherless, my passion only grows deeper. Every time I see a child step into the arms of a loving family, my heart leaps inside of me. I am blessed by so many families who have linked arms with us to rescue, adopt and restore orphans. I am so moved by the emails that I still receive, sharing about how Derek’s life and passion have spurred others on to walk out the journey of redemption in their own lives.

As real as the pain and loss are, and as deeply as we still grieve, the love of the Father remains as our steady and constant hope. He loves us. This we know! He is watching over us, He cares for our hearts, and without Him, this journey would be impossible. I cling to my Jesus and lean hard on His unfailing Love.

As we honor Derek’s memory on this, the second anniversary of his death, I am grateful for the mercy of God. I am grateful for children who love Jesus and press on in the midst of pain. I am so grateful for those who have loved, supported and prayed for our family in so many ways. And, I am grateful, more than I can say that the mission God gave Derek and I together, still carries on. Our staff at the Orphan Justice Center are amazing and I am so thankful that they too, have an undying passion to see justice walked out for children around the world. They have worked tirelessly to see children restored through the love of their Creator, the One who considers them priceless and beautiful and so worth fighting for!

A few weeks ago The Orphan Justice Center released a beautiful children’s book “Redemption,” written by our dear friend Tiffany Larson and illustrated by another precious friend, Bethany Hackman. This book tells the story of our journey to Ukraine to adopt our three boys, Ethan, Silas, and Sasha and was inspired by Derek’s “Redemption” blog post written in 2008 while we were in Ukraine. It was three years ago yesterday (on December 22, 2008) that a Ukrainian judge decreed that three precious little boys would become our sons forever. Yesterday, we celebrated their adoptions. Our eyes filled up with tears as we looked into each precious face and saw in their eyes, the reflection of a daddy who fought hard to rescue them and fought even harder to see them restored.

You can read more about the book release and purchase it if you’d like, HERE. Any profits from the book (above and beyond the printing costs) will benefit our work at The Orphan Justice Center.

We are also thrilled to announce that in the next month or so, we will be releasing an album that Derek had been working on months before his death. This is a priceless treasure to us as a family. This album is full of the depth and passion of what the Lord was doing in Derek and speaking to his heart in the last year of his life. We can hardly wait to share it with all of you.

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas this year, I ask you to join our family in truly reflecting on the power of redemption that is offered to us because of Christ’s humble birth, His death on the cross and His resurrection. Because He loved us so well and sacrificed His very life, we have been made his sons and daughters through the spirit of adoption. He redeemed us, restored us and calls us His own.

Derek’s life was a challenge to many, to walk out the message of the gospel by literally living it, by rescuing and restoring orphans through adoption. I’ve included (below) a video that our precious friend and partner in justice, Marci Lewellen, put together last year in memory of Derek. It is a true celebration of so many of the lives that have been rescued.

God’s heart for justice is beyond what we could begin to imagine. His love for the orphan is priceless and I know that each time a child is rescued, all of Heaven rejoices!

Thank you again to all of you who have loved us so well. Your prayers have carried us far and we are so humbled by the love and the support you’ve shown our family. We are truly rich in love….

“Redemption, a TRUE Adoption story” (A book on 3 of our boy’s adoptions)

// December 12th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Loux Family News

Ethan made the cover!!

As most of you know, Derek and I founded the Orphan Justice Center to do our part to help the over 143 million orphans around the world. I am so blessed by our staff who have tirelessly, served along side us to do their part to walk out God’s mandate to care for the orphan (James 1:27).

The Orphan Justice Center’s new hardback children’s book called “Redemption, a true adoption story,” has now been released. You can buy it for $25 and all royalties will go to the Orphan Justice Center. Please, won’t you think about buying one as a Christmas gift? It’s a beautiful book about the adoption of mine and Derek’s three boys from Eastern Europe (Silas, Ethan and Sasha). It will move your heart and will help children to understand more about God’s heart for his priceless ones…the orphan. And please help spread the word! Thanks so much! Lulu has a sale right now 25% of any order through the 14th of December! Use the coupon code: COUNTDOWN at checkout.” CLICK HERE TO ORDER!

As a family, we are approaching the 2nd anniversary of Derek’s death on December 23rd. The pain of his loss is still very real and yet we are so thankful for the fruit of the message that God challenged him to carry. Our OJC staff and I, still carry this message in our hearts and through the efforts of our labor. We would so appreciate your prayers as we continue to help orphans from around the world to be rescued, adopted and restored. We want to see these priceless ones come to an understanding of what it means to be loved by their Creator, and by parents, who with God’s help, will do whatever it takes to see them restored. We need God’s strength, his wisdom and finances as we link arms with other ministries, organizations and families, to make a difference in the lives of these precious ones who are living without much hope.

This book is a labor of love by Tiffany Larson and Bethany Hackman, two of our Orphan Justice Center staff and very dear friends. Tiffany drew the story line from Derek’s “Redemption” blog post which many of you are familiar with. I’ve included it below. Tiffany also was one of our family support staff volunteers, who helped care for Silas when we first adopted him. Bethany is the illustrator for this book and her work is beautiful! She also serves and volunteers with our family one morning a week. We pray and trust that this book will be a tool that will reach the next generation and capture their hearts with passion to love and care for the orphan.

God bless you all!

From Derek and Renee’s Blog
Friday, December 12, 2008

REDEMPTION

“Renee’ and I are sitting in the office of a telephone company in Novograd Valenski, Ukraine, using wireless internet. We are in the middle of adopting three special needs boys from an orphanage here. Two of the boys have Down Syndrome. Roman is high functioning, energetic and happy. Dimitri has serious mental retardation, failure to thrive, and though he is five years old, he is the size of a 1 year old. He has sores on his face, a distinct smell of death on him, and yells out if we try to do anything with him other than hold him. Because he has less ability to respond and learn, he naturally gets less attention and care from the orphanage workers in this world of limited resources. The harsh reality of the “survival of the fittest” principle is a life and death struggle that this little boy is losing fast. Our third boy Sasha, is a brilliant six year old who has Spina Bifida (the condition our son Josiah died from in 1996). He is like a learning sponge that can’t get enough! He is happy and alert and thirsty for knowledge and experience. So with two of our boys, we get an immediate return on any investment we make. With Dimitri, there’s not much immediate gratification. In fact, it’s unknown when and if there will be a return at all. This is the kind of situation that makes the carnal, fallen, human reasoning think, “Why try? What’s the point? What will this produce? What good will this do? Why not select a boy who has more potential? This looks like a lost cause.

Two days ago we drove for hours into the Ukrainian countryside to the village where Dimitri was born. We met with officials there and signed papers and answered their questions. We also went and saw Dimitri’s house. The day had been long, we were still recovering from jet lag, I was beginning to really miss my six daughters at home and all the familiar things our fragile human hearts entangle themselves with in feeble attempts to feel secure. Sitting in the dark on our very long drive back to Novograd that night, the Holy Spirit began to whisper to my heart, and new understanding about redemption began to take shape.

I was thinking, “Man, adopting this little boy has been so much work. This is exhausting, expensive, uncomfortable … and it doesn’t feel very rewarding right now.” What am I doing in some little Soviet car in the dark, in the middle of rural Ukraine in frozen December, as the driver dodges cats and potholes? What if Dimitri doesn’t improve at all? What if we get “nothing” out of this? … Ahhh, there it was; that dark, fallen, unreedemed, selfish human love, rooted in the tree of the knowledge of “good and evil”. The love the Greeks called “erao” love. The love where we treat someone as precious and treasured for what we can get out of it. This is unlike “agapeo” love, the God kind of love that treats someone as treasured and precious for their good, not for my good. It’s when I love a person in order to meet their needs, having no expectation of them meeting any of my needs. At a whole new level, God is working His kind of love into my weak heart, and He’s using little Dimitri to do it.

On the drive home that night, the Lord whispered in my ear, “This is Redemption. Derek, do you know how far I travelled to get you and bring you back? I had to be separated from my Son, in order to get you, just like you are separated from your children in order to get these boys. Do you know how expensive it was for Me to purchase you? It cost me everything. Do you know how broken, sick, damaged, twisted, dirty, smelly, and hopeless you were? And at the end of it all, you had nothing to give me or add to me. I did it for you. I emptied myself and became nothing so that you could have it all. This is redemption.

My friends, adoption is redemption. It’s costly, exhausting, expensive, and outrageous. Buying back lives costs so much. When God set out to redeem us, it killed Him. And when He redeems us, we can’t even really appreciate or comprehend it, just like Dimitri will never comprehend or fully appreciate what is about to happen to him … but … he will live in the fruit of it. As his Daddy, I will never expect him to understand all of this or even to thank me. I just want to watch him live in the benefits of my love and experience the joys of being an heir in my family. This is how our heavenly “Papa” feels towards us.

Today, settle your busy heart down and rest in the benefits of redemption. Enjoy the fruits of His goodness, and stop trying to “pay Him back”. You’ll never get close you goofy little kid.”

Happy Birthday to our precious Sasha!

// December 6th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Loux Family News

The first picture we took of Sasha at the orphanage

Eskimo kisses

Daddy lovin on his new son

This pic was taken at the airport when we arrived home with Sasha and our two other boys. As most of you who have been following our blog know, Derek and I adopted Sasha, Silas and Ethan from the same orphanage, at the same time. Sasha was 6 when we adopted him. Most children in orphanages, in the area of the world where Sasha was, are sent to institutions once they turn 5 because they are considered less likely to be adopted. We call Sasha our little Moses because he was hidden away until we arrived to adopt him.

Sasha and Mommy with a favorite book during a week long hospital camp out

Beautiful Boy.....

"Blue eyes"

My handsome and priceless son

Sasha with some of his school friends that attended his birthday party

On November 4th, our priceless son Sasha, turned 9 years old! It was so much fun to see him interacting with all his friends who showed up at his party to celebrate him! It was obvious to us all that Sasha’s friends love him very much. Even Sasha’s teacher, Mr. Boggs, came to join in on the celebration. It’s been wonderful to think back on how far Sasha has come and to celebrate all God has done to bring restoration to his little life.

Sasha has Spina Bifida and hydrocephalus and is paralyzed from the waist down. He is such a beautiful boy, with bright eyes and a very smart mind. Sasha also has an incredible sense of humor and keeps us laughing all the time.

We fell in love with Sasha the moment we met him. He was very inquisitive about everything. When we were at the orphanage, my husband Derek would always play his guitar and Irish penny whistle for the kids. Sasha begin to fall in love with music and although he didn’t know how to sing, he would listen to us sing, and it would always bring a smile to his face.

Sasha was severely malnourished when we adopted him and was small for his age. He was extremely afraid of the dark and never wanted the lights to be turned off. I bought out all the night lights at Wal Mart, hoping to remedy this issue a bit. Our precious Sasha had so much fear in his heart and even when the lights lit up his room like a Christmas tree, he was afraid, and not at peace in anyway. He would claw at his face until it bled and then he’d claw at ours, pinching and scratching us anytime he felt afraid. He had been through so much trauma and confusion in the first few years of his life. I’m sure he was wondering what in the world was going on when Derek and I whisked him away from the orphanage in cars, trains and planes across the world, to his new home. Bless his heart. I can’t begin to imagine what was going through his little mind.

Through lots of prayer, snuggles and time, reassuring Sasha of our love and God’s love, we began to see a change. That change became more evident as each day passed, and our family is amazed at who our son is today. Sasha is a little boy who is at peace. He is joyful. He is radiant. He is a beautiful boy who shines with the light and love that his Creator has worked into his little heart. And….Sasha LOVES to sing…..at church, in the car, at school and just wheeling around in his wheelchair! Any of you who have heard him sing can testify to the fact that he lifts his voice without any hesitation or fear. His songs are beautiful and they bring a smile to this mama’s heart.

Sasha was very close to his new daddy (Derek). His daddy always included him in everything he knew Sasha would love to be a part of. When Derek was killed in the car accident (December 23rd of 2009), I had a really hard time trying to explain the fact that “Daddy” had died. Sasha was still learning English at this point, so I had to try to explain the car accident through the language of charades. He looked very confused and I’m not sure to this day that he really understands. One day his new daddy went on a short trip and he never came home. That part he gets. It’s been almost 2 years now and just the other day I said to Sasha, “Honey, do you remember where Daddy is?” He shook his head yes and replied, “He’s in heaven talking to Jesus and when he’s done he’s going to come back.” My eyes filled up with tears and I told him again what had happened and that we would not see Daddy again until we were all with Jesus, but that Daddy missed him and loved him so much. That all to familiar look of confusion showed up on his face again. I keep praying and asking the Lord to make it known to Sasha that he’s not been abandoned and that his daddy didn’t leave him “on purpose.” I know Derek continues to intercede for his little boy, believing for God to heal him and to bring continued restoration to his beautiful little life.

Yesterday, I took Sasha to one of his yearly doctor’s appointments. His doctor informed me that his kyphosis (excessive outward curvature of the spine, causing hunching of the back) has gotten worse and is beginning to cause severe pressure on his lungs, nerves and other organs. His major spine surgery will most likely be in the Fall of 2012 now. It’s a very dangerous surgery but his life would be cut very short without it.

Would you please join our family in praying for a miracle on Sasha’s behalf? We’re asking Jesus to completely heal him. Thanks so much to those of you who will commit to pray with us for his healing. Sasha is such a beautiful child who lights up our lives with his joyful spirit. I love him so much and am very blessed to be his Mommy.

I would like to thank all of you who have had a part to play in Sasha’s life. Whether you’ve helped through your time or your prayers, you’ve all played a role in seeing our son restored. I can’t tell you enough, what a blessing you have been and still are to our family.

Hugs, love and blessings to each of you!

Renee’ and tribe

Happy Birthday Ethan!

// November 26th, 2011 // 12 Comments » // Loux Family News

This month has been filled with lots of celebration! Our Ethan, Sasha, Silas and Sophia all had birthdays. I’m going to be featuring each one of them in a blog post this week. So much has taken place in their lives and I’m so blessed to see all the wonderful and amazing changes! They are each so unique and beautiful and I’m blessed beyond measure to be their mommy.

As many of you might remember, Derek and I, adopted our son Ethan, who has Down Syndrome, from Eastern Europe almost 3 years ago. He just turned 8 years old on the 7th of this month. Ethan is growing so big and strong. When we first met Ethan and adopted him, he was severely malnourished and very sick. He was the size of an infant at 5 years old and couldn’t sit or stand. He chewed on his hands and fists, grunting and groaning in pain. When we arrived in the U.S. with Ethan, he was so ill that we had to get him immediate medical attention and had to feed him through an eye dropper for several weeks.

Through much physical therapy, Ethan learned to sit, stand and walk on his own. He is now almost able to run! Now, Ethan uses a fork and spoon on his own and eats almost anything he’s given. He knows how to sign several words and is able to communicate with us very well. Ethan has won the hearts of all who know him. He is so full of affection and love and is a bright ray of sunshine. When Ethan laughs and smiles, his whole face lights up and he warms your heart in an instant. What a gift Ethan is to our family! He’s brought so much joy to our hearts!

As you can see by the photos below, there’s been a massive change since we adopted our little guy! So thankful for all God has done to restore and heal our little “E-Bear.

Happy Birthday beautiful son! We love you little Buddy and are so glad Jesus placed you in our family!

Ethan's second week at home after we adopted him

Our Michaela feeding Ethan when he first began eating soft foods. Michaela had to hold his little head up while she fed him. He was still so very weak and sick.

Just 6 months after Ethan's adoption....he loved to lay on "Daddy's" leg, listening to him sing and play his guitar. He began falling in love with music and his new daddy. Derek got to be in Ethan's life as his daddy for almost 1 year, before he went to be with Jesus.

Our handsome boy getting ready to going to school!

Reading the Bible with "Daddy"

2 years after we adopted Ethan (last year)

Happy little darlin

Our miracle boy!

A Grateful Heart

// November 23rd, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Loux Family News

We are now less than 5 hours away before Thanksgiving Day officially begins! Many of us are running around making sure we have all the ingredients needed for those favorite traditional dishes that we prepare each year. The smell of homemade pies wafting through the air, the warmth of our homes as our fire places burn, our favorite socks and warm slippers hugging our cold and tired feet, favorite hot drink in hand…all those small things that bring such joy to our hearts are so wonderful.

As our family is getting ready to celebrate, we are also remembering our precious Derek. This will be our 2nd Thanksgiving Day without him. There is an obvious hole that has been left behind by Derek’s death. We still feel our loss so deeply, and yes, it’s HARD! I’m sure it will always be hard to some degree. Once again, my kids won’t have their daddy kissing them and dancing around the kitchen with them on Thanksgiving Day morning. I won’t be feeling that all familiar warm hug and those awesome kisses of his as he would sneak up behind me, picking at whatever food I was cooking in the kitchen. His loss is hard…it still hurts..it really does.

So, this will be another day that our loss of Derek is felt deeply but it’s also another day where we will give thanks, much thanks for all Jesus has brought us through. I know He will continue working His healing in our hearts and He’ll keep giving us the continued strength and courage that we need to persevere and to keep looking to Him as our hope. I trust Him…I trust Him so much.

I love this portion of scripture because it’s such a great reminder of our Living hope!

1 Peter 1:3-9: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (NRSV)

In the midst of all the tough stuff we are still having to walk through emotionally due to Derek’s death, our family is excited about celebrating Thanksgiving! We are blessed, so blessed that we know Jesus. When I think about all we have in Him, I can never talk about it without crying (really)! He is such a good God….such a loving Father and one who is always here for us in every way. Those aren’t just words but solid truth and I thank Him for that!

God wants us to thank Him even during the difficult times in our lives. It is a sacrifice for sure, to choose the right heart posture during times of heartache, hardship and pain. He will be faithful to turn our troubles to triumphs as we lift our praise to Him. In Hebrews 13:15 it says, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise..the fruit of lips that confess his name. we should always thank and praise God for everything in our lives.

We all need to thank God for all the blessings he has given us instead of dwelling on all we feel is not going right. Discontent dries up the soul. I love what Elizabeth Elliott, who lost her husband on the mission field and faced multitudes of hardships, says about loving God’s will and being content. “To love God is to love His will. It is to wait quietly for life to be measured by one who knows us through and through. It is to be content with His timing and what He chooses for our lives. It is to follow in the steps of the Master, as did Paul, who was able to say that he had learned contentment no matter what the circumstances. He was in prison when he wrote that! That was no easy lesson, but great gain, which is the sum of godliness plus contentment as it says in I Timothy 6:6.”

When we look at the example of Jesus, we find that He followed the will of His Father to the very end. He obeyed without even a hint of complaint. In Philippians 2:5-8, Paul says that we should have the same attitude. Jesus made himself nothing and took on the very nature of a servant. He humbled Himself and became obedient to death. We also are to have this same attitude with a humble and thankful acceptance of God’s will for our lives.

“Jesus loved the will of His Father. He embraced the limitations, the necessities, the conditions, the very chains of His humanity as He walked and worked here on earth, fulfilling moment by moment His divine commission and the stern demands of His incarnation. Never was there a word or even a look of complaint.” – Elizabeth Elliott

It’s so easy to complain about our circumstances. It’s during our difficult and painful times that we must be very careful to watch our tongue. Instead of complaining, we need to think of ways that we can verbally offer God the sacrifice of thanksgiving.

I love what the well known minister/Bible commentator, Matthew Henry, had to say on the night he was robbed. His words? “I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.” Wow, if we could all be that grateful when we suffer trials….

I want to fill my home with thanksgiving, because I truly do have so very much to celebrate because of God’s goodness! For today, I will start with the 12 things I’ve listed below. There are hundreds more that I could list but I’ll start here.

This Thanksgiving…..

1. I’m thankful for the Cross, and the sacrifice Jesus made on my behalf. The most amazing gift ever! I’m thankful for my Jesus..the one who keeps me grounded! He is my hope. He is my love, the one who helps me to wait on Him with an expectant heart, knowing He will be Jehovah Jireh in every way on our behalf. What a great God he is, proving himself over and over again and loving so beautifully well. It’s so easy to love Him….

2. I’m thankful for Derek Loux, the man God gave me as my husband for almost 18 years, (before he went to be with Jesus). …for the beauty of his life and his love…for my children…each unique, beautiful and special in their own way. They are pressing into Jesus with a renewed expectancy of the good things to come. My young ones are growing stronger each day, full of the vibrant proof of God’s strength and healing power. It’s hard to believe how far all of our children have come. They are being healed and restored by the power of God.

3. I’m thankful for my mom who is such a burning and shining lamp to me and all who know her. She is a beautiful example of the humility of Christ and is a wonderful help to me and my children.

4. I’m thankful for my mother-in-law and father-in-law, John and Mimi Loux. Mom and Dad Loux (Derek’s parents) are amazing! They help my family as well as my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws with all their children, providing respite for all of us at times when we desperately need help and a little rest.

5. I’m thankful for my extended family members in the Marshall Islands, Terry and Amy Sasser and my nieces and nephews there. I’m also thankful for all my family members here in the states, John and Tracie Loux, Alex and Heather Myers, my nieces and nephews here in the states, as well as Aunts, Uncles and cousins. We celebrate family in a big way!

6. I’m thankful for my two wonderful new son-in-laws, Shawn and Eric Crow, who love Jesus and my twins so well!

7. I’m thankful for beautiful Claire Mcintire who is an AMAZING support and help to our family, as well as Bethany Hackman, Peter Kiiskila, Kristen Carlson, Vanessa Cisneros, Chelsea Eggers, Dan Petrilli, and Jonas Park who also help off and on with our children. We are blessed!

8. I’m thankful for Craig Dinsmore, Marci Lewellen, Sharon Karns and the rest of our staff at Orphan Justice Center who have helped keep OJC moving forward, as we continue to do all we can, to help rescue, adopt and restore children.

9. I’m thankful for our incredible leadership here at the International House of Prayer, who teach us daily, to love well and to live lives of humility before God. We are so blessed by their example!

10. I’m thankful for our beautiful friends around the world who have shown me and my family love through prayers and the most beautiful messages on Facebook, in emails and through cards and letters. Oh my goodness, you all couldn’t begin to know how much your messages have brightened my day and given hope to this widow’s heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

11. I’m thankful for our freedom here in America, to read our Bibles and to worship Jesus freely. That’s something I will never take for granted.

12. I’m thankful everyday that even though our home is small, it’s filled with beautiful children that the Lord placed in my womb, and ones who’ve been rescued out of the most horrific situations, through adoption. God made that happen! It was a miracle for each of them. There are millions around the world who have no home…who live on the street, who beg, steal and give themselves to strangers, just to survive. Our family is so blessed to have a home…. a safe home…. a home that’s warm and beautiful. It’s beautiful because it’s our home. We have food on our table and cozy beds with soft sheets and warm blankets to crawl under at night. We have more love than a house can hold. We are blessed!

Oh my Jesus, I love you, and I thank you for loving me first and for warming my heart to know and love you. You are my treasure and I adore you. My heart is overflowing with gratitude as I think of you and how very rich we are because we have YOU.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Even if you live in a country where you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, you still have much to thank Jesus for today! You are loved and cherished by the One who fashioned you with His very hand.. WOW, that’s pretty awesome!

Hugs, blessings and thanks for all you mean to us!

Love,

Renee’ and tribe

The waiting room..

// November 17th, 2011 // 3 Comments » // Loux Family News

Psalm 27:14 says Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.

None of us enjoys the waiting room too much. It’s a land where time seems to just stand still. It’s a place where life is put on hold. When we’re in the waiting room, it seems as if any kind of progress comes to a screeching halt. One of the important exhortations of the Bible is the call to “wait on Him.” God promises special blessings when we wait and yet it is SO hard. We are prone to take matters into our own hands and to follow our own plans. Yet, over and over and over again, the Word says to “wait on the Lord.”

We live in a very “I want it now!” society that has grown accustomed to getting immediate gratification. That’s one of the reasons why our world is plagued with addictions. We want a quick fix for all our problems.

We have so many things that are instantly at our fingertips. Even the speed of all the latest computer technology has spoiled us. Many of us wonder how we’re going to make it through a few days if we’re having a problem with our Smart Phones, computers or our internet access. The simple fact is this. In spite of our modern age and our dislike for waiting, life is full of waiting. One of the most challenging exhortations of Scripture is “Wait.” Despite the fact that none of us likes to wait, it is a vital element in life and has a number of benefits when we do wait. Without waiting on the Lord, we can become fidgety, angry, fearful, anxious, frustrated and filled with stress! Isaiah 40:31 says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint!

Waiting on the Lord means that we have a confident expectation, based on knowledge and trust. Without knowledge and trust, we simply won’t wait, at least not without a lot of anxiety, and without grabbing for that “quick fix!”

Our waiting will allow God to prove Himself on our behalf, over and over again. He is so pleased when we go to Him, waiting expectantly for an answer. Psalm 130:5 says, “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope!”

There is so much I’m asking God to help me and my children with. I’m in the “waiting room” often and it’s still a challenge but I’m learning more and more how to rest, as I wait. Some days are a little easier than others but I know the Lord will continue to help me.

I pray that you too, sweet friends, will learn to wait on Him and to rest in His goodness, His faithfulness and His sovereignty. He is such a good, good, God and He cares about you more than you could begin to imagine. He hears your prayers and He will be faithful to respond as you wait on Him. Be at rest and know that He loves you and that His plans for you are good and way beyond what you could even begin to dream for yourselves!

The living expression of God’s kindness

// November 10th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Loux Family News

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

Mother Teresa

When was the last time you acted out of kindness to someone, even in the smallest way? I’m sure most of you can remember when, but some of you might not. Life is so fast-paced for most of us and it’s easy to zone out and never really see anyone around us, as we rush around in our daily activities. I have to tell myself at times to slow down, to take in deep breaths and to not be so hurried. By slowing down a little, we are not only being kind to ourselves, more importantly, we are taking time to think of others.

I would really like to encourage you all to take time to think about this. Sometimes it’s the little things that you do for others that matter to them the most. It could be the thing that someone needs to brighten their day. Look for little ways you can show random acts of kindness to others daily, even if you don’t get a “thank you” or any other kind of positive response back. After all, it’s not about you, it’s about blessing someone else by “being the living expression of God’s kindness.”

Did you know that sometimes just by smiling at others, it can turn a person’s entire day around? The benefits of smiling aren’t limited to those who smile, but can have the same impact, if not greater, on those who see you smile. A smile is one of the strongest, yet silent forms of communication and expression. A smile is something priceless and means different things for every one. We spark to life, our day brightens, we feel special when someone smiles at us. A smile can stop tears, ease one’s pain, shed light on sorrow and fill a person with excitement and a feeling of being special. The things a smile can do are truly limitless. Everyone’s smile can cause such different positive reactions in so many different people. The simple greatness of a smile is truly remarkable. It’s true… some of the best things in life are free, yet priceless.

- A SMILE
A smile costs nothing…but gives much.
It enriches those who receive, without making poorer those who give.
It takes but a moment… but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it and none is so poorer but that he can be made rich by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home… fosters good will in business and is the counter sign of friendship.
It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad and is natures best antidote for trouble.
Yet it can not be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen- for it is something that is of no value to anyone, until it is given away.
Some people are to tired to give you a smile.
Give them one of yours… as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.
*Author Unknown*

Open a door for someone/Give up your seat

Chivalry is nearly dead today. It’s rare to see anyone opening or holding a door open for another. People are just too busy rushing to get to their next location, or just plain not caring at all. The next time you walk through a door, why not hold it open for the person in front of, or behind you. Keep an eye out for senior citizens, who may be a little more frail than you, and make an effort to help them even in the smallest of ways. It matters so much!

Whether you are on a bus, at an airport terminal, a doctor’s office or waiting to be seated at a restaurant, and you see someone else looking around for a seat, if you are healthy and able to stand, why not offer your seat to someone else?

Here are a few other small ways you can show kindness.

Send someone a handwritten note to say “hi” or “thank you,” or make a card and send it to a friend, just because…..
Instead of shunning a homeless person and turning away in disgust, thinking they don’t deserve the time of day, why not buy them lunch or a bottle of water and pull off to the side of the road and have a “normal” conversation with them….telling them how much Jesus loves them and how treasured they are by Him.
Help cut the lawn of a single mom, elderly person or a widow
Kids, help walk the dogs of your elderly neighbors
Give a compliment about your waiter waitress to his or her manager. This can completely and radically change their day. So many only take time to give complaints.
Send someone a gift anonymously.
Give a big tip to someone when they least expect it, even if they don’t deserve it..
Write notes of appreciation at least once a week.
Pick up some trash in the road instead of just walking around or over it
Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.
Recommend a competitor to a potential client.
Help an elderly neighbour carry our their trash.
Tell all your family members how much your appreciate them. Don’t take them for granted.
Bake cookies and take them to a friend or family members home. Buy a jug of milk to go with it.
SMILE A LOT!!

Think about how you can be the living expression of God’s kindness to someone today! We as Christians are to be torch bearers in a dark world. We should shine so that others will see the love of Jesus through us. If we truly love Jesus, our lives will show forth much fruit. Let’s be the living expression of Christ’s love to all those we come in contact with. It will not only change their lives, it will work more of the character of Christ into our own lives, radically changing us into his image.

Matthew 5:13-16:

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? … You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were no people but now you are God’s people; once you had not received God’s mercy but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)

There’s only one YOU!

// November 7th, 2011 // 3 Comments » // Loux Family News

Right after my husband was killed in a car accident on December 23, 2009, I stumbled upon a blog by Holley Gerth that lit up my life. Her posts were so very life giving and helped me as I was walking through deep grief. Recently, I was reading one of her posts and wanted to share it with you.

The world only gets one you!

You with your gifts.

You with your smile.

You with those things you do.

So take your place,

take your chances,

take this moment to know…

You’ve got something to offer.

Something good and right and true.

Something God-given,

Heart-of-Heaven created.

And the rest of us need it, need you.

Oh, you think it’s no big deal.

Anyone could be that way.

Anyone could do it.

Nope.

Not true.

There’s just one irreplaceable you.

By: Holley Gerth

As I read this, I began thinking about how true this is. Each one of you, God’s priceless creation, were fashioned by the very hand of God Himself, with a great purpose and a beautiful plan! Just as God set apart from birth Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) and Paul (Galations 1:15) for a specific purpose, he also has a specific plan for your life.

Many people go through life feeling discouraged about themselves and thinking they don’t have a purpose. But that’s not true. Whoever you are—whatever your life experiences, talents, physical ability, or role—you have a purpose. God created you. You are not an accident! God has a plan for you. You have a purpose in life!

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

The Bible says that God’s will is “good, pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:22). We should trust God in faith that He will accomplish His will in our lives. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5,6).

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in your will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phillippians 1:6).

Don’t compare yourself to others or give up because you don’t think you have what it takes. Be who God created you to be. You are special! Remember in all this world there is only one YOU!

Speak up…

// November 5th, 2011 // 2 Comments » // Loux Family News

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. Proverbs 31:8-9

You are Mine!

// November 2nd, 2011 // No Comments » // Loux Family News

Isaiah 44:2 This is what the Lord says-he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

You are mine! I made you. I chose you. I called you.” Make a difference right where you are! Don’t wait for that “big” thing to come along before you give it your all. Be who God created you to be. No one else can take your place. No one else can answer the call that was specifically given to you. The Lord will be with you every step, giving you the wisdom, the strength and the guidance that you need. Nothing can stop what He has begun. Nothing can stop what He has decreed. Nothing can stop His Word. Nothing can remove you from His Hand. You are His treasure! His joy will be your strength! He loves to hear your voice and He loves it when you listen to His. Be blessed today, richly, by the knowledge of His incredibly beautiful love for you!