'Upheld to Uphold'.
These words may not mean much to anyone else, but they do to me.
I will try to explain myself.
'Uphold' isn't a very commonly used word in modern-day English, in fact, we rarely ever hear it used outside of legal context in this day and age. 'Uphold' and 'upheld' are often legal words because they are words pertaining to justice.
The only other constant contact I have with this word tends to be in the Bible, and the book of Psalms is where I find this word most often. Through the Psalms I find comfort in knowing the Lord upholds me: "As for me, you will uphold my just cause, and you will cause me to stand in your presence forever" Psalm 41:12; "Uphold me according to thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope" Psalm 119:116; "Restore unto me the joy of your salvation; And uphold me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:12.
Of course, in Psalms we also find this verse: "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed" Psalm 82:3. This verse is very important to Orphan Advocates, like me.
According to the dictionary, to uphold means "to support or defend; to take care of."
Meanwhile, upheld means "a decision that was confirmed or supported", according to the dictionary.
So what does all this mean to me? Why on earth did I choose to use this odd, repetitive phrase to name my adoption blog?
Based on the definitions above, I translate 'Upheld to Uphold' as this: "Our decision to adopt was confirmed and supported by God so that we could support, defend and take care of an orphan."
Our decision has been upheld and upon upholding this child, they will no longer be an orphan; this child will have a mother and a father - a family. Once the acts of supporting, defending and taking care of, (the acts that make up 'uphold'), are accomplished, the child who was once called 'fatherless' will be called 'son' or 'daughter'.
'Upheld to Uphold' is just a name, of course. You don't have to like it. You may still not fully understand it. Continue to read on anyway - this blog is more than the name.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
The beginning of a long journey
Last week we let the world in on our big adventure when we announced our plans to adopt.
We feel so blessed, loved and humbled to have heard and seen hundreds of people stand in support behind us already through Facebook comments, likes and shares, as well as through donations.
But this journey is longer than a Facebook like. It is bigger than a one-time announcement and kind words.
We covet your prayers.
We don't know our child yet, but we know that the worst thing of his or her life has likely already happened or will happen very soon - the loss of his or her first family.
We simply ask that you pray with us for him or her.
Fundraising, paperwork and the process to get to adoption day do take up a good amount of our time in prayer, but never do they outnumber the prayers we send up for the current care of our child. It is our constant prayer that our child is safe, is being fed, loved on and cared for, because we know that that is not typically the circumstance of an orphaned child in Uganda.
I would guess many of you who have read our fundraiser information or have watched our fundraiser video still don't know much about the adoption process or Uganda, so I am going to be honest with you for a minute - orphanages there are not a good place for kids to grow up. There are some great 'mamas', (women who work at the orphanages), and some well-run orphanages, but as a whole, most Ugandan orphans growing up in oprhanages are extremely malnurished, sick, under-stimulated and/or unloved. Because there are so many children and so few 'mamas', children are often left alone and fail to establish trust, attachment or love.
For one child, all that is about to change.
With your prayers and any other support, we are going to get this child home and are going to love on him or her.
Please consider being a prayer partner with us over the process and over our child. Please commit to daily prayer for our family: for our son or daughter's safety and health, and for Tony and I to get our paperwork done and for all of us to grow in the waiting period.
Leave a comment below if you will be partnering with us in prayer! We appreciate your support!
We feel so blessed, loved and humbled to have heard and seen hundreds of people stand in support behind us already through Facebook comments, likes and shares, as well as through donations.
But this journey is longer than a Facebook like. It is bigger than a one-time announcement and kind words.
We covet your prayers.
We don't know our child yet, but we know that the worst thing of his or her life has likely already happened or will happen very soon - the loss of his or her first family.
We simply ask that you pray with us for him or her.
Fundraising, paperwork and the process to get to adoption day do take up a good amount of our time in prayer, but never do they outnumber the prayers we send up for the current care of our child. It is our constant prayer that our child is safe, is being fed, loved on and cared for, because we know that that is not typically the circumstance of an orphaned child in Uganda.
I would guess many of you who have read our fundraiser information or have watched our fundraiser video still don't know much about the adoption process or Uganda, so I am going to be honest with you for a minute - orphanages there are not a good place for kids to grow up. There are some great 'mamas', (women who work at the orphanages), and some well-run orphanages, but as a whole, most Ugandan orphans growing up in oprhanages are extremely malnurished, sick, under-stimulated and/or unloved. Because there are so many children and so few 'mamas', children are often left alone and fail to establish trust, attachment or love.
For one child, all that is about to change.
With your prayers and any other support, we are going to get this child home and are going to love on him or her.
Please consider being a prayer partner with us over the process and over our child. Please commit to daily prayer for our family: for our son or daughter's safety and health, and for Tony and I to get our paperwork done and for all of us to grow in the waiting period.
Leave a comment below if you will be partnering with us in prayer! We appreciate your support!
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