Lily's kids

Lily's kids

Sunday, December 25, 2011

The Christmas Story

Adorable. I love the beauty of hearing the Christmas message
from a child's mouth.
Merry Christmas!
~Lily

Saturday, December 24, 2011

15 year dream

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who's heart broke at the thought of orphans. At the thought of other children living alone. Unloved, scared, hungry, hurting. This little girl wanted 100 children. 100 children to protect and love and hold. As the little girl grew older, this burden continued to press on her heart. She prayed for wisdom and leading as she started to look for opportunities to personally love on those precious orphans she had been dreaming about. Doors were opened and closed and God gave grace and peace. And then, an opportunity came for the girl to go to Africa. A dream would be coming true. But God had a sovereign plan and the doors to Africa closed for now and the door to Bolivia opened up.

53 days! Can't wait!
Merry Christmas!
God bless!

~Lily

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

countdown

8 weeks until I leave!
7 weeks left to worship at Sovereign Grace
6 people in my family who I will miss tremendously.
5 thousand reasons for my heart to sing!
4 sisters who will Skype me
3 months in a whole new world!
2 weeks with a wonderful team!
1 amazing Savior who has changed my life!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Bolivia!!!

10 weeks! Wow! In 10 weeks, Lord willing, I will be flying thousands of miles out of the country I have lived in all my life and for 3 months live in a very different country. A different continent! I will spend these 3 months with over 87 children. I will learn to speak Spanish (hopefully), smile and learn new names, try new foods, conquer "Death Road", take cold showers, climb mountains, splash in mud puddles, hug children, grow closer to God, see His grace EVERY day I am gone, dream in Spanish :), laugh, cry, learn and love.

I will definitely post the long story of how God has lead me to Bolivia. It is cool to see His faithfulness and sovereign plan for me. I am excited to start this amazing adventure and so thankful for everyone who will be praying along the way. :) As I said, this blog could get a whole lot more exciting in the next few weeks and months!

~Lily

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Joy on Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!
Add caption

I am so thankful to God for loving me when I don't deserve
it. I am so thankful for the cross and for grace in each day.
God has been so faithful in this past year and it is amazing
to see His nearness in the good and tough situations.

I am so thankful for my FAMILY!!! Laughing, talking, crying,
singing, making annoying noises, whispering at night, sharing
secrets and joys in life... I love you!

I am so thankful for my church! Every Sunday I get to see
Christ clearer through my brothers and sisters in Christ at
Sovereign Grace. It is so amazing to see Christ so at work
in a body.

I am so thankful for my friends! Love you all! You all
have been so wonderful in my life. Cannot wait to make
more memories with each of you.

I am so filled with joy and thankfulness and I am so
excited to see what God will continue to do.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4

Blessings on this day!
~Lily

Monday, November 21, 2011

A Grand Adventure

"A grand adventure is about to begin." ~Winnie the Pooh

Super excited about what God is doing
in my life and teaching me right now.
Right now, it is so cool to give Him 
everything and learn to wait and trust.
So blessed but excited for this
adventure!
~Lily

Friday, November 18, 2011

¿Dónde en el mundo?


        ¿Hacia dónde voy?


I will have a big update coming 
soon with exciting news!
Thanks for continuing to check
in! God is so good! Blessings!
~Lily

Monday, November 7, 2011

Dying to bear fruit

Just listened to John Piper's biography on Adoniram Judson. I was so encouraged by it and blessed to see the sovereignty of God. Everything Adoniram went through was for God's glory and for Adoniram's good. Click here to listen to the sermon.

"The question, brothers, is not whether we will die, but whether we will die in a way that bears much fruit." 
~John Piper


When we die to ourselves, we die for a greater good and a greater joy.
God bless!
~Lily

Friday, November 4, 2011

Defend, Maintain and Deliver





“Defend the cause of the weak and the fatherless; Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.  Deliver the weak and needy from the hand of the wicked.”  Ps 82:3-4


Have a blessed week! 
~Lily

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

In Charge

I wrote this poem several years ago for a writing class and am sharing it again. I hope you enjoy.


In Charge Poem
Lily Fluharty 9
October 12, 2009

If I were in charge of the world,
There would be no more hunger or pain,
People wouldn’t use others for gain,
There would be no divorce or affairs,
The world would be filled with prayers,
If I were in charge of the world.

If I were in charge of the world, 
Every child could learn,
Every father would earn,
Water will never be wasted,
Food will always be tasted,
If I were in charge of the world.

If I were in charge of the world,
The homeless would have a home,
The orphan would not be alone,
Brothels wouldn’t be here,
Every child held dear,
If I were in charge of the world.
If I were in charge of the world, 
No babies would die to abortion,
Life would not be in distortion.
There would be no murderers or thieves,
And no one would ever grieve,
If I were in charge of the world.

If I were in charge of the world,
Life would be like an adventure,
Into the world everyone venture.
Love would reign over all,
All would heed the Lord’s call,
If I were in charge of the world.

If I were in charge of the world,
I would never be in charge,
For the future is unknown and large.
God ordained the world to be
It will be perfect in eternity.
God is in charge of the world.


Have a great week! Thanks to everyone
who views my blog! It's super encouraging
to see! :) God bless...
~Lily

Monday, October 17, 2011

Where in the world!?

      
Continuing to trust God's goodness and leading in my life. It's awesome to have such an amazing Shepherd who directs our steps and our direction. So blessed.


This is pretty much amazing!
Where in the world is Lily going? :)
Have a blessed week!
~Lily

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Mountain


How can this not leave you in awe? How great is our God!
~Lily

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Abortion, Adoption, and Steve Jobs

Abortion, Adoption, and Steve Jobs

Thought this was a cool article. It's been a question
I've asked myself multiple times. How many children
have been aborted who would have later grown up
to change the world? Have a great weekend!
God bless!
~Lily

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

I wonder


Another video but this one is AMAZING!
So encouraged by this song.

"And it feels like there's not enough
praise inside of me. With all these words,
all my heart can sing is holy.
You are holy.

Jesus Christ, you bled your love, laid down
your self and gave me life. In naked shame
you hung and you were lifted high. Here I
lay in awe and wonder. I am afraid, for no
one's ever sacrificed and loved me this way.
So on my face I fall under your heavy grace.
Here I lay in awe and wonder."

God's love for us is so amazing and it fills me
with awe. No one has loved me as much as my
Savior. And I think that can be easy to forget.
Dwell on Christ's love for you in this day. Don't
let your heart and mind be distracted from God's
goodness to you! You are loved and cared for!
Have a blessed week!
~Lily

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Where in the world...???

So blessed by God's faithfulness! Seeing His goodness in changing plans, in new and old. He gives and takes away but by His grace I will say, "blessed be the name of the Lord!"
 Hope you are having a fabulous week! What is God doing in your life? And... these mountains will be part of my future soon Lord willing! :) Part of God changing direction in my life. Did I mention I am so blessed by God's faithfulness?
~Lily

Friday, September 23, 2011

Dream



Love this song! Inspires me to dream and reminds me of being a
little girl and imagining outside. What is your dream? And what
will you do to reach that dream?
~Lily

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Take Me In


So incredibly blessed by this song!

"By Your blood, I'm redeemed! By Your mercy I am free.
You've forgiven every sin. In Your love You take me in.
To Your heart, to Your throne, that I may know you and be
known. So I come in confidence. In Your love You take me in!"

May this be our prayer and our cry to Jesus!
God bless!
~Lily

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Beauty instead of Ashes


  The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
~Isaiah 61:1-3



I feel like this verse speaks directly to those who are 
hurting or are angry at the hurt in the world. God will
is aware of the hurt and pain caused by sin. But He is
a just God. He will bind up the brokenhearted. He will
comfort those who mourn. He will renew them. 

I love that He will "give them a beautiful headdress
instead of ashes". He will make us new in Him! God 
loves us and we are made in His image! 

But God will also bring vengeance. And it will be just
vengeance. So trust in the Lord. He will renew you.
Trust in His faithfulness and love.
God bless!
~Lily

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Never Forget


Remember September 11. Remember the heroes. Remember those loved that are lost. Remember that we are one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.



God bless America! 

Friday, September 9, 2011

Will you be their voice?

Is slavery still around today? This is a question that I never thought to ask. Slavery was abolished right? Who would take a human being in this day and age and make them a slave? But slavery is still present! And it's also right here in America.

Then there were 13 million slaves. Today, there are now 27 million people in slavery.

 I found a lot of eye opening statistics and facts at Love146 where they are dedicated to abolishing sex trafficking where young children are sold into slavery for their bodies.

"Then, slaves were thought of as highly valuable means of production. The average slave sold for somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 (in today's currency). Owners viewed slaves as considerable economic investments, worth the money because of the work they would perform and the income they would help produce; highly valuable, long-term investments.. Today, slaves are considered cheap and expendable. On average, a slave can be purchased for less than $200. When their usefulness is gone, they are either released or killed. Their vacant slot is simply replaced with another slave. They are viewed as disposable."

 This breaks my heart. Young children sold into slavery and viewed as disposable!? They are children. Precious beautiful children! Children that God made in His image. But they are being treated as disposable items worth little.

 "If it doesn't break your heart, it isn't love." -Jon Foreman

 Hearing about sex trafficking and what happens to these kids breaks my heart! Right here in America, there are at least 300,000 children at risk for commercial sexual exploitation. Here, right at our home, in our neighborhoods, cities, there are children being taken advantage of and being used as commodities.

 80% of people trafficked are female. 1/2 are minors. (US dep state)

 1.2 million children are estimated to be trafficked around the world every year. (US dep state)

 The average age of a U.S. trafficked child is 12-14 years old. (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children)

 These are real numbers. Real faces. Real people. And this is what really scares me. The internet has become the new marketplace for trafficking children.

AT any given time, 50,000 predators are prowling for children on the internet. (US Attorney General) 

"The modern-day slave auction is electronic, wherein local pimps ca examine and purchase, via email, women and girls from wholesaler in other countries and where retail customers can order up the prostate of their choice." -Moises Naim

 It is hard to look at these numbers and to see these statistics. It should horrify you and break your heart. But it should also fill you with love. I will not be silent. I will not hide the shame of these girls. I will be a voice for them. Will you? Go to Love146 to find more.

 Don't be silent. Cry out for justice for these precious children. Be their voice.

 "The vitality of thought is an adventure. Ideas won't keep. Something must be done about them. -Alfred North Whitehead

 I pray that this would land hard on your hearts. I pray that you would do something for these girls. I hope you will be a voice for them! ~Lily

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

100 days!!!

100 days! I posted about Miss Elaini who wore one dress for 100 days for orphans! Her goal was to raise $50,000 for orphans in India and after 100 days she raised $30,000! What an amazing testimony of God's love! She is continuing to raise money for orphans and now has raised over $35,000 and is still reaching her goal! I have been so encouraged by her blogging and her love for the Least of These! Check out her blog and find out how you can help raise money for these precious children! They are indeed loved! God bless! ~Lily

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Crucified

I have been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
~Galations 2:20


This verse fills my heart with joy!
I no longer have to live on my own.
I have Christ living In me! Not only
is He with me but He is living inside
of me! That fills me with great joy
and peace as well. It makes my soul
filled with a peace and a satisfaction
that whatever befalls, it is well with
my soul. I have been crucified with Him!
God bless!
~Lily

Monday, August 29, 2011

All is well



This song is so encouraging to me. I reminds me of God's promise that He will never leave me or forsake me and that everything will work together for my good. So whatever trials I go through or darkness I suffer through, all must be well because I am safe in my Savior's arms. So encouraging! I hope you are encouraged as well! God bless and keep you!
~Lily

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

You are Holy!





This is so amazing! Fills me with awe that such an amazing God created this amazing voice to bring glory to
His holy name! What a God we serve! God bless! Continue to glorify and Praise His name!
~Lily

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

What a friend we have




Been learning a lot about finding Joy in Jesus!!! Seeing joy in good days and in rough days. In disappointment and when I'm rejoicing. In Jesus my joy is found. He is with me when I am filled with peace and rejoices with me over the good and the things He has blessed me with. But He never leaves me even in the rough days. Jesus is using all the trials for my good and He completely understands what I am going through when I am hurting or scared. I love that! I love that Jesus understands and rejoices or mourns with us but continually turns our focus back on Him and His love! This causes such great joy in my heart! What a friend we have in Jesus! God bless!
~Lily

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Death Has Lost Its Sting



Such an awesome song! Been so encouraged by it. Death has lost it's sting by Sojourn.
To buy the album and find more about Sojourn click here
Have a wonderful week and marvel in God's goodness to you! God bless!
~Lily

Thursday, August 4, 2011

What did you do at 11 years old?



I got some of these sobering statistics from Love146. But these are not just numbers, these are children. Don't let your heart be numb with these numbers, join Love146 and help these children out of the pain they are in. What did you do at 11 years old?

The average age of entry for girls and boys ranges from 11-14
(Ernie Allen, President & CEO, NECMEC, July 21, 2009).

Astonishingly, with in the first 48 hours of being on the steet, 1 in 3 children are lured into prostitution.
(National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children/NISMART-2)

According to ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes), as many as 100,000 U.S. children are forcefully engaged in prostitution or pornography each year. Approximately 300,000 U.S. children
are at-risk.

Pray for these children. Pray that God would change their hearts. Pray for Love146. Pray as they rescue these children from this desperation.
~Lily

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The call is simple

Psalm 82:3 Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain
the rights of the poor and oppressed.

The call is simple. Defend the fatherless. But can we do it? Not alone.
But with Christ, we can do all things. I'm not saying it will be easy.
I can't imagine what the people of Love146 do,
going into brothels and rescuing girls. I can't imagine the anger, fear
and pain they see. But they are following God's call to defend these
girls who are being oppressed. And God is helping them and giving
them strength. And whatever God is calling you to do, be it in a
foreign country, or right at your home, God will not leave you alone. He
will give you strength.

God bless!
~Lily

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Serey's story: Love 146

Wow. This is an amazing story of hope and healing. Love 146 is doing an amazing job of rescuing and restoring these precious children and giving them life back. And this trafficking does not just happen over seas. It happens every day, every night right here in America. It happens to young young children living out on the streets. Children who are enslaved and who are terrified. Children filled with shame. Young girls who are lost and afraid. Children who are treated like garbage by pimps and people who use them like commodities. But there is hope for these girls. Love 146 is out rescuing children. There are also many other homes rescuing these children off the streets. And Jesus loves them. He is there for them. He is there to give them hope. Check out Love 146 and find out more about sex trafficking and what can be done. God bless!

A STORY IN AFTERCARE from LOVE146 on Vimeo.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Thank YOU!!!


Ok... so I have been super encouraged and blessed by all of YOU my readers! I am encouraged to write more when I see all the people and states and countries who have followed or read my blog. I am excited to see God using this little blog to reach others and raise awareness about these orphaned and poor children who are too precious to be forgotten or ignored. It will be cool to see what happens with this blog as I get ready for Africa :) God bless and thank you thank you thank you!!! God bless!
~Lily

Thursday, July 7, 2011

All things work together for good

Here is a really impacting post from a friend of mine who is working with a Trauma team in Uganda right now. She is working at Watoto children's home and I am so encouraged so see how God is working in and through her. :) It is hard to read some of the things that go on in this world because of sin but I love to meditate on Romans 8:28. Have a blessed week! God bless!
~Lily

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Dreaming. Wishing. Hoping.


In 8 months, Lord willing I will be traveling thousands of miles across oceans. I will be sitting on a plane staring out at the big blue sky. Staring out at clouds far below me. Dreaming. Wishing. Hoping. In 8 months, I will be on my way to Nairobi Kenya. To spend time with some precious children. Children who I have dreamed of holding and playing with. Children who have nothing. No parents. No belongings. Some have little hope. Some have joy and others pain. I want to share with these children the greatest hope and the greatest joy. I want to share with these children the hope and joy found only in Jesus. I don't know what to expect when I get there. But I do know that Jesus is going to be right there beside me. Smiling down on the little ones He so dearly loves. Smiling down on me.

You don't have to travel thousands of miles. You don't have to hop continents. You don't even have to drive anywhere far. Can you reflect Jesus' love to a child. Can you show a child that you truly love them. Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:4 "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Have a wonderful weekend and a fun and safe 4th of July! God bless!
~Lily

Monday, June 20, 2011

1 year ago


1 year ago today I was playing soccer in Ecuador with Kevin. Visiting your sponsored child is such a blessing and although it is expensive, the relationship that grows between you and your sponsored child is priceless. So thankful that God provided for me to go last June. I love you little buddy! To learn more about Compassion and sponsoring a child click here. God bless!
~Lily

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

1 dress. 100 days. for orphans.












Meet "Miss Elaini". Her goal is to raise $50,000 for orphans in India. How? She is wearing a black dress for 100 days and accessorizing it in cute ways. She is partnering with Warm Blankets Orphan Care. Her story is really inspiring and it's cool to see her cute styles and dress ideas. But Elaini's heart for God is the most encouraging.
She is using the gifts God has given her to make a difference. Check out her page and look back at some of the dresses she's put together. Really fun idea! Hope you enjoy!
~Lily

Friday, June 3, 2011

Sexual Healing

A great video with a great message... The world today see's this in a totally different view. I love the humility and grace the guy tells the story.



~Lily

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Next11


So I just got back from Next 2011!!! It was an amazing conference that really stretched me and made me think deeply about God and His glory... The sessions were amazing and some of the speakers included Jeff Purswell, Scott Oliphint, D.A. Carson, R.C. Sproul, Kevin DeYoung and Nathan Sasser to name a few... The worship was AMAZING and I loved seeing people's hearts before God. Here's some of the biggest thing I took away from the Conference...

*The created world, though affected by sin, is nevertheless God's creation and is therefore to be valued, appreciated and cared for.
*We, as Christians, should live a life glorifying to God and one that testifies and displays the evidence of His kingdom.
* We cannot take a piece out of the gospel for tolerance... we must insist on preaching the entire Gospel and proclaim the good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
* A necessary being like God is essential or nothing else can be.
* Everyone realizes that something is wrong with themselves and they are not perfect; the solution to the problem is to give a solution of a Savior.
*We can remove words and labels but sin remains.
*What we make of our life now is essential for all of eternity.

I love feeling more grounded in my faith. I loved how these men used logic to show that the whole universe is created by God. You cannot get something out of nothing. You need a creator and God is that creator. So humbled and amazed at God's love and grace in my life...
Hope you have a great week and are encouraged by God's grace.
Thanks for all of you who have been viewing!
~Lily

Sunday, May 22, 2011

DONE!!!

I am officially graduated! Twelve plus years of school are gone and now I have this exciting new chapter of my life starting! God is so gracious to me! I have had a great education and I am excited to step into adulthood. Africa is on the horizon and Lord willing I will be heading there in February! All praise be to God! I will keep updating you all as I get more information about the trip! Thanks for all your support and reading this little blog! :) Much love!
~Lily

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Justice and Progress

Justice and Progress in the Philippines | Love146.org

Click the link to see a quick post from Love146.
These few sentences are extremely powerful to me.
I love seeing the strength these girls have. I love
knowing the they are not alone. God is with them
in that courtroom. As they see their abusers, God
is standing right by them, giving them strength.
I will fear no evil, for my God is with me. If my God
is with me, who then shall I fear?

~Lily

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Can you see me?

Wow! A flash mob supporting Love 146... It's a cool video and who doesn't love flash mobs?
It's cool to see this many people in support of such an amazing cause. Love 146 rescues and restores children who have been victims of sex trafficking. Love protects, love defends, love restores. Check out Love 146 here




Enjoy and God bless!
~Lily

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day


Happy mothers day to all the mamas in the world. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful mother in my life. Mama, I love you and am so thankful for all you do for our family. God is so good in giving me my mom.

Mother's day also makes me think of the children who have lost their mothers. I pray these children will feel a sense of peace and love in this day as they remember their mothers. It also fills me with a heart to help and love these motherless children. No matter the evil in this world, each and every child is loved by Jesus and He knows and cares for all of them.

God is so amazing and I am so blessed!
~Lily

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Do not worry but rest in Jesus' love

Hope. I am so amazed at how Jesus fills me with hope. Whenever I am afraid, or confused or even filled with joy I know that my life is not my own. I do not have to live for myself. This world is not about me. This takes so much stress and weight off my shoulders. My only goal in life is to live for Jesus. So whatever He calls me to do whether it is working in Africa or working at home or being a stay-at-home mom, I know that is God's plan for my life. I also know that God will reveal His perfect will to me. So sometimes when I start worrying because time is ticking and I don't know all the details, I know that God is in control. I love this! I love that I don't have to worry about my life.
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

We have hope that Jesus will lead us and guide us. So why worry? Jesus is walking with us and guiding us. He is always guarding us and will always protect us. So even if we don't have all the answers, we can be content knowing Jesus does. Isn't that amazing? That fills me with comfort. Jesus loves us and wants our best.
God bless!
~Lily

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Children are Not for sale


27 million people enslaved

2 children sold every minute

Over 100,000 U.S. children forcefully engaged
in prostitution or pornography each year

Menus are handed out at brothels

And we think slavery is finished

Slavery is very much present
Find out more at Love146
and see what they are doing to make a difference
in the lives of children all over the world.

Children are NOT for sale

~Lily

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Girls girls girls


Quick post today :)
One of my favorite pics from one of the
schools I visited on my trip to Ecuador
last summer. These girls really blessed
me and I pray that they all have
sponsors. Have a great week! :)

~Lily

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I found my life

This is an amazing song by Sojourn. One of my favorite lines is...
"I found my life, I found my life in Him."
Everyone wants to be happy and have a
place in life. Only in Jesus can we find true
joy and true peace. I found my life in Jesus.
Be encouraged!
~Lily

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Lillian Trasher


One of my heroes is Lillian Trasher. Lillian was born in 1887 and as a young woman, worked at several orphanages and served God. In 1910, she felt God calling her to Africa and with only 100 dollars, she sailed to Egypt with her sister. Several months after arriving in Egypt, Lillian went to minister to a dying woman. This woman had a three month old baby girl who was malnourished and neglected. This was the first child that Lillian Trasher took in and it was the start of an amazing journey of faith and trust in God. Over the years, hundreds of children found their way into Lillian's home and heart and God miraculously provided and cared for them all. In 1961, at the time of her death, the Lillian Trasher Orphanage had 12,000 children living in it. Lillian Trasher followed God's call in her life even when it meant leaving everything she knew and loved. I am so inspired by Lillian's example to take up my cross and follow God. I want to live as she did. She trusted God with her life and with the lives of hundreds of children. Lillian knew that God would provide.

It reminds of Jim Elliot's quote...

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." -Jim Elliot

This world is not our home. We don't need to fear death, or poverty, or pain. We must live in God's love and recognize His faithfulness to us. He will never leave us or forsake us and we must follow Him whole-heartedly. I am excited to see where God will call me and I pray that by His grace I will be able to follow with joy and faith.
God bless!
~Lily Fluharty

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Make the Difference

Ok, so this is probably the most amazing video I've seen in a while! Watch the whole way through! AMAZING! Inspires me to not let anything stop me and to dream dream dream... ENJOY! :)



God bless!
~Lily Fluharty

Friday, March 25, 2011

From pain to Compassion


I posted this last year but I think this book has a powerful
message and I wanted to bring it back to the light!

Too Small to Ignore is a powerful book by Dr. Wess Stafford,
President and CEO of Compassion International. The book
tells about Dr. Staffords childhood in Africa as a young boy
in a missionary family. During his time overseas, Wess
was abused at a missionary school. He writes of his pain as
well as how Jesus filled Him with peace and forgiveness.
This little boy who was broken, beaten and abused went on
to found Compassion International and to provide hundreds
of kids with love and opportunities to know Jesus.
The big message of the book is why
the least of these matters most.

Jesus really loved children and He made a point in showing
this.

Matthew 18:5 says,
"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name
welcomes me."
Jesus repeatedly welcomed and blessed children.

However, children are not a priority in today's world.
Dr. Stafford writes,
"When hunger and famine strike a nation, adults become weak
and hungry,but it is the children who most often starve to
death. When disease arrives with all its fury, adults can become
very sick, but the first to die are usually children. When war
erupts over ethnicity or boundary lines in the dust, it is the
littlest victims who pay the most tragic price. Far more children
were injured or permanently maimed by our battles. The
tragedies go on for years after the last gunshot or grenade blast,
as land mines and booby-trapped toys keep wounding, terrorizing,
and killing our innocent ones. The ritual sacrifice of children has
been taboo for thousands of years. Yet tragically it is practiced
every day across our world. We sacrifice children on our altars of
our most destructive sins. when the sickness of pornography has
run to its most evil and destructive end, it takes the form of child
pornography. When prostitution reaches its sickest, most depraved
form, it becomes child prostitution."

Here are a few devestating statistics...

*55 percent of childrens deaths in the world is responsible from
malnutrition.

*The earth can produce enough food for every man, woman, and child
to have 2,720 calories per day-more than any of us need.

*On September 11, the same day the twin towers fell, thirty thousand
children under the age of five from hunger and AIDS.

*The World Health Organization reported taht 745,000 children died
in 2001 from the measles.

The total cost of vaccinating them would have been only $558,750. We
spend five times that much on chewing gum each and every year.

It's all a matter of priorities.
Speaking of priorities, isn't it interesting how a schoolteacher earns
between $25,000 and $30,000 a year while a professional baseball
pitcher earns that much for every out he throws?

So how can we help? It is not always possible to go and rescue fifty
children and take them into our homes, and clothe and feed them.
However, sponsoring a child can help one child at a time.
By telling them them that they are loved and cared about, by nurturing
their dreams and encouraging them to be the best they can be, we
can help children overcome poverty and discouragement.
Proverbs 31:8 says,
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of
all who are destitute."

Click here to go to Compassion and find out more about sponsoring
a child!
God bless you!
~Lily

Friday, March 18, 2011

When I grow up...

It's really late and I can't sleep but I can still dream can't I?
One of my favorite things to ask kids is what they want
to be when they "grow up". I love the responses.
"I want to be a teacher... or a princess"
"A Fio-Fito"
"I wanna be a ballerina"
"Im gonna be an artist"


I love encouraging them and helping them dream. Why
shouldn't kids dream about their future careers and
why shouldn't we encourage them? I find it sad when
people tell their kids they can't be or do something. Let
them dream because eventually they will wake up and
realize they can't be a princess in real life but they can
achieve some of their other dreams.

It is such a blessing to see a smile on a little girl's face when
you tell her she would be a beautiful princess and that she
would make a great teacher. Try it... it is amazing.

So what are your dreams?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Me? Well, I want 100 children. :)

~Lily

Saturday, March 12, 2011

2,500,000

In Kenya, there are 2,500,000 orphaned children.

This just blows me away! 2,500,000 children with no parents.
Where are they living? Who is providing for them? Yet God
sees each of these precious children and He knows each by name.
Isn't that amazing? God loves each and every one of them. He
has a plan for them and their lives will ultimately bring Him glory.
God bless!
~Lily

Monday, March 7, 2011

Beautiful



In 2008 I traveled to Jamaica to a Children's home called Robin's Nest.
I had an amazing time and the kids were awesome and a blast to be
around. While I was there, I met a 5 year old girl named Shantara.
Shantara had CP and couldn't talk or move her own body. The only
way she could communicate was through her eyes and she had
beautiful eyes. A couple months after I returned home I found out
that Shantara had passed away from complications from the flu. This
beautiful little girl is now running and playing and singing with Jesus.
One of my favorite memories is singing to Shantara about how we
are happy all the day because of Jesus. She started crying while me and
my mom loved on her and that moment is ingrained in my mind. That
a little girl would cry about being happy in Jesus just blew my mind.
Shantara is the most beautiful girl I have ever met, inside and out.
God bless!
~Lily

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Age not a factor

Maggie Doyne is in her early twenties yet she has over 35 children and is principle of a school of 230 students. Does this sound strange to you? Maggie took a gap year after her senior year and wound up in Nepal. There hundreds of orphaned children found their way into Maggie's heart. Maggie Doyne stared a children's home called Kopila Valley. In 2010, she opened the Kopila Valley school with $100,000 awarded from DoSomething. This young lady is truly making a difference in these kids lives. She does not let her age stop her but works for these children and loves them with all her heart! Pray that God would bless Maggie and her work. Pray that She would come to know Christ if she does not. Also pray for these kids that God would save them and make them into leaders as they grow. Maggie started Blinknow where she believes that in the blink of an eye, we can all make a difference.
Check out the links above to Maggie Doyne's blog and learn more!
Have a great week! God bless.
~Lily