Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Modern-Day Mother Theresa
I was watching some videos on www.faithit.com, and I came across this one. It's about Katy, who left her home after graduating from high school, to go to Uganda and teach Preschool. She is now a mother to 14 children. Her testimony is so inspiring to me, and I used to think that was where God was leading me. While watching this video, I did momentarily struggle with a little jealousy, wishing that it could have been me. But then I realized, I am right where God wants me. He knows my heart for children, and He won't let it go to waste. He simply wants me to expand my resources and skills so that I can help them from a different perspective. God knows what He is doing with my life, and He wants me to be me.
Please, go watch this video. It is touching and beautiful, and like I said, inspirational. She hits the nail on the head: "Jesus didn't ask us to take care of the widow and the orphan and the homeless, He demands it.
http://www.faithit.com/this-high-school-girl-left-home-after-graduation-and-became-a-modern-day-mother-theresa/
~ Bonny Williams
Saturday, November 9, 2013
For the (love of the) children
If anyone asks what I'm about, all I have to say is one word: children. I am all about children. What do I live for? Children. What do I plan to do with my life? Help children. Love on children. Raise children. All I know is that from birth, I was destined for children, whether it's to have my own (which I hope it is), adopt, foster, or simply do my job (which someday, hopefully, will be to counsel children). No doubt about it, God has given me a mother's heart.
My mother and grandmother have set a beautiful example for me and have taught me through example (and other means), prepared me, encouraged me to be a mother someday. It is through their love of children that my own love has grown.
They have also created a legacy of taking in other people's children and caring for them as their own. This is one of the greatest acts of love that I have ever personally witnessed. It is not easy, either. I know. To treat another child with the same love as you would a child that you bore is hard. Another woman's child did not grow inside you. Another woman's child may not respect you as your own has learned to do. Another woman's child may not have grown up with the same rules. Yet, another woman's child still needs a mother. And it is so sad that not many women are woman enough to step into this role. Heck, even animals do it! We've all heard the stories of apes taking in pups, kittens, etc. and raising them as their own. The point of this post is not to point fingers or even belittle women who don't foster or adopt. Raising your own children is hard enough. I get it. However, if God has abundantly blessed you, and you have more than enough, please, please consider fostering or adopting. There are so many children who do not have homes, families, food, clothes.
I've witnessed this with my own eyes. The summer of 2011 (before my Senior year in high school), I went to China with an organization called Bring Me Hope for two weeks. I was a volunteer at a summer camp for orphans and was assigned a translator and 1-2 children, and that was our "family" for the week. Basically, I got to be a mother for two weeks to children who could not understand what I was saying without a translator. Our goal was twofold: (1) to give hope to the children and show them God's love (2) to be each child's advocate, in hopes to get them adopted by "forever families." Seriously, if you can, adopt. I promise, making an impact in a child's life is so worth the sacrifice. And I know, it is a sacrifice! But, you will be rewarded! And if you can't adopt, if it's not financially feasible, think about fostering. There are organizations that offer support.
So, that's my "adopt or foster" plug. If you want to read a 20 page version, ask me about my Senior thesis. I'll email you a copy!
Anyway, back to my main point. I have finally realized what my purpose in life is. While it is somewhat vague or broad, it is satisfactory to my "what the heck am I gonna do with my life?" "crisis" that I had when I was in junior high and high school. I plan to get my Bachelor's in Psychology and then go to Grad School (looking at Lee University) for my Master's in Family Therapy and Counseling and maybe a Master's in Holistic Child Development. Then, I hope to counsel foster kids. I hope that I can touch children's lives in the way that mine has been touched through my younger brothers, babysitting that I have done, and the foster children that my family has cared for over the years. I also hope that I can get married and raise more children-loving children!
~Bonny Williams
My mother and grandmother have set a beautiful example for me and have taught me through example (and other means), prepared me, encouraged me to be a mother someday. It is through their love of children that my own love has grown.
They have also created a legacy of taking in other people's children and caring for them as their own. This is one of the greatest acts of love that I have ever personally witnessed. It is not easy, either. I know. To treat another child with the same love as you would a child that you bore is hard. Another woman's child did not grow inside you. Another woman's child may not respect you as your own has learned to do. Another woman's child may not have grown up with the same rules. Yet, another woman's child still needs a mother. And it is so sad that not many women are woman enough to step into this role. Heck, even animals do it! We've all heard the stories of apes taking in pups, kittens, etc. and raising them as their own. The point of this post is not to point fingers or even belittle women who don't foster or adopt. Raising your own children is hard enough. I get it. However, if God has abundantly blessed you, and you have more than enough, please, please consider fostering or adopting. There are so many children who do not have homes, families, food, clothes.
I've witnessed this with my own eyes. The summer of 2011 (before my Senior year in high school), I went to China with an organization called Bring Me Hope for two weeks. I was a volunteer at a summer camp for orphans and was assigned a translator and 1-2 children, and that was our "family" for the week. Basically, I got to be a mother for two weeks to children who could not understand what I was saying without a translator. Our goal was twofold: (1) to give hope to the children and show them God's love (2) to be each child's advocate, in hopes to get them adopted by "forever families." Seriously, if you can, adopt. I promise, making an impact in a child's life is so worth the sacrifice. And I know, it is a sacrifice! But, you will be rewarded! And if you can't adopt, if it's not financially feasible, think about fostering. There are organizations that offer support.
So, that's my "adopt or foster" plug. If you want to read a 20 page version, ask me about my Senior thesis. I'll email you a copy!
Anyway, back to my main point. I have finally realized what my purpose in life is. While it is somewhat vague or broad, it is satisfactory to my "what the heck am I gonna do with my life?" "crisis" that I had when I was in junior high and high school. I plan to get my Bachelor's in Psychology and then go to Grad School (looking at Lee University) for my Master's in Family Therapy and Counseling and maybe a Master's in Holistic Child Development. Then, I hope to counsel foster kids. I hope that I can touch children's lives in the way that mine has been touched through my younger brothers, babysitting that I have done, and the foster children that my family has cared for over the years. I also hope that I can get married and raise more children-loving children!
James 1:22-27 (ESV) "22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
~Bonny Williams
Bonny Williams...now a "Sophomore" in College...
Wow. Looking back, my life has changed so very dramatically, as lives tend to do. I seemed to have lost my writing habit, but I am working to get it back. So much happens, and I want to remember it and maybe touch others with my words.
As the title of this post states, I am now a sophomore in college at Regent University. I am actually on track to graduate August 2014, so I am a little more advanced than a normal sophomore. I am dating a wonderful man named Chris. This past Tuesday we celebrated our first anniversary of dating, a pretty big deal for both of us, as neither of us have ever been in a serious relationship that has lasted this long. We plan to get married eventually...not really sure when God would have us do that, but it is in "The Plan" somewhere, Lord willing.
Seeing as how I have not posted in over 3 years, there is a lot of catching up...all of which I do not plan on posting. That would just take too long. However, I may fill in when necessary for the story's sake.
As I stated in my original post, I hope that by sharing my life on this blog, I can touch others' lives and encourage them. I will try to refrain from anything offensive, unless it need be said, so no promises. Well, I've got some homework to do, so until next time!
~Bonny Williams
As the title of this post states, I am now a sophomore in college at Regent University. I am actually on track to graduate August 2014, so I am a little more advanced than a normal sophomore. I am dating a wonderful man named Chris. This past Tuesday we celebrated our first anniversary of dating, a pretty big deal for both of us, as neither of us have ever been in a serious relationship that has lasted this long. We plan to get married eventually...not really sure when God would have us do that, but it is in "The Plan" somewhere, Lord willing.
Seeing as how I have not posted in over 3 years, there is a lot of catching up...all of which I do not plan on posting. That would just take too long. However, I may fill in when necessary for the story's sake.
As I stated in my original post, I hope that by sharing my life on this blog, I can touch others' lives and encourage them. I will try to refrain from anything offensive, unless it need be said, so no promises. Well, I've got some homework to do, so until next time!
~Bonny Williams
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