Holding onto His Hand

I'm sure I've said before that this adoption journey is full of unknowns. This week, however, the unknowns seem to be growing, and it's hard to keep things in perspective at times. Tonight I found a devotional written by Adrian Rogers on Psalm 23. In it he says, "that nothing will bring you more face to face with God than going through the dark valleys of life. When you are there, you are going to cling to his garments and hold onto His hand." I am not comparing our adoption journey to a dark valley, but it is a time when there are more unknowns than I can sometimes count and the sheer amount of money/paperwork required is overwhelming. God is using this situation to bring me and Jeremy face to face with Him. I am doing my best to cling to his garments and hold onto His hand.

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and staff comfort me." Psalm 23:1-4

Doctors Still Make House Calls

A part of the home study is to make sure your pets have a clean bill of health, so Saturday found us receiving a house call from Dr. Bartolotto and her three amazing assistants. They worked really hard and did an amazing job, so now our animals are ready to receive their human baby playmate :0). Jeremy and I are continually amazed by the support, assistance, and prayers that we are being offered during this process. We have much to be thankful for, and a generous doctor that made a house call for us is added to the list.

If your furry friends are ever in need of medical assistance, go see Dr. B--she will take good care of them.
Blessings everyone!

time to hear from Jeremy...

Well I figured I would make a post. Sarah keeps this up most the time. As we get close to Christmas and you think about everyone getting together with family, gifts, food, and good times. We all look forward to this time of year. It is a happy time for most. I know Sarah and I are looking forward to going back home to Louisiana and seeing family, open gifts, and just spend time there. But what about the many orphans around the world who on Christmas morning will wake up in an orphanage somewhere and there be no gifts, no exciting laughter, and most of all no family. In the past I have been like many people and not put to much thought into the orphans and widows until the past few years. Since Sarah and I are well on our way to adopting, this Christmas will be special for me. We don't have our child yet, but for the first time as I open gifts and gather around a table I will be thinking of something other than the people gathered with me. My mind will be on the tons of children who will not have much to look forward to this Christmas.

I want to encourage you to be thankful for the many blessings that you have received this year, just as Sarah and I will. And before you open the last gift, unplug the Christmas tree for the year, take a moment. Think about the children who dream and pray for a loving family. And if you will join Sarah and I this Christmas as we pray for those children that next year they find themselves gathered around table with a family so full of love. God Bless and Merry Christmas!

Check the 4th home study visit off the list!

This past Wednesday we had our final home study visit. To finish up the actual process though, we need to turn in a small mountain of paperwork. Thanks again for all your prayers and support! I'm off to scale paperwork mountain!

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

Giving Thanks

This year I gained a few more things to be thankful for...
~I am thankful for this call that God has put on our hearts and what it means for the future.
~I am thankful for our family and friends that are supporting us and cheering us on as we navigate this adoption process.
~I am thankful for Stephanie, our wonderful social worker, who is a voice of wisdom and reason.
~I am thankful for all the ways that God has provided and for all the ways that he is going to provide.
~I am thankful for the sweet baby that is in my heart; I can't wait to meet her!

"O, Lord that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness." Shakespeare

Hearts that are Captured by a Higher Calling

On Veteran's Day, I was in Chicago for a conference. As we walked downtown, I saw a group of soldiers walking and smiled to myself as someone called out a "thank you" to them, and everyone started cheering. It is amazing to me that these soldiers are aware of the thousands before them that paid for our freedom with their lives, yet they still enlist to serve their country. They are giving all they have for a cause greater than themselves; their hearts are captured by a higher calling.


Tomorrow is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. In countries around the world, believers face violence, imprisonment, and death because of their faith. Yet, they still believe. They do not wait for conditions in their countries to improve for them to serve the Lord; their hearts are captured by a higher calling.

"O use me, Lord, use even me, Just as thou wilt, and when and where..." -Frances Havergal

Orphan Sunday

The first Sunday in November is Orphan Sunday.  There are an estimated 147 million orphans worldwide.  If you're like me, that number is hard to wrap your mind around, but we can't let that number discourage us from being the hands and feet of Jesus.  Let's keep our hearts open to opportunities for us to show God's love to a child in need.

"Seek justice; encourage the oppressed; defend the cause of the fatherless; plead the cause of the widow."
Isaiah 1:17

God Already Knows

Yesterday we had our 3rd home study visit, and we were filling out the paperwork that goes along with that.  One of the forms requires you to put the child's name that you're adopting, and it says write "child unknown" if you don't have a referral yet.  I wrote "child unknown."  If I could go back in time and change what I wrote I would write "child known only to God at this time" because that is the truth that God showed me this morning.  Although Jeremy and I don't know yet who our child will be, God knows.  And that realization gives me peace.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb; I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."  Psalms 139:13-14

Status of cake sale: Total Success

We held our Silent Cake Auction/bake sale last night at our church Harvest Fest, and it raised nearly $600 for the adoption!!  Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone that helped us make our first fundraiser a success; we really do have the best church family around :0).

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."  Numbers 6:24

God's Call

In the new issue of Home Life magazine, there is an article on finding your calling.  The author of the article writes, "Our calling is the knowledge that God first calls us to Himself; it is our best understanding of who He has created us to be; and what He desires us to do.  It's the very thing that if we are listening well, inspires, fuels, and gives our lives meaning.  Our calling is how we can make an everlasting difference and bring glory to God."
I believe with all that I am that God has called me and Jeremy to care for orphans.  This call truly has inspired me, fueled me, and given my life meaning.  I am thankful for God's call, and I am trusting  Him to enable us to fulfill it.

"Calling is the truth that God calls us to Himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to His summons and service." Os Guinness

Harvest Fest Cake Sale

It's my favorite time of the year--fall, and that means it's time for the Harvest Fest at church!  Everything at the Harvest Fest is free for people to enjoy.  This year though we are going to be accepting donations for the desserts and using this money for the adoption fund.  I know there are going to be some very good desserts, so make sure you stop by early and often.  Thank you to everyone that has volunteered to make desserts!
Next week, we also have our third home study visit.  I said last time that my brain would have time to rest up before this visit, but I don't know if that's happening-at least it doesn't feel that way tonight.  Maybe I should just let Jeremy do all the talking next week....on second thought that's probably not a good idea :0).

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."  Ephesians 3:20

Check 2 home study visits off the list!

We've completed two of the four home study visits.  Both visits went well; Jeremy didn't say anything too crazy :0). My brain hurts from all the questions, but I'll have time to rest up before our next one (Nov. 2nd). 
There are times when I wonder how this is all going to work out, and it's overwhelming.  But this morning I was reading in Hebrews about the call to persevere.  Isn't it amazing how God's word speaks to your heart with exactly what you need to hear in that moment? 
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."  Hebrews 10:23 
Thank you for praying for our home study visits!

 

Where does time go?

I've been thinking that we had 2 weeks to prepare for our first home study visit, but I just realized on my way home from school that I have only 1 week!!  Oh, where does time go and why does it seem to move at warp speed the older you get??

Let's take some time this week to slow down and converse with our heavenly Father.

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10

First Official Post

I will start the first official post by making an official announcement:  we have started the adoption process!

 Why adoption?
We had not lived in Tennessee very long, and Don McMurry was our pastor at LBC.  One Sunday, he was preaching from the book of James, and when he read James 1:27, God spoke directly to my heart.  I knew that God was calling us to orphan ministry, even though we weren't sure what that would look like.  What it looks like right now for us is adoption.  We don't know where exactly we'll end up on this adoption journey, but we invite you to come along with us.

"Religion that God sees as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."  James 1:27

Does this thing work?

Testiug 1, 2, 3

I think it works!