6 Months

Six Months. 

A lot can happen in six months, and then nothing really can happen in six months too.  I think I could say both for us.  A lot has happened, and nothing has happened.  Make sense?  Let me explain.

“The Lord is committed to removing anything from your life that might promote the very thing that will hinder your progress.” P. Shirer

Our Father disciplines us, he corrects us, but most importantly He Loves us and cares for us, and waits for us to obey. 

Six months ago my husband unexpectedly lost his job.  Today he still hasn’t found anything, has had no calls for even one single interview, and God is still here molding us and providing.

Six months ago we put our house up for sale in case no job was found and we could no longer pay for it.  The house has not sold, and well we need it too.  We are told all the time that people cannot believe it hasn’t sold, it’s so beautiful, and etc.  We can’t either, but God knows, and we wait. 

We moved out in October.  God’s provided shelter.  Shelter that has provided so much peace for my whole family.  A move like this could have sent my sweetie kids into a panic, a loss that their little brains can’t always handle, but God prepared the way.  This home has been a sanctuary of sorts, and yes sometimes a hideout.  The enemy is around, he wants us to feel shame for where we are and how we got here, but one thing we have learned recently, or should I say have had reinforced in our minds…Our God is more powerful, He has already defeated the enemy and the enemy has no reign in our family.

Our adoption process is still on hold, but I stress on hold.  God has done things with my heart in regards to adoption.  In the past I would have flipped out, been depressed, and tried to control and figure out how to still adopt in this time, but I have patience.  There are days I long for our next child or children, but God has this, and His timing is perfect….truly every time.

Philippians 4:6

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

For six months my answer to a lot of questions has been, “I don’t know”.  It still is really, but I do know that God is working, he is revealing some things, and He will make it all clear in His timing.  He is so very patient and loving with us, so I guess we can be with Him too, right?  Oh yes, we can.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who preservers under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

So there, it’s out now.  And that is ok.  Please don’t be hasty to judge, but cover us in prayer.  There are so many ways we are healing, growing, and learning as a family and we covet your love and prayers.

Unexpected Adoption Blessings-1

Life has taken an interesting turn for our family right now.  Although I cannot go into detail just yet; I do ask that you pray for our family.  There is a wide facet of things putting us in a weird place of limbo, one of them being our adoption.  Although we know wholeheartedly that we are going to adopt again, it is on a temporary hold.  So with that said I want to focus on the unexpected blessings of adoption.

Before our sweet EJ came home I was in a place of having a deep, deep desire to be a Mommy and years of that not happening.  The wonderful blessing of being able to look back on that time would bring me to one of my favorite people.  My second mom, my beautiful friend Barb.

 

On a trip to Texas with other special friends we met up with Barb and Mike (he also is a wonderful blessing).  Now I did know Barb because she was a health/physical education teacher for me in school growing up.  So I knew I liked this lovely lady already, but what I didn’t know was the bond we would have many years later.

That bond was not having children, but always having the deep desire to be a Mom.  And let me tell you this woman is a wonderful Mom.  We laid it all out in the back of a minivan with tears and smiles, but we each connected on something deep in our souls. 

This bond continued to grow between not just Barb and I, but all of us.  Mike, Kent, Barb, me, and about a year later Elena.  We loved these God fearing, Jesus loving folk.

And then the bond grew even more.  When God led us to adopting precious Mo in Ethiopia the time came where we knew we could be traveling within a month or more.  I knew that our sweet EJ, who was only 2 ½ at the time, would need Kent or I at home while we were gone for around 7 days.  I also knew that I needed to be the one to go to Ethiopia, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone.  So I prayed to God and asked who should go with me, and almost instantly Barb’s name came to mind.  My mind just raced.  Would she want to do this?  What will she think when I ask?  Will she think I am nuts? 

Not too long after we were at the short’s home for a gathering, and I was being a chicken about asking.  Can you imagine being chicken about something God plainly asked you to do?  At any rate my husband asked Mike what he thought and his response was she should go, ask her.  Not too long later I happened to be in the kitchen with Barb and Kent, and my dear husband says “Carrie, don’t you have something you need to ask Barb?”  And then he pretty much evacuated the room.

So I stood there I think probably stumbling over my words at first, saying things like, now you can say no, and I know this is a lot to ask, and we will pay your way, and etc.  So when I did ask if she would like to go to Ethiopia she was a little surprised to say the least.

My memory from here won’t be exact, but here is the awesome part of God’s plan and story for all of our lives.  That very same morning I had asked Barb to go to Ethiopia, she had sat down and prayed asking God what is it you want me to do?  I am willing to do whatever you have in store, and then I come around that night and say, hey want to take a trip all the way to Ethiopia with me?  Easy Peasy right?!  Ha!

So Barb prayed and said yes, and after our trip told me she would have been so wrong not to go.  That trip was life changing for both of us, not just sweet Moses.  Here are a few pics from our trip:

 

 

 

Our adoption bond doesn’t end there though.  When we adopted our boy Isaiah, guess who were some of the first people to meet him?  That’s right, Barb and Mike.  We ended up living with them for almost 3 weeks while we waited to bring him home from Florida. Talk about gracious, loving, and giving friends right? 

But the whole point of all this is they are more than friends, they are our family.  My whole family loves them so much and we are so blessed to have them in our lives.  Guiding us, loving us, living life with us…

 

 

 

God is soo soo good!

 

 

No One Works Like God

So a few huge God things have happened since I last wrote and I am so excited to share what he is doing.

I learned a good lesson with our last adoption and that is I can't figure out on my own how to fund this huge expense called adoption.  I just can't.  I've tried, ohh how I have tried, but I FAIL.

The hardest thing to do is to completely give Everything to God.  I released our third child's adoption to him and he moved big mountains very quickly.  So, I am, once again Giving him everything.

How are we going to fund this, come up with 35k and move forward?  That runs through my mind until I stop, pray, and release it to my God.  He is so very mighty and knows our story first hand.

So blessing number 1 happened with a  meeting on January 29th. Our churches ABBA fund said yes and blessed us so greatly.  Even more so, the prayer said over us and for us and the prayers still lifting us are the most wonderful thing we need, constantly.

Blessing number 2 happened just last Thursday.  We arrived at a precious friend's for dinner and were shocked with a Surprise Party!  What??!!  All the thought, decorations, food, and church family that were there was so so precious. 

More importantly the amount of Love and Prayer and Support we received, well, just brought me to tears.  I never in my wildest dreams would have ever believed such a special party would occur.  A party centered around our hearts for adoption and greatly centered around our future child or children. 

In the picture below you see a very lovely adoption book.  It is just awesome.  I have never seen this one and I would recommend it for your family if you are or have adopted.  This was read to all the families there.  Just so special.

The large box you see, well that was filled with money.  Say what?  So shocked on that.  Like really, what a blessing.

Now the small box, this is one of my favorite things.  This is filled with love notes and prayer for us and our family, and the adoption of one or two of God's children.  I cry every time I read them. What a treasure.

To those that came, we feel so loved and thankful for each and every one of you.  To those that did all the special things to get this surprise ready, we are beyond thankful.  To those who couldn't make it, we appreciate you blessing our family and being there in thought and prayer.

And to my most precious friend ever...your heart for me and my family, your giving  always in so many ways to my family...your excitement to do such a special thing for us... you and your husband and your whole family we are so Thankful for.  You love us unconditionally, you show us how to be in relationship with our Father, and we are forever grateful for you. 

With that we are now close to having $8,000.00 towards our goal of $35,000.00.  YAY GOD! 

Isaiah 55: 8-9

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the Lord.  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways,  and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Update, Prayer Request, & Idea's??

It has been a long blessed winter so far.  After battling the flu for a month, missing most the Christmas events, and then enjoying family time in Florida with family, we are back and READY!

Of course adoption is never far from my mind or heart, but I am getting the nudge to move along with and live in what God has in store!

What does that mean?  I am not sure, that is the fun and crazy part of adoption though.  I do know the only thing standing in the way is funding, and that is always the part that brings a lot of anxiety and prayer. God has it and we are resting in that.

So the next request is prayer.  We have a meeting next week that could quite possibly give us the jump start we need to get started with our consultant.  We will then be able to create our profile book and then when more funding is in place start showing to precious birth families.

This is all so exciting and scary.  Saying yes to God is so hard and amazing at the same time.  To be honest I could sit here and tell you that I really don't need more children to take care of, and more work added to my day, and I am scared I can't do it, but really this is so MINIMAL to the feeling God has put in my heart to step into his plan to bless a child or 2 with His Love and a family.  Life is precious and too many lives are being snuffed out by abortion, disease, starvation, and children growing up alone.  Giving up my wants and giving more than I think I can is the least I can do for God. 

CHILDREN ARE A CAUSE WORTH DEFENDING!  Amen?

Lastly, I would like to just ask for ideas for fundraisers?  I am fresh out.  So if you have some great ones, please pass along!

Most important, please keep praying for our family, our precious baby or babies to be and their birth families.  Prayer and Hope and Scripture are definitely what we need most. 

Where we are.....

This is a little update to where we are in our journey to adopt again.  At this point we do have an updated home study, which is a huge time consuming step.  You really cannot get anywhere until you have this.

We will be adopting here in the United States again, and so our first step is to reach $2,500.00 so we can apply with a Consultant.  We went through a consultant agency last time and it is well worth the funds for so many reasons.  I will write on that at a later time.

Our first kick off fund raiser was held about a month and a half ago and we were blessed with $300.00! 

So we now  are praying and waiting on how God will fund the next $2,200.00 so we can apply with our Consultant.  Once applied we can work on our profile books and then start reaching out to birth families.  So exciting!

Would you please pray for guidance, funding, and God's will and timing?

This is our fourth adoption, but we never go into it lightly, or without knowing the hard times we will face, but also the explicit joy in allowing God to continue to write our story as we follow his will.

To explain a little further, here is an exert from the book called, The Spirit of Adoption, by Randy and Kelsey Bohlender.  I love the truth this book speaks and how they have penned the heart of adoption.

"Adoption is not a spur of the moment decision.  Neither is it a haphazard, emotional commitment that a person makes because they want to do something good for someone else.  It is a conscious decision to limit one's own options, pleasures, and even potential for the sake of extending the story of God to children who, without a link to you, may never discover their link to God."

Thank you for praying and going along with us on this next journey.

Blessings

God's story for me and my family....

Here it is, something I spoke not that long ago on Easter Sunday, and after this I was baptized.  The most emotional thing I have ever done.  God was present and it is etched in my heart always.

God's testimony through me and my family is something he wants us to share so you know a little why we are so open to adopting again and the small sacrifices we make for him is nothing in comparison to what Jesus did for us.

I was baptized as an infant.  I was raised to know you go to church every Sunday, no excuse.  I came from a good family.  Since I can remember I have always had faith in God.  But even with that church base, and my young knowledge of God and his word my whole high school career was spent making horrible ungodly choices.  By the time I graduated all of those sinful choices accumulated and ended in brokenness like I had never experienced before.  I did not know who I was or what I should do.  I was completely lost. 

 

Slowly I found my way back to God.  I was full of shame and guilt.  I started to find a little bit deeper faith then I had before.  I actually started to read the bible given to me when I was in eighth grade and pray more openly to God.  As I was trying to build this relationship with God I met my now husband who gave me my very first devotional bible in a translation I found much easier to understand and read.  He showed me how to deepen my faith and relationship with God as well and my Savior Jesus as well.  I was a Christian.

 

But today I am here to tell you what truly deepened my relationship and my belief in Jesus Christ as my savior.  10 years into our marriage, a little over 7 years ago we began the process to adopt our first child.  I was in a situation that I had no human control of, at all.  It brought me to my knees more than ever and I dove into and clung to the promises in the Bible like never before.  I was learning to give my life, my child’s life, my everything to God, and I was learning what it was really like to be in relationship with him.

 

That would begin the choice of hearing God’s will for my life,  and my family’s life no matter what the earthly cost.  My faith has only continued to deepen.  We have adopted 2 more children since then.  Each adoption different, each one teaching more, each one bringing us more persecution from the world….It is so worth it.  I know more about the perfectness of my God, my Jesus, my true faith and the Holy Spirit working with in me.

With our third adoption a year ago, I became a full time mom 5 days before I witnessed his birth.  I was now thrown into full time mother hood to three precious babes who were broken the minute they were born.  They have experienced loss at a level I will never fully comprehend.  I can’t love that hurt and loss away from them, and I love them deeply and unconditionally.  What I can do and what I am now committed to doing is not just showing and teaching them what it is to be Christian, but showing and teaching them what it means to live a life redeemed and to have identity in Christ. 

God gave us Jesus who did the ultimate for us who never will deserve it.  He just wants us to give back, be like him, and to love and tell others of this great gift.  I get it now…  I still mess up everyday, but I have a responsibility.  I am weak, and I am tired, but my days are filled with the joy of saying Yes to God & what he asks me to do.  I believe God gave me children in the way he did because it was his perfect way of conforming me to the image of Christ.  Saying yes to Him is the greatest blessing ever. 

So church, hold me accountable.  I have a big house that could use more of the broken in it because I am saved and I am his, and His house is bigger and He wants us all to be there with him.

 

Are We Serious?

Are we serious about adopting again?  Are we willing to add more dynamic to our family?

The short answer is YES!

Not quite a year ago we purchased my dream vehicle.

Ta Da! 

That's right, my dream van.  No kidding!  Did we need a 12 passenger for 3 kids, umm no, but did we already know that we were suppose to keep adding to the broad and love more kiddo's, Absolutely YES!

So you see, this is no scam, this is real life, this is us allowing God to write our story.

Come on in and join us for the ride!

It's going to be crazy........

Soon, I will share more.  I have been quiet about something I actually shared with maybe 4-500 last Easter.  And I want to share how God has worked in my life because He wants us to be lights for him and show how He can work.