Just Waiting!!!

This is the statement I make in response to our most commonly asked question these days. Almost every day I see or talk to someone that says, "what is going on with your adoption?"..... just waiting.

Actually, I've spent most of my adult life "waiting" on a baby. I did the math, and I have spent approximately 53 months waiting on babies to be born. That's 5 full term and a set of twins that came one month early. So, you would think I would be good at "waiting" by now. Well, not so much!

We have officially been on the wait list for our little one in Ethiopia for 7 months. We started the paper chasing process 13 months ago and we said "yes" to adoption 22 months ago when I was 8 months pregnant with our youngest. So, when someone asks me how long we've been waiting.... on paper, the answer is 7 months.... in my heart, over 22 months. The Lord spoke clearly to me exactly 24 months ago and told me that we had a child waiting for us in Ethiopia. Two months later, He confirmed that to my hubby.... and well, the rest is history. We took off running full speed ahead to get to her.

For the most part, we've had a strong peace about our wait. Don't get me wrong, nothing would make us happier than to go pick up our child tomorrow. But since that's not God's timing, we are just trying to learn from this time of waiting. I recently told my sweet friend Laine, who has walked this journey of adoption several times and walking it patiently right now, that I know God wants to teach me so many things while I'm waiting. I don't want to miss a single lesson because I'm too impatient and sidetracked to learn. Lately, I have asked Him many times to reveal Himself to me during this time. He constantly reminds me to be satisfied in HIM.

The past few days, I have seen and heard Christy Nockels song, Waiting Here For You, several times. It makes me cry every. single. time! I think there is a lesson in this song for all of us. If you are waiting for your child to come home, I hope you will watch this video and allow God to remind you that "HE" is all we are really waiting on. Adoption is not about me, and it's not even really about my child, it's all about HIM!

This is not the live version which I adore as well, but I just found the visuals and the words in this video to be very inspiring and touching. Stop my music at the bottom and enjoy this beautiful song.

Sweet Gifts for Esther!!!!

Do you remember the post I did HERE as an update to our fundraising? In that post I mentioned that my friends, Jana and Candi hosted a 31 Party to raise money for our adoption. Well, I was so excited when I saw what else they did for Esther. Instead of ordering gifts for themselves as their "hostess gifts", they gave them to Esther. She has a pretty nice little wardrobe so far, a few headbands, a pair of shoes and now she has THESE......

These are her first monogramed items. A hooded towel and back pack with her name on them, and a tote with the letter "E". This little back pack will be making a trip to Ethiopia soon.

Candy and Jana... thank you both so much!

When I pulled these out of the bag, the tears started rolling. I just want to cling to anything that makes me feel closer to our little girl. I can picture her little dark skin wrapped up in this towel. We still have quiet a wait ahead of us, but we find peace in knowing that everyday, we are one day closer to Esther.

Stay tuned for beach pictures coming soon!

We must strive for equality

After just returning from a beach vacation where our family ate overpriced seafood on more than one occasion.... this makes me so mad.... at MYSELF! Father forgive us. I'm not trying to say that we should not be able to have a wonderful time with our families or even that we should not eat good food BUT obviously, we need to be spending less and sending more. God said the poor would always be among us but we need some equality. He did mean for us to live simply so others could simply live. Wish I could say that I'm part of that living simply camp but I'm afraid I can't unless I redefine "living simply" to fit my liking.

Read the following article and please pray for the people of Africa. I know that the poor and starving are found in many countries and my heart hurts for all of them. These facts out of Ethiopia just hit hard when you know you have a child(ren) and their families living there in dire straits. Lord, help us strive for equality!

Ethiopia needs $398 million for food aid

By Simon Maina | AFP – 17 hrs ago

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  A newly arrived Somali refugee holds her child at the Dadaab refugee camp in northeastern …

Ethiopia said Monday it needed $398 million to help millions of people in need of food aid due to a severe drought.

The Horn of Africa region has been hit by one of its worst droughts in decades which has left millions of people facing starvation.

"It is estimated that a total of 4.5 million people will require humanitarian assistance during the remaining period of the current year from July to December 2011," Agriculture Minister Mitiku Kassa told reporters.

The figure marks a 40-percent rise in those needing food aid since April.

On Saturday, the UN emergency relief coordinator Valerie Amos called for long-term solutions to curb the effects of the severe drought in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has also seen an influx of Somalis seeking relief from the harsh drought and food scarcity.

God's got your "details" covered!

I came across this blog post by Pastor Steven Furtick a couple days ago and wanted to share it. As I have sought to follow Jesus daily and try to live a life of ministry, one thing I've learned is, having faith and trusting Jesus means that most of the time, I won't understand. Whether you are a details kind of person or not, chances are, you like having control most of the time. I will be the first to admit that I like being in charge. I even use the excuse that when you have as many kids as I do you better have an execution plan at all times. However, Jesus is teaching me that I'm wrong. It's actually the opposite.... Because I have a bunch of kids, still want more and desire nothing more than to live a life of ministry.... I better leave the plans up to HIM! I will say, there is so much freedom and letting go of the reins and leaving the details up to the ONE who had my life all planned out before the foundation of this world. Why in the world would I think I need to be in control?

I hope the following words from Pastor Furtick will be an encouragement to you if you like to be in control and know the details ahead of time. Don't you want to be someone who is fully obedient, rather than fully understanding?

God has every detail of your life covered.... no need to worry!

A common phrase you often hear from people is, “I don’t do details.” Usually they mean they’re more big picture people. They don’t like to get bogged down in minutiae.

In His own way, God doesn’t do details either. At least when it comes to His commands to people in the Bible. In fact, He can often be painfully vague.

He told Abraham simply, “Go to the land I will show you.”
When He beckoned Peter to walk on the water, He simply said, “Come.”
On His command Moses to free the Israelites from the most powerful nation in the world, He merely commanded him, “Go, I am sending you to Pharaoh.”

God didn’t use any detail. He didn’t lay out a step-by-step plan. He just issued the command and expected obedience.

Sometimes people wanted more detail. Moses wanted to know how it was going to happen. What should he tell the people? But God didn’t fill in much detail here either.
I will be with you.
Tell them, I AM has sent me to you.

That helps.

On the one hand, you would think God was kind of winging it. On the surface, it would seem that His plan was just to deal with the details as they came about. And that’s not very reassuring. Not when you’re being asked to step out on faith.

On the other hand, when you read on in the stories, God had every detail covered. Abraham’s journey. The plagues. The Red Sea. Even Peter’s ability to walk on water. And that’s very reassuring.

God is extremely meticulous. He is all about the details. Far more than you’ll ever be. He has everything already figured out. Every pitfall and possibility accounted for. Every detour arranged to get you to your final destination.

So God definitely does the details in terms of His plan and working it out.
But God doesn’t do the details in terms of what He communicates to you.

That’s because He knows there are some details you’re simply not ready for.
And ultimately it’s because He’s more interested in your full obedience than your full understanding.

Don’t worry. God has every detail in your life covered.
He just doesn’t need you to know them first to follow Him faithfully.

Everybody loves gotcha day videos..... enjoy!!!

Wanted to share another beautiful "gotcha day video"..... very sweet :) Get ready to smile (or cry)!

(pause my music at the bottom)

Do you have a list of objections?

I have seen this video buzzing around lately and I was hesitant to post it. For one because as I've said many times, I don't think every Christian is called to adopt and I never want to insinuate that I do. However, I do think a lot are being called but are not doing it. So the question is, why not? My guess is the same reasons we delayed in answering the call. Which by the way.... a friend recently reminded me that delayed obedience is simply disobedience. Anyway, we had a list of reasons why we thought adoption was not for us. As we laid each of our objections before the Lord, He marked every last one off the list for us.

I encourage you to watch this video and then make a list of why adoption is not for you. Pray over your list and let the Lord do what He pleases with your objections. I've heard my husband say many times that he had a mental list a mile long of why we should not adopt but when he finally took "himself" out of the equation his list fell apart. This is when the Lord began showing us that our lives are not our own. Give your list to God and see what He thinks about it :)

(turn off my music at the bottom)

Showers of PINK!!!

Today marks our second pink girly celebration in one week. Last Saturday we spent celebrating and preparing for the upcoming arrival of Bella, who will be coming home from India in just a couple months we hope. Bella is seven years old so she didn't need a baby shower but she certainly needed a big girl tea.... and that's just what we did. She is the most adorable little thing you've ever seen. Please follow her journey home HERE!

Here are a few pics from her special day....

Then today.... pink tea number two!

This special little lady is my niece. My b-inlaw and s-inlaw will be traveling to South Korea in a couple months to bring home Daria.

Is she adorable or what? Both of these sweet girls are coming home to houses full of boys.... so can you imagine how much pink they both got? :)

My SIL's shower was at my house..... she was so sweet to keep all my kids last night so they wouldn't be home to destroy my house. Not sure who's more worn out tonight.... me or her.

I am so thankful for both of these little ladies and especially thankful for the wonderful families they are both coming home to. How neat is it that God is providing friends and cousins for our sweet Esther that are coming home from all around the world. I dream about her birthday parties and how she won't look like her white family but neither will many of her little girlfriends. One of my favorite songs as a child was, "Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World"..... I think God was preparing my heart way back then for more than I even imagined.

I want to leave you tonight with a post from my friend Laine.... you have to visit her blog and see this adorable little brother and sister about to come home to our sweet friends. When I saw this tonight I just about had a fit over these two dreamy little China babies.... Click HERE and get ready to smile!

Tonight my heart is full as I think of all these sweet babies coming home. Praise the Lord that He sets the lonely in families.