Purified

Dependence upon God is so important to Him. God sees it as so important that He constantly reminds us that this life is NOT about us or OUR timing. Compared to Moses' time of wondering in the wilderness our waiting times are short, but those times of waiting still seem long in the midst of the wait. For example, when we were in North Carolina, it seemed like a church staff position would never come our way! Many of our friends that moved to seminary after us still left before us for ministry positions. We often wondered, "When, God? Why not now?" It just wasn't the right timing. God had the perfect place He wanted us to be at just the right time . . . that place was back in the state of Georgia at Kennesaw First Baptist Church. That was almost three years ago. Once our waiting for that was over, it was time to wait for other things: a job for me, another job for me after that one, the first adoption, now the second adoption. There is just always something to wait for, even in the midst of everyday life . . . waiting in line, waiting for a pay check, waiting for a package to come in the mail, waiting for summer break, waiting for . . . the list could go on and on. Is that really bad, though? In the midst of waiting it can seem that way, but from personal experience I know that God has important lessons to teach me in those times of waiting.

Just last week the concept of waiting came up for both of us. Eric had some things he was waiting on, and several co-workers of mine shared about waiting. I have really been blessed to teach at a Christian school. It's not at every workplace that staff meetings begin with prayer and a devotion. Last Thursday morning my headmaster did just that - started our staff meeting off with prayer and a devotion. As God has been teaching us, the headmaster spoke about waiting.

The Scripture passage emphasized by my school headmaster was Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God . . ." Although this is a familiar verse to me, it struck me different this time due to the place I am at in life right now. I later took time to go back and re-read and meditate on that verse. My Bible translation reads, "Cease striving, and know that I am God . . ." The note in my Bible corresponding to this verse points out that "cease striving" can also mean "let go, relax." That says to me that I need to let go and rest in God. I've heard that before and know that. I've even told others that, but right now I needed the reminder. I'm really good at trying to do things on my own and striving too hard at something that was meant to be left simple and in God's hands. That's why Eric often asks me if he needs to go to Moe's to get me an Overachiever. :)

The headmaster continued the devotion time by reading an excerpt from the devotional book My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers (entry for February 22nd).

"Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling. Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero is going to be conquered . . . there is the call to spiritual perseverance. A call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated."

"If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God."

Purified is a great way to state what happens during a waiting time. God is always in the process of refining us to make us more like Him, and I have definitely seen that in my own life. Sure, waiting for God can be stressful . . . if you let it be stressful. I can choose to be stressed out by having no clue when God desires to bless us with a child, or I can rest in Him. That sure does make it sound easy and like I've got it all figured out and together, but that's not the case. Sometimes I have trouble resting in God's sovereignty, and other times it's easy. Regardless of what decision I make, it is always more comforting when I choose to rest in God - to cease striving and know that God's got it all under control.

From Dark to Bright

How can a seemingly dark day quickly transform into a vividly bright day? Encouragement! Encouragement comes in many forms: hugs, written and spoken words, prayers, God's Word, and sometimes others just being present (even if no words are spoken). When I asked Eric what has encouraged him most during this process, he replied: "People telling us they are praying for us - it always comes at the most needed times." We have had some seemingly dark days throughout our adoption process, but God has transformed those times into vividly bright days through His provisions of peace and encouragement.

Eric and I have been blessed by encouragement in many ways:
- blog comments
- facebook comments and messages
- cards
- prayers and notification of prayers
- presence of loved ones
- God's financial provisions through friends and family
- listening ears of friends and family
- testimonies of God at work in the lives of others
- reading the Bible

Thank you to everyone who has offered us encouragement! Even those reading this blog are an encouragement through support shown by following our story! You never know how what you do is impacting the lives of others - thanks for impacting ours!

Covenant Care 3rd Adoption Placement of 2012 (1/26)

Covenant Care celebrated with another couple yesterday as a little boy was given a forever family!

Catch-up: Is it red or read?

No new post today. I hereby deem today, January 26th, Project180Degrees Blog Reader Catch-up Day (and writer catch-up day). :) Check back soon for more new posts about our adoption. Thanks for following our story!

Cravings! My, How Perspectives Can Change!

In some cases, pet dogs for people craving children are like pacifiers for babies craving milk. In other cases of people craving children, pet dogs are their babies. Does this sound outlandish? Take this statement in context and perspective from a couple with a deep craving to have children of their own to parent and love.

Eric has always loved dogs, but I have never been much of a dog fan. I always saw dogs okay for others to have, but I never desired one of my own. They take so much time and work. They stink. They are nasty. They get in the way. They are just something extra to have to deal with. I must confess that these views have COMPLETELY changed.

When we found out about the closing of our international girls' adoption, Eric said that we needed a dog. I was still reluctant to the idea, but I was willing to go take a look. Does that sound familiar? "Oh, I'm just going to LOOK." We know how that story often ends! When we went into the pet store that Spring 2011 day, our hearts were quickly stolen by Chara. The rest is history! :) We were just going to look, remember?

Chara was spoiled right from the start, mainly because of the timing in which she came into our family (yes, she is part of the family). :) Chara joined our family at a time when we were hurting from loss and longing so much for something little to love. For that reason, Chara was treated as much like a baby as possible. She changed my perspective on dogs! For example, I NEVER thought I would talk to an animal in that "goo, goo, gah, gah" baby voice. I thought that was one of the silliest ideas I had ever heard of. In fact, I told myself that I would not even talk to a baby in that "baby" voice. Chara changed that, too! Now I talk to Chara and her brother in that voice. I speak to them like they are human (I think they think they are human). Really, right now they are our babies. That may sound ridiculous to some people, but it is very true for us. We even have family time on the sofa bed with them. Sometimes we use the dogs to communicate with each other. For instance, I might say, "Handsome, Chara and Philos said they want you to take them outside." What that really means is, "Handsome, the dogs need to go outside to go potty right now. Can you please take them?" The dogs are also nice company when Eric is out of town.

Getting our dogs as puppies has been fun because we can see them grow and mature. We often say, "I can't believe she is growing up so fast!" Or, "Remember when he was just a little puppy?" Does that sound familiar to those of you who have witnessed humans grow up? Just last Friday we celebrated Chara's first birthday! We went to our pet store to get her a new toy and a birthday cupcake! The cupcake was really a cupcake-shaped doggie treat, but it was so cute. The pet store even kept it in a special "food" case with other beautifully, bakery-style decorated treats . . . sprinkles on top, too! We really had fun picking out just the right treat, bringing it home to Chara, and singing "Happy Birthday" to her. I never thought I would do that, but I did . . . and I enjoyed it! . . . We are babies craving for milk, but for now we will patiently suck our pacifier until God sees fit to give us a bottle.

We called 911!!!!!!!!!!!! (Part Two)

Yesterday we shared about phase two of our baby registry adventure. Read on to find out SOME of the funny moments, educational insights, and the big shocker!

Funny Moments
- We related everything back to our dogs. For example, we saw the same shampoo brand at Babies 'R Us that we use for our dogs! It's a healthy, all-natural shampoo that our pet store highly recommended we use. Apparently that company makes baby shampoo, too! We also saw many bath toys. I said, "Oh! Philos and Chara would love those!" Baby gates: already have those for the dogs. Check! :) Bag refills for portable dirty diaper bag holder: we use those for the dogs! We actually bought some bag refills while we there because we needed more for Chara and Philos! :)
- We had questions for almost everything: "What does that do?" "What would we need that for?" "Really? We need one of those?"
- Eric's face and reaction when Laura said that many doctors ask for rectal temperatures when little babies are sick!!! Ha! Ha!
- Eric's quick "No!" response when Laura asked us if we would use cloth diapers! I had actually thought about the idea, but Eric HATES gross things. Guess who cleans up most of the dog poop and throw-up in our house? Me! Eric will have lots of fun with a little baby! :)
- Just watching us be so clueless must have been quite comical!

Educational Insights
- Boppy pillows are not just for nursing - they are also good for resting the baby on when he/she is taking a bottle or for support for the baby. I would have never registered for one of those!
- Bottle nipples come in different flows (slow, medium, fast).
- There are pacifiers that glow in the dark so you can find them at night!
- Little pacifier cases are sold now so pacifiers can be easily found in diaper bags.
- Realizing how many little things are needed. Thank goodness for baby showers! I'll try and purchase registry items now for future showers I attend instead of something else.
- There are so many different types of bottles, pacifiers, bibs, spoons, diapers, blankets, burp cloths, baby carriers, etc. For a good bit of items, baby preference comes in to play.
- You can trade formula coupons with other people through the mail.
- Having 2-3 changing pad covers is wise.

Things We Wouldn't Have Registered for on Our Own but Did
- boppy pillow
- extra inserts for the car seat (head supports)
- extra car seat base for our 2nd vehicle
- baby wipe warmer - really?!?!
- gas relief drops and gripe water
- boogie wipes
- baby cotton swabs (the cotton part is larger - didn't know that)
- freezer storage containers for homemade baby food (I would like to try making my own baby food)

The Shocker
- Prices! Formula! Wow! That stuff is expensive!

By the end of our registry, our list went from 6 pages to 11 pages!!! Does that mean we are officially registered now? Yes and No. We have the items we want listed on our registry, but we also still have items on our registry that we don't want. For example, we couldn't narrow down which pack-in-play we wanted, so we just scanned several of them. Other items we scanned but we need to go back and make some decisions about those items. For example, we're not sure if we scanned the correct car seat base. If you would like to humor yourself, feel free to check out the crazy things we registered for prior to Laura coming to our rescue! Hopefully sometime soon we will be able to go back and clean up our registry so that it will be ready to share with others.

Overall, this second trip was much less overwhelming since we had someone to give us explanations, direction, and advice. We really had fun picking out baby items with a special friend. We feel much more confident now in our baby knowledge. Thanks, Laura, for answering our 911 call!

We Called 911!!!!!!!!!!!! (Part One)

Even though we have no indication yet as to when our time for a placement will come, we still decided to go ahead and work on our baby registry so we can have it finished and ready when it's needed. In an earlier post, we shared that we began our registry in November. We did not finish it then because we were overwhelmed by everything in Babies 'R Us and had NO idea what to scan in the last section of the store (the bottles/pacifier/meds/bath section). When we got back in our car that day with our registry left unfinished, we called 911!

The 911 call was made to one of our dear friends, Laura. We needed some MAJOR help, so we called her. Laura and her husband John have been a HUGE blessing to us in our college ministry leadership team at church. They are two of the most selfless and giving people we know. They were so willing to help us out and pour into us when "our girls" were here, and they have done the same during this adoption process. John and Laura have three young children, with the youngest under a year old. Laura certainly knows her baby stuff, so we were excited she could help us out.

If you could have been an onlooker of us Friday night, you probably would have been rolling on the floor of Babies 'R Us, doubled over in hysterical laughter! Eric and I have worked with children of all ages for years and even have little nieces and a nephew, but there is still SO much for us to learn. Thankfully, Laura was SO patient to explain everything we needed to know. She had even looked at our registry ahead of time to know what crazy things we had already registered for or didn't register for. Laura was helpful in minimizing the overwhelming feelings of seeing SO many items to choose from.

CHECK BACK TOMORROW TO READ ABOUT OUR FUNNY REGISTRY MOMENTS, REGISTRY EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS, AND THE BIG REGISTRY SHOCKER!

A Sunday to Pray

As our wait continues, we are asking for you to pray. Pray for . . .
 

Birth mom 

(as she makes her decision and that God would comfort her)

Patience for us 

(the wait is tough so we need God to help us be patient)

Our future child 

(that God would prepare our hearts and lives for the child)

Thanks for all your love and support during this time. We want God to be glorified, so will you join us in praying for these request today? Feel free to pass these prayer request along to others.

Hearing from our Caseworker

On Saturday, Eric sent an email to our case worker to touch base with her. We needed to notify her of my upcoming birthday because my age needs to be changed on our portfolio and on the Covenant Care website (waiting parent list). We also needed to find out when we needed to start updating our paperwork (it's been almost a year since our home study was completed).

We received a response email from our case worker on Monday. She said that she will be contacting the Macon office about my age change. In reply to our second question, our case worker said that there is no need to update our medical paperwork right now. She said we can wait until closer to May and do all of our updates at one time. Of course our case worker's email made our brain wheels start turning and analyzing as always! This sounds so obvious, but our conclusions to her email went two directions: 1) There is no need to update our paperwork yet because we won't need to, meaning we might have a placement before May. 2) We still have a long time to wait because we will need to go ahead and update paperwork in May.

Our case worker email response was actually quite short and didn't contain too much information, so please do not take our two conclusions as facts. Those conclusions are merely our speculations of a highly anticipated event in our lives! Ultimately, only God knows the exact time of our placement. In His perfect timing He will allow us to meet our future child. We will trust in the power of His timing while we wait.

Covenant Care 2nd Adoption Placement of 2012

In an earlier email from Covenant Care, we found out that several birth mothers are due at the start of this year. This is very evident in the two placements made in less than a week! Can't wait until it's us! Covenant Care Services had another placement yesterday (1/17)! Watch the video to see a family meet their new son/brother! We'll continue to keep you posted as more placements are made. Keep these families and birth moms in your prayers!

1st Adoption Placement of 2012!

On Friday, January 13th, Covenant Care Services had its first adoption placement of the year!

What is adoption placement? This is when adoptive parents and adoptees have been matched up. The placement day is when the adoptive parents are officially united with their child(ren). Placement is what we are waiting for right now.

For Covenant Care Services (our adoption agency), once a match has been made, adoptive parents go to the agency's location in Macon for a placement ceremony. The adoptive parents are taken to a "waiting room". Then their child is brought to them. Lots of pictures are taken and then a celebration takes place. The video below shows the 1st 2012 adoption placement. This couple waited on their child for three years! We've also heard stories of shorter waiting times of six months. Hopefully we won't be waiting three years like this couple, but only God knows. Regardless, we have to trust in God's timing!

Honestly, it can be tough for us to watch these videos because we are not the couple in the video! Every time we see a placement video, we dream of the day when that will be us. At the same time, we do rejoice for the placements that have been made: for the birth moms who have made the wonderful choice of life by making an adoption plan, for the child(ren) entering into a loving family, and for the adoptive parents who are finally able to love on their awaited child(ren). Enjoy the video! Caution: You may experience tears!

Heart Beat

Truth #1 about Adoption: 

Adoption is at the Heart of the Gospel 

Galatians 4:4-7

⁴ But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, ⁵ so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. ⁶ Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. 

Why and how is adoption at the heart of the Gospel?
Verse 4 - "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law."


What does verse 4 mean?

• "Fullness" means fulfillment; the completion of God's redemptive purposes founded on the person of Christ (Expository Dictionary of Bible Words).
• Even before God created the world, He knew the exact point in time that Jesus would come to earth.
• When God set the stars in their place and put the planets in their orbits, He laid out their paths that at just the right time, they would announce the coming of the Messiah to the world.
• "God sent forth His Son" - Jesus Christ is the eternally divine Son of God sent forth from heaven. John 1:14 says, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."
• "Born under the law" - Jesus was a Jewish man and adhered to Jewish laws.
• All of this together set the climate for Christ's birth and our redemption. Paul makes the point in Galatians that Jesus came to earth. 1) Jesus was born of a woman and born under the Law. 2) Jesus was born a man, like all other men, but at the same time He was fully God. 3) Philippians 2:4-8 says that Jesus emptied Himself and was born a man so that He could be our substitute. He was God and lived a perfect life . . . perfectly obedient to the Law that He had established.
• John MacArthur says, "He [Jesus] had to be fully God in order for His sacrifice to have the infinite worth necessary to atone for the sin of mankind. He also had to be fully man in order to represent mankind and take the penalty of sin upon Himself in man's behalf" (John MacArthur's commentary on Galatians).
• Adoption is at the heart of the Gospel as Jesus came to take our sin. He did this because He loves us just as we are.

How does Galatians 4 apply to me?

As we receive forgiveness from God, our relationship with God changes forever. Ephesians 2 says that we move from being objects of wrath, from being children of the devil, from being strangers, and from being those living in the kingdom of darkness to being in the family of God. The question is this: Have you been adopted into the family of God? Meaning, have you surrendered your life to follow Him? The Bible tells us that we are sinners and have fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23) and that the penalty for our sins is death. The good news is that God gives us the FREE gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). As we realize this, we must confess that Jesus is Lord, and He will save us from our sins and adopt us as His sons and daughters. We are adopted, and you can be, too!

Times Have Changed but Challenges Remain

http://sharetv.org/shows/little_house_on_the_prairie_1974

Last Friday night Eric and I had a date night. After a dinner out (thanks to Eric's leftover birthday gift card), Eric and I came home and watched a movie on TV. When Eric fell asleep on the couch, I flipped through some channels and came upon one of my favorite television shows: Little House on the Prairie. I know it's an old show, but I just can't pass up a good, wholesome show from my childhood. I remember when Michael Landon, the dad (Charles Ingalls), was really sick. One morning as a little girl, I went to my basement and typed him a letter on our typewriter! I have obviously been a fan for a long time!

Friday night's episode happened to be about adoption! Of course I had to watch it! A sibling set of three was left orphaned after their mother's passing. Charles Ingalls was the one left responsible for finding a home for the children. Two individuals stepped up to adopt the children, but that meant the two older boys would be in one home and the younger sister would be in another home far away. The show closed with the adoptive father having a change of heart. He ended up getting married to a wonderful lady, and together they adopted all three children so they could be kept together. This was truly a happy ending to the story!

This episode highlighted two main adoption situations: 1) the change of adoption over time; 2) the struggle of finding adoptive homes for sibling sets.

THE CHANGE OF ADOPTION OVER TIME
How I wish adoption was still as quick and "easy" as it was in Friday night's episode of Little House on the Prairie! "Easy" means no paperwork hassles like today. Charles Ingalls wrestled with the issue of separating the children, so it really wasn't easy for him. He did the best he could, but he really had a hard time finding families willing to adopt three children at once. Regardless, in the 1800s depicted in the show, adoption was a quicker process. For example, this lady told Charles that she wanted to adopt the little girl. She spent a little time getting to know her, and that was it. The adoption was as simple as an agreement to adopt: "Yes, I would like to adopt the little girl." "Okay. You may take her home." The process is definitely more complex today.

"Orphan Trian" http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~adoption/topics/orphan.html

Although the complexity of adoption has changed over time, finding homes for children was still a big deal in the 1800s (even though a TV show simplified it somewhat). For example, in 1851, "Massachusetts passed the first modern adoption law, recognizing adoption as a social and legal operation based on child welfare rather than adult interests" ("Timeline of Adoption History"). In 1854, orphan trains were instituted ("Timeline of Adoption History"). The orphan trains information is especially interesting. Orphans from New York were taken across the country by train so that other people could look at them and decide if they wanted to adopt them. This was a very informal adoption process with little investigation ("Orphan Trains").

THE STRUGGLE FOR FINDING ADOPTIVE HOMES FOR SIBLINGS
This issue is not limited to an episode of Little House on the Prairie. It is still a prevalent issue today. It is challenging for families to take in multiple children at one time (finances, space, jobs, etc.). In fact, when I delivered toys to Calvary Children's Home, the executive director explained that this exact issue is what played a role in the development of that home. A large sibling set needed a home, but a home allowing all of them to stay together was not found. This is a situation close to home. Some of my extended family members took in siblings in a situation similar to the Little House on the Prairie episode. For my family, the siblings were not able to stay in the same house, but most of the siblings were able to stay in the same family. This allows them to still see each other at family gatherings or other times. Sure, I would love to see sibling sets live together, but it is just hard to find homes for them. I would love to welcome a sibling set into our home. We are in a good spot for that since we do not have children yet. Even when we do have children, I would still like to take in a sibling set. We'll see what God wants for us in that area. It is definitely something to think about! Would you be willing to adopt a sibling set?

Many issues surface to the top of the water when really investigating the ocean depths of adoption! Even a television show set in the 1800s sought to advocate adoption and finding homes for orphans. Adoption is certainly not a new concept and is certainly a concept still necessary for consideration. After all, God adopts!

Is no word really progress?

Is no word really progress? A common question for us now is this: "So . . . Have you heard anything?" or . . . "What's the latest?" Right now we cannot answer those questions. We don't know. No, we haven't heard anything. Sure, that can be discouraging at times, but it can be encouraging as well.

Is no word really progress? Even though we haven't received any updates from our caseworker, God is still at work. God is ALWAYS at work! He never slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121). In God's perfect timing He will reveal to us His perfect placement for our adoption. I am looking forward to the day when I can hear the case worker's side of our adoption story. For instance, an adoptive couple shared their story with us at our October 14th adoption meeting. It is amazing all that God did in their adoption journey, and they had no idea until the placement was made.

Is no word really progress? YES! Adoption is like a puzzle. There are so many pieces all over the place, and one by one God puts those pieces together to form one AMAZING piece of art! That's worth waiting to see!

Why do people have to wait so long to adopt?

One of my 7th grade students asked a great question last week: "Mrs. Miller, why do people have to wait so long to adopt?" Of course I took the opportunity presented to me and shared the answer to his question. . .

There are a number of reasons why adoption takes so long.

• The time frame depends on the location of the adoption and the situation of the adoption. 
• When adopting internationally, most processes involve adoptive parents to not only complete US paperwork, but also international paperwork. The paperwork is then shipped/delivered to the designated country for further processing. Adoptive parents then have to wait longer for the country to give approval of the adoption. Then the adoptive parents often have to travel to the country, be matched with a child, go through a "trial" period, have a court date, go to doctor visits, get child documents, etc. 
• Adoption has changed with time. The process is much longer now. 
• One person can spoil it for the whole bunch. Because of poor choices made by some adoptive parents, countries are taking more precautions with adoptions.
• Takes time to raise money.
• Home studies take time - months sometimes.
• In our situation, we are waiting on a birth mother to choose us for her adoption plan.
• God has so much to teach adoptive families while they wait.
• Preparations.
• Documents take time to process (ex. waiting on fingerprints or FBI approval)
• Road bumps and hurdles (paperwork is time-sensitive, something may get lost, something additional might arise, travel issues, countries changing policies, etc.).
• Court - Adoptions are not always final once a child is placed in a home. Adoptive parents and adoptees must still make a court appearance for a judge to finalize the adoption.
• Follow up visits are often required.
• Protection of all parties involved.
• Bottom line . . . adoption is a process.

Where did the idea of adoption come from?

The God of the Bible began the idea of adoption. For those who surrender their lives to follow Jesus Christ, God adopts them as His sons and daughters! Check out our adoption stories! We are son and daughter of Almighty God! We have been redeemed forever! God is our Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally for eternity! We are children of God!

Blessed to Bless

When we hosted the Princesses in our home, numerous people rallied around us to provide just what those children needed.

Here are some of the blessings we received for the girls:
- books
- piano books
- clothes
- hair accessories
- dental items
- excursions/outings
- gift cards
- toys
- room decor
- furniture
- car seat for the youngest girl
- Christmas gifts
- Bibles in their language

What happened with all these blessings once the adoption ended?
- books (still have)
- piano books (still have)
- clothes (given to a family at the school I teach at)
- hair accessories (most of them sent back with the girls, some given to a family at the school I teach at and to a local children's home)
- dental items (most of them sent back with the girls, some still under the bathroom sink)
- excursions/outings (used for the girls when they were here)
- gift cards (used for the girls when they were here)
- toys (given to a local children's home)
- room decor (given to another family that could use it)
- furniture (put back in family storage where it came from)
- car seat for the youngest girl (given to a church member who nannies and needed it for her car)
- Christmas gifts (given to the girls when they were here - some taken back with them but rest given to a local children's home)
- Bibles in their language (still have them, but they will probably end up at New Horizons for Children for other kids to use)

It's obvious that we were blessed by so many generous gifts! Those blessings were used as new blessings last week. After cleaning out the baby closet last Wednesday, the toys were boxed up and placed in my car. On Thursday, the toys were taken to a local children's home that I learned about through people at the school where I teach . . .

Have you ever done something that wasn't easy and was easy all at the same time? That's how dropping off the toys at Calvary Children's Home was. It was not easy because that was mainly the last of the girls' belongings in our home. Dropping off toys was cutting more strings (even though I still have pictures and memories). On the other hand, dropping off the toys was easy because I knew that there were many children who would benefit from having those toys. The children's home operates on a donation basis, so receiving so many toys was a blessing for the home. Just imagine the little girls playing with the toy stroller and doll accessories. Picture the happy faces made with the squeeze of a new stuffed animal. What about the creative outlet for those who use the craft supplies? Can you hear the laughter the games will invoke? Think of all the conversations that will occur when the girls play with their barbie dolls.

When dropping off the boxes of toys, I had the privilege of meeting the wife of the children's home founder. She was so sweet and took time to share with me about the history of the children's home. Until a parent from my school told me about this children's home, I had no idea it existed. It's only about 20 minutes from where we live! This home has such a special ministry to the children that come through there. In fact, the founder's wife told me that some past children practically grew up there, graduated, got married, and brought their kids back there to visit. Check out the home's website to learn more.

So many people blessed us through donations, so it was an honor to take those same gifts and allow them to bless others.

You Never Know What Closets Conceal!

Last Wednesday night was one more step taken in our baby steps . . . one more step taken in pressing onward.

Many of you have viewed the posts of the baby room. It used to look like this:

Eric and the Princesses are reading a Bible story together.

Once the adoption of these princesses came to an end, we began to slowly clean out "their" room. The room once filled with older girl toys and decor was turned into a blank piece of canvas once again. Little by little clothes were given away, bedding was given away, decorations were given away, mattresses given new homes, and furniture taken back to storage at the grandparents-to-be's house. Most of the pictures and crafts slowly moved from display to the closet.

These are the only Princess decorations left out on display. Princess #1 painted this amazing picture! She is so talented! Princess #2 made the flower that is sitting on top of the painting. These decorations serve as a reminder to us to still pray for these girls to one day come to know Jesus personally - the adoption that matters for eternity.

The main part of the room was cleared out much quicker than the closet. The closet was easy to avoid because it was behind a closed door . . . out of sight, out of mind . . . not really. Just because the girls' toys and memorabilia were out sight, did not mean those princesses were out of mind. Who made that statement up? Actually, it was helpful to have their pictures off the walls in the rest of the house. The girls weren't out of mind, but they just weren't "in our faces" all the time. We needed healing.

The adoption of these girls ended in March 2011. Aside from clothes, the closet was not sorted through until last week! Eric and I finally took the plunge and cleaned out the now baby's closet. With a pile of baby items starting to accumulate in a corner of the baby's room, the closet had to be dealt with. The amount of toys cleaned out of the closet literally covered the entire carpet space of the room. The toys were sorted through, put in boxes, and taken away the next day. . . but to where?

Now the closet is cleaned out and starting to have evidence of a baby-to-come (needs to be organized, though)! Check back tomorrow to find out where the old toys went!!!

Heart Change . . . Lives Changed

Eric and I first talked about adoption during our dating days. When we seriously started considering adoption later in our marriage, we were initially going to adopt a baby. We wanted to adopt the youngest child possible from another country. Once we were introduced to an international hosting program in 2009, our hearts began to change. God opened our eyes to adopting older children, and two at that! Never in our wildest imagination would we have ever pictured ourselves adopting two older children, especially at the same time! Once our eyes first viewed the picture of the girls we would host, we were hooked. It was love at first sight! When we first hugged those girls at the airport in December 2009, we knew that we would do whatever it took to have those girls as a part of our family forever. Although that didn't turn out to be the final outcome, God still allowed us the opportunity to pour into the lives of those two girls. Those girls were loved, experienced family, and learned about Jesus. Pray that God will continue to use the two Christmas hostings in our home to remind Princesses 1 and 2 that God loves them!

Are you interested in reaching out to orphans but don't have the funds?

God can provide them. He provided for us in abundance! 

Are you interested in reaching out to orphans but don't have the time or means?

You can pray.

Are you interested in reaching out to orphans but don't want to host them in your home?

You can financially support those who can.

Are you interested in reaching out to orphans but aren't in the position to adopt?

You can host them in your home!

Are you interested in hosting an orphan in your home?

Contact New Horizons for Children

New Horizons for Children was our avenue for hosting orphans in our home. New Horizons for Children is an international hosting agency based out of Acworth, GA. For some of you, that's your back yard! However, you can live in any part of the United States to host a child through this agency. This agency is NOT an adoption agency, but it does offer family opportunities to orphans by bringing them to the United States for month-long stays with host families. During their stay they are loved on, have physical needs met (dentist, etc.), receive clothing essentials, experience American culture, learn English, hear about Jesus, and are a part of a family for a month.

If you are interested in participating in reaching out to orphans through New Horizons for Children, act now! A new group of children will come in June or July, so the application process is starting now. Click here to visit the agency website for more information. Use this new year to not just make changes in your own life, but use it to make changes in the lives of others.

Waiting to be Adopted

Our first adoption journey was about what this video points out. Through our adoption journey we have learned that some people believe the best circumstance for adoption is adopting a baby. We are adopting a baby because that is what God has called us to do as a couple at this time. Our decision to adopt a baby was not based upon the popular opinion of that being the "best" age to adopt. Yes, there are advantages to adopting a baby, but there are many older children in need of families, too. Sure it would have been tough for us to adopt two older children. I would have been almost 29 with a sixth grader and a third grader! Of course there would have been baggage and unknowns. There would have been challenges of past hurt and emotion. Adjustments to a new country, a new family, new friends, and a new everything would have been part of it. However, those girls have the same desires that little babies grow up to have . . . to be loved, to be accepted, to be successful . . . Hear it from these kids. Check out the video below (only a few minutes long - it's worth the time). Video taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40fwJq0x2ro&feature=related.

Baby Registry Begins

On the eve of our 9th wedding anniversary in November, we began our baby registry!

This is a great picture! Do you realize what is on Eric's head?! I'm pretty sure that is NOT a hat, but it made for some good laughs at the time. :)

Eric had fun using the scanning gun! He did let me scan one or two items, but I had fun watching him have fun. We thought we could just go in Babies R' Us and scan quickly. Ha! What a joke! We had NO idea what we were doing. We scanned all kinds of things we probably don't need and didn't scan things we probably will need. In fact, we didn't even finish our registry. We'll have to go back later to clean up and finish up. When we left the store, we immediately contacted a good friend with a desperate plea for "HELP!" She will accompany us when we go to finish our registry. I must say, it is different scanning items for a baby registry when your tummy has no baby bump and you have no clue when you will even be meeting your baby! That was an overwhelming trip in many ways. Eric and I used to dread going in to baby stores or baby sections of stores. It hurt (especially when shopping for baby shower gifts). This time we were going there to register for our baby! Although we don't know the "due date" for our little one, it was really exciting to finally be picking out baby items . . . even if we didn't register for the right ones. :)

Stroller

Back probably around Novemberish, Eric's dad surprised us with a stroller and car seat combo. This was really a big deal for him. His goal was to find a neutral stroller, and it is for the most part. It is pink and brown plaid and some flowers, but I'm sure our little son or daughter will love it. It is really a nice stroller and was extremely thoughtful. Who knows, maybe Eric's dad knows something we don't . . . maybe it's a girl!

Eric and I had fun putting the stroller together.

Yes, we had to make sure a baby looked good in the stroller! We had to make sure it was safe. :) We used one of the baby dolls left over from hosting the girls. What's really funny is that that baby doll was taken from the baby bed and put in the stroller. Yes, that means I had the baby doll test out the baby bed, too! It's safe! :)

Once we took the stroller for a test ride around the house, we parked it in the corner of the baby's room. Since the bed is the only furniture in the room now, the stroller adds a nice touch to the empty side of the room.

One day that baby doll will be replaced with a real baby! :)

Our Babies in the Meantime

We posted a picture a while ago of our dog Chara. We got Chara as a puppy in April after we found out our first adoption fell through. In August we got Chara a friend, hence his name Philos (Greek for friend - Chara is Greek for joy). Pictured above is Philos.

Chara and Philos certainly keep us busy and entertained. Two puppies under a year old. Who's idea was that?! :)

Due to the timing of getting our dogs, they are extremely spoiled (understatement) and think they are human. They are treated like babies (especially by Mama Erin). :) They like to be held like babies, they like to be wrapped in blankets, they like to cuddle like babies (especially when they are tired), they crave attention like babies, they like their food just so (particularly Chara), and the list goes on and on. We even call them our kids, and Eric is Daddy and Erin is Mommy.

Chara and Philos have certainly grown a lot since we got them. They have also taught us a lot . . . a ton! We had already heard from friends that dogs are great parent-trainers, but we had no idea the extent of that until Philos and Chara came along! I no longer have a problem talking about poop and pee schedules. :) Cleaning up poop, pee, and puke is not so bad anymore, either. (I never thought I would say that!) They really are great dogs. They fight at times like siblings do, but just another good training opportunity for us. :) We did not get dogs for parent training, it just worked out that way. We got dogs because we wanted something little to love on. They certainly get loved on . . . our babies in the meantime.

Is it ever too early to set up a Christmas tree? Is it ever too late to play with baby dolls?

This is me helping get out our Christmas tree . . . in OCTOBER! I know people have already started taking down their Christmas decor, but putting up Christmas decor started early for us. Normally we decorate for Christmas after Thanksgiving. However, this past year's Christmas decorating time frame came with a change.

Why put up a Christmas tree in October? That's a great question. When we met with our case worker in August, she explained that she often feels like Santa Clause. She knows secrets about adoption plans, but has to wait until just the right time to unveil those secrets . . . like Santa Clause at Christmas time. That sparked an idea in our heads. If our case worker is like Santa, let's put up our Christmas tree early. We chose October 24th to set up our Christmas tree because that was the day our portfolios began being distributed. That means that that was the day that our case worker began her role as our "Santa". I know she is not really Santa, but the fun that she has in sharing the news of a great gift makes her feel like she is.

This is Eric finding the cords for the lights. :) Fun job!

Some people might think this is weird, but we don't. We still have two baby dolls and other baby toys left over from when we hosted the girls in our home. We thought it would be fitting to put one of the baby dolls under our Christmas tree, because that will be a very nice present one day. It also served as a prayer reminder.

The tree didn't get decorated until much later - like Thanksgiving break or something - but nonetheless it was up on one of our special mile stone days: the day we became officially paper pregnant!

We considered leaving our Christmas tree up until the completion of our adoption waiting process, but the tree came down on New Year's day. Although the tree went back to the garage storage closet, the baby doll didn't. Where did it go?

The baby doll ended up on the fireplace. As of now, it will remain there as our prayer reminder until a real baby comes to our living room! The center decoration of the mantle says the word faith, so it is fitting to have the baby doll prayer reminder there.

Is it ever too early to set up a Christmas tree? 

Is it ever too late to play with baby dolls? 

We don't think so.

Baby Room: Part 3

Baby toys are starting to make their way to our house already! Between friends and grandparents, we've got a good start. That means I need to get the closet cleaned out so I can move the new toys in. The closet still has toys in it from the girls we previously hosted and were going to adopt.

Here are pictures of the baby's room so far. If you didn't read the "Baby Room: Part 2" post, you'll have to go back and check it out. I took the wall decor that I made and put it in cherry frames that match the bed.

These wall shelves used to be in our living room, but they fit better in the baby's room. I'm not sure yet what I will put in the frame. The wooden boxes still need to be painted, but that's good because a baby room project is good for me. I actually happened upon these boxes at Michael's one day. Not a bad deal for about 25 cents a piece! :) I love a good deal! They go well with the baby block letters on the other wall art.

For now there's not much more I can do to our baby's room as far as decorating. The empty space in the room will later be filled with a changing table and of course a rocker/glider. I would like to get the matching curtains, too, but baby showers will come soon enough. Patience. God loves to teach us patience! :) It certainly grows our faith. Of course, the biggest part missing from the room is the baby! The baby will be just the right finishing touch! 

Eric's Sermon . . . and an Unexpected Blessing

Eric's Sermon
Yesterday Eric had the privilege of bringing God's Word to our church congregation. What an exciting way to begin the new year! Our pastor asked Eric to preach for him, so Eric greatly welcomed that opportunity! You'll never guess what God laid upon his heart to preach about . . . ADOPTION! Our pastor just concluded a series on the cross and the cradle, highlighting important parts of Jesus' time from birth to the cross. Jesus was so much more than a baby or a man or a good teacher . . . He was and is and is to come - the forever King of Kings! What better way to follow up that series than to speak about what God says about our adoption as His sons and daughters! God adopted us, and for that I am eternally grateful!

LISTEN TO ERIC'S SERMON BY CLICKING HERE.
Sermon title: A New Way of Thinking

An Unexpected Blessing
At the end of the service, Eric and I were blessed with an unexpected prayer time. Pastor Perry came to the front of the sanctuary for his closing service remarks. Yesterday his remarks were different than we are used to. This time he mentioned to the congregation that Eric and I are adopting, and he invited our church family to join him in praying for our adoption - the illustration of what God did for us. He didn't stop there. Pastor Perry called us up front and had the church family come to the front and pray over us in regards to our adoption journey. This was really special. Eric did not preach about adoption to bring awareness to our adoption; he was genuinely preaching about our spiritual adoption - the topic and Scripture passage God impressed upon his heart.

This prayer time was so powerful. Having our church family support us in prayer means so much! We know God has big plans for our adoption journey, but with a prayer time like yesterday's, we can't expect anything less than God to have big plans for our adoption journey! Adoptive parents are not the only one's on an adoption journey. The birth parents, the birth parents' families, the case workers, the adoption agency, our families, us, our support system, you, and our church family. During the prayer, Pastor Perry prayed for our birth mom. That part of the prayer meant so much. Many people forget about the birth mom in situations like this, but she is such a special person! God has plans for her life, too! God loves her, too! I was telling Eric that I felt SO close and connected to our birth mom during that prayer yesterday. I have no idea who she is, but I love her and care for her so much! I feel like I already know her. That's what prayer can do. Prayer connects people in ways that nothing else can! Prayer is powerful! I can't wait to see how God answers the prayers of His people! 

Happy New Year! Welcome 2012!

It's hard to believe that it is 2012, yet at the same time we welcome 2012 with open arms and a breath of fresh air. 2011 was a tough year for us in many ways, so we are excited for the opportunity of a fresh start - a new beginning. We are looking forward to what God has in store for this new year . . . hopefully a child (but God's timing is perfect no matter what)!

Here are some of our adoption prayers for this new year:
- Pray for the birth parents (not just the ones of our child, but for all the birth parents) - pray that God will work in their hearts and lead them to Him or grown them closer to Him. Several birth moms are due at the start of the year, so pray for safe deliveries, God's protection, and God's healing hand upon their hearts.
- Pray for our future child.
- Pray that we will patiently wait for God's perfect timing.
- Pray we will enjoy that moments we're in and not try to rush something we're not in control of anyways.
- Pray for God's financial provisions for our adoption.
- Pray for the Covenant Care case workers and staff.
- Most importantly, pray that God will receive the glory no matter what the circumstances may be.

This year we are more thankful than ever for people like you who choose to read our blog, pray for us, and support us in this adoption journey. You're appreciated! Happy New Year!