Onward, we go!!! How you can help.

Today we sent in our contracts, releases, and orientation fees. Each step regardless of how big or small is so , exciting to me! Now we are ready to begin working on our Dossier!!! Also if you look to the sidebar you can see our new totals. We are over a third of our way to our goal.. YEAH!!! Thank you to those of you that have helped us along this journey, thus far. We are preparing for another rummage sale/fundraiser in August and are praying for an even greater turnout.

We have had many people ask how they can help. There are several ways:

1. Pray - This is the most important! You can pray for us, that we might submit ourselves fully to God throughout this whole process. That He will mold us and prepare us for the life long journey that raising this child will be (as well as our girlies). That we will allow Him to be our strength. Pray for our girls. That God will also prepare them and that they will grow in love for their new sibling. Pray for our new daughter. Pray that God's hand will be upon her during the time she is waiting to come home and her entire life. That God will lead those around her to provide her with great care and love. Pray for her birth parents. Pray that they will seek God and that He will hear them and guide them through this process and that they will have a peace through him. Pray for the other 147 million children, who are also without families.

2. Give- Give monetarily and help us to meet our deadlines and pay our fees. Or buy a t-shirt from us. (We will have them very soon!) What fees do you have? You might be asking. Our fees are the cost to the agency for the documents that have to be produced and certified in order to please the US and Ethiopian courts. Also we will have travel fees for the two trips we are required to make to Ethiopia and the cost of medical and care for our child while she is waiting her adoption.

3. Share our blog with others. Let them know of the journey that we are on, about the large number of orphans awaiting homes, and about God's heart for the orphan and widow.

Young Devoted Believers & New Bags

The day we left on vacation the girls received some "way too cute" bags, perfect for carrying all their important stuff!

They love them and so do I!! They were made by a sweet gal at LilyWhite designs http://www.lilywhitedesigns.net/ . They are local girls from around here. They design clothes, bags, and accessories with a modern/vintage look that glorify Jesus. So creative!! Definitely a site to check out! As you can see their bags made it all the way to Pikes Peak and so did our message of "Unbordered Love" !!! Thanks again, Abbie!!!

We are so blessed to have many young Christians in our area that are willing to use their lives to glorify Jesus. They are inspiring not only to others their age and younger but also to older Christians. It is great to see! They are persevering and meeting other's needs in the hardest of times. Thankful that my own girls have some in the generation ahead of them setting higher standards and showing love to others! It is my prayer that they will stay as steadfast in the Lord always, as they are now.

Here is a new blog from another young gal that I am excited to be following. Stepping Out On Faith http://steppingoutonfaith-llhill2s.blogspot.com/2010/07/resting-in-lord.html?spref=fb

There are others without blogs or websites, that are also living a life devoted to Christ, these are just to name a few! God will use all and any who are willing and devoted to Him, regardless of age, gender, or background.

Paul stated in Ephesians 5:1-2 that we are to Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Time away and an Ethiopian meal

So in awe of God's work. If what my eyes saw this week was just a small spec of His handiwork, how big is He? He simply spoke all of this in to being. Wow, how mind blowing is that!

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Psalm 147:4


This last week we have been gone on vacation or as I like to say family time away. There are few things I enjoy more then time stowed away with my hubby and kids. I had at first been dreading this week. Worrying about money and the adoption. We had rented a mountain home earlier this year and had already paid for it in full. This was before we knew we would be embarking on this new journey. As I stated in an earlier post the hubs convinced me that we needed to go as planned and enjoy the time with the girls and my parents. We did on the tightest vacation budget ever! God truly blessed our week and our time together. It is amazing how much easier it is to hear Him and even seek Him when you are away from life's distractions.



While we ate most meals at the cabin, we did each lunch one day at an Ethiopian restaurant. It was unbelievable. The owner of the restaurant, an Ethiopian lady, shared not only her food but, also some information about her culture and her thoughts with us about adopting a child of another race and culture. She was very hospitable. Right before we left she asked if I would write to her and keep her updated on our process and our child. How awesome is that?!

Enjoying the ride!

What a ride! We got accepted by AGCI less then 1 month ago and we have already begun to feel the effects of adoption. Most all of them have been exciting and full of joy. We have spent much time as a family in prayer, seeking God's will and plan for our next move. Few know the amount of time and effort it takes to adopt a child. We are jumping through hoops on a daily (or nightly) basis trying to move the process along as well as continuing our daily life with the 3 blessings already in our house. Our days are crazy and our time is stretched. We are truly blessed though. God is faithful and shows us each day his hand at work in our lives. He is preparing us, I know, for the road ahead. I can feel the weeding in myself personally. I tend to rely on what I see or fixate on details at times when I need to simply have faith. I need to lean more and to quit trying to find concrete, tried and true ways to accomplish things. See I know that God can make a way and that He already has every detail covered to see His plan through. I just need to focus on Him and to let Him guide my every step. He has been faithful in my life time and time again, yet I still insist sometimes on doing it my way. It is time to let go.

Here is how I see it. (sorry if it is only as clear as mud! : ) )

Have you ever seen someone driving a horse and buggy? You know the driver sits in the seat holding onto the reins giving commands and steering his horses down the path. The driver knows which way to go and a good driver is always looking ahead to keep the horse and the buggy away from any danger. If upcoming danger is inevitable he holds on and helps guide the horse through the bad spots. God is the same way always there trying to guide and lead us and wanting to endure the "dangers" with us and see us through them. Well I am often a typical horse pulling to the left or right, stopping in front of the "bad spot" asking my driver "are you sure about this, don't you think we had better turn around". God, as my driver, has great power and can lead me through the worst of the worst, if I will just allow him to guide. It is time to let him fully lead and it is time for me to press on without hesitation but with great confidence in the one who not only knows the path but, made it!

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:1

Moving ahead and some new pics!

At the doctor's office getting our physicals done for state adoption license. 2 doctor's appointments + 1 day + almost 3 hours in the offices = 3 bored, silly little girls + 1 crazy, laughing momma!

What a day! Everything went really well except the fact that this momma got a TDAP vaccination only to return home and remember her ob/gyn had ordered one last spring after delivery. That's right I have been double vaccinated against tetanus and whooping cough!

We also enjoyed some chick-fil-a fun between appointments! It was cow appreciation day! All four of us ate out for $1.53. Thanks to our cow spots and cow mask!!! There was a stand in the parking lot with a live cow and calf. My girls weren't that impressed. ( It is something they see a lot of!) The lady at the booth however, thrilled us! She gave us the stickers and mask to get a free kids meal or sandwich each!

Last night we had our third meeting with the home study case worker. It went great! We talked a lot about what we might see at the orphanage and some of the ways to prepare ourselves. We have one more training session and then our walk through. So we are asking for your prayers, that our background checks for the state come through swiftly and that the final home study will move through certification quickly.

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:25

It's time for a change

Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, Luke 12:33-35

I recently had a friend joke that we were selling everything we owned to bring this child home from Africa. = ) Not quite true but I would probably consider it if I didn't have any other children at home. People I am there.

The Lord is laying a heavy burden on my heart. I enjoy too many conveniences, too many luxury items, too many "things", when there are people who have nothing. Jesus has called us over and over and over again to live like he did. To consider others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), love our neighbor as our self (Mark 12:30-31), to give any excess or extra that we do not need to the poor (Leviticus 23:22), and etc... We spend too much money on making our own lives comfy. Too much time worrying about what will our next purchase be, in order to satisfy us.

I am so guilty of this. I am so guilty of convenience spending, of using what I have to make things easy on me. We crank up the air so that we don't feel a slight bit warm and run up the bills when there are elderly people and families down the road that find it hard to come up with the money for a window fan on 100 degree days. We run through McDonald's or order out most anytime we have somewhere to be during the weeknight. We love shopping at the mall, going to the movies, and buying things for extra projects around the house. While others in our community can't find the money or don't have the resources to put food on the table each night or to adequately dress their children. Not to mention the millions elsewhere dying of starvation.

How did we get here? How did we as Christians forget what Jesus has asked of us? Why are we searching for the next big thing? We know what truly satisfies, we know how we are called to live, and lots of us have the resources to help others. What would the world look like if each Christian followed in Christ footsteps and displayed compassion and generosity in a manner like he did. I can't imagine it would result in anything but good and I know that it is what He desires, He said so!

It is as simple as this: see a need strive to meet it, with your time, your money, your prayers, and any resource you can find, with out considering the cost to yourself.

Do not get me wrong I believe each of us has a special gift and a specific ministry, but I believe all of us where called to follow Christ's example. I am the biggest duck in the puddle. My eyes need to focus harder on Him and on how He sees these needs. I don't believe all life's extras are bad, I just believe we need to be about much more.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

"When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 23:22

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:30-31

Holiday Fun

We had lots of fun celebrating Independence Day! We spent our afternoon at our friends' house, swimming and eating yummy food. (YEAH for friends will pools! = ) ) Then came back home and had family over to watch the fireworks from our backyard and eat again. The girls had a blast. I am so thankful to live in a country where we are free. I know as American we often forget how truly blessed we are. My prayer is that we as a nation put our hope in Him and seek Him first in every decision.

Hope you all enjoyed your day as well!

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

An Unexpected Blessing

Today was our first fundraiser. We had a garage sale and the girls had a lemonade stand. It went great! We raised $563.00 as of this moment. I have a few people who have called about items and may show up this weekend to get them. $49.76 came from the lemonade stand! Our girls couldn't be more thrilled. They are definitely a huge part of this adoption. They are praying and putting forth effort in each step. Makes this mamas heart leap for joy!

We also had an unexpected blessing come our way. This week a local church that we are not members of chose us to be there mission this week for VBS. All of the money collected in the First Baptist Church VBS offering is going toward our adoption fund. WOW! That is just about all I can say! We have went to the church for their life groups on Sunday nights and our girls have attended their VBS since we moved here. We are members and attend a slightly smaller country church that doesn't have Sunday night services. They raised $230.99 for us this week with an attendance of approximately 75 kids. We have felt so blessed by this. What an example of God's people loving on others.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35