May God Bless You

Fransiscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort

at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships

so that you may live deep within your heart

May God bless you with anger

at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people

so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace

May God bless you with tears

to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war

so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

to turn their pain into joy

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

to believe that you can make a difference in the world

so that you can do what others claim cannot be done

to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

 

While We Wait: Nesting (and other Pregnancy Parallels)

I'm nesting.  Big time.  In fact, I feel like this summer is a time to really get my act together so that I'm completely prepared for what's ahead.  If that's even possible.  I've been reading this great book about making a family mission statement, clearing the clutter out of your home, and spending your time and money better.  "Living holistically with your life's purpose", as the author calls it. 

Sounds nice, doesn't it?  This book has brought up a lot of great conversation between my husband and I.  We've asked ourselves things like: what is our purpose as a family? what would people say about our family as a whole? what would we like them to say in 30 years? when are we at our worst?  when are we at our best? what we could do better? and what is the main purpose of our home? 

It's been good and hard to reflect on these things.  Good because it gets me focused and excited for what's ahead, and hard because I have to admit my downfalls and be reminded that I'm not exactly where I want to be.  I praise God for His patience with me!

I'm hoping that this mission statement does what it's supposed to do and helps us to better stay focused in a world filled with distractions.

I've also ordered one of my favorite child-rearing books and am determined to become more pro-active in my parenting.  Of course, as usual, I'll read as much of it as I can to my husband. :)

Also, I'm eagerly, joyously awaiting a phone call from our adoption agency to let us know that they have our referral.  We could get the call any day now, or it could be another couple of months.  I find myself sometimes running to the phone when it rings during the day.  The last month of my pregnancy with each of our girls was kind of like this--wondering daily if it would be the day that something would happen.  How my heart longs to lay eyes on our little one!

However, this time around, I'm praising God that I don't have morning sickness or swollen ankles.

147 Million Orphans Fundraising Gear

We have partnered with 147 Million Orphans to sell fundraising gear that has 3 great purposes: 

1) To bring awareness to the fact that there are approximately 147 million orphans worldwide.

By wearing the gear, people are reminded of the fact that there are over 147 million orphaned children in the world today.

2) To provide food, water and medicine to children in need.

The profits that the 147 Million Orphans organization receives are used to provide for the basic needs of orphaned children.

3) To help our adoption fund. 

147 million orphans allows adoptive families to buy their gear for part of the cost and sell it at their retail value in order to make money to put toward their adoption.

Check out the gear and let us know if you'd like to purchase one of these great items:

                                                                                   

               Women's Cream/Black Baseball Tee $34.95

Women's Black/Cream Baseball Tee $34.95

Men's Brown T-Shirt $19.95

Kid's Mint Green T-Shirt $19.95

Silicone Cuff $9.95

Magazine Bead Necklace $19.95 (Handmade by women in Uganda)

We have limited quantities available of each item pictured.  We are also able to order more merchandise if anyone is interested.  Also, if there is an item pictured on the 147 Million Orphans website that you like but don't see here, let me know and I can see if it is available for adoptive families to purchase for fundraising.  Please let me know if you are interested in any of these items by leaving a comment, emailing or calling me. 

We still have between $10,000-$15,000 to raise, and every penny helps us get closer to reaching our goal!  Thank you so much for taking the time to look and consider!!

Happy Father's Day!

Today I honor the man that I love. 

What would we do without this hard working, deep thinking, God fearing, love giving, knee bending, sensitive soul that makes us laugh, comforts us when we're down, provides for our needs, and leads us in love as we seek more of Him?

Daily, I watch the children I dreamed of having since I was a young girl be loved by the man that I dreamed of having since I was a young girl. 

There's too much that I take for granted.  I am blessed.

  Happy Father's Day to our hero!  We love you SO much!!!

Book Recommendation

                                                            

I recently read Unplanned by Abby Johnson, a former pro-choice employee of Planned Parenthood turned pro-life member of Coalition for Life.  I highly recommend this book! 

The official Unplanned website says this about the book:
Unplanned is a heart-stopping personal drama of life-and-death encounters, a courtroom battle, and spiritual transformation that speaks hope and compassion into the political controversy that surrounds this complex issue. Telling Abby’s story from both sides of the abortion clinic property line, this book is a must-read…

There is also a documentary out on DVD about Abby's story.  View the trailer:

How Did I Not Know About this Family?!

Ever since the first day I created my blog last November, I have had that quote by Derek Loux written at the top.  My dear friend, Shannon, read it to me sometime last year and I knew that if I were to create a blog, I'd want to put it somewhere on it, so she emailed it to me.  Fast forward several months later to this week.  My husband, Jamey, randomly (or not so randomly) decided to google Derek Loux's name and he ended up stumbling across his family's blog.  I just found out that Derek Loux himself has over 10 children, most of whom are adopted, with his wife, Renee, and that he passed away last year in a car accident at the age of 37.  On his gravestone were these words:

I was overwhelmed reading this family's blog, because I know that the only way that Renee is able to raise 12 children, many with special needs, without her husband, is by the incredible power of the Holy Spirit at work within her.  This is radical, Christlike living.  I am once again blown away by how Christ "sets the lonely in families", and am encouraged yet again to fall on my knees before this Awesome God and beg Him to do in my life what there's no way that I can do in my own strength to defend orphans and be like His Son.  One day, I would like for these same words to appear on my gravestone:

Beloved Wife, Mother, Daughter and Sister

Defender of Orphans

Champion of Justice

She ran hard and finished well

11 Timothy 4:7

I know God wants to use each of you to "Defend the Fatherless..." (Isaiah 1:17), and I'm committed to praying that He would move in your hearts and reveal to you how He wants this to look in your life.

As one adoptive mother said at the Summit a couple of weeks ago, "If God's definition of pure religion  is to look after orphans and widows (see James 1:27), then we have some work to do."

Update

Last Friday, we went to St. Paul for our USCIS (US Immigration Services) appointment where we were fingerprinted.  This basically allows for Lincoln to become a US citizen even though he's foreign born.  Also, now that this is done, we'll be able to accept a referral once one comes in for us.  We sent our Dossier (paperwork packet) to Ethiopia about 2 months ago, so we're hoping there's only two months or less to wait for our much anticipated referral.  How glorious it will be to finally lay eyes on our little guy!!

In the meantime, we continue to pray, wait, fundraise, and soak up our last few months as a family of four.