Monday, September 27, 2010

Just Sayin'

27 September 2010

Paperwork is not for the faint of heart!  We are simultaneously working on paperwork for our Home Study and the Adoption Agency (Adopt a Waiting Child Ukraine).  I hear this is only the beginning of the paperwork and that really scares me!!...If you're a wimp, adoption paper work is not for you!  Just sayin'.  

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Expensive Beginnings

21 September 2010

Today we sent off the $1200 check and application to start the adoption process!!!!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Our Decision Is.....

20 September 2010

We are moving forward with an adoption from Ukraine! I came home sick today with flu like symptoms only to receive a call from Tim asking me to please call the adoption agency to let them know we want to move forward with adoption paperwork!  I can't believe this dream is coming true! 

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Our Adoption Meeting

18 September 2010

Today we attended an adoption meeting at church.  Two representatives from Christian Adoption Services were there to speak.  Tim’s main concern going into the adoption meeting was that older children are “set in their ways.”  We've read that who a child is at 5 years of age is who they will be the rest of their life.  We've found this idea to be true in each of our 3 children.  It would be difficult to adopt a child full of unknown bad habits and set in his ways. 

The first thing Mr. Woodward (the president of Christian Adoption Services) as he got up to speak was that older children DO want to change.  They do want to be good.  Who can even tell how much Christ did in our lives at the point of our salvation?  God can change any little boy’s heart and mold them into His likeness and we are willing to be used of Him to make this happen.  We aren’t worrying about the unknowns.  We are just obeying right now what we believe God has called us to do.  We can’t wait to see how He works out everything throughout this process.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

My Heart for Orphans

12 September 2010

Today Pastor Sean preached a message on orphans.  I am not the crying, emotional type of woman.  Yet today I fought back tears the entire time.  James 1: 19-27 “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the world. “ I believe we have a responsibility and calling to orphans.  What stood out to me was when Pastor Sean stated, “God clearly has a heart for orphans.  Why shouldn’t we?”

 Ps. 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. 

I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to be forsaken by my own father or mother.  What a horrible feeling children all over the world face as they learn they have no parents and no family to care for them.  I can’t imagine not having a clean bed to sleep in, or food to eat.

I have had a burden to adopt since I was a child.  I was always the kid who found every stray animal in the neighborhood and cared for them myself or found them a new home.  As a teenager, my heart always went out to the bus children I worked with at church who were usually dirty and reeked of cigarette smoke, their bellies growling until snack time when I’d give them twice as many goldfish as the wealthy children.   Over the years this burden has increased, even after having 3 of my own biological children. 

This past Christmas when our 3 girls opened an abundance of presents I teared up again as I thought about children all over the world who are cold and hungry and were not going to open even one present of their own.  We have done Operation Christmas Child the last several years, but somehow I feel I need to do more.

As Pastor preached and the orphan video was playing, the tears came back.  Few things make me weep.  Orphans have always had a special place in my heart.  My prayer is that God would speak to us clearly.  At this present date, Tim has not expressed any desire or burden to adopt.  So my prayer is that God with either change my heart or give Tim a deep desire to open up our home.  This is not something I want to convince Tim to do as I am well aware that he would do almost anything if he truly thought it would make me happy.  This is a huge decision that I want God to place upon both of our hearts.  If it is not God’s call to adopt, the desire of my heart is for God to show us clearly our part in the adoption world-wide ministry.