Bringing Home an Orphan by helping a widow and the chance to win $250 in gas!

Those that our following our blog know that we've been praying about something exciting!!  The time has come for us to share our vision! 

I've been following a blog of Lifesong for Orphans.  And one thing they do is a program called "Both Hands", which after reading this I realized this is a complete God thing.  Because the two verses he's laid most upon our hearts in all this are...

James 1:27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 

AND....

Deuteronomy 14: 28-29 At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest and store it in the nearest town. Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, was well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied. Then the Lord will bless you in all your work."

With those two verses in mind, and through lots of prayer...God gave us the vision of doing this together as a family.  We are inviting others to join Nick and I one Saturday a month til our babies come home to help the widows of our church and community...whether through visiting, taking meals, lawn care, whatever! We want to invite you to help us bring joy to the days of our widows.  If you don't feel this is for you or you don't want to be part of our team, then we invite you to PRAYERFULLY  "sponser us" financially on this journey so that we can in return care for the orphans God has chosen for our family.  And we also invite EVERYONE to pray for us...pray for our journey...pray for our hearts! And maybe even pray for our mission

Bringing Home an Orphan by Helping a Widow!   

We have applied for grants for the remainder of our adoption process but there are so many families who also desire to be part of God's plan and on the same journey as our family.  So if we can raise all our funds on our own that would be wonderful.  The chunk of money needed is extremely large, but  by God's grace and with the help of our friends/family/church family I know we can do this.  YES, God is that AWESOME!!!! 

Our shirts we got for this journey.  (Msg me if u're interested in a shirt.)

If any of you feel that in your heart you would like to help in this process in anyway...please contact either of us and we'd be more than glad to have you get involved. 

And there's more exciting news....

Anyone who sponsors us financially (by clinking on the donate button to the side) will be entered into our giveaway for a $250 Gas Card!   
 Every $5.00 donated = 1 entry
Sharing our blog on your facebook, twitter and google accounts = 1 entry
(must message us and let us know you shared it for it to count!)
Drawing will be held June 26th!

AND in ALL seriousness....

This will not all be possible without your prayers!!  So PLEASE if you cannot help in any other way...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE... REMEMBER US IN PRAYER! 

Happy Father's day!

Today wouldnt be complete without a post today for Nicholas! 
I couldnt be more thankful for the man in my life that blessed me with the children we have!!  He couldnt be a better father.  I am so lucky to share the parenting responsibility with him and our kids couldnt be more blessed.  Happy Father's day Nicholas James!
Also would like to wish the birth father of the children we will adopt some day a happy Father's day!  We will always be so grateful to you and want you to know you will always be a father to our children! 

5am coffee, convos and prayer...

We have a very exciting mission ahead of us.  But before we announce we are going to spend every day next week waking at 5am to spend an hour in prayer!!  Alone and together!  We ask that you join us on this journey...to join us in prayer!  Pray for our family.  Pray for our hearts.  And pray that God uses us to do something VERY BIG! 
And please follow us on this blog and in a week we will share things we learned during this time!!  And by then hopefully our mission will be even more clear and we can bring you all up to speed on this "plan".

A day off!

What an awesome day!!

The girls and I packed our lunches this morning and headed to the zoo!   We met 2 of the best girlfriends there that I could ever ask for!   We all have kids the same ages and so we planned to all take a day off and a playdate picnic at the zoo!  It was a wonderful much needed time together!  I have been so busy planning our community days and getting our adoption stuff around that this day was well overdue!   We all had so much fun!  However, we really missed Nicholas there with us.  
He also took a day off work.  It takes a lot for him to take time off but he's just as anxious as I am to get the bedroom done for the adoption!   Last weekend my dad and mom came down and so generously bought all the supplies needed to expand the room and to add extra lighting and electrical.   Dad and Nick tore out a wall seperating a small room and a storage closet; making one big room!  They had to raise the closet floor and retile the ceiling.  They added wiring to add some outlets and a ceiling light.  They didnt get it all done so Nicholas finished the room today!  The carpet should be in next week and then the room is ready for children!!  yea!
Everything is getting super close to being finished!  I just cannot wait to see what God has in store!  Pure amazing!

"Why adoption?"

This past week we met with a pastor who asked us, "Why adoption?"  and today at church during commissioning of a team going to Africa...a different pastor asked "Why? Why Africa?"  It wasn't directed to us specifically but it made me really really think.  I can sit and say all day we are adopting a child to complete our family.  I can sit and talk about all the things that need to be done to make this happen.  And I can advertise each and every one of our fundraisers.  But none of those things actually tells "Why",  why we chose to head in the direction we are headed.  So during the commissioning prayer today I broke down in tears.  I'm not sure I ever explained why to the people we are asking to pray and to support us on this journey. 

We could give a whole list of reasons.  

1) we love kids

2) we want a large family

3) these are the kids that need the extra love

4) we want to make a difference in the life of a child

5)...  

The list could go on and on. 

But the one reason that has led us to this journey and to our "Why?" is the calling from God.  

I'm not real good with expressing myself through biblical verses so I will try my best. 

In Ephesians 1, Paul writes, "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to ADOPT US into HIS OWN FAMILY by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  This is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure.  SO we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.  He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins." 

Nick and I don't deserve salvation.  We are sinners!!  But because God chose to ADOPT us long before we were ever born we will get to experience eternal life and are righteous of God's grace. 

At one point in our lives God chose to create and knit Miranda in my womb as a gift to Nicholas and I.   As Ephesians also states, "Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan."  Miranda, and our 3 children following that too did not make it into this earthly world, are what we believe as gifts from God that we will get to enjoy in Heaven some day.  We truely feel God saying to us, My plan for you is to father the fatherless.  I need 'your' children here right now.  And you need to take care of my children there."   Over the past three years being convicted by this we learned that the word "fatherless" is used 41 times in the Bible, most frequently in the Old Testament.  Our hearts have turned to those less fortunate.  And currently our family's biggest hearts desire is to give back to God (our tithes) for his gifts to us as parents. 

Deuteronomy 14: 28-29 At the end of every third year, bring the entire tithe of that year's harvest and store it in the nearest town.  Give it to the Levites, who will receive no allotment of land among you, was well as to the foreigners living among you, the orphans and the widows in your towns, so they can eat and be satisfied.  Then the Lord will bless you in all your work." 

We break these verses down as our calling to care for those living in poverty or without families.  In this verse God tells His people to tithe every third year for those that are helpless, hungry or poor.  I feel He has chosen us to give the responsibilty to care for His children whom are less fortunate.  God has given us the ability to love children other than our own, He has given us the heart for the children of the world.  And we truly believe He asks us, CALLS US, to go beyond our regular giving and on this third year after He chose to take Miranda home to be with him,  to tithe everything we have to give to His children living in poverty! 
So if that makes any sense at all...that is our "WHY?"  "WHY ADOPTION?"  And "Why Us?"

Praying for our birth mom...

So I'm realizing that at this moment there isnt a whole lot of exciting things happening as far as the adoption process. This weekend my mom and dad are coming down so dad and Nick are going to be tearing out a wall in a bedroom to make a bigger room so it's ready when the time comes. And the following weekend our caseworker is coming out for our final vist! Then we are homestudy ready!! WOOT WOOT!!!
With that being said, this post isnt really about our adoption process...but in a sense it could be. If any one followed my previous blog at all you would know that our family's story is one of tragedy. A tragedy that brought us to sooo many positives in our life. Tonight, just as I was getting ready to think about hopping in the shower my computer made that sound of someone trying to get ahold of me on facebook. First I thought, "ahh...it's probably nothing! I'll hop on when I get out." Soemthing told me to just go check anyways. Got there and devastating news. An old church youth group friend. She went off to college a year before I did, so we grew miles apart. But she says to me, "Valerie, a friend of mne just lost her baby 2 weeks before her due date. How can our small group be there for her?"
My heart suddenly hurt.  I couldn't specifically answer that question for what she would need over the next few days, weeks or months.  But I could share what helped me.  One thing I've realized is that everyone needs different things in these situations.  After our conversation finished, I continued on to my shower...but with a much sadder and heavier heart than if I would of gotten in when I originally planned.  My heart hurt for this mother and father.  I cannot pretend to know exactly what they are feeling at this exact moment...but I do know all the pain that lies ahead. 
I hopped in the shower and as I started to shave my legs I had that nudge.  Tears rolled down my face and I had to pray.  Prayers for this family and prayers for the birth mother of the baby God chooses to allow us to be their adoptive family.  A million thank yous are not enough and we will be ever so grateful to her.  Tonight I was reminded that not only today should I be keeping her in my prayers, but today and every day forward.  I have never walked in a birth mother's shoes.  But I guess that she will ALWAYS think of her baby.  There's not a day that goes by that I do not think of our sweet Miranda.  There's days that are harder than others.  And often I see children that would be her age and I wonder what she would of looked like or what she'd be doing now.  And I guess the same goes for a birth mother that chooses to place her baby/babies. 
So, all while in the shower and with the facebook conversation I had prior I was reminded of how often I will need to pray after the finalization of our adoption.  I pray for a peace and comfort in knowing her baby is being taken care of to the best of our ability.  I pray that she knows her baby will always be her baby and I know without a doubt that if they aren't ever reunited over the years that in Heaven they will be!  I pray that if she ever chooses to want to see pictures that we are reminded of what it would mean to us to see a picture of what Miranda would look like.  I pray that we will ALWAYS have an open heart to be able to share with her the things she wants to know.  And I pray that when she has tough days that God gives her the comfort that she needs. 
We havent met her yet and maybe we never will. But I will ALWAYS love her!  And we will be ever so appreciative of her!! 

Our support...Thirty Days of Nicholas!

One of the biggest things that is most important to us in our adoption journey is our support system! We have some of the best friends and family any person could ask for. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in our busy lives that taking the time to slow down and say thank you to those that are there for us most goes undone and things left unsaid. I began to wonder how many people that love us actually had the time to sit down and do the old fashion write a letter anymore but I decided to give it a shot. Nicholas turns 30 on July 3rd and I wanted to do something that wouldnt cost much since we are fundraising for our adoption...but something super special. I made a list of all the people in our life that is super important to us and has been there for us over the years. Those that would have fun memories of Nick growing up or even recent memories. Then I took the time to write a letter to each of those people and asked them to share something special about Nick. Within a few days the letters began to roll into the mailbox and I was able to keep it a secret for 2 months!! I found a safe spot to hide the letters and made Nicholas a book titled, Thirty Days of You! And starting June 3rd (this past Sunday) I let him open one letter per day for the next 30 days! The first ones that he has read so far have been quite humorous and even sad! Goes to show Nick's personality and the reason I fell so hard for him! He said he wanted to share the letters with us (I gave him the choice to keep them private if he wanted) and I cannot wait to join this journey with him of 30 days all devoted to him and why he's so special to so many people that love him and stand behind him and us as a family! And with all that also goes to show all the people that will be part of our family as we wait to see where we are being called in our adoption process. The support we have received from so many of our family and our loved ones is absolutely amazing! More specifics of our adoption journey...Nicholas and I spent this past Saturday in Medina, Ohio where our agency is. We were a little nervous traveling there without the girls. Leaving them for several hours to do family stuff is not our strong suit. We love roadtrips but have NEVER taken one without them. But we knew that this roadtrip was one that led us towards completing our family! As soon as we reached our road we knew we were in the place that we are meant to be! Medina would be the town of several annual adoptee picnics and outtings and it is the perfect little town and fits our family style so well. We walked hand in hand from our parking spot on a little adventure to find Building Blocks. Everything we have done so far has been through snail mail, email and over the phone. So to put a place and a face with the wonderful ladies we have been working with was super exciting. The little (big to us) town intrigued us. Cute little shops along the way, one way streets around town, and super friendly people standing outside the shops...and then we eyed the Building Blocks building. Right across from the most beautiful park. This weekend the park was filled with vendors for shopping in the park. It was absolutely perfect! A library very near, another perfect fit for our family...and a Buffalo Wild Wings. All of our favorites in one little place! We cannot wait to enjoy this little town celebrating our family with all other families that chose adoption as their way to complete their family as well. During our time with our caseworker we laughed, we smiled, we cried, we remembered and we grew more anxious and excited for our journey. OUr caseworker has got to be one of the sweetest ladies ever. And we scheduled our final visits from her before our homestudy is complete! June 16th we should be completely homestudy ready and we can start the actual process of submiting our homestudy to birthmoms across the states! Our prayer at this time is for all birthmoms out there that are trying to choose which way to go with their children. The strength that they have amazes me and I pray for those decisions daily! They too our on our hearts just as much as their children! I pray that they have the support system that we do as they walk through their life journey and make some of the toughest decisions they will ever have to make! If they don't have the support it is my prayer that if any one in this situation reads this blog that they can feel a sense of comfort and support from Nick and I!