Slowly, steadily, surely the time approaches

In the midst of all the busyness of normal life of a family of 7, it seems as though these days have become consistently filled with paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork regarding the adoption.  We've collected every document imaginable on the seven of us dating back to the conception of our little family.  We've had physicals, interviews, fingerprints, shots, tests, and yes, more tests.  It's been interesting to say the least, to look at all the details of our life in a tall stack of papers.  I think I've driven most of the people in our life crazy as every time they saw me I was needing another document.  Probably, the most memorable was the lady at the Police Department  who casually informed me she couldn't give us reference letters required because she didn't type.  All I could think was, "Ok, lady, I haven't made it this far to stop because of your lack of typing skills!"  I kindly asked her if she could direct me to someone who could type because I wasn't leaving without what I was needing. 

Things have gone slower than we would like (as with everyone who does this), but progress is progress nonetheless.  We've accomplished major steps lately and are pleased that we received approval from Immigration and our paperwork is on it's way to China.  Kaden spoke for all of us when he said, "I thought this day would never come!"  Now we wait for a referral of a precious little girl.  We're so anxious to see what God does next and who she'll be!  The boys are requesting one that doesn't cry.  Not realistic, but I'm not bursting their bubble.  It tickles me to hear their conversations about the whole thing.

We know even in the timing issues and the delays, God has been in it all.  We know His timing is perfect because He sees the BIG picture that we can't.  Over and over I have to go back to the scripture He gave me in those very first days....

Then the Lord said to me, "Write my answer in large, clear letters on

a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else.  But these

things I plan won't happen right away.  Slowly, steadily, surely the time

approaches when the vision will be fulfilled.  If it seems slow, wait

patiently, for it will surely take place.  It will not be delayed.

Hab 2:2-3

 

 

We sure would appreciate your prayers as we await this next step. We want God to lead every detail and decision as He leads us to the little one He has for our family.  I'm working on some projects to help with the funds we're gonna need so there will be more on that later!  God Bless~




Outside the Federal Building for USCIS

Our China paperwork...

On it's way!
 

A new season~

Over the years, I've developed a love/hate relationship with August.  There's always an excitement in the air... new things in store, a new school year beginning, new shoes that seem to make my little ones run faster than they did before, backpacks filled with supplies, and Fall right around the corner.  On the flip side, it means another year has FLOWN by and I'm sending them off again.  New pictures on the front step show me how much they've grown and changed.  This year marks a new season for me because it's the first time in 20 years that I won't have a little one home with me through the day.  Logan is off to Kindergarten and all I can think is where did all the time go.  So much of my life has been spent with little ones around my feet all throughout the day, little hands helping with every task (even though it would surely be quicker to do it alone), and days my only conversations were with preschoolers.  Logan asked me the other day, "Momma, who is gonna help you get groceries when you shop?"  My heart melted.  My head knows that this is just another season to enter and I will be fine, my heart just isn't in agreement!  God's word says, "See, I am doing a new thing..."  So this is what I hold on to, that this new season will bring new things!  Bethany has graciously agreed to let me spend the day with her, although she may regret it!   We will shop and eat as I console myself!  So, as Fall approaches and new winds blow in changes of the next season, I let God blow fresh wind in me.  And once again, I am so thankful that my children belong to God and He cares for them and watches over them, especially when they're not in my nest~

Here we go!

I've decided to create this new blog to share some of what God has been doing in our lives... never let it be said life is boring!

The last time I was writing blog posts, we were in the middle of the most traumatic and miraculous year of our lives.  Dan was having surgery after surgery (14 to be exact) to repair the extensive damage from his motorcycle accident.  The hospital had become our second home and  all we could do was take things day at a time.  We discovered that although things happen that we aren't prepared for, God plans and purposes ALWAYS prevail.  There were days we were unsure if things would ever be the same for us.  Fortunately, in a lot of ways, we will never be the same.  God has a way of seeing us through things that seem as though will devour us, and hopefully when all is said and done what is left in us resembles more of Christ in us {the hope of glory} than when we began. 

After some 9 months of surgeries, infections, therapy, etc., God gave us a prophetic word last summer that Dan was done with surgeries and he would begin a healing season.  We took hold of that and knew with every fiber of our beings that we were entering a new season.  That what the enemy had meant for destruction, God was going to bring about good.  The weeks and months that would follow proved to be just that. 

We had hoped to add another baby to our family before Dan's accident, but thankfully God sees the BIG picture and knows what's best.  One day while in the hospital, I told Dan, "I'm so glad God knows best and we're not having a baby in the midst of all this!"  We chuckled with a sigh of relief... more me than him!  Time would pass.  Then, God awakened something in me to the thought of adopting.  Adopting??!!  Really?  How?  From where?  Seriously?!  I will never forget that night.  I didn't sleep a wink that night with so many things running through my mind.  Most of all, how Dan was going to be certain I had lost my mind!  I wasn't so sure I hadn't.  Over the next several days I prayed and said, "Ok, God, I need to know for sure if this is you.  Something, anything that lets me know I'm not crazy!"  God always brings confirmation and because He knows me so well, He would give me not one, but three separate confirmations (in case I doubted the first two)!  I shared this with Dan and he agreed to pray about it.  God would soon confirm it in Dan as well, as Dan was convinced life would come.  Our family had gone from almost losing one, to the blessing and hope of new life.  We were taken back at how clearly God was revealing this to us so there would leave no room for doubt.  We felt God saying you will have another child, it's just not going to be like you thought.  The kids were asked to take time and pray about it.  They gave their full support and so this new journey began.  God is so good because He doesn't give us everything we need to know at once because it would be too much, so he gives us what we need to know as we need to know it.  We wouldn't know everything we were supposed to do, but He had told us this much, "adopt", "girl", and "China".  In the weeks to come we would discover that China's program was the only one we would qualify for because of the number of children we already had.  Again, confirmation. 

The adoption process is not for the faint of heart.  The enemy has been relentless, trying to throw things off track at every turn.  Even going so far, as our car being broken into at a training event last spring.  My bag with ALL of our paperwork was stolen along with all of our belongings.  We would have to complete and gather it all again.  Two days before that, a call came saying we would be denied approval because of some of Dan's medical history regarding the accident.  All we knew to do was pray because we knew God had led us in this and so doors somehow would have to open.  Ten minutes later a call came from the China Team and, yes, we could proceed. 

Honestly, about this time last summer I thought I'd been stretched all I wanted and planned on 'taking it easy' so to speak.  If we're fully trusting in God, though, we're always letting Him mold us and shape us so that His purposes are accomplished through us.  So here we sit almost a year into a 'new' journey ready and waiting to be matched with a baby girl somewhere in China needing a forever family.  We pray for her every day and Logan calls her his China doll.  We don't know everything, we just know God said "step out in faith" and obedience is what we're called to.  The rest is up to Him.  Much is still unknown so we trust.


Scripture says we are called to walk by faith and not by sight.  We are convinced there's no other way to walk.  I urge you to step out in faith when He calls you to something.  It's not without growth and stretching, but worth more than we can imagine when His purpose is fulfilled.  When all is said and done, that's really all that counts ...


Jenni