Our first shipment came today.  It tastes delicious.  We are excited to partner with such a great company and product.

Money, Money, Money, Must be Funny, in a Rich Man's World

Every time I look at our adoption fee outline, this ABBA song pops into my head.   I have my parents and their first CD, ABBA GOLD, to thank for it!  

In all seriousness, Mike and I have always known that adoption was going to be expensive.  We knew that we would have to be frugal, save and eventually pay out.  I didn’t realize however, how hard it was going to be to write those big checks!  America World estimates up to $35,734 for an Ethiopian adoption –YIKES!

In my world the amount listed above seems like a lot, but in God’s, it is mere pennies.  Psalm 24:1 The Earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.

To help me keep perspective, I really like the comparison a speaker made in this audio conference.   Many of us do not pray or even second guess buying a car like this onethough, somehow we say we can’t afford adoption… it is too expensive.  The car will inevitably rust, break down and although it can be used, in and of itself, has no worth in eternity.  On the other hand, a life is “priceless” and eternal.

Please pray for us as we look for ways to fundraise, save and come up with the money to finance our adoption.  We have already connected with Just Love Coffee – (We especially love that their story starts with an Ethiopian adoption too!)  As soon as we complete our home study, we also hope to apply for grants.  We are attempting to be good stewards of what God has financially entrusted to us, knowing He will provide us with the amount needed in the end.   

Blogging, Really?

To be honest I never thought that I would write a blog.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love blogs.   I have spent countless hours reading other people’s blogs.  I just don’t write.  I have never felt like I could articulate my feelings or thoughts very well in writing and honestly wasn’t really sure I had time.  I also am very aware my spelling and grammar are horrendous!  But with that said M and I feel a blog is a simple way to quickly keep those we love, our friends and family, informed.  This way has been paved by so many who have gone before us, too many to count or name, especially related to adoption. 

Through this blog we want you to celebrate with us.  We want to share how God is working in our lives.  We want you to support us and learn through our struggles.  We want to be real.  So over the next couple of months, I am going to put my perfectionist tendencies behind me and just write (and hopefully post lots of pictures!).  Here we are…

Yesterday we completed our first meeting with the social worker who will complete our home study.  We felt it went really well.  Now we have to dive into all the probing and personal questions to prepare for the home visit!  We are currently in the “paper chase” stage of adoption that can last up to 6 months.  We are hoping with a little diligence, and babysitting help from Grandma Kelton, to try and finish most of it up by the end of April.

M & J thoroughly blessed, though exhausted, daily due to our little BMWs who keep us on our toes (and knees!).  We are honored the Lord has blessed us with children and overwhelmed by the responsibility.  We thank God for grace and pray for patience.  We are moving forward in paperwork while earnestly awaiting the time until we can welcome with love new little ones the Lord is preparing for our family.

Welcome to the Ethiopia Program!

Six years ago J and I began to slowly seek the Lord’s guidance by asking one small question – Should we grow our family through adoption?  After much reading, prayer and research the actualization of this question is now before us and it is exciting (and slightly scary) to see God’s hand in this very personal and practical area of life.  He has opened our hearts and his Truth, contained in the Bible, has illuminated the way.  We feel humbled and blessed that He has chosen to entrust us with His work and that he would use us to bring glory to Himself. 

Prior to having any children I (M) was quite confident that we should have all girls. Thinking of my boyhood and the awkwardness that accompanied it, I thought it would be best not to put anyone else through that experience.  I saw myself fitting in well with a bunch of little girls who liked to bake cookies and shop for me.  J on the other hand thought it would be best to have a family of boys who are able to kill spiders and take out the trash. 

As many of you know, we have had all boys.

 I gladly and humbly embrace it.  While reading a book on raising boys, I came across a sentence that has stayed in the forefront of my mind and I keep going back to the thought.  “Every father wants a boy, but every boy needs a father.”   For six years J and I have been planning to adopt.  We thought God was going to bless us with little girl from China or India but in the last six months, God has laid it on our heart to follow suite, at least for now, in what he has already blessed us with - bouncing, busy, little boys.   It is my prayer that I can model Biblical manhood, as my father did, to disciple our boys and that by the grace of God they will come to know and love Him.

We pray, through our family’s story of adoption, there will be a slight resemblance of God’s redemptive work that he does in the life of every believer.  We all were orphans without an inheritance.  Once we believed and trusted in God’s gracious gift through his Son Christ Jesus, He has adopted us through and has given us hope and an inheritance of eternal life.  Through adoption, we in no way are doing anything worthy of praise.  We love only because He first loved us (I John 4:19).  It is our prayer that you have considered your poverty and have trusted in the only one who can truly save a life. 

Today, we were accepted into the American World Ethiopian Program and our practical family adoption journey has begun!  We covet your prayers for strength and wisdom in this process, and that through it all, God would be praised.