got a strong "Foot Hold" but a long way to go

Thank you for your texts, Facebook messages, and cards.  We are missing you too. Sorry Jesse and I have been MIA for the past month or so.  Just like when you trying to conceive a baby you need alone time.  :)  Well we are trying to get pregnant on paper.  


So this is why we have been MIA. After our home visit we needed to get right to work on our paperwork in our home study.  Here are some of the fun items we have had to track down: certificates, licenses, vaccination history on our pets, insurance info, and finances pages to name a few. And then just signing a bunch of policies and making decisions that will impact our entire lives. Needless to say we are still in paperwork mode....prayers and tears   

Domestic Packet -- HALF CHECK



We have also completed two of the four online classes. To be honest this is not my favorite part of the process and we are planning to have all four done before Wednesday... prayers and more prayers



Domestic Adoption Courses -- HALF CHECK 

We have also completed our first of four group training sessions.  I really enjoyed our first class.  The Lord answered one of my prayers that evening.  I have had a void in my heart for a while now.  I am unable to connect with other women who can have babies naturally.  So I have prayed that God will send me a friend that I can talk to about being infertile.  Thank you Lord for giving me a friend at work and now a local friend.  I just happen to sit next to someone who lives just a few streets over from my house and yes she struggles with infertility.  Praise the Lord for helping me in my time of loneliness, please pray that I may fill the void in these ladies lives as well. Ok back to the class... The group session was about partnering with another ministry to help fund raise.  Jesse and I had already been in prayer before this meeting about this project and it just happens to be one that we are going to do. Their mission verse is James 1:27- Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  

Please check out their site for more details.  http://www.bothhandsfoundation.org/    We will be looking to do this Fundraiser in the Fall.  What a great way to be a blessing and to help serve a widow in Middle Tennessee...  prayers and praises



Domestic Group Training Courses -- 1/4 CHECK



Ok now I have saved the best for last.  What an incredible way to begin my weekend at Fellowship Bible Church at the Wait No More Conference. I found myself at one moment in tears just as I looked around the room and saw 500+ other adopting families worshiping God.  It was an emotional service and the Holy Spirit covered the entire conference.  We heard story after story about how lives have been impacted through adoption.  We heard from adopting parents, adopted children, and we heard from the Lord.  Adoption is a life sacrifice just like we are doing as Christians... tears and tears

Dear God,

Heal my heart and make it clean; Open up my eyes to the things unseen; Show me how to love like you have loved me; Break my heart for what breaks yours; Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause; As I walk from earth into eternity.

Amen

The Saga continues as we have our physicals and interviews on Wednesday!

finally some "Weight Off My Feet"

Most of our blogs have been about sharing the good news. But today I would like to share some of the challenges that we are going through.  

First challenge-- Do you want to adopt a child with special needs? Wow what a tough question for me.  If I were to get pregnant and if my child had a special need, I would not abort it or give it away. I would take this child in my arms and love it no matter what. But you have to make a decision... prayers and tears.. prayers and tears.. 

Second challenge-- In the event that the adoptive parents die, whom will assume the guardianship role of the children.... Wow again.  There are so many people that have prayed for us, prayed for this child, and whom we love so dear.  But we have to just pick one couple... prayers and tears.. prayers and tears..

Third challenge-- Home visit today.  Do you have a carbon monoxide detector, fire extinguishers and so on?  Also make sure all closets, drawers, and cabinets are cleaned, organized, and baby proofed... Now I love to clean and organize so this was alot of fun, but throw in my CDOness (OCD in ABC order) and you get someone who hasn't slept in a week.   Obsessing over everything including that the entire house is clean top to bottom except for the oven.  I did not clean my oven.  OH MY GOODNESS!! Now you may say Krista why are they going to look in your oven?? They didn't but I KNOW that it is the only thing not clean in my house.  So the compulsive obsessing continues... prayers and tears.. prayers and tears..

Final thought..  someone reminded me this week that it is a good thing that I will not have morning sickness.  This process is emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining. My morning sickness began day one of this adoption process.

Now the good news... I know and believe that God has a plan for each of these challenges and He will make everything beautiful in His time.  -Ecclesiastes 3:11  

So check back in the future because I am sure I will be able to share the good news from these challenges.  Time to clean my oven!!

Home Visit--CHECK.

the fingerprints and "footprints" of God

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.  -Proverbs 22:6

This was my answer today to the question why do you want to adopt a baby? God spoke through me when I gave that answer. Do you ever speak and wonder was that me speaking???  Well today I knew it was the power of the Holy Spirit. I was covered by the fingerprints of God.

I said it is important to us to begin to instill our faith and values in a baby at a young age so that we can train the child up so he will know where to go.  I then looked behind me and that verse was on a painting on the wall. A masterpiece, a living breathtaking piece of art...What a God moment to be able to speak the Word of God, but to also have it right at our fingertips.  

The rest of our meeting went well.  It was really just a quick meeting to map out the rest of our adoption journey.  From fingerprinting, adoption training courses, interviews, fees, home study, and tons and tons of paperwork.  

Fingerprinting--CHECK. 

Ok now what is next on my checklist? (Sigh..)  This is going to be alot of work. I am a proactive mega planner and this is something that is outside of my scope of planning. My friends tell me that my planning days will be over soon when a baby is added to my life.  That is something that I will need prayer for... This morning during my quiet time I asked the Lord to help me adjust and to quit planning everything and to allow God to intervene with His plan and do all things in His timing. Please pray with me.

Dear God,

Please rescue me from my addiction of planning.  I surrender all of my life checklists and planners over to you.  Please align them to Your will and give me strength to give up all self-control.  God I trust in You and I love You!  

AMEN