I will bring Praise

 A few weeks ago we were visiting a church that had a special band playing for their service. The band was phenomenal and they sang a song that I had not heard in a very long time but that I have always loved.

As I listened to the band sing, I really concentrated on the words and oh how they spoke to me. You could apply these words to so many area's of life but of course I have really applied them to the adoption. When I think about the beginning and how we were unsure about how we would be able to afford the adoption, when we had to change our paperwork and when we were informed that the wait would be even longer. The "desert"  as the song says but then it goes on to talk about the harvest. What a great harvest we have coming...A Child! I truly love how the song says that no matter what, we should Bring Praise, for our God is the God who supplies ________ (you fill in the blank) whatever it is you need for the moment and will continue to provide through the whole journey. It also talks about once you've come through the "desert" make sure you sow a seed for someone else. If you get a chance find it, listen to it and let the words minister to you. Here are the words to the song:


This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides


And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames


And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here


And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand


All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship


This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be empited again
The seed I've recieved I will sow

Longer Still...

I really cant believe that we are already into July, summer is always so fast! As fast as summer is going I feel like our adoption process is so slow. A few weeks ago we received our monthly email from our agency and we were told that they wait process for a referral is now 15 months rather than 12-15 months. We also found out that once we do receive the referral and accept the wait time to travel will no longer be 5 weeks to 3 months but more like 5-6 months. Not gonna lie, I cried. I was just thinking about how much longer we are going to have to wait. I could get pregnant and have a 3- 4 month old baby and we would just be getting to travel to get our little one from Korea. WOW!! Adding on another 6-8 months just stinks!!!

I am pretty bummed for Greyson as well. He is turning 4 in a few months and realistically he will 5 before he gets a sibling. He could really use a playmate. The other day in the car he asked where "that baby" was. I asked him what baby and he said the one from Korea, "cause she is taking a long time to get here." I couldn't agree more! He melts my heart and I am so thankful for him. It's been a rough few weeks for me as I can't get my little one who lives around the world out of my mind. I am asking that you pray for us and for our baby.

 Ron keeps extremely busy at work, we are planning on taking a mini vacation to Kalamazoo to the zoo, I am growing a garden and we spend lots of time at the lake.For now we will continue to live life and enjoy our little boy So glad I serve a Faithful God who cares for my family and has a good plan in mind.  He is working all things out according to His Loving Kindness!

                                                  Greyson and I were in a wedding in June

                                                                    Cutest Ring Bearer

                                                                            Ron and I

                                                                Fourth of July Parade

                                                             Happy Birthday America

                                                                               Our Family

Red and Yellow, Black and White, They are Precious in His sight

I have been trying to educate myself on biological anthropology. I know big words but once you break it down and study a few things out, it is quite fascinating! I just think God and all his creative power is so amazing. To expound I basically just wanted to understand why we look the way we do. I did not do a massive search and I am sure that I only hit the tip of the iceberg but I did study it out a bit and here is some of what I discovered.

First lets start with some definitions:

Create: To bring  into existence; To produce through imaginative skill

Biological Anthropology: Genetic adaption of human beings to different environmental conditions. Physical adaptions in human beings are seen in a response to extreme cold, humid heat, desert condition and high altitudes.

Race: A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics

Different: Partly or totally unlike in nature, form or quality

Similar : Having characteristics in common

OK so when you look at those definitions you can probably start to see where I am headed. I was very curious as to why people, Korean people, in particular have the facial structures that they do. I wondered so I would be able to explain it to my children some day. We have already begun to prepare and explain to Greyson that his sibling will not look exactly how we look because they are from another part of the world. But why?

I looked up the shaped of Asian eyes and learned that the "fold" of skin that makes the appearance of their eyes the way they are is called an epicarthal fold. The reason this fold is unique to the Asian culture is that many Asians are descendants of the Mongolian people. Mongolia is a harsh land with extreme temperatures. The fold of the Asian eye is for protection from snow, as well as the flatter features. I couldn't imagine having to live in extremely cold areas with my very pointy nose, the thing would probably fall off!  Speaking of my nose the reason it is so long and pointy is because of my descendants. I need that long nose to warm up the air before it hits my body. So that being said we can explain why some African Americans have larger, flatter noses. They are from a region of the world that is hot and dry. Larger nostrils give the opportunity to get more oxygen into the nose at a faster pace so when it reaches the body it is still cool, same reason for their dark skin, you cant live under the desert sun and have fair skin. I just found all of these things very interesting. Mainly I was once again so impressed by God. What a creative genius!
He created the world and he created people in the world to be able to not only live in their environment  but to thrive. The specific characteristics of peoples, skin, hair, and facial structures are all for survival and protection in the world He made. These answers are basic but I think very important, with these basic scientific answers we can minimize racism and ignorance. We can also give glory to God for the way he created us which no matter how you look is in His image. He created us to look differently on the outside but to have similarities as well. We all have two ears and eyes, a nose and a mouth. We have hearts that beat to bring us life and we have legs to take us where we want to go. Same and different but we all the exact same purpose in life, Bring Him Glory! Thank you Jesus for creating so many different and beautiful people: Here are some pics of His handiwork

Happy Mothers Day

Naturally today is the day to reflect on mothers and I was thinking about how I wanted to blog about it and that I didn't know where to start. I thought about how much I just love my son so I looked up the word love in the dictionary and I really liked two of the definitions:

1. The benevolent affection of God for His creatures, or the reverent affection due them to God

2. A feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection,as for a child or parent.

I just think it is amazing how the two go hand in hand, Without Jesus we would not know how to love and because of Jesus we can show love because He first loved us. I am just so thankful for the Bible and that it is filled with stories, examples and  practical advice on how to love and how to be a good mom.

Today I thought about my mom and all the wonderful things she did for me and the fun memories I hold dear, I thought about the mom that I am and the mom that I want to be. I thought about all the brand new moms who are just starting out and the moms who have adult children and all the wisdom they have to share. Single Moms who have given everything for their kids and those who wished they had been better moms. And of course in this journey I thought about birth moms who loved enough to give their child to another.

I really thought about birth moms today, and mothers who adopt. Someone I know who had adopted a child and found out that we were starting the adoption process said this to me "Isn't it amazing that God picked you and is entrusting you with another womens child, that out of one of that womens biggest heartaches will be one of your greatest joys"...WOW! Yes it is amazing!
As part of our dossier we had to write a letter to the birthparents and I used the last part of that quote in my letter. I thanked my child's birth mom for giving me her child and promised to love them. That is why I am so thankful for the Bible and for the 24hr access I have to God. Without it I know I would not be able to do the job of mother. I love that through His grace I can be an example of love to my children. I am so thankful that God created women with His nurturing personality.

Today I hope you thanked your mom for who she is what what she has done for you (regardless of "perfection"). I pray that you would use the tools freely offered by God to help you as you mother your children and that the Holy Spirit would be your guide.  Happy Mothers Day!

Celebrate

This past weekend was Easter and we had some family over to celebrate. We had ham, an easter egg hunt and everyone had on spring colored outfits. It was Easter, so very similiar to last year and probably alot like next year but there was a few new thoughts that crossed my mind this year. I did alot of thinking about how almost everyone celebrates Easter, Christian or not and that people all over the world celebrate this holiday as many all over the world celebrate Chrsitmas. It's different than 4th of July or Thanksgiving Day as these holidays are specific to Americans, with Easter the world can celebrate. This led me to my next thought, is the family that is fostering our child Christians? Of course this was not the first time I had thought about this, Ron and I have prayed alot for them and specifically that they would be a Christian home but it did make me wonder anew. I certainly hope they are for so many reasons, so that they are saved, so that they are seeking God on how to deal with raising somone else's child for a short period of time, so that they will have God to lean on when the child they have cared for and bonded with is gone, and so my child is being raised in an atmosphere where God is reconized. I hope so and continue to pray for them.

This Easter was fun and I just love reflecting on Jesus and what he did for us, I love that we can set aside time to focus on the perfect man who became sin for us. I love having family over and eating too much food and finding fun eggs, I love teaching Greyson the true reason of the holiday. Next year I hope to celebrate with another little family member and I cant wait to share the Easter story with them. I hope you had a wonderful Easter and that Jesus was glorified.

Greyson finding his easter basket

Easter Egg Hunt

Our silly boy

Ron, Greyson and I

Prayer

I have written about Experiencing God, the Bible study, before and I find myself going back to the work book and reviewing things. This study was just so good and I love so many things in it but probably one of my favorite things is that in the back of the book it has a list of the names and characteristics of God. A few months ago I went through and put initials next to some of them that to me really pertain to the adoption or for our adopted child in general. I did this for myself, our family and for Greyson but since this blog is about the adoption I wanted to share those certain ones. The other night I went over them again because we have been waiting almost 3 months now and I would be lying if I said I'm anything but anxious about receiving "the call" but everytime I open myself up to God and His word, His perfect peace comes. I love that! After reviewing them I thought I would blog about the list becasue I think that praying Names, Titles and Descriptions of God into my life experience is powerful. So here they are...

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit Are/Is concerning this process and our child...

The faithful God - Deut 32:4
A source of strength - Isa 25:4
Father- Isa 9:6, 63:16, Matt 5:16
Father to the fatherless - Ps 68:5
God my maker - Job 25:10
God of Glory - Ps 29:3
Great and Powerful God - Jer 32:18
Helper of the fatherless - Ps 10:14
I AM WHO I AM - Ex 3:14
Lord of all the earth - Mic 4:13
Lord will provide - Gen22:4
My Advocate - Job 16:19
My Hope - Ps 25:5,21
My strong deliverer - Ps 140:7
Author of life - Acts 3:15
Head over every power and authority - Col2:10

It's amazing how you can apply the Word to every situation in your life. I love all of these but my top picks are Faithful God, My Advocate and Head over every power and authority. I loves those three becasue of what they speak to me when I am anxious. He is faithful and he will get that child home,He is that childs advocate, no matter what adoption agency or foster home is involved the Lord Most High is advocating for my child, and He is the Head over every power and authority. That means the U.S. government,the Koren government, the adoption agency, the social workers, the judges and I could go on and on.... ALL of those authorities He is over. Oh, what peace! Praying his Name and attributes into any area of my life always results in peace, how could it not?  What a powerful tool we all have readily available to us. Thanks for your prayers and please continue to lift up our family and child.

Lessons Learned

This past weekend Ron and I went to a traning seminar (mandatory) on adoption, more specifically we had classes on having a multi cultural family and also some classes about raising a child who is adopted. We did not go there with bad attitudes but we were not expecting much either. I can't say we were wowed by alot but we did learn some a few very valuable lessons. The main teacher was a Korean Adoptee herself and was able to relate alot of information on what is feels like to grow up adopted.
 We were not the only couple there, four other couples took this course with us and like us they are all anticipating adding to their family. All of the families that were there besides us were adopting from China and two of the families already had children set and were just waiting to go and get them. We were able to see pictures of both a little girl and a little boy who were absolutely adorable. That was so fun!!!
 One of the main things that really struck us througout the two days was an exercise we did. Our instructor pulled one of the men from the group up to the front and then gave the remainder of the people in their seats sticky notes. The man then told us a little about himself and we wrote down key words on our sticky not es regarding things that were important to him or that basically made him who he was. We then put the sticky notes on him and then the instructor made up a series of events that caused him to lose all his "sticky notes", the final sticky note she took off of him was his name. The instructor then said this is what the beginning of the process is like for your child, everything that they know will be taken from them and they will have to start over (yes I got choked up). How hard would that be? Not that we hadnt considered all of this before but we never really thought about the name part. We were planning on changing the name and that was that but after hearing this seminar I think we have decided to keep the first name as a second middle name. Meaning we will still use our name that we picked out but also the name that the birth parents picked out. We thought that this child will have no connection with it's birthparents but one of the only things the mother was involved in with her child's life was to give them a name. We want to honor that.

We also learned some other things that I think help you think outside the box, I think the most enjoyable part for me was when we were on a break form the class and I just looked around the room and thought " we are really doing this, we are really adopting a baby." Even though our wait is still long these classes made the process seem even more real.  I am so thankful for the lessons I learned this past week and I am so thankful for the baby that God has picked out for us!