Desperation!

My husband and I were able to share a brief testimony about our adoption experience at an International Adoption Dinner hosted by Bethany Christian Services this weekend. It was awesome to hear all the stories from families, but to also be able to encourage the families that have just started the process or are well into the waiting.

I was talking with my friend Pam, another Dillon mom, 2 weeks ago about being in the middle of a desperate wait...one where you cannot see your way or hear God's voice of direction. Then, Friday night a "waiting mom" spoke about their "waiting" and their desperateness to hear God's direction in their process. The long wait in adoption can be excruciating and lonely. This mom shared on Friday that a friend of hers had come up to her and reminded her of something very powerful. "In the middle of your desperate waiting, somewhere out there is a child who desperately needs you to wait." Wow! To persevere, knowing and having the confidence that God is at work on your behalf even when you cannot see it happening. And to remember that God loves and values the orphan child so much that He is working just as diligently on their behalf to unite them with a forever family!

Have you ever noticed in the Bible that most children of promise did not come in the usual way? Jesus, John the Baptist, Isaac, Samuel, etc. God has promised that if we care for the orphans, it will give glory to God. He is a God who keeps His promises and delights to bless us. I truly believe that an adopting family can claim Romans 4:20-21, just as Abraham and Sarah were waiting on their child of promise with no idea of how the promise would be fulfilled..."yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what He had promised, He was also able to perform."

Goodbye Autumn!

The weather is gorgeous, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner! I'm getting out the Pumpkin Bread recipes and buying my ornaments for the kids teachers at school. Although Winter is not officially here until December 21st, with all the Christmas lights being put up in our neighborhood, and all the trees losing their beautiful leaves, it feels like it's time to bid goodbye to Autumn...my favorite time of year.

Micah continues to take everything in stride and bewitches everyone he is around with that charming little smile.

I have way too many pictures to post them all here, but here are a couple of my favorite memories from this fall season. First is our trip out of town together. The mountains, the sites, the motel...it's always quite an adventure! Next is our annual hayhide and pumpkin picking mission up on the mountain! Micah seemed a bit nervous on the wagon ride, but was quiet and took it all in. Then, have I mentioned that Micah has a sweet tooth? I love this pic of him eating his powdered donut on the soccer field during sissy's game. And, last but not least, Micah dressed up like a lion on Halloween! His little "roar" was adorable! Autumn is great for making some awesome memories!

Picture Perfect!

Micah is 20 months old today! I can't believe that in a couple of months he will be turning 2! Time has flown by so quickly. I got these school pics of the boys today and cannot believe how much Micah has changed in such a short time. I'm glad to have this sweet picture of the boys loving on each other. I'll try to look at it every time they are fighting! :)

My nephew recently told my sister as they were driving home in the car that the wanted a little brown-faced brother like Nathan has! :) I'm sure at times Nay Nay (as Micah calls him) might be willing to send Micah to live with his cousin for a while, but overall, they love each other dearly. I have so much to be grateful for this holiday season and these 2 little boys are at the top of my list!

Catalyst & Compassion

Last night at our church we had a Compassion Sponsor Appreciation Event. Our regional coordinator came and spoke and gave his testimony about meeting the little boy he sponsors. Of course these stories are always touching. Last night they also showed a video clip from the Catalyst Conference that just took place in Atlanta. Their focus this year was on the ministry of Compassion International. The video clip was so awesome to see. Make sure you have a kleenex ready when you watch it! It is just one more reason that I love the ministry of Compassion!

Autumn!

Autumn is my favorite time of year! I love the cool crisp air, the leaves changing colors, and the fact that it leads us into Thanksgiving which is my favorite holiday! Somehow my Starbucks White Chocolate Mocha tastes better in the fall. I'm also a huge fan of pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie and peanut butter fudge! Time to get outside and take some more fall pictures of the kiddos!

Micah's Coming Home Story!

Well, I am finally getting around to posting a video on my blog. This is a link to the awesome video my friend Ruth made for us from our video we took in India. It's just a couple minutes long and we showed it on the Sunday morning that we did Micah's baby dedication. I hope to add to it in the future as well as putting some more video on here that my brother-in-law did, but for now, you can click here for a quick glimpse of Micah's Coming Home Story!

Another Man's War

I just finished reading an awesome book called, "Another Man's War," by Sam Childers. He was a druggie, alcoholic, biker, who accepted Christ, became a pastor and now runs an orphanage in war torn Uganda and Southern Sudan. He fights with their military there to help save the women and children from the rebels. It is such an incredible story, well worth the read. He is giving his life to protect the war orphans there and their stories will break your heart. What a great ministry he has! He has spoken on Oprah before and also on the 700 Club. I'm going to try to check out those sites and see if I can pull up any of his old interviews. Happy reading!