tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73749355400510082522024-02-07T09:41:22.907-08:00Fun with Sharps!This is a blog about life. Our life.
Raw, real, messy, beautiful life that decidedly centers on God, marriage, and a story of adoption - with a little bit of food and crafts thrown in. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-36269280141610044662014-12-21T15:52:00.001-08:002014-12-21T15:52:13.088-08:00Arms Up!See this?<br />
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This is what it looks like when my one year old reaches for me. As if by instinct or a deep-seeded inner need for me to hold him, his arms shoot up instantly when he walks near me. If I don't immediately pick him up, a meltdown ensues, and he weeps from the bottom of his soul in devastation until I snatch him up in my arms and hug him. It always amazes me how much this little guy needs me. ME. He loves his daddy, and they have a great relationship, but at the end of the day, he doesn't want anyone but ME! His eyes are singularly focused. He knows what he needs, and he runs to it. Kicking and screaming until he gets it. How simple. How basic. How sweet. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HwKJlylz8b91JzuN4_J5jA3oiCw-b8XL3385uYCZhwkKHAJ4vu0CfLZ1AEbrAESA13cP1p4xmzutPRnTZuzDYVZz2hAvvDvliov6y6M22OgCzqoDdH0peW4pr5DBHWdSLSa4b7D2crA/s1600/Photo+on+12-21-14+at+5.41+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HwKJlylz8b91JzuN4_J5jA3oiCw-b8XL3385uYCZhwkKHAJ4vu0CfLZ1AEbrAESA13cP1p4xmzutPRnTZuzDYVZz2hAvvDvliov6y6M22OgCzqoDdH0peW4pr5DBHWdSLSa4b7D2crA/s1600/Photo+on+12-21-14+at+5.41+PM.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>This is what it looks like when I'm doing anything but running to the one thing I need. I get so distracted and so unfocused. I run to anything and everything in this life that I think might satisfy me... or, more shamefully, distract me... instead of running towards the ONE thing I NEED! </div>
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Oh, that I would run to the ONE who loves me unconditionally and is waiting for me to run to him. I long for the weights to be dropped from my arms so they might fly up in the air, reaching for HIM who has given everything so I can live free, full of joy, free of stress. </div>
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I need to write on my mirror, so that I see it every day: "RELAX! REST! REACH!" </div>
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Relax in the Truth, Rest in Christ, Reach for HIM! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-58772209251372280922014-05-05T10:15:00.001-07:002014-05-05T10:47:28.636-07:00Staying at home with Purpose... and a 6 month old Here are some updates on the cutest baby in the world... <i>Yes, only shameless pride in my little guy is below. </i>First, I want to give a big update in my life. <br />
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I want to give a big ol' PRAISE GOD for the exciting news that I will be able to stay home full-time as a mom starting May 17th! I have loved my job, and I love my co-workers even more, but I am beyond grateful that I will be able to spend more time with this baby. I want to salute all working mothers - you are AMAZING!!! I watch my friends who work and have kids, and they are the most incredible, hard-working people I have ever known. <i>not that I don't think it will be hard work to stay home. I know it will be. </i>I admire you for busting tail at work, busting tail at home, and still carving out time for friendships. I could go on and on about working mothers, but I just want you to know that you are amazing. I am of the opinion that there is not one right answer as to what a mother should do: work or stay home. I think it depends on each individual family, its needs, and what The Lord calls each person to do. I really struggled and wrestled with the decision to stay home. Like I said, I love my job. I feel like I have been given specific gifts to do my job well. I have felt like I've made a difference in the lives of my students and ultimately in the nursing community in our city. However, I have felt and unmistakable call from The Lord to use my gifts at home.<br />
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I do have some fears about entering this new season of life. I have never been a good "home-maker". <i>ALL of my past roommates (all 7 of them) can attest to this fact.</i> I hate to clean. I LOATHE laundry. I am not much of a cook...mainly because I don't like to take the time to do it. <i>which is why is cracks me up that so many people copy my recipes... bulk cooking is the only way I can get home-cooked meals on the table.</i> I am not very self-motivated... I tend to need deadlines and guidelines. All of these things really give me some anxiety to stay at home WELL. I don't want to just stay home without purpose. I want to serve my family and be faithful to the call that God has placed on my life. I am a little embarrassed to say that I have googled "staying at home with purpose" so many times, only to come up feeling even more inadequate to do it well. I see blogs by women with customized activity rooms for their children. <i>yeah, right. that's not going to happen.</i> Women who have daily agendas, chore schedules, home-made cleaning products, and organic meals that they make from their weekly trips to farmer's markets. <i>this overwhelms me, scares me, and is unrealistic for me... especially considering all our farmer's market had was tomatoes the last time i went.</i><br />
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I worry that I will fail. I worry that I will waste my time, my husband's time, my child's time. I worry that I will not fulfill the calling God has placed on my because of my own limitations. I tell you these things because I am sure someone else can relate to these things, and because in the midst of my worry, God is already calming my heart and giving me the only answer I need.<br />
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<b><i><u>He equips you for what He calls you to do. </u></i></b><br />
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In the Old Testament, God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. In order to do this, Moses had to stand before the Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt, and ask for the Israelites to be released from captivity. Moses argued with God about this. He had anxiety, fear, worry because he was not a clear speaker. He stuttered. He was not prepared. I bet if Moses had googled "standing up to Pharaoh with a stutter" he would have felt discouraged too. God did not leave Moses there. He equipped him! He gave him the ability to not only stand up to Pharaoh, but to ultimately lead the Israelites into freedom! There is so much encouragement in remembering what God has done for His people all throughout history. If He did it for them, He will surely also do it for us! <br />
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Thus commences the shameless pride: <br />
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Waving for the first time </div>
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This boy LOVES his dogs... And they seem to tolerate him </div>
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He is FAST!! He may only crawl using one leg, but that one leg moves like lightening. I turned around for a minute and he was in the other room. It has started. </div>
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I read a few articles about "Baby Led Feeding", and it seems to be PERFECT for this little guy! He was starting to fight me every time we tried to feed him purees, so we knew something had to change. He has been feeding himself for over a week now, and he LOVES it!! He eats chicken, steamed veggies, soft fruits, lunch meat, and other things that are easy to gum up. It has been so fun to watch him enjoy food.<i>Yes, he is feeding himself a chicken leg in this picture. hilarious. </i></div>
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This little Superman pulled himself up all by himself yesterday! He proceeded to stand alone, without holding onto anything, for about 5 seconds. SCARY!!! </div>
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It was SO hard to leave this little guy to go celebrate my sis-in-law's bachelorette party in Denver last weekend. I am so blessed that I didn't even worry that his dad would do an amazing job alone with him. They had a blast doing boy things, and I got some sweet time with my sister-in-laws. </div>
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I love that I have so much fun with my in-law family! These girls are some of my favorite friends, and they are so fun! We can't wait for McKay's wedding in June!</div>
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I felt like there were so many milestones this month that I had to share... I hope you are all having a wonderful Monday! Be sure to check out my other post from today to see what has been going on in my world this week/month. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-74210382067483486392014-05-05T09:53:00.001-07:002014-05-05T10:24:58.025-07:00Seven foodsThere is a lot I want to write about... I think this "crazy food thing" I'm doing is probably the most all-consuming at the moment.<br />
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It all started with Jen Hatmaker. She and I have a love-hate relationship <i>that she knows nothing about</i>, wherein, she makes me feel guilty, makes me know grace, inspires me, challenges me, insults me, and makes me laugh all within a few sentences in her books and blog. I say all of this with the highest regard for her and her ministry, and I am BEYOND grateful for her passion in waging the war on our current culture. I appreciate her realness and humility through it all, and this is why I keep reading her work.<br />
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So, my buddy Jen, <i>I promise I'm not a stalker</i>, wrote this book called <u>7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess</u>. It is essentially a book of seven challenges to hopefully draw attention to the most common areas of excess in our lives and help us rid ourselves of all that distracts us from Christ. In the first chapter, she talks about our love for food - quantity and variety. This has always been an area of struggle for me. I have often referred to myself as a "food addict", and I have actually compared myself to drug addicts when talking about my <strike>love for</strike> <i>scratch that</i> <strike>obsession with</strike> <i>no, still worse than that-</i> fatal attraction to French Fries - <i>like, I literally did this when talking to a drug addict... not my finest hour. </i>All of this to say, when I read this chapter, my throat started closing, my breathing became shallow, and my heart had palpitations. I knew I had to do something about this.<br />
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The challenge to wage the war against food excess is to choose seven foods and eat only those foods for a month. <i>WHAT?! Seriously, I am not happy with Jen about this right now. </i>So, I looked at nutritional value and versatility, and I chose the following foods: 1. Chicken 2. Avocados 3. Black Beans 4. Whole Wheat bread (this includes tortillas) 5. Carrots 6. Apples 7. Salsa (I know there is more than one ingredient in salsa, but I'm counting it as one food. <i>deal with it) </i>I have also decided not to go to restaurants unless it is for a special occasion - mainly because it is hard to stick to "7" at a restaurant, but also because it is a privilege of excess to have someone else prepare my food for me. I'm also only drinking water with this challenge. (this is probably the easiest part... I like water)<br />
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I began the challenge on May 1st, and I plan to go throughout the month of May. I have already scheduled in "Grace Days" on which I can eat whatever I want and get a free pass for that day. I decided to do this because there are always special occasions that come up. I have decided to only allow myself 3 days of excess. 1. My first Mother's Day 2. The day after I am done working <i>(I haven't told y'all yet, but I am going to be a STAY AT HOME MOM ON MAY 17TH!!! WAHOO!!!)</i> 3. I haven't decided what my third day will be, but I'm planning on eating fried seafood.<br />
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I'm on my 5th day, and I am already seeing some ugly things come out. I think this is a good thing. The other night, I prepared food for Superman (<i>6 months old and eating real food... it's incredible.</i>), and he ate chicken, <i>like mom</i>, but he got broccoli instead of carrots as his side. I was actually JEALOUS of my 6 month old's steamed broccoli. <i>how demented is that?!</i> My co-workers went to lunch this afternoon, and I actually felt left out that I had to tell them "no" because of my decision to do this challenge. It is also a little exhausting every time I explain why I am eating another black bean, chicken, and avocado burrito for lunch (5 days in a row). It's good for me.<br />
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Anyway. I recommend this book for all Americans. I think it is exactly the kind of challenge we all need. It's uncomfortable, and it's hard. But - it's worth it.<br />
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<i>This is what my g-chat conversation with Austin at work looks like when we are both doing the 7 challenge</i></div>
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The foods: <br /><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-19720839970348283462014-04-30T12:07:00.001-07:002014-04-30T12:21:58.762-07:00Parenting 101: Wisdom from experienced parentsWe had a wonderful couple come and share with our small group last night about parenting as Christians. They had so many INCREDIBLE words of wisdom for all of us who are in the beginning stages of raising tiny humans. Their three children are all grown, and they have beautiful relationships with each of them. They shared so much, and I want to hold on to all of it!! Here are some of the key things that really stuck out to me:<br />
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- It is never to early to discuss the tough topics. It may go over their heads, but that's ok! It's better to go over their heads than for them to not be prepared for tough situations. (<i>i.e. sex, lying, stealing, bad movies, etc.)</i><br />
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<i>- </i>It is ok to be different than your friends in your parenting style. Even some of your best friends may have differing opinions on things as children grow older, and it is important to stand firm in your own convictions on how to parent your children. (<i>i.e. what age to give a cell phone, facebook accounts, buying cars, how to celebrate holidays, punishment, scheduling time on weekends, choosing friends, etc.)</i><br />
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- Parent your child's heart, not their behaviors. So many times, parents tend to focus on the child's behavior instead of looking deeper to the state of their heart that caused the behavior. Instead of just doling out punishment, sit and talk with your child (even at a young age) about why they did what they did, then explain the punishment to the child before it is given. This will allow the child to be able to recognize the need for change instead of leading them to rebel against authority.<br />
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- Get to know their friends. Pour into their lives and offer support where support is needed. <br />
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- Always make it clear how much you love them. period. no matter what.<br />
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- Give them grace; give yourself grace. You will make mistakes. Your child will make mistakes. There is enough grace for all of you! It's amazing how willing your child's heart is to forgive your mistakes if you humble yourself and ask for their forgiveness. This also teaches them that it is ok to admit mistakes of their own.<br />
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- Develop a family "mission statement". <i>What does it mean to be a SHARP?!</i> Remind your children to remember their last name: what they stand for and who they represent. This will teach them to take pride in their family and it's values, and it will give them a clear compass by which to make decisions in the tough moments of life.<br />
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There was SOOO much more that they shared, but these are the big ones!! Austin and I discussed last night, once we got home, what we want for it to mean to be a Sharp. We are currently working on our mission statement. I encourage you all to develop your own. I think it might change the way we function as families!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-69547868934937993022014-04-15T10:25:00.001-07:002014-04-15T10:33:29.627-07:00Superman was Adopted!Done. The theme of the past few days is "We are DONE!" I can not even begin to explain how ready we were to FINALLY have Bug be officially OURS. Praise the Lord that everything went so smoothly, and it was such a sweet time for all of us.<br />
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We finalized the adoption in Fort Worth, so we decided to make a special weekend out of the experience. Our families came from out of town - Georgia, Austin, Amarillo - and we all celebrated all weekend! It was a blast!<br />
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We chose a theme for the adoption: "Superman was Adopted". We chose this because we love the redemptive themes of the Superman story: His parents wanted to give him a better life, sent him to earth, his adoptive parents loved and supported him, he realized he had powers and used them to save lives, he knew his weakness and fought against it throughout his life to triumph over it. We see so many Spiritual parallels with the Superman story: Bug came to live in our home to have a better life/more opportunities, we will love and support him throughout his life, he has a power within that is greater than any power on this earth (The Lord), our biggest prayer is for him to claim the Power of Christ and use it to lead others to saving grace, we pray that he will know his weaknesses and triumph over them using Scripture. He is our little Superbaby!! <i>I don't care that I am cheesy... it's fun!</i><br />
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The ceremony was short, but it was powerful! We stood before the judge with all of our family and friends. They asked us all to raise our hands and swear to care for this child and do everything in our power to give him the best life possible. Then they asked Austin and I specific questions. Some were just asking about the facts: his name, birth date, has he lived in our home for 6 months, etc... Then came the tear-jerkers... "Do you, Austin, promise to love, cherish, and care for this child, fulfilling all of his needs, physical and otherwise, and love him as if he was your natural born child? <i>YES!!!</i> And do you, Elizabeth, promise to love, cherish, and care for this child, fulfilling all of his needs, physical and otherwise, and love him as if he was your natural born child? <i>*tears* YES!!!</i> Then, because of your testimony here today, I grant this adoption and therefore change this child's name to..." <i>*gavel bump* PICTURE TIME!!! </i><br />
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We took pictures with the judge, caught the whole thing on video, and then had a celebration in the lobby of the courthouse with some special cookies made by my talented friend with Sweet Emotion cookies. (<i>you MUST check her out... they are THE BEST cookies EVER!!!) </i><br />
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The sweetest thing, to me, was when we were all done with the ceremony, Bug latched on to my neck and <i>dramatically</i> laid his head on my shoulder. <i>He is usually not still long enough to snuggle like this</i>. Within a couple of minutes, he was sound asleep! It almost felt like he <i>KNEW</i> that something BIG happened, and he was simply so content and relaxed that he just fell asleep! This might not seem like a big deal for most babies... but this baby is NOT one to just fall asleep. He is BUSY!!! He is so interested in everything going on around him that he doesn't have time to sleep unless we remove the distractions and lay him down. It really warmed my heart. It felt like the perfect ending to this whole journey. <br />
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<i> </i>My mom gave Bug a Bible with his full name engraved on the front and his adoption date inscribed on the inside. It will be such a special treasure to commemorate this day for him for years to come. We all went to a big breakfast afterwards and enjoyed each others company. It was such a sweet time!! We will never forget it!! <br />
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I can not express how much I appreciate all of the love and support we have received from people far and wide... even those of you we don't even know! We have gotten so many emails, calls, texts, comments on the blog, comments on facebook and instagram, and private messages offering so much love and encouragement. My heart is so full. I wish I could express how much this means to all of us! We are so blessed.<br />
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<div class="text_exposed_root text_exposed" id="id_534d6c009c1963d24386433">
<span class="text_exposed_show">Romans 8:14-16<br />
"</span><span class="text Rom-8-14" id="en-ESV-28115">For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons<sup> </sup>of God.</span> <span class="text Rom-8-15" id="en-ESV-28116"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”</span> <span class="text Rom-8-16" id="en-ESV-28117">The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God</span><span class="text_exposed_show">"</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-71604912670031453012014-04-14T20:09:00.002-07:002014-04-15T10:41:31.081-07:00Picture time!! I will do a whole post about this weekend and the adoption ceremony - so sweet - but for now, here are just a couple of shots of the cutest baby in the world!! Btw, we chose a theme for his adoption weekend: "Superman was adopted". I'll write about that too, but I just wanted the picture to make sense! <i>Didn't want you to think we randomly took the baby to comicon or something... Not that there's anything wrong with that... Just not our style...</i>Enjoy!!<br />
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<i> </i>I am SOOO excited for you all to get to FINALLY see this sweet little guy!! He's the best!! :) I can't wait to tell you all more about this weekend! It was beautiful and so special. Much love!<br />
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- The Sharps! <br />
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<i>All photos are personal property of the owner of fun-with-sharps.blogspot.com. Any use of these photos without the express permission of the owner of this blog will be subject to legal action. </i><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-40879478420685465262014-04-10T09:29:00.000-07:002014-04-10T09:29:41.941-07:00Brain WorkI have always had a thing for memorizing facts, data, quotes, and most importantly, scripture. <i>Yes, it has been established that I am a total, hopeless nerd. I am ok with this. </i><br />
<br />
Well, I found this app called <u>"fighter verses"</u> that is <b><i>AMAZING!!</i></b> It gives you quizzes and activities to help memorize scripture verses. It even puts the verses to music - which I think is super helpful, even if the song is overwhelmingly cheesy! ha.<br />
<i> </i><br />
I think Scripture memory is absolutely vital for Believers' minds. Think about it. How many times are you in the middle of a crisis <i>or not quite a crisis but still a hard time</i> and you wish there was something that would help you know how to overcome or deal with the situation in that moment? It happens to me often. If you have to stop, find your Bible, search for verses, look on the internet for something that applies, read and try to understand, there is a LOT of time that Satan has to try to play on your mind and emotions before the Truth has an opportunity to sink in. (<i>do not get me wrong. I think reading Scripture is absolutely necessary. I just think in times of crisis, having Scripture memorized is more readily accessible to fight the evil one.)</i> If you were able to just pull up the Truth at a moment's notice and extinguish the fiery arrows of the evil one <b>in that moment</b>, think about how much more effective and powerful that makes you?!<br />
<br />
I really believe we are in the middle of a Spiritual War at every moment. Regardless of what you believe about the spiritual realm, there are clear powers of evil battling against clear powers of good. All I know is that I want to be equipped to fight when I need to!<br />
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It usually takes me a week or two to really memorize a passage to where it becomes a part of me. The reason why I recommend this app to you is because I memorized a fairly long passage in one hour yesterday with its help! It was amazing to me! I just thought I would share. :)<br />
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I can't wait to overwhelm you all with massive amounts of photos of my little bug after his finalization on Monday!!! Wahoo!! It's just a few days away!!<br />
<br />
Now, I must show off my scripture memory from yesterday:<br />
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Philippians 3:7-11<br />
But whatever gain I had, I considered it loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I consider everything loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For the sake of Christ, I have suffered the loss of all things, that I may gain CHRIST and be found in HIM - not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith - that I may know HIM and the power of His resurrection, and may share in His sufferings, becoming like HIM in His death, that by ANY MEANS POSSIBLE I may attain the resurrection from the dead.<br />
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Boom-shaka-laka. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-76707956108406928522014-03-31T11:16:00.003-07:002014-03-31T11:19:04.851-07:00Math NerdI tend to find random significance in numbers from time to time, and I actually believe this is a thing that relates to the mind of God as well. For example, God loves the number 3. His very being is made up by 3 different entities: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. He waited 3 days to raise Jesus from the dead. Etc. He also loves the number 7. He created the Earth in 7 days - on the 7th day, He rested. He talks about the 7 churches in Revelation. God is a numbers guy.<br />
<br />
I wouldn't really consider myself an actual "math nerd", but I do find myself seeing significance in random dates or numbers. Sooooo.....<br />
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The Adoption will be finalized on 4/14/14. (<i>I really like the look of that number, the double 14's make me happy.. <ahem> NERD!)</i> If you add the digits all together, it equals 14. (4+1+4+1+4=14) Crazy? Maybe!<br />
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His birthday is 10/11/13. If you add those digits together, they equal 7. (1+0+1+1+1+3=7) The number "14" is simply 7x2.<br />
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Maybe I'm reading a little into this... yeah, ok, a LOT into this. But, these are the things my mind thinks of...<br />
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My conclusion from it all: If God really loves the number "7", then what could be better than doubling that number?! I think "14" will be Little Bug's lucky number from here on out!! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-13141898147153254862014-03-28T21:14:00.003-07:002014-03-28T21:14:38.349-07:00Intimate thoughts Thoughts tonight...<br />
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Why are we, all humans, so self-focused? Why do we expect people to be sensitive to our hurts and struggles when we are not sensitive to others' hurts and struggles? We expect people to offer support, encouragement, and understanding to us when we suffer uniquely, but we are wholly unable to adequately offer support, encouragement, and understanding to others when they suffer uniquely. Are we even able to accomplish this with our finite abilities?<br />
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There are several dear people in my life currently who are struggling through GREAT, UNNATURAL, PAINFUL circumstances. I desire to empathize with them, and I desperately want to understand and support them, but unless I have walked in their individual shoes, I will never fully grasp the depth of what they are going through.<br />
<br />
The same applies to my own situations. I would like to share a little more intimately about myself to shed some light on my testimony.<br />
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My past is not a pretty picture. My childhood was not wrapped up in a pretty package and set on display for other families to see how a healthy family should be. No. It was quite the opposite. I will not share details for the purpose of not distracting from my message or hurting those involved.<br />
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My teen and college years were filled with struggle, wrestling with truth and identity in the midst of family chaos, and rebellion from the Truth God had already revealed to me. The theme of my existence was cause and effect. Hurt then rebellion.<br />
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In early adulthood, God grabbed me. He had pursued me all along, but He clutched me tightly and held me close as I progressed into my 20's. He allowed me to live in singleness for several years. I was faithful at times, and at other times, my faith was weak. I walked with The Lord, but I also ran towards the world in times of fear.<br />
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He eventually gave me my husband, a godly, sweet man who has loved me well. He gifted me a man who loved me through my sin and saw the heart that God had molded. We wanted children. Desperately. All My heart has ever known was a desire to be a mother. It was my deepest desire to mother many children. We did everything we knew to do. We did everything the doctors told us to do. We allowed ourselves to be poked, prodded, explored, and tested in the most unnatural ways. We were told we were infertile.<br />
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My heart has been crushed before. I have experienced the Healing Hand of my Father, tenderly piecing it back together in the past. This time was different. This time I felt responsible. "If only I was a better person." "If only I had enough faith." "If only I could do the one thing a woman is designed to do." "If only I had figured things out sooner, I might've gotten married younger and gotten pregnant." It's almost baffling how I believed I had so much control over something so supernatural.<br />
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I am blessed and overjoyed beyond belief to be able to call myself "mommy" to our sweet little boy. Adoption is a marvelous thing created by God, and He is continually teaching us through it.<br />
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This brings me back to tonight and the reason for these thoughts.<br />
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It is frequent that my sensitivities erupt when I see a healthy, godly family that extends back for generations seem to have no outward earthly struggles or pains. They also flare when I see women so easily get pregnant and proclaim their unexpected fertility all over social media or in conversation. There are real pains in my heart each time stories of labor and delivery or pregnancy are shared. As beautiful and amazing as adoption is, it doesn't heal infertility. As wonderful as my husband can be to me, he can not restore my childhood. There are sacrifices and pains that I will live with until My Father calls me Home to His eternal Kingdom.<br />
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Just as I feel my sensitive areas acutely, I know others feel theirs equally as strong. We try to encourage each other, but we can't. The only One who can is Christ. He bore our sin and our weaknesses so that we might be restored for eternity.<br />
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The point I want to make is to offer, extend, and receive Grace when you feel the hot flare of your most sensitive areas. This sort of Grace can ONLY come from Christ. I do not claim to have mastered this at all! I am a work in progress and I will be one until I die.<br />
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In my pleadings and questioning of the God of the Universe, I have heard His voice quietly and gently heal some of my wounds, as only He can. He reminds me of what/WHO the true desire of my heart should be. It is not a child. It is not motherhood. It is not my own restored childhood. It is HIM. HE ALONE can fulfill the desires of my heart. A healthy, godly family is a wonderful thing. Motherhood is beautiful and God loves mothers intensely. Children are blessing from The Lord. BUT nothing compares to the richness that comes from knowing, loving, serving, and glorifying HIM for all eternity. Regardless of the earthly, temporary circumstances.<br />
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Let us always fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.<br />
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What are you focused on that you can SEE? What can you focus on that is unseen and eternal instead?!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-15644173944859553012014-03-28T12:32:00.001-07:002014-03-28T12:35:12.222-07:00"Them's Fightin' Words!" <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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A few years ago, I was really struggling in the depths of anxiety and fear, mostly surrounding infertility and feelings of hopelessness surrounding God's plan (or what I felt was a <i>lack of a plan</i> at that time) for my life. It was so clear that the enemy was doing everything in his power to try to steer me off course and steal me away from the ONE who loves me and has the best for me, My Heavenly Father. I was drawn to the Scriptures to fight this fear and anxiety, and I compiled this list to be my "Sword of the Spirit" during that time. I wanted to share it with you all. Hopefully it will help some one else FIGHT against the powers of this dark world. Let me know if you need specific prayers or encouragement. I am always happy to help a sister (or brother) out! Much love! </div>
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Put up your dukes, Satan! I'm coming for you!<br />
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<i><b>SCRIPTURES FOR THE FIGHT!</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Cast all your anxiety on him because <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he cares for you</i>. <br />
(1 Peter 5:7) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">When I am afraid, I will
trust in you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Psalm 56:3)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.</i> <br />
(Philippians 4:6-7)<br />
</span><br />
Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will
strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my right hand of my
righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings
like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Isaiah 40:31)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">I can do all this through him who gives me strength.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Phil 4:13)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend
yourselves. Luke 21:14 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not
be shaken..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm16:8 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be
shaken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 62:6 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find
refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 91:4 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeremiah 29:11 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Romans 8:28 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he
helps me. Psalm 28:7 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help
comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 121:1-2 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting
in the LORD.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 112:7 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding Proverbs 3:5 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his
son, all the way you went until you reached this place. Deut 1:31 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil 4:6-7 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 Timothy 4:7 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and
perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning
its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 46:1 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in
me.” John 14:1 NIV</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take my yoke upon you and learn
from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Psalm 56:3 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for
the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deut
31:6 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I
trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not
be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us? Romans 8:31 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a
future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. Proverbs 24:14 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame
will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he
saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he
surrounds and defends all who fear him. Psalm 34:4-7 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay
alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a
roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be
strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all
over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his kindness God called you to share in
his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little
while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a
firm foundation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 Peter 5:7-10 NLT</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">As for God, his way is perfect:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The LORD’s word is flawless;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he
shields all who take refuge in him. 2 Samuel 22:31 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light.” Matt 11:28-30 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He
is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Exodus 15:2 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews
6:19 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the
Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John
14:27 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>so that with one mind and one voice you may
glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Romans 15:5-6 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your
old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and to put on the new self, created to
be like God in true righteousness and holiness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Romans 4:22-24 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and
my portion forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 73:26 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions
never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged
sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it
judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hebrews 4:12 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Romans 8:31 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields
all who take refuge in him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 18:30
NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Are God’s consolations not enough for you, words spoken gently to
you?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Job 15:11 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all
their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are
crushed in spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The righteous person
may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all. Psalm34:17-19
NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my
hope is in you all day long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Psalm 25:5
NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by
the stream. It does not fear when heat comes;<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and
never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:8 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he
does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his
unfailing love. Psalm 33:4-5 NIV</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many
things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">[to sit at the feet of Christ], </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it will not be taken away from her</i>. <br />
(Luke 10:41-42) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but a spirit of power, of love</i> and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy
1:7) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you
cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke
12:25-26) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
(Proverbs 12:25) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Cast your cares on the LORD and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he
will sustain you</i>; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he will never let
the righteous fall</i>. (Psalm 55:22) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">When anxiety was great within me, your consolation <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">brought joy to my soul</i>. (Psalm 94:19) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lead me in the way everlasting</i>. <br />
(Psalm 139:23-24) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Therefore I tell you, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do not worry
about your life</i>, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Life is more than food and the body more
than clothes</i>. (Luke 12:22-23) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow.
They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his
splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matthew 6:28-29) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">So <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do not worry,</i> saying
"What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or 'What
shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your heavenly Father knows that you need
them</i>. (Matthew 6:31-32) </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">A man cannot discover anything about his future. <br />
(Ecclesiastes 7:14) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><b>Scriptures specifically used during our struggle with infertility: </b> </span></div>
<br />
<b>Deuteronomy 7:14 [NKJV] ~</b> “You shall be blessed above all people; there shall not be male or female barren among you.”<br />
<br />
<b>Isaiah 50:7 [NKJV] ~</b> ”For the Lord God will help me;
Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a
flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed.”<br />
<br />
<b>Leviticus 26:9 [Amplified Bible]</b> ~ “For I will be
leaning toward you with favor and regard for you, rendering you
fruitful, multiplying you and establishing and ratifying my covenant
with you.”<br />
<br />
<b>Hebrews 11:11 [NLT]</b> ~ “It was by faith that even
Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old.
She believed that God would keep his promise.”<br />
<br />
<b>Luke 1:37 ~</b> “For with God NOTHING shall be impossible.”<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-12174659640111834112014-03-24T11:32:00.004-07:002014-03-24T11:33:31.479-07:00Borrowed TruthI read this letter from one adoptive mom to others, and I HAD to share it!! I hope you are as blessed by it as I am. I can relate to this so well up until this point... I know many more hard times are to come.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kathylynnharris.com/dear-moms-of-adopted-children/" target="_blank"> Here is the link to the original post</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="entry-header">
<h1 class="entry-title">
Dear Moms of Adopted Children</h1>
<div class="entry-meta">
<span class="sep">Posted on </span><a href="http://www.kathylynnharris.com/dear-moms-of-adopted-children/" rel="bookmark" title="7:05 pm"><time class="entry-date" datetime="2013-05-07T19:05:52+00:00" pubdate="">May 7, 2013</time></a> </div>
</header><br />
<i>Dear Mom of an Adopted Child,</i><br />
I met you in adoption education class. I met you at the agency. I met
you at my son’s school. I met you online. I met you on purpose. I met
you by accident.<br />
It doesn’t matter. The thing is, I knew you right away. I recognize
the fierce determination. The grit. The fight. Because everything about
what you have was a decision, and nothing about what you have was easy.
You are the kind of woman who Makes.Things.Happen. After all, you made <i>this</i> happen, this family you have.<br />
Maybe you prayed for it. Maybe you had to convince a partner it was
the right thing. Maybe you did it alone. Maybe people told you to just
be happy with what you had before. Maybe someone told you it simply
wasn’t in God’s plans for you to have a child, <i>this</i> child whose
hair you now brush lightly from his face. Maybe someone warned you about
what happened to their cousin’s neighbor’s friend. Maybe you ignored
them.<br />
Maybe you planned for it for years. Maybe an opportunity dropped into
your lap. Maybe you depleted your life-savings for it. Maybe it was not
your first choice. But maybe it was.<br />
Regardless, I know you. And I see how you hold on so tight. Sometimes too tight. Because that’s what we do, isn’t it?<br />
I know about all those books you read back then. The ones everyone
reads about sleep patterns and cloth versus disposable, yes, but the
extra ones, too. About dealing with attachment disorders, breast milk
banks, babies born addicted to alcohol, cocaine, meth. About cognitive
delays, language deficiencies. About counseling support services, tax
and insurance issues, open adoption pros and cons, legal rights.<br />
I know about the fingerprinting, the background checks, the credit
reports, the interviews, the references. I know about the classes, so
many classes. I know the frustration of the never-ending paperwork. The
hours of going over finances, of having garage sales and bake sales and
whatever-it-takes sales to raise money to afford it all.<br />
I know how you never lost sight of what you wanted.<br />
I know about the match call, the soaring of everything inside you to
cloud-height, even higher. And then the tucking of that away because,
well, these things fall through, you know.<br />
Maybe you told your mother, a few close friends. Maybe you shouted it
to the world. Maybe you allowed yourself to decorate a baby’s room, buy
a car seat. Maybe you bought a soft blanket, just that one blanket, and
held it to your cheek every night.<br />
I know about your home visits. I know about your knuckles, cracked
and bleeding, from cleaning every square inch of your home the night
before. I know about you burning the coffee cake and trying to fix your
mascara before the social worker rang the doorbell.<br />
And I know about the followup visits, when you hadn’t slept in three
weeks because the baby had colic. I know how you wanted so badly to show
that you had it all together, even though you were back to working
more-than-full-time, maybe without maternity leave, without the family
and casseroles and welcome-home balloons and plants.<br />
And I’ve seen you in foreign countries, strange lands, staying in
dirty hotels, taking weeks away from work, struggling to understand
what’s being promised and what’s not. Struggling to offer your love to a
little one who is unsettled and afraid. Waiting, wishing, greeting,
loving, flying, nesting, coming home.<br />
I’ve seen you down the street at the hospital when a baby was born,
trying to figure out where you belong in the scene that’s emerging. I’ve
seen your face as you hear a nurse whisper to the birthmother that she
doesn’t have to go through with this. I’ve seen you trying so hard to
give this birthmother all of your respect and patience and compassion in
those moments—while you bite your lip and close your eyes, not knowing
if she will change her mind, if this has all been a dream coming to an
abrupt end in a sterile environment. Not knowing if this is your time.
Not knowing so much.<br />
I’ve seen you look down into a newborn infant’s eyes, wondering if
he’s really yours, wondering if you can quiet your mind and good sense
long enough to give yourself over completely.<br />
And then, to have the child in your arms, at home, that first night.
His little fingers curled around yours. His warm heart beating against
yours.<br />
I know that bliss. The perfect, guarded, hopeful bliss.<br />
I also know about you on adoption day. The nerves that morning, the
judge, the formality, the relief, the joy. The letting out of a breath
maybe you didn’t even know you were holding for months. Months.<br />
I’ve seen you meet your child’s birthparents and
grandparents weeks or years down the road. I’ve seen you share your
child with strangers who have his nose, his smile … people who love him
because he’s one of them. I’ve seen you hold him in the evenings after
those visits, when he’s shaken and confused and really just wants a
stuffed animal and to rest his head on your shoulder.<br />
I’ve seen you worry when your child brings home a family tree project
from school. Or a request to bring in photos of him and his dad, so
that the class can compare traits that are passed down, like blue eyes
or square chins. I know you worry, because you can protect your child
from a lot of things — but you can’t protect him from being different in
a world so intent on celebrating sameness.<br />
I’ve seen you at the doctor’s office, filling out medical histories,
leaving blanks, question marks, hoping the little blanks don’t turn into
big problems later on.<br />
I’ve seen you answer all of the tough questions, the questions that
have to do with why, and love, and how much, and where, and who, and how
come, mama? How come?<br />
I’ve seen you wonder how you’ll react the first time you hear the
dreaded, “You’re not my real mom.” And I’ve seen you smile softly in the
face of that question, remaining calm and loving, until you lock
yourself in the bathroom and muffle your soft cries with the sound of
the shower.<br />
I’ve seen you cringe just a little when someone says your child is
lucky to have you. Because you know with all your being it is the other
way around.<br />
But most of all, I want you to know that I’ve seen you look into your
child’s eyes. And while you will never see a reflection of your own
eyes there, you see something that’s just as powerful: A reflection of
your complete and unstoppable love for this person who grew in the midst
of your tears and laughter, and who, if torn from you, would be like
losing yourself.<br />
<hr />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-43285149570570606912014-03-24T11:28:00.005-07:002014-03-24T11:41:08.852-07:003 weeks until Forever!We have three weeks from today until Little Bug is OURS. Not just in our hearts. Not just in our arms. OURS. He will bear our name, be in our will, and grow old with us as his parents. Forever. <br />
<br />
I feel like, for the past 5.5 months, I have been holding it together (<i>mostly)</i> and pushing ugly thoughts to the back of my mind of all of the things that could happen to disrupt this adoption. In a way, I feel like I've been playing Jenga, (<i>remember Jenga</i>?). All of the paperwork, home study, match meeting, etc. was like carefully stacking the blocks to build the tower. Once Little Bug came home, I felt like every week we have removed a block, so delicately, to signify counting down the days until we can pack up the game and stick it back in the closet. Every time a block gets removed, or time whittles down, more and more anxiety mounts. I hold just a little more breath inside. My hands shake even more. I guard my tower like Gollum with his ring. Now, there are just three more blocks... Three more weeks... The game is almost over. And I COULD NOT be more READY!!!<br />
<br />
Even though is has been emotional and, at times, terrifying, we have felt and experienced God's hand throughout the whole experience. I know, without a doubt, that God has ordained for Little Bug to be our baby. I KNOW that nothing will happen to disrupt His plan for our lives. I think this is a perfect example of how many times we BELIEVE that God is working for our good, but we STILL live in fear that something will disrupt His plan. How small-minded we are!!! If I TRULY believed God without my finite understanding, I would dance with reckless abandon around my silly Jenga tower! I would let my baby play on it. Let the dogs sniff around it. Let the box fan blow right on it! I would TRUST that NOTHING can separate us from God's love or His plan for our lives!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">Romans 8:28:</span> <span class="btext1">"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."</span><br />
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<span class="btext1"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 8:31:</span> "</span><span class="btext1"><span class="text Rom-8-31">What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?</span> <span class="text Rom-8-32" id="en-NIV-28149">He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="btext1"><span class="text Rom-8-32" id="en-NIV-28149"><span style="color: blue;">Romans 8:38-39:</span> </span></span><span class="text Rom-8-38" id="en-NIV-28155"><sup class="versenum"> "</sup>For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,</span> neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."<br />
<br />
<i>Can you tell that Romans 8 is my favorite chapter of the Bible?! </i><br />
<br />
I want to encourage you all - no matter what is going on in your life - to cling to the truth that HE who is FOR us will NEVER be against us. NOTHING can separate us from HIS love. HE will work it all for GOOD in your life! CLING to this! If you must cling to anything in this life, THIS is worth clinging to. <i> </i> </div>
<span class="text Rom-8-39" id="en-NIV-28156"></span><span class="btext1"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-33177208785207038642014-02-17T11:14:00.000-08:002014-02-17T11:14:40.734-08:00Online Pot-Luck I would like to do something kinda strange today! Have any of you
heard of "Pot-Luck" dinners? You know, the things churches do once a
month where all of the ladies bring a dish, and you get to fill your
plate with tons and tons of homemade goodness? Well, I would like to do
an online "pot-luck"! This can be on-going. I think it'll be a fun way
for people to access everyone's favorite recipes in one, simple place. <br />
<br />
Here's what I'm thinking. In a comment, type your favorite recipe, and hit submit. It's that easy! Then you will have access to everyone else's recipes from the other comments posted. This should help to find variety in meal-planning, and hopefully, we can all try some different dishes that we would have never known about before!<br />
<br />
All I ask is that the recipes are all different. Please look at previous recipes and make sure you don't duplicate someone's. (This will give us more variety) If it is something that can be frozen and enjoyed later, AWESOME! Just let us know! I hope you all enjoy this! I am SO excited to enjoy new recipes from you all.<br />
<br />
I'll kick it off with one of my favorites:<br />
<b>Green Chile Chicken Pasta</b><br />
Ingredients:<br />
<b>-</b> Spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente<br />
- 16 oz Sour Cream<br />
- Two small cans of Chopped Green Chiles<br />
- Two large (three small) chicken breasts boiled and shredded<br />
- 2 cups of shredded cheese (I use the Mexican mixed bag, but cheddar would work) <br />
<br />
Combine noodles, sour cream, green chiles, and chicken in a casserole dish (I use 9x13, but almost anything would work) and mix together. Spread cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling. Serve! (I will add that I haven't frozen this recipe before, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work to freeze it before baking it.)j<br />
<br />
Now, it's your turn!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-46768286864675089212014-02-14T09:47:00.001-08:002014-02-14T09:47:25.368-08:00Love is all you need This is not the reason for my post today, but since it's Valentine's Day, I felt like I needed to at least mention it! So, my thoughts on today:<br />
<br />
This holiday is so difficult for so many people. All holidays that exclude a large number of people tug at my heart every year. Other examples of these holidays are Mother's Day and Father's Day. The reason why I think these days are particularly difficult is because we truly don't have much control over whether or not we fall into the category of being allowed to celebrate it or not.<br />
<br />
Valentine's Day excludes anyone who is not currently in a healthy, loving relationship with someone. It is painful because the whole day is a constant reminder that they do not have what they so desperately desire. Even though I am married and have a wonderful relationship with my husband, I choose not to celebrate this day in a big way, simply because I don't like for anyone to feel excluded!! It just doesn't feel right! I know this feeling well from my years as a single woman before getting married, and up until this year, I felt this way every time Mother's Day rolled around. It was a constant reminder that, yet again, I was not a mother, and I did not have what my heart so desperately desired. <br />
<br />
Therefore, in my own way, I would like to honor those of you who are in pain on this day by simply telling you that <u><i><b>God loves you</b></i></u>. I hope you find a time today to simply rest and bask in the love of your greatest admirer. Love from a man or woman on this earth is NOTHING compared to the love of our Lord. I love you all, and I hope you have a great day! <br />
<br />__________________________________________________________________________________<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-63016902048426662972014-01-30T12:01:00.002-08:002014-01-30T12:01:35.503-08:00It's a DATE!!! We finally have a date to finalize Little Bug's adoption!!! YAY!!!! He will officially be ours on April 14th! Exactly 6 months and 3 days after he was born. I have already called my mom and gushed about how excited we are, and I can't wait to leave work and tell the little guy! :) <i>I have a feeling he will be thrilled. </i><br />
<br />
Even though I know that God determined that he would be <i>ours</i> before the creation of the world, I am so excited to have his birth certificate in hand and make it official that he is OUR SON FOREVER!!! <i> </i><i>Phew!</i> <i>What a long road...</i><br />
<br />
I can't wait to be able to post pictures and be able to show the world a tangible picture of God's faithfulness in our lives. Thank you for your prayers so far. We appreciate them still!<br />
<i> </i><br />
<i> </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-36858247083559628522014-01-22T12:49:00.001-08:002014-01-22T12:49:18.655-08:00Holy Pot-Roast, Batman!!Well, I tweaked up my pot roast recipe yesterday, and WOWZA!! It was AMAZING!!!<br />
<br />
4lb Chuck Roast<br />
LOTS of salt & pepper<br />
About 2tbsp Rosemary<br />
About 2tbsp Thyme<br />
1 big bag of baby carrots<br />
1onion chopped (they don't HAVE to be chopped, but we don't like onion texture, so we like 'em small just to add their flavor) <br />
A whole bottle of Red Wine - I used a Pinot Noir for the richness of flavor<br />
2 cups of Beef Broth<br />
<br />
I cooked it in the slow cooker for 8 hours, and the roast fell apart and had an AMAZING flavor!!! SOOOOO GOOOOOD!!!! I wish I'd taken a picture before I devoured it! Instead of cooking the potatoes in the slow-cooker, I quartered them and covered them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary, then baked them for about 40 minutes at 350 (or until soft). DELICIOUS!!! The hubs RAVED about this!! Yay, me!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-78793321854270594772014-01-21T13:13:00.000-08:002014-01-21T13:13:18.732-08:00Bulk Cooking with a 3-month old: A new test of endurance!Yesterday, I attempted to stock my freezer full of delicious, healthy meals while at home alone with my 3 month old baby. Today, I have recovered enough to be able to talk about it without my eye twitching or tearing up. The blood has dried up from my finger, and my baby is now in infant counseling for PTSD.<br />
<br />
Let me explain.<br />
<br />
I had a day off of work, and I decided it was time to embrace mommy-hood completely and get some bulk cooking done! The baby is only 3 months, not walking or crawling, and takes naps - so, how hard could it be?! HA! <i>Let me also preface by saying that I did everything... EVERYTHING... to try to calm the baby throughout this process. He was fed, dry, clean, had no fever, and I did all I could think of to get him to nap, but he just refused. Thus the chaos of the day ensued. </i><br />
<br />
I spent my morning meal-planning and finding new recipes to post about on my blog. The babe slept and cooed while I made my lists and organized everything. The true test of will started when he screamed (<i>I can only imagine, but I'm pretty sure he was screaming death threats and curse words</i>) throughout Wal-Mart for 2 hours while I got my shopping done. People were ducking and swerving to get away from the crazy lady (<i>me)</i> who brought their infant to Wal-Mart. I just smiled and kept going at my own pace to make sure I got every ingredient necessary to complete my task! I was determined, and I am a firm believer that everything will work out if you keep smiling and stay on task! <i>hahaha... oh, how I want to drop-kick my own thoughts now. </i><br />
<br />
On my way out of Wal-Mart, as I congratulated myself on accomplishing the bulk shopping trip, an entire carton of 18 eggs dropped <i>*SPLAT</i>* in the parking lot and <b>every single egg</b> broke. ugh. "Oh well" I thought to myself. "I'll just get Austin to pick some up on his way home!" <i>Cue baby screams. </i><br />
<br />
Once I arrived home, I unloaded all of my groceries while the baby put on a performance of that scene in Texas Chainsaw Massacre where everyone was chopped to bits. I tried (<i>to no avail)</i> to calm the baby, tried to feed him more, tried to get him to sleep. Nothing worked. My nerves were a <i>little</i> frazzled at this point, but I held strong to my resolve to finish my task!<br />
<br />
I began by making a slew (<i>like the use of the word "slew"?)</i> of healthy breakfast burritos. They actually turned out AMAZING, and I couldn't wait until the morning to try one, so I scarfed one down immediately! Next, I began the prep for a couple of pot roasts to freeze. This is when all hades was unleashed. The babe was still reciting his monologue of screams, but I was all in to finish at least one more meal before I went to try to soothe him again. I was chopping the onion to the sound-track of tortured baby noises, my eyes were tearing up from the onion gas, when the knife slipped and sliced my finger. It was a pretty deep cut, and blood went EVERYWHERE. I washed and wrapped my finger tightly, went to pick up the baby, and held him while he cried on my shoulder as I cried on his. I called Austin and refused to hold back on the hysteria. Here's a taste of the conversation:<br />
A: "Hello?"<br />
Me: "SCREW IT. SCREW IT ALL!"<br />
A: "What are we screwing?"<br />
Me: "I can't do anything! The baby keeps crying, there's blood EVERYWHERE, and the onions hate me!!"<br />
<i>A: ummm... what?! </i><br />
<i>Me: "BLOOD. EVERYWHERE!</i>"<br />
A: I'll pick up a rotisserie chicken on my way home...<br />
Me: click.<br />
<br />
<i>Poor Austin.</i><br />
<br />
Finally, I picked up the baby, walked outside, cried a little, fed the baby again, watched an episode of New Girl on Netflix, and decided to try again! I found the Moby wrap, strapped the baby to my body, and he immediately started giggling. <i>seriously? Is that all he needed? Maybe I'll figure him out eventually. Silly baby. :) </i>I was able to finished 6 more meals and freeze them for later. Yay!<br />
<br />
<i>The meals: </i><br />
<i>1. Breakfast burritos</i><br />
<i>2. Salsa Chicken - from a previous post - two bags of this one</i><br />
<i>3. Taco beef - from previous post</i><br />
<i>4. Beef Burghundy - previous post</i><br />
<i>5. Chicken Enchiladas - I made two batches of these and we ate one last night - SO GOOD!!! </i><br />
<i>6. Honey Chicken - previous post</i><br />
<i>7. Chili - Didn't prepare it, but I froze the meat and assembled the necessary ingredients into a basket for later</i><br />
<i>8. Turkey Spaghetti - Didn't prepare it, but I </i><i>froze the meat and assembled the necessary ingredients into a basket for later</i><br />
<br />
I would say, all in all, it turned out to be a successful day. It just started ROUGH!!! <i>I might call a babysitter next time :) </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-60882784245396535792014-01-13T11:28:00.002-08:002014-01-13T11:32:24.057-08:00Quarter of a year already?!We have now had our little guy - we have been calling him "Little Bug", so that is what I will refer to him as here - for 3 months now! I can't believe it has flown by so quickly!!! I have to say, he is probably the cutest baby I've ever seen in my life, and his personality makes him even more lovable. He is such a smiley guy, and he gives cheesy grins to everyone he meets. <i>*soap box: most people call this "flirting". I REFUSE to call it flirting when a baby smiles at someone. I think this is just creepy</i> <i>to think of a tiny human flirting with grown adults... I mean, seriously!! Ok, soap box over* </i><br />
<br />
He is so strong, and his favorite thing is to stand up while holding on to our fingers. I can't wait to post pictures of this tiny baby standing and smiling. SO cute!!!<br />
<i> </i><br />
So far, he has already traveled to Lubbock, Atlanta, and Phoenix. Soon he will also travel to Denver, Red River, and Dallas. He is a nationwide traveler and has the best attitude about it! <i>At the risk of sounding braggy</i> He didn't cry or make a peep on any of the flights - even though we were delayed, re-routed, had flights canceled, and ran out of formula and had to make a late night, out of town, wal-mart run. Good baby! Needless to say, the travel experience could have been MUCH worse if he had been a grumpy-gus traveler!<br />
<br />
I will write more at a later date about all that God has been teaching us and how He has been working in our marriage and in our relationships with Him through having this baby and developing a bond with him and his birth mother... There is so much to say on this topic, but I don't think I have the right words at this point. I promise to do it when the words come. :)<br />
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For now, I am back to work, praying through God's plan for our lives, and just enjoying the moments as they come. Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers. They mean the WORLD to me!<br />
<br />
As we begin 2014, I can't help but look back on all The Lord has done in our lives over the last year. He brought us from a place of hopelessness in infertility to a place of joy and fulfillment of His promises through adoption. He established deep, meaningful friendships with brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage and uplift us. He weeded out many things in our lives that were meaningless and unfruitful - this was, at times, very painful, but it yielded so much reward in the end. He has guided us into a sweet relationship with Himself, and for that, I am eternally changed and grateful. Praise God for His Faithfulness. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-51379621592360807282013-11-25T13:11:00.003-08:002013-11-25T13:12:48.495-08:00Ba - Da - Ba - Ba - Ba... I'm Loving It! Yes, I am <i><b>that cheesy</b></i> that I used the McDonald's theme song in my post title. Admit it. You love me for it. ;)<br />
<br />
He is 6 and a half weeks old already!! Wow, how did that happen?! We honestly can not imagine our lives without this little guy. He has been a total joy and has also taught us so much about finding our strength and rest in The Lord already! (<i>I mean that quite literally!) </i>He has had pretty bad reflux and colic. (<i>Before you ask, yes, we have tried gripe water, zantac, mylanta, peppermint oil, positioning, rice cereal, scheduling, swaddling, swinging, placing on the dryer, pacifier, white noise, specialty formula, and many other things to soothe)</i> Unfortunately, with some babies, you just have to follow some of the advice many parents give: Just cry it out. (<i>I'm not talking about the baby...)</i> We have been <strike>a bit sleepy </strike>pretty exhausted, but like I said, we are truly finding our strength and rest in The Lord, and it has actually been a very sweet time, in spite of lack of sleep. I could not be more grateful for the fact that our sweet little guy loves to cuddle when he's unhappy. It melts my heart and makes me feel like I am his only source of comfort - which fills my heart to the brim!<br />
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I have to say, he is the cutest little guy on the planet, and now that a lot of the fussies are starting to dwindle, he is developing the sweetest personality!! He will smile with his whole face, and he has these tiny little dimples that pop up when he's really excited. He LOVES to swing, and he really loves it when his dad flies him around the room like an airplane. He is so strong already! He holds his head up and pushes himself all the way up during tummy time. He met Santa for the first time last week during the open house at his dad's shopping center. He just looked up into his face and stared at all of the Christmas lights. He got to experience snow for the first time yesterday, too! So many firsts!! He has become such a sweet, fun baby! <i>I am mostly just glad that he is feeling better!! I was starting to ache just seeing him cry so much. </i><br />
<br />
I truly wish I could post a ton of pictures!! I promise I will once the adoption has finalized in April. I can not express how much it means to have so much support and so many sweet comments from you all. We know we have been blessed beyond measure, and I thank God daily for this sweet little boy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-65490198143945610322013-10-24T10:29:00.000-07:002013-11-25T13:12:38.420-08:00He is here!!I apologize for the lack of updates over the last few weeks. It has been an emotional roller coaster. The weekend of his birth was filled with so many ups and downs - not only with the adoption process... About three hours after sweet boy was born, I got a call that my brother-in-law had died that same morning. (<i>He and my sister were married for 13 years and have four children together). </i>It was a sudden, unexpected death, so there are so many emotions involved with that. My sister lives about 21 hours by car away from us, and flights were outrageous, so we weren't able to be there, physically, for my family. We also were trying to navigate the adoption process (<i>which has its own emotions associated with it). </i>I truly believe our entire family was under spiritual attack. I think satan has done his best to try to steal every ounce of joy our family has. We<b> <u>refuse</u> </b>to let him! We chose to praise God for our sweet blessing and grieve the loss simultaneously. We have remained joyful, even through sorrow. The phrase "God doesn't give you more than you can handle" is total bologna. First of all, it is nowhere in the Bible. It is a saying that is meant to make people feel stronger or somehow think that everything bad that happens is from God and supposed to be used to teach you lessons or something.... I disagree with the saying/phrase entirely. That weekend was MOST DEFINITELY more than I could handle. Here is the beauty in it though: whatever I was not capable of handling, God handled. Whatever I could not process, He made sense of it. Whenever I was not strong enough to fight the spiritual forces of the dark world, He was my strength. In truth, we can not handle much in this world... There is sorrow, disappointment, grief, and pain. There is a promise in the Bible, "In this world you will have trouble..." (John 16:33) IT'S IN THE BIBLE!! We WILL have TROUBLE!!! It will be HARD!!! But I am soooooooooooooooooooo grateful that God doesn't just leave it with that.... The end of the verse says, "But TAKE HEART! For I (God Almighty) have overcome the WORLD!" What a precious, almighty God we serve! He has taken our burdens, and He has overcome the world already. He does not bring trouble or heartache on us... They are already here. They are part of this sinful world. It is a given. BUT - take heart. He has already overcome it all. He has also promised in Isaiah 61 that He will take our heartaches, sorrow, and brokenness and turn it into something beautiful. "(I will) bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy
instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of
despair." We are clinging to these promises, and we have felt the comfort and Joy of The Lord in the midst of the chaos and sorrow.<br />
<br />
Now, I HAVE to tell you a little about our sweet boy! He weighed 8lbs 2oz, and was 19 3/4 in long. (<i>big baby!)</i> It was actually a sweet time in the hospital with the birth mother to really bond with baby boy and with her. She expressed all of her emotions, and she was confirmed over and over that she was doing what was most loving for the baby by placing him in our home. It was amazing to see the love she showed to him, and it was so good for our hearts to see that. It is so hard to explain all of the emotions on both sides of an adoption, but all I can say is that is showed us, even more clearly, the selfless love God has for us. We are already SO in LOVE with that boy!!! He has brought joy and life into our home and into our entire extended families as well. My mom and sister were supposed to be in town with us the first week and a half, but due to the circumstances, they had to stay home. They are coming tomorrow, and we are praying for the hearts of my sisters' kids to be steady and comforted by the sweet families who are caring for them, for my mom and sister to find comfort and peace as they hold this sweet baby, and for their hearts to feel confident in The Lord's work of rebuilding what satan meant to destroy - turning the ashes into something beautiful and their mourning into gladness.<br />
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I appreciate all of your prayers during this time, and I would so much appreciate continued prayers for our entire family.<br />
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<i>I am not, legally, allowed to post pictures of our sweet boy until the adoption has been finalized... I SO WISH I could flood the blog with pictures NOW! But, hopefully by April we will be able to post the thousands of pictures we have already taken! </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-64687098975284428192013-10-03T09:57:00.001-07:002013-10-07T09:26:13.220-07:00The last week that I will ever live as someone who isn't a mommy... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wow... What a crazy realization. I will never NOT be a mommy again! (yikes. I used a double negative... sorry) I am thrilled and overwhelmed and excited and terrified all at the same time! It is a remarkable feeling but also extremely surreal. Most women get to experience the child living inside of their bodies. They feel the baby kick and move. They get to the point where they are ready to not be pregnant anymore. There are so many <i>natural</i> things that happen during the last couple weeks of pregnancy to prepare a woman for having a baby. In our case, I don't have all of those things happening, but I still am emotionally preparing to become a mother. There has still been a process of grieving the things I am missing out on, but there has also been a process of becoming established in God's individual plan for my life. I can not express my joy at the thought of becoming a mom, but also, I can not express the emotions that come along with this whole adoption process. <br />
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<u><b>Here is a (short) list of things I am most excited about in becoming a MOM! </b></u>- <i>30 things for my 30 years I have spent waiting and praying for this moment</i><br />
1. teaching him about The Lord and training him to memorize scripture<br />
2. snuggling<br />
3. sharing my wacky sense of humor<br />
4. dressing him up in adorable baby clothes<br />
5. sharing Red River with him<br />
6. laughing at baby phrases as he learns to talk<br />
7. teaching him about the world<br />
8. building "forts" out of blankets<br />
9. making mundane things into adventures<br />
10. watching him make friends<br />
11. playing board games<br />
12. teaching him to be strong when he is afraid<br />
13. going to the zoo<br />
14. walking him around the neighborhood in a stroller, then on a bike, then on a hovercraft (I mean, hey, it could happen, right?)<br />
15. teaching him how to snow ski<br />
16. teaching him how to water ski<br />
18. reading books for hours together<br />
19. playing tricks on his dad<br />
20. hiking together as a family<br />
21. eventually introducing him to my favorite nerd pleasures: star wars, harry potter, mystery science theater 3000, and NASA<br />
22. being a stabilizing force in his life - I want him to never doubt that I love him or am there for him<br />
23. playing on the playground<br />
24. playing make-believe<br />
25. having long talks about life with him as he grows up<br />
26. instilling good values into his life structure<br />
27. taking him to church and seeing his eyes light up as he learns Bible stories<br />
28. singing songs together<br />
29. comforting him when he is hurt or sad<br />
30. hearing him call me "mom"<br />
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In the last 4 weeks, we have had 4 baby showers, dinners with friends, celebrations of birthdays, friends coming to visit, a dog who tore her ACL, lots of organization of baby things, research, meetings, doctor appointments, classes, appointments with the agency, and of course, work and normal life as well! Needless to say, it has flown by and been a bit overwhelming!! Here are a few pictures to document!<br />
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<b>My baby shower at work! (These people are AMAZING!!) </b> </div>
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<b>Jaime and Alina came to visit from Georgia!</b></div>
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<b>My cute registry at a local boutique</b> </div>
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<b>My mom made beautiful bedding! Once she delivered it, I realized my painting doesn't match, so I made a new one! </b></div>
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<b>She also made beautiful burp cloths and changing pads, and bibs!</b></div>
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<b>My shower thrown by my mother-in-law's friends!</b></div>
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<b>Our shower from our church friends</b></div>
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<b>I don't have any pictures to prove it, but Austin and I also celebrated our anniversary last night! PHEW!!! </b> </div>
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It has been a whirlwind!! I am so grateful for everyone who has contributed to our baby gear and who has offered so much emotional and spiritual support to us during this time. We are more blessed than we could ever ask to be! I am constantly amazed at God's mercy and love through all of these people. I am so grateful to be able to walk through this life with my wonderful husband, awesome family, and amazing friends. I can't wait for the next HUGE chapter of our lives to begin in <span style="color: blue;"><u><b>ONE WEEK AND ONE DAY!!! </b></u></span><br />
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Even though it has been a whirlwind with many ups and downs, we are still SO confirmed in the decision to adopt, and we have been so blessed beyond measure through this process. It has shown us the very heart of God in having grace and mercy on us when we don't understand His plan. It has also shown us how silly we must seem to Him when we make comments to Him about the things happening in our lives. It has made me love HIM so much more, and it has allowed me to feel so much more confident that He loves me, regardless of my ignorance or my constant failures. He is amazing. This is my largest take-away.... other than becoming a mom! :) <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-14901520840564901872013-09-12T13:34:00.002-07:002013-09-12T13:36:14.848-07:00This is who we are...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9SMtuV3ElhbYU3hR5mRwa86Ywp2W-NNl_Cpc0Rlo0WSR5rlrI85QbIboOU8oqKKQO6lpNAEpguiYntrgR1Cc8lZAsE88ZkFfuYq8VhX2ZHJjFpFTWoSGItXyIpy3nb3wzdMIOScGpIs/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9SMtuV3ElhbYU3hR5mRwa86Ywp2W-NNl_Cpc0Rlo0WSR5rlrI85QbIboOU8oqKKQO6lpNAEpguiYntrgR1Cc8lZAsE88ZkFfuYq8VhX2ZHJjFpFTWoSGItXyIpy3nb3wzdMIOScGpIs/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div>
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We are, obviously, very excited about adopting our little boy in four weeks (yikes! that's fast!!). We have been working feverishly to get his room ready, find clothes to put him in, etc. Our families and friends have been working over-time to get baby showers together so we will have everything we need! It has been such a blessing to see how everyone has rallied around us and prayed for us and supported us since we found out we will be adopting him. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2bc6tZpu3PX198obcvgrhfX07qCsczR3PBcbLQsG0uZTslyvUSZUKzzbDIudO9sINi0sZlC-X8wyTttFgumWOv4fmWSu-bENjtIX5AZ6L7svoOeh66kwuepxTILnQ4N4F7k29veP0nQ/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2bc6tZpu3PX198obcvgrhfX07qCsczR3PBcbLQsG0uZTslyvUSZUKzzbDIudO9sINi0sZlC-X8wyTttFgumWOv4fmWSu-bENjtIX5AZ6L7svoOeh66kwuepxTILnQ4N4F7k29veP0nQ/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I couldn't help buying these precious little shoes! They are sitting on a shelf in his room, just waiting for his precious little baby feet to fill them! </div>
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Austin has never dressed a baby by himself before, so we went over the basics of how to support their necks/heads, getting the onesie on, diapering them, and what to look for with diaper rash, color of poo, etc. <i>Thankfully, Austin's mom had kept his cabbage patch doll from HIS childhood so he could practice on him... Yes, I did say it was AUSTIN's doll. hahaha. Please mock him. </i></div>
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In the midst of all of our excitement, we have equal amounts of pain and fear entering our world. The fear is simple: everything is unknown. When people get pregnant and have a child in the "natural way", there are very certain expectations that come with the whole process. You know you will be in the hospital while you and the baby recover. You know you and your husband will meet your new baby together. Once you leave the hospital, the baby is fully yours, and you go home as a fully complete family. And the list goes on... Now, I know, there are complications that can arise in natural childbirth as well, and those things are still out of our control, but most often, we know what to expect in those situations! With adoption, especially an open adoption, the waters are a little more muddy. There is not a clear-cut plan or procedure that you can follow. For example, we know that the birthmother will get time alone with the baby after he is born. We will get time with him also, but it will all be split somehow. I will get to be in the operating room as the baby is born, but Austin won't get to meet him until later. Although we don't foresee this happening, there is always a possibility that the birthmother can change her mind if she wants. There is a possibility that we will leave the hospital without a baby. We don't know when we will be able to take the baby home - not because of health reasons, but because of legal reasons. Once we leave the hospital, there is no structure or frame of reference for how our relationship with the birthmother will go, and the baby is not officially "ours" until our court date months later. We know that fear is never from the Lord. We know that if something "goes wrong", it is ultimately in God's perfect plan. We know that He has guided us to this point, and He will guide us for the rest of our lives. However, it is still scary! It is emotional! It is uncertain! </div>
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The pain goes much deeper. It is difficult to explain, and I probably wouldn't have understood it had I not experienced it. We feel two conflicting, yet fully formed, emotions simultaneously. We feel excitement because we are having a baby, but we feel pain because of how we are getting him. We love adoption, and we believe it is such a beautiful thing that mirrors our relationship with God. But, as it was so beautifully explained in <a href="http://www.togetherforadoption.org/?p=18447" target="_blank">this article</a>, adoption also involves a great deal of suffering. I recommend for everyone to read this article. It did wonders for my heart! We feel pain for the birthmother. We have already formed such a sweet bond with her, and we hate that she will suffer during this process and afterwards. We feel pain for our baby. We know that this is not the ideal or perfect way for him to enter this world, and there was a lot of pain and suffering that led to his adoption, and we know that he will always have a longing for the life he never had a chance to have. We can't even wrap our minds or hearts around the moment when we leave the hospital with the baby and the birthmother will still be recovering there. I am already feeling the heartbreak that comes with receiving our blessing with joy while she hurts in the next room. The article above speaks of our own adoption as sons and daughters of God. There was so much suffering that had to take place in order to save us from the life that was not God's best for us. Jesus had to die in order for God, the Father, to adopt us as His children. We know God has orchestrated and ordained for this child to be in our home and to enter our home through adoption. We know that He can identify with our suffering. We also know that He is the greatest comforter. We believe He will comfort the birthmother of our child. We believe that He will bless her abundantly for loving her child enough to place him in the best home for him. We know that He will create a beautiful and loving relationship between our child and her for the rest of their lives because of what she sacrificed for him. In order to receive the blessings that come with adoption, there must first be sacrifice, then suffering, then joy. God is good. He loves His children, and He will carry us all through, all the while increasing our joy. </div>
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We can't wait to see all that God accomplishes through building our family! We are excited; we are joyful; and we are resting on the promises of God. Thanks for all of your support, encouragement, and prayers through this!<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;"><u>Countdown to baby boy: 4 weeks, 1 day</u></span> </b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-2873607608657152382013-09-05T13:04:00.004-07:002013-09-05T13:07:01.915-07:00Well, that was FAST!!! - We got "THE CALL"!!!<b>What a whirlwind!!!!</b> I don't even know how to describe my emotions over the last 72 hours!<br />
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On September 3rd, we got a call from Special Delivery (our agency), and we were asked to come in to the office to discuss a "situation". <i>Cue personal freak-out. </i>I called my prayer warriors and asked for peace, wisdom, discernment, calm emotions, guarded hearts, and for the Lord's presence. Boy howdy did the Lord answer!! At the meeting, we were told about a potential birth mother (the first and only one to see our profile letter and photo album), and we found out that she is expecting to have a scheduled c-section on OCTOBER 11th!!! <i>Yes, of THIS year!!! </i>She wanted to meet us immediately because she wants us to be involved in the doctor's appointments and everything else that happens from now until the birth... <i>OH MY GOSH!!!!</i><br />
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So, the night of the 3rd, our home group and other really close friends had already scheduled to throw us a "necessities shower", so we would be ready in case we got a call soon... <i>What AMAZING timing!!! </i>We were able to ask for prayer for the situation that night, and it was such a great time of rejoicing, knowing that God was moving!<br />
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We met with the potential birth mother last night, the night of the 4th, and we all really meshed well! It was, of course, a little awkward... I mean, let's be honest... We were all nervous, and there are so many emotions involved in this whole process... But it could not have been a better match, in my opinion! She shares our goofy sense of humor, and we actually laughed through most of the meeting! It was so apparent that God was present in that room. We were able to get to know each other in a light-hearted way, during a very heavy-hearted moment. I don't want to disclose too many details about her or the situation at this time, but all in all, we are so grateful for so many things about her<br />
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The plan was for us all to go home, think about the meeting, pray about the potential of a match, and let the representatives from Special Delivery know in the morning. We ended up letting them know our answer last night! We just KNEW this is IT!! Last night was <i>a little</i> agonizing. haha. We could barely sleep, waiting to hear if we were about to become parents!! This morning around 11am, I got a text from Cindy (the director of the agency) saying that WE ARE MATCHED!!!!<br />
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WE ARE GOING TO BE PARENTS!!!!!!!! Our hearts are so full, and we are both at peace, knowing that God has carried us specifically to this place!!!<br />
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The crazy facts:<br />
- We were only approved to adopt 4 weeks ago yesterday. (this is the fastest adoption I have ever heard of)<br />
- We have been praying <i>boldly</i> that God would bring us a match before the end of the year (He answered that more quickly than we anticipated!) <br />
- We have been praying that she would be out of high school (she is older, mature, steady, and has no doubts about what she is doing)<br />
- We prayed that she would "know" when she saw our letter that <i>we </i>are the ones she should choose (she did)<br />
- I prayed that I would feel a connection to her and immediately know that we could become friends and have a strong relationship with each other through an open adoption (I can absolutely see this!) <br />
- We have been feeling confident that our baby would be a boy (he is!)<br />
- We prayed that we would be able to be involved in the pregnancy/birth process (she wants us to be involved in all appointments and in the room during the c-section)<br />
- I have been praying for God to provide breast milk at least for a month to aid in the health of the baby (she wants to provide breast milk - her idea)<br />
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Through all of these things, we have experienced SO much confirmation that we are exactly where The Lord wants us. I truly believe that He has led us to this specific point at this specific time in order to give us this specific baby!! Wow. I'm overwhelmed!! To think, if we hadn't been so exhausted by infertility and hadn't been obedient in going to the agency introduction class in April (even before we were sure we were going to adopt - we felt a little crazy going to that class), we would not be getting this baby. It just shows God's leading and His plan even more incredible. I love being able to look back and see Him moving, when we had NO idea He was even moving.<br />
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Thank you all for your prayers, concerns, patience, understanding, listening <strike>ears</strike> eyes, and encouragement. I love you all! :)<br />
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I'll keep you updated as things progress!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><u><b>Count down to baby boy: 5 weeks, 1 day</b></u></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-24125524272005304122013-08-26T13:34:00.003-07:002013-08-26T14:08:02.523-07:00A sneak peak into our transforming world... Since we found out that we are "Adoption-Pregnant", I have been in full-time go-mode to get ready for a baby to arrive! The agency gave us a timeline of 2 months to a year... And it could happen in a couple of different ways: We could get a call that a baby has been born, and we need to go pick him/her up NOW, or we could meet with a pregnant woman who has selected our profile out of a stack, and we could go through the remainder of her pregnancy alongside her. So... We have no idea how to mentally prepare for that!!! The agency recommends that we have the necessities on hand and for us to be ready for anything! It is so exciting, in a way, and a little bit terrifying in another! ha. As a result of the absence of a timeline, I have decided to go ahead and get ready!<br />
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My sweet mom has bought us a crib, travel system, and is making bedding! It is all AMAZING!! My awesome mother-in-law bought be a GORGEOUS diaper bag and changing station. I have painted an old dresser of Austin's, built bookshelves, and created an abstract painting to hang over the baby's crib. I am going to re-cover some lampshades, and I'm looking for the perfect chair and rug to complete the room! Pictures are below!<br />
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<b>Our Full Application!</b><b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhultYDwNaMEUwAw32k5_vOW4oyGup5Im7iiTP4UB_Zz_Db5WAauihCulCrdWf9lY-sOBXzTqsNKsaddY11ydpK5dzii-lLv3zey26nJS_NvMLbhSdRGbXa5C9KHILEx5TDM5qFyyL-yhE/s1600/photo+2+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhultYDwNaMEUwAw32k5_vOW4oyGup5Im7iiTP4UB_Zz_Db5WAauihCulCrdWf9lY-sOBXzTqsNKsaddY11ydpK5dzii-lLv3zey26nJS_NvMLbhSdRGbXa5C9KHILEx5TDM5qFyyL-yhE/s320/photo+2+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a><b> </b></div>
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<b>My Bag! </b></div>
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<b>The Britax Travel System</b></div>
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<b> My painting, crib, and bookshelves (don't pay attention to the random stuff on the shelves!)</b></div>
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<b>The dresser with the lampshade I'm going to re-cover. </b></div>
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I'll post more pictures as things come together! For now, I am happy with how things are progressing, and I can't wait to welcome a baby into this room and our home!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15266600436135021913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7374935540051008252.post-19665954975846571352013-08-26T12:54:00.000-07:002013-08-26T14:25:45.551-07:00Good things come to those who wait... or those who PRAYThis summer has been filled with plenty of ups and downs, joys and pains, questions and answers... We have felt, at times, like we were put in the middle of a cyclone with no direction! Amazingly enough, we made it out alive! I want to clarify that nothing particularly awful happened. We are strong and blessed, and we could not be more grateful for the lessons we learned and growth that took place as a result of the changes that have happened over the past few months. However, there is always so much uncertainty within a cyclone of change, and it can really rock you while you're in the middle of it!<br />
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A lot of things happened this summer, good and bad, big and small, but the biggest and most exciting this is... Drumroll.... We got approved to <u><b>ADOPT!! </b></u><br />
The process was extensive, and for those of you wondering, it involved:<br />
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- 29 pages (typed) of information about our childhoods, lives, spirituality, families, views, theories, home, pets, etc, etc...</div>
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- Background checks </div>
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- Physical Exams</div>
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- Interviews (Together and separate)</div>
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- Fingerprinting</div>
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- Financial evaluations and assessments</div>
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- Environmental Inspection (Weirdest part of all of this - They checked the temperatures of our fridge, inspected my meat thermometer, checked our toilets and tubs, looked in our closets, asked questions about whether we would make the baby buy their own toilet paper/diapers or would we provide it - seriously?!?! - and many other very invasive questions and inspections)</div>
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- Fire inspection</div>
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- Home Study</div>
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- Fees </div>
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- Questionnaires that dug into our real feelings about rape, incest, drug abuse, special needs, race, culture, and other tough topics</div>
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- Training Classes </div>
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- Wrote a "Profile Letter" for the potential birthmothers to review when making their decision on where to place their baby</div>
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- Re-wrote the "Profile Letter" when we were informed that we were "too excited about adoption" in our letter... I'll explain at another time. (We have learned SO much through this process!!) </div>
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- Created an album that captured the essence of us (It was harder to do than you would think!) </div>
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- I'm sure I am forgetting something...</div>
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I can't even begin to explain the myriad of emotions we have experienced. </div>
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First, let me explain how we arrived at our decision to adopt. As I have talked about in a couple of posts, we have been struggling with diagnosed infertility for the last two years. When we got married, since we were in our late 20's, we wanted to start our family rather quickly. We both desire children, and we know God has called us to raise children to love and serve Him. After the first year of our marriage, we assumed it wasn't happening because we weren't focused on actively trying to get pregnant. In the middle of our second year of marriage, we started to worry that something was wrong. Without going into too much detail, we were doing everything humanly possible to try to get pregnant, and still, nothing was happening! We saw a doctor, and we got to do all kinds of <strike>fun</strike> tests. (again, it would be TMI to talk about! ha) After all of the tests, nothing new was revealed. There was no specific explanation as to why were weren't getting pregnant. This led, first, to a lot of frustration, disappointment, even depression. I felt like I was failing... Even though I, literally, have no control over the situation, I felt like I was somehow not accomplishing something I was created to do! Finally, when the negativity didn't help (as it never does), I went to prayer. </div>
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I had so many long talks with The Lord about my feelings, my frustration, my failures, and even my anger that this wasn't happening for me!! (see the common thread here?? MY, ME) It was all about ME! God was so sweet to me, as He always is, and I believe He revealed to my heart that, <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">at this time,</u> I WASN'T created to be pregnant!! He did not ordain for me to carry a child at this time. He DID, however, create me to be a MOTHER!! Once I recognized the difference, my heart felt so open and softened. I finally felt like I understood a small piece of God's plan for us! <i>I keep saying "at this time" because I know I can never predict what will happen in the future, but for now, He is gently leading us in a beautiful direction that we could have never predicted, and we could not be more excited!!!!! </i></div>
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We started praying that God would establish in our hearts a clear direction and make us more excited about adopting than we would be about getting pregnant... It might have been a weird prayer, but I really love weird prayers because that is when you REALLY see God work when He answers! We started researching, reading blogs, talking to people who have adopted, etc, and one night, we both looked at each other,teared up, and said we KNEW we were being called to adopt!<br />
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Once we reached the conclusion that we were called to adopt, we started researching foreign vs. domestic adoptions. I combed through blogs by Jen Hatmaker, Jennifer and Chris Verme, The Getty's, and others. All of these people adopted from countries abroad. Although I find foreign adoption so beautiful and necessary, we kept feeling a tug towards a local adoption. We both had a picture in our minds of an open adoption - strange, unorganized, but beautiful. When we discussed our hopes for our adoption, we both wanted for our child to always know who his/her birth parents are, to always know that they are deeply loved by us and by their birth parents, to know their "other" grandparents and the depth of their love, to feel completely secure in their situation from the very beginning. We felt called to minister to birth mothers as much as we felt called to adopt. Most open adoptions include minimal contact, a picture a month, and maybe a meeting together every few months or once a year. We really desire to include the birth parents in our family as much as possible. This might sound strange, and we don't even know what that will look like for us, but we are just being faithful to whatever God leads us to at each step. A friend of ours pointed us to a local, Christian agency that specializes in open adoptions! (I didn't even know it existed!) This agency has been such a blessing to us... </div>
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We contacted Special Delivery Adoptions (www.specialdeliveryadoptions.org) and signed up for their initial training class. After the class, we both sat in the car and <i>wept.</i> (We have learned to be very comfortable with our tears over the last several months.) We had so much confirmation and so much excitement about pursuing adoption as our <i><b>first choice!</b></i> I was shocked at myself when I had the thought, <i>"I hope I don't get pregnant in the next year, because that would mess up being able to adopt!!" </i>What?! Who thinks that way? Especially someone who has done nothing but try and try and try to become pregnant over the last 2.5 years! (?!) Well, God answered our prayer! Our weird prayer became our reality.<br />
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The training with Special Delivery was such an amazing experience. I could have sat in that room all day. They brought in birth-mothers to talk to us about their experiences, emotions, thoughts, etc., and they also had a few couples who had previously adopted tell about the waiting period, finances, paperwork, and bonding with their child. It was so fascinating, and it spoke directly to our hearts. I was a little embarrassed while the adoptive couples were speaking because I COULD NOT stop crying!! I don't even know why! I think I was just so overwhelmed by the emotions that came with finally letting go of all of my previous expectations and emotions. I finally let go of "my plan" and let God's plan <i>become</i> my plan! Phew! What an experience!<br />
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At this point, we are approved to adopt, officially, and we are on the waiting list with Special Delivery! We keep saying we are "Adoption-Pregnant"!! We don't know when, how, who, or anything about our timeline, but we are boldly praying for our baby and his/her mother to come soon!! We are in a place of so much rest and peace, waiting on God's timing for us. We appreciate any and all prayers!! </div>
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