Exciting News & Crazy Adventure

We have been in a season of waiting for several years now and it has been good (and slightly difficult). Well, we (finally) have BIG news!!

Since we've been going to Soma Church, we have learned a lot about God's heart for Jewish people. And let me tell you, God's hand has been in it!

In the summer of 2012, we went on a mission trip to Ethiopia to love on the Jewish people there. They were such sweet people and it was an incredible trip. Hopefully we will get another Ethiopian stamp in our passports in the coming years; it definitely had an impact.

This past summer, we had the opportunity to go on a trip to Israel with a group of people from our church. (Side note, if you have never been to Israel, start saving now; it is worth it!) We definitely loved Israel! We have been on many trips outside of the U.S., but this was the first one where neither of us was ready to go home. It was an incredible, whirlwind trip that left us trying to figure out what the Lord wanted us to make of it.

When we returned home, we began to pursue some possible opportunities relating to Jewish people and Israel. During this process, some doors opened that we felt like the Lord is leading us through.

SO, we are going to Israel sometime at end of January/beginning of February for 3 months!! We don't have all of the details for what exactly we'll be doing while we're there, but we know that the Lord is leading this!

The picture we keep thinking of is in Joshua 3:13. "The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.” God told Joshua that the Israelites would cross the Jordan River. The priests were to put their feet into the water, not onto the dry river bed. They had to trust enough to step into the water before it was parted. We feel like that's where the Lord has us; we have to step out before the plan is all laid out before us.

We will both be leaving our jobs, we will move out of our rental and pretty much sell our earthly possessions (keeping only a few things). We will be going as volunteers (not planning to have any income while we're there), so we will be saving and raising funds to cover our expenses while there. We are actually having a big yard sale this weekend to sell a lot of our possessions and to kick-off our fundraising. We are very excited to embark on this new adventure! 

Laying things down...

I can trust that laying down heart-things means that God has a better plan.

Today is one of those days where I'm feeling the pain of laying something down. It feels like one of the last things I was holding onto during this season of waiting. It seems like all things are on hold; but I was holding on to this one last thing as something maybe the Lord would let me move forward with. I've been praying about it and hadn't heard anything clearly, so I took some steps forward.

Well, about a week ago, I started feeling like He was not really opening the doors. I had a gut feeling. Today I feel a confirmation that I need to lay it down (for now??). I'm glad to know I hear from the Lord, but this one hurts to let go.

I know that the Lord stirs our hearts about things for a purpose. I also know that it doesn't always look like what we thought it would. Sometimes God stirs our hearts about things to get us heading in a particular direction; rarely does the end result look like what we had pictured.

I'm choosing to put my hope in the fact that I can trust the Lord with the matters on my heart; He's the one who stirred them up, He can surely be trusted with them.

Psalm 33: 20-22 says:
"We put our hope in the Lord.
    He is our help and our shield.
In Him our hearts rejoice
for we trust in His holy name.
Let Your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
    for our hope is in You alone."

-Amy

The Journey

Where has the time gone?

Well, to be honest, there is a reason this blog has been silent. We started blogging mainly as a way to communicate what was going on with our adoption process. Well, our plan to move forward with adoption has stalled out (maybe temporarily?). So, I haven't known what to write about.

God has confirmed to us that we are in a season of waiting. We aren't even sure what we're waiting for honestly; but we sure are learning a lot and learning to enjoy the journey. The Lord really has us in a place of learning to be ready and willing to do anything that He would ask. This is a journey of trusting that what He's preparing us for will be good and that He created us for it. It's a journey of letting go of many things that we thought were "us" and what we would do "some day".

We haven't loved every part of this journey, but we know we'll see fruit. We're reminded everyday that God is good and that He is our Provider. The things that I've learned this year are worth the tears I've cried and the frustrating moments we've endured.

Wherever you are in your journey, know that He's faithful and He'll never let you down! He always keeps His promises.

-Amy

Amazing Weekend!!

This past weekend was my birthday and Rex planned a fun day in Dallas! I had the best time just hanging out with my best friend. I'm humbled by how God chose Rex for me and by how well he shows me that he's glad he married me (though, I definitely got the better end of the deal)! I am one blessed girl! I'll post pictures soon of our day.

I don't have any news of progress in our adoption. I was disappointed this week to read an announcement on the website for the U.S. State Department which basically confirms that the approval of adoptions in Ethiopia will indeed slow down to around 5 per day (down from 50). This really isn't surprising; we were just hoping for a more positive outcome. It's possible that things will change, but who knows! You can read the article here if you'd like.

With all of this going on, we still believe that our adoption WILL happen and maybe we will still start this summer; but there are definitely many unknowns that we are seeking God about. We truly are thankful that this is God's plan and He knows exactly where our babies are. He doesn't just hope we make the right decisions, but He leads us and shows us His plan.

Family and Everyday Life

It's been quite busy around here lately!

My sister (Amy's sis) and our niece, Elise, were here for 10 days from March 5 - 15. It was a lot of fun to have them here. Elise is growing so much and is a very busy little girl (and smart)! We had some good times with them here!

While they were here, we pulled away for a quick weekend in Ft. Worth for Cherie's (Rex's step-sister) wedding. Rex was the photographer and did an amazing job! We got to see some family there as well, including Joe and Katherine (Katherine is Rex's sister) and our other 2 nieces. It was short, but we enjoyed seeing everyone!

In other news, every Tuesday night we have Life Group at our house. We REALLY enjoy our group! They are such awesome people! This week we started going through Philippians and had a good discussion about Paul's life. It was refreshing!

Once a week, when the weather permits, I get up early and go to Garage Sales (or "shopping" as they call it) with a couple of friends. They are "teaching me" how to find great deals and I really enjoy it!! I have already gotten some really amazing summer dresses and shirts for cheap! It's always fun looking for great deals and hidden treasures!


Big news! After living in Texas for about 10 or so years, I finally got a pair of Cowboy Boots!! I love them! I guess I'm a real Texan now!

As far as our adoption goes, we're feeling a lot more hopeful about what's going in Ethiopia. We're sticking with the plan of applying to an agency this summer to get the ball rolling. I have to admit, I was pretty discouraged for a few days, but we're still hopeful and trusting that God has shown us we're heading the right direction with our adoption! Please keep praying for all of the orphans in Ethiopia and the people who are making the appropriate, necessary changes to protect and provide for these little ones. There are a lot of people involved to improve this system!

I'll have to have my amazing photographer husband take some pictures of some of the things I've sewn this year to post on here. I'm enjoying this new hobby (I just got my first sewing machine at Christmas).

Orphans

"Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they're not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes." ~David Platt

This week has been an interesting one for us. We found out on Monday about the potential for some drastic changes in the adoption process in Ethiopia. You can go here to read the official announcement from the U.S. State Department. The short of it is that Ethiopia may reduce the number of adoptions approved by up to 90%.

I don't think we've mentioned on here yet that we have been whole-heartedly planning to adopt from Ethiopia. We have been researching for years all of the options that are out there for adoption and have always felt drawn to Ethiopia (not necessarily saying "God told us to").

We are unsure of where to go from here. We know that there is still a MASSIVE need for orphans to be cared for in Ethiopia, but sometimes God changes our perspective so that we'll look at things differently. This doesn't mean that we are not adopting from Ethiopia, it just means that we need to continue to pray for God's direction.

There's a song that's been in my head this week and has been a good reminder for us. It's called "Where You Go I'll Go" and I believe it's written by Brian Johnson. Anyway, here are some of the lyrics:

Where you go I go
What you say I say
What you pray I pray

Jesus only did, What he saw you do
He would only say, What he heard you speak
He would only move, When he felt you lead
Following your heart, Following your spirit

Lately I have been so excited to realize that our dream of adoption is finally about to happen. This week there have been moments of feeling as though that dream is slipping away. But, we believe that God has confirmed that the timing for pursuing adoption is coming, so we just need to keep reminding ourselves.

Please pray for God's will for orphans in Ethiopia and that the Ethiopian Government would be led by the Holy Spirit to make decisions that will be in the best interest of the orphaned children. Also, pray that we'll continually seek God and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.

If you wouldn't mind, could you take a few minutes and sign this petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia? The details are on the webpage.We can't give up easily. The road to caring for orphans is a long, bumpy one, but the need is greater than we can imagine!

"He's stilll working on me..."

Remember that song? I remember singing it as a kid. I've had it in my head off & on lately. Funny how it's still true years later! I know He's definitely still working on me. It's been glaringly obvious lately and I gladly receive it. I'm so thankful that He doesn't EVER give up on me. Here are the lyrics:

Chorus
He’s still working on me to make me what I ought to be.
It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars,
The Sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be, He’s still working on me.

Verse 1
There really ought to be a sign upon the heart,
Don’t judge him/her yet, there’s an unfinished part.
But I’ll be perfect just according to His plan
Fashioned by the Master’s loving hands.

Verse 2
In the mirror of His Word reflections that I see
Make me wonder why He never gave up on me.
He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray
Remember He’s the Potter, I’m the clay.