Helpin' out

I love the community of adoption, like I've said a bazillion times before. I love some of the friends I've made along the process and the ones that I continue to meet.  Something I super love is when the body steps up and helps one another along in the process.  A fellow adoptive mama Kayla is hosting a giveaway for a super sweet couple who is adopting TWIN boys from Africa, melt my heart! Kayla and her husband's adoption story is super sweet, her little one was born in Nigeria, awesome.  Head over to Kayla's blog to enter to win an awesome giveaway that helps Natalie and her hubby bring their babies home!!! 

"My friends, adoption is redemption.  It's costly, exhausting expensive and outrageous.  Buying back lives costs so much.  When God set out to redeem us, it killed him."

-Derek Loux

Bye bye month 5!

Today marks our 5th month on the waiting list! We like to do something to celebrate the 18th of each month, even if it's something small.  Tonight, since we have youth group, we're bringing a cake and having a slice to celebrate God's faithfulness over the past 5 months, and to celebrate and welcome our 6th month of waiting! Have a high school student?? Send them our way tonight, they'll get to learn about Jesus, and have some yummy cake, it's a win win!!

Month 5, you were so hard, I won't miss you at all, but I learned a lot during our time spent with you.  

Here we go month 6!!!! 

On my soap-box...

Sometimes, I feel like I have to have it all together.  It's almost like there's this unwritten rule in adoption that you have to always be smiling, always be happy and always be positive.  

Sometimes, I'm not.

Sometimes when people ask me "how's the adoption going?"

I want to burst into tears.

Sometimes, I just want to stay home, literally to avoid answering all questions. 

Sometimes, I just want to rant and rave. 

One thing, one big thing that I've been learning though this adoption journey is how radical the  love Jesus must have been (and be) for Him to have sought me out and waited for me.  To have fought for me. To have done whatever He could to make sure that I'm in His family.

I'll be honest, this past month, last few weeks in particular, the tears have dropped many times.  My poor sweet husband usually gets the brunt of it, and he's awesome at bringing me back down, taking me back to the point and reason we started this journey.  I get on these little pity party rants, woe is me, blah blah blah. I allow myself to think I'm suffering in my situation. But the thing is, I have no idea what it means to suffer.  

I can't imagine what what God goes through (and continues to go through) as He waits for us, fights for us, as He suffered for us. 

It has to be a crazy, radical kind of love. 

"Hero's are made because they are moved.  Not in their head, but in their heart, you have to be moved in such a level that you will shed blood.  Jesus Christ was moved, 'for God so loved the world that he gave'(John 3:16)  And that son that was given suffered."

-Eric Ludy

"Do we care at the level God cares?"

-Eric Ludy

I have no idea what it means to truly suffer, but I am so thankful that God is using this adoption to teach me more about the love He has for His world and for His people.  

And I am challenged to care at the level that God cares for His people and for His world. 

...Stepping off my soapbox now 

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