Thursday, May 23, 2013
LID!!!!!!
We have our LID, or log in date. That is today!!! China has officially logged us into their system. We are so excited, because tonight (their tomorrow) they will be updating their system for the next week. Whew!!! Getting so very giddy!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Praise Him!!!!
Well, as many of you know, God has done some amazing things on this adoption journey. Money has come from very unusual places at just the right time. It started with a refund check from the dentist that covered the application fee. And the latest was a check from our mortgage company that we did not even see on the radar that has covered the dossier.
Now that the dossier is almost complete (agency should have everything by Friday) it will all be sent to China. It is my understanding that once China receives it, we will pretty quickly get the official referral. At that time, the rest of our fees to the agency are due. Our remaining balance to the agency is $4700. No clue where it will come from.
We have applied for several grants and been turned down for all of them but one. We were awaiting word from that board and did not expect to hear until the first of next month.
However, God in His great timing sent us a letter today!!! We are the recipients of a $3500 grant from Show Hope!!! Yippee!!!! The guy at the post office has come to know us well over this journey and after today, I'm sure he has labeled me crazy ;) I was so very excited!!
We still have $1200 we owe to the agency, and then roughly $16000 when we travel. That includes not only actual travel, but also orphanage fee, processing expenses, medical exam, and visa. Even though we still have so far to go, I look back and see how far God has brought us!!! My faithful Father will provide!!!!
Praise HIM!!! Oh how my heart sings!!!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Wow!!!!
I know that title is so vague, but it doesn't nearly describe the emotions coursing through me at this time!
The story I'm about to share is very personal and truthfully, at times, embarrassing. However, it's in this story that you can see God in all His glory. You can see how He is faithful and loves His children. I want to make it clear from the beginning this is a story about God!!!
Let's journey to the past a bit. Several years ago Jim and I bought a house in the town where he teaches. Even though we had always lived in surrounding areas, now he was actually within walking distance. We loved this house. I was a huge old farmhouse with a large yard and friendly neighbors. Not only did Jim walk to school, but often the kids and I would walk over to see him. As they got older, I was able to allow them to spread their wings and actually walk over by themselves (as soon as they were out the door, I was calling Jim to be on the lookout. They thought they were being so big, but I was still watching out).
Anyway, after being in the house for a couple of years, things began to crumble. Jim's school had to go on furlough for several days. This took a large chunk out of our paycheck. And then, as with an old farmhouse, things began to need major repairing. The house needed shoring up underneath, the roof leaked and had to be fixed multiple times, and plumbing had to be redone. This depleted our savings and any extra we had, plus we accrued credit card debt. Soon we were falling behind on our mortgage.
We contacted the bank about helping us. They said there was nothing they could do until we were way behind. Well, we didn't want to get way behind so we struggled on. Finally, it caught up to us. We were a couple of months behind. We filled out our expenses so that hopefully they could help us out with refinancing or some sort of alternate payment plan. After reviewing our file they called us up to discuss our finances. You see we didn't have cable, or magazine subscriptions, internet, or any extras that could be cut. The lady then asked me about the category charitable giving. I told her that was our tithe (just a note: we believe in tithing off of our gross) and that would NOT be cut out. She then told me there was nothing they could do.
I want to mention here how hard that was to hear. This meant we would lose our beloved home if we kept tithing (we could have kept up payments without tithing). We decided that God would handle this and that if we were faithful to Him, He would faithfully provide for us. I had a peace.
It was tough for me at times. My pride got in the way, a lot! People knew we were losing our house and that was embarrassing. However, I was going to glorify God and continue to follow His command. The proceedings took months and we didn't start looking for a place to go until we had to. Many people thought we were crazy, but we knew God would handle that too. And boy oh boy did He!! We live in an absolute dream of a house that is more affordable and has allowed us to pay off debt and put us in a better financial situation.
Skip ahead to now. We are in the process of an adoption that is strictly a process of faith. Even though we are in a better financial situation, we still don't have the extra cash to fund an adoption. However, we know God is in it so we obey. Up until now, God has provided every single cent needed!!! But, I was beginning to worry. We are under a bit of a time crunch to get all our papers authenticated and sent to China. We had everything needed except the nearly $2000 to accomplish this!!! I was getting very nervous. How in the world would we raise that amount of money in just a couple of weeks? And then....
I checked the mail. It seems that our mortgage company did not handle our foreclosure correctly (as many big companies didn't). A firm then later filed lawsuit against the company on behalf of the customers. Yesterday, we received a check from them that will cover the cost of proceeding with our adoption!!!
God took what looked to be a bad situation (and honestly a painful situation) and has rewarded our faithfulness at just the moment we needed it!! There is nothing more to this story than God is great and He is faithful!!!
If you are struggling with something right now, it may not be easy to make the right decision. It may even cause you pain or embarrassment. Don't despair!! If you are doing it to bring glory and honor to God, He will redeem the bad. He will pick you up, dust you off, and set your feet on higher ground because He is a Father who loves His children deeply. I promise, He is faithful!!! Be blessed!!
The story I'm about to share is very personal and truthfully, at times, embarrassing. However, it's in this story that you can see God in all His glory. You can see how He is faithful and loves His children. I want to make it clear from the beginning this is a story about God!!!
Let's journey to the past a bit. Several years ago Jim and I bought a house in the town where he teaches. Even though we had always lived in surrounding areas, now he was actually within walking distance. We loved this house. I was a huge old farmhouse with a large yard and friendly neighbors. Not only did Jim walk to school, but often the kids and I would walk over to see him. As they got older, I was able to allow them to spread their wings and actually walk over by themselves (as soon as they were out the door, I was calling Jim to be on the lookout. They thought they were being so big, but I was still watching out).
Anyway, after being in the house for a couple of years, things began to crumble. Jim's school had to go on furlough for several days. This took a large chunk out of our paycheck. And then, as with an old farmhouse, things began to need major repairing. The house needed shoring up underneath, the roof leaked and had to be fixed multiple times, and plumbing had to be redone. This depleted our savings and any extra we had, plus we accrued credit card debt. Soon we were falling behind on our mortgage.
We contacted the bank about helping us. They said there was nothing they could do until we were way behind. Well, we didn't want to get way behind so we struggled on. Finally, it caught up to us. We were a couple of months behind. We filled out our expenses so that hopefully they could help us out with refinancing or some sort of alternate payment plan. After reviewing our file they called us up to discuss our finances. You see we didn't have cable, or magazine subscriptions, internet, or any extras that could be cut. The lady then asked me about the category charitable giving. I told her that was our tithe (just a note: we believe in tithing off of our gross) and that would NOT be cut out. She then told me there was nothing they could do.
I want to mention here how hard that was to hear. This meant we would lose our beloved home if we kept tithing (we could have kept up payments without tithing). We decided that God would handle this and that if we were faithful to Him, He would faithfully provide for us. I had a peace.
It was tough for me at times. My pride got in the way, a lot! People knew we were losing our house and that was embarrassing. However, I was going to glorify God and continue to follow His command. The proceedings took months and we didn't start looking for a place to go until we had to. Many people thought we were crazy, but we knew God would handle that too. And boy oh boy did He!! We live in an absolute dream of a house that is more affordable and has allowed us to pay off debt and put us in a better financial situation.
Skip ahead to now. We are in the process of an adoption that is strictly a process of faith. Even though we are in a better financial situation, we still don't have the extra cash to fund an adoption. However, we know God is in it so we obey. Up until now, God has provided every single cent needed!!! But, I was beginning to worry. We are under a bit of a time crunch to get all our papers authenticated and sent to China. We had everything needed except the nearly $2000 to accomplish this!!! I was getting very nervous. How in the world would we raise that amount of money in just a couple of weeks? And then....
I checked the mail. It seems that our mortgage company did not handle our foreclosure correctly (as many big companies didn't). A firm then later filed lawsuit against the company on behalf of the customers. Yesterday, we received a check from them that will cover the cost of proceeding with our adoption!!!
God took what looked to be a bad situation (and honestly a painful situation) and has rewarded our faithfulness at just the moment we needed it!! There is nothing more to this story than God is great and He is faithful!!!
If you are struggling with something right now, it may not be easy to make the right decision. It may even cause you pain or embarrassment. Don't despair!! If you are doing it to bring glory and honor to God, He will redeem the bad. He will pick you up, dust you off, and set your feet on higher ground because He is a Father who loves His children deeply. I promise, He is faithful!!! Be blessed!!
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Spring has sprung...
and with that comes a whole host of activity. This past weekend we enjoyed a very nice Easter weekend. Dad was home on Friday so he helped me with school activities. It was really nice having him give Spelling Tests and helping Samuel with math facts.
Saturday was a local festival and our church gave away sno cones, popcorn, cotton candy and had free face painting. That was loads of fun!! Then we came home and Dad grilled plenty of food to last the weekend.
Sunday dawned a bit cloudy, but boy oh boy was our service amazing!!! After church we headed over to a nice little garden and took some family shots. That was really fun. Here are a few of my favorites:
A few weeks ago, we bought a new toy for the kids. However life has been busy and we didn't get to pull it out and play with it until yesterday. They all fought for a turn to play, but this was intended to be Blake's toy. Here are a few pics from our fun yesterday:
Saturday was a local festival and our church gave away sno cones, popcorn, cotton candy and had free face painting. That was loads of fun!! Then we came home and Dad grilled plenty of food to last the weekend.
Sunday dawned a bit cloudy, but boy oh boy was our service amazing!!! After church we headed over to a nice little garden and took some family shots. That was really fun. Here are a few of my favorites:
A few weeks ago, we bought a new toy for the kids. However life has been busy and we didn't get to pull it out and play with it until yesterday. They all fought for a turn to play, but this was intended to be Blake's toy. Here are a few pics from our fun yesterday:
 |
| Grace pushing with all her might!! |
 |
| Blake helping Samuel while he tries to crank it. |
 |
| Whew, finally I can push this thing! |
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| Taking instruction on making sure the grass is cut evenly. |
 |
| Finally, my turn!!! This is a man's toy :) |
Monday, March 25, 2013
Where we are...
Here is an update on where we stand. Financially we are paid up to this point. However, that will change very soon.
We received Jim's new birth certificate this weekend. That is huge as he was foreign born and then adopted by his dad upon his mom and dad's marriage. Anyway, I am glad to have that in hand.
We also received notice from immigration saying they are going to issue us an appointment to be fingerprinted. Not sure when we will actually get the notice, but it's a step.
We are in the process of having all our documents authenticated. First I have to visit all the counties where things have been notarized. Luckily it is two local counties and then one a bit further, where our home study agency is located. Once they are authenticated locally, it is off to the state capital to be authenticated. And finally once they are complete there, we will work with a courier to get them authenticated with the Chinese Consulate in Texas.
After then having our dossier together (all this paperwork) we will send it to China for their approval. That's when the excitement happens. First we have to come up with a huge chunk of money. I guess I should say, watch for God to supply the $7500 needed. Then, we can really begin to prepare for SarahJoy as we could hopefully travel 4-6 months later. (Just typing this makes so very excited!!!)
I hope this helps folks understand where we are in the process. Kinda like being pregnant where now we are beginning to show, but still a long way until delivery :)
We received Jim's new birth certificate this weekend. That is huge as he was foreign born and then adopted by his dad upon his mom and dad's marriage. Anyway, I am glad to have that in hand.
We also received notice from immigration saying they are going to issue us an appointment to be fingerprinted. Not sure when we will actually get the notice, but it's a step.
We are in the process of having all our documents authenticated. First I have to visit all the counties where things have been notarized. Luckily it is two local counties and then one a bit further, where our home study agency is located. Once they are authenticated locally, it is off to the state capital to be authenticated. And finally once they are complete there, we will work with a courier to get them authenticated with the Chinese Consulate in Texas.
After then having our dossier together (all this paperwork) we will send it to China for their approval. That's when the excitement happens. First we have to come up with a huge chunk of money. I guess I should say, watch for God to supply the $7500 needed. Then, we can really begin to prepare for SarahJoy as we could hopefully travel 4-6 months later. (Just typing this makes so very excited!!!)
I hope this helps folks understand where we are in the process. Kinda like being pregnant where now we are beginning to show, but still a long way until delivery :)
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The Purple Belt
Okay, so it's baseball/softball season again. And with that comes new teams and new team colors. Over the years we have accumulated several different color belt and sock combos: red, navy, black, bright blue and even pink. However this year Grace is purple!
After having bought all new cleats and Blake having outgrown all baseball pants, our budget for this season was shrinking. Even so, I went to the sports store to look for purple socks and a belt for our softball player. No such luck! The socks were not in her size and they didn't even carry purple belts. Oh well, I guess I will have to order it from somewhere.
So off we go to Goodwill (my new favorite store). When I go to Goodwill, I walk in and head straight for the children's section. Then after looking that over good, I head to the housewares. Today, the kids were with me and as we headed to the children's section Grace said, "Momma, belts! Let's see if they have a purple baseball belt." In my head I'm thinking "yeah right," but I said, "Sure, let's look."
Most of you can figure out the ending. Sure enough there was a nice purple belt that appeared as if it had never been worn. I slid the little sizing thing and sure enough it works!! And the best part, it was only $1.79!!
Moral of the story: The LORD will provide for our needs and even many of our wants. Ephesians 3:20 says it best, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." I didn't stop and pray for a purple belt (although I should have) but the Lord provided it because as my Father, He provides good gifts for His children.
Stop and take a moment to see what the LORD has provided for you!
After having bought all new cleats and Blake having outgrown all baseball pants, our budget for this season was shrinking. Even so, I went to the sports store to look for purple socks and a belt for our softball player. No such luck! The socks were not in her size and they didn't even carry purple belts. Oh well, I guess I will have to order it from somewhere.
So off we go to Goodwill (my new favorite store). When I go to Goodwill, I walk in and head straight for the children's section. Then after looking that over good, I head to the housewares. Today, the kids were with me and as we headed to the children's section Grace said, "Momma, belts! Let's see if they have a purple baseball belt." In my head I'm thinking "yeah right," but I said, "Sure, let's look."
Most of you can figure out the ending. Sure enough there was a nice purple belt that appeared as if it had never been worn. I slid the little sizing thing and sure enough it works!! And the best part, it was only $1.79!!
Moral of the story: The LORD will provide for our needs and even many of our wants. Ephesians 3:20 says it best, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." I didn't stop and pray for a purple belt (although I should have) but the Lord provided it because as my Father, He provides good gifts for His children.
Stop and take a moment to see what the LORD has provided for you!
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