March Wait List Number!!

We have a new number!!!!!!!

I am at school working on report cards on a work day but I had to take a break to post our new number.  I am SO excited.  RING PHONE RING!!!!  This month marks our 29th month on the waitlist!  We have moved 90 spots in 2 1/2 years.  I'm really hoping we get the call before we get a new number next month!!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding."

-Proverbs 3:5

Waiting with Hope

Sometimes when you can't do anything else you edit a picture of your Africa necklace on Picmonkey. :)  I wear this necklace just about every day and I pray for our daughter and wonder who she is and what she's doing.  I keep trusting and know that it will be perfect timing when we get that call.  I just hope it's sooner rather than later.

"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." -Psalm 33:20-22

Our Wait List Chain

One of the best things that we have done to help our daughter be involved in this adoption process is to create a chain with the same number of links as our number on the waitlist.  When we first got on the waitlist, Isabel was 4.  She thought she was going to meet her new sister the next week or month!  She had no idea how long she would have to wait...well, neither did we but as adults we can understand a little more easily.  The chain helped her visually see how we were moving closer but still understand that she would have to wait.  So she helped us make the links when we were officially added to the wait list in October of 2010.  We put 93 links together, took a cute picture of her holding them all up, and then we hung up the chain in our living room.  The chain moved to her room after a while because she took ownership of it.

A few months later, Isabel received a box of those cute little foam people that come with foam clothing and shoes that you can glitter glue together.  She decided to make one for each person in our family.  She made one for her sister from Ethiopia and said, "I think she might look like this and I bet she will have sandals."  So, she made a cute little foam girl and stuck it in one end of the chain (the #1 spot).  That really helped Isabel see that there would be her sister waiting at the #1 spot and there we would be moving ahead to get to her.

Our chain has gradually been getting shorter.  Sometimes we would tear off several links at a time.  Sometimes months would go by and we wouldn't tear any links off at all.  For a season, the chain stayed inside of our closet instead of her room because we weren't seeing much movement at all and it helped for her not to see it each day.  The chain actually moved across the country to Texas with us and then moved all the way back!  Amazingly, it didn't get torn or crushed!  Isabel now keeps the chain in her room again and as of this week she was able to tear off another link!  She was so so excited.  She said, "What will happen when we get the call?  We won't have our chain anymore will we?"  I told her that we wouldn't because we will finally get to see what her sister looks like and how old she is and really know her.  She jumped up and down and said, "I can't wait!!"  Oh, I can't wait either!!  Soon, soon, soon!!

New Surprise Number!!!

Yesterday on our ninth wedding anniversary we found out that we are now....

 {Flikr: szczelkun}

YAY!!! Isn't that exciting news???  We found out that a family in front of us received their referral so that means we move up one spot!  I am SO hopeful that we will know our daughter very soon.  Please pray for her and for our family if you think of us!  This is a verse we have been praying for Isabel and our little girl that we haven't met yet.

"For the Lord your God is living among you.  He is a mighty savior.  He will take delight in you with gladness.  With his love, he will calm your fears.  He will rejoice over you with joyful songs." 

Zephaniah 3:17

February Wait List Number

Yesterday afternoon we received our official wait list number for February.  Sadly, we are still at the same spot as January.  I know God knows where and who our daughter is but some days (okay, most days) I would really really like to know.  But I think,  I have waited this long and God has been faithful before so I trust him.

{Leo Reynolds}

"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.  Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." - Psalm 5:3

I love this song and I always have.  My grandmother used to push me on the swing outside of her house and sing this song over and over again.  It is one of her favorites too.   This version by Audrey Assad is a little different but I really love it.

"Why should I be troubled when His tender Word I hear?  I'll rest on His goodness in my doubt and in my fear.  And I sing because I'm happy and I sing because I'm free.  His eye is on the sparrow and I know He's watching me." 

Need Encouraging Today??

I don't know about you but I can use some encouragement.  We are still waiting....and waiting.  We are still #5 and last Thursday was our 28th month on the wait list.  We are hopeful and know that God can be trusted with the timing of everything.  However, I'm not going to lie.  We are weary.  We get discouraged.  It's a constant battle.  So, most days I find myself listening to the same songs over and over that are speaking truth to me...reading "Jesus Today" with reminders of His truths...pouring over His Word for hope and strength...and pouring my heart out to Him.  Also, receiving my favorite flowers from husband! :)  So, I thought I would share some of things the Lord is using to encourage us and maybe it will encourage you too in whatever you are going through!

This song is on repeat this week.  Hillsong United's new album, "Zion" comes out tomorrow and I'm super excited to hear it but this song, "Oceans" in particular is so so good.
"Your grace abounds in deepest waters, Your sovereign hand will be my guide.
 My feet may fail and fear surrounds me. You've never failed and You won't start now." I was going to include the YouTube video of it but it keeps putting a scary commercial before it shows the video! I hate that! So anyway, go listen to it on iTunes. :)

An excerpt from "Jesus Today" by Sarah Young.
"My grace is sufficient for you. This grace is enough to get you through your toughest times.  Do you believe this?  It's one thing to believe it when circumstances are going your way.  It's another thing altogether when you're struggling just to take the next step.  Yet this is when My grace is the most precious and glorious--when you know you cannot go another step without it.  Then it becomes the shining focus of your life."

Something Funny
Oh, and around here we laugh....a lot.  If we didn't laugh, we'd probably cry SO here are some funny videos to hopefully help YOU laugh.

 

Some Truth
"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." -Isaiah 40:31

This is a verse I have been praying for our daughter:
"The Lord himself watches over you!  The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.  The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night.  The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life.  The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever." - Psalm 121:5-8

I'm reading "The Valley of Vision:  A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions" and this one entitled "The Valley of Vision" is something I am reading and praying.  This is part of the end of it.
"Let me find thy light in my darkness, 
thy life in my death, 
thy joy in my sorrow, 
thy grace in my sin, 
thy riches in my poverty
thy glory in my valley."

And one more song that I really love.  If you know me, then you know my very favorite singer/songwriter is Sara Groves.  Her music speaks to my heart.  I just sit and listen to it and I relax and remember what all of this is about.  This is a great video!

 


How are you encouraged? I'd love for you to share!

Our January Wait List Number!!!

We received our January number today!!!  Seriously, I am SO SO excited about this.  I just keep thinking that....any day now....any day they could call us!  I keep wondering where I will be and what I'll be doing when they call.  Okay, okay, so here is the new number!

Isn't that super exciting??  Isabel's paper link chain is getting so small!  She was so happy to tear one of the links off today.  Tonight we read Psalm 5 and prayed for our daughter that we have yet to meet.  Would you pray for her too?

"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.  Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.  Let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises FOREVER.  Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy.  For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround her with your shield of love."

New Blog Design!

Have you all noticed the new design and facelift that the blog has received?  Isn't it fun?  I really really love it!!  I have had the same design every since I started this blog in 2009.  I've been wanting something new but I just wasn't sure what to do about it.  However, my friend Leigh knew just what to do!  She asked me about colors that I liked and anything I wanted to include along with pictures and then wah-lah!  I also love that it seems more personal now.  I feel like it's a better reflection of our family and I was even able to include the verse from Colossians 2:2 that inspired the name of the blog.

 "That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ."

Something really cool about Leigh's new blog design business is that she is using it to help families that are fundraising adoptions! For 3 months, a fundraising family will receive 15% of the profits.  SO, you can get a a pretty blog AND support adoption at the same time.  
You can check her out at The Crazy Coccoon and see some other samples of her work along with prices!

December Wait List Number

Yesterday we received our wait list number for December.  Our official number is still the same as November, #7.  However, since families within our agency communicate with each other, we found out we are "unofficially" #6!  One of the families ahead of us received a referral for their child.  So we have moved up one number!  We're getting closer!

 This January makes 3 whole years that we have been on this journey of adoption.  It was January 12, 2010 when we were accepted into the Ethiopia program with our agency.  It was then that we started fundraising like crazy to get that first amount in so we could begin our home study and dossier paper chase.  Some days it seems like this whole thing will never come to an end....like we will never see our daughter's face...but I know that's not true.  I know in my heart that we will see her soon.  I don't know and understand God's timing but I am choosing to believe that HE is good and that HE is faithful  (and yes, I have to CHOOSE, because many times I don't FEEL like it).  Some days my heart aches because I just want to know her.  It's a strange feeling.  

"I don't know what You're doing, but I know who You are." - JJ Heller, "Who You Are"

Here is the verse we are repeating in our family!
"Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness; 
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance; t
therefore, I will hope in him!"
The Lord is good to those who depend on him, 
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord."
-Lamentations 3:21-26

Show Hope Fundraiser

I wanted to make sure I had a post that contains all of the tshirts that we are selling!  We are so grateful for the chance to sell these shirts because we love what Show Hope does and how they want to support adoptive families and care for orphans.  They have made it so easy for us to be able to raise funds for our adoption process.  If you'd like to check out their ministry go here: http://www.showhope.org/

So here are the t-shirts and here is the link to purchase them. 
 http://www.adoptionbug.com/huntadoption/

  
The prices and sizes for the shirts vary but all of them except the light blue and the light pink come in ADULT, WOMEN'S, and YOUTH/CHILDREN sizes.  The light pink only comes in Women and Youth/Children and the light blue is Adult and Youth/Children.  The prices range from $16.99 - $24.99.  So just head over to our store front and you can order from there.  They take care of everything!  Go do some Christmas shopping!

Thank you guys!!