God's Presence

I am 90% done with my yearly Bible challenge!  I spent some time on Saturday reading 5 days worth, and now I'm actually only 2 days behind. (I have every intention on catching up today.)

Isn't it amazing how clear God's voice seems to be the more time you devote to Him?  The more I am in-tune with Him--praising Him, seeking Him, reading His Word--the more I feel His presence around me.  Have you ever been singing a song of praise, either at church or maybe just in your car, and you actually become so overwhelmed with the feeling of God's love for you?  Have you ever been reading your Bible or devotional and felt, "God wrote this especially for me and this moment"?  I love when this happens, because God who can so easily seem so far away (by the choices we make, not by His doing in anyway), suddenly seems so close that I can sense His presence.  It's such an amazing experience.  If you haven't had one of these experiences, I encourage you to spend a little time with the Lord everyday, even if it's just a few moments.  I promise, it will happen, and you will be amazed.

I would like to briefly mention--not on my behalf in anyway, BUT to make you better understand and see why this next part of this blog was "one of those moments" for me that I spoke of above--we recently had an adoption fall through.  It was awful.  We were matched with the sweetest birth mom back in October, but we knew our chances of it working out were only 50%.  A week ago, we were informed that it fell through, and that we would be put back on the waiting list.  With all that said, yes it was hard.  Yes, I, of course, wish it would have worked out.  I prayed for an answer before Christmas so that we didn't get into a situation of bringing that special baby home and then having it taken away.  I prayed that not only God would give us an answer, but that He would also prepare our hearts for that answer.  God answered.  Not the answer I wanted, but He answered. And my heart was as ready as it could have been, not by my doing, but His.

Now....this next part is what inspired me to blog.  As I was in the laundry room working on Christmas gifts last night, I came across a Daily Devotional (Jesus Calling, Enjoying Peace in His Presence) that I had purchased at Mardel's as a gift.  I decided to open it up to December 11th and see what wisdom it had to offer.  It is written as if Jesus wrote it Himself, speaking directly to you.  Here is what it said.  Word for word.

"I am working on your behalf.  Bring me all your concerns, including your dreams.

Talk with Me about everything, letting the Light of My Presence shine on your hopes and plans.  

Spend time allowing My Light to infuse your dreams with life, graudally transforming them into 

reality.  This is a very practical way of collaborating with Me.  I, the Creator of the universe, 

have designed to co-create with you. Do not try to hurry the process.  If you want to work with Me, 

you have to accept My time frame.  Hurry is not in My nature.  Abraham and Sarah had to wait 

many years for the fulfillment of My promise, a son.  How their long wait intensified their enjoyment of this child!  Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."

Psalm 36:9; Genesis 21:1-7; Hebrews 11:1 (AMP)

It amazes me how God cares and loves us so much.  He knows exactly what we're going through.  He knows exactly what we need.  He knows exactly what we need to hear and when we need to hear it.  

These verses were shared yesterday during the sermon at Church:

"Yet I am confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am here in the land of the living.  

Wait patiently for the Lord.  Be brave and courageous.  Yes, wait patiently for the Lord."  

(Psalm 27:13, 14 NLT)

Willie Nelson Guitar

We have a new auction item:  A brand new guitar (Lucida Classical Guitar LG-520) autographed by the one and only Willie Nelson!  It's not the brand of guitar he plays, but it is the style.  We started the bidding a few days ago, and it is at $350 currently with Lea Ann being the high bidder.  Please pass this along to any friends or family that might be interested.  What a great, unique gift for a loved one on your Christmas list!  ALL proceeds will go directly towards our Adoption!

Email me or comment on the blog to place your bids :)  The end date has not been set at this time, but it will end in plenty of time for Christmas.

ALSO, don't forget to check out my Scentsy page to get some of your Christmas shopping done for loved ones!  Today is the last day to get your November orders in, but you still have a couple of weeks in December to get some shopping done, too, before Christmas.  Email me on how you can save on shipping or if you are interested in earning FREE product!

Procrastination--27,496,281, Lindsay--0

Well, I guess I have boycotted Blogger long enough.  Chalin has refused to give me a good nights sleep all week--waking up 2 times, yes 2, every night, and this morning at 5:00, my body refused to allow me to drift back to sleepy town, and so now I blog.  (Yes, it is now almost 7...I can be a pretty stubborn person, so yes, again, it took 2 hours to motivate myself to get out of bed and be productive.)  So, like I said, now I blog.  With a big tub of Halloween candy beside me, just like I like it, while my two sleepy head boys are occupying my warm cozy bed....

I wouldn't be me if I didn't procrastinate and update the Blog by (hopefully) quick bullet points--ha, we all know I don't blog "quickly"....anyway, here it goes...

1.  I know I haven't been the best at updating lately, but we are still adopting!  We have been on the waiting list since the end of July, and there are some easy days and some hard days during the waiting process.  Each step involves some kind of waiting, so if you weren't patient before, through lots of hard work and trials, you learn to be patient in the end.  You wait to be approved to be on the waiting list.  You wait to get monthly emails from the agency updating you on how many birth families they are currently working with.  You wait to get phone calls about birth parents.  You wait to be "chosen" by the birth family.  You wait to meet the birth family.  You wait for the birth.  You wait for the court date.  So. Much. Waiting.  But--I know it's worth it.  So we wait.

2. (Some of these aren't actually "updates" but they are important enough to me to deserve their own number.)  First of all, isn't God amazing?  I know we haven't been "waiting" all that long, just a few short months, but it is so easy to doubt when those around you are getting chosen to be adoptive parents.  I specifically remember wondering and praying and questioning if I had misread God leading us to adopt.  Not because I was having a change of heart, but because I felt like something must be wrong with us since we weren't being picked or even getting any phone calls from the agency about birth families.  I prayed, "God, I really want to adopt.  It has been on my heart for a while now, but if this is not the plan you have for us, please let us know somehow."  Within the month, we have received 4 phone calls from the agency.  Thank you, God, again for sending me the sign, the encouragement that I so desperately needed to hang in there and have a little faith.....

3.  Through this whole Adoption Journey, we have heard some amazing stories and met some wonderful people.  I don't know what I would do without my Monday Night Waiting Moms group.  They are some of the sweetest, most amazing faithful women I have ever met.  We meet every Monday night at a cute little tea place to share where we are in our journey.  Most have already been matched and have sweet kiddos at home--I actually joked 2 weeks ago that our group should now be called, "The Adoptive Moms and the Waiting Mom, Lindsay."--some have adopted more than one child, some have both biological and adoptive children, and some just have one sweet adoptive baby.  We are all at different places and all have our own unique stories to share.  I can't stress enough how much I appreciate them and their constant encouraging words and stories. 

4.  With all that said above, we have been blessed with an amazing supportive family and friends that continue to shower us with love, especially through this whole process--whether it be prayers, phone calls, emails, cards in the mail, supporting my Scentsy business, donation of items, donation of money, donation of time, etc.  I hope all of you know how much we love you and appreciate you--I know your "segment" isn't as long, but we've known you all or most of our lives, so surely you know how much you mean to us?! :)

5.  We STILL have puzzle pieces for sale!  $15 a piece.  We are just under 200 pieces left, and I would LOVE to have this completed and hanging in the nursery by Christmas.  Chad is going to write all the names of those that have purchased a piece on the back of the puzzle so that we can share it with our sweet baby someday and show him/her all the family and friends that helped create their story.  Please help us reach our goal!!!  Email me or comment on this blog for details.  lrobertson614@hotmail.com

6.  My MIL has been busy busy BUSY quilting away.  She is making adorable table-runners for $20 a piece.  All proceeds go towards our Adoption.  Email or comment for details!

This is an example of a Fall one she made me.  I love it!

7.  The beautiful (yes beautiful) OSU quilt my MIL made is at $200 currently.  The bidding will close on Thursday, November 17th at 10:00 P.M.

OSU quilt

Close up.  How pretty!

8.  A guy from Chad's work donated this OU football and all proceeds will go towards our Adoption.  It has the Heisman trophy winners' signatures on it, except for Sam Bradford.  Signatures include:  Steve Owens, Billy Sims, & Jason White.  The bidding will start at $150.  We will close the bidding on Thursday, November 17th at 10:00 P.M.

The 'OU' and 'Sooners' (on the back) are not printed but stitched on the ball, making it look extra special and nice!

Ok, if you haven't noticed, it is NOVEMBER, and we know what happens next month.  I just gave you LOTS of ideas for Christmas presents.  You're Welcome. ;)  and I'll remind you again, along with adding a few extra:

~Scentsy!  There is Scentsy for everyone on your list.  What a GREAT gift at a low price! If nothing else, what great stocking stuffers for loved ones!  Gift certificates are available, too! 

~Quilted Table Runners!  For the newly married, your parents, your grandparents, your friends, etc!

~OSU Quilt!  I know I have lots of friends and family that are Cowboy fans!  What a beautiful one-of-a-kind blanket to give or receive as a Christmas present!

~OU Football!  What OU fan wouldn't want this awesome gift?!  Perfect for your husband, your son, your dad, etc!

~Knitted items!  I have adorable baby bibs & hats (perfect for your own babies, nieces/nephews, friends' babies), coffee cozies/mug sweaters (pair it with a cute mug and a Starbuck's gift card and you've got a great gift for your mom, grandma, sister, friend, your child's teacher, etc!), dish cloths (pair them with your favorite Bath & Body Works soap, and you've got another great gift for someone!)

I hope you are able to mark some people off your Christmas list SOON and support a GREAT cause while you are at it!!! :)

**Just for those of you curious readers out there, it is now 9.  If you didn't have the answer before on why I don't blog often, now you do.**

**And I do apologize for creating what I believe to be the Longest. Blog. In. History.**

FALL Ball

Fall is just around the corner (actually it is already here!)....at least it is suppose to be.  I hope the weather gets the hint because I'm so ready for jeans, tennis shoes, and hoodies....anywho--Chalin has started t-ball again!  We had 2 games last week and will continue to have 2 games per week for the next. Four. Weeks.  I hope by the end or maybe in the middle sometime or maybe as soon as possible he will love the game as much as his Daddy.  ( Ok, Ok.  I realized that last part was just asking a little too much from a 3-year-old.  He did, however, record his first out this season, which spurred on some more interest in the game--especially in the outfield.  He told me yesterday out of the blue, "The faster we get the outs, the faster we bat, the faster we get SNACK!"  Soooooo, at least he has his priorities straight, right?

He also started back at school this past week.  While I enjoyed running several errands and getting some things accomplished, I was sad thinking this was his LAST first day of Sonshine School.  My baby is growing up too fast on me.  

Here are a few pictures I was able to snap with my cell phone.  One of these days, my life is going to slow down, and I'll learn how to use my nice camera.  Someday.

Up to bat! (Don't worry...he now has some pants that fit.)

Playing in the field with his buddy, Schafer!

Getting a motivational hug and talk before batting from Coach Daddy.

Hanging out in the dugout with the other Cubs.

Getting ready!

Once the game was over, Chad told our team to head to the dugout for snack.  As you can tell ALL the children were super excited about snack...even the other team!

Hanging out with his buddy, Camden, after the game, at the park that was placed entirely too close to the t-ball fields.

Happy boy riding the elephant after the game.

 *I started this post at least a week ago, and am just now getting around to finishing it because Blogger now takes me forever to upload photos in the right direction!  ANYWAY, Chalin has been super excited about Fall approaching.  He told me on Thursday when I picked him up from school, "Hey!  Hey!  Did you know?  Did you know that tomorrow is going to be Fall?!"  When he woke up on Friday, the first thing he said was, "Hey!  Hey!  Did you know?  It's FALL TODAY!  I can't wait to rake up the leaves and JUMP in them!!!"  What followed next was a little bit of a sad, disappointed, and confused 3 year old boy on why the leaves were still cozy in the trees and not laying on the ground.  HOWEVER, he became his happy little self again when I reminded him that he had ALL kinds of Fall books in his room from when I was a teacher that we could read ALL.  ABOUT.  FALL.  I really couldn't tell you who was more excited...

Knitting Booth & Quilt Auction

My friend Kasey's sister-in-law is in charge of the Monkey Business consignment sale, which is taking place in Ada September 16-18.  I called and asked about setting up a knitting booth, and they said I could.  Not only that I could, but that I could for FREE since ALL proceeds will go towards our Adoption Fund.  A few friends of mine (April and Cat) and I have been knitting away like crazy.  They are donating all their knitted/crocheted items to me to sale.  And let me tell you--I have some very talented friends!  We will have baby beanies/hats, head warmers, dish cloth sets, bibs, coffee cozies, and a few quilts, which my MIL has recently made and is donating.

ALSO, I am starting the bidding for a beautiful "vintage" flower OU quilted throw.  I picked out all the material, and LOVE it AND hope you do, too.  How awesome would it be to have a One-of-a-Kind OU quilt that supports such a great cause?!?  Please spread the news to your significant others, family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, church family, and anyone else that you think will be interested!  It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas presents!  It will be here before we know it! :)   It measures approximately 5 ft. 9 inches in length and 4 ft. 5 inches in width (or in quilter measurements approximately 53x69).  The pictures won't do it justice, but here are a few to give you an idea:

Full view of quilt

OU quilted throw

Close-Up

Close-up of back

The bidding will end on October 2, at 8:00 PM!

The opening bid has been set by Rhonda Hughes for $225!  You can comment on the blog, send me an email, FB message, or text me to place your bid.  Happy Bidding!!!

Half Way There

....well, close anyway!  Thank you so incredibly much if you have already purchased a puzzle piece or pieces!  If you have not and would like to, please send me an email at lrobertson614@hotmail.com, and I'll get you our address!

If you haven't heard or seen by now, we were on the news!  To make a long story short, News 9 contacted us and wanted to run a story about our OU Tickets that we were auctioning off for our Adoption.  They emailed on Wednesday, but we were out of town.  They called on Thursday at 10:00 AM and were at our house by 11:30 AM to film.  You can check it out here if you missed it. ALSO, a very nice man that Chad works with gave us his tickets to the first home game, so we are going for FREE! 

We are still doing our best to be patient.  My new favorite verse that I recite more than I can count throughout the day comes from Psalm 37:7: "Be still in the presence of the Lord and wait patiently for him to act."

We continue to be amazed by the love shown to us through encouraging words and sweet support, so if I haven't worn it out already,   

THANK YOU!!!

Texas Vacation

This week, we traveled down to Texas to visit GREAT WOLF LODGE, LEGOLAND, & SEA LIFE.  What a FUN vacation.  This is the first real vacation we have had since Chalin was born.  We all had such a wonderful time.  Thanks Mimi & Pops!

GREAT WOLF LODGE!

A little glimpse of the fun...

Enjoying the view out the window of his Kid Cabin in our room.

Loving the Jet Ski!

They have the same smile!

Mimi & Pops trying to be kids again and taking over the "King Size" bunk beds!

Coming off the slide and trying to prevent himself from crashing.  Hilarious face!

Chalin riding a water slide with Mimi!

Enjoying the wave pool with Pops!

Racing down the slides!

LEGOLAND!

One of his favorites....in Legos!

Found the letters to his name just in time!  Off to see how Legos are made.

Enjoying the Bob the Builder 3D show!

Chalin and the Lego giraffe!

Riding a ride with Daddy!

SEA LIFE!

Walking through the tunnel...very cool!

Who is that cute little fish?!

Time is Running Out!

We will close the bidding on our football tickets on Saturday, August 20, so hurry and place your bids!  I'm not sure if you have been watching Sports Center in the evenings like we have, but they have a "special" on all week about the OU Football team....so in case you already didn't know, they are kind of a BIG DEAL!  Another little tidbit:  They are RANKED #1 IN THE COUNTRY!  Who wouldn't want Season Tickets this year?!?  I mean, Chad offering to sell our tickets during this year is amazing to me, and it should be to any of you out there that know him even the slightest bit!  Here are a few ways you could purchase the tickets:

1. You can purchase both tickets for all 6 homes games for $1000!

2.  You (+1) can go in with another family/friend and attend 3 games a piece for $500 each!

3.  You (+1) can go in with 2 families and attend 2 games a piece for around $334 each!

4.  You (+1) can go in with 5 families and attend 1 game a piece for around $167 each!

Please continue to spread the word to family, friends, and anyone & everyone who might be interested--We would love to be able to put $1000 into our Adoption Fund!!!

Moving Right Along...

If you are just now joining us on Our Adoption Journey, here are a few blogs you might want to read first!

God Knows

Psalm 37:7

OU Season Football Tickets

Beyond Blessed

Piece by Piece
There's Only One...

I've never been more sure now than ever that we are exactly on the road God has planned for us.  I wish you could hear sweet Chalin's voice when he prays, asking God to be with "the birth mom and my baby brother or baby sister and keep them healthy."  It would melt your heart.  Now, I recently realized that although I have shared that we are adopting, I haven't given you much other information, so here are a few things:

1.  We will be adopting from Oklahoma.

2.  We chose to adopt an infant in hopes of taking him/her home from the hospital after their birth.

3.  We were not given the chance to pick a gender, and we were both relieved by this.  Can you imagine Chad OR me making this kind of decision?  We don't even like to choose what we're going to eat for meals...seriously.

4.  We did not want to set too many limits on God's plan, and for that reason, we will not know the race of the baby until we get the phone call.  Every time I tell this to people, I hear in my head, "Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world!" not in my singing voice, of course, but someone who can actually sing...haha...seriously though :)

5.  We are officially on the WAITING LIST!  We completed our interviews and home study a few weeks ago, so now we are just patiently (used loosely) waiting to be selected by the birth mother.  We could get a phone call today OR a year from now telling us we've been selected.  We could be selected by a birth mother who is 6 months pregnant OR we could get selected by a birth mother who just had her baby.  So so so many unknowns...

NOW, for a "Piece by Piece" update.  3 letters: W-O-W!  I can't wait to share this story with our baby boy or baby girl someday--telling them how much they were so dearly loved and supported before we even met them--by all of our wonderful family, life-long friends, sweet friends from high school, dear friends from college, amazing co-workers, and our church families from 3 different churches, including the one we now call home.  As I type this, I pray that all of you are able to feel the amount of  LOVE and APPRECIATION 

I have for each of you.  But more importantly, the amount of LOVE God has for you.  I'm telling you firsthand, read your Bible everyday, even if it's only for 10 minutes.  Make time because you won't find it.  I am so amazed at how He has changed my heart over the last few months, and to tell you I'm excited about our new addition, is a complete understatement.

As you can see by the picture, we are moving right along on putting our puzzle together.  How wonderful it will be for our new baby boy or baby girl to read these names on the back of this puzzle one day.  We're working really hard to be able to complete our puzzle, but WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!  I would love to have it completed and hung up in the nursery before our sweet bundle of joy arrives! If you have already purchased, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!  If you haven't and want to, please send me an email at lrobertson614@hotmail.com, and I'll get you the information you need! 

There's Only One....

O K L A H O M A !

Guess what we received in the mail today?!  Yep, our 2011 OU Season Football Tickets, so 

LET THE BIDDING BEGIN!  

A few things to keep in mind:

1.   The starting bid is $1000.00

2.  The seats are in Section 103, seats 9 & 10

3.  And most importantly, ALL proceeds go towards our Adoption! 

 

**To place a bid, you can post to this blog, send a message on facebook, or email me at lrobertson614@hotmail.com.  Each time there is a new bid, I will update the blog, facebook, and/or send you an email to let you know.  Thank you in advance for your support :)

 

The bidding will end at 5:00 PM on August 20th.

Piece by Piece

Our first official fundraiser has begun:  JIGSAW PUZZLE!

We are building our family, one puzzle piece at a time...literally! 

I first heard about this idea from my friend Saradee and began doing some research, and fell in love.  Mainly because Chalin L-O-V-E-S puzzles, and to be honest, Chad and I do, too.  Rather than purchase a random puzzle, we decided to make it even more meaningful to our family and "design" our own....and by that, I mean our sweet friend Sara offered to design it for FREE for us.  All I had to do is tell her what I wanted it to say (a quote I saw online) and what colors I wanted to use.  We decided to go with a "quote" rather than an image, because we have no idea if we will be blessed with a baby boy or a baby girl.  I got the puzzle in the mail today, and I'm so excited for you to see it!  Unfortunately, you're going to have to wait until puzzle pieces are purchased and we begin constructing the puzzle because I want it to be a surprise! :)

Here's the plan:  You can help us construct a 513 piece jigsaw puzzle for $15 each piece!  We will be writing the names of those who purchase a puzzle piece (or pieces) on the back of each piece, so not only will we remember, but more importantly our precious baby boy or baby girl will always know how much love surrounded them by their family members and friends that helped make this amazing journey to a miracle possible!  If you would like to purchase a puzzle piece, you can make checks payable to "Robertson Adoption Fund," and please don't forget to include the name you want us to write on the puzzle piece!   If you do not have our address, please email me, and I'll get it to you.

We look forward to showing you the stages of building our jigsaw puzzle and to sharing 

Our Journey of Adoption!

If you'd like to mail a donation, please email Chad & Lindsay at

lrobertson614@hotmail.com

As always, we are so unbelievably thankful for all of your continuous prayers, love, and support!

Beyond Blessed

"Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." --Jesus, Matthew 5:48

Oh, how we have seen this verse lived out by the people that surround us, and it just makes my heart so unbelievable happy.

I have to write this quick post because I am beyond BLESSED with the most loving family and friends. Of course, I knew this before, but God has continued to show me just how wonderful the people are that he has placed in my life. Since Chad, Chalin, and I began sharing our Adoption Journey:

*I have had Scentsy orders placed just to assist with our Adoption costs--from friends, family, and friends/family of our friends and family!
*We have had friends and family share our story with others they know through blogging, emails, Facebook, etc.
*I've had a friend offer to donate a % of what she sells with HER business to us.
*I've had loving, supportive, encouraging emails, messages and phone conversations from anyone and everyone, including people that are going through or have gone through the same thing.
*I've had a friend offer to design things for us for FREE to help with fundraisers.
*I've had friends and family offer to help in anyway possible, whether it be making something for us to raise money (knitting, quilting), offering their awesome photography skills, or just giving us items that could possibly raise money for us.

I hope all of you know how TRULY special each and everyone of you are to us. I hope we can someday show you how much we really appreciate ALL of your ongoing love and support as we continue our Adoption journey.

*Side Note: Chad and I are currently working on some more fundraiser ideas with our friends and family, so keep a look out on our blog for more information coming soon!

Current Fundraisers:
1. OU SEASON FOOTBALL TICKETS!
2. Purchase from my Scentsy website!

OU SEASON FOOTBALL TICKETS!

I wanted to let all of my beautiful blogger friends know that we have decided to auction off our 2 OU SEASON FOOTBALL tickets and use this money to go towards our adoption. Even if you are not an OU fan, please pass this along to your family and friends that might be interested! This was Chad's idea and decision--can you believe it?!?

The seats are in the upper deck on the home side and are located on approximately the "south" 10 yard line. The bidding will start at $1000--the reason being that the tickets themselves cost over $900, and we have to pay a donor's fee to even get the chance to purchase the tickets...crazy I know...which puts the complete purchase right around $1000. We are trying to get our money back, BUT it would be SUPER nice to even get extra to put towards our adoption fund!

And a personal side note from Chad: "Everyone knows we're going to win the National Championship this year, so just think how nice it would be to have season tickets for a championship season......I'm just sayin'."

I will post another blog once we officially have the tickets in our hands, but PLEASE help us get the word out! Talk to your family and friends--maybe they will even want to go in together with you and split the money and the games with you!

Chad, Chalin, and I are all super excited about this new special addition to our family that God is planning for us! I'm not going to lie though, this waiting stuff is ridiculously hard!!!

Thank you in advance for your love and support!

8

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful,
and endures through every circumstance."
1 Corinthians 13:4-7


I'm a little late on blogging, but Happy 8th Anniversary to my sweet, handsome, encouraging, and hilarious husband. I love you.

Psalm 37:7

I have been putting off writing this blog post, waiting for the "perfect" time, and I can't be patient any longer.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts."
~Psalm 139:23

As most of you know, adoption has been on my mind for a while now. Chad and I have been trying to give sweet Chalin a baby brother/sister for about 2 years. Adoption was always at the back of my mind, you know as a "back-up plan." I did not think I would ever need to use this plan, but it's always good to be over-prepared, right?

When Chad and I found out that our chances at having another biological child were slim to none a few months ago, I had a ton of emotions which I have already shared in a previous blog post, but mostly of anger. God knew how much we wanted more children--how could He let this happen? I always like having a plan, and now "my plan" was ripped to shreds.

"When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer."
~Psalm 94:19

I began a yearly Bible challenge back in January (yes, a New Year's Resolution that I actually planned on keeping!). I spent every day (and continue to) reading God's Word. I have always been a "prayer", praying not just at night but throughout the day, sending up quick prayers mainly of thanksgiving or "Please help me!" But after all that we were going through, I began spending more time on my prayers, not rushing and really pouring out my heart to God. I also began praying every night with Chalin before he goes to sleep and encouraging him to pray before our meals. I was beginning to feel this extreme closeness with God, and I wanted to share that.

"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act."

~Psalm 37:7

As I have stated in my last blog post, too, I became very aware of adoption "signs." Still prior to this, I was no longer angry, but this close relationship with God had given me a certain peace, that I know only He can provide. I continued to pray the prayer of contentment, every day, throughout the day....however, every where I turned and no matter how much I prayed to be content, I was hearing/seeing/thinking about adoption. Adoption consumed my thoughts when I went to bed. I woke up with adoption consuming my thoughts.

I had told Chad that I wanted to know our "plan" by December, but I just couldn't wait any longer. I brought up the topic one night, and shared everything and more that I have shared on this blog. I would have to say that that "talk" ranks right up there at the top with one of the best and most meaningful conversations that we have had in all the time that we have been together. I felt that God was right there holding our hand, guiding us. To make a long story short (which we all know I'm not very good at), Chad said, "You are MY sign. What's our next step and how quickly can we get started?!"

"Light shines in the darkness for the godly."
~Psalm 112:4

I called Deaconess Pregnancy and Adoption Services on a Friday (2 days after Chad and I talked) after talking to a dear friend who recommended a few different places to check out. We found out that this agency offered 3 seminars throughout the year, and you are required to attend one of these. The next session was ONE WEEK away--after that, I believe we would have to wait until November. I was told that there was still room for the upcoming session as long as I could get our application filled out and turned in, along with a preacher/church member reference. Chad printed off the pre-application and brought it home Friday. We filled everything out, and Chalin and I turned it in Monday afternoon.

We attended the Adoption Seminar this past weekend, and learned so much. We were sure about our plans going in, but after the seminar, we felt even more sure and not just at peace, but extremely excited about our son/daugther that God has (is) prepared(ing) for us.

Isn't it AMAZING how God can change your heart if you just allow Him to take control? I can't even begin to tell you how we CANNOT WAIT to meet our sweet baby. Chalin is SUPER excited too, and talks about it daily.

We hope to turn in our next round of paperwork Monday. After that we will begin setting up our individual interviews and home study. AFTER that, our profile will be made available for birth families to view and pick if they choose. We are going to do our best to be patient as God works His plan. We could have our 2nd child in 3 months (or LESS) or it could take many many MANY months.

Ways YOU can help:

1. Please pray for our sweet baby and his/her birth mother--that they stay safe and healthy and that God works on the birth mother's heart, allowing her to feel at peace with her self-less decision to allow another family to raise her child.

2. Please pray for us to be patient and trusting in God's PERFECT plan.

3. As you probably know, the process of Adoption is expensive. If you need Scentsy, you know where to find me :) The money I receive from all of my Scentsy orders will be going into a special account that we will use just for this special purpose.
*I am currently in the process of thinking of other ways and items to raise money, so stay tuned!