Dedicated to the orphans of the world

I found this song by Mat Kearney. I really like him and he lives in Nashville.
Here is the lyrics to his song --Breathe In Breathe Out. It reminds me of all the kids at Sarah's Covenant Homes--http://www.sarahscovenanthomes.blogspot.com/.  Nikki, from Canada, has been there for the past month. She has truly seen the "light in their eyes."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDmnG9uTEfk&feature=player_embedded

Breath in breathe out




Tell me all of your doubt



If everybody bleeds this way



just the same



Breath in breathe out



Move on and break down



If everyone.. goes away



I will stay



We push and pull,



and I fall down sometimes



I'm not letting go,



you hold the other line







Cause there is a light



In your eyes, in your eyes



Hold on, hold tight



From out of your sight



Everything keeps moving on, moving on,



Hold on hold tight



Make it through another night



Everyday there comes the sun with the dawn

[ Breathe In Breathe Out lyrics from

http://www.lyricsyoulove.com/m/mat_kearney/breathe_in_breathe_out/ ]

We push and pull, and I fall down sometimes



I'm not letting go, you hold the other line







Cause there is a light



In your eyes, in your eyes



There is a light



In your eyes, in your eyes







Breath in and breath out (x4)







Look left, look right



to the moon and the night



Everything under the stars in your arms



There is a light



In your eyes, in your eyes



There is a light (x4)

Why Why Why???

Lately I feel like I am having to answer to a lot of whys. Some to my parents and some to our agency that wants to know why we are wanting to adopt and why from India.  It has had me thinking in depth about adoption in general. I read someone's blog on adoption and I follow alot of their ideas. Adoption is not fixing a problem. It's a choice to help make a problem somewhat better. Children should ultimately live with their biological parents. In many socities single mothers are looked down upon and in essence their life is over. Their destiny is prostitution. That is their only choice. Kids with disabilities are shunned. Countries are poor and there isn't medical resources to care for sick and disabled kids. Parents are dying from AIDS or they are being killed from civil war within their own country. Some people are sick --whether it is from drug addiction or psychological sickness. This can result in kids being neglected and even abused. I could go on and on but you get the point.  The solution to this is more mission work. More missionaries are needed so bad. Life skills in mission work is needed. Medical care is needed--meaning doctors and nurses in the mission fields are needed. Missionaries are needed ultimately to teach others about Christ. Teaching others to help the poor and sick and not to shun them is mandatory. This is how we start to get biological parents to keep their children.
As a Christian, I am supposed to be the hands and feet of God. In Mark 16:5 we are called to go out and preach the gospel. "Go out" means action.   DEU 10:18 " He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing." Of course, this doesn't mean everyone has to adopt. There are many other ways to be the hands and feet of God. Trust me I know this from first hand knowledge--I am involved in Meals for wheels, various charities but it's not enough.  For me, this is my calling. After months of prayer and soul searching, this is what Mike and I have been called to do. My aunt called me the other day to share a thought by Max Lucado on his calendar. I won't recite it exactly but here is my version---Max starts by asking what is your fire and passion?? Is it caring for orphans....etc.  He then goes to talk about when he was thinking of becoming a preacher he sought counseling from another preacher. The preacher told him "don't preach unless you have to." As Max pondered this --he thought I have to--it's my fire, it's my passion.  I can't tell you how much this made me smile because I relate so much.

I've struggled for so long to find my passion.  I've prayed and prayed and prayed. God is now opening all kinds of doors for this passion. So in a nutshell this is why we are adopting. We have no idea where this will lead us because we didn't ever know we would be led in this direction. Our lives are not ours --they belong to God. We're just following His lead. This is also the reason we are choosing India. We prayed about it and it's where our child is. As for the question that we get a lot -"there are plenty of kids here, why don't you get one from here." God put India on our heart. God didn't intend for everyone to be the same. 

Hope this made some sense.  Until next time. . .

Remember when you submit yourself to God, He will take you places you never dreamed you could go!!!

Don't know where to start

Gosh--this will be such a babbling post I am sure. I thought when I got a blog I wouldn't be able to shut up but that hasn't been the case thus far.  I can't get my thought together enough to blog.

We finally sent off our contract on last Wed--April 21. It seems so real now. Nervous and super excited. I actually think Mike might be a tad more excited than me. Hayden is starting to ask where "she" will sit in our car--even offering to give up his booster seat. lol!!! Now on to the paperwork stack---------ahhh! This dossier will be the death of me. It's so worth it I know.

Finally told my parents this past Sunday. They are having a tough time. It's so new to them.  They are in shock and concerned for us. They have heard bad adoption stories where we on the other hand have heard so many good ones that out weigh the bad  times 5.  It's also not a great time to be springing adoption on people when they just heard the Russian story of the woman in Tn sending her child back. ( I'll save my thoughts on that for another post. ) We have been looking at this stuff for over a yr so I can understand their shock. Pray for them and me. It's hard being such a close family --sometimes there are no boundaries--no realization that I am not 15 anymore. It's tough.

Had an awesome sermon at church this past Sunday. It spoke to Mike and I. It was all about Gideon and stepping out in Faith.  Our pastor was talking about not being a cream puff Christian.  God called  Gideon  a mighty man of valour even when he was hiding under a tree. God knew the plans he had for Gideon though and he knew he could be a mighty man of valour. It was just an awesome sermon--I'm still thinking about it. Our new quote that will be our family motto--"When you submit yourself to God, He will take you places you never dreamed you could go." Ain't that the truth??? (ok I know ain't is not proper English but I will be throwing some southern slang in here from time to time-lol!)

Ok I'll leave you with my new favorite song by Leeland.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ajIFfSaEzE

You lived among the least of these


The weary and the weak

And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.



All my needs you have supplied.

When i was dead you gave me life.

How could i not give it away so freely?



And i`ll follow you into the homes that are broken.

Follow you into the world.

Meet the needs for the poor and the needy god.

Follow you into the world.



Use my hands use my feet

To make your kingdom come

Through the corners of the earth

Until your work is done

`cause faith without works is dead

And on the cross your blood was shed

So how could i not give it away so freely?



And i`ll follow you into the homes that are broken.

Follow you into the world.

Meet the needs for the poor and the needy god.

Follow you into the world.

(x2)



I give all myself.

I give all myself

I give all myself.to you.



And i give all myself.

Yes i give all myself.

And i give all myself.to you.



And i`ll follow you into the homes that are broken

Follow you into the world.

Meet the needs for the poor and the needy god.

Follow you into the world.

(x2)

First Post on My First Blog

Ok --my first blog post on my brand new blog. I am starting this blog to journal about our adoption to India. I wonder if anyone will really read this blog. lol!!!  I see that everyone else's blog is awesome. Some--I can't wait to see if they have updated. I have a feeling mine will be ....... boring. So I am taking advice on how to spice it up.

Ok more to come later.