From a human perspective it seems our adoption has hit a bit of a blockade. But we know it is just a little bump and God is still in control. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or even imagine! We are asking all of you, our family and friends, to please be in prayer for our boys and our adoption over the next few weeks.
"The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16
Here is the recent developments.....
If you have read my previous blogs then you know that our February court date was rescheduled for March because our boys' father died shortly before the court date. In order for an adoption to be finalized it is necessary for living parents to appear in court and give their consent. If the parents are deceased then there is paperwork required to confirm their death. The signatures needed on that paperwork have not been obtained yet.
Our March court date has now been postponed to April 6th, and a recent email from our caseworker states that it is likely that it could be postponed again because they do not know when it will be possible to obtain the signatures needed on the required paperwork. Let me explain....
In order to obtain the needed signatures our social worker in Ethiopia must travel to the village that our boys are from. Traveling to the village is the bump we have hit. Apparently the village is located 50 miles off of any main road, and because the terrain is so difficult in these remote areas, he would have to walk a significant portion of the distance. It's a major trip!! to say the least. Not knowing when he will be able to lay his other duties aside to make such a trip, we have no idea how long it might take before we can move forward. But God does!! We are trusting Him and we are thanking Him for the privilege of being able to take our every concern before His throne and lay it at His feet! He hears our every cry, He knows our every need even before we ask Him.
Please pray for our social worker. He has already worked so hard to see these boys be blessed with a family to love and care for them and he is disappointed along with us. And he has a major trip ahead of him! Please pray that he will be able to make the trip at the soonest possible time. Pray that he would have help with all of his other obligations and that he would be protected as he travels. Pray that all of the people whose signatures are needed would be located and that he would return successfully prepared for the soonest possible court hearing. Pray that God would comfort the hearts of our boys as they wait at the orphanage and that He would fill all of our hearts with the peace and patience that can only come from Him.
Thank you for your prayers!!
"Assuredly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt..... if you say to this mountain, 'be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:21-22
Mitochondrion??
Some days I feel ill equipped to be teaching every subject to every grade level. Well, through 6th grade so far... but 7th will be here soon, then 8th..... What do I know about glycolysis and mitochondrion? I'm sure I missed science class that day. (Yes, I am a literature and History girl!) Teaching second and third grade was pretty fun and stress free, but as the grade level increases, so does my stress level. That is until I am reminded that my responsibility as a homeschool parent is not to be an expert scientist (Or even a 7th or 8th grade level scientist) But to be a vessel for the Lord to use in shaping the character of my children to look more and more like Him. A character of perseverence, one that is willing to work hard, one that does not grumble... And our children often learn by our example. So my prayer continues to be... "Lord help me to be an example of perseverence and hard work with a good attitude." ... especially as I open up the science lesson for the day and we dig in and start learning this stuff together.
From Disappointment to Thanksgiving
I've been overwhelmed by this lingering feeling of disappointment today. Yesterday we were hoping for good news that our adoption had been finalized in court and we would be traveling to Ethiopia soon to pick up our boys. Instead the news we received was that our court date had to be postponed again. (sigh) I know that God's timing is perfect. I've been repeating that truth over and over in my mind, and seeking comfort from His Word.... "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." I am pouring out my heart to Him, and ... "My soul finds rest in God alone.... Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him." (from Psalm 62) He is "the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble, with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." (2 Cor. 1:3-4) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) I am praying with thanksgiving... I am thankful that I can trust Him, for "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) I have been reminded of an acquaintance whose adoption was postponed, and she was later told that it was during that extra month of waiting that her child was introduced to Christ through a lady at the orphanage and chose to accept Him as her savior. I don't know His purpose in allowing this postponement, but I choose to say "Thank you God that you are in complete control, nothing has escaped you, and I can trust you." Peacfully waiting for our new court date, April 6th, to arrive. Please continue to pray with us.
One wrong note...
The following guest post is shared by Trisha. Visit her business here. Or her ministry here.
I read a story that some years ago musicians were noting that errand boys in certain parts of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. They finally discovered that the bells of the Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the bells, and totally unconsciously they had copied their pitch.
We tend to copy who we associate with. We borrow thoughts or phrases from books we read, programs we listen to, friends we hang out with, often without even realizing it. And we wonder why a little bit of worldly influence isn’t good for us? If we become tolerant of even one wrong note, pretty soon, we won’t even flinch when we’re singing the entire song out of tune.
The sin of worldliness especially threatens our fellowship with God. We have to be so careful of the distractions of the world. And not everything that distracts us is necessarily sin, in and of itself. But if it takes our eyes off of God, it becomes a sin.
Colossian 3:1-3 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
What things of the world are distracting you today? As I examine my own life and think of my personal distractions, it is almost easier to list the things in my life that don’t distract me!
I have three kids. My day is constantly one distraction after another. "Mama I need this...can you get me this...Reece made a mad face at me...Carson hit me...Olivia stole my toy"...then the phone rings. It’s one thing after another! Am I saying that seeing to my kids needs, even if they are distracting me from something else, is a sin? No! Of course not. That’s my responsibility to train and care for them. But what I am saying is that I, personally, get so caught up in the busy-ness. I get so preoccupied with the concerns and the constant doing that “thought wise” I waste a lot of time that I could be spending in prayer or singing worship songs or reading my Bible or listening to the Bible on CD, instead I’m just going through motions. I’m not doing anything blatant that someone would necessarily point out as sin or worldliness, but I’m letting things distract me from working on my relationship with God. This can be applied to anything that takes away from time spent with God. It could be TV, music, sports, shopping, or work...whatever it is that is consuming your time, that is taking your eyes off of God.
We, as a society, are just entirely too preoccupied. We start being too busy to do our daily devotions, soon we’re too busy to go on Wednesday night to church and then it’s the Women’s studies, and before we know it we miss a Sunday. We don’t become “in the world” overnight. We don’t jump on the bandwagon of rebellion in a second. Usually, it’s a gradual course. Worldliness comes in many shapes and sizes. Satan doesn’t just throw the temptation of a big sin in our face in the beginning. He starts with the small stuff. He tempts us with one wrong note. Just like those boys in London.
I read a story that some years ago musicians were noting that errand boys in certain parts of London all whistled out of tune as they went about their work. They finally discovered that the bells of the Westminster were slightly out of tune. Something had gone wrong with the chimes and they were discordant. The boys did not know there was anything wrong with the bells, and totally unconsciously they had copied their pitch.
We tend to copy who we associate with. We borrow thoughts or phrases from books we read, programs we listen to, friends we hang out with, often without even realizing it. And we wonder why a little bit of worldly influence isn’t good for us? If we become tolerant of even one wrong note, pretty soon, we won’t even flinch when we’re singing the entire song out of tune.
The sin of worldliness especially threatens our fellowship with God. We have to be so careful of the distractions of the world. And not everything that distracts us is necessarily sin, in and of itself. But if it takes our eyes off of God, it becomes a sin.
Colossian 3:1-3 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
What things of the world are distracting you today? As I examine my own life and think of my personal distractions, it is almost easier to list the things in my life that don’t distract me!
I have three kids. My day is constantly one distraction after another. "Mama I need this...can you get me this...Reece made a mad face at me...Carson hit me...Olivia stole my toy"...then the phone rings. It’s one thing after another! Am I saying that seeing to my kids needs, even if they are distracting me from something else, is a sin? No! Of course not. That’s my responsibility to train and care for them. But what I am saying is that I, personally, get so caught up in the busy-ness. I get so preoccupied with the concerns and the constant doing that “thought wise” I waste a lot of time that I could be spending in prayer or singing worship songs or reading my Bible or listening to the Bible on CD, instead I’m just going through motions. I’m not doing anything blatant that someone would necessarily point out as sin or worldliness, but I’m letting things distract me from working on my relationship with God. This can be applied to anything that takes away from time spent with God. It could be TV, music, sports, shopping, or work...whatever it is that is consuming your time, that is taking your eyes off of God.
We, as a society, are just entirely too preoccupied. We start being too busy to do our daily devotions, soon we’re too busy to go on Wednesday night to church and then it’s the Women’s studies, and before we know it we miss a Sunday. We don’t become “in the world” overnight. We don’t jump on the bandwagon of rebellion in a second. Usually, it’s a gradual course. Worldliness comes in many shapes and sizes. Satan doesn’t just throw the temptation of a big sin in our face in the beginning. He starts with the small stuff. He tempts us with one wrong note. Just like those boys in London.
Created To Do Good Works
I am so thankful that I live in a time when there are so many wonderful gadgets to help me accomplish my job as a homemaker. Washing machines, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, etc. What a blessing! As I think about these gadgets that have been uniquely designed and intricately created for their own specific tasks and purposes, I can't help seeing them as a picture of each of us. We also have been uniquely designed and intricately created by God for specific tasks and purposes.
For we are Gods workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
I am amazed that God took the time and dedication to design me and create me to have a very specific and unique purpose. He has prepared very specific works for me to do. But I also know that I have been designed to do these works in Christ Jesus!! If I were to bring out my vacuum cleaner and start pushing it around my carpet, I could spend all day covering every square inch of my floor, but it would not accomplish the task it was designed to do if I do not first plug it in to a power source. In the same way, we can keep ourselves busy doing... but unless we have the power of Christ's life flowing through us, our work is futile. But when we are plugged in to our power source, the works happen automatically... just as when I plug in my vacuum and turn on the power, it automatically starts doing what it is designed to do... vacuuming.
That is, if it is clean. Have you ever had a vacuum hose get so filled up with filthy debris that it becomes clogged, and unable to do the task it was designed to do? Yes, it is plugged in to the power source, but that power won't work through the filth that is clogging it. If we have the power of Christ in our life, if we are plugged in to His power by spending time in His Word and surrendered to His will, but we are not seeing His power accomplish His will in our lives, perhaps we have allowed the filth of sin, such as pride, unforgiveness, self-pity, or any number of other sins, to clog our life. Perhaps it is time to clean out the "vacuum hose", that is, repent, and let God's power run through us again.
3 Days Away
Our adoption court date is this Wednesday, only 3 days away! Please be praying. Thank you!!
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