Chosen?

There's a movement afoot.

If you go to this blog you will find some amazing shirts that say "Chosen". The money raised goes to Project Hopeful. It will help families that want to adopt HIV+ children with funding as well as their project Almost Homes in Ethiopia.

What does it mean to be chosen?

When we started the adoption process I orginally felt that N was chosen for us. We put our paperwork in with the list of health and back ground issues that we were 'comfortable' with. I thought we were actually pretty liberal in our openess, but would be lying if I didn't say I was a little hopeful we wouldn't be faced with having to say no to something out of fear.

God set the plans in motion, and we were called with the information about our sweet N within a matter of days. He was 'healthy' and young and beautiful. He was what God knew we could/would handle.

What God did with our hearts through that adoption has been nothing short of amazing to me.

When we started our second adoption, I sort of felt like we were choosing...and to be completely honest with you, it was a little weird. How does one choose a child?

We moved forward. We accepted that referral for our E and then were plunged into a place we weren't even remotely expecting. Honestly we felt like we had chosen this sweet little boy while the smile that just stole your heart and the cutest little shoulder shrug you ever saw. (Never did I know how much that shoulder shrug would drive me batty later! lol)

My heart struggled with our choice of E when we were told he was near death and in a coma in Ethiopia. Had we chosen wrong? Had God not been speaking to our hearts? Was he to die before we could get there to save his life?

What I have learned in the past year was that we were in fact chosen for E. Not the other way around. If we had not chosen his referral I don’t know that anyone else would have. He was so very sick, and honestly looked so so sad and bad after his time in the hospital. Would another family have looked at his pictures and moved forward with his adoption? I don’t say that in away to toot our horns, just wondering out loud. When we got home and found out that 2 out of the 3 meds he was taking for his HIV weren’t working we realized that he would probably have gone back into the hospital in ET and not come back out.

That thought brings me to tears as I write it.

What would life be like with out my E-man? I don’t really want to know to be honest with you. There is something about him that makes him special, a light that shines to me.

We were chosen to be his parents. We were chosen to be N’s parents. N my beautiful brilliant drama king… he was chosen to be ours without a doubt.

What I have learned in this whole adoption process is that when God chooses you for something, He opens your eyes to so much more than you ever could imagine.

He can do so much more with a heart that chooses Him.

I don’t know why God chose me for this journey. I can’t wait to see what He will choose for me in the future.

Right now I stand in awe of His choice. I stand in awe at His Grace and provision. All those days we have worried about our finances, about medication, about health, about disclosure, about behavior, about other’s opinions… all those wasted days.

God has never failed us. Not once.

Need sponsor's and a GIVE AWAY

As you may know I am co-leading a mission team to Ethiopia this April.

We are leaving on April 5th and returning on April 17th.

What you may not know is that I am also running in the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon in Va Beach. So while I was running on the treadmill tonight (still snow on the ground) I had an idea. That idea is to ask for sponsors for my run.

Here's where the give away comes in!! If you sponsor me, I will write your name on my Ethiopia Team shirt (pictured above) and wear it in the race. Excited?!

So what's in it for you? For every person that sponsors me, their name will go into a drawing to win their own Ethiopia Mission Team shirt. (not the one I will be wearing while running :o))

If you have a blog, and you blog about this, and leave me a comment your name will go in the drawing.

So will you please help support me and our team? Every little bit helps. And if your donation is to pray.... I will take that as a priceless offering. :o)

Email me at andreag _ 98 @yahoo. com (without the spaces) and I will send you the info on where to send your donations.

Thank you!

May your day be Better Than Good.

Weakness...

Do you ever have those days?

When the 'human' in you slips in and takes over. Steals your joy and peace?

I have had 2 of those...perhaps it's being snowed in and stir crazy, although I have actually enjoyed it. Or maybe it's hormones?

My arms have been hurting for a sweet baby girl again. I am still standing on God's promise that He will provide, but the last 2 days have been hard.

Because we have been snowed in D and I have been cleaning and purging. We did the boys play room, their dressers, as well as the closets and dressers in our room.

My first task was the boy's dressers. E's in particular because his was kind of small and over flowing with clothes that he keeps growing out of. As I was pulling out all those little clothes I was suddenly emotional. No more little boys to save these clothes for. :o( The love and joy that went into buying those clothes for our little men. They aren't tiny any more. They are growing...and growing.

I wondered as I packed, would there be a little girl to buy for someday?

I got a surprise and wonderful call from a sweet friend asking if I was ok. As we spoke, she said something that struck a chord in me. I wondered if my desire for another child was a selfish one (she didn't imply that I was, in any way) ... but does my desire stem from me...or from God? Thank you for the call!!! It was so great to hear your voice!

I have truly felt this desire was from God, as He's the only one that could have put the desire for more kids in our hearts back in the very beginning. Remember, we had teens at home, we were ready to be empty nesters. :o)

Last night D and I were out looking for a book that he needs for the new Bible Study that he's doing. We walked into the Christian book store and the song on the over head was "God of This City". I had to go into the corner to pretend I was looking at pictures so I could compose myself. Weird. When we got out to the van, D asked what was wrong. I told him that he probably didn't want to know. He pressed, so I just said "Some days are harder than others". He said nothing but held my hand the whole way home.

There is perhaps a bonus to all this longing, my boys are getting all kinds of extra lovin'. Not that I didn't love on them before but every time they pass by I grab 'em and smooch 'em. :o)

I am still working on keeping the peace that God had given me. Life is ramping up. Mission team is getting busy as we get to our last steps. Mission Committee is focusing our efforts on Haiti relief. Kids are busy in school. N will be in soccer soon. Work is getting busy and God has so truly blessed me with the ability to work from home when I need to.

Life is good. I am happy and I am blessed. Some days I am weak. I continue to trust in Him, and His plan for our lives.

ETA:

After I wrote the above, I went to my inbox to find the devotion below. Thank you God for providing in the times that I need them!

February 02, 2010

Eliminating Doubt John C. Richards Jr. Tap! Tap! Tap! All of sudden, the once rowdy group came to order. The crowd's chatter died down. It was time to start the show. The maestro had arrived and the concert was to begin. There's just something about the presence of a maestro. His presence brings order out of chaos. It signifies the beginning of a wonderful musical masterpiece. The atmosphere becomes reverent when he shows up. He demands respect that is comparable to that of a king's coronation. Jesus is no different. He has the ability to make order out of chaos and to qualm all fears. He also has the uncanny ability to eliminate doubt in our lives. How does this happen? It happens when we follow orchestral protocol. The word 'maestro' is Italian in origin and means 'master or teacher.' Jesus is often referred to in scripture as master or teacher. He, in essence, is the Great Maestro in our lives, tapping on the strings of our hearts to bring to order the chaos in our lives. One of the amazing things about a maestro is his ability to maintain eye contact with his ensemble. Eye contact represents attentiveness. Any good date, interview, or business interaction is characterized by great eye contact throughout. Christ is attentive to every one of our needs; so much so that he will supply each and every one of them (Philippians 4:19). However, our own doubt causes us to lose eye contact with our Great Maestro. Peter was well aware of this fact. In Matthew's Gospel he found himself walking on water (See Matthew 14:28-31). However, his inability to maintain eye contact caused him to doubt the very thing that Jesus already told him that he could do. Eye contact with Jesus was so key when Peter walked on the Sea of Galilee that when it was lost, Peter began to sink. Many times we can get bogged down in the waves of life and forget about the necessity of eye contact. How am I going to pay this bill? Splish. Will I ever get married? Splash. When can I start a job in the field in which I really want to work? Splash. Ask any tight rope walker and they will tell you: the key to reaching your destination is found in your ability to keep your eye on the goal. Don't look down. The apostle Paul said it best: We are called to “press toward [our] goals...” (Philippians 3:14). Maintaining eye contact with Jesus is important when trying to eliminate doubt. Even the best musician in an orchestra can wind up being a failure if he misses his cue from the maestro. Without that visual cue, the orchestra member begins to doubt his/her role in the composition. Where are your eyes? Where is your focus? Are you beginning to doubt your role in God's great composition? I want to encourage you to refocus on the One who wrote the piece and knows your role better than anyone else. It is then, and only then, that you can begin to eliminate doubt in your life and live the life that God has called you to live. You play an important role in God's work. Without you, the harmony is slightly off. Without you, the composition is incomplete. Stay focused, give the Maestro your undivided attention, and watch the masterpiece unfold before your eyes. John C. Richards, Jr.

Snow day....and the bathroom is about done!

So, the snow came! Boy did it! We haven't had snow like this in ...well a really really long time! The area is just not prepared for this kind of snow so the streets are really pretty bad still. And it's very cold so not a lot of melting going on, which usually seems to happen pretty quickly around here. We had 8 inches on our back deck this morning. I know for some of you this is pretty normal stuff, but this just doesn't happen around here! :o)

The boys are loving it. Well I think E would love it more if he felt better, he's still got a bit of a cold, so he doesn't stay out long.

Other great news around here is that my master bathroom is about done! Just needs crown molding put up....and accessories bought. The pics below were taken before he completed the base. I love it! I can't wait to get all the "pretties" in it! :o)

ok, I had to post the picture above because I didn't want the first pic on the page to be the toilet below...lol


Forgot to clean the mirror before I took the picture. The original mirror I chose had a beautiful frame, but it was too big, so we had to take it back :o( this one works though and is simple.

Gabriel really had no idea what to do with all that white stuff! This was at about 7 a.m.


The slide was pretty slippery of course... this move had my stomach in my throat... that boy has no fear!!!
S was up in the boys room taking pics from the window...she wasn't interested in dressing to come outside.
Caught in the act of pelting mommy with a snow ball.
Mommy trying to pelt daddy... not great aim.
Daddy playing with the dogs.... they are loving it! Buddy loves to go out and run around in it and eat it. You would think he was a puppy not 7 yrs old.

woo hoo...snow
He's sure beautiful isn't he?!
Home... white...home
Is that crazy or what?! SO much snow!
Snow fort.
Just chillin.... literally. :o)

Baby Girl Needs a home

Please follow this link for a sweet baby girl that needs a new home.

There are no adoption fees and I believe she will be covered by insurance as well.

She's truly beautiful and will need a special family to help live to her fullest potential. Are you her family?

Photo shoot...

SO... what do you do on a snow day when you have N's imagination?

Why, a photo shoot of course!! Enjoy!!

Not to be outdone, E-man wanted to join in the fun.

Shirts for Shoes... only 2 more days!

Shirts for Shoes from Tom Davis on Vimeo.

From Tom Davis' blog

Shirts for Shoes has passed our goal of helping 400 orphans...in fact we're now up to around 500 and we're still going strong. These are exclusive HopeChest t-shirts for this year's Shirts for Shoes promotion. The sale ends February 1. Don't miss your chance to give these limited edition t-shirts as your 2010 Valentines Day gift.

Because we've sold so many shirts this year, we can help many of the older children in our program, particularly those at the Kolfe Youth Orphanage. Many of the boys at this orphanage are older and so their shoes are a little more expensive.

We've got just two more days of this special promortion. We're all going to buy something for Valentines Day. Why not buy a gift that gives a gift to an orphan? What could be better?

If you want to take the next step, check out the boys available for sponsorship at Kolfe on David Held's blog. Or e-mail him at kolfesponsor@gmail.com