A Boy and His Friends

And this shall get me through the holidays

http://www.anorphanswish.org/blog/2011/12/22/3%e2%80%99s-fun/

knowing he is in good hands and having fun with his little friends:)

Wild Olive Tees Fundraiser!!

Do you know how much I love Wild Olive Tees?!?!?!

I have wanted one forever but just didn’t have the extra money lying around

Until…

Stephanie had a fundraiser for her adoptions and I couldn’t pass up helping someone and getting a free t-shirt in the process!

So, I got myself a SoLoved T-shirt and it is better than I imagined….

First, let me tell you they fit WONDERFULLY!!!

Second, the hold up FABULOUS in the wash!!

Third, they look so COOL and have some of my FAVORITE Bible verses on them.

I had no plans for fundraisers… I do completely trust that God will provide the way for us to bring our son home. We do not have the $17,000 needed and we know if God has truly called us to bring this child home HE will move mountains to get Him home!

We adore the ladies at Wild Olive Tee, what they stand for, and their affiliation with An Orphan’s Wish. With that said we decided to have one (and only one) fundraiser for our adoption. For the next 8 weeks you can shop at: http://store.wildolivetees.com/adoption-fundraiser-tees-c6.aspx

A portion of each sell will help go towards bringing our son home!

You MUST enter the family code: GRAY1019 in order for us to get credit!

It wouldn’t hurt to put the family code in the message part as well (Not necessary but wouldn’t hurtJ)

We thank you in advance and ask that you will continue to keep us in your prayers!

God Bless,

Introducing...

This is our little guy!

We do plan to name him

Nathaniel Lin Gray

As of yesterday he was 19 months old:)

He is in the process of casting for his club feet

thanks to

Love Without Boundaries

and

An Orphan's Wish

This little guy is always happy and smiling!

 

It is our desire to see God glorified throughout this processes.

What a great adoption story this would be if

others came to know Christ

and our family (in Christ) grew even more!

Yes, I'm still here...

I am really lagging in the blogging department! I really do have so much to say, so much to share but not very much time! To pick up where I left off… the yard sale was a success! We raised around $1000 and were given the opportunity to share Christ with a lady who continues to be on my mind. She was not willing to listen and made it clear that she was not a believer. I pray the Lord will continue to send others her way in hopes one day her eyes will be opened to the truth before it is too late.

November and December has been difficult months for us in the finance department. It started with the purchase of a $2000 transmission then moved on to Chad needing two new tires for $300. Next, comes my car… yep, 2 new tires for $300. Bethany was hit by a soccer ball in the face which broke her glasses and that would be another $200. Our insurance didn’t cover our physicals: $400. We had to have psychological evaluations for our adoption. Good news was we are SANE… bad news is it cost $500 for someone to tell us. Our home study is almost complete (Praise the Lord) and that will be another check for $1800! All on top of kids needing new shoes and winter jackets and yes, yes Christmas!!!

Don’t mistake all this for complaining... no, no. I am so thankful and I am so blessed! God is so good and has provided every step of the way. It has been our prayers from the start that we be completely dependant on Him. It just seems to make life much sweeter! Yes, our house will have less “stuff” this Christmas but let me make this abundantly clear: Our hearts are overflowing with love and joy!

Sell All That You Have...

Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21

Ok, so we are not selling everything but it sure feels like it

and to be honest with you...

it is quiet freeing.

I am so proud of my children for making such huge sacrifices...

not because they have to but because they want to

because they see that material possessions mean nothing

compared to the life of a child.

Matthew 25:31-46

So we are having a yard sale Saturday

and all the proceeds go towards

our adoption fund.

Pray with me:

For pretty weather and lots of customers:)

For opportunities to share God's plan for adoption and His heart for the orphans!

For a successful sale!

For the support of our friends, family, co-workers, and community

as we act on what God has called us to do.

If you live in the Cullman Area please come out and support us!

Saturday, September 15th

@ Good Hope Peoples Bank

(across from Hardees)

It shall be an all day event... or until everything is gone!

(or I am totally exhausted!!)

PA!!!

PA

(Pre-approval)

We got the word today from our agency!

China

has

pre-approved

us

to bring Wang Xia Lin home!!

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to his purpose. 

Romans 8:28

We still have a long road ahead of us

and now

we will just focus on finishing our home study

and

getting our

Dossier to China!

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

The CCCWA would like to ponder this a little longer and that leaves us with more time to wait.

With all this time on our hands I decided to do a little research on waiting...

I found this 21 page life changing paper on "Waiting on God" by J. Hampton Keathley III. You can read it for yourself: HERE

It is quiet brilliant and has really helped me to refocus my thinking and my feelings.

I am only on the 5th page and to be honest I have to take this one slow. There is so much I want to think and reflect on that it may just take me to the end of this adoption processes or longer...

Some great truths I want to share from the article about waiting:

1. We are so prone to take matters into our own hands, to follow our own schemes.
2. Waiting, despite our impatience and our dislike for it, is a vital element in life.
3. Waiting and Hoping are wound together like the strands of a rope.
4. Waiting means anticipation, expectation, confident hope in something that will take place.
5. Without knowledge and trust, we simply won't wait- at least not without a great deal of anxiety- and usually not without taking matters into our own hands.
6. The ability to wait on the Lord stems from being confident and focused on who God is and in what God is doing.
7. It means confidence in God's person: confidence in His wisdom, love, timing, understanding of our situation and that of the world.
8. It means knowing and trusting in God's principles, promises, purposes, and power.
9. Negatives and positives-(things we should and shouldn't do) wound together like the strands in a rope give great strength, courage, patience, and endurance.
10. Seek God's word:

Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrong doers. For they will wither quickly like the grass, and fade like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. And he will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judegment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

Psalm 37:1-9

One Day at a Time

Drowning in a pile of paperwork...

that is where I am.

I am content.

I am happy.

I am full of joy.

We are taking it one day at a time.

Putting our trust in the Lord

and

WAITING

and

WAITING

and

WAITING

for the words:

He is your son.



Dependant Upon God

For truly, I say to you,

if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain,

‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move,

and nothing will be impossible for you.”

 Matthew 17:20

It is our prayer to be completely dependant on God.

What does that mean?

In the same way that Jesus was dependent upon the Father, we now have to learn how to live dependent upon Jesus Christ. It is only as we surrender ourselves to Jesus and allow Him to live in and through us, that the work of God is accomplished in the world.

This is the way that God has chosen to work. There is no other way. In the same way that 2000 years ago God the Son walked upon this earth in His earthly body, today He walks upon this earth in us, in Christians. We are now the body of Christ here on earth. We are the vessel through which God's truth is poured out upon humanity.

 It is only as we learn to allow the Holy Spirit within us, to guide us into a dependent relationship with Jesus Christ, that our thinking begins to align with that of Gods. This is a process, a painful process at times, for we are stubborn and stupid, and we cling to that which we have always known and done.

(taken from Dr. Stephen D.)

Powerful life changing words!

As of last night, one mountain has been moved

and we were able to share our faith in the process.

 Praise God!

Our home is rented for the next two years

with the option to buy at the end!

In a sea of mountains, a few small ones

have been moved regarding

the adoption process.

It would be too lengthy to explain

but very thankful that

God is working in me

and through me.

If God is for us than who can be against us!!

God Can Move Mountains

I've struggled a lot the past few days.

It can be overwhelming to think about all the obstacles we have ahead of us.

Obstacles that only God can move.

I want to completely trust and rely on Him

not only through this adoption journey

but with my whole life.

Not an easy thing to do...

I want nothing more than

to stay in the center of God's will.

Right now,
nothing is going right...NOTHING!

We have no money.
We don't even know if Chad will have a job in a month.
We have been in negotiations with our current neighbors
about renting/buying our home and things are not looking good.
We found out today that we will not be able to send in our LOI
 until our home study is complete (6+ months)
and I don't know if our agency will let us hold his file that long.

So to make things clear we may be broke and jobless,
our renters are backing out, and we don't even know
if we are going to be able to pull this adoption off.

I want to have faith.
I want to completely trust Him.
I want to be dependant on Him.
I want His name to be glorified.

Lord, I lay this at the cross and put my trust in you.
A look back and a little chuckle... why do we get ourselves worked up so much?
Nothing is greater than His plan!
Chad was rehired, the renters signed a two year lease with us,
and God has provided the money needed thus far.
May I continue to come back to this page throughout this process as a reminder
that all things are in His hands.


“For whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” – Romans 15:4

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” – 1 John 5:14-15

“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.” – Psalms 145:18-19

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

Will We Trust Him

Encouragement for the morning

Will We Trust Him?



Lord, I'm listening

Be still, and know I am God

I will be exaulted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10

That is where we have been for some time now-
 being still.

Its not an easy place to be

but we have grown so much
in this moment of stillness.

I say moment because that is all our life on earth is compared to eternity.

We have used this time
to eliminate the distractions

in our lives
 in order to fully focus on Him.

As we grow in God's word

so does our desire for the orphans.

The Lord has blessed us
 with a daughter from China

 as well as an extended family-

her forever family.

We have learned that following Christ 

isn't easy

it doesn't always make sense

it doesn't always end
 the way you want it to

but

His name is always glorifed.

I waited paciently for the Lord;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1

The answer to my prayer.... an email received the very next morning...

Dear Mrs. Gray,

The child you inquired about last month is now available. The two families before you have decided they are not able to adopt at this time. Would you be interested in reviewing his file?

Sincerely,

The Adoption Agency

 I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.

Psalm 40:8

The Fatherhood of God

What better day to celebrate adoption than on Father's Day?

                       

It is not the same video but it is similar to the one shown at church today.

Care for Children

The Fatherhood of God

by David Platt



"We care for orphans not because we are rescuers. We care for orphans because we are the rescued."

This message stayed with me all day.

Tonight Chad and I decided to take a long walk together.

We began to share with each other the desires of our heart.

We both feel such a strong desire to adopt...

but it just doesn't make sense right now...

it just doesn't make sense.

Laying it at the cross... 

  As I spent time in prayer that night, I asked God to please just make things clear for me... I never imagined just how clear things would be the next day....

His Love

I started this blog as a private blog for myself to journal as I spent time in prayer regarding the direction of our life. Wanting to surrender our lives to Him whole-hearted and seek His face and plant ourselves smack dab in the middle of His will. Knowing the desire to adopt again was still there, I asked Him to please take that desire from me if it wasn't His will. Little did I know, the same day I started this blog... we accepted a little boy in to our program... a little boy that God would soon lead us to adopt. The beginning of our red thread...

To those faithful in Christ:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ  as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.


For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Love,
Paul

(Ephesians 1)