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.