Yes. They aren't biologically related. But they are related now!
Actually, not one of the four of us in our family is blood related. God just brought us together!
May 30, 2010
Are They Related?
That's a question I get sometimes when I'm out with the babies. Daddy and I answer it the same way.
Yes. They aren't biologically related. But they are related now!
Actually, not one of the four of us in our family is blood related. God just brought us together!
Yes. They aren't biologically related. But they are related now!
Actually, not one of the four of us in our family is blood related. God just brought us together!
May 27, 2010
May 26, 2010
Blog from an 8 Year Old
Check out this amazing blog from an 8 year old adopted girl who is HIV+. I plan to follow it.
May 24, 2010
A Few Minutes With The Philpots
I'm posting this video by request -- our baby boy is hilarious and our little girl is sweet sweet sweet.
May 21, 2010
May 18, 2010
What a Difference!
Our children have been with us for 10 weeks now. When we first saw pictures of them in December 2009, by Ethiopian standards they were healthy and ready to be placed in a family. We are so thankful to the Lord that they were placed in ours!!
Here are a couple of pictures we received in December, baby girl first and then baby boy.
And here they are after 10 weeks with us. What a difference!
Here are a couple of pictures we received in December, baby girl first and then baby boy.
And here they are after 10 weeks with us. What a difference!
May 17, 2010
Wrestling With An Angel
If you haven't come across this blog before, please look at it today. You will be encouraged and blessed, I guarantee it. A father of four adopted children chronicles their journey with a now 17 year old son who became severely disabled when he was 1 year old. The father's faith in God and love for his son are inspiring.
Here's an excerpt to get you started:
Here's an excerpt to get you started:
I hear religious minded people say all the time, with good intentions, “God will never place a burden on you that you cannot carry.”
Really?
My experience is that God will place a burden on you so heavy that you cannot carry it...alone. He will break your strong back and crush your independent will. He will buckle your stubborn legs until you fall flat underneath the crushing weight of your load. And there on the ground, flat on your face you will find written on the pavement of your pain, “My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in your weakness.”
I think this is what the apostle Paul meant when he said in 2 Corinthians 12:10 "When I am weak, then I am strong." Paul knew better than any of us that falling and failing always resulted in God picking him off the ground and placing him high upon the strongest shoulders in the universe.
The physical and mental demands of raising a special needs child may never get easier and the emotional load may never cease to take everything you have on any given day. But remember, God plans it that way in order to bring you to a place of true strength. High on the shoulders of our heavenly Father is a vantage point of fortitude where the broken are swift and the weak are strong.
May 14, 2010
Not For the Wise
A friend who is also adopting two babies from Ethiopia shared with me her concern about how their extended family will view their children. These sweet little ones may or may not grow up to be at the top of their classes, and they may or may not make the varsity athletic teams at their schools or win any beauty pageants. It's very possible that families full of intelligent people will welcome a new child who does not excel in math or science or language. And that's okay. In fact, that's great!
As I was talking about it with hubby, he reminded me again about what a beautiful picture of the gospel this is. After all, God's Word says in I Corinthians 1:26-31, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Two families that we know adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia, and after being home a short while they both discovered that their precious girls have cerebral palsy. May God gain glory as they love and cherish and help their sweet daughters. It's a challenge and an honor to be called to a walk that continually boasts in the Lord, who is the only One worthy of praise.
As I was talking about it with hubby, he reminded me again about what a beautiful picture of the gospel this is. After all, God's Word says in I Corinthians 1:26-31, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Two families that we know adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia, and after being home a short while they both discovered that their precious girls have cerebral palsy. May God gain glory as they love and cherish and help their sweet daughters. It's a challenge and an honor to be called to a walk that continually boasts in the Lord, who is the only One worthy of praise.
May 12, 2010
God Continues To Amaze Me
This is a picture of God's latest kindness toward us. It's three months of formula. More than $575 worth, and it was given to us for FREE. I'm speechless.
May 10, 2010
Happy Mother's Day
It was such a joy to celebrate my first Mother's Day. I love reflecting on the incredible blessing of children that the Lord has given us. Our son and daughter bring us unending joy.
Hubby says I've been more emotional since we brought them home -- the good kind of emotional where you get overcome by happiness and awe at all that God has done. Sometimes I just look at them and...feel overcome by happiness and emotion. What can I say?
So how did we celebrate Mother's Day? In the best way possible. We worshiped God in church as a family, and after church we hosted a bake sale for good friends who are adopting a baby from Ethiopia!! Praise the Lord for an opportunity to bring another little one into a Christian family where he or she will hear the gospel of the saving work of Jesus. Providing food and shelter isn't enough. If they are comfortable in this lifetime but spend eternity separated from God and enduring His just wrath, what has been gained? We want the gospel for these precious children, and we pray they will repent and believe it!
So here are some pictures of the bake sale, which was a great success!
Hubby says I've been more emotional since we brought them home -- the good kind of emotional where you get overcome by happiness and awe at all that God has done. Sometimes I just look at them and...feel overcome by happiness and emotion. What can I say?
So how did we celebrate Mother's Day? In the best way possible. We worshiped God in church as a family, and after church we hosted a bake sale for good friends who are adopting a baby from Ethiopia!! Praise the Lord for an opportunity to bring another little one into a Christian family where he or she will hear the gospel of the saving work of Jesus. Providing food and shelter isn't enough. If they are comfortable in this lifetime but spend eternity separated from God and enduring His just wrath, what has been gained? We want the gospel for these precious children, and we pray they will repent and believe it!
So here are some pictures of the bake sale, which was a great success!
May 8, 2010
Met With Joy
Errands take longer than they used to. Part of that is the the double stroller, car seats, diaper bag and two babies. But part of it is also because our sweet children are met with joy everywhere they go.
I went to the mall with them once and someone working in a store that we were passing by called out to ask me me to stop so she could admire them. If I'm in Walmart or Target, I can expect that at least two people will stop to ask me about them and tell me how GOOD and CUTE they are. And they are! I think when you have two babies, you naturally attract attention. And on top of that, these babies are really cute. I mean, look at these faces!
In Babies 'R Us, where they see babies all day long, our kids get a lot of attention from the people that work there. Kroger is especially hard to get through -- shoppers are very friendly with them. And I love it.
It's been a joy to me in particular that African American and elderly people that we run into have been affectionate with our babies and excited for our family. Yesterday our kids' top admirers were three African American young girls at Babies 'R Us and an elderly man in the Walmart parking lot.
God has been good to allow us to share our joy, even with strangers. To be honest, I had wondered about how that would go before we brought them home. I'm so thankful that God has helped us not to be self-conscious when we're out in public. Why should we be, when He has done such marvelous things? We're nothing but blessed and fortunate to be the parents of these precious babies. And I'm thrilled to keep showing them off!
I went to the mall with them once and someone working in a store that we were passing by called out to ask me me to stop so she could admire them. If I'm in Walmart or Target, I can expect that at least two people will stop to ask me about them and tell me how GOOD and CUTE they are. And they are! I think when you have two babies, you naturally attract attention. And on top of that, these babies are really cute. I mean, look at these faces!
In Babies 'R Us, where they see babies all day long, our kids get a lot of attention from the people that work there. Kroger is especially hard to get through -- shoppers are very friendly with them. And I love it.
It's been a joy to me in particular that African American and elderly people that we run into have been affectionate with our babies and excited for our family. Yesterday our kids' top admirers were three African American young girls at Babies 'R Us and an elderly man in the Walmart parking lot.
God has been good to allow us to share our joy, even with strangers. To be honest, I had wondered about how that would go before we brought them home. I'm so thankful that God has helped us not to be self-conscious when we're out in public. Why should we be, when He has done such marvelous things? We're nothing but blessed and fortunate to be the parents of these precious babies. And I'm thrilled to keep showing them off!
May 6, 2010
May 5, 2010
Stepping out in Faith
God's generosity toward His people never ceases to amaze me.
There is a sweet Christian family that heard about us through a mutual friend and has offered to buy a case of diapers for our children every month for a year. They said they don't feel called to adopt but they want to support adoption. Praise the Lord!! We can't thank them enough for their kindness to our family. Their lives inspire us to serve others more and love others better.
It's also such a great reminder to me that we shouldn't worry about how the Lord will provide. When we first started the adoption process, of course we wondered how we would ever fund it. But we've learned that if God leads us to do it, He'll provide all along the way, and probably in ways we couldn't expect in advance.
We know an awesome Christian family that started the adoption process for a baby girl from Ethiopia, and a donor that they didn't even know gave them $20,000 toward their adoption!!! The gift was from a family that could not adopt, but they were passionate about bringing children into a loving, Christian home where they would hear about Christ's love. Talk about living for something bigger than ourselves and literally saving a life. And, on our friends' part, what an example of stepping out to follow God's leading in faith, and then seeing Him act. Think of all they would have missed if they hadn't taken that step of faith.
Lord, may we respond obediently in faith as well, and marvel as we see the mighty things You do among us!
There is a sweet Christian family that heard about us through a mutual friend and has offered to buy a case of diapers for our children every month for a year. They said they don't feel called to adopt but they want to support adoption. Praise the Lord!! We can't thank them enough for their kindness to our family. Their lives inspire us to serve others more and love others better.
It's also such a great reminder to me that we shouldn't worry about how the Lord will provide. When we first started the adoption process, of course we wondered how we would ever fund it. But we've learned that if God leads us to do it, He'll provide all along the way, and probably in ways we couldn't expect in advance.
We know an awesome Christian family that started the adoption process for a baby girl from Ethiopia, and a donor that they didn't even know gave them $20,000 toward their adoption!!! The gift was from a family that could not adopt, but they were passionate about bringing children into a loving, Christian home where they would hear about Christ's love. Talk about living for something bigger than ourselves and literally saving a life. And, on our friends' part, what an example of stepping out to follow God's leading in faith, and then seeing Him act. Think of all they would have missed if they hadn't taken that step of faith.
Lord, may we respond obediently in faith as well, and marvel as we see the mighty things You do among us!
May 3, 2010
May 1, 2010
Sometimes It Just Feels So Heavy
I'm sitting here looking through the blog of a couple who adopted a one year old girl with cerebral palsy from Ethiopia. I'm watching the video of the moment when they met her, and I'm crying.
Yesterday I looked through the waiting list of Bethany Christian Service's infants from Hong Kong. Most of them have downs syndrome plus other complications like leukemia, congestive heart failure and hearing loss. I didn't even look at the older children.
It hurts so much to see this kind of need. Oh how I want to open up our home and help them! I don't even have the words for what I'm feeling. I used to look at "gotcha day" videos on people's blogs and cry, and I thought it was because I was longing for the day when that would be us meeting our kids. But I think there's something more. There's a mixture of pain and beauty in it all. You see the desperate circumstances and you know in your heart that it's terrible. Children that are hungry and sick and fatherless. You hate it, the pain and poverty that sin has brought about in our world. Oh God, how I long for the day when You will make it all right!
Help us in the meantime, Father, to do what Jesus said in Matthew 25 -- give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick and come to the prisoners.
Thank You Lord, for opening our eyes to the need that we were really blind to. Thank You for taking us on this journey.
Yesterday I looked through the waiting list of Bethany Christian Service's infants from Hong Kong. Most of them have downs syndrome plus other complications like leukemia, congestive heart failure and hearing loss. I didn't even look at the older children.
It hurts so much to see this kind of need. Oh how I want to open up our home and help them! I don't even have the words for what I'm feeling. I used to look at "gotcha day" videos on people's blogs and cry, and I thought it was because I was longing for the day when that would be us meeting our kids. But I think there's something more. There's a mixture of pain and beauty in it all. You see the desperate circumstances and you know in your heart that it's terrible. Children that are hungry and sick and fatherless. You hate it, the pain and poverty that sin has brought about in our world. Oh God, how I long for the day when You will make it all right!
Help us in the meantime, Father, to do what Jesus said in Matthew 25 -- give food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick and come to the prisoners.
Thank You Lord, for opening our eyes to the need that we were really blind to. Thank You for taking us on this journey.
Introducing...
Our new minivan! (and by new I mean used)
We're thinking family. And this is step one in hopeful preparation.
We're thinking family. And this is step one in hopeful preparation.
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