How do you do Christmas?

I'm borrowing this post from my friend Christi.  She and her hubby are expecting one or two babies from Ethiopia next year!  I was so convicted and inspired by her words.  And I'd definitely encourage you to take time to watch the short video at the end.  

There's lots of talk around here about what traditions we want to start when our kiddos come home in 2011! For the past several Christmases (that's not a word!) at our house, it's just been Dan and I and we've made a commitment to spend more time together, spend more time in God's Word together, and spend more time talking about what we are thankful for.. and NOT buy gifts for each other. We simply don't need them. We simply don't want to spend money on things we don't need. And we simply can't stop thinking about all the kids out there that don't have a family this Christmas!

So, I'm struggling with something... struggling with knowing that joy should fill the season which ends up turning into standing in lines, to-do lists, and being stressed out. We've spent time in prayer each year asking God how He would have us do things different this year. Make memories this year. Not get caught up in consumerism this year. Has it worked... kinda, but we usually fail and are just as stressed as the rest of the world.

We have decided to MAKE (yes, like when we were kids) a lot of the gifts we are giving this year! (This is when my family rolls their eyes! :) you're in for a treat fam!). We feel like there will be much more meaning in doing so... We've also continued to limit the amount of things we commit to in order to spend time at home together... and plan to continue to do so with our kids!

So, tell us what your traditions are. Tell us how you've simplified Christmas. Tell us what you do to help your kids understand that Christmas is about Jesus... not about consumerism!

Oh, and watch this GREAT video! If you aren't convicted already, you will be after watching this! :)

Adoption is Greater than the Universe

I think I can honestly say that when we began the adoption process, one of our primary motivations was to be parents. Since then, our hearts have been broken over poverty and desperation, over the vast number of children in need of mommies and daddies, and how much the Lord has given us to be able to help with. It's also been incredible to understand more clearly how the Lord has adopted us into His family. Physical adoption is a beautiful picture of what the Lord has done spiritually in our lives as believers in Christ.

I've watched this video on repeat a few times to soak in what John Piper is saying. Adoption is greater than the universe. Think that's an overstatement? Take a listen and find out...

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we celebrate with family, we have much to be thankful for this year.

And as we look ahead at Christmas, I thought I'd share a list with you of ways you can buy gifts with purpose. I hope this helps as you prepare for your holiday shopping this year. Many of these are fund raisers for families that are adopting. What a wonderful way to bless family and friends, and obey God's calling to care for the orphans!

James 1:27  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Proverbs 14:31   He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Isaiah 1:17  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.

Thank you for helping these amazing families and ministries!  (and by the way, I totally copied and pasted this list from another blog)

Apparel:

147 Gear Store
2000 Tutus
5 Million Children Looking Tshirt
A Road Home Tshirt
Adoption Tshirt
Africa Bound Andrews Etsy Store
Amazing Grace Tshirt
Bring Hope Home Tshirt
Break Our Hearts Tshirt
Change The World For One Shirts
Children Are A Gift Tshirt
Compassion Store
Dolka Pots Etsy Store
Each Of Us Matters & Isaiah 1:17 Shirts
Faith Hope Love Family Tshirt
Fatherless Find Compassion Tshirt
Feeding The Orphans Tshirt
Feed The Children Tshirt
From Lost To Found Tshirt
Fulmer Adoption Tshirt
Go-Seek-Love Shirts
Gutora {To Choose} Shirts
Haggerty's Adoption Shirts
Heart of Africa Shirts
HOPE & Love Is Not A Color Shirts
I Heart Africa Tshirt
I Need Africa Tshirt
I Will Not Leave You As Orphans Shirts
I'm Adopted, You're Adopted Tshirt
Jenkin's Journey To Adoption Etsy Store
Light Gives Heat Store
Love The Orphans Tshirt
Malot's Hope Etsy Store
Mocha Club Store
Nepal Tshirt
ONE Tshirt
One Family & Chosen Shirts
One Less Tshirt
Only Love Tshirt
Ordinary Hero Shirts
Orphan No More Gear
Pitter Patter Art - Custom Shirts
Poppy Dip Clothes
Pure Religion Shirts
Red Yellow Black White Love Tshirt
Road Less Traveled Shirt Shop
Show Love Tshirt
Still One Awaits Tshirt
Twinkle & Shine Store
We Witness A Miracle Shirts, Onesies, & Sweatshirts
What Can Your Shirt Do? Tshirt
WIPHAN Store
{adoption} Shirts

Cookbooks:

Blessings In The Journey Cookbook
Mulder Adoption Cookbook
WIPHAN Cookbook

Jewelry:

147 Gear - Uganda Necklaces
Adopting Ainsley Etsy Store
Beads of Hope
Chosen Adoption Necklace
Chosen Child Adoption Band
Coffee Bean Bracelets
Daisy Dreams Etsy Store
Fulmer Adoption Bottlecap Necklaces
Got Love Tshirt
Growing With Joy Beaded Jewelry
Hip Mom Adoption Jewelry
Jenkin's Journey To Ethiopia Etsy Store
JunkPosse Etsy Store
Kind Hearts & Trees of Glory Bottlecap Necklaces
Life A Bit Sweeter Etsy Store
Light Gives Heat Suubi Shop
Little Did I Know Ribbon Necklaces
Lovin' Much Adoption Bracelet
Mama Sheep Etsy Store
Next To My Heart Etsy Store
Orphaned No More - 3,000 Bracelets Campaign
Paracord Survival Bracelets
Solomon Beads
Sweet Tea Shoppe Etsy Store
Uganda Necklaces

Bags & Totes:

Craft and Couture Etsy Store
Got Love Totes
Haggerty's Adoption Bags
Hunt's Adoption Totebags
Light Gives Heat Store
One Family Tote
Pitter Patter Art - Custom Bags
Seeing The World Through His Eyes
Twinkle Stitch Etsy Store

Hair Accessories:

Africa Bound Andrews Etsy Store
Bring Our Angel Home Fabric Flower Headbands
Dolka Pots Etsy Store
Klippies By Kris
WaxBoyd Etsy Store

Artwork:

Ahni Art
Alaska To Africa Crosses
Family Values Canvases
Handcrafted Metal Art Etsy Store
Jenkin's Journey To Adoption Etsy Store
In This Home Paintings
No Great Gift Signs
Pitter Patter Art
SamiSooWho Custom Art
The Canvas Heart Etsy Store

Christmas:

A Day In The Life Christmas Cards
BJMiker Etsy Store Ornaments
Bring Our Angel Home Custom Christmas Cards
Embracing The Least Of These Ornaments
Jenkin's Journey To Adoption Etsy Store

Aprons:

Craft and Couture Etsy Store
Dockery Bambino Aprons
From Here To There Etsy Store
Haggerty's Adoption Aprons

Misc:

A Doll's Heart Adoption Ragdolls
Africa Vinyl Decals
BabyCouture4aCause Etsy Store - Rhinestone Baby Shoes
Cakelicious Custom Cakes
Dolka Pots Etsy Store
From Here To There Etsy Store - Dolls
Galindo's Tagsies, Burpcloths, and Binky Links
Got Love Travel Mugs
Little Wonder's Project Etsy Store
Malot's Hope Etsy Store
Mama Enat Etsy Store
MathesLindsay Etsy Store
We Witness A Miracle Water Bottle

Ethiopian Adoption Gifts

I've had my eye on wall art that features Ethiopia, or more specifically Africa, just in case some of our future children come from countries other than Ethiopia.  And there's so much great stuff out there!  I would love for our home to have several things in it that remind us of the beautiful culture that the Lord chose for our children to be born in, the place where their birth families still live and the place where they spent the first four months of life.

Well, God is good.  The other day I won a giveaway for $30 and free shipping at The Canvas Heart -- and they have a whole Ethiopian Adoption Gifts section!  You've got to check out her stuff.  I'd love to fill our house with her wall art -- it's fantastic!  She and her husband were missionaries in Ethiopia for 2 years, and lately she started a business creating art by translating names/Scripture/phrases into Amharic, the primary language spoken in Ethiopia.  And did I mention that her stuff is really really nice?

We're very thankful to be able to get canvas art for each baby that has their names in Amharic.  Praise the Lord!  She's so fast -- she already has ours done.  They say our son and daughter's first and middle names in Amharic.  Don't you love them??

If you've adopted or are planning to I'd highly recommend you take a look!  She's got lots to see and drool over on her website here.

Love These Little Ones

 

 

 

But Now I Know

Two years ago, I was oblivious to the fact that one out of every ten children in Ethiopia dies before their first birthday and one out of every six dies before the age of five.  I didn't know that between 60-150 million kids live on the streets, and only 24% of households have access to safe drinking water.  I had no idea that half the children there would never attend school, and 88% would not make it as far as secondary school, severely diminishing their chances of ever holding a job.

But now I know.

So what do I do with this knowledge?  What do I do now that I know that in the Dominican Republic of Congo, sexual violence against women and female children is the worst anywhere in the world, over 1.2 million people are infected with HIV, and malaria kills 400 children a day?

For us the answer is everything we can.  For us that means adopting again in the future, Lord willing.  It means encouraging other families to adopt and supporting them when they do, it means sponsoring a child in another country, it means praying for those who hurt and go hungry, it means sacrificing of the plenty that we have to share it with those who have little, it means letting others know about the need and looking for ways to be actively involved.

I think we have a responsibility.  God has given us so much.  In fact, we're overwhelmed by His mercy!  We don't deserve the families He has given us, the jobs, the food, the safety, the home, the church, the Bible or the time to study it.  It's all mercy.

So if that good Giver of mercy dwells within me, won't I show mercy to others?  Won't I love them?  Won't I be sacrificial?  Or will I choose to hide my head in the sand, ignoring the pain and suffering of so many while I enjoy a comfortable life?

Oh Lord, help us instead to be uncomfortable until we become extenders of the generous mercies you have richly showered us with.

Help Bring Waiting Children Home

This video was taken by a group that went on a mission trip to help orphans in Ethiopia. Some of the footage takes place at the dump, which is a popular place for many children to stay all day, hoping to get food. Please pray with us that many more families will step up and adopt these precious little ones!  You can see it on their little faces... they are so ready to be loved.

On a positive note, great friends of ours are adopting the boy you see a woman lift out of a bouncy seat at 40 seconds in the video. He was on the waiting list because he has a twin sister that has Down's Symdrome. Our friends are adopting both babies!

She Turns One!

I've read that in Ethiopia, one out of every ten children die before their first birthday.  Praise the Lord that He rescued our sweet girl out of desperate circumstances and placed her in our family.  What a joy to celebrate one year of her precious life!



Happy Birthday, baby girl!  We love you!!

We Love Our Family

Children are such a joy!  If you don't have them yet, we highly recommend them.

Here's daddy and little man, then little man in daddy's shoes.  I know it's hard to tell from these pictures, but there's a little bit of a size difference between the two Philpot men.

 

And sweet baby girl lights up our lives with her smiles!

 

And Here He Goes...

Look What I Can Do!

Little man has been standing up all by himself multiple times a day.  He thinks it's so fun! 

 

He's full of energy and curiosity, and he seems to be strong and coordinated.  So we figure it won't be long before he takes off!

Sweet miss has been able to stand up on her own once or twice this week (probably inspired by her brother), but she mostly wants to hold on to things for now... and that's just fine with me!

Leave a Comment to Make a Donation!

I've fallen in love lately with the mission and heart of Katie Davis, who blogs at Kisses For Katie.  You remember, she's the young single girl who moved to Uganda and adopted 14 daughters.  Six Seeds Ministries loves what she's doing too.  And for the whole month of November, if you leave a comment on THIS blog post of theirs, they'll donate $2 to her mission.  That's all you have to do!

I really hope you will.  It'll only take a minute.

Hope is Fading

Hope is Fading – Orphan Sunday