The Philpot Family

Shout Hosanna

2012-01-21T11:56:00.000-05:00

My friend introduced us to this fun song and the kids love it!

Singing Hymns and Family Devotions

2012-01-18T14:06:00.003-05:00

Our love for music has definitely rubbed off on our kids. They can sing the first verse of Come Thou Fount, Amazing Grace, Doxology, Stand Up for Jesus, Holy, Holy, Holy, There is a Fountain, and Jesus Loves Me (and a bunch of kids songs). We sing hymns with them before their nap and before bed at night, and they'll burst out into song at different times during the day too.

They can both say Genesis 1:1, Ephesians 6:1, Deuteronomy 6:5, the Lord's Prayer, and the first three questions from a children's version of a Baptist/Reformed catechism (something like this). We're using recommendations from the Truth and Grace Memory Book by Tom Ascol, which we love! They're able to memorize so much more than we ever would have dreamed for being barely two. The Lord has been good to allow me to stay home with the kids, which gives me time during the day to work with them on repetition. During our family devotions at night we'll typically read a story out of the Big Picture Story Bible, sing a few hymns of their choice, say all their memory verses and catechism questions, and then say the Lord's Prayer. Their minds are just soaking it all in!

Snapshots

2012-01-16T22:04:00.001-05:00

We've had a busy few months! Here are some pictures and videos of the kids lately...

They love the etch-a-sketches that Poppy and Mimi gave them for Christmas. They draw pictures on them every day!

They had fun playing in the snow for the first time. If you ask them about it, little miss will tell you that she fell down (not out of the ordinary for our sweet girl). It sure is hard to get back up when you're wearing a snow suit!

The kids are such good, cheerful helpers! Here they are taking out the garbage and loading the dishwasher:

Our sweet girl loves the baby doll crib that grandma and grandpa got her for Christmas.

And little man loves the basketball hoop they got him.

No Room

2011-12-18T13:50:00.000-05:00

Please please read this blog post from our dear friend Amy Block. She and her husband moved with 7 of their 9 children to Guatemala to serve the Lord in an orphanage there, now that adoption is no longer allowed in that country.

Yesterday we spent a good part of the day making room for these five new precious children in the children's home....

They were found eating dirt, doing everything they could to survive. The oldest little girl is nine, and it is obvious she has been the only mother figure in their lives. Today they were given a bath, a head treatment, a haircut, a couple of outfits, shoes and a whole lot of love. And as the days and weeks go on, they will be given a whole lot of Jesus.

I wish I could think of some way to explain to you the look I saw in their eyes. The look of fear- and then the look of hope. I wish there was some way you could walk in their shoes for just one day so that you could fully understand. Because, my fear is, this is just another post. Just another story... and for some reason when it isn't ours story- we tend to not care as much.

The truth is, after the placement of these five in our children's home- we are full. We have three bedrooms and 32 children.

Simply put, there is no room for more.

So the next call, and the next call after that and the next call after that- will have to be turned away. Children who are just as important as these, children who are just as important as you and I.

I don't know about you, but I find this kind of ironic. Kind of ironic- especially this time of the year- that there is...

No room.

So often I have wondered if they had known who Jesus was if they still would have turned Him away? And then I question-aren't we still doing the same?

Every day we wake up and fill our lives with stuff. Stuff that consumes our time, our thoughts and our wallets. We pack more and more into each day- chasing after more stuff- stuff that isn't at all about his Kingdom- but ours.

And pretty soon, our lives are full- too full for Him.

You and I were put on this earth to make more of Jesus. Not to obtain more for ourselves. And yet somehow, especially during the Christmas season, we have gotten that so turned around.I cannot help but wonder how many of those Inn keepers ever realized that they missed the chance to be a part of the greatest miracle they would have in their lifetime? And I cannot help but to wonder how we could do the same?

Today I am asking you to stop and ask the Lord how you might be able to help us make room for His children- and how we can make room for more of Him in our lives. Whether it be being a voice for those who have none, serving, giving, or praying- we need your help. They need your help.

If the Lord has laid it on your heart please help spread the word about our need here at Eagles Nest. Please pray that the Lord's perfect plan will be revealed and that every piece of it will fall into place. And if you are able to give financially you can give HERE. Thank you so much for being His hands and feet to these children and for helping us making room for more.

We're Two!

2011-12-15T13:09:00.002-05:00

You've probably missed seeing these sweet faces on here lately...

Believe it or not, our sweet babies are both two years old now! We had such a great time celebrating their birthdays with family. When I think back to their first birthday party, I'm amazed at how much they've grown and changed over the last year. Their speech in particular has come so far! Here are just a few quotes I wrote down from this week alone:

"Daddy make Christmas music at church. Listen. Clap. Yay!"
"Oatmeal fall on ground. It's dirty now. Throw garbage."
(about Christmas lights) "There it is! Do you see it right there? Whoa. That's cool! That's fun!"

And my favorite quotes...as they looked through the Bible at the story of Joseph we'd read to them the night before, she said: "Joseph say I forgive you." And then as they flipped to the last page of the Bible, they quoted together: "Come, Lord Jesus. Amen!" My heart about melted.

After hearing it repeatedly, they now love singing the happy birthday song. Their repertoire of songs has really been increasing lately and they love to sing any of their new favorites -- Holy, Holy, Holy, Amazing Grace, Doxology, Come Thou Fount and Jesus Loves Me. It's such a joy to hear our children singing praises to our great God!

I could go on and on. I love these two so much! What a joy to be their momma!

Eastern DR Congo is "Rape Capital of the World"

2011-12-12T20:57:00.000-05:00

A powerful post by our friend Sarah Tennant.

"Women told me how they expected to be raped. Not once but many times. The women I met, spoke of gang rapes, three or four times. Sometimes it was "only" two soldiers, more often gangs of men,10, 20, over and over again."

"Many had conceived children and the girl children, some just babies only a few months old, were being raped as well."

"Rape has now become generational."

"In Panzi hospital, Bukavu, Dr. Mukwege, a general surgeon continues to work tirelessly to repair these damaged women. I met one of his patients. She was a cheerful little girl, it was impossible not to be drawn to her smile. The nurse saw me playing with her said: 'You know she's HIV-positive.' She was just three years old. Her twin sister had been killed when she and her mother had been raped. This little girl had been conceived from rape."

These are just a few quotes from this article written by Fiona Lloyd-Davies on CNN.com, as she documents her experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the "rape capital of the world" and the country from which we are adopting. As I sit here writing this in my comfortable bed with my 4-month-old napping peacefully in the room next to me as I wait to appease him the moment he awakes with hunger cries; and with my husband who is sipping coffee next to me as he leisure reads on this most enjoyable week of his vacation, it requires great effort to imagine these scenes described above. Children of rape are now being raped. Right now. Women are afraid to walk outside of their doors to find food, because wicked rapists are on the prowl in the fields where their food lies. Right now. Accompanied by every decision to eat is the disturbing risk of brutal sexual assault. And the precious babies that they have conceived under such unimaginable circumstances are... being raped...

Admittedly, a numbness encompasses me as I write that. Maybe it's because I do not want to imagine or believe that this is actually happening to people. Maybe it's because I feel so helpless when the problem seems so immense. It all seems so unfamiliar.

What is familiar to us right now? Grace upon grace upon grace. Though Paul and I are sinful wretches without the love of Christ sustaining us, our imperfect marriage overflows with God's grace. He has blessed us with a happy baby who has everything he needs (and wants- thanks to his grandparents, aunts, and uncles!). What was Luke's first Thanksgiving holiday like last week? Well, on the car ride to West Virginia, a proud aunt sat next to him and hovered his favorite toys in front of his face, as her heart filled with each smile Luke expressed. And upon our arrival, his mom and dad enjoyed the freedom of taking naps whenever we wanted, as 3 of Luke's aunts happily babysat and eagerly waited for Luke to wake from his naps so that they could hold him, kiss him, and tell him how loved he is. His 94-year-old great-grandmother lit up with smiles every time she saw him and found great delight reading a book to him. His grandfather volunteered to change his diaper and burp him. Attention was not lacking; loving Luke is contagious and easy.

When we go to church, Luke is constantly taken from my hands, because his surrogate uncles want some "time with the little man." My mom has already called "dibs on Luke" when we visit them over the Christmas holiday. My dad likes to stay updated on Luke's mental and physical development, as he frequently asks, "Is Luke grabbing his feet yet? Is he belly laughing yet?" And his two uncles have already showered him with presents. This boy is impossible not to love, and at only 4 months of age, he seems to realize how loved he is. And we, as his parents, feel so full right now. Our marriage strengthens as we share in our delight over our bundle of preciousness. Most importantly, our awareness of God's grace causes us to praise Him for being so kind to such undeserving individuals.

And this is why it takes great effort to imagine what these women are going through right now. I don't relate to their suffering, but as a Christian, I am called to pay attention to the needs of those suffering around me. No, Christians should not feel guilted into adoption. Christ came to take away our merited guilt so that we could receive the unmerited gift of freedom and righteousness before God. I do not feel guilty for having a wonderful husband, a happy baby, and a safe home. I do not feel guilty for the freedom I have to go to the grocery to purchase food, free of worry that I will get "gang raped." Instead, I am thankful to the Lord for his abundant kindness. And such thankfulness for my undeserved blessings causes me to want to share these blessings with those around me.

The orphanage from which we are adopting is on the opposite side of the Congo from where these scenes described above are occurring. But given that the Congo's size is less than 1/4 of that of the United States, the chance of our child(ren) being affected by this wickedness is not small. I don't know why these children are parentless, but the possibilities surrounding the cause of their present condition causes my stomach to turn. All I know is that I want to take these unloved children and bring them into the loving family in which I am blessed. I want to fill them up with the love that God intends for children to receive from their parents, and selfishly, I want to receive the natural delight that comes from seeing children understand how loved they are. And most importantly, I cherish the opportunity to see God adopt children into his eternal family through Christ, as they see how their parents have adopted them into their family. A new name. A new identity. A safe family.

We are number three on the list to receive a referral of a child, and we appreciate prayers for the Lord to increase our family however He wills.

Adoption: A Glorious Transformation

2011-12-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

Such an encouraging post by David Platt as he and his wife welcome their new Chinese daughter into their family!

Adoption: A Glorious Transformation

Sometimes the Truth Hurts

2011-12-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

(reposted from friends of ours)

Sometimes the truth hurts. Really hurts. The Democratic Republic of Congo is a beautiful but ravaged nation in central Africa. While it boasts the one of the highest (if not the highest) net worth of natural resources of any country ($24 trillion), its people suffer endlessly from poverty and a war that has claimed over 5 million deaths in the last decade.

People fleeing to a settlement camp.

Karel Prinsloo / AP

A settlement camp for refugees.

REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

Here are some faces of the war:

A 14 month old whose mother is fleeing from attacks in her village by the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels.

REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

An 8 year old who was left for dead after his mother, father & 7 siblings were hacked to death by militiamen. I'm sure these aren't the only scars he will bear for the rest of his life.

REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

A war orphaned child at an orphanage.

REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

Some more facts:

While the average American makes $40,000 per year, the average Congolese person makes $200-$700 per year. But don't think that their goods are cheaper. They are not. For example, formula still costs the same in the DRC as it does here. How are these people expected to survive?

1 out of every 5 children under the age of 5 die from malnourishment and preventable diseases. Education is not free. So who can afford it? The war is displacing thousands of people. How will they work to support their family? How can you break the cycle of poverty when you live under these circumstances?

The government does not have the means to provide for those less fortunate. Who cares for the 5 million children who have been orphaned by the war or extreme poverty? Only a small portion of those end up in an orphanage where they might get 1 meal per day. No one regulates the orphanages to make sure that these kids are treated even remotely well. There are a lot of evil people running them. And these children are the lucky ones.

AP Photo/Jerome Delay

REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly

The rest end up living as street children, being kidnapped and forced into prostitution by sex traffickers or kidnapped by soldiers and being forced to carry heavy loads and fight and kill their own people and family. These are children! No child should ever have to go through that.

AP Photo/Jerome Delay

We realize without a doubt that adoption is not the answer. Adoption is not the ideal answer for any child. Children staying intact with their biological families is. But until there is a more permanent solution for this country to break its chains of war and poverty, adoption becomes one of the best answers we can provide. We, as a family, will fill in the gap and give love, hope and a family to a child or children that need it. It is what God is calling our family to do, and we can't say no. Please pray for our children across the world that they may be protected and know that someone out there loves them.

What if You Don't Get Your Miracle?

2011-11-29T12:39:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in the last post, we know a few families that have had difficult adoption stories lately. One of those families is Josh and Tasha Via. They're adopting a girl from Uganda, and after more than 10 weeks in country to try to finalize her adoption and bring her home, they've hit a significant road block. They're beginning to wonder if they've come all this way in the adoption process only to lose her at the very end.

They posted something on their blog about God's sovereignty and faithfulness in the midst of all this, and I was so encouraged by it. What if You Don't Get Your Miracle? (password: TRUTH).

God's glory is the ultimate end. May that be our primary desire too.

It's Worth It

2011-11-26T14:27:00.000-05:00

We know a few couples that have had long, emotionally trying adoption journeys lately. Months of struggle and uncertainty and sometimes even tragedy and loss. We're thrilled that our friends Tony and Jenn Sutton were finally able to bring their son home from Ethiopia last week, and she posted something on her blog that we've often thought can only be fully understood on the "home" side of the journey:

I would go halfway around the world again for this little man. I would spend all the money I had. I would take as many 17 hour flights as needed. I would spend even more years waiting if I had to.

How much more would God do for me (and you)? Thanks be to God!

It's so refreshing and good to hear those words from a momma that walked a long, uncertain road to bring her son home. As we start the adoption process again, it's a good reminder that as difficult, expensive and long as the process can be, it's worth it! Therefore, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:1 and 4:16, we do not lose heart.

Her Hair

2011-11-21T21:36:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd share our current routine for her lovely locks...

My favorite resource is happygirlhair.com. That's where I get most of my info about products, hair care, styles, and even skin care. In fact, I'm about to make some changes for winter skin care (frequency and type of lotion) based on her recommendations! I recently stumbled across a few other sites that look good too: Chocolate Hair/Vanilla Care, Hair and Skin Care, Tightly Curly, African American Hair Care Tips, and an article at adoption.com.

Every time our sweetie gets a bath we use conditioner (and soap, of course, but that's another topic). We've used Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Moisturizing Conditioner all along. I never rinse it out, I always just rub it into her scalp and through her hair and then leave it in. Once a week, or sometimes less often if her hair seems dry (like it will in the winter!), I put Aubrey Organics Honeysuckle Rose Shampoo in before the conditioner, and I do rinse that out. We got them from amazon, and they've lasted us a really long time.

Every morning and usually after naps I use a spray bottle with half olive oil and half water in it to spritz her hair. Then I put some kind of conditioning lotion in it. I think my favorite is Alaffia Shea and Virgin Coconut Enriching Hair Lotion. I try to stick with shampoos, conditioners and lotions that are all natural, with no alcohol or artificial ingredients that would dry out her hair more. They're usually more expensive and aren't as easily found at stores like Walmart. A few other natural conditioning lotions are Blended Beauty Curly Cake Shake, Madagascar Vanilla Styling Creme, Qhemet Alma & Olive Heavy Creme, and Kinky Curly Curling Custard. If you're in a pinch you might even try coconut oil.

After the spray bottle and the conditioning hair lotion, I use the tangle teezer. I used to finger detangle every day, and we've gone from crying every time I finger detangled her hair to singing happy songs while I quickly, easily and painlessly comb through her tangles with the tangle teezer. I highly recommend it. They're online and I've heard they're at Sally's Beauty Supply also.

And that's all, folks! As far as styling, I mostly just put headbands, flowers or clips in her hair for now. Sometimes I get adventurous and do puffs, which are really just lots of ponytails all over her head. Once we get to more styling... I'll probably let you know.

A couple of other things hair related. Sweet miss sleeps on satin sheets, she uses a winter hat with a satin lining on the inside and she has a little square of satin that sits behind her head in her car seat. I won't go into all the details, but those are important little changes to make. And it doesn't cost much. You can buy a little bit of satin at a fabric store and sew it on the inside of a hat and attach a piece to the back of a car seat. If you'd like to buy them pre-made, and if you'd like to order satin sheets, here are a few places you can do that: The Theme Room, Little Piddles, Infant Hair Saver, and MustardSeed (additional gallery).

If you have a boy, it's really easy to just keep his head shaved. Then you don't have to worry about tangle teezers, conditioning lotion, satin lined hats or satin on the car seat. Sounds a little like the difference between me and a certain other boy I know...

Orphan Sunday

2011-11-14T13:54:00.000-05:00

You can listen to a wonderful sermon from Orphan Sunday by Brent Nelson at Five Points Community Church here.

To Africa and Back

2011-11-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

Our friends Derek and Leslie passed court last week to bring their son Silas home from Ethiopia. Her blog post about their trip was beautiful and she said it was okay for me to share it here too. So many of the things she says are very reminiscent for us.

Enjoy!

It feels so strange to be back in the United States. We were only gone 8 days, but in those 8 short days my whole life changed. There is so much to share and I will try to do it in a few days. I feel like I am still processing it all. We have traveled almost 16,000 miles in 8 days and spent about 60 hours traveling and I would do it again tomorrow.

My heart is overflowing with love for my son. Africa was like nothing I have ever experienced. Meeting my son for the first time felt so natural. Derek and I agreed that we felt as if we were born to be his parents. I am in awe that God has chosen us to parent this amazing child. He is so sweet and full of giggles and jibber jabber. He is a fighter already. This little boy has overcome many obstacles in his first year of life. He is an absolute miracle to us.

Yet my heart is also crushed because there is another sweet boy we could not also meet, hold, kiss, or become official parents to. At least not yet. We pray for a resolution for children from orphanages that have been closed. Such a bittersweet week in many ways.

And my heart is saddened because after loving my son from afar for 7 months and then in person for 6 days we had to leave him to come home. This part seems so unnatural. We now must wait to be submitted to the US Embassy so that he can be cleared to travel home. This could take many weeks/months. The timeline is very vague and this is hard. Yet we have seen God's hand throughout this process and we know yet again that we must trust in His timing. No matter how difficult this process has been at times, it has been the best experience of my life. It isn't easy, but looking into the face of this precious baby boy I know he is worth every second of this journey.

I will share more throughout the coming weeks about our sweet Silas, our time in Africa, the people we met, and our experience as parents. For now I treasure these pictures of our time with our son.

Why Was This Child Born Blind?

2011-11-04T14:53:00.001-04:00

I listened today to a John Piper sermon titled "Why was this child born blind?" It's excellent. And helpful in thinking about all kinds of struggles and suffering.

As I listened to it, the Lord surprised me by answering a long-standing prayer of mine. It's kind of unrelated to the sermon topic, so I'll share some background.

When the kids and I are grocery shopping or out somewhere, I'm frequently asked if they're twins. I usually say that they're not, and that they're only two weeks apart so it's like having twins. Almost inevitably, people will ask me if they are brother and sister (kind of a funny question since that would be impossible, but still I'm asked it). And that's a problem for me. I know that the question has to do with whether they came from the same birth family. If I were to answer that question, I would have to say no. But the truth is that they ARE brother and sister. And I don't want to undermine what the Lord has done in their lives through adoption by saying no, especially in front of them. I've really struggled with how to direct the conversation. I've tried a few different approaches. I've asked people for advice. I don't want to be rude or unfriendly but it's been a bit confusing to me -- do I say something potentially misleading by simply answering that they are brother and sister, or do I answer the question I know they're asking and add on a tagline about the fact that they are brother and sister now? Neither of those approaches has worked out in the way I'd like them to. I'd love to be able to share the remarkable things the Lord has done in our family in a way that doesn't undermine adoption or cause our children to question the validity of their relationship to each other. But honestly, part of me would also prefer to be a little more anonymous and avoid the conversations altogether.

With that in mind, here's the quote that stood out to me. The passage comes from John 9. Seemingly unrelated at first, but stick with it.

Let me plead with you—see disability. See it. Not like the priest and the Levite, who see the Jewish person beat up on the side of the road and then just walk to the other side. We're not seeing the way Jesus saw when that happens. So my plea is to trust God to give you what you need in that moment, and don't turn away.

It's our natural reflex to see and avoid. But we are not natural people. We are followers of Jesus. We have the Spirit of Christ in our hearts. We have been seen and touched in all our brokenness by an attentive, merciful Savior.

If you want to be one of the most remarkable kinds of human beings on the planet—a Jesus kind—see people with disabilities. See them. And move toward them. If you run away from every opportunity to make a mistake, you will be the most isolated, safe, boring, uncaring, person imaginable. We're Christians. We believe in forgiveness. We believe in making mistakes on the way to being a loving person.

When the disciples saw Jesus’ attention to the blind man, they asked for an explanation of his blindness. Verse 2: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” That was probably not the most compassionate thing to say at the moment. And you're not going to say the right thing either. You're not. But Jesus was so merciful to them (just like our parents of children with disabilities have been merciful when we have said ill-informed and insensitive things). He does that a lot. He redeems awkward moments and callous words...

Jesus says, in effect, specific sins in the past don’t always correlate with specific suffering in the present. The decisive explanation for this blindness is not found by looking for its cause but by looking for its purpose. Verse 3: Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

I want to be like Jesus! I want to redeem awkward moments and answer insensitive questions gracefully, remembering that I will sometimes ask ill-informed things too. I hope that having a better heart attitude toward questions that are not meant to be offensive will model grace for my kids too.

Bible Study Fellowship

2011-11-02T12:46:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I was able to lead a ladies' Bible study with friends from church. We went through Knowing the God of Jonah together. It was fantastic material from In Praise of God Ministries. I love doing studies with other women and I know my personal time with the Lord is more fruitful and consistent when I have a study that I'm working through.

So this morning I went with a friend to Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) at a local church so close to our home that we could walk there if we wanted to. Today was an overview for new members, and I was very impressed with how organized, kind and welcoming everyone was. I'm excited to start studying the Bible with this material that I've heard nothing but good things about.

And I especially loved the program for my kids. There are a few trained workers in the room with a handful of kids all around the same age. They play, exercise, sing, have a snack, lay down for quiet time, and study the same Bible story that their moms are studying for the week! I asked my kids about it afterward, and here's what they had to say:

His take: "blow bubbles, pop it." "sing God." "lay down. quiet." "eat cookies."
Her take: "I sad. where momma?" "I sit Bobbi lap." (Bobbi was one of the ladies in their room) "read story."

Yup, that sounds about right! As we were leaving, I met Bobbi and she said goodbye to my kids and told them she loved them. My heart about melted. Praise the Lord for godly women that will love and invest in my children! It makes me so glad that they have another opportunity to learn about Jesus. There is nothing I desire more than to be able to say, as it does in 3 John 1:4 -- I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

All Dressed Up

2011-10-31T19:58:00.000-04:00

We went with friends to the zoo a couple of weeks ago for their really fun, non-scary Halloween party. Then tonight we went to the mall with friends to walk around and gather some candy. Our little princess and superman had a great time and were just about as adorable as can be!

Sleeping in the Car

2011-10-27T21:32:00.000-04:00

I have fond memories of a picture that my parents took of my sisters and I when we were little. We're all bundled up in winter coats in the back seat of the car, and we're all slumped over sound asleep. So the first time our kids fell asleep in their car seats that picture came to mind. And I snapped a shot of our little snoozers.

Since then, I've taken many a picture of that same pose. I can't help it. It gets me every time.

I'd still love to get a picture of them asleep in our arms as we carry them from the car to the crib. Precious little days that won't last forever!

Taking on Risk as Cross-Bearing Love

2011-10-24T12:42:00.000-04:00

This is a straight copy and paste from the Bethlehem Baptist Church volunteer disability blog.

“Adoption is about taking on risk as cross-bearing love.” Russell Moore

October 13, 2011 by John Knight

Recently, Brenda Fischer, our coordinator for the disability ministry at Bethlehem, sent me statistics on the numbers of children with disabilities God has brought to Bethlehem. She ended with this statement:

At Bethlehem we have a disproportionately high number of the last three mostly because of so many adopted children in our church body.
The ‘last three’ she is referencing are fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and reactive attachment disorder.

Each of those disabilities carries heavy, lifelong burdens on the children and families. And they are coming to our church because families are pursuing the good of others in obedience to Christ. Families are intentionally taking the risk that their adopted child will have a significant disability which could change the entire family.

So I particularly appreciated Dr. Russell Moore’s blog post from yesterday, Don’t Adopt! Anyone even remotely familier with him or his book, Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches, would immediately recognize that he’s trying to say something important through that provocative title. And he delivered:
Love of any kind brings risk, and, in a fallen world, brings hurt. Simeon tells our Lord’s mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, that a sword would pierce her heart. That’s true, in some sense, for every mother, every father. Even beyond that, every adoption, every orphan, represents a tragedy. Someone was killed, someone left, someone was impoverished, or someone was diseased.

Wrapped up in each situation is some kind of hurt, and all that accompanies that. That’s the reason there really is no adoption that is not a “special needs” adoption; you just might not know on the front end what those special needs are. . .

We need a battalion of Christians ready to adopt, foster, and minister to orphans. But that means we need Christians ready to care for real orphans, with all the brokenness and risk that comes with it. We need Christians who can reflect the adopting power of the gospel, which didn’t seek out a boutique nursery but a household of ex-orphans who were found wallowing in our own blood, with Satan’s genes in our bloodstreams.
Yes and amen!

So, if a church is serious about adoption, it will either already be serious about disability in the lives of its members or it will soon need to become serious about it. And every church should be serious about adoption, because we know that God is:

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 (Ephesians 1:3-6 ESV).

Children, Obey Your Parents and the Lord's Prayer

2011-10-20T20:00:00.000-04:00

I try to use Scripture in my conversations with the kids, especially when I correct them. I'm planning to start doing Bible memory with them at meal times when they turn two, using this method that came recommended by a friend. I'm excited! But the past couple of days I've been thinking that our little man already has a verse memorized that they've heard repeatedly -- Ephesians 6:1. Sure enough, he knows it, our little talker!

Translation: Children, obey (your) parents (in the) Lord, (for) this (is) right.

Our kids aren't geniuses. I'm convinced that repetition is the key. For example, we say the Lord's prayer and read the Bible with them before their nap and before bed. And after hearing it twice a day, our little talker can't help but have the Lord's prayer down.

Our sweet miss is pretty talkative for her age too, and I think she knows a lot of what he knows, but she isn't verbalizing it yet. What a good reminder for me as a mommy that they're soaking in what I say whether they let me know it or not!

Family Pictures

2011-10-16T20:51:00.003-04:00

Thank you, Allen and Melanie Seay!

Day at the Farm

2011-10-15T09:04:00.000-04:00

Last week we went with friends to a local farm to celebrate fall together. The kids got to visit a pumpkin patch for the first time and took bites out of whole apples for the first time too.

We had such a great day! And it's been fun that they recognize and notice all the pumpkins around the neighborhood now. Except that they call them all "pumpkin patch." Working on that.

Sometimes We Hang Out at Home

2011-10-13T12:58:00.008-04:00

Now that our kids are getting older and the days are getting colder, it's been good for me to figure out creative things to do on days when we hang out at home. I've found a few blogs and a book at a consignment sale with game suggestions for toddlers, and they've been helpful for a not-so-creative person like me.

One night when daddy wasn't home for dinner we decided to have an indoor picnic.

Another day we got out some ice cubes and played with them until they melted. Who knew all that free fun had been hanging out in our freezer?

We tried out some new games, like crawling across the floor with a stuffed animal on our backs or trying to move a ball across the room with our heads.

We've played a game where the kids match a toy up with construction paper that's the same color. He's pretty good at it. With her, it's hit or miss depending on if she's in the mood to concentrate.

For five days straight, our neighbors had a really big tree cut down from their front yard. That provided hours of fun on the porch!

Of course, we do still like to get in some time outside while the weather is nice, so staples like buckets and footballs are always good fall backs.

Fall Fun

2011-10-10T13:08:00.002-04:00

We've had a fun, busy fall so far! The seminary kicked off the new school year with a Narnia themed family festival. Even though it was almost five weeks ago now, the kids still talk about it. They usually say "seminary festival. horse running. man fall down." There was a sword fight on horses at the end, which they were fascinated with. And there were so many bouncy castles there that they got to jump in one for a while with only their little friends from church, almost like we had a private bouncy castle.

At another local family festival they had a petting zoo, which was a hit!

Mimi and Poppy came to visit a couple of weeks ago, and that's always so much fun. We love them!

We went to our first story time at Pottery Barn Kids with some friends. Did you know that for each child that goes five times you get $10 toward books there? We're planning to make it a regular activity!

On free museum day, we took the kids to the Slugger Museum and Factory, which they liked even more than we expected them too!

And the highlight of the fall so far has been having our children dedicated to the Lord at church, which was such a special, exciting day. May God help us to raise them up to love and serve Him all their days!

Domestic Adoption

2011-10-08T13:03:00.000-04:00

At our home study meeting last week, our case worker mentioned a surprising thing. Their home study agency receives calls at least once a week from domestic adoption agencies trying to find families to adopt African American newborns. She told us that it's very common for agencies to have mommies ready to give birth and asking to view family profiles, and they have none to show them. Imagine! Mommies are choosing life for their babies and trying to make an adoption plan for them, but there aren't enough families ready to welcome them in. This is really crazy and really sad to me.

Our ladies' book group at church just finished reading Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader's Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line by Abby Johnson. It was excellent and very thought provoking. Abby was once the director of a Planned Parenthood clinic, and her autobiography gives fascinating details about her journey from pro-choice to pro-life. It's so motivating for us as Christians to get involved and provide alternatives to abortion!

In light of Steve Jobs passing away, a few news reports have talked about the fact that he had been adopted. One great article titled Steve Jobs Changed the World: Adoption Changed His mentions other notable figures that were also adopted, such as Babe Ruth, Charles Dickens, Nat King Cole and Dave Thomas (Wendy's). The article ends by saying "No matter the perceived worldly success of an adoptee, adoption is a loving act that transforms, not only the life of the child, but the entire family. And, sometimes, the world."

So let's keep domestic adoption on our radars too.

Democratic Republic of Congo

2011-10-06T14:08:00.002-04:00

We had our home study the other night, and it's exciting to be moving forward in the process. At dinner that evening, hubby prayed for our two children in the Democratic Republic of Congo and for their birth parents. It's all seeming more and more real!

Friends of ours adopted recently from the DRC and they shared a video mostly taken in the orphanage where their children are from ... of the orphans that are still there. The ones left behind. As she says, "It is too easy for me to forget how materially blessed we are in America...and to forget that we are blessed to be a blessing to others."

.

Too Cute to Keep to Myself

2011-10-05T11:42:00.000-04:00

Our kids are hilarious and smart and oh so loveable! Here's some evidence of their silliness:

And here's some evidence of their brains, our little not-quite-two-year-olds! God keeps reassuring me that they'll be ready to be an older brother and sister.

Bloodlines

2011-10-01T13:04:00.001-04:00

Please enjoy this beautiful, short documentary of John Piper's freedom from racism by the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus. He just released a new book called Bloodlines: Race, Cross and the Christian, which I really hope to read!

A Boy and a Girl

2011-09-25T19:58:00.000-04:00

Our sweet girl has more and more of a desire to care for her baby dolls lately. It's so precious to see the mothering instincts God has given her! She sometimes expresses concern that a baby doll might have a boo-boo and gently pats it, saying "it's okay, baby." She'll lay her baby down in her crib and say "night night, baby." She likes to take her baby on a walk in the stroller or read to her. She recently started changing her babies' diapers. Here she is feeding her baby "yogurt."

And here she is putting pretend creme in her baby's hair as mommy puts creme in her hair!

Little man loves to play with cars, trucks and trains. They've definitely taken over as his toy of choice. He can play with them for a looooong time.

He has some tonka trucks in his room that he likes to line up in a row. They just fit on his sports table (a great hand-me-down from our friends Maddy and Rivers Frantz!).

His favorite pose is lying down so he can get a good view of the wheels as he rolls a car or truck back and forth on the floor.

We love to see their personalities coming out as they get older! It's such fun having a boy and a girl at the same age. God has been so good to our family!

Singing with Daddy

2011-09-23T15:12:00.001-04:00

You knew it was bound to happen. How could these kids have such a talented daddy without a love for music rubbing off on them?

So here they are. The Philpot family singers. You especially don't want to miss our little man at about the minute mark. Enjoy!

(And if you like the song, it's Poor Sinner Dejected With Fear by Indelible Grace)

We're Adopting Again!

2011-09-04T21:06:00.001-04:00

Two weeks after we came home from Ethiopia with our son and daughter, I wrote an email to our adoption agency director to ask her about adopting again. If you've been to a third world country, you probably understand. The conditions we saw were devastating. It really opened our eyes to the comparative riches that God has blessed us with. And it's pretty hard to think of leaving children in those life-and-death circumstances when we can bring more into our family. Plus, we love our children so much and it would be a joy to have more!

Wisely, my husband and mother encouraged me to wait until our kids were a little older before we brought more children home. So we've waited. And we've prayed. And we've talked about it countless times since then.

Now we feel that the time has come. Our hope is to bring home two children from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a boy and a girl, about a year and a half from now.

God has provided some of the funds we will need through an unexpected tax credit that we received for adopting the first time. It was put into law only a few weeks after we brought our children home from Ethiopia. Even then, as God was placing more children on our hearts, He was already providing some of the means for us to bring them home. He has also provided a larger home for us to live in, which fell in our laps at a price you would not normally see for this size and location. And we already have most of the stuff we need for two...two highchairs, two cribs, two infant car seats, a double stroller, and a wardrobe for a boy and a girl.

Now some of you might be thinking about the fact that our kids will only be three years old when we bring two more children into our family. Believe me, I've thought about that too. In His grace, the Lord has crossed our paths with two other adoptive families that have four kids ages three and under, and between us mommies there have been a few verses out of God's word that have been a real encouragement to me.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Psalm 41:1-2 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; You do not give him up to the will of his enemies.

Colossians 1:11-12 May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

I'll admit, when we decided to start looking around at adoption agencies and countries, I felt a little fearful and inadequate when I thought about having so many little ones. And God did a kind thing. Over a period of a few weeks, as I researched online and made phone calls to agencies... I was not comfortable with any of the options that we were finding. Our desire has been to find an ethical, reputable agency, one that takes a strong stance against child trafficking and doesn't have a questionable history. We also would like to adopt two babies that are younger than our two children. We would love to bring them home from a poor country in under two years, preferably making only one trip to that country. Though we found four agencies that seemed at first to fit that criteria, one proved far too expensive and we were concerned about the integrity of the others. It didn't seem like adopting two babies was going to be a possibility for us. And I grieved that. We desire a large family. We desire to help as many orphans as we can. And we're not getting younger. So I prayed about it, asking the Lord to allow us to adopt two babies, and God used that time to help remove the fear in my heart.

I also read this excellent post on Desiring God's website a few weeks ago. It speaks much better than I could about the beauty and priority of motherhood.

A Rock-Bottom Job?
The truth is that years ago, before this generation of mothers was even born, our society decided where children rank in the list of important things. When abortion was legalized, we wrote it into law.

Children rank way below college. Below world travel for sure. Below the ability to go out at night at your leisure. Below honing your body at the gym. Below any job you may have or hope to get. In fact, children rate below your desire to sit around and pick your toes, if that is what you want to do. Below everything. Children are the last thing you should ever spend your time doing.

If you grew up in this culture, it is very hard to get a biblical perspective on motherhood, to think like a free Christian woman about your life, your children. How much have we listened to partial truths and half lies? Do we believe that we want children because there is some biological urge, or the phantom “baby itch”? Are we really in this because of cute little clothes and photo opportunities? Is motherhood a rock-bottom job for those who can’t do more, or those who are satisfied with drudgery? If so, what were we thinking?
It's Not a Hobby
Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. You do not collect children because you find them cuter than stamps. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for.

Christian mothers carry their children in hostile territory. When you are in public with them, you are standing with, and defending, the objects of cultural dislike. You are publicly testifying that you value what God values, and that you refuse to value what the world values. You stand with the defenseless and in front of the needy. You represent everything that our culture hates, because you represent laying down your life for another—and laying down your life for another represents the gospel.

Our culture is simply afraid of death. Laying down your own life, in any way, is terrifying. Strangely, it is that fear that drives the abortion industry: fear that your dreams will die, that your future will die, that your freedom will die—and trying to escape that death by running into the arms of death.
Run to the Cross
But a Christian should have a different paradigm. We should run to to the cross. To death. So lay down your hopes. Lay down your future. Lay down your petty annoyances. Lay down your desire to be recognized. Lay down your fussiness at your children. Lay down your perfectly clean house. Lay down your grievances about the life you are living. Lay down the imaginary life you could have had by yourself. Let it go.

Death to yourself is not the end of the story. We, of all people, ought to know what follows death. The Christian life is resurrection life, life that cannot be contained by death, the kind of life that is only possible when you have been to the cross and back.

The Bible is clear about the value of children. Jesus loved them, and we are commanded to love them, to bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. We are to imitate God and take pleasure in our children.

It will be a hard job at times, no question. But as my own mom said, having four children at any ages will be hard. It will be limiting. And it will be worth it. Our hands will be full... of good things!

To go back to my story about researching agencies... I emailed two friends to ask for some advice. One of them let us know about a Christian adoption agency, Lifeline Children's Services. They are everything we're looking for and more. We are thrilled and very thankful to have found them! If you are looking into international adoption, I highly recommend this agency. I've done hours of research and I'd love to share more with you about that to save you time if you're starting the adoption process. (And in case you're interested, my recommendation for domestic adoption is Life Choices. I'd be so thrilled if God used all my research to direct several families to choose these two wonderful Christian agencies!)

So here we are, a family of four preparing to be a family of six! Thank you for caring about us and sharing our exciting journey!

Daddy's Hats

2011-08-26T08:45:00.000-04:00

Henry's Ark

2011-08-25T14:30:00.000-04:00

We had a blast this morning with several of our friends from church! We took our kiddos to Henry's Ark, a small little farm-like place with all kinds of neat animals roaming around. We've been once before, but this time my two were walking instead of riding in a stroller. And little miss was MUCH more brave about feeding the animals. It was such a fun (and free) outing!

A Terrible Loss

2011-08-24T13:25:00.000-04:00

I've been following the blog of a young couple in the pilot program with our previous adoption agency to bring home a baby boy and girl from the Democratic Republic of Congo, and I was very sad to read this post today. Please pray for their family and for the fatherless!

This will officially be my first blog post…a tough place to start, but a good outlet for what’s going on in my heart and mind right now…

This week the director from our agency is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her main goal while over there: visit the children in line to be adopted, take new pictures and video of the children and bring them care packages put together by their new families.

We were so excited to get to put together a care package specifically for our little girl a couple of weeks ago; the adoption process can drag out and seem like it’s never going to end and sending this package to her allowed us to feel more connected with this sweet little girl! You can imagine the excitement and anticipation we were experiencing the past couple of days. I found myself checking my email more regularly throughout the day hoping to see new pictures of my daughter and get an update of how she was doing.

A couple of nights ago Bethany and I were just talking about how much we loved this little girl that we knew so little about. We talked about how it didn’t even matter to us what potential illnesses, disabilities or delays she could have, we loved her no less and couldn’t wait to meet her and bring her home.

Tuesday evening we finally got some news…

I was driving home from work and got a text message from Bethany, “Hurry home. I just got a call from CCI.” I hoped this would be good news but feared what that message might mean.

When I walked in the door Bethany was sitting at the kitchen table with a picture of our little girl in front of her and tears in her eyes. It was written on a piece of paper so she didn’t have to say it, “Our little girl died four days ago.”

We’ve been told that the adoption process can be a rollercoaster of emotions and to expect the unexpected, but man……………….…this really blindsided us.

After several hours to think about things and some encouragement from friends and family, I just want to share a few thoughts…

God is Sovereign. That phrase is thrown around a lot, and can sometimes seem like nothing more than a hard reality; just deal with it and move on. But if understood correctly, it is a glorious truth! It is helpful for me to think about what it would mean if God is not sovereign. If God is not sovereign, then God does not reign over evil, God does not work all things together for our good and we can have no hope in the midst of suffering. What good would it do to pray to a God that is powerless to sovereignly answer prayer? As R.C. Sproul put it, “…if God is not Sovereign, God is not God.” With this in mind, how awesome and powerful are these truths:

“The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!” – Psalm 97:1

“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

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” – Romans 5:3-4

One verse that I was struggling to understand last night was from Psalm 146:9, “The LORD watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” I couldn’t help but think about how she probably suffered and died from something that would have been preventable here in the States, how our director arrived in the Congo four days too late and how in just a few more months we would have traveled to pick her up and take care of her. How is the LORD upholding the fatherless here?!

I was helped when a friend called last night and prayed with me. On the phone he said, “She is no longer fatherless; she is face to face right now with her heavenly father. However she was suffering, God heard her cry and had mercy on her.”

As sad as it may be for us right now, God had mercy on this little girl and brought her home. Praise God, who in His sovereignty and mercy upholds the widow and the fatherless!

Now that she is deceased, we are allowed to share her beautiful face with you.

Her name was Leseli Joyce. We had already decided and filled out the paper work to change her name to Audrey Joy Meacham, named after my Dad’s Father, her great-grandfather, Audrey L. Meacham.

If you would consider, here are some ways you can be praying with us:

Pray that God would give us a peace that surpasses all understanding, knowing that God is a sovereign and merciful God.

Pray that we would not grow weary in the adoption process, which can at times seem like there is no end in sight.

Pray that God would uphold the fatherless in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (and throughout the world) and that many children would be able to be adopted by Christ-centered families.

In Christ,
Jon

Almost Two!

2011-08-21T21:55:00.000-04:00

The kids are just a few months away from turning two years old, and they've been making leaps and bounds verbally and physically. Anybody that's spent time with them can attest to the fact that they talk all day long. A friend said tonight about our sweet boy that he narrates life. And that's probably a good way to put it. I feel like I have a running commentary on everything that happens all day long. And his sister is not far behind him. They both talk primarily in short phrases, really pretty close to sentences. We've got two talkers on our hands, that's for sure. These kiddos are full of personality!

They're doing such big kids things lately. I really think having each other spurs them on. Our little 20 and 21 month olds can walk down the stairs holding on to just the rail. Not mommy's hand. Hard to believe, isn't it? Here's some evidence:

I need to get the video camera out more often. Sweet miss is doing it too. And they regularly go down the whole staircase that way. They surprise me every day.

We went to the grocery store a couple of weeks ago and they didn't have any double shopping carts at the front. We only needed a couple of things, so I took a chance on one of the little mini-shopping carts for kids to push. My two littles LOVE to be helpers. So I encouraged them to help me push the cart. And they pushed it all through the store. Now this is not just a small grocery store. It's a big one -- so big that sometimes I pick another one just so I don't have to walk the length of it. And we needed things from both ends of the store. But these little troopers stood side by side and pushed their cart from the time we walked in the door to the time we hit the checkout lane. I was so pleased (and a little surprised, to be honest). God has been so good to give us these precious two!

Hands Full

2011-08-10T22:26:00.003-04:00

A few excerpts from a great blog post...

A house full of kids is full of so much richness, joy, tenderness and fun that I wouldn't trade it. I wouldn't trade it for more time to myself, more quiet, more money, or more freedom. I wouldn't trade it for less mess, less laundry, less bickering, less whining, or less work.

I want my children to know I celebrate them.
I am grateful for them.
I don't want them to feel like they are a burden to me.
Yes, my hands are full.
But so is my heart.

What Have We Been Up To?

2011-07-20T12:16:00.000-04:00

Well, we like to snack in our lawn chairs outside, especially if daddy is mowing the lawn and we can watch him.

We love playing in our new kitchen, handed down from our good friend Sierra!

And we're learning to be great helpers to mommy. Here we are helping carry groceries inside!

Catching You Up

2011-07-06T13:35:00.001-04:00

It seems like the kids are growing up so fast lately I can hardly keep up with all the new things they're learning and cute things they're doing!

They've had a great time in the pool this summer.

They've discovered their pockets.

Why choose between pockets and a lawn mower when you can have both?

They think sunglasses are really cool.

They love to pretend they're eating and feed each other bites.

We tried out a new 'do.

And in the midst of it all, they still take time to stop and smell the roses (or dandelions, in this case).

Not Your Everyday Conversation

2011-06-28T22:52:00.000-04:00

Can you tell I've found a new favorite blog? I was helped immeasurably by listening to this talk tonight!

Via Tapestry by Michael Monroe on 6/4/11

Not Your Everday Conversation: Talking with Your Children About the Difficult Realities of Adoption and Foster Care was presented by Michael and Amy Monroe at the 2009 Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Conference. This presentation focuses on some of the difficult realities that mark the adoption and foster care journey, and helps to equip parents to navigate these emotional and complex issues. Click here to download the slides for this presentation.

Chatting with Kids About Adoption

2011-06-28T15:16:00.000-04:00

Via Tapestry by Michael Monroe on 6/24/11

I don’t talk with my kids about adoption. It’s not that I don’t think it is a good idea – it certainly is. It’s just that, even though all four of my children were adopted, they have no interest in “talking” about it. At this age they seem to much prefer chatting about it . . . . . casually, when and if they feel like it and on their terms. So that’s what we do, and I love every chance I get.

Misconceptions About “Adoption Chats”

I think there are several misconceptions when it comes to talking or chatting with your kids about adoption. One is that it’s the mother’s job – that somehow and for some reason “adoption talk” will more likely (and more appropriately) come up between moms and kids rather than with dads. That certainly has not been my experience – nor the experience of many of the adoptive dads I know. For a variety of reasons, every time our oldest boys (ages 7 and 6) engage in any “adoption talk” it is most often with me. It will certainly be interesting to see if this trend continues and how it changes with our twins (age 3), one of which is a girl.

Another misconception is that “adoption talk” is always a serious matter. While some questions about adoption require an air of seriousness, many more do not. It is important not to be too serious about adoption, even while taking the matter very seriously. For us, some of the funniest (and sweetest) things our kids have ever said have been adoption-related as their creative and sponge-like minds process the world around them and force it through the adoption-tinted filter which for them is perfectly normal and commonplace. One instance in particular stands out. Grant (age 4 at the time) and I were walking on the trail behind our home and were noticing our neighbor’s backyard. Grant asked why there were no toys or swings or the like in their yard, to which I replied, “well maybe they don’t have any kids.” Without missing a beat Grant replied “looks to me like they are going to need adoption.” And with that he had started an adoption chat. As usual with Grant, it only lasted 30 to 45 seconds before he lost interest and changed the subject. That exchange was a fairly typical adoption chat for Grant and me – and I love every one that we have.

Yet another misconception is that you “tell” your kids about adoption – as in a one time event when you sit them down at the kitchen table and break it to them in dramatic fashion. In past generations a single moment of “telling” may have been the norm, but now this is often simply not an option whether due to the race, age or any number of other characteristics of the child or circumstances surrounding their adoption. For many children (though certainly not all), the “cat’s already out of the bag” so there’s no need to schedule a time and plan to “tell” your kids about adoption. For the most part you may not even need to go out of your way to force the conversation. Instead, just let them bring it up or look for natural and comfortable ways to work it into everyday conversation. For my oldest two boys I’ve made it an occasional part of our bedtime routine for years now. We will get out their “special books” (which are scrapbooks or lifebooks of their early years filled with pictures and brief captions) and just chat away about whatever comes to their minds as we tell and re-tell the story of how we became a family. I have found that over time these conversations build on themselves as children develop an ever-evolving understanding of themselves and their family, and how the two came together in a very “special” way.

A Truly Forever Family

Chatting with your kids about adoption presents one other very unique opportunity as well – one that has eternal significance. As our children get older, our adoption chats increasingly provide me with the chance to relate God’s love for them and his desire to welcome them into his family to their own personal experience and understanding of adoption. As my kids have begun to ask more and more questions about God and Jesus (the other night Grant exclaimed “Daddy can we talk about God tonight? I have 80,000 questions!”), I’ve been able to chat with them about how God chooses to love us (even though we can’t and don’t deserve it) and how he wants to adopt us into his “forever family.” These are all concepts that they understand, and I am excited to gaze with them through this beautiful (but often overlooked) lens as we seek to better understand and experience what it means to become a child of God by adoption through faith in Jesus Christ.

In the end, chatting with your kids should be something dads (and moms) look forward to . . . something we treasure. Yes, it can certainly be a bit intimidating and maybe even scary at times, but it’s important to make sure that you are the only one that feels that way. It is critically important that your children feel the freedom to talk with you about any and every aspect of their adoption. Only you can give them that gift. The opportunity to talk with your kids on so many levels about something so meaningful, so incredibly personal is truly a blessing and honor. So make it your job to chat with your kids about adoption . . . and start thinking now how you will react and respond to the wide range of thoughts and questions they are likely to throw your way. You will all be the better and richer for it.

Ideas and Resources to Help You and Your Child with Adoption Chats

Here are a few ideas to get you started chatting and helpy you along the way:

Start early, chat often – There is no such thing as starting too early chatting with your kids in age-appropriate ways. In addition, your child’s understanding of adoption and their own story will constantly be evolving – so don’t stop being available and open to chat as the years go by. Chatting once or twice is not enough, so be sure to ask questions or raise the subject in a comfortable, natural way as often as possible.
Be honest and accurate – Talk about what you know (at the right time and in an age-appropriate way) and keep in mind that “I don’t know” is a perfectly fine answer. Share your child’s curiosity about the facts that are unknown, but be sure not to turn your child’s story into a fairy tale. Adopted children were born just like all other children, and it is important to remember that their story (and therefore part of who they are) begins they were adopted.
Listen and acknowledge your child’s feelings – Listen and attempt to understand the feelings behind what your child is saying. Remember that feelings of loss, curiosity and even sadness and confusion are natural. Keep in mind that statements about birthparents are not a reflection on you, but most often simply an attempt to make sense of every aspect of who your child is.
Use positive and respectful adoption language – How you talk about adoption with your child communicates loudly to them. Be sure that you convey that chatting about adoption is acceptable and even desired, and be sure to use positive and respectful adoption language. It matters. Check out this article by Patricia Irwin Johnston for some great advice on using respectful adoption language.
Don’t tear down or overly romanticize birthparents – It’s important to remember that part of your child’s identity (and therefore self-esteem) is undeniably linked to their birthparents – no matter the facts and circumstances that led to their adoption. Therefore, it is very important to refer to your child’s birthparents by name (if known) and speak respectfully, yet honestly, about them.

Below are a few additional resources to check out:

Adoptive Families Magazine Special Section: Talking About Adoption –http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/talking
Talking With Young Children About Adoption by Mary Watkins and Susan Fisher — www.amazon.com/Talking-Young-Children-about-Adoption/dp/0300063172

Michael Monroe and his wife Amy serve on the Tapestry Leadership Team.
Copyright 2008 Tapestry, a ministry of Irving Bible Church (www.tapestryministry.org).

Books with Diversity

2011-06-27T16:20:00.000-04:00

Because our kids were adopted from Ethiopia, our bookshelves look a little different than they might have otherwise. Part of that is because pictures of these two cuties are framed on them...a welcome improvement to the decor of our home!

But you'll also notice that the books our children read were thoughtfully authored by men and women who remember that not all little ones have blonde hair and blue eyes. Some kids are Asian. Some are African-American. Some have disabilities. And it's helpful for that to be reflected in picture books.

Here are some treasures we've been thrilled to come across. You can click on the images to go to their description on Amazon. The first author, Debby Anderson, has LOTS of great books so I'm limiting myself to sharing just two! Several of these authors are worth checking out for their other titles too.

A Back Yard is a Blessing!

2011-06-23T14:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T16:29:00.001-04:00

It would be hard to overemphasize the importance of a good dad.

I've often felt overwhelmed at God's goodness in giving me such an incredible husband. I don't deserve him, that's all there is to it. He loves the Lord and His word, he's a family man, a godly leader, a hard worker, a man of integrity, wise, kind, patient, and really good looking. God has lavished blessings on me!

And I often tell my kids how fortunate they are to have the dad that they do. They don't realize it yet, but God has been very good to them. VERY good. Just think...

Our son had been abandoned as a newborn. We know almost nothing about his biological parents. And yet God rescued him out of that terrible, parent-less situation and placed him in a family with a dad he can look up to with admiration and love. A dad who loves him dearly, who is involved in his life intimately, and whose strong example will lead him in godliness and integrity. What a dramatic change! What grace!

Our daughter had a birth father who made poor decisions and was never involved in her life. God has replaced him with a father full of wisdom and kindness, selflessness and devotion. She now has a dad that will always protect and provide for her. He knows her. He loves her. He tickles her and cuddles with her to her heart's delight. She has a healthy view of men because she has a strong, loving dad that she trusts and looks up to. What a dramatic change! What grace!

So Happy Father's Day, my love. You can be sure God has made your family happy by giving us the very good gift of YOU!

Sunday Best

2011-06-12T19:51:00.000-04:00

These two were looking so cute for church today I just had to get a picture!

You're So Brown!

2011-06-11T20:26:00.000-04:00

A post originally from Noel Piper's blog, which I'm perusing tonight...

Today’s guest post is by Kristen Howerton, wife, mother of 4 (2 adopted), blogger, and psych professor at Vanguard University.

__________

“Mommy, look at the brown boy!”

As a transracial family in a mostly vanilla town, we hear these kind of comments every now and then, especially from other preschool-aged kids. This week, we heard on two different occasions.

No biggie: it is perfectly normal for a child of that age to notice color. I mean, they are just learning colors and pointing it out is just an observation. I am NEVER offended by children making such comments. In fact, it can open up great learning opportunities for kids to understand adoption, difference, etc.

However, one of the circumstances this week was a bit awkward. A little girl pointed to my African-American son Jafta, and this was how the dialogue went:

CURIOUS GIRL: Mommy, do you see him!?! He’s brown!

MORTIFIED MOM: (clearly embarrassed) Honey, be quiet.

CURIOUS GIRL: Mommy, do you see? Do you see that boy?

MORTIFIED MOM: Sweetie, be quiet. Be quiet right now.

CURIOUS GIRL: But mommy, look! He’s brown.

MORTIFIED MOM: (now angrily) If you don’t stop saying that right now, I will give you a spanking.

I totally get where this mom is coming from. I can imagine doing this myself, in another setting. But think for a minute what this interchange communicated to this little girl about color difference. What message did this well-meaning mom unintentionally send to her daughter, and to my son, who was watching the whole thing?

Avoiding the topic of race can be one of the biggest mistakes parents make in raising healthy, race-conscious children. Shaming, ignoring, or avoiding a child’s observations on race can send a strong message: racial difference (and/or brown skin) is so bad and so embarrasing that we can’t even talk about it. (Kinda reminds ya of how some families deal with sex, huh?)

So how should someone react? I don’t know the perfect answer, but encouraging a conversation (instead of stifling it) is a good start. As parents we have to manage our own racial baggage to help our kids avoid their own.

So let me tell you about the other interchange that happened this week.

A little girl pointed to Jafta and said, “You’re so brown.” And my husband said, “Did you hear that, Jafta? Say thank you.”

And he did. With a big grin on his face.

Brown Babies Need Sunscreen Too

2011-06-07T09:00:00.004-04:00

Check out this article -- Summer Skincare for Black Children. Yup, they need sunscreen too.

No Such Thing as Adoption Without Suffering

2011-06-06T13:00:00.000-04:00

We're in a great stage of parenthood. Our kids are growing and learning, and they're just delightful. We love them and they love us. God has been good.

In this stage of life, it can be tempting to forget now and then that the reason children are placed for adoption is because there has already been some kind of suffering in their birth parents' lives and in their little lives. And though you don't necessarily realize it at first, adoptive parents are not exempt from suffering either. In fact, in a beautiful way, by becoming adoptive parents we are committing to walk through the suffering with our little ones.

In a great article called No Such Thing as Adoption Without Suffering, Dan Cruver talks about the picture this is of our adoption into the family of God.

The same thing is true of our adoption by God. The adoption to which we were predestined (Eph. 1:5) could not have happened without Jesus redeeming us “through his blood” (Eph. 1:7). There is no such thing as being adopted into God’s family apart from the suffering of Jesus. Jesus cried “Abba! Father!” in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:36) so that we could become sons of God who cry “Abba! Father!” by the Spirit (Rom. 8:15). Our adoption necessarily involved suffering—infinite suffering.

So if you're waiting for a referral and the journey up to this point has been long and emotionally trying, persevere! Christ suffered on our behalf that He might make us sons and daughters. And He will equip you to do the same as you bring children into your family as well.

Yes, we still suffer, but we do not suffer as those without hope (1 Thess. 4:13-14). Because of Jesus and the gift of the Spirit of adoption, God turns our suffering into a window that allows the eyes of faith to get glimpses of what will one day be.

Though there is no such thing as adoption without suffering, for the Christian there is also no such thing as adoption without glory and unspeakable joy. Right now we live in “the sufferings of this present time” (Rom. 8:18), but there is coming a day when all who have been adopted by God through the suffering of Jesus will “be glorified with him” (Rom. 8:17). We will one day share in the glory of the resurrected Jesus. This means that the day is coming when everything sad will come untrue. This is the good news of the gospel. This is the hope that moves us forward in “the sufferings of this present time.”

So, whatever kind of suffering you are being confronted with in the adoption of a child (whether you are the birthmother, child, or adoptive parent), don’t lose sight of the gospel. Only the gospel can fill you with fresh hope, endurance, and, yes, even joy in the midst of your heartache now. Your adoption by God has profound relevance for the adoption of a child (and all the suffering involved in it).

Isn't It Embarrassing...

2011-06-05T14:30:00.001-04:00

when you wake up with bedhead?

A Note From Dad

2011-06-02T14:01:00.000-04:00

Daddy sent an email today, but it wasn't for me...

Dear son,

As I left our house this morning I noticed that the grass is getting high and in need of a new trim. Of course, for you and I this means doing our favorite activity together: lawn mowing!

I'm really looking forward to spending some time with you when I get home.

Much love,
Dad (aka The Lawnmower)

The Footwashers of Ethiopia

2011-06-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

A recent Christianity Today article introduced me to a disease called podoconiosis, or podo for short. The article says that those who suffer with it have deformed, "nightmare feet, seeming to bubble and melt, producing unbearable odors" and making it painful to walk. For years there was no medical treatment for podo, leaving sufferers isolated from others and unable to contribute to community life.

So how does someone contract podo? The article says "By and large, those who cannot afford shoes are most susceptible. Podo is almost unknown in urban areas and rarely if ever infects soldiers or tourists. Gail Davey, the leading researcher on podo, puts it succinctly: 'It is clearly a disease of the most voiceless.'" Awful!!

My heart breaks to hear that Ethiopia is one of the most affected areas, with about 1 million people suffering from podo. I'm stunned to find out that prevention is as simple as wearing shoes. And equally surprised that treatment is as simple as washing patients' feet. But those two things are hard to come by in a poverty stricken place like Ethiopia.

Want to learn more about the problem and how you can help? Check out the article!

A GREAT Adoption Discussion

2011-05-28T21:51:00.000-04:00

I just finished listening to this session by Dr. Russell Moore and Pastor Voddie Baucham and I hope that if you read my blog you'll listen to it. I can't begin to tell you how helpful I think it is in the way we understand adoption. It's important, fantastic stuff.

And if you have adopted or are in the process or are considering it, you and your children will be so helped by it, I guarantee!

Adoption and Parenting at the Gospel Coalition

2011-05-27T21:25:00.001-04:00

Several weeks ago evangelicals from all over the country gathered in Chicago for the Gospel Coalition meeting. Dr. Russell Moore and Pastor Voddie Baucham talked about how the gospel informs orphan care. You can listen to it here: Orphans and Adoption

Also at the meeting, Dr. Moore joined Union University deans Greg and Kimberly Thornbury and David Helm (author of The Big Picture Story Bible) to talk about parenting and discipleship. They talked about devotion practices, family worship, curricula, and so on. You can listen here: How to Teach Children and Youth the Gospel Story

All the plenary and breakout sessions can be accessed here: plenary sessions and other workshops

(via Moore to the Point)

I'm excited to listen to them!

Adoption: The Heart of the Gospel

2011-05-25T19:40:00.000-04:00

I've been praying for several friends in the adoption process lately, and my heart is heavy with them as they wait for word on any progress in their cases. Adoption can be such an emotional roller coaster! Talking with one friend in particular brought this great article by John Piper to mind. I've been encouraged by it lately and hope you will be too!

Galatians 4:4-8 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.

Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
The biblical foundation for the act of adopting children is primarily in the New Testament rather than the Old. There are only three adoptions in the Old Testament (Moses, Esther, and Genubath, 1 Kings 11:20). Israel is called God’s son (Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; 32:6; Jeremiah 31:9; Hosea 11:1) but not until the New Testament is this called adoption.
The Foundation of Adoption
The deepest and strongest foundation of adoption is located not in the act of humans adopting humans, but in God adopting humans. And this act is not part of his ordinary providence in the world; it is at the heart of the gospel. Galatians 4:4-5 is as central a gospel statement as there is: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” God did not have to use the concept of adoption to explain how he saved us, or even how we become part of his family. He could have stayed with the language of new birth so that all his children were described as children by nature only (John 1:12-13, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”). But he chose to speak of us as adopted as well as being children by new birth. This is the most essential foundation of the practice of adoption.
Eight Similarities
What I would like to do is lay out eight similarities between what God did in adoption and what happens in a Christian adoption today. I pray that whether you have adopted, or are engaged in assisting adoptions, or are pondering an adoption, God will use these comparisons to heighten your confidence that God is graciously involved in our adoptions. He has done it himself. He knows what it costs. And he stands ready to support us all the way to the end.
1. Adoption was (for God) and is (for us) costly.
When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)
To redeem means to obtain or to set free by paying a price. What was the price that God paid for our liberation and adoption? In the previous chapter, we heard the answer: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13). It cost God the price of his Son’s life.

There are huge costs in adopting children. Some are financial; some are emotional. There are costs in time and stress for the rest of your life. You never stop being a parent till you die. And the stresses of caring about adult children can be as great, or greater, than the stresses of caring for young children. There is something very deep and right about the embrace of this cost for the life of a child!

Few things bring me more satisfaction than seeing a culture of adoption flourish at Bethlehem. It means that our people are looking to their heavenly Father for their joy rather than rejecting the stress and cost of children in order to maximize their freedom and comforts. When people embrace the pain and joy of children rather than using abortion or birth control simply to keep children away, the worth of Christ shines more visibly. Adoption is as far as possible from the mindset that rejects children as an intrusion. Praise God for people ready to embrace the suffering—known and unknown. God’s cost to adopt us was infinitely greater than any cost we will endure in adopting and raising children.
2. Adoption did (for God) and does (for us) involve the legal status of the child.
When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6)
There were legal realities God had to deal with. His own justice and law demanded that we be punished and excluded from his presence for our sins. Righteousness was required and punishment demanded. God had to satisfy his justice and his law in order to adopt sinners into his family. This he did by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.

This means that the status of being a son legally preceded the experience of the Spirit coming to give us the affections of sons. We are legally sons before we experience the joy of sonship. The object work of our salvation (two thousand years ago at Calvary) precedes and grounds the subjective experience of our salvation by the Spirit today.

So it is with our adopting children today: The legal transactions precede and under gird the growth of family feelings. If the legal red tape seems long and hard, keep in mind that this tape is not yet red with your blood, but Jesus satisfied all the legal demands precisely by shedding his blood.
3. Adoption was blessed and is blessed with God’s pouring out a Spirit of sonship.
Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6)
You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:15-16)
God does not leave us in the condition of aliens when he adopts us. He does not leave us with no feelings of acceptance and love. Rather, he pours his Spirit into our hearts to give us the experience of being embraced in the family. What is remarkable about these two texts is the term abba. It is an Aramaic word. Why then does Paul use it, transliterated, in these two letters written in Greek?

The answer is that it was the way Jesus spoke to his Father, in spite of the fact that virtually no one in Jewish culture referred to God with this endearing word abba. It stunned the disciples. They held onto it as a precious remnant of the very voice of Jesus in the language he spoke. In Mark 14:36, Jesus is in Gethsemane and prays, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Therefore, in adopting us, God give us the very Spirit of his Son and grants us to feel the affections of belonging to the very family of God.

In the mercy of God, in our families God works to awaken affections in adopted children for their parents that are far more than legal outcomes. They are deeply personal and spiritual bonds. Adopted children do not infer that they are our children by checking out the adoption papers. A spirit pervades our relationship that bears witness to this reality. Like the other children in the family, they all cry, “Daddy.”

Praise God that he give us both legal standing as his children and the very Spirit of his Son so that we find ourselves saying from a heart of deep conviction, “Abba, Father.”
4. Adoption was (for God) and is (for us) marked by moral transformation through the Spirit.
All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)
God does not leave his children without help to bear the moral image of the family. We may trust that his help will be there for our children as we bring them under the means of grace that God uses to awaken and transform his children.
5. Adoption brought us, and brings our children, the rights of being heirs of the Father.
Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:6-7)
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:16-17)
Notice that Galatians 4:7 says we are heirs “through God” and Romans 8:17 says we are heirs “of God.” In Galatians, the context is the promise of Abraham—through God, that is, by his sending his Son to redeem us, we are heirs with Abraham (even though many of us are Gentiles!) of his inheritance, namely the world (Romans 4:13). But in Romans 8:17, the context is that we, with Christ, are heirs of all that God has, namely, everything. “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:21).

Just before we left for England on sabbatical, Noël and I went to a lawyer and updated our wills. All the boys are married, and Talitha is the only legal “dependent.” A lot had changed since the last time we made wills. This was a reminder to us that she will inherit like the sons. She is not in a lesser adoptive class. All inherit together. That is the way God did it. That is the way we do it.
6. Adoption was (for God) and is (for us) seriously planned.
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. (Ephesians 1:4-6)
Adoption in God’s mind was not Plan B. He predestined us for adoption before the creation of the world. Plan A was not lots of children who never sin and never need to be redeemed. Plan A was creation, fall, redemption, adoption so that the full range of God’s glory and mercy and grace could be known by his adopted children. Adoption was not second best. It was planned from the beginning.

In our lives, there is something uniquely precious about having children by birth. That is a good plan. There is also something different, but also uniquely precious, about adopting children. Each has its own uniqueness. Your choice to adopt children may be sequentially second. But does not have to be secondary. It can be as precious and significant as having children by birth. God is able to make adoption and A+ plan in our lives.
7. Adoption was (for God) and often is now (for us) from very bad situations.
We . . . were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:3)
God did not find us like an abandoned foundling bundled on the front step and irresistibly cute. He found us ugly and evil and rebellious. We were not attractive. We would not be easy children to deal with. And, what’s worse, God himself was angry with us. He hates sin and rebellion. We were then doubly “children of wrath.”

These are the ones God pursued in adoption. Therefore, all of God’s adoptions crossed a greater moral and cultural divide than any of our adoptions could. The distance between what we are, and what God is, is infinitely greater than any distance between us and a child we might adopt. God crossed the greatest cultural barrier to redeem and adopt us.

Consider too, that according to Romans 9:4, the people that God chose in the Old Testament, the Israelites, were adopted out of a terrible situation. “They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.” But how was this adoption effected? Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” They were slaves in Egypt. But not only that, they were often also rebellious against God. “Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea” (Psalm 106:7).

Therefore, God went and took a son from Egypt who was both enslaved and rebellious. The pattern is set: adoptions do not just come from nice, healthy, safe, auspicious situations.
8. Adoption meant (for all Christans) and means (for Christian parents) that we suffer now and experience glory later.
The whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:22-23)
This strikes us as strange. Aren’t we already adopted? Why does Paul say that we are “waiting for our adoption”? Yes, we are already adopted. When Christ died for us, the price was paid, and when we trust him, we are legally and permanently in the family. But God’s purpose for adoption is not to leave any of his children in a state of groaning and suffering. He raised Jesus from the dead with a new body, and he promises that part of our adoption will be a new resurrection body with no more disabilities and no more groaning. Therefore, what we wait for is the full experience of our adoption—the resurrection of our bodies.

There is much groaning in the path of adoption on the way to full salvation. But the outcome is glorious. It is worth it all. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18).

This is especially relevant for parents of children with disabilities. They know the “groaning” of this life. All of us have children with some sort of disability, and some of us will live to get very old and watch our children age and die before we do. Others will see their children struck down in war or by accident or disease. Others will care for a disabled child till one of them dies. All of this groaning is groaning in hope because we are adopted by God and destined for a resurrection and an eternal future of health and wholeness and joy. It will be worth it all.

With Daddy in the Yard

2011-05-20T07:58:00.000-04:00

Morning Funnies

2011-05-20T07:51:00.000-04:00

When the kids got up this morning, I said to my son, "I love you." He replied, "fire truck." I told my daughter "I love you," and she hugged me close, patting my back as we snuggled.

Don't Underestimate 'Em

2011-05-13T20:28:00.000-04:00

These precious two are 1 1/2, and I've been amazed at how much they're doing lately. For example, today at breakfast little man noticed that we were scooping out the last spoonful of oatmeal. He said "oh no! all gone. oatmeal, mmmm." The other day he pointed to a flower on my shirt and said "flower. pretty." If hubby has to leave for work before they get up in the morning, when I go into little man's room he'll usually say "da da. work. car" (because he takes a car to get to work, of course). Then he'll let me know that his sister is in "night night" too, and he's ready to get her. This guy is putting things together! He's a running commentary all day long.

Here they are brushing their teeth...

Going DOWN the stairs...

Cleaning up their blocks...

And putting their books back on the shelf...

Next on the list... feeding themselves with a spoon. Or maybe I should call that one the eventual next one on the list. I'm not a big fan of the mess I know it'll be...

I Get to Be Their Mom

2011-05-10T14:31:00.000-04:00

Wise Words about Adoption

2011-05-06T07:45:00.000-04:00

Dr. Russell Moore recently had a great interview with Dennis Rainey and Bob Lapine of FamilyLife about adoption. Some of the quotes were really helpful things for us as adoptive parents to think about. A few of my faves:

Dr. Moore: I had to be weaned from the idea that there are biological children and then there are adopted children and that having an adopted child was somehow “plan B” and second best.

Bob: But wait, there are biological children and there are adopted children, aren’t there?

Dr. Moore: But that doesn’t define the identity of those children any more than the fact that we have been adopted into the family of God. God doesn’t speak of us as you are the adopted children. He speaks of us as “you are my children, you are my sons and daughters.” The adoption tells us how we got here. So sometimes people will ask us which ones are the adopted ones. That’s not the way we view them. One of our kids, Jonah, who we had biologically, was three weeks early, premature. But he isn’t our premature son. He was born prematurely and we are happy to say that to people but that doesn’t define his identity for the rest of his life.

...

Dennis: One of the things that surprised me was the number of parents who would really count the cost of adopting and would be unwilling to take a step toward adoption because they couldn’t know what the health issues were in advance. In your case, it was not just the hepatitis issue. You actually were given a grocery list of diseases and yet you and Maria stepped toward it.

Dr. Moore: Maria and I had agreed whoever God shows us, whoever God gives us, that is going to be our children and we are going to receive them whatever is involved there. There were all kinds of issues, fetal alcohol and everything else. We said these are our children and we are going to receive these children. One of the things I tell people is you are not going to have a child who is risk free. Whether you birth the child or adopt the child there is no such thing. None of us is risk free. If you are able to say I’m not going to adopt a child who might get sick or who might have something wrong, then you shouldn’t be married or parents anyway because your child can always get cancer or anything.

I think that is why the Lord put us through a time of infertility first so that we were able to receive children as a gift and not to receive children as a commodity that we have. As He says with Israel and with Jesus in the temptations, the Lord made us hunger so that we could know what it would mean to be fed. So we recognize these children are a gift and we are going to receive them as a gift. There are going to be struggles that are going happen with children who have difficulties but we are special needs children in the kingdom of God.

...

Dr. Moore: The number one challenge we faced very early on was making sure that as soon as the children came into our household they were really our children, which meant discipline as well as affection. So we were hugging the children and telling the children "We love you." We also were disciplining the children. And so we would establish parameters and rules in the household. My dad didn’t want that to happen. My dad was saying, "Oh they have been through so much. They were in an orphanage. Just let them do what they want to. If they want to take the coasters and bang the table in the living room, just let them do it." I had to say, "No, Dad. They are our kids now and we want to show them that they are a part of this family and that means that we have rules at our household and we have an order. They are a welcome part of our household, but they are not the new owners of the household."

Dennis: So you are saying you treat them the same as your biological children.

Dr. Moore: Exactly the same. Exactly the same.

...

Bob: I have a friend who, he and his wife adopted a couple of children who were 8 or 9 years old when they were adopted from Russia, and as they went through their teen years and as they went into their college years they started making choices that were very painful to mom and dad. They were moving away from the foundation that mom and dad had tried to pour into their lives. Have you imagined that that could be the case with your boys?

Dr. Moore: That could be the case with any of my boys, whether they were adopted or biologically birthed. I know there are many parents who know the pain of a prodigal. What I would encourage any parent to do is not to then turn around and to label, "Well, that’s our adopted child," to kind of distance...

Sometimes you have parents who are embarrassed by the prodigality of their children, and so they want to try to find "Well these are the reasons why I’m not to blame for that," rather than imaging the Father who loves, who prays and who says "I’m your dad no matter what, and I’m going to be here at the end of the day when you get out of that hog pen and come home."

Some of the other quotes were excellent, really really excellent, but too lengthy to put here. You can check out the transcript or audio of the three part series here. Well worth your time!

Back the Blocks

2011-05-03T13:44:00.002-04:00

Lorraine over at All Are Precious in His Sight is highlighting the Block family on her blog all week to help them raise the support they need to serve as missionaries in Guatemala. God sold their home after a "For Sale by Owner" sign had been in their yard for a week, and He has provided a free place for them to live until they raise enough support to go. They have sold their possessions and are diligently preparing to leave - learning a new language and fundraising, all while raising 9 kiddos and homeschooling! They're ready to move to Guatemala to serve orphaned and vulnerable children at Eagle's Nest in Solana, Guatemala, but they're waiting on the Lord to provide the necessary funds to do so.

They will be bringing the word of God to the children residing at Eagle's Nest and helping provide holistic orphan care. They will be touching the lives of the children who are served each day in the Manna Feeding program and to those who are involved in the Sports Ministry. Because Guatemala closed its door to U.S adoptions these children have little hope of finding a forever family. The Blocks would like to invite you to join their team and become involved in the work God is doing in Guatemala. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with them? They are in need of 147 sponsors who are able to give $25 in monthly support. To be on the Block's team go to www.cten.org/toddblock/

The Blocks need 147 families to join their team by pledging a monthly donation of $25 in order for them to go to Guatemala as missionaries for His glory. Your tax-deductible pledge will be a grand investment in the lives of a few hundred orphans on a daily basis in Solana, Guatemala. If you join the team to Back the Blocks, please leave a comment at All Are Precious in His Sight. They'll be updating a ticker each time a family joins the team. Pray for God to build this team, for His glory, to serve His children in Guatemala! Let's Back the Blocks and get them on the airplane to serve for His glory in Guatemala.

Dads for Adoption

2011-04-28T13:22:00.000-04:00

A great video from an adoptive dad answering three questions that men might have when considering whether to adopt or not:

1. Could I love my adopted child as much as I love my biological children?
2. How am I going to afford to adopt and to expand our family?
3. Is this something I can do well?

A worthy watch!

Enjoying the outdoors

2011-04-26T23:22:00.000-04:00

Our kids love to be on the front porch. There's usually plenty of traffic to watch (even though I didn't catch any in this picture) and it's big enough to run around and play to their hearts' content!

The back yard is even better! We're so thankful for a fenced yard where they can play and enjoy the fresh air. Little man is especially interested in lawn mowers lately, as you can tell. And he can say the word too, clear as day.

Hope you've been able to sneak out between showers and enjoy the great outdoors too!

At the Park

2011-04-14T12:40:00.005-04:00

The kids LOVE the swings. The other day I took them to the seminary bookstore and they were watching a Veggie Tales video while I browsed through some kids books. I heard them start saying "whee, whee," so I turned to see what they were watching. Sure enough, there were some vegetables sitting on swings. Not even swinging, just sitting on swings. That's all they needed to make the association. Such smart little cookies! Now all I have to say is that we're going to the park and they both start saying "whee!" They know exactly what I'm talking about.

Scripture to Song Adoption Fundraiser

2011-04-10T15:35:00.000-04:00

Friends of ours from college let us know about a family that's adopting from Uganda, and it's been a real joy to follow their story. I know you'll love them and their heart for Jesus.

They're also doing one of the coolest fund raisers I've ever heard of. They travel as a team leading others in worship music, and they're using their talents to help raise money to bring their daughter home. Starting about a month ago, they've been releasing a new song each week of Lent that you can download for a donation of $.99 (or more if you'd like). They're kids songs, but they're super cool. And they're Scripture put to music! If you know me, you know how much I love Scripture put to music.

So guys, this is win win. You get to own super cool Scripture put to song and help an awesome Christian family bring their daughter home from Uganda. So what are you waiting for?? Go download some music!

Fun in the Sun

2011-04-08T13:45:00.012-04:00

We love to be outside now that the weather is getting nicer. Here are some silly shots of our kids enjoying the fresh air...

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout...

Down came the rain and washed the spider out!

Looking for rabbits (they say "rabbits...where are you?")

Little man posing for a photo shoot

Both of our cutie pies. What delightful kids!

Sleepy Night Night

2011-04-05T21:31:00.000-04:00

We usually don't use baby talk with our kids. But at bedtime sweet hubby starting telling them it was time for "sleepy night night," and it's stuck. I try to remember to at least call it "night night" instead. Somehow that seems a little better.

When we were weaning the kids off of their nighttime bottles, we figured that was a good time to start a bedtime routine with them. We've got great friends that we respect a lot, and we've modeled what we do after what they suggested for this age. We change the kids into their pj's and overnight diapers, then we all sit on the couch together and read a chapter or two out of the Big Picture Storybook Bible. The kids are so good to sit still and listen, and they really like to look at the pictures. Our March family photo is of us reading together one night. They love the Bible, and we hope their love for it will keep on increasing as they get older!

Then we say the Lord's prayer together. The kids chime in on "amen!" We sing a hymn as we walk them back to their bedroom (hubby is so great to try to relate it to what we read), and then give kisses and hugs as we lay them down for the night.

Sleepy night night to you and yours too!

Are They Twins?

2011-04-03T15:05:00.000-04:00

I enjoy reading Flitterbugs {the blog} because their family has a brown baby boy and girl just like we do! A recent post of hers inspired me to share a little about our experience when I venture out with the kiddos.

I should start out by saying that we're met with joy just about everywhere we go. It's funny -- I guess before I had kids I never thought about how anonymous shopping typically is. Because I'm not anonymous when I go shopping anymore. I've become much more accustomed to strangers starting conversations with me and accounting for the extra time this will add to errands (as if the unloading and loading of strollers, bags and children didn't already add time!). The funny thing is that we're not just noticeable. I get comments like "they're getting so big!" or "he's talking a lot more now"... from people I don't even recognize!!!

The number one question I get is "are they twins?" I can count on hearing it at least once if we're in a public place. Sometimes I wonder if it's because the older the kids get, the less they look like twins. What do you think?

If you've followed our story you know they're not twins. Sweet girl is about 2 1/2 weeks older than her brother. So when we first brought them home and I got the twin question, if I didn't have time for a longer conversation once in a while I'd say "no, she's about two weeks older than he is," and just leave it at that. That is, until someone at Target asked me "well, how did you manage that?" I was kind of at a loss for words! It still surprises me when adoption just isn't on someone's radar at all.

A cashier at Family Dollar once commented on what a beautiful color the babies' skin is (I agree!) and she asked me what their dad's race was. I didn't have the heart to tell her he's a redhead.

At the park one day, a young mom asked me if I was babysitting. I told her no, that these were my kids and asked if she was babysitting the young girl with her (even though the little girl looked a whole lot like her).

I've had older ladies in Kroger tear up after talking with us. One had to walk away because she was a little overcome with emotion. An elderly man in the Walmart parking lot once gave me a dollar for each child.

These kinds of conversations are pretty comical to me now, while the kids are too young to know what people are talking about. In fact, at this point I think they sort of like the attention, or at least they're used to it. But sometimes I wonder how our responses will change as the kids get older. Time will tell, and I'm trusting the Lord to give us wisdom!

I Will Not Leave You As Orphans

2011-04-01T08:13:00.001-04:00

My mom gave me this beautiful necklace for my birthday. She won it by making a donation to an orphanage in Ethiopia when I blogged about a couple of weeks ago! You can click on the picture if you'd like to see the etsy shop it comes from and order one for yourself (or ask for it for your birthday...).

I LOVE it! The verse comes from John 14:18. It's a beautiful passage where Jesus was preparing His disciples for the time when He would not physically be with them any more. His promise to return was fulfilled when He rose from the dead. In Matthew 28:20, after His resurrection, He says to His people, "I am with you always, to the very end of the age." He has not left us to battle in this world alone. Jesus, God Himself, is WITH us.

As He made those precious promises to His followers, isn't it so dear that He spoke to us as children by saying that He wouldn't leave us as orphans? I've seen orphans. Our kids used to be orphans. It's a sad and a difficult life. But God has promised not to leave His people fatherless! He has come to redeem and to rescue, to make us His own.

What amazing promises we have in Christ! And what a joy that as we adopt children into our family, we can be a picture of that!

Molly Piper on Twins

2011-03-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

The other day I thought to myself, Molly Piper has twins. And Molly Piper has a blog. I'll bet Molly Piper has blogged about twins.

Sure enough. In fact, she has a Twin Survival Tips series. Since there are a few others of you out there that could probably benefit from her advice too, I thought I'd share the link. And it actually seems like the people who comment on her posts generally don't have twins but still find her advice helpful. So for all you moms and soon-to-be moms out there, enjoy!

Caring for Orphans in Guatemala

2011-03-26T14:49:00.000-04:00

Eight years ago, Todd and Amy Block followed the Lord's leading to add to their family of six by adopting a little girl from Guatemala. And, as they say, their lives have never been the same. Five adoptions later (yes, that makes 9 kids!), the Lord has changed the direction of their path. Now they are going to the orphans.

Guatemala is a country that is no longer open for inter-country adoption. But there are still many, many orphans there! As you can imagine, the Blocks care deeply about these precious little ones, and they have decided to sell everything and move their family to Guatemala to spend their lives teaching, sharing the gospel with, providing for and loving orphans. Check out the video above for more details about their plans.

Would you please consider partnering with this AMAZING family as they partner with the Lord in caring for the least of these? They are so special to us because their youngest daughter Havyn was at the same orphanage as our kiddos, and in fact her crib was next to our son's! Amy and her oldest daughter Addisyn were in Ethiopia at the same time we were to pick her up, and it's been our privilege and joy to keep in touch with them since. There's hardly a more awesome family that we could recommend you consider supporting.

You can sign up to be a monthly supporter or make a one time gift online here. All donations are tax deductible. You can also mail gifts to:

Commission To Every Nation
Todd and Amy Block
P.O. Box 291307
Kerrville, TX 78029-1307

I just know you'd enjoy following their story at buildingtheblocks.blogspot.com!

Honduras Blitz

2011-03-23T06:47:00.002-04:00

What if every time you gave a dollar to orphans it became one more? One more dollar towards food, education and shelter. One more dollar toward sharing the gospel and providing Biblical mentoring. One more dollar toward changing the life of a child.

Thanks to a generous donor every dollar given to Lifesong Honduras will be matched… up to $120,000! Praise the Lord for this amazing gift!

Over the next 9 days Lifesong is hoping for 100 1-year commitments of $30 a month. Just think, for about $1 a day a life in Honduras can be forever changed.

Partnering with Tree of Life Missions in Honduras, Lifesong for Orphans is able to work toward providing hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless and healing to the hurting. TOLM reaches kids through a program called Plan Escalon. (Escalon is translated "escalator" and is used to describe the children's escalator out of poverty/brokenness.) The program strives toward:

Providing an education to the poorest of youth
Providing food to the poorest of youth
Providing vocational training & micro-business opportunities
Providing free medical and dental clinics to those in need
Training young people to give back to their communities
Reaching people in the jungles of the Mosquito Coast

One way you can help is by participating in Tortilla Tuesday, one week from today. Enjoy a meal at work or with your family or friends of tortillas, rice, and beans. This is a great way to not just talk about life for kids in Honduras, but to actually experience it, if only in one small way. Here are a few facts and conversation starters:

1. Honduras is one of the poorest nations in the western hemisphere.

2. Last year approximately 75% of new students coming into Lifesong Honduras were malnurished, their weight and height way below average, and needed extra vitamins and supplements.

3. There are innumerous un-reached mountain villages that still do not have electricity or running water, children without clothing or shoes, and families without food to feed their children.

- Homes are barely constructed of mud, sticks, cardboard and whatever material they can use to cover themselves.

-Many villages have no organized church, nor a pastor, nor a church building in which to meet.

-Students at Plan Escalon spend part of their education giving back… visiting mountain villages, where many of them came from, to bring food (rice and beans) and minister to the people.

- Imagine what it would it be like to live in a mountain village in Honduras… What would it be like? Would you feel hopeful of your future? How would you survive?

4. At Lifesong Honduras they have to make 3,500 tortillas made every day… on only 3 stoves!

- Can you imagine making that many tortillas every day? Think about how you would interact with others in the kitchen. How easy would it be trying to accomplish this with only 3 stoves?

Be sure to have your camera ready for Tortilla Tuesday! Please send Lifesong a photo of you and your family, co-workers or whoever you invite participating in Tortilla Tuesday, your location, and a short story about the impact it made and the conversations you had to info@lifesongfororphans.org! If you have a blog or facebook, consider sharing it!

The goal is:

Will you help? 100 commitments in ten days is no small feat, but with God it is possible. We have seen Him move mightily in His people to serve orphans and we pray that this will be a testimony of that! Together we can make a difference in the lives of these kids! Together we can do more to bring joy and purpose to orphans! So far they have 4 commitments so they still need many more.

Contact Lifesong at info@lifesongfororphans.org to make your commitment and be sure to tell them that you came from this blog!

Hear personal stories & follow the progress on the Lifesong blog all this week!

Check back often to hear personal stories and get updates on the progress. Please join us in prayer as we ask the Lord to raise up 100 commitments!

Can You Help? Pretty Please?

2011-03-21T08:39:00.002-04:00

I'm totally borrowing this from Mommy Diaries because I couldn't have said it better.

i don't know about you all, but my heart has been burdened lately. burdened by the injustice all over the world, the fact that we have it so easy while the rest of the world suffers from lack of basic things that we take for granted.

i love blog world. because i love the inspiration, the real-life examples of women who are doing God's work, the fresh Word that God speaks to me every single day through all of you in the comments and through the wonderful blogs that i read regularly.

Kim happened to comment on my blog one day, so i headed over to hers. and this is what i read. [pretty please take the time to read it]. this woman is doing what God has asked her to do. and we all know that takes courage and strength and constant reliance on God's provision. the process of saying "yes, Lord" is a daily surrender. it's not just a one-time decision. it's a process that's all about relationship with Him. it's all about being available to allow Him to do huge things through us.

because she refused to sit by and ignore it any longer, Kim is heading to Ethiopia in July. you'd think that was a great start. that was enough, right? well, no, in the meantime her heart has been stirred to intercede, to collect, to donate, to raise awareness and money on behalf of the least of these. to start with, she's doing all she can to get cloth diapers over there. a huge need, apparently.

another thing she's doing is hosting a huge giveaway to raise money for a specific orphanage. i encourage all of you to go enter the fabulous giveaway! it only takes a $10 donation to get 5 entries!?! $25 is 15 entries. and you guys, these are fabulous items to be won! remember that you are giving to desperate children in the process, and you get to win awesome stuff because of it. what could be more enticing? go to this post to enter.

i hope you take the time to donate, enter, and leave a sweet comment over there. [become a follower, too! you'll want to keep up with the incredible things that God is going to do through her.]

i'm off to donate and enter right now :) i hope you'll join me!

Tortilla Tuesday

2011-03-19T14:40:00.001-04:00

Lifesong for Orphans has some EXCITING things happening! A generous donor has committed to match dollar for dollar all donations that come in for their orphan care in Honduras, up to $120,000!!!! To make the best use of the potential resources, they've decided to do a 10-day Honduras blitz starting on Monday. Personal testimonies will be shared from changed lives, we'll get a glimpse into everyday Honduran life, and be given some tools to spread awareness in our families.

One of these tools is a little something we like to call (da-da-DAAA!):

Tuesday, March 29th we will be dedicating 1 meal to eat what the children in Honduras eat on a daily basis... and we want you to be a part of it! We will also provide some great topical questions and discussion guides for you to share with your kids on what life is like for children in another culture.

Would YOU join us?

We'll share more as we get closer to the 29th, so mark your calendars, get your camera ready and head to the store to get tortillas, rice, and beans for the whole family! In the meantime, feel free to check out what's going on at Lifesong Honduras.

Ethiopia Update -- GREAT NEWS!

2011-03-17T14:54:00.001-04:00

A great friend of mine and her husband are adopting from Ethiopia through All God's Children International (AGCI), and today she passed along some GREAT news! Here's the announcement AGCI sent to all their families:

Over the past week AGCI has been working in collaboration with Joint Council, other licensed Adoption Service Providers in Ethiopia and the US Department of State to get clarity on the proposed changes instigated by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs that would have drastically reduced the number of adoptions processed by their office.

We have spent the entirety of this week and last connecting with our own Foreign Staff, participating in caucus calls led by Joint Council and the US Department of State, and independently collaborating with other Adoption Service Providers to get clear and accurate information concerning this matter. Your grace and patience has been so appreciated during this time! What we know as facts are:

§ MOWA posted a notice indicating as of March 10th they would be reducing the number of adoptions processed through their office to 5 cases a day.

§ Within days of this announcement, the director of MOWA and several other staff members from the ministry have been terminated.

Today we want to update you on the feedback we received yesterday from our foreign staff in Ethiopia, which was confirmed in a discussion with our adoption colleagues in a Joint Council caucus call later in the day.

At this time, all Foreign Staff on the ground in Ethiopia are reporting that MOWA has completed their staffing changes and are now currently working at full capacity to complete those adoption cases currently re-scheduled or assigned a court appointment through the courts of Addis Ababa. Our staff believe this to be around 800 cases they are working at full force to complete with no restrictions on the number of cases processed each day. This is great news! We are thrilled to hear these drastic changes do not seem to be going into full effect.

We are also pleased to report that for new cases moving forward; it appears the original changes proposed by MOWA will not be implemented to the degree of 5 cases a day. At this time it is unknown whether or not MOWA will issue a formal statement regarding how they will process cases in the future, but from all discussions it will not be a drastic decrease from before. Through the continued work, meetings, and advocacy of many Foreign Staff members in Ethiopia, it appears any future changes within the case processing for MOWA will avoid sweeping and disproportionate alterations to the number of cases processed each day. Rather, the hope is that MOWA, Joint Council, Adoption Service Providers, the US Department of State and other NGO organizations can come together to support the government of Ethiopia in strengthening the process for ethical adoptions to continue while also improving the general social structures to assist with family preservation in Ethiopia. This plan was acknowledged in the recent posting by the US State Department this morning at http://adoption.state.gov/news/ethiopia.html. We understand the US Department of State cannot issue a formal statement without MOWA issuing a retraction. Based on the information we are receiving, MOWA is concentrating on processing the current adoptions and the new staff is not focused on numbers, but doing their jobs.

AGCI and our trusted colleagues look forward to collaborating to ensure adoptions move forward with the highest level of transparency possible. It is our commitment to carefully, ethically, and mindfully complete the adoption process on every level for orphaned children. Our hope is that as we do this in collaboration with other licensed agencies, we can also help to eliminate future concerns by MOWA and continue to build trust between their office and the adoption community at large.

We want to encourage you all and to share that Ethiopia is still an active adoption program! We are so blessed to be looking back at all these wonderful moments and see God’s hand at work in the stories and lives of these children He loves. Thank you for your continued passion and dedication. We look forward to all the wonderful moments yet to come as we continue to serve in Ethiopia!

Help El Olam Orphanage in Ethiopia!

2011-03-14T09:37:00.002-04:00

There's a fantastic fund raising giveaway going on this week to help renovate the orphanage in Ethiopia where Isaiah and Hannah Van Neste were before they came home. Scott and Angela had told us about the terrible conditions there. Please click on the button below to find out more about the orphanage and how you can help. It only costs $10 or $20 to make an enormous difference in the lives of orphans!

Happy First Gotcha Day!!

2011-03-09T09:44:00.001-05:00

One year ago today we met our children for the first time. How can words begin to describe that life changing day? There simply hasn't been one like it before or since. It's a day we'd been greatly anticipating, one that brought us more joy than we could have ever imagined possible and that will be etched in our minds for the rest of our lives.

Sweet ones, we still marvel at the incredible kindness of the Lord in allowing us to be your parents!! We love you so much and we LOVE life with you!

Gotcha Day 2010

Gotcha Day 2011

Emergency Campaign for Ethiopian Children

2011-03-08T19:30:00.003-05:00

The Joint Council on International Children's Services put out an Emergency Campaign for Ethiopian children today -- we only have a few days to sign and hopefully it'll make a difference! They plan to present it to the Prime Minister in Ethiopia. Here's where you can go to sign it (please do!!):

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html

And here's what it says:

Last week the Ethiopian Ministry of Women's, Children's and Youth Affairs announced their intention to reduce intercountry adoptions by 90% beginning March 10, 2011. The Ministry's plan for a dramatic reduction is apparently based on two primary issues; 1) the assumption that corruption in intercountry adoption is systemic and rampant and 2) the Ministry's resources should be focused on the children for whom intercountry adoption is not an option. Without further announcements by the Government of Ethiopia, it is our understanding that the Ministry's plan will be initiated this week.

The Ministry's plan is a tragic, unnecessary and disproportionate reaction to concerns of isolated abuses in the adoption process and fails to reflect the overwhelmingly positive, ethical and legal services provided to children and families through intercountry adoption. Rather than eliminate the right of Ethiopian children to a permanent family, we encourage the Ministry to accept the partnerships offered by governments, NGOs, and foundations. Such partnerships could increase the Ministry's capacity to regulate service providers and further ensure ethical adoptions.

The Ministry's plan, which calls for the processing of only five adoption cases per work day, will result not only in systemic and lasting damage to a large sector of social services, but will have an immediate impact on the lives and futures of children. Moving from over 4,000 adoptions per year to less than 500 will result in thousands of children languishing in under-regulated and poorly resourced institutions for years. For those children who are currently institutionalized and legally available for adoption, the Ministry's plan will increase their time languishing in institutions for up to 7-years.

Joint Council respectfully urges the Ministry of Women's, Children's and Youth Affairs to reconsider their plan and to partner with governments, NGOs and foundations to achieve their goals and avoid the coming tragedy for children and families.

Books, Music and More

2011-03-07T10:31:00.005-05:00

I love getting recommendations from friends about good books and music for our kids. There's so much out there to help build our children up in the knowledge of the truth! So I created a page with a list of some wonderful resources we've come across. It's in the sidebar so you can more easily find it in the future, under About Us and it's called "Resources we love." I'll include it below too. Of course we don't own anywhere near all of these, but we own a few and the rest have either come recommended by friends, Ray Van Neste or the Girl Talk blog. Ray Van Neste has a great blog on children's literature called Children's Hour that's well worth checking out.

Bibles
The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
My First Study Bible by Paul Loth
The Picture Bible by Iva Hoth
The Beginners Bible by Kelly Pully
Read Aloud Bible Stories (4 volumes) by Ella Lindvall
ESV Children's Family Bible
The ESV Illustrated Family Bible by Zbigniew Frues
Early Readers Bible by V. Gilbert Beers

Music
Seeds Family Worship
       Seeds of Faith
       Seeds of Praise
       Seeds of Purpose
   Seeds of Encouragement
   Seeds of Courage
Dana Dirksen
   Questions With Answers Vol. 1: God and Creation
   Questions With Answers Vol. 2: The Fall and Salvation
       Questions With Answers Vol. 3: Christ and His Work
       Songs for Saplings
Sovereign Grace Music
       To Be Like Jesus
   Walking with the Wise
   Awesome God
The Rizers
Meet the Rizers

Training Resources and Family Worship
For Instruction in Righteousness by Doorposts
If-Then, Blessing, and Put On Charts by Doorposts (anything by Doorposts seems great!)
Foundation Verses by Children Desiring God
Small Children's Catechism by Chris Schlect
Truth and Grace books by Tom Ascol
Small Talks on Big Questions by Selah Helms and Susan Thompson
The Gospel for Children by John Leuzarder
The Big Book of Questions and Answers by Sinclair Ferguson
My 1st Book of Questions and Answers by Carine MacKenzie
My 1st Book of Memory Verses by Carine MacKenzie
My 1st Book of Bible Prayers by Carine MacKenzie
My 1st Book of Bible Promises by Carine MacKenzie
Your Child's Profession of Faith by Dennis Gundersen
God's Names by Sally Michael (Children Desiring God)
Long Story Short by Marty Machowski
The Family Worship Book by Terry Johnson
Thoughts on Family Worship by J.W. Alexander
The Christian Father's Present to His Children by John Angell James
Family Worship in the Bible and Your Home by Donald Whitney
Rediscovering the Lost Treasure of Family Worship by Jerry Marcellino
Big Truths for Little Hearts by Bruce Ware

Books for Children
Learn about God series by Carine MacKenzie
God's Little Guidebooks by Hazel Scrimshire
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers - The Mission by Joey Allen
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers - The Scripture by Joey Allen
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers - The Gospel by Joey Allen
Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers - The Trinity by Joey Allen
Tell Me Why the Stars Do Shine by Inspirational Baby
God Knows My Name by Debby Anderson
I Can Talk with God by Debby Anderson
I Love My Bible! by Debby Anderson
Do Bugs Have Noses by Debby Anderson
Jesus is With Me by Debby Anderson
Kindness Counts by Debby Anderson
Let's Explore God's World by Debby Anderson
Jesus is Coming Back by Debby Anderson
Are Tigers Ticklish by Debby Anderson
Most of All, Jesus Loves You by Noel Piper
Do You Want a Friend? by Noel Piper
What Happens When I Talk to God by Stormie Omartian
I Talk to God About How I Feel by Stormie Omartian
Who Made the Morning by Jan Godfrey
Fool Moon Rising by Kristi Fluharty

Books for Slightly Older Kids
Bible Time and Bible Wise series by Carine MacKenzie
Big Truths for Little Kids by Susan and Richie Hunt
Hear Me Read series by Mary Manz Simon
Little Pilgrim's Progress by Helen Taylor
The Evergreen Wood by Alan and Linda Parry
Dangerous Journey by Oliver Hunkin
The Priest with Dirty Clothes by R.C. Sproul
The King Without a Shadow by R.C. Sproul
The Lightlings by R.C. Sproul
The Prince's Poison Cup by R.C. Sproul
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson
The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson
The Real Story of the Creation by Paul Maier
The Real Story of the Flood by Paul Maier
The Real Story of the Exodus by Paul Maier
The First Christmas by Paul Maier
The First Easter by Paul Maier
The First Christians by Paul Maier
Martin Luther: A Man who Changed the World by Paul Maier
The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
Little Suzy by Elizabeth Prentiss
The Squire and the Scroll by Jennie Bishop
Practice Being Godly by Colin Buchanan
Building on the Rock series by Diana Kleyn

Christmas/Advent
Christ in Christmas:A Family Advent Celebration by NavPress
The Wonders of Christmas by Melody Carlson
The Advent Book by Jack and Kathy Stockman

Parenting Books
Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
Instructing a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
To Train up a Child by Michael and Debi Pearl

Adoption or Africa Related Books
Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
Successful Adoption: A Guide for Christian Families by Natalie Gillespie
Handbook on Thriving as an Adoptive Family: Real-Life Solutions to Common Challenges by David Sanford
Helping Your Adopted Child by Paul Tripp
Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most by Wess Stafford
Wrestling with an Angel by Greg Lucas
With Two Hands: Stories of God at Work in Ethiopia by Rebecca Davis
Only One Race by Answers in Genesis
A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kaszza
Global Babies by The Global Fund for Children

Ethiopian Orphans

2011-03-04T23:23:00.004-05:00

I'm in a bit of shock as I write this blog post. Alternating between tearfulness and shock. Because I just read this article, released today from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

When we met our adoption agency director in November 2009, she told us then that she saw the signs of adoption in Ethiopia eventually closing. I didn't want to believe it. Even though she spoke from experience, having seen other countries close in the past, I just couldn't see how that could happen in Ethiopia when there are so many orphans there who need families. The situation is desperate.

But since we started the adoption process the signs have been becoming more clear. Perhaps this decision to see fewer cases each day for the purpose of more thoroughly investigating each case is a good thing. Of course we want to ensure that every child being adopted is a true orphan! A friend of mine put it so well -- Policies and investigations are put in place for the safety and integrity of the adoption system. However, in instances like this, many innocent and legitimate orphans as well as loving families are the ones who suffer as a result of these decisions.

Our adoption agency director said that this announcement of a dramatic slowing down of adoptions in Ethiopia could be tremors before the earthquake, a forewarning of things that are to come. And if it is, millions without families will remain orphans for their entire lives. And there would have been families to welcome them.

I believe that God is sovereign over this. That He selected a generation of children who were without parents to be brought into Christian homes in America because He had chosen them as His own children. I stand in awe when I think about our son and daughter in the big picture of all this. That their little lives fell in that window of time, and our application process happened in that window of time. It's too great for my mind to wrap around.

Please pray for seven couples that are good friends of ours who are all in process with Ethiopian adoptions right now -- the Hares, the Suttons, the Myers, the Uchereks, the Jenkins, the Joneses and the Windhams. I listed them in order of how far along they are in the adoption process and I know they would all appreciate our fervent prayers. James 5:16 says "The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power!" They are in the middle of a battle for the well being of orphans, a cause that is close to the heart of our great God. Let's fight alongside them!

I had come across this quote and video on a blog I follow a while ago and it seems fitting to post now:

When I see these faces, I see the face of my youngest son – and my heart breaks and the tears flow. Adoption isn’t the only answer to the orphan crisis, but it is one of them. I’ve been so encouraged by all the comments and emails we’ve received lately as a result of sharing our story on this blog. If you’re considering adoption and know it’s something God is telling you to do, please be obedient! You can never imagine the adventure He will take you on, and it will be WORTH every high and low of the journey . . .

Can't Get Enough of These Little People!

2011-03-04T16:17:00.000-05:00

February's Family Picture

2011-03-03T08:04:00.000-05:00

When we use the timer on our camera a red light shines for a few seconds before it takes a picture. Our children are fun loving and full of smiles all day. They're also fascinated by the red light on the camera and while they're looking at it, it sure is hard to get them to share their happy grins with the world!

Here's to February!

It's been so fun to watch our kids grow and develop more and more lately. Even though they've only been walking a few months, they're practically running around now. One of the elderly ladies at church likes to say that our little man thinks he's just as big as the older kids there. And it almost brought me to tears one week to help our sweet miss play Ring Around The Rosy with some of the older girls. How can she possibly be old enough for that yet?

Little man loves to stand at our back screen door and watch cars drive by. Trucks are even better. And buses -- just forget it! He'll tell you all about that bus long after it's gone. Then he'll ask you to please bring another bus by. He loves to play peek-a-boo with the curtain in their room, and he loves to be chased and tickled. Balls are still a favorite for him, much to his daddy's delight. And he seems to be really coordinated and strong. Our little man is creative, funny and eager to please. Dear little boy!

Sweet miss is one of the most engaging little girls I've ever met. She greets us and others with a friendly "hi" throughout the day. And she'll endearingly repeat her greeting until you reply. This girl loves people! And she can cuddle. For added sweetness, she'll pat your back while you hold her. Though we'd definitely call her a people person, she does like to find a private corner where she can get away and read a good book once in a while. And our delightful girl loves to sing and dance!

They're mimicking words left and right, and we can hardly believe how much they understand. I talk to them all day long, and lately it's becoming much more like back-and-forth conversations.

They're starting to really play with each other. Sometimes I'll catch them laughing as they chase each other around, tickling each other or feeding each other food. Precious brother and sister, sweet little friends. I am SO glad we adopted two babies. Glad for our sake and glad for their sake.

Sweet ones, how we cherish every day the Lord gives us with you. You bring us more joy than you could possibly know. You have enriched our lives immeasurably. We know love more fully because of the love God has put in our hearts for you.

Lord, thank you for these blessings. We are completely undeserving of your goodness to us. Thank you for saving the lives of these precious babies, these little ones we love so much. Please give us wisdom to lead them in Your ways, please draw their hearts to love Jesus. There is nothing that would give us greater joy than to see them walking in the truth.

Faith Forbids Fear

2011-03-01T09:40:00.000-05:00

My friend Sarah and her husband Paul recently started the adoption process, and I just had to share some of Sarah's thoughts from her blog about the fears she wrestled with before taking the first step of faith. It's a must read (with tissues on hand)!

My husband embraces challenges. And that's one of the reasons that I love him. We often laugh as we share with others that before we got married, I knew that I would have to be content with possibly living in a hut in a primitive place for the rest of our lives. He's the kind of person who sits up in bed in the middle of the night and excitedly asks, "Can we talk about how we can live off of less money?" But it's not simply a challenge that motivates my husband to do hard things. It's his conviction. His integrity. So when I began to see his heart deeply convicted about international adoption, I knew that I should take him seriously.

Thankful that we can provide different strengths to our marriage, I admit that a desire to embrace difficult tasks and to live uncomfortably is most certainly unnatural for me. With regard to adoption, I loved the idea of it. I needed no reminder that God's Word speaks clearly about the Christian's responsibility to care for the fatherless. I saw the beautiful Gospel representation in bringing an orphan into a loving, stable, Christ-centered family just like God, through Christ, has adopted an undeserving sinner like me into His eternal family (Ephesians 1). I enjoyed talking about adoption with Paul, and I loved seeing children adopted into wonderful families at our church. But deep down, I knew that something was missing. Deep down, something about personalizing adoption made me feel very uncomfortable, and it bothered me. Strangely, I couldn't grasp what was preventing me from being excited about the prospect of us adopting internationally. So I became more intentional: prayers about adoption became more frequent and more specific; I began to single out some people at our church who had adopted or who were in the process of adopting; I read excellent books about adoption; and I read blog after blog after blog after blog and waited for a breaking point.

...And remained frustrated. Why was I not more compelled? When would I be so emotionally moved by "a burden placed on my heart" that my tears would prevent me from talking to my husband across the dinner table like the girls about whom I read on these blogs? What was wrong with me?

And as my husband graciously and patiently allowed me to wrestle through this with him, we began to see the heart of my struggle, namely, fear. I realized that it wasn't that I didn't want to adopt; rather, I didn't want to adopt unless I could somehow be guaranteed that our adopted child would never suffer and that Paul and I would parent perfectly. And as Paul and I hashed out my thoughts, it seemed that God was systematically revealing a paralyzing web of fear that penetrated deeply and broadly. Fear about ways that being adopted can psychologically impact a child for the rest of his/her life. Fear that I might not love an adopted child as much as I would a biological child. Fear that our child and our family might experience the evil that racism is. Fear about the ways that growing up in a racially-segregated city like Memphis has impacted me (though I love and miss Memphis!). Fear about the ways we might be perceived by outsiders.

I certainly believe that any adopting parent should think through issues like these prior to adopting. But I do not believe that fears alone should prevent me from moving forward, because as I pray through these fears and read my Bible, I see that as His child bought by Christ's blood, God hates my fear. Why? Because it's not from Him. Fears prevent me from living courageously by His Spirit and from seeing God's glory worked in our family as we seek to live out that which we profess to believe. He calls me to expect hardships and to live by faith in His sufficiency. He calls me to imitate those who have come before me and have chosen to live for the reason they were created at the expense of wordly ease: the Abrahams, the Sarahs, the Moses', the Rahabs, and other biblical heroes of the faith who desired a "better country, a heavenly one," (Hebrews 11:16). Fears hinder ministry (wives, need I mention our wonderful 1 Peter 3:1-6 passage to support this statement?), and true, Christ-honoring, fruitful, Christian faith forbids fear.

Praising Him who graciously helps me fix my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of my faith when they're so prone to wander, I increasingly anticipate what's ahead.

Fund Raising Spotlight

2011-02-28T10:03:00.000-05:00

Our good friends Derek and Leslie are adopting from Ethiopia, and today their fund raising efforts were featured on Filled With Praise! We just LOVE these sweet friends, so I had to share the featured blog post. If you've been looking for ways to help orphans in their distress, donating to Derek and Leslie as they bring home a baby or two would be a great way to start!

I get so excited to share these families with you each week. I love reading their stories and I always feel so encouraged and inspired by their walk of faith. This week I have the privilege of introducing you to Leslie and Derek. They are adopting from Ethiopia. Here is what Leslie shared about their journey:

We are a young couple from Louisville, Kentucky. I am an elementary teacher and my husband works as a business developer for a company here in Louisville. We have decided to "adopt first". So our baby will be our very first child. God planted a seed in our hearts over a year ago and we knew this was how we were supposed to start our family. We have been so encouraged by friends who have adopted and are so thrilled to live out this journey. I have always loved children and knew that God was going to use my life in some way for that. I thought it was just through teaching and I never thought it would be for adoption too! Yet, I am so happy that it is. We feel so blessed to be on this journey!

Leslie shared their favorite Bible verse during this journey and their thoughts about the verse.

John 14: 18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
I love being reminded of God's provision and perfect plan. Not only does this apply to the many children who are orphans, but to us as well who would be orphans without Him.

Leslie is making wreaths and flower clips to help raise funds for their adoption. She has an Etsy shop to purchase pre-made wreaths, but she also gladly accepts custom orders. The wreaths are available to order in two sizes and they can be made in almost any color. Leslie shared that they are great for indoor or outdoor decor.

Please stop by Leslie and Derek's blog to encourage them on their journey. Also, take a moment to check out some of Leslie's beautiful wreaths, by visiting her Etsy shop.

Blog: The Jones Family

Etsy Shop: Leslie Allison Designs

Growing a Family

2011-02-27T20:33:00.001-05:00

An excerpt from a friend's blog. I love hearing from people who have kids by birth and by adoption!

Everyone has a different reaction to our decision to grow our family through adoption. Some people are excited and supportive. Some think we are doing a “kind deed” by helping the poor child. Others are skeptical and wonder if we will love the child the same as our birthed children. Some people feel the need to share some examples of other adopted children who rebelled when they grew up and treated their adoptive parents poorly. Others are in dismay as to why we would adopt a child when I can physically birth children, and they are perplexed as to why we would want a child of another race. Others are against adoption, especially international adoption. Our reason for adoption is simple: love. We wholeheartedly believe that every child is uniquely created and is deserving of love. We believe that every child, regardless of skin color and special needs, was created to grow up in the context of a loving family. All children were wonderfully and lovingly made.

Our daughter is no different. She was lovingly and wonderfully made. She was created to grow and flourish in a family, but sometimes life is not how it should be. While in a perfect world, every child could grow up with their birth parents, often times that is not possible for many reasons. People might reason then that we are adopting because we pity her situation and feel compelled to save her. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. We aren’t trying to be a savior. We by no means are perfect parents, but we do love her, and we believe love is deeper than blood lines or skin color. We love her like we love the children we birthed. In our eyes, she is no different than our two older sons. We believe that she is a perfect fit for our family. She, like our other children, is a special gift.

Pregnancy and adoption have many similarities. Both families must endure a time of waiting. Both families eagerly anticipate the day they first meet their child. Both families look into the eyes of their child and know that this child is a special gift and is a perfect part of their family. Why? Because of love: a parent’s love endures, eagerly hopes, and relishes in the beauty and wonder of their child. Regardless of how a family is formed, through adoption or through physical birth, love is what defines a family.

Warmer Days!

2011-02-23T08:18:00.000-05:00

Now that we've got little ones, I'm looking forward to spring like never before! We've had some warmer days lately, and we wasted no time getting to the nearest park.

We're looking forward to many more days like these ahead!!

I Saw What I Saw

2011-02-21T20:02:00.002-05:00

Sara Groves sings a moving song inspired by a trip she recently took to Rwanda... I've heard it before, but it's well worth watching the video while you listen to it.

Your pain has changed me... your courage asks me what I'm afraid of, your courage asks me what I'm made of...and what I know of love.

Though it's been almost a year since we were in Ethiopia, help us, Lord, not to forget.

Welcome Home, Isaiah and Hannah Van Neste!

2011-02-19T20:38:00.000-05:00

It was our joy to see our good friends Scott and Angela off at the airport a week ago as they traveled to Ethiopia to pick up their son and daughter and bring them home.

Today we had the even greater joy of welcoming them back home with Isaiah and Hannah Van Neste! It was so reminiscent of our trip, which I can hardly believe was almost a year ago now. The exhaustion, the excitement, the baby carriers, and the beautiful brown, curly haired, confused, sleepy boy and girl that had just traveled from the other side of the world.

I'm sure they'd appreciate your prayers as they go from 6 to 8 children. If anyone is up to it, by God's grace, it's Scott and Angela!

So welcome home, Isaiah and Hannah. Welcome to the Van Neste family. We're so thankful for God's intervention in your life to rescue you out of desperate circumstances and place you in a loving, Christian home. Sweet babies, you are a beautiful picture of the gospel, and we pray that as you get older you'll come to embrace that same gospel!

Lifesong, Orphan Care Alliance and the Philpots

2011-02-17T14:36:00.001-05:00

Lifesong for Orphans has long been a familiar name to us. They have a strong reputation in the adoption world for being a Christian organization firmly committed to orphans and adoptive families. Little did we know when we mailed off a grant application to them many months ago what great personal friends they would also become. We honestly can't say enough good things about the people there and the work they're doing. It's a privilege and a blessing to be connected to them.

Many of you might remember that Lifesong had us speak at a conference in Chicago this past fall on behalf of adoptive families that have received grants from them. It was such a wonderful event, and we were really encouraged to hear about all the ways that Lifesong is involved in helping orphans around the world. While we were there, they had us do a video interview... and today they featured our family and Orphan Care Alliance on their blog. Orphan Care Alliance is a fantastic local organization, and they're the ones that funded our matching grant through Lifesong. The more we get to know about them, the more we want to get involved with what they're doing.

So check out the Lifesong blog for the interview... I'll give you a preview of the video here. Our family interview starts at about the 50 second mark.

Special Delivery from Ethiopia

2011-02-16T12:11:00.002-05:00

Our kids have grown into the t-shirts that our adoption agency sent us while we were still waiting to bring them home. They say "Special Delivery from Ethiopia." We're so thankful the Lord delivered them straight to us!!

Adopted for Life

2011-02-15T15:11:00.001-05:00

I've had several people let me know that you can get a FREE download of the excellent audiobook Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches by Dr. Russell Moore all month long at christianaudio.com. I just grabbed it off the shelf today to send a quick quote to a friend, and I'm reminded again what a great great book it is. I highly recommend it whether you're thinking about adopting or not!

The Van Nestes

2011-02-14T07:04:00.002-05:00

Our great friends Scott and Angela Van Neste are headed to Ethiopia to bring home their son and daughter! Please pray with us that they'll be safe and have no problems.

We love and respect Scott and Angela so much. They have four biological children, two foster children, and have adopted these precious twin babies from Ethiopia into their family, Hannah and Isaiah. Their sweet girl Hannah may have downs syndrome, but there's no testing in Ethiopia to know for sure whether she does or not. Regardless, the Van Nestes are ready to love and cherish both babies and we're so excited to help welcome the two newest Van Nestes!!

My New Favorite Shirts

2011-02-10T12:54:00.002-05:00

My hubby's cousin Michelle has an etsy shop, and my thoughtful mother-in-law got me this fantastic shirt for Christmas from her. I love it! If you'd like one too, you can order it from little.blue.feather.

I also won a giveaway for a free Lifesong t-shirt!

You can find it and other t-shirts they have for men and women here. I love promoting adoption!!

What a Difference a Year Makes

2011-02-07T14:00:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture of our kids from last week, sporting adorable shirts that a friend made for them. (She's super creative and has a fun etsy shop)

And here's a picture of them one year ago. Wow, they're getting so big! It's really amazing how much they change in the first year of life!

Don't they look so much healthier and happier now too? I remember looking at photos like this older one before we went to get them, and my mommy instinct would really kick in. I couldn't wait to bring them home and take care of them!

Four People Twelve Times

2011-02-04T14:56:00.001-05:00

I've got a new goal. I'd love to take at least one picture of all four of us every month in 2011. Otherwise we just don't end up with too many pictures that have all of us in them, and I know how much we'll treasure them over the years! I didn't come across this idea until January 30 after the kids went to bed. So we took a very impromptu picture on January 31 for the few minutes after daddy came home from work and before mommy left for Bible study. Here's to January!

Court Date Anniversary!

2011-02-01T06:48:00.027-05:00

On February 1, 2010, the Ethiopian courts declared that two newborn babies that had been orphaned into desperate circumstances were our children. We'd hardly slept the night before with anticipation, and woke up very early that morning for an update on the court decision. We found the email in my inbox only minutes after it arrived, at 5:12 in the morning! God was true to His word in Psalm 9:12 - "He does not forget the cry of the afflicted." He heard the cries of our little ones and came to their rescue.

God, the creator and upholder of all things, is mindful of each one of us, including a little boy and girl from the small village in Ethiopia.

These sweet babies had been in fairly good care up to that point, but care that is intermediate by its very nature. There is no substitute for a mother and a father. Had their court cases not passed, we’re not sure what would have happened to them. They may have remained orphans for the rest of their lives. No mother. No father. And terrible prospects for life after they aged out of the orphanage. Deuteronomy 10:18 tells us that God “executes justice for the fatherless.” What a joy to be God’s provision for these two!

Our son and daughter have had 365 days of being Philpots, and we've had that long of calling them ours. It's a beautiful thing, and we can't thank the Lord enough for entrusting them to us.

Over the past year we've often reflected on the sacrificial love of our daughter's birth mother and the situation of her unknown birth father and our son's unknown birth parents. There are only sad reasons why children are made orphans. My heart has been full of love for these precious babies and sometimes full of grief reflecting on the fact that their birth parents will never have the joy of knowing them like we do. We are simply not worthy of this gift.

So on this day we give thanks to our Heavenly Father, who created these two children and formed them in their birth mothers' wombs, then lovingly placed them in our arms. He has given them new names, new identities in our family, and a new hope for a future...much like He has done in our lives through Christ. What a joy that our family is a picture of that most glorious adoption. Praise be to God alone!

Psalm 68:6 God sets the lonely in families.

Just off the plane from Ethiopia with our new son and daughter

One Day/One Lunch

2011-01-29T13:49:00.001-05:00

Would you be willing to take a minute to help my friend Amy and her daughter Addisyn spread the word about the One Day/One Lunch project? Thank you so much!!

A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

Every 5 seconds a child dies of starvation. And the truth is, most days this never even crosses our minds. Perhaps that's because with a number like this, we don't even know where to begin.

But what if you knew where to begin? What if you knew what to do to make a difference? And what if that difference simply started with your lunch?

What if all it took was One Day and One Lunch to make a difference in the life of a child?

If you are reading this today, I'd like to ask you to be a part of something big. God usually prefers to work through people -- ordinary people like you and me. You have two choices right now. You can click off this page and pretend you didn't read this and go on with your everyday life or you can choose to see that God brought you here to read this for a purpose - to be a part of something big.

Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to do something you can't. I'm going to ask you to do something you can. The average American spends between $2 - $8 a day on lunch. I am asking everyone who reads this blog post to simply choose, on February 3, to give up their 'lunch money' and then donate what they would have spent on lunch to Lifesong for Orphans for the Adami Tulu preschool in Ziway, Ethiopia. Can you imagine what Jesus could do? A mere $3 feeds a child for one month! Can you imagine the impact we could make - simply by being willing to make a small sacrifice for someone else?

So mark your calendar for February 3 and spread the word about the One Day/One Lunch project. Put it on facebook, add it to your blog, ask your coworkers, friends and church family to join in. Let's make a small sacrifice - to make one big difference.

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love - Mother Teresa

Donations can be given online at www.lifesongfororphans.org/donations.html. Please indicate it's to go to the Adami Tulu preschool.

Oh How I Wish Everyone Loved Orphans!

2011-01-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

I'm crying as I watch this video. I don't think I can embed it, but you can watch it on facebook HERE.

The young girl that started Rosalynn's Hope at Ninth and O Baptist Church has an amazing story. I was so moved by her testimony... you've got to read it! What a joy to hear from a young adult that was adopted from the Philippines by a Christian family, and her love for adoption because she's experienced the blessings of it!!

We Love to Do This

2011-01-26T09:49:00.004-05:00

Five Plus Yes

2011-01-24T09:36:00.000-05:00

Every now and then hubby sends me a link to an adoption blog post that moves him. THIS is one of my favorites yet. Here's an except to get you started...

Could it be that God’s will is found at the intersection of someone’s need and our ability?

Could it be that simple?

Good stuff already, huh? If you have a minute more, click on the word Ethiopia in his blog post to read more about his trip there. This is the kind of stuff that moves my heart more than almost anything else.

I hope to also check out the book he mentions in the article -- Too Small to Ignore: Why the Least of These Matters Most by Wess Stafford.

Recent Footage

2011-01-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

Why Ethiopia?

2011-01-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

The statistics in this video are staggering. Absolutely staggering.

Miracle Child

2011-01-19T10:00:00.000-05:00

Six year-old William once asked his mother, “Why do other children walk on the bottoms of their feet? Why am I like this? What did you do to me?” When she told him that it was God who did it, not her, William said, “Then please tell God to fix me.”

William was born with clubfoot, affecting both of his feet. If William had been born in America this common deformity would have been easily fixed when he was still a baby. But in Zambia it’s a different story. In Zambia, where the resources are few and the funds are even fewer, healing is only a distant dream.

Last February Lifesong Zambia coordinator, Dru Smith wrote about William in her newsletter. When Wendy in Illinois heard his story she was prompted to act. After a thorough investigation she discovered CURE Clubfoot International, which had a clinic in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia! In April William was fitted for casts (first in a series of 3) and then had corrective surgery on his right foot in June and his left foot in September (the video was taken in September just before his second surgery).

God used His people to “fix” William. Today William can walk! Soon he will be strong enough to return to school, play with the other children, and be able to do many of the simple tasks we take for granted!

Through this journey the Lifesong staff has been able to help not only William, but his family as well. William’s brother, Bright, and cousin, Gift, have both been enrolled at Lifesong school. In addition his father, Victor, who was unemployeed now works in the Lifesong gardens! We’re so thankful our God is the master at doing “abundantly and immeasurably more” than we even think to ask!

*Find out more about Blogging for Orphans here.

The Philpot Family

Shout Hosanna

Singing Hymns and Family Devotions

Snapshots

No Room

We're Two!

Eastern DR Congo is "Rape Capital of the World"

Adoption: A Glorious Transformation

Sometimes the Truth Hurts

What if You Don't Get Your Miracle?

It's Worth It

Her Hair

Orphan Sunday

To Africa and Back

Why Was This Child Born Blind?

Bible Study Fellowship

All Dressed Up

Sleeping in the Car

Taking on Risk as Cross-Bearing Love

Children, Obey Your Parents and the Lord's Prayer

Family Pictures

Day at the Farm

Sometimes We Hang Out at Home

Fall Fun

Domestic Adoption

Democratic Republic of Congo

Too Cute to Keep to Myself

Bloodlines

A Boy and a Girl

Singing with Daddy

We're Adopting Again!

A Rock-Bottom Job?

It's Not a Hobby

Run to the Cross

Daddy's Hats

Henry's Ark

A Terrible Loss

Almost Two!

Hands Full

What Have We Been Up To?

Catching You Up

Not Your Everyday Conversation

Chatting with Kids About Adoption

Misconceptions About “Adoption Chats”

A Truly Forever Family

Ideas and Resources to Help You and Your Child with Adoption Chats

Books with Diversity

A Back Yard is a Blessing!

Happy Father's Day

Sunday Best

You're So Brown!

Brown Babies Need Sunscreen Too

No Such Thing as Adoption Without Suffering

Isn't It Embarrassing...

A Note From Dad

The Footwashers of Ethiopia

A GREAT Adoption Discussion

Adoption and Parenting at the Gospel Coalition

Adoption: The Heart of the Gospel

The Foundation of Adoption

Eight Similarities

1. Adoption was (for God) and is (for us) costly.

2. Adoption did (for God) and does (for us) involve the legal status of the child.

3. Adoption was blessed and is blessed with God’s pouring out a Spirit of sonship.

4. Adoption was (for God) and is (for us) marked by moral transformation through the Spirit.

5. Adoption brought us, and brings our children, the rights of being heirs of the Father.

6. Adoption was (for God) and is (for us) seriously planned.

7. Adoption was (for God) and often is now (for us) from very bad situations.

8. Adoption meant (for all Christans) and means (for Christian parents) that we suffer now and experience glory later.

With Daddy in the Yard

Morning Funnies

Don't Underestimate 'Em

I Get to Be Their Mom

Wise Words about Adoption

Back the Blocks

Dads for Adoption

Enjoying the outdoors

At the Park

Scripture to Song Adoption Fundraiser

Fun in the Sun