We are Expecting!!!!

A few weeks ago I told someone that God knew we did not need a "match" with all we had going on such as the break in and all the end of school stuff and preparing for mission trip and Vacation Bible School.

Well one week after our home was broken into, Joel received an email from our attorney with an uncommon situation he wanted us to consider. He explained that one other couple besides us received this info and if we both said no he would move to another family. Birth Mom is 6 weeks pregnant and has had some high risk pregnancies before. Normally matches do not occur this early but this is a special situation. Joel and I initially said that we should pass because we were planning for a girl. We went in different directions that evening then Joel and I met up for dinner. The Lord began to change our hearts on our plan. When we met up for dinner we both began to consider that maybe God has a different plan than we do. Maybe this is Kaleyah Joy or maybe God simply wants us to let go of the control we think we have and follow Him. This adoption will be considerably more than we originally planned. However if Gods going to provide 18 thousand he'll provide 28 thousand. What's money to God. We discussed putting a fleece before The Lord and passing to the other couple and if they said no we would accept. We also discussed talking with our big kids and seeing how Caris reacted. she has her heart set on a sister and roommate. We discussed the reasons to accept and the reasons not to accept. The only real reason not to accept is because we may not get a girl. We realized that this us Gods journey and Gods plan. Before I ever even told Joel I was ready to adopt the Lord spoke to my heart and told me to Follow Him. So we finished a yummy dinner and headed to pick up our kids at Grammy and Grands. When we got there we told the big kids we needed to have a family meeting. We went to the sun room and explained to them about the call from the attorney. Isaiah immediately said let's do it. Caris thought for a minute. She said I think we should
accept because there is a reason God brought this baby to us. We discussed the fact that she could end up the only girl with three brothers. She fully Understood the situation and wanted to accept this referral. Joel was really overwhelmed and so we decided to pray. Isaiah voiced a prayer for Gods direction and we called the attorney and accepted. We explained to him how we believed The Lord led us to say yes when we thought we would say no. The attorney seemed very happy and told us the other couple turned it down quickly because they want a girl. So we accepted a match around 9pm on Monday night May 6th. So we r expecting a baby on Dec 26!!!! More details to come.

Love your neighbor

Love your neighbor as yourself is one of those commands that should come easy but it is so difficult. A few weeks ago my kids and I came home from school and Isaiah noticed the back door had been kicked in. As we looked through the house we realized a few things had been taken. A few things that cannot be replaced. Someone came into our home and took our things. God continues to teach me that things are just that, things. I was so thankful we were not home. That is what is most important. My family cannot be replaced. I continue to thank The Lord that He protected us all by allowing us to be gone to school and work.
So am I to love the neighbor who came into my home, stole my belongings and kicked in the back door? Am I to love the neighbor who has changed our behavior and who has disrupted our peace and security in our own home? The answer is yes. God said to love our neighbor. He tells us to do it. He never said love your good neighbor. That would have been easy but Jesus does not call us to do what is easy. He did not do what was easy when He suffered and died a horrible death just to give me a relationship with Him. I have kicked in Jesus' back door so many times and tried to take what was not mine forgiveness, mercy, Grace. Just to learn that Jesus offered it to me freely. I cannot take it from Him. He offered it to me and to you. All we have to do is receive it and Follow Him. It's not easy but it is a joy filled, amazing journey. I cannot say that I feel Love for my neighbor who broke into our house but Im trying. I want to love as Jesus loves. In light of the Love and Forgiveness I have received, I must love others.

Thank you Lord for your love which seeks us out and forgives us even though we do not deserve it and thank you for your protection.