I love this place!!!

As many of you know, our family moved to Nashville in May 2007 to help start Green Hills Church. We left the security of a familiar town, a growing church, wonderful friends, an expanding clientele for my photography business, a great elementary school that Riley had attended for a year, etc., etc. We knew that God was calling us away from all of that into a new phase of life, but everything seemed very uncertain. We weren't going to an established church with a working budget and the security of a paycheck, and we knew very few people in Nashville. But we knew that it was our next step, and we were excited (nervous, but excited!). I remember leaving Memphis and driving to our new home with a trailer behind my Envoy. Brad was in front of me in a huge yellow moving truck. The boys were in the backseat, and I could hardly see for the tears welled up in my eyes!

Now it's 2 1/2 years later, and Nashville is home (actually it became home very quickly - we love this city!). Our hearts are so connected to the people that make up Green Hills Church, and we're amazed at all that God has done in our hearts since we've been here. He's definitely on the move at Green Hills, and we are so incredibly thankful to be a part of it all. Just this morning, I read this blog and this one, and I was moved to tears again at how much I love these guys and what they're allowing God to do in and through them. I'm so proud of them and thankful for them!

We certainly haven't done this alone, either. Mike and Brad are co-pastors, and we feel blessed to do life with him and Tabitha. Tabitha has sat with me at Starbucks and listened to my heart as we considered adoption. She has cried tears with me and for me, and I just couldn't be happier to have her on this journey with me. She's graciously offered to help in any way possible as we work to bring our little boy home, and you can bet that I'll be taking her up on it!

As I said before, God is teaching us at GHC a lot right now, and I can't wait to see what He has in store for us in 2010! We've started caring for "the least of these" in our own community here in Nashville, and the ripples are going out across the world. I continuously hear of possible mission trip opportunities, Compassion International sponsorships, having conversations with members of the homeless community and taking steps toward meeting some of their physical needs, and just thinking beyond ourselves in general.

Just tomorrow, a group of us will spend our day ministering to a struggling family. Their house is in rough shape, and the one bathroom they share is barely functional. We'll spend our New Years Eve day cleaning their house, painting, doing laundry, buying groceries for their family, and renovating the bathroom. It will be a lot of really hard work, and we'll get our hands dirty . . . but I CANNOT think of a better, more satisfying way to bring in 2010.

I don't say any of this in a prideful way at all. I say it because I'm completely humbled to be a part of this church family. If any of you are reading this, please know that I love you from the bottom of my heart, and I'm so grateful for you! I tell Brad all the time, "I would definitely want to be a member of Green Hills Church even if you weren't one of the pastors!"

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." - 1 John 3:17-18

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"
- Isaiah 58:6-7

"'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" - Matthew 25:35-40

It's my prayer that we will live in light of those verses this upcoming year and that God will do things through us that we could never imagine to do on our own.

[P.S. - Go here to listen to a few of Josh's songs (Josh is our worship leader at church). I like them all, but I think my favorite might be Wake Up.]

Etsy & Ethiopia

I was browsing on Etsy tonight, and I came across these fun finds! Many of them are adoption fundraiser products. We've been brainstorming fundraising ideas, but I haven't come up with anything this creative! If you have any fun ideas, let me know!

I like this little shirt and this necklace and this necklace and this decal and this shirt and this shirt and this set of cards and this shirt . . .

And for those of you who saw my announcement on my photography blog or Facebook tonight and left such sweet, encouraging comments, THANK YOU!!! I am already overwhelmed by the love and support we have received in making this decision. You all will definitely be part of our journey, and I'm so thankful for each of you.

"Love doesn't have color"

Check out this interview with Michael Franti & his family. It was shown during the 11th Annual "A Home for the Holidays" CBS television special.

Praying for you . . .

. . . my sweet boy. I missed you this Christmas, but you were talked about a lot! We told everyone about our plans to get you, and they're excited about you being part of our family, too! I'm praying that we're able to celebrate Christmas with you next year!

When we got home from Alabama, our home study paperwork was in the mailbox, and I'm ready to get started! We have to gather birth certificates, our marriage certificate, tax returns, letters of recommendation, medical forms (which means a trip to the doctor for each of us), Tennessee Bureau of Investigation criminal check reports, police clearance for the time we lived in Mississippi, a residential history form, a vaccination certificate for our cat (!), a copy of our city water bill & a family picture. Looks like I'll be busy for the next week or two - and we're just getting started!

I love these boys...

...and I love how excited they are about their new brother! I was so nervous the night we told them about our plans for adoption. I knew Cole would be all in (he's my "go-with-the-flow" / "the more the merrier" kid!). I didn't know what Riley would think, though. I love him dearly, but he's kind of set-in-his-ways for a kid, and he's not so keen on change. I was relieved and thankful when they both responded with nothing but excitement. I know there will be a lot of adjusting once their brother gets here, but I'm so thankful that they seem to "get it" as much as a 6 & 8 year old can. They're good kids, and I'm happy to be their mama! We had fun taking pictures for our Christmas card this year! I was torn between this one and the one we ended up choosing. I liked the starkness of the one on the card. It's impossible to miss that there's an empty chair in between them. But I also liked this one because they're touching the chair - as if to say we love you and welcome you into our hearts and our home.

Ethiopia???

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I had begun to take a special interest in Uganda. So, you may be wondering how in the world we chose Ethiopia. You might also be wondering why we decided to adopt internationally rather than domestically when there are so many children in need here in the United States.

To answer the first question, my heart had become connected to Uganda mainly as a result of Katie Davis' blog. God really used her ministry there to get my attention. So, all along I had thought that if we adopted, we'd definitely go to Uganda and specifically to Amani Baby Cottage. There are several families here who have adopted children from there, and it just made sense to do the same. However, after speaking to Gwen & Suzanne of 147millionorphans.com, we learned that Amani isn't currently taking applications. Also, the government there has no established laws regarding adoption, making it much more complicated. I had already begun to think of Ethiopia as a second option because an old high school friend of ours is adopting from there, as well as some other people from Nashville that I've recently met. We also learned that there are approximately 4.5 million orphans in Ethiopia alone, so the need there is great. There are several placing agencies that have very well-established programs in Ethiopia, too. If you're like I was, you might not even know exactly where Ethiopia is, so here's a map of Africa if you need a little geography refresher:



And here is a map of Ethiopia:




The answer to the second question (why not adopt domestically) is pretty simple, and there are two main parts: 1) We sensed that God was leading us to Africa rather than the United States, and 2) adopting a child from a third-world country is sometimes the difference between life and death for them. It basically just comes down to the fact that Ethiopia is where God has directed our hearts.

WOW!

This story seems almost unbelievable, but it really happened right down the road in Franklin, TN! Like this family, we don't have the funds to bring our little boy home from Ethiopia. HOWEVER, we believe with all our hearts that God will provide what is needed. We've heard the saying, "Where God guides, He provides." It sounds a little cheesy, but it's so true. We've seen it happen over and over again in small and big ways. This story encourages me in our journey! We'll be posting more about our fundraising efforts soon. We plan to use my photography business to help, and we'll also be partnering with Gwen and Suzanne over at 147millionorphans.com.

Why adopt? (part 2)

DISCLAIMER: This is kind of long . . . sorry! In this recent post, I began describing the details of our decision to adopt. Here are some excerpts from my journal to help give you a little better glimpse at some of the things that led to that decision.

Back in October, I started journaling more frequently. On October 9th, I wrote, "I have an overwhelming sense of purpose and a desire to live for something other than myself. I'm 31 years old, and I want my life to count. For God. To make an eternal difference in people's lives. I feel like God has turned the focus of my heart to Uganda, Africa. I think about that country continually throughout the day. I think about precious Umalu, who our family just started sponsoring through Compassion International. I think about the fact that it's 5:45 PM there right now when it's 9:45 AM here. I think about the precious orphans at Amani who are probably getting ready to eat their dinner . . . God made all those beautiful orphans just like he made Riley and Cole. We are SO incredibly blessed to have the life we have. And God has blessed us in order that we might be a blessing to others. He has given us resources that we can use to give others hope and even the chance for another day of LIFE. God, please stir in our hearts and lead us in how to be faithful stewards of what you've given us. Connect our hearts together and guide us as we navigate through all of this . . . I pray that you'd continue to give me a vision of the things you want to do through me and our family. Help me teach my boys how important it is to heed your voice and follow after you - even when it calls for sacrifice."

On November 6th, I wrote, "I still feel like God's working in my heart in the the area of social justice and caring for the poor. He's at work at Green Hills [Church], too! People are caring for the homeless by packing bags of food and toiletries, etc. to keep in their cars to pass out. Our small group will be putting together bags in the next couple of weeks . . . My heart still feels tender toward orphans, and I've asked Brad to pray with me to see if God wants us to adopt. It sounds weird even as I write that, but I truly believe that if it's something God wants us to do, He'll provide for us in every way . . . God, if you want us to adopt a child or two :), would you please speak to BOTH of us about it? Would our hearts be completely unified? And if you have other plans for us, would you show us? I know you want to, and I trust that you will."

November 23: "Brad and I are in Birmingham hanging out together right now. Life has been a crazy whirlwind for a few months now, and it's so nice to slow down a little for a couple of days. We've been talking about adopting some while we've been here, and I think we probably will!!! It's exciting and scary to think about at the same time! Part of me feels completely overwhelmed, and part of me longs to be "mommy" to some precious child who doesn't have one."

November 24: "Today Brad and I walked down to the creek at the barn. On the way back, I asked him if I need to say 'if we adopt' or if I could say 'when we adopt.' I keep talking about it, and it's been hard to know which he preferred :). He said 'when we adopt,' and my heart did flip flops! We're really going to, and he said we could go ahead and start the paperwork soon! . . . Today for the first time my heart longed for him - for the child who's probably already born - who is alone with no family. For the first time I wondered what he looks like and what he was doing at that moment. For the first time my heart ached for him. I'm going to start praying for him. I wish I knew his name. I've thought about him all through the day and thought about how it will be different with him in our family. We'll need an extra chair at the Thanksgiving table, we might not be able to all go on long hikes in the woods because he might be too little to keep up, etc., etc. God, I pray for our sons - all THREE of them! I pray that you will give Brad and me the wisdom and patience to parent them well . . . I'm so excited - and scared :). I know that this is from you, though, God. And I know that it's the right thing for our family. I know that it won't be easy, but I believe with all my heart that it will be worth it. Thank you for answering my prayer and putting this on BOTH of our hearts!"

So, there you have it. And let me just go ahead and say that I was hesitant about putting my personal thoughts and prayers out there for whomever to see. I only write it publicly because it's a testament of how God listens to and answers our prayers. I was itching to adopt - so much that I was completely restless. That part of the journey was actually pretty lonely for me. Brad didn't feel the same way I felt (yet), and God was really the only one I felt like I could go to. I'm so thankful now, though, that I wrote all of it down and that I can look back and see how God was faithful and how he answered my mumbled, jumbled prayers :).

Next post: Why ETHIOPIA?!?!?!?!

By the way, here's Umalu, the little boy we're sponsoring from Uganda. He wrote us a letter and thanked us for letting him be our "African son" . . . and stole my heart!

Christmas fun in the kitchen!

Last night we all got in the kitchen and made some Christmas goodies. We dipped large pretzel "rods" in chocolate and put sprinkles on them. It was super simple, but we had a good time together. We're going to give a bundle of them to several of our neighbors and friends. It took me an hour to clean up the kitchen when we were finished, but it was totally worth it to spend some time making memories!

Missing Him

I don't know him yet. I have no idea what his name is or what his face looks like. I don't know the circumstances behind him being orphaned. But I love him. It's the strangest thing. To love someone that you don't know yet. It happens when you're pregnant, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that it happens with adoption, too. But it still seems a little strange. I think of him often - every day for sure. I do the math in my head and figure out what time it is where he lives. I wonder what he's doing, if he's being loved on, if he has enough food to eat. I long to hug him and cup his face in my hands and kiss his little cheeks. And I don't even know him yet. I think God must do that. You know? Give me that kind of love for someone I don't know. I might not know him, but he's already mine, and I long for the day when I can be his mom and do all the things for him that moms do. So if you see me driving down the street with tears rolling down my face, I'm probably okay - just thinking of him. I don't know how long it will take to get him home, but it won't be fast enough for this mama. Until then, I'll pray for him because I know God loves him so much more than I do.

Psalm 139:1-16

O Lord, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord.

You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Merry Christmas (& SURPRISE)!!!

Here's our Christmas card for this year (front & back) . . .

Brad and I have done the classic "Christmas Letter" ever since we got married in 1999. We started the tradition because we got married and immediately moved away from family & friends. We thought it would be a good way to keep up with people and give them a chance to keep up with us. I've often debated not doing a letter, but people seem to have come to expect it from us. It may be a little cheesy, but we're sticking with it for now. So, this card will be accompanied by a short letter explaining what in the world that empty chair is all about :).

When Brad and I finalized our decision to adopt right before Thanksgiving (more about that later), I began to think about how to do our card this year. We wanted to tell our families about our adoption plans at Thanksgiving, but we knew we needed to tell Riley & Cole first (of course) and give them some time for it to sink in before we broadcast it to everyone else. So, we're planning to tell everyone when we're in Alabama for Christmas, and the cards will go out right after that. I had the chair idea from the start, and I like how it turned out. Hopefully that chair will be filled next year?!?!

Amazima

I mentioned Katie Davis in my last post. Here she is in action. I love every single thing about this video . . .



If you're interested in her ministry in Uganda, you can learn more by reading her BLOG. I would recommend that you read it like a book - from the very first post to the most recent one. I promise that it will be worth your time. Just keep some tissues nearby :).

Why adopt?

As people find out about our decision to adopt, I know many of them will ask what led us to make that commitment. My answer is actually pretty simple: God burdened my heart so much for orphans that I walked around either with tears brimming in my eyes or streaming down my cheeks for at least an entire month. During that time, it seemed like He spoke to me every single day about adoption. I've told a few people that His message to me seemed so intense that it was almost as if He was screaming in my face telling me that we were supposed to pursue adoption - that we'd be completely disobedient if we didn't. I understand that if you don't believe in God or believe in allowing Him to guide and direct our lives, that answer might not make much sense. The thing is, my faith affects my entire life. It's everything to me. And I have full confidence that this is something that He's called us to do. In the same way that we left our familiar life in Memphis and moved to Nashville in May 2007 to enter a world of unknowns, we will take this step of obedience. We know that when times get tough (and they will), we can rest in the knowledge that this is what He called us to. Knowing that is everything for me. That's where I find security when life gets crazy.

Thinking back, I can remember the night God started stirring my heart for orphans. I don't remember the exact date, but it was late one Saturday night (in early September, I think). I had been sporadically following Katie Davis' blog, and I came across THIS post. Katie is from here, and she lives in Uganda now. She's a 21-year-old mother to 14 girls, and God is using her life to affect more people there than she could ever possibly do on her own. I don't think I've ever been convicted the way I was that night. I read and sobbed. I cried all night. I felt sad that these precious children suffer so much while I like my comfortable life here in the US. I cried because I don't think anything about paying $4 for a grande mocha when that money could be used to feed a child and help save his life. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't think there's anything wrong with enjoying a mocha every now-and-then, and I'm grateful for all that God has blessed me with. I just began to see more clearly that night how the resources we have could be used for things with such greater purpose. I was so convicted that I couldn't eat anything. I kept trying to talk to Brad, and I couldn't even talk. I cried myself to sleep thinking about those sweet children, and I woke up the next morning with puffy, swollen eyes and a heart that was still broken. That night, I believe God put a calling on my life that I didn't even realize at the time. He literally began to break my heart for the poor, those he refers to as "the least of these." I began to see how close they are to His heart and how He has called us to love people and take care of not only their spiritual needs, but their physical needs as well. That's where it all began for me. Now, God was doing all these things in my heart, but I wasn't sure He was doing them in Brad's heart. Would he think I was crazy? Would he ever be interested in adoption? Only time would tell, and that's another story for another day :).

I'm seriously hooked on adoption videos.

I like this song & the mama's tears of joy as she meets her baby girl for the first time. The beautiful little girl is named Mercy, and she's from Ethiopia. I can't wait to put together a video like this!

Guess what?!?!?!

We have a very important announcement to make . . . {insert drum roll, please}! After becoming completely broken about the orphan crisis in the world, our family has made the decision to adopt! We're currently completing paperwork to get the process started, and we'd love for you to follow us on our journey to bring our son home from Ethiopia!