Practice Eternity

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COURT DATE!!!

We have a court date for Nate and James on November 19!  Thank you Lord!!

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; 

He rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious He will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, He will answer you.  
                                                                                        Isaiah 30:18-19

You are my hiding place

I've been on a bit of a blog fast for about a month.  There has been tons of activity going on and we've been waiting and praying for any news of our children.----  Well, God has melted one HUGE mountain,----- but another one has risen up in it's place.  We are incredibly encouraged by the way God is working it all out, and are confident that He will finish the work He began.  From the beginning our intention in adopting them has been to keep all 4 together.  Our enemy knows this as well.  But, God is sovereign and His will is that none should perish.  I'm very thankful that He has the big picture, and that His ways are not my ways!


My heart still breaks for Mercy and Isaiah.  


My Bible study leadership had a prayer retreat this past weekend, and during prayer and worship time as I was praying for my precious Mercy, my sweet friend, Brynn began singing this song with the voice of an angel----- thank you Holy Spirit!


You are my hiding place
You always fill my heart
With songs of deliverance
Whenever I am afraid
I will trust in You

I will trust in You
Let the weak say
I am strong
In the strength of the Lord

You are my hiding place

       you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.       Selah

                                             Psalm 32:7

This is my prayer for Mercy and Isaiah.  God is speaking and teaching me that He is with them and giving them a hiding place in Himself.  

Still holding onto HOPE!

In the meantime, we are waiting for a court date for Nate and James.  

We received a precious updated pic of the boys.  Last time we saw them, they both looked so exhausted, drawn and thin.  The new pics show filled out faces full of color and life.  James' shaved head, now has the most beautiful rock star curls!  

Thank you to everyone who continues to hold up our children in prayer!  We are praying for all of you also, as you labor to bring home your children!

"Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?"  says the Lord.  
"Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?"  says your God.
Isaiah 66:9

And My Faith Shall Be My Eyes.....

There's a day that's drawing near

When this darkness breaks to light

And the shadows disappear

And my faith shall be my eyes

This is where we are right now.  We have hope that our children will ALL be coming home together.....and that hope is what we are clinging to.  We were able to speak with our orphanage director in Ethiopia----we love her--- and she was very encouraged that Mercy and Isaiah will be released when we have a court date.  She said that Nate and James are doing so well----they both accepted the Lord!!!

They celebrated Nate's birthday on the day we chose for him, August 5th.  He turned 12.  Sweet baby James will turn 5 on September 7th.  We just soak up any news we hear of them!    

Thank you so much for continuing to pray for Mercy and Isaiah to be released!  I cannot imagine what they are thinking and how they are feeling---they've lost their mommy, their daddy, and now 2 of their brothers are separated from them.  Satan truly hates children!  But, he is defeated.  We will praise God for the purpose He has in all of this suffering----even if that is not always the easiest and most natural thing to do!

And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain

I will rise on eagle's wings

Before my God fall on my knees

And rise, I will rise

I Will Rise

by Chris Tomlin

.......and while we are waiting we get to go on a road trip today to Branson, Mo to meet up with other families who have adopted from Ethiopia at our AWAA Africa Reunion!

We'll be reunited with the David's , our ET travel buddies, and get to meet many other families in person who we already feel like are family because of our shared hearts for adoption!  I cannot imagine what our lives would be like if we had not responded to God's call for His people to rescue His orphans! 

Can I get a witness??!!  

Blogs for a Cause!

Thank you Nikki for our long overdue blog makeover!  

We first met Nikki through blog world because of our shared hearts for the Dominican Republic.  She does humanitarian work in the Dominican and now in Haiti and Ethiopia, and uses her blogs to raise money and awareness for the suffering all over the world!  We love her passion to help the least of these and are so thankful for the opportunity to support her work.  She has plans to live and work in the Dominican after she graduates from college.  Thank you Nikki, for "being the change you wish to see in the world."

For the month of September she will be running a special for blog makeovers.  Check out her blog for all the details!

A N E W D O

The time had come for Levi's first professional haircut.  We had been dreading it for a while and put it off as long as we could, but it really was time to get a handle on his precious tangled locks.  When it was all over it looked like a sweet lamb had been shorn!

It began with a sneak attack from behind...

Wait a minute, what's going on!

I'm ready to get off this ride!

Not the clippers!!!

How much longer!!

Needing a draw on the pink paci!

Feeling like a big boy and rocking to Toby Mac!

It totally broke my heart to see his curly Q's go.....we're still treating him like a baby!  

First day of middle school was Thursday.  Here's Matt and Nash ready to go with their awesome new messenger bags from our dear friends Gwen and Suzanne's new website 147 MIllion Orphans

These boys are "always prepared to give an answer for the hope they have" 

--1Peter 3:15--

 ---Whose LOVE for them---and the fatherless---motivates them to speak up for the orphans who have no one!

Super excited 6th graders---Andrew, Patrick, Trevor and Nash

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"  Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Revelation 21:5

What God Intends for Good...

So blessed to have sweet Aster stay with us  ---- don't want to see her leave!

What an incredible, God glorifying night at our Orphan's Ticket Home Gala!  So many hearts coming together to fellowship, worship and most of all DO SOMETHING to help the suffering children who God holds so closely to His heart. 

Powerful words of conviction from Tom Davis and Dan Coley, both adoptive dads,  were shared.  When you adopt you get a glimpse into God's heart that just does not come from any other way.  Dan shared a beautiful story from Genesis 50:20 where Joseph says, "What you intended for evil, God intended for good."  He compared that to what God intends to do in so many families through the orphan crisis in a way that makes total sense.  There are more than 147 million orphans in the world right now who deserve a family.  There are way more confessing Christian families with room in there homes than that!  While Satan intends for these children to suffer ........... and these families to miss out on the immeasurable blessings of adoption.....God intends for them to live out their promise and calling in families He has already chosen for them.  Why isn't this happening???

None of these orphans are a surprise to God.  He did not accidently create too many children.  He sets the lonely in families......when they open their hearts to them.  Until then, what He intends for good will remain as evil......suffering, lack, loneliness.....not only to the orphan, but to the families who turn their backs on them.

.....speaking totally from experience here.

Precious Aster spoke about the HOLY work she is doing.  My words, not hers--- she is way too humble to say something like that.   She took a beautiful gold bracelet off her wrist to be auctioned.  When it was purchased and the buyer returned it to her, she turned around and asked if anyone else would like to buy it!  That is the kind of  advocate I want speaking up for my children!

Missy, Aster

Amanda, Britt Nicole, Beth

This event would not have happened without Amanda's prayers and perseverance!  You did an amazing job Amanda!

Guy and Cindy Wallace

Elle and Alyssa

Tracy Cornett, Jimmy, Leslie Mitchell and Clay Cornett

Abby Wells and her precious new daughter and mom

Dan Coley

Britt Nicole

It's Poppy Dip--- Monte and Sallee Couch

Amanda, Aster, Elle

Missy, Kelly

Sandy and Terri--- 2 super moms and voices for the orphans!

Courtney-- our amazing event planner and soon to be Ethiopian mommy

Alyssa, Chris, Elle

Aster was not impressed with Levi's hairstyle--- she says he looks Jamaican, not Ethiopian---- he has a hair appointment tomorrow. :)

"Don't be afraid.  Am I in the place of God?  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done---THE SAVING OF MANY LIVES.....so then, don't be afraid.  I will provide for you and your children."  

Genesis 50:19-21