Stepping Out in Faith

Matthew 21:22 "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Why is this so hard for me? It has been almost a year since God showed us we are to adopt. But yet here we are, with no certain steps towards what God has for us. I know without a doubt that we are to adopt, that there is a child out there that is waiting to have a home and be part of a family...our home, our family. It's because of my lack of faith. I don't like to admit it, I am scared of so many unknowns. How are we going to raise the $26K? How will others respond to hearing of us adopting? How will this new child fit in? How will my kids adjust to having someone else getting a lot of attention? What if this child doesn't speak English, how will we communicate? Will we be able to afford another child to put through college?

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) "For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'."

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Isn't it incredible that we have such a loving, caring, merciful God who is there to help, never leave our side, hear our prayers (and cries), and already knows the desires of our hearts? He already knows the answers to all my questions and all my fears.

1 Peter 4:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

1 Thessalonians 5:24 "The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it."

It's time to step out in faith and TRUST HIM; it is time to let go.

God has shown us some direction already. We feel we are to adopt a little boy from Ethiopia. (God told me this quite a few months ago, and me in my sinful self, looked for other places. I am ready to obey and listen now.) There are literally millions of orphans in Africa. We also have received information from an agency, All God's Children and possibly some information from missionaries in Ethiopia. We are still uncertain where the funds are coming from, it's in God's hands. I have been to a few craft fairs selling embroidery items that my gracious sister-in-law has made. Because there are fees to be a vendor, we usually have just about been breaking even unfortunately. My plan is to continue selling, especially with the holidays. I have been looking into a few other fundraisers. If anyone has any ideas, I would gladly like to hear them.

Just want to quickly share two things that have blessed me recently: One is a book, Successful Adoption: A Guide for Christian Families. It has many good resources and great information. There's a quote from it I especially like:

"Love goes out of its way, and the one loving ultimately benefits more than the one they have loved." - Nicole C. Mullen

The second thing that has blessed and encouraged me is a song I heard on the radio and immediately went to download. It's One Less by Matthew West. Of course I cried through the whole song, especially when he sings "brought their little girl home today". Please listen to the lyrics if you get a chance. I love the whole song, but the words that stick out to me are:

"So let worlds colide, colors fade, let your light be the miracle today" and...
"One less not alone, one less child without a home, one less birthday gone forgotten, one more soul rising from the bottom, one less broken heart in the world tonight."

Please pray for us as we follow God's will. Specific needs are: that we will know the agency we are to work with, raising the overwhelming amount of money, that the process will go quickly and smoothly, and most importantly that the little boy that is out there waiting will not lose hope, that he will know there is a great God that loves him, for him to believe that there is a family that has a place for him in their home and hearts, and to have his needs taken care of until we can get there. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts.

Hosea 14:3 "In you the fatherless find compassion."