Ending January

So we are almost done with January and have our home study choice narrowed down to two agencies but I have a few more phone calls to make before the decision is final.  In other news Josh switched to 3rd shift this week and I am really hoping that the first week is the hardest.  He finished his apprenticeship last week, so the switch also has allowed him more hours as a journeyman.  More hours is great on the raising money for the adoption front but I am definitely feeling his absence.  Even though I thought it was hard to find time together when he worked on 2nd shift, this week it has seemed impossible.  I was refreshed last night during my small group Bible study though.  It really does wonders to take your mind off of yourself and focus your thoughts on our Lord.  God is good all the time even when you are feeling a little lonely.

Psalm 118:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. 

My one word

I heard about the "My one word" movement on Klove.  I participated last year.  Instead of having New Years resolutions, you pick one word that you want to focus on throughout the year in order to have a better life.  Last year's word was "abundant".  When I chose that word I was hoping for an abundant blessing from God, that my job situation would go from dismal to abundant, that our house would go from mostly empty to abundant, that my time with Josh would go from not so much to abundant.  Throughout the course of the year I am pretty sure I wouldn't have told you I was feeling abundant but as I look back now I know I am abundantly blessed.  In 2010 Josh and I had 5 months on the same shift.  Unless you have a spouse on an off-shift you can't understand what a blessing it was to have normal, regular time together.  To get up around the same time, eat meals together, and go to bed at the same time was an awesome blessing and it was an abundant gift from God.  I know that God blessed me abundantly in leading us toward the decision to adopt and helping us make that leap of faith.  I know that God has blessed me abundantly by giving me the love of many people and the opportunity to know and love Him.  2010 was a year of many disappointments but having a focus word to take the focus off of myself is good.


2011 is a new year and it requires a new word.  Please forgive me if you think this is cheezy but my one word is ADOPT.  I know, I know you all know that I'm adopting children from Ethiopia and in reality the process probably won't end this year but I looked up the definition on dictionary.com and I found that there are several other ways that this word is relevant to my hopes for 2011. 

World English Dictionary

adopt 

— vb 

1.  law  to bring (a person) into a specific relationship, esp to take (another's child) as one's own child Yes, we are adopting 2 children that God has already chosen for us, I don't know them yet but one day I will see their beautiful faces.

2.  to choose and follow (a plan, technique, etc) I am also adopting a healthier lifestyle.  I'm doing pretty good at this so far and hope that this is like the one above a lifetime commitment.

3.  to take over (an idea, etc) as if it were one's own I am going to try to have Jesus' attitudes in life instead of worrying or fretting.

4.  to take on; assume: to adopt a title Hmmm... not certain on this one but I might just be adopting a new title when I get a new job which will happen at some point this year.

5.  to accept (a report, etc) I am accepting what life gives me, the blessings and the temptations and living for my God.

[C16: from Latin adoptāre  to choose for oneself, I think it's kind of beautiful to think adoption of children is choosing for myself to build a family from optāre  to choose

So hopefully you don't think that's too dumb.  What's your one word?


Romans 8:23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, [ Greek wait anxiously for sonship.] including the new bodies he has promised us.

Angry at blogger

so I've typed a super cool and long post twice now and both times when I went to publish or save now it deleted it and now I have to go to bed so sorry to my readers and annoyed at blogger!

Melkam Genna

Friday was Epiphany.  It's when we celebrate the three kings coming to visit and bring gifts to Christ.  Those 3 kings came because Jesus came not only for the Jews but for the whole world.  Our world was lost and had no way of having a relationship with God because we had turned our backs on Him.  God sent us Jesus to bridge that gap, He sent Jesus not only to His Chosen People but also to the whole world and these kings represent how God isn't just for one people but for all. 

Friday in Ethiopia they celebrated Christmas.  I have to think it's a little more Christ-centered than here in the States.  No excessive gifts, no jolly old man getting all the attention, just celebrating Jesus' birth and the ultimate gift of His deliverance from our sin.  I could use a little more of that myself.  As Josh and I make "family traditions" each holiday, deciding what we want to keep from the past and what to add and what to leave, I continually try to make sure that I am bringing the glory back to Jesus. I hope that I am able to honor Jesus each and everyday of my life but especially with the way I parent my children.  I hope that when I celebrate Christmas no matter if it is in December or January, Christ is at the center.

I pray for all the orphans the world over that they will one day know the love of Jesus and be able to celebrate His gift to us.

Matthew 2:9-11 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!  They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

New Year

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011...  As I look forward to this year I don't know what I to say that I'm looking forward to. 
*I would really really like to get a referral in 2011 but the timeline that CHI has given us doesn't make it seem that that is truly likely so I don't want to get my hopes high only to have them dashed.  Starting things right before Christmas has made it difficult to get ahold of Home Study Agencies which is our next step.  Even though I have a tendency to procrastinate I am going to do everything that I can in order to make sure I don't delay the process.  I guess maybe for this I look forward to depending on God and feeling His Peace as we're going forward in the process.

*I am really looking forward to a permanent teaching position.  2010 was a year of a lot of disappointment in the job arena and I'm praying that 2011 will finally be the time and place for me to teach.  I have felt a calling to the teaching profession and pray that I will follow God's Will in this and not my own.

*I am looking forward to another year with Josh.  Each day I am so very thankful that God made Josh just for me and that we are continuing to grow up together and one day old together.

*I am looking forward to more time with my family because I have been blessed tremendously by them and hope that I can be a blessing to them.

So I guess those are the things I am looking forward to in 2011, What are you looking forward to?

^"No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,  I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:13-14

Testify to Love

The name of this blog is also the name of an Avalon song.  We had this song sang at our wedding as our bridesmaids walked down the aisle in all the colors of the rainbow.  I really adore the message of this song.  I pray that with my whole life I can testify to the love that God has given me.  I've thought in the past at Christian events where someone has an amazing testimony that I don't really have one.  My parents raised me in the church, even though I can be very analytical I decided at a young age that I wanted to be one of God's children.  I was baptized at 11 and though I am by no means perfect I never rebelled against my faith or my family.  I have always tried to live a life worthy of being called a  Christian.  I know that my life has been super-blessed and I want to share that blessing with others.  I am going to annotate in italics the lyrics of this song and what it means to me, to my life, to my relationship with God, and to my adoption process.


Testify To Love

All the colors of the rainbow (Everything on this Earth)
All of voices of the wind (Every sound)
Every dream that reaches out (My dream of a family)
That reaches out to find where love begins (God is love and finding, sharing, spreading love is what we are all called to do... I feel like I am personally called to share this love by adopting from Ethiopia but you may be called to find love by packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child, by serving in the local homeless shelter, by writing words that speak to others, by serving in the mission field, by leading our youth, or by any of the zillions of other ways God calls us to show his love.... we need to reach for God's love and that means reaching out)
Every word of every story (How many times has God used "secular" stories or even commentaries on the Bible, and every word of His Word to speak to you?)
Every star in every sky (How do people see the wonders of this world and not know that there is a loving God who creates beauty just for them?)
Every corner of creation lives to testify (Yep, God leaves all this evidence for us to lead us back to Him)

For as long as I shall live (This is something I don't get to decide and nor do you but I know I'm going to use my minutes for His glory)
I will testify to love (I have to testify to the love God has shown me, I have to obey His call to my life)
I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough (I think this is how I feel about adoption... I cannot explain how I know this is the right path for us or how I know that God will connect us to the right children but I know)
With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above (Thank you Lord for my parents, for my brothers and sisters, for their wives and husbands, for Josh, for children everywhere)
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love

From the mountains to the valleys (We will go to the mountains when we travel to meet and pick up our children)
From the rivers to the sea
Every hand that reaches out
Every hand that reaches out to offer peace (Peace won't be something my children have experienced a lot in their short lives but hopefully I can help them to know God's peace)
Every simple act of mercy
Every step to kingdom come
All the Hope in every heart will,speak what love has done (Right now I have hope for my future, hope for my children and hope for a better job)

O-Oh Ohhh

For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough
With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love

Colors of the rainbow
Voices of the wind
Heaven reaches out where love begins (Everytime we act in love we are being more like our Lord and Saviour Jesus)
Word of every story
Star in every sky
All creation testify

Mountains to the valleys
Rivers to the sea
Heaven reaches out to offer peace
Simple act of mercy
Kingdom come
Every heart will speak what love has done (This blog is speaking what love has done in my life.  Love has made me who I am. Love is giving me the courage to hope for a different tomorrow.  And love will go with me each step of the way)

Colors of the rainbow
Voices of the wind
Heaven reaches out where love begins
Word of every story
Star in every sky
All creation testify

For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough
With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will test------------------ify

For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough
With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love

For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love
I'll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough
With every breath I take I will give thanks to God above
For as long as I shall live
I will testify to love!

I hope that even though this is a long blog post that it made sense and somehow blessed you.  I feel so blessed.  1 John 4:14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

Why Ethiopia?

I feel the need to address the question of why Ethiopia, why not the US or some other country?  There are many reasons.  When we started looking into adoption one option was adopting from foster care.  This was not an option that I felt was good for me.  I've heard too many horror stories about parents coming back after years and putting families through litigation and that is not something I feel I am strong enough to handle.  I wouldn't want my child to ever have to go through that either.  I would also worry about how much abuse the children have seen and how that has affected them.  I know there are plenty of parents out their that God has blessed with the resiliance to adopt from foster but I am not one of them so US is off our list. 

I was blessed to have the opportunity to work for 3 years with a family with 3 boys from Guatemala so Guatemala was first on my list.  Those boys are beautiful, I know more about the culture and have even traveled very near Guatemala in the past.  Unfortunately Guatemala is currently closed to international adoption so another country is crossed off the list.  Like I said, I know much more about South America than Africa or Asia so we checked into other South American countries and they seemed to have crazy requirements.  Spending half a year in another country or waiting 5 years (17 months is way more than long enough!) wasn't really part of our plan so a whole continent checked off the list.

We have friends who have a beautiful daughter from China so we checked into that.  The wait is once again tremendously long and there are no sibling groups which is what we are wanting so no China.  Russian's children seem to experience problems a lot more frequently and the cost is more than we can afford, no Russia.

We don't really know anything about Africa.  I'm not sure how many countries I could list if you asked me and I am sure I couldn't have picked Ethiopia out on the map before doing my research.  We met the requirements for adopting from Ethiopia and this made me start researching it.  I read There is No   Me Without You by Melissa Faye Greene which is about the problems facing Ethiopia's children, it deals in a lot of facts as well as what one woman is doing to change the course of some children's lives.  I also read From Ashes to Africa  by Josh and Amy Bottomly.  This book is about what leads this couple to adopt and the process they went through to get their son.  If you are interested in adoption or the problems facing orphans in Ethiopia I highly recommend both books.  If you want to read From Ashes... ask me to borrow it, I'm good at sharing. 

SAD FACTS
Nearly half of the population of Ethiopia is under the age of 14, and less than 3% are over the age of 65. This means that the life expectancy is abyssmal.  94% of births do not have a skilled attendant present; 4% of women will die in childbirth. Although the infant mortality rate has improved over the past five years, it is still nearly 7%. Of the children who survive birth, another 4% will die before their 5th birthday (how terribly terribly sad is that thought).The overall mortality rate birth- 5 years old is 11%. Over 60% of the population do not have access to safe drinking water and 90% do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities. 2% of the population is infected with HIV. The doctor/population ratio is 1:42,000.   40% of children under 5 are moderately to severely underweight, and 50% are moderately to severely stunted. Only 45% of children attend primary school, and nearly 60% of the population is illiterate. The primary reason children do not attend school in rural areas is the children are needed for farmwork (48% boys, 16% girls) and housework (53% girls, 16% boys). Children 0- 3 are four times more likely to die within a year (before/after) of their mother’s death. 

These statistics are horrifying.  Ethiopians need help.  These children need us to step out of our comfort zones, to think thoughts we've never thought before, and to accept them into our families.  I have been touched by the need and also by the beautiful faces of children in Ethiopia.  I know that God has led us to this country to connect us with the children He has already chosen.  God is so good.  He knows what is best for us and although we might not see His plans in the beginning if we seek His will He will reward us.  Thank You God for your blessings and Your guidance.

Psalm 87:4 I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me—also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia. They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!

We are all God's children.

PS I stole all of my statistics from http://djgfamily.blogspot.com/2010/07/ethiopia-statistics-and-international.html another family waiting for a blessing from Ethiopia.