Season of Advent

Advent.  The season that Christians all around the world are in a "waiting" period of time.  A season of preparation for the coming celebration of our Saviors birth.  Waiting to celebrate His arrival and what that means to us.  

I looked up the definition of "wait".  One definition was: to stay in place in expectation of.  Another was: to be ready and available.  Another said: to remain stationary in readiness or expectation.

There is such joy in waiting for Christmas.  All the traditions that are done like making lefsa and Christmas cookies, putting up the Christmas tree and making Christmas presents.  Thinking about all the time that will be set aside to gather with all our extended family.  And, what about getting cozy in front of the fire watching our favorite Christmas movies.  Such Joy!  It is my prayer that as all those things are happening, that I remember that it is all in honor of the One who came to this earth as a babe - the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ that we are celebrating.

This year, as we "cozy" up in front of the fireplace sipping hot coffee my mind can not help but go to the millions of orphans around the world.  Those here in America - those in Haiti, Africa, China, the Ukraine - and all around the world.  

My mind wonders to where our little one is.  Where will he or she spend this Christmas?  Maybe with birth family and if that is the case it may be the last Christmas that is spent with birth family.  That makes me sad.   Or, maybe Christmas is spent in an orphanage as his or her heart is wondering what is next.  Maybe our little one will be in an entirely different place or situation that I can even dream up.  Never the less, my heart is with our little one - and the millions of orphans around this world that are hurting and alone.  My heart breaks for birth mothers and birth families who are agonizing over hard decisions that they are having to face.  

So, as I stay in place in expectation of celebrating my Saviors birth I will remain stationary in readiness to to listen to His call and go where he sends me.  My heart longs to be ready and available.  And, I wait in the hope and pray that He sends us to Ethiopia soon to unite with our babe He has there for us.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.  Here are just a few that come to my mind.


*  For a God that is amazing and loves us with an everlasting love.  Jeremiah 31:3 "I have 
   loved you with an everlasting love"
*  For my Husband
*  For our Family
*  For my Children
*  For real people who share their life story like the man we heard today at a Fellowship of    
   Christian Athletes event.  
*  For our Friends
*  For clean water
*  For the Food that is on our table
*  For the pile of laundry laying on my floor that needs to be folded
*  For a business that provides income for us
*  For the sink full of dishes that need to be washed
*  For a God who has opened our eyes to the orphan crisis 
*  For the country that we live in 
*  For the bread that is baking in my oven right now
*  For the freedom to worship how we choose
*  For the strength that rises as we wait upon the One who is reigns forever
*  For a babe that lives across the world that we can not wait to hold
*  For the babe that came to save us all.  "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give 
   him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21

Yesterday and Tomorrow

Yesterday morning I sent our authenticated dossier to our agency.  As I was filling out the UPS label to send it off and praying that it makes it to our agency without getting "lost" in the UPS system I was wondering when we would get a letter back from the Department of Homeland Security with the results of our I600.  We had our digital fingerprinting done last Monday - November 8th.  I went home, gathered the mail for the day and there it was!  Yesterday we also received notice that our I600 is complete.

So...  that means that tomorrow, when our agency will receive our dossier that I sent via UPS yesterday we will officially be on the "wait list".

I wonder what today holds?

Things seen and unseen

2 Corinthians 4:18 

"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Well,  now that fingerprints are done we are waiting for our USCIS paperwork to come back from that visit we made to the Federal building in Fargo.  We are also waiting for our Dossier to be completed at the Embassy of Ethiopia then we are officially on the "wait list" to meet our little one.  I just bought a gallon of paint and am going to paint the bedroom that is going to be our new little one's bedroom.  It is so exciting and fun to prepare a place in our home for our child.  

As we have been waiting our agency has notified us that there not many families on the "wait list" that are open to a boy over 36 months.  We are open to a boy up to 48 months.  That stirs my heart - and gives me the hope that we will not be waiting long to meet our little one after these last two paperwork pieces come back.  That also saddens my heart to know that just because of a child's age they are "waiting" for a forever family.  That thought makes me think that however long we wait, our wait is not what I need to be thinking about or focusing on.  If we wait for hours - days - months - years to meet our child that is nothing compared to the feeling of the "waiting" that a little heart feels sitting in an orphanage longing for a mom and dad.  

So little one ...  it is my prayer that today and every day that you feel the presence of your heavenly Father holding you - drawing you close to Him.  We are coming to get you. You will have an earthly father and mother and a forever family.  We love you so much. You will have a brother and sisters here on earth to love and play with you.  Most importantly - you have a heavenly Father that loves you perfectly and promises you that He will not leave you as an orphan.  

John 14:18 

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you"

We love because

(You'll want to mute the music below to watch this video)


We Love Because from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Count Down

The count down is on.  Nov 10th is the last day to order the new Drawn from Water T Shirt.  All the profit goes to Drawn from Water from the sales of these T shirts.

Go check it out...  http://drawnfromwaterstore.blogspot.com/2010/10/something-for-everyone.html

It's November!

We've had many fun days around our house.   We celebrated the smallest princess in the house's birthday this week.  Greta turned 8!  Happy Birthday, Greta!

And before that we had a few butterflies around collecting candy from friends and family.

And ...  today we sent our Dossier off to the Embassy of Ethiopia!  We have our USCIS fingerprints on Monday.  When those things are back and complete will officially be on the "wait list".  We are getting there.  We're praying for a little one on the other side of the world and it is becoming more real everyday that the time is coming that we will actually get to hold that little one in our arms as well as our hearts.

Orphan Sunday

Orphan Sunday is this Sunday.  Many churches across the country are coming together to look at the needs of orphans through out the world.  I have not attended an Orphan Sunday Event, but I did attend the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference this last spring with some dear friends.  It is powerful to come together for the purpose of serving and advocating for the orphans in the world.

There are many ways that we can advocate for the orphan.  Sponsoring a child, adoption and Foster Care are a few. I wrote about how sponsoring a child in need helped open our eyes to see God's dream for us to adopt here.

There are so many needs out there it sometimes feels overwhelming.   Like Sweet Terraffa who lives at at Drawn from Water who is experiencing some health issues right now.  He is in need of sponsors to pray for him and help support him financially.  And, there are so many more stories out there of orphans in need.

I'm praying for Orphan Sunday 2010 to open eyes to the needs and touch hearts in our family and through out the country.