What's New??

Well, I'll let this video speak for itself. This is what's new at our house these days!

Things are getting more and more exciting around here by the minute! Within the last week or so, Emmy just decided it was time to start scooting around, sometimes legitimately crawling, feeding herself her own bottle, sitting up all on her own, going from sitting to crawling, mimicking a whole lot more of what we say and do, and much, much more! Life has been full over here, and we are just overjoyed to have this precious life unfolding before our eyes!!

In other news, Emmy also had an unexpected court date on Monday at which we found out that she will begin visiting with her maternal grandparents every other week for 2 hours. Most likely, these visits will be in the evening, because of work schedules. Are you ready for this visitation schedule? They will most likely pick Emmy up at our house around 5pm, she'll have visitation from 6pm-8pm, and they'll bring her home at 9pm. Could any idea be worse than this?? Haha...I'm not so sure! But it's potentially the only thing that will work out. We'll see! All-in-all, we're trying to look at the positives. After speaking with everyone involved with the case, I do think that these visits will be a good thing for both Emmy and her grandparents. My husband and I will so enjoy any opportunity we have to be Christ's hands and feet for them. AND...looks like we'll have a nice date night to look forward to every other week! Please pray that the Lord's hand is on these visitation times.

• Pray that my husband and I will communicate well with these people, and that they would be comforted to know that Emmy is being loved and well cared for. 
• Pray that Emmy would be a trooper as usual and not too rattled by these potential late-night visits. 
• Also, if you know Emmy, you know that she process situations very deeply. She usually does great in new situations, but she very seriously examines things before she lets loose. Looking back on our difficult first weeks together, I think she was very aware and troubled by the circumstances surrounding her transfer to our home. She easily picked up on the emotion circling around her. I just think she internalizes things deeply, and I would appreciate your prayers for her as she makes sense of whatever emotion her grandparents bring to the table. Pray that the Lord would give her a spirit of peace no matter how strange this situation might feel to her at first. (I hope that makes sense to anyone other than me!)
• Pray that these visits will provide clarity for Emmy's grandparents regarding their own potential for adoption. Pray that they would be moved toward a firm decision and would have peace in that decision.
• Pray that my husband and I would take full advantage of these hours we will have every other week to invest in each other. Pray that we will not squander those moments - that we would use those times to grow closer together and that the Lord would use that time to bring us closer to a clear decision about what our future holds with Emmy.

Prayers Uniquely Answered, Still Praying for Wisdom

Obviously Tuesday has come and gone. We've had no clear direction as of yet, but we had a slightly different answer to prayer. Emmy's case worker brought the form (Form 149) on Tuesday. Since my husband was at work, she had to leave the form with me and won't need the form returned to her until Monday. After reading over the form, it isn't nearly as urgent or binding as originally communicated to us. It is more of a notification of the case plan than a commitment of any kind. The commitment is coming, for sure, but yesterday was not the day.

That being said, there is an addendum to the form in which we could opt to sign and waive our right to adopt Emmy. In a way, by not signing that addendum, we are expessing an interest in adopting. This is much more in keeping with our current stance on the issue. We would have a difficult time signing a statement in the affirmative, but we have no problem not signing this addendum. I hope that makes sense.

Our basic thought process at the moment is this: We adore Emmy. We will be heartbroken to see her go. Also, when we take a close look at the gospel, we don't see any better way for our family to picture the gospel than by adopting Emmy as our own child. That being said, we also know that we are bound to be presented with adoption repeatedly as foster parents. Surely, Christ has not called us to adopt every single child who is placed in our home and seeking a permanent placement. The more we talk about it and think through the scenarios, the more we both feel compelled that we need to have clear direction from the Holy Spirit on this issue. None of the pros and none of the cons matter if we know which way the Lord is leading. The Lord has chosen a family for Emmy form the beginning of time. We want to hear His voice telling us we are that family or that there is another family intended for Emmy. We realize, however, that sometimes the Lord intentionally leads us down paths that are not brightly illuminated. For that reason, we have decided that our default answer will be a bold "yes" rather than a timid or fearful "no." We know that adoption is in keeping with the commands of scripture, and we would rather err on the side of bold obedience to scripture than on the side of perhaps comfort, logic, and timidity.

This is where we stand, but we count it an answer to prayer that we are not yet faced with a definitive decision. We are confident that the Lord will reveal His will to us in His perfect timing, whatever that may be. We look forward to the day when we will be able to boast in the Lord's miraculous faithfulness to us through this process.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, 

who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

James 1:5

Another Call to Prayer

OK...so I know it may seem like we're beating a dead horse by asking for the exact same prayer over and over, but we take our example from the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. The truth of the matter is that my husband and I are not quite sure what to expect in response to our plea to God to know His will and walk in it as it pertains to Emmy's adoption. We don't know how the Lord is going to show up and reveal that answer to us. There have been times in our lives when He has given us the miraculous writing on the wall, so to speak. When we made the decision to become foster parents, the response to our prayers was crystal clear and nothing short of a miracle. However, there have been other times in our lives when our steps of obedience have been much more difficult to discern. We do not know what kind of story the Lord is writing this time, but we continue to wait patiently on the Lord for His direction and guidance. As we do so, we are increasingly made aware of the need to make a decision and communicate to the appropriate people.


Today, we had yet another (seemingly more urgent) reminder that this decision needs to be made. We have no doubt in our minds that the Lord is going to guide this decision. Our lack of faith, however, causes us to desire  another "writing on the wall" experience of confirmation. We may not get that. We may, but we may not. What we need to share here is that next Tuesday, Emmy's case worker will be bringing papers for my husband and I to sign, declaring our intent to adopt Emmy.


Please join us as we pray fervently for the following things:

• "I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me" - Habakkuk 2:1; Pray that my husband and I would keep our eyes fixed on Him this weekend - that we would be eagerly looking for the answer to these prayers.
• "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:5; Pray that we would take captive every thought we have in this process and make those thoughts obedient to Christ - that this would be a decision led not by logic or reason, but by the Holy Spirit alone.
• "...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" - 2 Timothy 1:7; Like I have said before, please pray that we would submit to His sovereignty in all things. Whichever road He leads us down will be one that is uncertain and a bit frightening to behold. Help us not to be motivated at all by fear or worry, which is doubting Christ. Instead pray that we would rest in the knowledge that He goes before us - opening and closing doors and preparing a home and a family for Emmy - and He walks with us, providing peace, strength, and comfort in generous supply.
• "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." - Philippians 3:8; "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33; Above all, please pray that we would seek a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ.

"For still the vision awaits its appointed time; 

it hastens to the end—it will not lie. 

If it seems slow, wait for it; 

it will surely come; it will not delay." 

Habakkuk 2:3