~Adoption~

Before Andrew and I found out we were expecting- while we were struggling- we read and read about adoption. We prayed and prayed about adoption-- we even researched adoption agencies!  We read the book 'Orphanology' by Tony Merida and David Platt --- WOW--- God had laid it on our hearts that if we couldn't conceive then we would just adopt. The bible and the book we read really brought it to our attention that WE WERE ALL ADOPTED by God! God adopted us into his family! We were lost and he opened up his arms and took us in. We should do the same thing!

Romans 8:14-16  explains just how we were adopted by God.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father. "For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.


How awesome is that!

The Bible also tells us in
 
Psalm 68:5-6 -
Father to the fatherless, defender of widows-
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.
But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.


And when it comes to welcoming a new child in it states:
Matthew 18:5 
"And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

Adoption, I feel, comes straight from God. It takes special people to be able to open up their homes and hearts to love another like their own. We are told by God to do so.. SO why do we waiver when it comes to the topic? I know that God has placed adoption on our hearts for a reason. I firmly believe that in the future God will provide for us to adopt a child one day. I can't wait to see what God has in store for our little family! I highly recommend the book Orphanology to anyone contemplating adoption. It thoroughly relates how adoption is directly related in the gospel.. Such a great read!

Boy or Girl???

For a second- I thought it would be cool to not know if it was a boy or girl... But Andrew- HAD TO KNOW! So at 17 weeks we went to our Dr.'s appointment hoping they would tell us the sex of our little one. Immediately the Doctor knew! We both looked at each other as the doc told us! Tears filled our eyes! We would have been happy either way but knowing made it more real. Again.... we couldn't wait to share the news. This was totally Andrews Idea and I loved it!

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!!!

 

 

Our Due date is Christmas Eve! When the doctors told us that at 6 weeks we were in shock. My first thought was "The greatest Gift God ever gave this world was on Christmas"... Here we were not knowing how long it would take to have a baby and God was giving us one for Christmas!

 

As I stated before... God's timing is everything!  As Christmas is quickly approaching- I can't help but think about how I haven't done all my Christmas shopping this year... (My human instinct is that it doesn't feel like Christmas unless I have presents to put under the tree!) But God is reminding me this Christmas season that the true meaning of Christmas is CHRIST and the gift he gave to this dying world!.. My whole family is remembering this all over again. We have always known- yet we are being refreshed this Holiday season!  

 

Last year I tried to do 25 random acts of kindness in December. This was truly amazing! I paid for the car behind me in the drive thru (I gave a note to the cashier to give them) it said " This month I am trying to do 25 random acts of kindness because God made the ultimate act of kindness when He gave Jesus to this lost and dying world.. Merry CHRISTmas.. Please pay it forward).. I encourage you to remember the true meaning of the season this year.. Don't get caught up in shopping so much that you lose sight of the Holiday. Make your children give a toy to a child who needs one...teach them that it is good to give... not just to receive. ..  Donate some items or some food items to a pantry. GIVE- because God first Gave to us!

~Telling the World~

Because of what we had gone through- we decided that we would wait to tell the world that we were expecting. (HARD SECRET TO KEEP WHEN YOU ARE BUSTING FROM WITHIN)..

We did in fact tell our parents, family and best friends when we found out! Of course they were so excited for us and just as shocked as we were. As for the rest of the world- they found out at 12 weeks... One of my favorite verses in the bible now is 1st Samuel 1:27- "For this child I have prayed and God has granted me the desires of my heart"... I wanted to use this while announcing to the world that we were having a baby- because I know that this was a God thing! This baby was truly our gift from God! How could I not acknowledge that!?!?!

I stated in a past blog that through this whole experience I noticed my prayer life changing. That is a TRUE statement! I use to pray for Gods protection over my family and friends and for tedious things I thought were important. I once heard a song and a preacher say that God doesn't just want you to ask for things all the time! He wants you to talk to him as if he is your best friend! Thank him for what he is doing in your life!  My prayers quickly changed. I was no longer starting my prayers with "Dear Lord, Please...." I was starting with "Dear Lord, Thank you for...." On the way to work and on the way home were my prayer times with God. I would quickly jump in the car- turn OFF the radio and pray! Sometimes I would get all the way to work and realize that the radio was still off. I caught myself thanking God for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE that he had placed in my life... for blessing me and loving me when I didn't deserve it. I would then put my problems in his hands and ask for his help with me not holding on to them. Wow-- what a great feeling!  Starting this routine is something I don't think would have happened if we hadn't gone through what we had.

(I know there are many who have it way worse- I know there are people who have struggled with all sorts of issues larger than I can imagine.. Yet- I feel like my struggle can help someone see theirs in a new perspective)

 

Seeing Baby for the First Time~ 6 Weeks

Talk about crazy emotions! Tears began flowing as the Doctors said "See Mom and Dad, there is your baby!!!" Who would have known that something that looked like a boiled peanut to a Southern Girl would have such a huge impact. Andrew and I both sat in amazement. God surely did Bless us! That is simply what it was a BLESSING FROM GOD! The nickname "Peanut" took off.

This is such a great reminder that in Matthew 19:26 it is stated that "..With God all things are possible"... No matter what one is going through- we should never lose sight of this verse. Even when the odds were against us- the Doctors weren't very encouraging- or the Devil and the world were whispering in our ear.... we stayed focused on the fact that we serve a Mighty God.

Before all this happened I would listen to a few songs over and over-- One of them was "You are for me" by Kari Jobe. Here are a few of the lyrics:

 

 So faithful
So constant
So loving and so true
So powerful in all You do

You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to You

I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never
Forsake me in my weakness

And I know that You have come now
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

 



 



 

I love the end of the chorus... "To remind me who you are".. Sometimes I think we forget. We forget to BE STILL and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD! There are so many daily reminders yet we overlook them! Challenge for today: Everywhere you look be reminded.... 

 

 

 

 

 

~How I told Andrew~

Well since it was a Saturday I had someone call me in a BLOOD test.. Andrew has always said " I don't want to know until its on paper and you are 100%!" So I went and had my blood drawn and sat there and waited what seemed like forever! Once the Lab tech came out and said Congrats... I HUGGED HER! Yes, I did!! I am not lying about that!

We were supposed to eat dinner with my parents so I tried to rush them through eating.. I also rushed through cleaning the kitchen so we could go home!

Upon getting home Andrew jumped in the shower- I then started his Scavenger hunt. 
When he got out of the shower I handed him a note- which had a little riddle that led him to the refrigerator... In the refrigerator he found a Reece's with a Note that said "I thought I was just addicted to them but I don't think that I am... Look beside your bed to find out why"...

He was then led to a table on his side of the bed. There was another note that explained to him that I thought I knew how much I loved him... He had been my childhood best friend, my next door neighbor, my boyfriend and my husband.. but Today God showed me that I could love him more.. because he was going to be my child's Father... Under his note was the 3 test I had taken.. and the blood results of course!  

Talk about a man falling to pieces! Our hearts were humbled that God had provided for the need that we had been praying for! He didn't say no.. he was telling us to wait!

Waiting is the hardest thing that I think we had experienced. Seeing so many around you having children so fast and easy was hard. While being happy for them you catch yourself being bitter inside.... -- I kept trying to remember a quote I heard from Pastor Perry Noble.. He said "If we focus on our Circumstances... They get bigger... But if we turn our focus on Jesus.. our Circumstances get smaller"...

That is my advice when it comes to waiting--- focus on the big picture: Jesus! He had a plan- that was bigger than what we could ever imagine!

Bracelet I had made to remind me that I needed to pray more... and worry less!!! God can handle things on his own.. he doesn't need my help!  Phil 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving present your requests to God".