Room for More, Part 2

People have been asking all sorts of questions about our upcoming adoption.  I am so excited about that.  One of our prayers, is that others will want to adopt because of our experience.  So I thought the  easiest way to answer them all would be in a questions and answer format.  So here we go:

1. Domestic or International?
 
Domestic

2. Boy or Girl?

Our house has loads of estrogen so we are looking at adding some testosterone into the family.  We         are so excited to add a little boy or boys to our family.  Yes, we are boldly praying for twin boys.

3. What agency are you going through?

We signed a contract with Faithful Adoption Consultants in Georgia.  We have friends who have used them and had wonderful experiences, so we were very excited when they accepted us.  We have loved everyone that we have talked with at FAC so far.  The neat thing about their agency is that everyone who works there has adopted at least once, many multiple times.  They know what it's like to be in our shoes.  They also fervently pray for their waiting families.  I love knowing we are being covered in prayer.   If you aren't familiar with a consultant agency let me explain.  FAC works with about 75 or more adoption agencies all over the country.  Going through a consultant agency helps speed up the process because they work with so many agencies.  Most of the agencies they work with have a relinquishment period of 24-72 hours.  More than likely we will travel out of state to pick up our son(s).   FAC's average waiting period is 4 months.  They've never had a couple wait longer than 10 months.  Some couples go live and within the week get the call the baby is on the way.  This is exciting and terrifying all at the same time.  So, as you can imagine I am trying to finish paperwork, decorate a nursery and now start homeschooling on top of it all.  It's a crazy time, but my heart could burst from all the excitement and anticipation.

4. Who did you home study?

Joanne Zambo at Adoption Promises in Smyrna did our home study.  She rocked!  I can't recommend her enough.  Not only was she the least expensive, she was able to get it done in 3 weeks. That's crazy fast.  She also only required 2 visits instead of 3.

5. So where are you in the process?

So we have signed on with FAC and are compiling all the paperwork they need.  Y'all I am not joking when I say that I have over 100 pages of agency applications to fill out.  Plus we are working on our birth mom book.  This is the most important piece of the whole process.  So thankful I have an awesome husband to help out with everything.  He has taken over the book as his project and I couldn't be more thrilled.  We are blessed to have a friend who is going to make it look pretty.  He's a graphic designer so this is a no brainer for him and y'all he's good.  I can't wait to see the final result.  By doing it ourselves we are saving around $750.  If you have adopted, you know that the average cost is about $40,000 so anyway we can save money, we will do it.

I think that answers most of the questions.  Thank you for being excited for us.  We covet your prayers for us and the birth family.  Adoption is a beautiful journey, but not one without pain and heartache.  I love this quote by Judy Landers.  Even though we don't know our birthmother yet, we pray for her daily.  She is already a hero in our eyes.

Room for More, Part 1

It all started with Sydney.  For over 2 years now she has been praying for a baby brother or brothers.  She has such a sweet sensitive heart and she loves little children.  She is so good with young kids and it's a joy to watch her care for them.  (Here she is reading to Ladd.  This is such a beautiful picture to me because we helped Ladd's parents bring him home).

After we lost Jonathan over 5 years ago and after suffering from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy last year, the chances of getting pregnant and having a baby were slim to none.  However, I do believe God can and still performs miracles, so I have always been open to that.  I prayed that if that was not His plan for us that He would take the ache away.  That longing to have another biological child finally went away, but not the desire to continue to grow our family.  I often hear from women who say they had a peace in their hearts when they knew their family was completed.  I have never had that peace.  Brian and I both come from large families and that has always been our desire from the day we said "I do".  We just never knew the heartache that would come trying to build our family.

I was thankful to have a music career in my twenties and early thirties.  I always knew I wanted to be a singer.  I am so thankful God blessed me with those years of ministry and being on the road.  Those will always be some of the best years of my life.  The only other job I ever wanted to have was that of wife and mom.  I love being a mom and I love homeschooling and being home with my girls.  Nothing brings me greater joy.  I am molding and shaping my children and trying to raise young women who will follow and serve the Lord.  It's exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time.

Am I nervous and scared about adopting, absolutely.  Here's the deal though, nothing in life that is worth anything is ever easy and without sacrifice.  Do I want to hyperventilate when I think about the fact that I will most likely have 8 year olds, when my girls go to college? Yes.  I quickly have realized though that what God calls you to, He will provide the courage and the strength to do it.  We aren't called to a comfortable life friends.  We are called to care for the least of these.  If you've adopted you know this verse very well.  James 1:27  "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world".

Room for More, Part 2 coming tomorrow......

Our family news

We are excited to share with y'all our happy news.  It's official.  We are adopting!  

More news to come.......

Come Alive

The older I get the more I come into my own skin.  I know who I am and I know who I belong to.  I also become more aware of the spiritual world and the forces around us at work, both good and evil.  I desire to raise children that know the Holy Spirit on a deep and personal level.  The other day I had a conversation with the girls about why we left our last church.  I won't mention the name, but in a nutshell I never heard the name of the Holy Spirit mentioned from the pulpit.  I enjoyed the pastor and the people and that's what kept us there longer than we probably should have stayed.   As we were chatting about it Sydney said, "Mommy you can't have just Jesus and God.  You have to have the Holy Spirit too".  At 9, she gets the Trinity.  Jesus left a free gift to us in the Holy Spirit.  So many Christians, including myself, forget this crucial part of Christianity.  We walk around hopeless and defeated, racked with anxiety and fear.  This is not living friends.  He has so much more for us.

I am thankful the Holy Spirit led us back to a place that is familiar to us, with an amazing pastor, one who is longing for revival.  We are getting ready to embark on something life changing for our family and I will tell you I have had many thoughts of inadequacies and "what the heck are we doing moments".  These thoughts are straight from the pit of hell.  We know God has called us for such a time as this.  That's where I must rely on the Holy Spirit to put the devil in its place and to ask for more of Him.  Doubt, confusion, worry, fear, etc. all come from the enemy.

What are you fearing today?  What are you believing God for, but questioning if He will really come through for you?  Brian and I had a lunch meeting today and I was reminded that anytime you step outside of your comfort zone and believe God will show up and doing the remarkable, you will always be faced with opposition.  Satan is on the prowl and ready to devour anyone standing in his way.  We are living in times where Christians must take up the armor of God and go to battle.  The battle that is fought and won on our knees.  We have to pray like we have never prayed before.  I am constantly talking to the Lord throughout my day.  It really is the only way I make it.  It may sound cliche' but it is so true.  I continually have to ask Him to fill me up.  One way we do that is to listen to worship music in our home.  We are huge Lauren Daigle fans at our house.  We have her record on repeat at our house, that is if I am not listening to a podcast.  That's another blog post coming soon.  Enjoy this video of one of my favorites and be reminded that the Holy Spirit is waiting for you draw near to Him.  Breathe O breath of God, Breathe.

He Makes All Things New

I've sensed a calling in my spirit now for sometime to come back to blogging.  A month ago I decided to get off Facebook.  I knew it was taking up to much time.  When you've spent more time on Facebook than time in the Word, it becomes an idol.  I knew that had to change.  I meant business this time, so I told Brian to change my password.  I didn't want to have the opportunity to log in when I was feeling a moment of weakness.  That made all the difference in the world.  I have been faithful to what He has called me to do. Y'all it has been life changing.  I told Brian last night that I don't miss Facebook at all.  If you know me, however, you know I love to share my heart and thoughts.  Facebook gave me that platform.  Although, I know at times I didn't use it well.  There is only so much you can share in so many words and I am afraid at times I came off harsh and insensitive.  That was never my intent.  With blogging, however, I am free to bare my soul in more just than a few words.

God is moving in our family and I am excited to share some things with you in the next few months.  We are on a new and crazy journey and I invite you along for the ride.  It's been a long 12 year journey, but He is making ALL THINGS NEW.  The heartache He is replacing with Hope, tears with Joy and mourning with Dancing.

Lord I worship you above all others. You carry me through the storms and valleys and you set my feet upon higher ground.  To you be all the Glory, Honor and Praise forever and ever.

Delight in Him,
Krista