Thursday, January 29, 2009

A Time to Pray

Time to Pray This is quite a year in front of us.  We’re in the midst of a financial mess in our country.  We’re still fighting a war on two front in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Our new president is telling us we can make it through, if we all do our share.  I’m skeptical about what he means by that.

In any case, what our country needs is God but we’re a country that more and more does not want God involved in our business.  Separation of church and state has become much more than freedom of religion for individuals.  It has become, keep God out of government at all cost.

If you’re a believer in God, what is your hope if your country turns its back on Him?

I’d love to blame the ACLU and other liberal political factions for pushing God out of our country.  However, I think the blame belongs with me.  Of course non-believing individuals and organizations will strive to eliminate any dependence on God.  It’s all foolishness to them (1 Cor 1:18-31).

The blame belongs on me because all too often I sit back, watch, and shake my head in disbelief and disgust.  What can I do but watch our country spiral down a godless path?

I can pray.  I can pray like never before.  I can pray like I really believe God can and will do something about it.  And most importantly, I can pray for my own heart before I begin to worry about my country’s heart.
Psalms 19:12-14 (ESV)
12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Pray for revival in our country, but pray prayers of praise as well.

God rules our land.

Regardless of what those who do not know him plan.
Psalms 47:6-8 (ESV)
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm! 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Please take a number

iStock_000004799663XSmallWe heard from All God’s Children today.  They’ve reviewed our dossier and all of our paperwork is in order.  Amazing!  Well, actually I’m not all that surprised.  My wife has been spearheading the documentation phase of our adoption process and she is amazing.

When you look at the requirements list for an adoption dossier it is overwhelming.  Background checks, reference letters, letters of good health from doctors, and on and on.  Ethiopia will have more information on us that we ever knew existed.  The odds of getting all of the paperwork collected and getting it all collected right are pretty much stacked against you.  However, Mandy handled it all like a pro and we got it done – right.

We’ve been at this since October when we heard the call to adopt.  Most of the process has been extremely smooth except for trying to get records from Panama that state I have a clean record from 27 years ago when I lived there.  See Waiting for a Message.  That message finally arrived and here we are, waiting again.

We’ve had other trials along the way.  Right before Christmas we learned that Mandy had a miscarriage.  We did not even know she was pregnant.  That was just the beginning.  Three trips to the emergency room later, we discovered that it was not just a miscarriage but an ectopic pregnancy.

Apparently Mandy became pregnant in late November and had been suffering through an ectopic pregnancy for about a month.  The doctor tells us we are extremely fortunate that her tube never ruptured which could have been life threatening.  Mandy is still recovering.

I don’t understand God’s ways (Isaiah 55:8). Two years ago God convicted us that we never should have made the decision for me to get a vasectomy.  We made the decision out of fear and without much prayer.  So after much prayer, I had a reversal.  We did not make this decision for a desire to have another child.  We made it to be obedient.

Then this summer, God started working on our hearts to adopt.  It started when Moses came to live with us for a couple of months.  Then it grew until we knew what God wanted us to do and our hearts fell in love with the orphans in Ethiopia.

So if God wanted us to adopt, why did I have to have to have the reversal?  I’m not sure.  Did I do it out of guilt?  No.  I actually cried tears of joy on the operating table.  Doctor Leverett prayed over us before he started the surgery.  His ministry is to provide affordable reversals for Christian couples.  It felt like worship (until he actually started…).

Why did God allow Mandy to get pregnant only to have the pregnancy become ectopic.  If she had a successful pregnancy we would have been ineligible for our adoption and would of had to forfeit our money and dreams for our child in Ethiopia.  We did lose a child in the process that we had not even had a chance to dream about yet.  I’m not sure if I should feel relief or sorrow.  I think I feel both, how’s that?

What’s the plan God?
Psalms 25:4-5 (ESV)
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

So what’s with the number 18?  That’s what number we are in line to get referred to our little boy in Ethiopia.  Whoop!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Homestudy complete?

homestudy-papers

(by Mandy)

I haven’t posted an update on the adoption in a while because it has been at a standstill while we waited for our letter from Panama.

We waited one month!

The letter finally came in and our social worker said she has everything ready.  Now we wait to see if our agency is happy with it.  I’m a little nervous because our “letter” from Panama was more like an incomplete form – they filled in his name only and stamped and signed the bottom that his criminal record was clear.  I would feel much better if it looked more like our letter from Texas – written on state letterhead and stamped with the state seal.  It was very pretty.  I think I covered all of our bases though because while we were waiting for the “letter”, I also requested a letter from the Freedom of Information Act and the National Archives – both stating they have searched the records from Panama and Tony is not a criminal.  I had some time on my hands.

Now we just wait.

Patiently.

Fortunately, I have lots of catching up to do after the Christmas festivities and lots of New Year’s resolutions to make – and break.  That should keep my mind off the waiting.

It really hasn’t been that bad.  On one hand, it seems like we started this process a long time ago; but, on the other, I haven’t been thinking about it too much.  I think it’s been good.  So far.  I’m sure it will be much harder once we see our little boy’s face and we want to bring him home.  Okay – thinking about bringing him home makes me want to squeal!  That’s a pretty good sign it’s going to be much harder to be patient!

On those same lines – Tate was asking us questions the other night about what else we need to do before we can bring our little man home.  When he started talking about getting to meet him for the first time, he got teary eyed!  As his mom, I was very touched to see him so moved at just the thought of meeting his little brother.  Sweet!

Hopefully, it will not be long before I have another update about more progress.