the second time...

"When are you going to have another baby?"

"Are you going to adopt again?"

"Natalie is about ready for a little brother or sister!"

Those are the comments you get when you have one kid. I'm sure when you have two, you probably still get them. :) Well, we actually had it in our plans to start the adoption process again toward the end of this year. Guess what? It's NOVEMBER. That's "toward the end of this year". :) We had planned to use a local agency that has strong ties to our home church. Agape of Central Alabama is an awesome organization that focuses on foster care, adoption, and crisis pregnancy counseling. We used them to conduct our home study when we were preparing to adopt Natalie. We wanted to use them for our next adoption for two reasons: 1) They are local, and 2) Their adoption expenses are lower than that of the agency we used the first time. So, the other day I decided to email their Adoption Specialist & ask what we need to do to get the process started. Her reply felt like a door shut in my face. They are not accepting applications for adoptive families right now, due to a lack of birthmothers coming to them. While I realize this is somewhat good news, that there aren't many birthmothers who need or want to place their child in another home, it's not good news for adoptive families. I'll be honest: I got upset when I got this news. You would think that by now, I would realize that my plans aren't always what God's plans are, but I guess my thick skull hasn't quite let it sink in yet. MY PLANS were to go through this agency; it would just be so much simpler that way.

So, that's where we stand right now. We have to decide if we want to use another agency, or if we want to raise the funds to be able to use Nightlight in South Carolina {who we used for Natalie's adoption}, or if maybe God just wants us to wait. We shall see!

Please join us in praying for God's will to be revealed to us as we decide how to grow our family.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ~1 John 5:14

delight. desires.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4

We've all heard this passage so many times. There's even a song {or two, or three...} quoting it. It's a feel-good verse, and we like those. We think, "Yeah! That sounds good. I'll just 'delight myself in the Lord' and he'll give me whatever I want! Right?" Well, that may not be exactly what this verse means. So what does it mean?

I think that first we need to decide what exactly a "desire of the heart" is. Webster defines a desire as a "conscious impulse toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment". Note the words "promises enjoyment or satisfaction". This doesn't mean something that we think we want now, but later will come to regret it or grow bored with it. It's something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction. We can argue over whether or not this means a permanent enjoyment or satisfaction, but we'll save that argument for another day. :) Webster also defines a desire as a "longing; craving". These aren't words to describe a mere "want". These are strong words. I don't just want a child; I desire a child. I long for a child. Wants are a new TV, fashionable clothes, a cute nursery; material things. Desires are for relationships, ways of life, Godly wisdom; spiritual things.

So, if a desire is something that we long for, feel an impulse to, and crave, then how does that translate in this verse? Well, I'm no biblical scholar, but my personal interpretation is that the "desires of your heart" are those things that you truly madly deeply {to quote the great Savage Garden} want, and need. I know, I know - Webster's definition of desire doesn't include anything about a need. But perhaps God's definition does. And I interpret it that way because I know that God knows what I need, and he won't give me anything that he feels would harm me. {Jeremiah 29:11} Do I need that new TV? Probably not. Do I need relationships? Most definitely so.

Ok, so if we now know what "desires of your heart" are, then what is it we're supposed to do to obtain those desires? That's the easy part. Well, easy to understand; not as easy to do. Delight yourself in the Lord. What does it mean to delight yourself in someone? As defined by Webster {who, BTW, we have great faith in to provide accurate definitions, don't we?}, to "delight" means "to take great pleasure". So what do you take great pleasure in? Watching TV? Reading a book? Playing Farmville? Decorating your house? {Ouch, I just stepped on my own toes!} There's nothing wrong with taking pleasure in these things. But the bible tells us to "take great pleasure" in the Lord. If we're not doing that, how can we expect Him to give us the desires of our heart? He wants us to enjoy Him. Imagine that! Enjoying God? Having fun with the creator of the universe? Is that allowed? Well, not only is it allowed, but it's encouraged! Commanded, even!

Take great pleasure in the Lord, and He will give you the things that you need to provide great enjoyment.

Sounds good to me!

peace

I recently came across this scripture and it really spoke to me because of where I am in my life. We usually use this passage for its focus on prayer, but I want you to pay special attention to the second half of this, which focuses on the benefits we reap from our faith in God through prayer.

Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers & requests to God. Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think & feel. ~Philippians 4:6,7

persistence or annoyance?

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. {Matthew 15:21-28}

Yesterday at church, we heard a great sermon based on the above passage. With it being Mothers’ Day, the main point of Brad’s lesson was that this mother loved her daughter enough to beg Jesus, with persistence, to heal her demon possession. However, since I am not yet a mother, I benefitted more from another point that Brad made.

It seems odd that Jesus would ignore this woman. When we read this passage yesterday, I was confused because it almost seems like Jesus is annoyed with her, and he doesn’t want to have anything to do with her because she is a Canaanite. Of course this doesn’t seem like the Jesus we know, right? Why did he act that way? Why, when she was begging him to help her, did it seem like he didn’t even hear her in the beginning? Wasn’t he listening? And when he did acknowledge her, it seemed at first like his answer would be “no”. Notice the last statement he gives her: “Woman, you have great faith…” Her faith was strengthened in this short little passage. When it seemed like Jesus wouldn’t give her the time of day, she had faith that if she asked, he would answer. And she had the persistence to act on that faith.

Why, when I am begging Jesus to help me, does it seem like he doesn’t even hear me? Isn’t he listening? Oftentimes when I pray for something, I ask these questions. I then have to remind myself {rather, force myself to remember} that God is in control {Romans 8:28}, and he is strengthening my faith through my prayer life. He will answer my prayers eventually. It may or may not be in the way I want them answered {in this particular story, the Canaanite woman got exactly what she wanted} but he is listening & he is not ignoring me.