8 more weeks!

well, it looks like we are an estimated 8 weeks away from being done with our dossier. AMAZING huh!!!!?! then, we will wait to hear from Ethiopia, well the government that is. If approved, then it's 9 more months! THANKS FOR PRAYING!

i must apologize for the simplicity of my blog posts.
i want to keep all of our friends and family informed about the adoption, but keeping life in perspective is also a huge goal of mine!
it probably takes me longer than the average gal to make dinner, change diapers, and feed the dog. what can i say? i. am. slow.
speaking of which, i am going to go fold my skyscraper sized pile of laundry.....

glad in my heart,
beth

you ever have one of those days?

you ever have one of those days you wish you could do all over again?
yesterday i did.
i don't want to share all my heart because there is some of it, i just want to let Him [GOD] see.
i've been pondering on the scripture in isaiah (i believe it's isaiah 26),where it says "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you."
i've decided that if i would apply this verse to my marriage, there would be a different outcome than those days like yesterday.
where would i go if i didn't see Him at work in this thing called "marriage?"
if my love for peter were based on my feelings all of the time, instead of seeing it as a covenant before Him, what would happen?
we would probably end up existing together, not growing, just existing.
there is no perfect peace outside of Him.
Jesus Christ died for me.
days like yesterday prove how unworthy i am to call Him, LORD.
today i awoke to new mercies.
He reminded me of Isaiah 26.
that perfect peace of God, that He told me about, reminded me of my need for Him.
He was near to my broken heart.
He showed me grace.
hope.
forgiveness.
love.
all those things i'd rather be thinking of than my sin.
so, i refuse to think on my sins of yesterday anymore.
i've decided to repent, to turn from them, and just follow Him.
i'm going to try and love my husband better today.
since all of my works are filthy rags, i'm counting on God for some help.
thankful in advance.


“You will never know how much you believe something until it is a matter of life and death.” “If you think of this world as a place intended simply for our happiness, you find it quite intolerable: think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad.” – C.S Lewis "God in the Dock"

THAT SNAIL GOT THERE

GOD has provided for us! we have sent in our first huge chunk of money to the adoption agency. i cannot believe this process is so far along. not only are we headed toward ethiopia, but we are headed there growing in faith, growing in love with Jesus.


"By perseverance the snail reached the ark."
Charles Spurgeon

THANKS DAD FOR SENDING US THIS!

http://deidox.com/films/the-ivey-family/

WHY ETHIOPA?

Dearest little one,

You may not even be born yet, but I will go ahead and write you a little note. To be honest, we don't even know what gender you are, boy or girl, but I am sure the Lord will give us such a special joy in raising you! I've never had a girl or been raised with girls, so it may be a learning process for the both us if we find out you are a little girl. I figure one day, if the Lord brings this adoption to fruition, you will come to me and ask "why Ethiopia, momma?" Hopefully, I will be able to explain in detail, in a way that you understand, the reason why. All I really know right now, is that God gave your daddy and me a heart for your birth place, especially your daddy. He did a mission trip to Africa when he was younger, and he has told me that the poverty and the war where you are changed the way he saw life. I've always wondered why your daddy is so passionate and thankful about every single thing, whether it be a beautiful sunset or a delicous piece of broccoli, which happens to be his favorite food. Crazy, I know! Maybe you will love broccoli like he does, but I seriously doubt it. I've been praying the Lord would help me grow in passion for the glory of God and grow in recognizing the beauty around me, like your daddy does. I believe it is a gift from God! It's one of the many reasons I fell in love with him. Another reason we chose Ethiopia is because every other newborn there is malnourished. Many children do not see there first birthday and the majority do not live to be five. As I write this to you, I can't help but cry at the thought of so many children dying in such pain. The Bible says, "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines." This fallen world at times leaves me longing for Heaven with God, a day when there will be no more death and no more pain. Jesus said, "I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you." The more I read and study about adoption, the more I learn that adoption is much more than just coming to you and taking you from the hunger, from your possible death. It's all about the gospel. It's about God adopting humans out of their slavery to sin and giving them hope in Him. Galatians 4:4-5 says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” John 1:12-13 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." This truth is more important than your daddy and me coming to Ethiopia and bringing you to safety. Your daddy and I will hopefully, by the grace of God, remind you over and over of this. We are coming to you because we want to share with you the safety and comfort found in God, not your circumstances.The joy of salvation isn't that life will now be easy and comfortable, it's that we get God, we get to have communion with the one true God! I can't imagine how hard this next year will be waiting to bring you home to us. I feel as though the Lord has already given me a great love for you, even now. I pray for you often! You have a family, dear one. We will not leave you as an orphan, we will come to you!



LOVE,

your momma

Elephants and Orphans

"God is almighty, the hearts of all men are in his hands, and when God chooses to influence their hearts they will give." George Muller said this and his life of faith put this statement on display for all to see. The thought of raising money terrifies me to death, but I desire faith like Muller. The kind of faith that says: “How the means are to come, I know not; but I know that God is almighty, that the hearts of all are in His hands, and that, if He pleaseth to influence persons, they will send help.”

We want to adopt children from Ethiopia. We want to tell them about Jesus. The gospel shows us that we were born into death and then shows us, by free grace, that we're adopted for life. I, unlike my husband Peter, am anxious as all get out at the thought of traveling to Ethiopia. First of all, I am scared of flying and second of all, we will be leaving our little boy, Hudson, behind, waiting for our "safe" return. All I do know, is that God came to earth and lived as a man of great sacrifice, giving his life for me on a cross. This truth makes me want to be like Him. I want to get into a plane and fly for hours and hours to go pick up our child and tell them that that have a home. They have a mom and dad that want to share life with them. Peter and I love our life! We have been saved by grace, we have a sweet marriage with all the ups and down that come with two sinners living together, a beautiful and funny son, Hudson, who is healthy and grunts all day for food, a wonderful warm home, great families, a gospel-centered church, and a boxer named Dublin. We have so much prosperity, which is quite a test. As we head down this road we recognize that life may get harder. The plane on the way to Ethiopia may be small and rickety, but the Lord's "steadfast love is great to the heavens, [His] faithfulness to the clouds. " Psalm 57:10 No matter what the Lord has in store for us this next year, it will be for our good and His glory.

I created this blog to show chronicles of the adoption, family updates, and some of the things I learn from studying about Ethiopia. By the way, did you know that there are three different kinds of elephants in the whole world? Two of them are African. (the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant)