My cup overflows...

Today the MOPs (Mother of Preschoolers) group at our church (FishHawk Fellowship Church) "filled a suitcase" for Love Without Boundaries Heartbridge Healing Home in China.  LWB is the amazing organization that God used to save our precious Meisi's life and the lives of many other children throughout China through truly loving without boundaries.  We asked our MOPs group to bring some items I was told LWB could use - and this is what our amazing group of women provided:

WOW!!!  WOW!!!  What giving hearts!  Such a wonderful group of ladies!  So so blessed to be able to carry these items over to LWB so they can help more children. :)  Thank you ladies for your love, support, prayers and amazing hearts!  I actually fit most of it into one suitcase - will pack the rest into another checked bag!  Thank you!!!

I am so blessed by the many families who have supported us throughout this process.  So many of you have sent me messages or called to ask how I was doing, what you could pray for, what I needed.  Thank you!!  My cup overflows! 

Some have asked how the puzzle fundraiser is going  - it has been great!  :)
For those considering as a fundraiser- you might want to buy a smaller puzzle - it took us a while to put this together but was a fun family effort. :)

On the other side we colored in the pieces that were bought (2 pieces for $10). Each color is a different family who has generously donated. :)  Thank you!!! Yes, there are still more pieces available!  :)  We will write the names of those who have bought pieces in their colored area and buy a double sided frame to hang in our home. :)

I will admit the financial aspects of adoption has been stressful for me. I was most stressed about the finances this weekend.  After paying for the airfare, travel expense to our agency and hotels, getting money for the orphanage donation and fees...wow... I was stressed!  I talked with a friend about the stress, sharing that I didn't want to tell many folks because I didn't want to scare them but she reminded me how we need to be transparent about this because a year from now we won't remember this stress and people needed to know it wasn't a cakewalk. Love you Rae! :)

So here it is - I have been stressed about it.  I'm the saver in our family and spending large amounts of money really drives me crazy  bothers me.  PLEASE HEAR ME - I'm not saying adoption isn't worth it...just that the finances stressed me.

I say this not to scare you away from adoption- rather to tell you - TRUST HIM who called you on this journey!!  We are just a normal middle class family.  We didn't start with $25000 sitting waiting to be spent on adoption..  If we did, it wouldn't have allowed us to see God work.  Now, money hasn't fallen from the sky, but through fundraisers, extra jobs, generous friends, our savings and major changes in our spending habits...it is coming together!

Please also know (as some have asked) the expenses for adoption are for travel, social workers, agency fees and government fees.  There is an orphanage donation but only about 1/5 of the fees are that. It is NOT for the child.  AND amazingly it is pretty much exactly the same cost as pregnancy, labor and delivery here in the US, only there is no insurance for adoption so the cost is more apparent.

The day after verbalizing my stress about the money our Pastor preached on Matthew 6 and how we don't need to worry about tomorrow - our finances, our clothes, anything! 

A great reminder that we can only have one treasure - our awesome God  - not money and God, just God.  "No one can serve two masters.  You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24

A great reminder that we needed to have a single vision -  "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...."  Matthew 6:21:23. He said, "What are you choosing to focus on?  Where we choose to invest our money shows where our heart, our desire and our focus is going to go."   

....Where we choose to invest our money shows where our heart, our desire and our focus is going to go...

Ughhh.... in my effort to be a good steward somehow "financial peace" become totally lacking peace and somehow ignoring that God's Word says -

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

The desire in our hearts has been to adopt for nearly 14 years... We felt His urgency to start the process starting in the fall of 2011...  Then the desire became so that it couldn't be squelched.  Every day, I looked through pictures of children waiting for a family online...every single day...

How do I know that our adoption would qualify as "Delighting in the Lord?"

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows from their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

My cup overflows...  My God will provide.  Yes, that involves lifestyle changes on our part, but it is amazing how I have learned how much more we have in life with less. :)

Thank you for all who have prayed, all who have given...

And if you are one who God is whispering to...one who has the heart to love one more.... but the finances of adoption stresses you - that is NORMAL!  IF God is calling you to this journey of adoption, pray for His peace and TRUST HIM!!  I know it is hard...believe me - I am living it.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:4-7

My mind goes to the old hymn..."What He says we will do, Where He sends we will go, Never fear, only trust and obey....trust and obey...."  :)