Adoption Update
As I said yesterday, there are a lot of things going on in the Day house right now. Most of it is life changing decisions but are more "every day" life changing decisions versus the "adoption" life changing decisions.... but there have been some.
When we were in the middle of raising the twins Steve and I began to realize some pretty specific things about how God had designed the two of us and how he was molding our hearts.
First, we realized we can't do ANY of this without him. I mean the normal emotions of parenting are overwhelming themselves but then when you add on social workers, state laws, ANOTHER FAMILY, "what if's", paperwork and a truck load of costs it gets down right overwhelming. So more and more he began pulling us into a routine of going to him first with our problems, questions and pain. He has not failed us once and sometimes literally answers the prayer 30 seconds after it's prayed (that's a story for when we're further down the road).
Second, we've realized that we can and will love the children God brings to us as if we had given birth to them. The feelings we felt for the twins were the same emotions and feelings I imagine they would be for blood. We would do anything for them, loved them unconditionally, wanted what was best for them and just adored every moment (even thebad challenging) with them. So we are at peace knowing that whoever God has for our forever family, it will be hard and there will be struggles but they will be our family.
Third, through the process of parenting two year old twins we discovered we are in love with older child adoption. I love babies! I love the way they smell and cuddle... but I LOVED every minute I had with my walking, talking, sassy little two year old's. God quickly showed us that we were all in with older kids. We've prayed and talked around the subject for the last 3 months but last week decided that's where our heart was and it was time to make some changes.
SO we have contacted the VA Social Services dept. and got information about how to proceed and the miracle of all miracles is VA uses private agencies to facilitate state adoptions... which means we'll stay with Bethany and simply move over to their older children program. Our intent is to adopt a sibling group of two or more children. We don't know how many God will give us but our hearts are wide open to whatever challenge or rather adventure he is bringing our way.
Several weeks before I went to the adoption conference I talked about last week we had some pictures done specifically for it. Steve and I held up a sign with a verse on it. Well at the time that verse was just one I pulled out of the Bible that talked about waiting and it sounded great.
While I was at the conference there was a time where you could go and have women who had the gift of prayer pray with you. They would also have you take a piece of paper that had verses on it. Well I didn't know they were all different so I glanced through the verses and just said to myself... "oh that was nice of them". I got back to the room later that day and asked my mom if she had taken verses too. She said yes and I asked her if hers were the same as mine... THEY WEREN'T.
Ok I know that sounds lame but that's not the end of this story. I began reading the verses to my mom that were on mine and she just shrieked "KATIE". I stopped and she said "That's your verse, the one you put on your sign!!!" I stopped and glanced at it and instantly realized how close I was to missing the message God had been sending me since that morning. The message that it wasn't a mistake when I wrote out that verse on that sign. Even then he was preparing my heart to hear from him at that conference that I am to wait in hope.
So here we are, totally switching gears, excitedly preparing to take foster parent classes in June (required to adopt through the state), getting our house ready for who knows how many kids and just waiting in hope.
But just know, that message is for anyone who believes... we're all waiting for something and He calls us to wait in HOPE because no good thing does he withhold. That doesn't mean it will come like we originally thought... but it will be better because it will be from Him.
Be Blessed my friends!
When we were in the middle of raising the twins Steve and I began to realize some pretty specific things about how God had designed the two of us and how he was molding our hearts.
First, we realized we can't do ANY of this without him. I mean the normal emotions of parenting are overwhelming themselves but then when you add on social workers, state laws, ANOTHER FAMILY, "what if's", paperwork and a truck load of costs it gets down right overwhelming. So more and more he began pulling us into a routine of going to him first with our problems, questions and pain. He has not failed us once and sometimes literally answers the prayer 30 seconds after it's prayed (that's a story for when we're further down the road).
Second, we've realized that we can and will love the children God brings to us as if we had given birth to them. The feelings we felt for the twins were the same emotions and feelings I imagine they would be for blood. We would do anything for them, loved them unconditionally, wanted what was best for them and just adored every moment (even the
Third, through the process of parenting two year old twins we discovered we are in love with older child adoption. I love babies! I love the way they smell and cuddle... but I LOVED every minute I had with my walking, talking, sassy little two year old's. God quickly showed us that we were all in with older kids. We've prayed and talked around the subject for the last 3 months but last week decided that's where our heart was and it was time to make some changes.
SO we have contacted the VA Social Services dept. and got information about how to proceed and the miracle of all miracles is VA uses private agencies to facilitate state adoptions... which means we'll stay with Bethany and simply move over to their older children program. Our intent is to adopt a sibling group of two or more children. We don't know how many God will give us but our hearts are wide open to whatever challenge or rather adventure he is bringing our way.
Several weeks before I went to the adoption conference I talked about last week we had some pictures done specifically for it. Steve and I held up a sign with a verse on it. Well at the time that verse was just one I pulled out of the Bible that talked about waiting and it sounded great.
While I was at the conference there was a time where you could go and have women who had the gift of prayer pray with you. They would also have you take a piece of paper that had verses on it. Well I didn't know they were all different so I glanced through the verses and just said to myself... "oh that was nice of them". I got back to the room later that day and asked my mom if she had taken verses too. She said yes and I asked her if hers were the same as mine... THEY WEREN'T.
Ok I know that sounds lame but that's not the end of this story. I began reading the verses to my mom that were on mine and she just shrieked "KATIE". I stopped and she said "That's your verse, the one you put on your sign!!!" I stopped and glanced at it and instantly realized how close I was to missing the message God had been sending me since that morning. The message that it wasn't a mistake when I wrote out that verse on that sign. Even then he was preparing my heart to hear from him at that conference that I am to wait in hope.
So here we are, totally switching gears, excitedly preparing to take foster parent classes in June (required to adopt through the state), getting our house ready for who knows how many kids and just waiting in hope.
But just know, that message is for anyone who believes... we're all waiting for something and He calls us to wait in HOPE because no good thing does he withhold. That doesn't mean it will come like we originally thought... but it will be better because it will be from Him.
Be Blessed my friends!
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