Making a blog is very new to me. It has been quite frustrating to my non-techi mind. I also feel very hesitant about putting so much out on the internet. If you talk to me in person I will tell you everything you want to know plus a lot you probably didn't. I become very different when I am putting it out on the world wide web. I am not a story teller so I feel quite insecure about trying. There it is- my apology for my amateur blog. I am trying to push past my comfort zone for you. I want you to be involved and know what life is like in the world of our adoption of Gideon.
We are just about done with our home study. When that is turned in to the Arizona Court we wait for 1 to 2 months for them to approve it. Unfortunately, we live in the one state that does adoption this way. The other states don't have the court process so home studies are approved quicker. However, this will give us time to do the 10+ hours of education that our agency insists we have and that we can not move forward without.
You might have noticed the donate button on the side. I can not tell you how long that took me to figure out :). I now know that you can google pretty much everything. I kind of knew that but now it is ingrained. I was hesitant to put that. I in no way want anyone to feel obligated to give anything. I don't want anyone to think I am keeping track or feel it is your duty to help us in this journey financially. I simply want to give those who feel led to give to have the ability to do that. I still hesitated but the Lord reminded me of last Christmas. Our church offered a love offering that they spoke of for several weeks. This offering was for the building of a church in Haiti that was destroyed by the earth quake. The congregation was asked to pray about what they might give. The goal was $60,000. As the day approached we had decided we did not have the money to give. We were giving quite a bit to Haiti all ready and thought if we give any more it needed to go to help the orphanage Gideon was at. However, as everyone walked forward to give their gifts I was moved to give $20. I didn't do it out of guilt or obligation I did it because I wanted to be a part of what our church family was doing. When the church is built I can know God used me in a small way to make it happen. We ended up raising $80,000. $20 seems awfully small, but it was my part I was asked to play. Maybe you are being asked to play a part, even a small part, in this journey?
We wait for the one who is missing :)
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Our Journey with Gideon began about one year ago. Actually, it really began almost 9 months before that when some new friends came and lived with us for a summer while they were looking for a home to buy. Eric and Darci had planned for years to adopt from Haiti. Jeb and I had never thought about it once. We had thought about adopting but had never thought about from where or when. We knew God would make it happen if it was supposed to. As our friends began their process with adoption something in us became more and more interested until it became clear that the Lord was leading us to this one particular boy.
We began the process to adopt in March of 2011 only to have to stop everything in April when Jeb was laid off from his job of 11 years. Wow! We wondered what the Lord was doing. He seemed to speak to my heart a few days before we were to hear the dreaded words, "we have to let you go." He seemed to say "I am doing this because I love Gideon and he is going to need a father who is at home 7 days a week. This is how much I love him." At the time Jeb was gone 3-4 days a week for work. So we waited and He encouraged us often. Many job opportunities came and went. I often said to Jeb, "This job just doesn't seem to be the job God has for you because of the travel" and the job would not come to be. In July we started wondering if the Lord was asking us to move back to Arizona to be near our family. As we pursued that possibility doors began to open for us to start our own company here.
It was hard and easy to step through those doors. It was easy because we were moving near family and because the Lord made it very clear we were to go. It was hard because we moved ourselves and said goodbye to so many special things God had allowed us to be a part of. As we drove we had no idea where we would live or how to own our own business. It felt like a lot to figure out but of course, he all ready had it and has it figured out.
It is now a year later, we take one day at a time. We are learning as we go. The business seems to be on the right track. We have added new clients and Jeb is learning the ins and outs of pools very quickly. I had no doubt he would. Jeb and I are together cleaning pools 4 out of 5 days and enjoying it. They are very complicated luxuries that a lot of people in Arizona own. That is a good thing for us.
We began the process to adopt in March of 2011 only to have to stop everything in April when Jeb was laid off from his job of 11 years. Wow! We wondered what the Lord was doing. He seemed to speak to my heart a few days before we were to hear the dreaded words, "we have to let you go." He seemed to say "I am doing this because I love Gideon and he is going to need a father who is at home 7 days a week. This is how much I love him." At the time Jeb was gone 3-4 days a week for work. So we waited and He encouraged us often. Many job opportunities came and went. I often said to Jeb, "This job just doesn't seem to be the job God has for you because of the travel" and the job would not come to be. In July we started wondering if the Lord was asking us to move back to Arizona to be near our family. As we pursued that possibility doors began to open for us to start our own company here.
It was hard and easy to step through those doors. It was easy because we were moving near family and because the Lord made it very clear we were to go. It was hard because we moved ourselves and said goodbye to so many special things God had allowed us to be a part of. As we drove we had no idea where we would live or how to own our own business. It felt like a lot to figure out but of course, he all ready had it and has it figured out.
It is now a year later, we take one day at a time. We are learning as we go. The business seems to be on the right track. We have added new clients and Jeb is learning the ins and outs of pools very quickly. I had no doubt he would. Jeb and I are together cleaning pools 4 out of 5 days and enjoying it. They are very complicated luxuries that a lot of people in Arizona own. That is a good thing for us.
We have just begun the adoption process again. We had to change agencies and had to wait for that agency and Gideon's orphanage to get some paperwork in order. We are now good to go. We have received the mound of paperwork and have begun the enormous task of putting together a home study. We are so excited to get started. We hope that you will take this journey with us...
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