Saturday, December 10, 2011

Casper's Indefinite Luke Problem...

I don't understand it. A dog who so vigorously protects our backyard from harmless neighbors, scavenging rabbits, and even annoying bumble bees is terrified of our little Luke.  I've written about Casper before, and for those of you who've been around this crazy, fearless little dog, this video may come as a surprise.




Monday, December 5, 2011

Family Photo Shoot!


Recently some friends of ours were kind to take some overdue family photos.  It was a treat for us to hang out, share a meal, and roast some s'mores over a bonfire with this great couple.    Thank you, Allen and Melanie Seay, for using your gifts to bless our family!
















Thursday, December 1, 2011

I Will Not Turn My Head...

Masika is a survivor of the conflict in the DRC and a rape victim. She has set up a center where other survivors can come for sanctuary when they have nowhere else to go. 


"Women told me how they expected to be raped. Not once but many times. The women I met, spoke of gang rapes, three or four times. Sometimes it was 'only' two soldiers, more often gangs of men,10, 20, over and over again."

"Many had conceived children and the girl children, some just babies only a few months old, were being raped as well."

"Rape has now become generational."

"In Panzi hospital, Bukavu, Dr. Mukwege, a general surgeon continues to work tirelessly to repair these damaged women. I met one of his patients. She was a cheerful little girl, it was impossible not to be drawn to her smile. The nurse saw me playing with her said: 'You know she's HIV-positive.' She was just three years old. Her twin sister had been killed when she and her mother had been raped. This little girl had been conceived from rape."

These are just a few quotes from this article written by Fiona Lloyd-Davies on CNN.com, as she documents her experience in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the "rape capital of the world" and the country from which we are adopting. As I sit here writing this in my comfortable bed with my 4-month-old napping peacefully in the room next to me as I wait to appease him the moment he awakes with hunger cries; and with my husband who is sipping coffee next to me as he leisure reads on this most enjoyable week of his vacation, it requires great effort to imagine these scenes described above. Children of rape are now being raped. Right now. Women are afraid to walk outside of their doors to find food, because wicked rapists are on the prowl in the fields where their food lies. Right now.   Accompanied by every decision to eat is the disturbing risk of brutal sexual assault. And the precious babies that they have conceived under such unimaginable circumstances are... being raped...

Admittedly, a numbness encompasses me as I write that. Maybe it's because I do not want to imagine or believe that this is actually happening to people. Maybe it's because I feel so helpless when the problem seems so immense. It all seems so unfamiliar.

What is familiar to us right now? Grace upon grace upon grace. Though Paul and I are sinful wretches without the love of Christ sustaining us, our imperfect marriage overflows with God's grace. He has blessed us with a happy baby who has everything he needs (and wants- thanks to his grandparents, aunts, and uncles!). What was Luke's first Thanksgiving holiday like last week? Well, on the car ride to West Virginia, a proud aunt sat next to him and hovered his favorite toys in front of his face, as her heart filled with each smile Luke expressed. And upon our arrival, his mom and dad enjoyed the freedom of taking naps whenever we wanted, as 3 of Luke's aunts happily babysat and eagerly waited for Luke to wake from his naps so that they could hold him, kiss him, and tell him how loved he is. His 94-year-old great-grandmother lit up with smiles every time she saw him and found great delight reading a book to him. His grandfather volunteered to change his diaper and burp him. Attention was not lacking; loving Luke is contagious and easy.

When we go to church, Luke is constantly taken from my hands, because his surrogate uncles want some "time with the little man." My mom has already called "dibs on Luke" when we visit them over the Christmas holiday. My dad likes to stay updated on Luke's mental and physical development, as he frequently asks, "Is Luke grabbing his feet yet? Is he belly laughing yet?" And his two uncles have already showered him with presents. This boy is impossible not to love, and at only 4 months of age, he seems to realize how loved he is. And we, as his parents, feel so full right now. Our marriage strengthens as we share in our delight over our bundle of preciousness. Most importantly, our awareness of God's grace causes us to praise Him for being so kind to such undeserving individuals.

And this is why it takes great effort to imagine what these women are going through right now. I don't relate to their suffering, but as a Christian, I am called to pay attention to the needs of those suffering around me. No, Christians should not feel guilted into adoption. Christ came to take away our merited guilt so that we could receive the unmerited gift of freedom and righteousness before God. I do not feel guilty for having a wonderful husband, a happy baby, and a safe home. I do not feel guilty for the freedom I have to go to the grocery to purchase food, free of worry that I will get "gang raped." Instead, I am thankful to the Lord for his abundant kindness. And such thankfulness for my undeserved blessings causes me to want to share these blessings with those around me.

The orphanage from which we are adopting is on the opposite side of the Congo from where these scenes described above are occurring. But given that the Congo's size is less than 1/4 of that of the United States, the chance of our child(ren) being affected by this wickedness is not small. I don't know why these children are parentless, but the possibilities surrounding the cause of their present condition cause my stomach to turn.  All I know is that I want to take these unloved children and bring them into the loving family in which I am blessed.  I want to fill them up with the love that God intends for children to receive from their parents, and selfishly, I want to receive the natural delight that comes from seeing children understand how loved they are.  And most importantly, I cherish the opportunity to see God adopt children into his eternal family through Christ, as they see how their parents have adopted them into their family.  A new name.  A new identity.  A safe family.

We are number three on the list to receive a referral of a child, and we appreciate prayers for the Lord to increase our family however He wills.


Daddy and Luke decorating the tree together!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Adoption Update and a Thank You





Luke may consume a considerable amount of time and attention these days, but that doesn't mean that the adoption process has fallen behind in our minds.  The intensity with which we love Luke makes the thought of a child without such love devastating.  Even as I am sinful and selfish, I know that no matter how Luke acts or how much he may rebel in the future, our love is unconditional.  The thought of a child who has no such parental security, no dad who radiates at the sight of his baby, no mom who eagerly anticipates the development of her baby's personality, and no human father who would give his life for that baby compels me to take action.  I've noticed a change in the hearts of those around us as well.  When family and friends ask us about life with Luke, the next question is usually related to our adoption.  I'm so thankful for the curiosity and anticipation of our loved ones regarding our adoption.

In terms of the adoption timeline, we are still #7 on the referral list.  We have done everything that we can do at this point, so we are (im)patiently awaiting the referral of a child.  In the meantime, we trust that the timing of that referral will occur when the Lord wills.

As we await the thrilling day of receiving a referral, the Lord has encouraged us through His financial provision. Entering into the process of adoption, Paul and I were aware of the financial requirements of adopting from the Congo, and we applied to various grant organizations. Not long ago, LifeSong for Orphans offered us a $3000 matching grant; our church took the initiative to help us meet this match, and we were able to settle a significant portion of the expenses we had already incurred. Then, we unexpectedly received another matching grant through Hand In Hand Christian Adoption. Through the unsolicited generous contributions of friends and family, we were blessed with additional financial support. We are so thankful organizations such as LifeSong and Hand In Hand, who are comprised of individuals who understand the great need for Christian adoption. We are humbled by the contributions we have received from numerous people, many of whom are not merely giving out of excess. We are particularly stunned at the graciousness of God's provision, that in several cases, we were approached by friends who were burdened to give to our adoption without any foreknowledge of our matching grant. Though waiting isn't easy, we continue to be reminded of all the wonderful blessings we have already received, and we look forward to meeting Luke's siblings.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Happy 1 Month, Little Luke

Luke is awesome.  Paul and I love being his parents.   Life these days consists of a 3-hour cycle revolved around Luke's naps and appetite (and hopefully a catnap somewhere in between!),  but we're loving this.  Mustering up the energy to get up with Luke every day at 3 a.m. usually begins as a struggle and ends with me not being able to put him down.  He's just that precious. We could never have fully prepared for the various ways that our lives have changed since Luke has been here, but now we couldn't imagine life without him.  Children truly are a blessing from the Lord.

Friday marked Luke's 1-month birthday, and below are pictures taken during
Luke's 4th week!

Paul's daily question for me: "Is he not just the cutest little dude that you've ever seen?"  He sure is!

I could just squeeze those little cheeks. . .

Isn't he precious???


We could watch this little guy sleep all day long.  Okay, we DO watch him sleep all day long!

Here he is on his way to his first play date!  The rain prevented us from enjoying it, but hey, at least we made it out of the house!  And we got to have lunch with our good friend, Brandy!

What a blessing!


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Introducing...



Luke Karlyle Tennant

Born on Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at 2:20 a.m.

7.0 lbs., 19.5 inches long

We named him Luke because we want him to know God's love through Christ and to desire to spread the good news of Jesus like the biblical author of Luke/Acts did.  We also just liked the name Luke.  :)

His middle name is the same as that of his granddad and Uncle Van.  We loved getting to name him after 2 family members!

Paul is the best dad, and loving Luke comes so naturally to him.  I've never been more thankful to live between the VA Hospital and the other downtown hospitals, because Paul tends to make daily pitstops at home these days!

 
We are so thankful to have such a sweet, easy baby so far (sweet enough to come into the world on his grandmother's birthday!).  God has been abundantly gracious in blessing us with this child. 

Here's a slideshow of some pictures of week 1 of Luke's life.  Undoubtedly, there are many more to come.




Luke Karlyle Tennant -


"I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,and I will glorify your name forever."

Psalm 86:12

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Love These Kids!

If there could possibly be anything sad about expecting a baby, it would be this (see below).  Today was presumably my last day to teach these precious little ones in Sunday School - at least for a good while.  When I committed to teach these little ones a couple of years ago, the sense of intimidation and inadequacy due to lack of experience in teaching children consumed me.  But these guys have made Sunday School entirely enjoyable!  They come to church every week enthusiastic about learning the Bible, and they joyfully participate in whatever game we play, picture we color, or craft we make.  What a blessing it has been to learn the Bible with these kids!

Here they are with pictures that they made for Baby Tennant whom we hope to bring home from Africa soon!


"A sun and a tooth, Mrs. Sarah!"   Ha!  Very creative!

So sweet and always eager to learn about God!

Love, love, love them..

Precious brother and sister who have so much joy!

Possibly our last picture to take together before we meet little Luke?



I hope to have little ones who are as curious, teachable, and enjoyable as these children are!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Surprise!

Surprise birthday parties have always been a personal favorite.  But a surprise baby shower?  That was a new experience! 

Last Wednesday I was told by the dentist office where I work that we would be closing for the afternoon due to an "oral surgeon wanting to take our office to lunch."  And since my husband had asked me to come visit him for a couple of nights while he was on a work trip in Indianapolis, I thought I might skip out on the "oral surgeon's lunch" and drive up to Indy to see Paul for a few nights.  So when I asked the dentists (who are notoriously flexible and gracious in allowing me any day off that I ask for) for their permission to let me leave, they strangely acted hesitant.  Little did I know that when I walked away they hurriedly sent my husband a text message, begging him to keep me in Louisville, as they had actually planned a surpise baby shower at a very nice local Italian restaurant, Martini's.  What clever tricksters they are! :)

The team effort was certainly successful, and I was so surprised!  We ate excellent food together, enjoyed some tasty cake (thanks, Kelly!), appreciated time to visit outside of our work environment, and opened presents.  Our children were genuinely celebrated. 

At the end of the shower, the dentists stood up to recite a 12-stanza poem that they wrote together.  It was a tear jerker for the entire table, and the last few stanzas are worth sharing, revealing the sincere compassion that the dentists share for our little ones:

"Sarah and her husband so deeply felt
That God had His hand on the cards they were dealt.
So they went on their way to conceive one of their own
But also realized numerous babies need homes.

Adoption papers were being filled out
And is often the case, mother nature wins out.
You find that you're pregnant and what do you do?
You lovingly prepare for Baby #2.

Luke will know and love how he was created,
And our new rescued baby will be glad that he waited.
The children will hear, both day in and night
How special they're loved, with all of their might."

We pray so, Dr. R and Dr. T!  Thank you so much for loving our family!

Here are the few pictures that were taken from the shower before my camera ran out of batteries:


Yuummm!  Would you believe that I brought home about 2/3 of this cake, and by the time Paul came home from his trip, there were only 2 pieces left?





We've worked side by side for over 3 years.  I'll really miss my friend, Kathy!


Gotta love Shawn and Shari! 


Here's Shari, Kelly, and me.  I will miss Shari's sweet spirit and Kelly's positive attitude/helpful mommy advice!



Pam has supplied our dogs with used tennis balls since I've worked with her.  The dogs and I will both miss Pam very much!  And Betty is one of the hardest workers I know.  Such a great influence!



A precious snuggle blanket for the little ones . . .


And one of many cute outfits that our little ones received.  Thanks to these co-workers, our kids will not only look cute, but they'll be dressing pretty fashionably, too!


Thanks, Kathy and Kelly!  Kathy knew all of my favorite items on our registry- like this newborn sleeper! 


Thank you for a wonderful 3 years during which going to work was never dreadful.  I love all of you!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Grateful and Undeserving!



Paul and I are incredibly blessed to have such loving, enjoyable, and uplifting family and friends.  Last weekend some sweet family and friends from the good ole Western Kentucky University years and from seminary got together to celebrate God's work in our growing family!  It was a very encouraging shower that consisted of good food, games (of course, Mrs. S!), prayer, and a time of sharing words of wisdom about either meaningful traditions that the girls had growing up or pieces of advice that they had to offer. 

 Here is some of the advice that was shared:

- "Iron, change diapers, and wash clothes to the glory of God."

-"You only have children in your home for 18 years, but you are married for your entire life.  Prioritize your husband."

- "Read books with your children on a regular basis."

-"Verbally encourage your children.  Tell your son how handsome he is, and tell your daughter how beautiful she is.  Your words mean so much to them."

-"Don't take yourself too seriously.  Keep a good sense of humor, especially during the first few months."

-"Don't spend your time wishing for the next step of the baby's life.  Each season goes by before your eyes, so cherish the present."

"Consistently dwell on the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).  When you start to lose your temper, just stop and think on these things."


And here are some pictures of the occasion:

My awesome sisters-in-law and my wonderful mother-in-law, Mary, came to Louisville for this!  It was such a treat to spend the weekend with them.  I really love these girls!


One of my best friends from college, Megan, came to celebrate!  She is a great example of a godly wife/mom, and she is apparently a crafty seamstress, as she supplied some awfully cute handmade burp cloths (they're much cuter than the blue hospital towels that we were planning on using, Megster!)


From being my friends' mom to now a mentor/friend, Mrs. Schreiner was kind to host this shower at her home.  Paul and I are deeply indebted to this couple for their godly influence in our lives/marriage! 



We have grown up in Germantown, TN together; our families are great friends; and by God's kind providence we ended up in Louisville together!  Kolby was so sweet to come share in our joy!

And I have to show off these adorable sock monkeys that my talented sister-in-law, Kathleen, made!  Not only did she make the actual stuffed animals, but she also supplied a wardrobe of outfits for these guys.   Our little ones are going to love this little lion and monkey. 


Some dear, dear friends from college.  I've been blessed to live with each of these girls, and I'll always be thankful for the memories I made with them!  And for any WKU folks who may be seeing these pics, no, that's not Mary Ellen's child (ha!).  It's Kathleen's little girl, Norah.  So precious! 


Thanks for an unforgettable day!  I love you all!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Kenwood Baptist Bake Sale

Back on Father's Day, our church hosted a bake sale to help us meet the $3,000 matching grant that LifeSong has kindly offered to us. We were humbled by the fact that our church reached out in such an intentional manner, and by their sacrificial giving, $1,500 was raised to go towards this grant! We praise God for using our church to help bring our child home!

Here are some pictures of this unforgettable event, and we can't wait to show our little one how much we all anticipated this child's homecoming!


Kenwood Baptist Church Bake Sale - Slideshow Creator


Thank you, Kenwood!  We love you all!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

A Tornado and 1 Peter 1:13

[I began writing this last night not knowing whether or not I would even post it.  But here it is - honest but unedited!]



It started out as a nightmare but ended with praise.

Tonight was yet another unforgettable evening as God, in His gracious providence, reminded us of His sovereignty and power.  As we were leaving church tonight, a church member informed everyone about the possibility of a tornado being in the Louisville area.  And as I have said before, yes, we do love our church family, but I couldn't have agreed more with my husband as he shared that a church building as old as ours may not be the most ideal place to be when a tornado lurks around the corner.

So we headed out, gazing at the eery, low-lying clouds that hovered over what looked like miles.  And anyone who knows Paul knows that he... well... he's a recycler who has been known to get cardboard out of the church trash to take to a recycling bin nearby.  So on our way home tonight we made pit-stop to drop off a car load of boxes, and then we continued on our drive home.  As we entered onto the interstate, we kept an eye on some suspicious clouds that provoked concern in both of us!  The car ride silent, I knew that Paul was not taking the swirling clouds lightly.  We continued along interstate 65 and passed the University of Louisville area, and the cloud that initially drew our suspicion began to form splotches that dwindled down towards the ground, and the tension in the car felt suffocating.  This cloud to our left and no darkness immediately above our car, I felt somewhat comforted...

Until terrential rain pounded on our car out of nowhere, and strong wind accompanied this random rain.  I thought to myself, "At least things aren't swirling around... LORD, please get us home safely!"  But then as my focused husband kept his eyes on the road and his lips shut, black debris started flying all across and around our car and the rest of those who were on the interstate.  Simultaneously, we saw red brake lights from all of the other cars who were experiencing the same debris, and it was as if all of us were thinking the same thing- "wrong place, wrong time."  Instead of braking, Paul hurried us up the interstate, hoping to escape this storm as quickly as possible.  By the time we realized that we were out of the worst of it, Paul and I felt relieved, though I hoped that my tearful anxiety wouldn't cause early labor at 32 weeks today!

And by God's inestimable grace, we managed to escape the storm and arrive to our temporary haven of a home.  I don't think it was until about 11:00 p.m. tonight that the adrenaline rush truly diminished, and it was then that a verse that I've been reading recently came to mind:

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  (1 Peter 1:13- emphasis mine)

Every human knows what it's like to be scared.  We all experience the misery of fear from one degree to another.  And I don't know that I've ever before experienced the type of fear I did tonight in those few moments of silent terror and complete awareness of man's powerlessness against God's creation.  Though Paul was right as he comforted me by the reminder that, "When it's our time to go, it will be our time to go!", the human instinct of self-protection in moments such as tonight amazes me.  Because when threatening situations arise that seem to come from out of nowhere, we tend to do exactly what my husband did tonight:  escape the situation as best as possible.  In the moment, we don't like tangible reminders like tornadic activity to remind us of how unreliable and incapable we really are, and we want to get out of them.  Yet what encouragement a verse like 1 Peter 1:13 is to me!  Those of us who know and love Christ will receive grace at His revelation one day.  With Him, we will never again experience that type of fear.  We won't think those stomach-wrenching thoughts such as "What if this situation causes me, my husband, or my baby to die?"  Fears will cease.  Insecurities will fade away.  Anxiety will be a part of the past.  And the incomprehensible glory and joy of being with Christ will be in the present and in the eternal future.

No, we weren't at the wrong place at the wrong time.  Thank you, Lord, for setting my hope back on the grace that lies ahead!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Showered with Showers






Planning for babies is a thrilling yet overwhelming process in so many ways, and any expression of support in this process blesses us beyond words. This past weekend our friends and family in Memphis showered our family with affirmation through their encouragement and through their generous presents.  Here are some pictures of the unforgettable weekend.


My friend, Julie, made these lion cake pops!  Her time and effort spent making these paid off- they were incredible! 

Julie also made alligator and elephant shaped butter cookies to match the jungle theme of the shower.  Tasted like they came straight from a bakery!


My wonderful mama


Here's my Aunt Sharon, one of the hostesses of the shower, who is presenting to our kids the biggest teddy bear known to man...

who is appropriately named "Costco," thanks to the suggestion of a friend.

My best friend since I can remember and hostess of the baby shower, Julie!

A table was set up for friends and family to write messages to the little one we hope to bring home from Africa soon!  I can't wait to compile everyone's messages for our little one to keep for the rest of his/her life so that this child will see the vast amount of people who are praying for him/her and are anticipating this baby's homecoming!



Here is Mrs. Colter, another shower hostess, who was kind enough to host this event at her home! 

Below are just a few pictures of some of our sweet friends with sweet hearts...
































Thank you, Lord, for such generous friends!