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!