Author Archives: admin I remember before I was a mom hearing Richard’s Aunt Bec talk about how amazing she thought connecting with other moms when her children started school. She said CHILDREN were the ONE thing these different MOMS had in common…dispite their social or economic status–all of the reasons you used to be drawn to different people […] Ok…this is SO my humor. Don’t think I don’t busta rap every now and then. I want to be just like this mom when I grow up;). SO…here’s a happy mom’s day rap for all you ladies in the Mutha Hood! TURN OFF MUSIC UP TOP BEFORE JAMMING OUT TO THIS:) Happy Mother’s Day! XOXO! […] HAHAHAHA!! Peace Out! I am crying right now. Oh My WORD! Word to ya motha! OK. That was amazing. Too funny! Love it! Also, I congrats on announcing your news! I am so happy for your family. I have been praying for you and your girl. Keep me posted. Alright–I mean, I know it’s been almost TWO years since we did the crazy home study / dossier paper chase for our last adoption BUT oh my goodness…I think I totally forgot how many hoops you have to jump through!!! Isaac accompanied me to my physical last week–where he blew kisses to all the nurses–and […] I so long to be in your next of the woods – to see you in every day living and chat face to face would just be A-mazing!!! Your face-to-face friends are very blessed to have you in their life; I am sure they know that. Just big hugs to you – for just … being YOU! Congratulations! I feel like I am finally coming to the end of the paperwork hoops having finished the adoption, SS Card and applying for a Certificate of Citizenship! It will hopefully be easier for you round 2 since you have done it all before! 🙂 If your little girl has a cleft, give me a call and I can share some things I am learning along the way. Blessings! What an amazing start to this journey! Doncha just LOVE when God sends you encouragement in the most unlikely places! Woohoo! Girl, you know I have 5 kids who are 7 and under! It’s always a three ring circus but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Welcome to Team Crazy!!! WOW! Thanks so much for sharing this story! It is always such a blessing to hear of ways that God shows up BIG…….and He did at this appointment!……touching so many of you with one visit! Go, God! Isn’t it awesome when you know you just received God’s confirmation that you are on.His.Divine.path!!??!!??!!?? Such a sweet story….. Oh how God is using you and your family to shed His light on others! It doesn’t get any better than that! Love it!  Today’s post follows yesterday’s post… “Where is she Lord? Where do you want me to go? Downtown Atlanta–I’ll go there. Across the world–I’ll go there…just show me Lord–I will go.” There I stood in my shower of all things talking outloud to the Lord. I had been praying for weeks while rocking my new one […] So excited for your news to be public! You’ve been in my prayers. I just got good news regarding China as well – my brother found out today he was selected as a Fulbright Scholar and is moving to China! Cried through every single word!!!! What an amazing journey and I beyond excited for Eliza to have another Chinese sister here in Atlanta!!!! Oh Andrea. Crying tears of joy for you. LOVE the transparency of your post and absolutely love love love how God has not only brought this 10 year journey full circle but seems to have tied a bow on it with that frame. I LOVE this. Truly. One of my favorite adoption stories ever. SO happy for your blessed family! LOVE hearing about your journey, my friend! I just got done blogging about our oldest who is working his way to Bible college … much of that endurance and determination was learned during our adoption journeys. AMAZING how God works! PRAISE GOD!!!! I told Jeff after the Created for Care Retreat that I just knew in my knower that you were going to adopt again! And soon! He thought I was crazy! SOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOOO GLAD God is bringing you full circle, back to China! Beautiful how He intertwined this already precious story ~ your love for China, Laney’s prayers for a sis, and even the picture frame! H.o.l.y. c.o.w!!!!! Truly amazing story. Can’t wait to follow along on your journey and see this precious one’s face! LOVE how God blesses our obedience! You laid China at the foot of the cross………and He continues to bless your sweet surrender. I don’t think I’ve ever commented, but I guessed it from the first post!!! We are so close to bringing home our daughter from India and I love to read your heart that believes…simply believes that Jesus is who He said He was! Thank you for these beautiful posts! Ahhhh!!!! Are you KIDDING me?!? I’m SO excited for you Andrea…and your family! When I first read that post about you and your husband meeting and China I thought, hmm…I wonder why Ethiopia and not China? SOOOO excited to see WHO God has chosen for your family! Thrilled to be following along in your journey again. Incredible! I am so excited for your family! My sister (http://shirlee-mccoy.blogspot.com/) adopted a little girl from China two years ago–also their fifth, and a little more than a decade after she first felt the stirring to adopt from China. Love how God works. And I love the picture with the chair waiting to be filled. Beautiful. Congrats, Andrea!! It has always been my dream to adopt a girl from China..so wonderful for you, and your family!! I cannot imagine there is anyone more excited than me (outside your precious family and Abba Father of course). I am selfishly praying your trip brings you thru Hong Kong. I already LYLAS and cannot wait to hug your neck and hear your laugh. Your story gives me hope. Ten years huh? I pray my turn is not that long! Love & Blessings from Hong Kong, Kim Yay, I knew it! How awesome for your family. Can’t wait to follow along your journey, Andrea. Hugs! Wow Andrea, beautiful story ~ I soo love your heart! Congratulations!!!!! Andrea, we have been so blessed by your beautiful family and your heart for following God. We are so excited for you as you share this exciting news, and we can’t wait to see how God leads you in the days ahead! Amazing news!!! I love that your heart for China is coming full circle. God works in amazing ways! What beautiful news! Can not wait to watch God working in all of your lives. 🙂 Oh my goodness. I was crying through all of that… so excited for you. (And hoping it’s similiar to my story someday with answering my daughter’s prayers for a sister too!) 🙂 How cool Richard WAS on board after all! 🙂 Praise the Lord. SO excited to watch this journey unfold, and so blessed to have you challenge the rest of us along the way. YAY!!!!! So excited for you guys, praying 🙂 Congrats! What a beautiful thing. God has been working on me in the same way. We have a daughter from China, and are waiting on ET. Been feeling lots of doubt about ET though, and lots of people have informed us about the lack of “need”. At this point, we are just waiting on God’s leading and are begging for discernment. I have to say, in reading your “best year” posts, I wondered if a China adoption was in your future! God is so in the details! I had a BIG feeling this was the announcement…;) SO overjoyed for you and your family! Much love and many, many prayers are going up! 😉 Can’t wait to hear and see pictures…and will be looking forward to updates! YAY!!!! 🙂 Praise the Lord!!! So happy that you both are following the Lord’s calling and have a clear vision together! What a ride! 🙂 SOOOOO happy for you all!!! I just can’t stop smiling!! Oh this is so sweet and such exciting news. I cannot wait to follow you all on this journey!! This was a beautiful post Andrea. Congrats to your family! I’m so excited for you. A beautiful new addition. So happy for Laney that it’s a girl. What a wonderful plan God has for your family. And another journey begins – what a precious moment for your family and how sweet the story is when GOD is in control. YAY YOUNG FAMILY OF SEVEN!!! =) Well you know we are thrilled for you and have been praying for your next adventure. We need to talk…lots going on here…but still praying for BIG things. So happy the news is out so I don’t have to be secretive anymore – HA! Congrats…what a special time of hope for your family!!! Been following your blog for a while and was absolutely thrilled to read this post this morning! Oh how big our God is! How He loves His children! Thank you for your faithfulness to follow His leading and to trust Him to provide all the grace that you need. I’ll be praying for Him to give you peace in the waiting! So sweet and such a joy to read this morning. I wish ya’ll the best as you become a family of 7, and cannot wait to follow you on this journey! Andrea!! I am beyond excited for your sweet family! This fabulous news has made my day! It was the first news I read upon waking and coming to the computer this morning! I hurried to work to pull up you blog on my computer in my office and read all the wonderful details! What a blessing!! Cannot wait to see your new baby girl! (: Love you, friend! Oh…how my heart rejoices with you! I have tears in my eyes at the incredible workings of our Lord. He is so, so, good. And the lesson He taught you about the greatest need…I TOTALLY needed that. I’m preparing and praying to return to Uganda for missions work and have been praying to know which org. to work with, which has the greatest need. oh man. Thank you! Praying for you all as you embark on this journey!! I am so excited for you!! I have enjoyed reading your Best Years posts, but never thought it would end up here!! We are in the process of adopting waiting siblings from Ghana. It’s great when you begin in one spot and God leads you somewhere unexpected. Tha has been our adoption journey as well. YAY, Andrea!!!! I just knew that she was going to be from CHINA!!! How wonderful! Jody and I always thought we would bring a daughter home from China one day! We were totally surprised when God told us she was in Ethiopia! But I still have a soft spot in my heart for China too! My friend, Jennifer, just brought Alice home from China. They were with Lifeline! I got to meet them in person a few weeks ago…PRECIOUS!!! So excited for ya’ll! Can’t wait to follow your journey! Thank you for sharing how God spoke to you re. where the need is. Wow – exactly what i needed to hear!!! Such an amazing story! I absolutely love seeing the progression of God working in yours and your husband’s lives, even before you knew each other. Everything fitting perfectly together because God was weaving it. I’m at a point in the ministry I’ve been called to where I’m hearing silence and after reading what you wrote, I know it’s God asking me for my complete blind trust. He’s asking me to trust even when I don’t see or understand or what’s happening doesn’t make sense. I have to stand and know that HE IS and that’s enough. God bless your family on this journey! Pretty much a mess of tears. Beautiful story of Gods plan, can’t wait to see who HE has picked…..love how God works in the hearts of mamas. Giggling in a big way about Rico’s DONE comment. Sounds familiar. Pretty sure that’s why my husband wanted a Z name. Yeah for the five club!! China! Oh my! Love this post and your willingness to follow God’s calling. We are coming up on two years logged into China…and I have the special needs form sitting in my paper pile right now…praying that God will show us how to check the boxes. Wonderful news and what an amazing journey it will be. Could it be that there will be two families…so geographically close…with one little one from Ethiopia and one from China? God is so good! Absolutely DELIGHTED to hear this news shouted from the roof tops! THRILLED for your family. We LOVE the Youngs!!! Soooo excited for your family. I LOVE the picture of all the kiddos with the empty chair for sister. SO precious. I love reading your posts. I can just feel the love of Jesus pour out from your heart. To Him be the glory! I can’t wait to hear about the rest of your journey! Oh Andrea, I am so very happy for you and your family. The part about the quote truly made tears run down my face! You’ve got to have that painted/framed/something inside your house! :c) I will be praying for your whole precious family on this journey to your new girl. Andrea!!! Beyond thrilled for you guys! We have felt the tug to China SN many times in the last few months (I’ll have to share details with you sometime)…..we are still waiting on ET for today, but just praying through what that planted “seed” for China is going to be used for. Just in awe of how the Lord has brought your family full circle with a desire HE put in your heart for China years ago. Cannot wait to watch this next journey unfold for your beautiful family! Praying her home! Much love! Just found your site! Your post reduced me to nothing!!I was hit by a wave of emotion as I read on and on. Mostly because you share a similar story to my family. You see we adopted our oldest daughter who’s 7 from China and then our youngest daughter who’s 4 from Ethiopia. You are truly blessed to be bringing home another child. I am so happy for you even though I don’t know you. I will be reading your updates! This is so wonderful ! I am inspiredby your obedienceto our sweet Lord. He works on all of us through people like you,Andrea. Blessings for growing and hearing your call. i think even if i wasnt pregnant, i would still be bawling my eyes…thank you sweet sister in the Lord for sharing this journey with us…the things God shows you and you then share with us…really are things I need to hear and be reminded of…your faith, your family, are so inspirational! Andrea this was a true joy to read. I love it that the Lord had stored up that gift you gave Him on your wedding day, trusting Him with your heart’s desire, and has now giving it back to you in a form far more precious than you could have imagined then. Just beautiful. His plans for you all are full of goodness and adventure in Him! Wow I’m just so excited for you and your family … it gives me goosebumps to see how Clearly God revealed himself to you to lead you to your 5th child! What an amazing story to share with her someday!! I’m just so excited and will be following along praying for this precious child!! YAY screaming with excitement from Fla:) miss your blog for a few days and THIS…………WOOOOTTT!!! So excited for you! This crossed my mind when you mentioned the 2,000 waiting on the listserve… thrilled for you and you can trust that you are being prayed for in IL! Oh Andrea…I am SO excited to read this! Can’t wait to follow this new journey to another sweet child. I just LOVE the way the Lord’s plans for our lives are always so much better than what we could ever dream up ourselves. =) WOW!!!!!!!!!! My heart is sooo Happy for you!!!! You do realize that we said 3 is good….we’ll just foster for any children that need a place…..and then when we had 6 we said oh forget it and let’s go to ETH….then why not 8? he he he…. PRAYING for you new journey following Christ, and for your daughter that will be coming home! To a home that will love her unconditionally and show her the face of Jesus!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!! So, so, so very excited for you guys!!! And blessed beyond measure by your posts. Thank you for sharing how God has led you, esp. how you listened and waiting. What a great reminder that I need to do this every day.  I’ll go ahead and tell you–this post has to come in 2 parts (so don’t be mad when it ends abruptly). Had to do 2 parts because 1…it is THAT sweet of a year and 2…because Amy Levy is my ‘soul tender’ and we meet on Monday night to tend to one another’s souls {which […] Oooooh, Andrea!!! Way to leave me hanging … but you know I will be back tomorrow/whenever you post Part 2 of Post 5. =) xoxo First Mitzi’s story, and now yours – you girls are changing a culture’s way of thinking and I am blessed to know you even from afar! Can’t wait for the second 1/2!! 😉 People misquote that bible verse all the time… 1 Corinthians 10:13…love what you said about your “desperate need of God.” Beautifully said. KB I can’t wait to hear more!! Tomorrow can’t come soon enough. I know I’ve said it before … but I feel certain you gotta best seller in the making! Love & Blessings from Hong Kong, Kim Thank you for your post today. I’ve been home 4 weeks with our little guy from Ethiopia and today you helped me to realize that what we are experiencing with him is healing. THe first 2 weeks were great! Then the next two followed with hospital stays and many doctors appts. Thank you for reminding me that healing, not just physical but emotional healing is a process…one that could take years. God is so good! Our lives are so full of the richness He so wanted us to experience. Can’t wait to see where He’s leading you next. Andrea what a cliff hanger!!!! I can’t wait to see where God is leading you and to see the rewards of your obedience! Oh my soul, tears flowing…my favorite part…”something powerful happens when the word orphan is taken away and made your child instead…” I pray too that many many more orphans will be called sons and daughters instead! Its wonderful to watch your journey and it helps encourage me in mine and the new things that God is calling us to do… I feel the same way…like really Lord? Now? 🙂 But you’ve got it right…it points us back to our need for Christ in what He calls us to do and Him receiving the GLORY! He he he….that is if I can squeeze a shower in the day for myself? just kidding…kind of. LOVE hearing God’s crazy for you!!!! 🙂 You know when you are soo very desperate….that you HAVE to HAVE HIM!!!! That is where we should be. Not where I want to be – well because I have lots of control issues, but God has a funny sense of humor on that too 🙂 AMEN, girl!!! If we could handle everything on our own, then we would walk through life not realizing our need for Him. So glad that He puts us in places where we have to totally DEPEND on Him! It’s truly the sweetest place to be! Can’t wait to read the rest of the story… Oh no…I have to wait until tomorrow for the rest…so not fair! 🙂 Wonderful post…so true…being called, being stretched, being completely changed…love your heart – always listening for God’s voice. …hoping what I think is what is coming…. […] Post 5 – The Best Years of My Life {The story continues…} […] “If I only live with what I think I can bear – then how can I live knowing my desperate need of God?” –> SO POWERFUL FRIEND!!!! |
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by admin
What a beautiful post Andrea! Since I’m not I mom yet, my prayer is that I can make it through THIS mother’s day without crying and have the patience to wait for the mother’s days I will celebrate with my children.
Just wanted to take a moment to wish you a VERY HAPPY Mother’s Day! Motherhood is the most rewarding job on the planet. However, it involves long hours, sleepless nights, sometimes heartache, no promotions and few thank you’s. BUT, my oh my ,being given the gift of watching your children grow and thrive under your care with a love for God is the ultimate reward! Yesterday my 5 yr old put in a bible song CD and began an impromptu show for us. My 7 yr old was in the process of getting dressed and heard the song. He joined his brother in his underwear. They were rocking out to a lively bible song & it was absolutely hilarious. Those are the moments I cherish-the spontaneous joy and laughter. God bless!
Love this, Andrea! This week has been especially discouraging for us as well. Yesterday it was another Momma (of course, an Atlantan) who spoke encouraging words to my heart again. What I love about being a Momma is that automatic bond I have with other women. And I love getting my toddler out of her crib in the morning. Peeking in on them when they’re asleep. Reading books with them. Snuggling and watching a movie (we did this last night.) Kissing boo boos. I could keep going……
I love my children’s sense of humor. The things they say that catch me off guard and bring about laughter are beyond anything I could ever think of and at the same time is just their innocense showing through.
I love the growth I’ve experienced as a mom. The medical challenges of my children have given me the drive to not only care for them, but to use what I’ve learned out of these difficult times to help others. They have grown my heart and taught me so much.
I loved this post so much. Recently I’ve had times of misunderstanding and confusion with where the Lord is taking me, but I didn’t ignore the strong desire to be alone with him. I rode my bike out to a long stretch of closed off road and told him I was all ears for him. I throughally expected to hear rebuking and/or direction, but instead he lavished me with adoration and love. He showed me the wonders of his creations and let me know I’m loved more than even them. How awesome is our God, in times of confusion and understanding. He IS. Happy Mothers Day Andrea. 🙂
I am just speechless – your words are so heart-filled and you know exactly how to express them to make your audience tear-up when appropriate, laugh where appropriate, and smile, love, and encourage you all the way. LOVE YOUR HEART – Happy Mother’s Day!
Andrea, I’ve been reading for what feels like forever (I think you are friends or a friend of a friend of mutual photog-friends of ours), back when we just started our own adoption journey. And I just have to share, even though you don’t know me 😉 it feels like I know so much of your story that I have to share the recent turn of events over here where just this week we were matched and are now expecting twins due in a matter of weeks. We couldn’t be more happy 🙂 There is always so much to be thankful for. So much to be grateful for. SO much happiness; even when things feel difficult or tough or one-sided, know that good things are in store. I LOVE your Mother’s Day gift. It is beautiful 🙂 Happy Mama’s Day to you!
Happy Mother’s Day Andrea. I follow your blog daily and have for about a year now. Your post today was incredible! Today, I’m thankful for my four amazing kids. I love how they are all so different! They all have done something different to make me feel special today. I also am feeling a sadness that I didn’t expect to feel. We’ve been home 5 weeks with our little guy from Ethiopia and his birth mother died during childbirth. I’m sad for him, I’m sad that I never got to meet this amazing women that birthed my son, I’m sad I don’t know much about her. I do have a picture of her and we will celebrate her for many years to come. Feeling incredibly blessed that God chose us to parent this little guy. I have to send you a picture of him…he reminds me so much of your Isaac. Happy Mother’s Day!
I started reading your blog because a good friend of mine was adopting from Africa and I started blog reading to find ways to help their family through the process. I love how you have said that maybe we are not all called to adopt, but maybe called to help families that can adopt. I have three daughters from 17yr old to 7 yr old. One of the greatest gifts of being a mom is watching them become exactly who they are meant to be. I love watching them be sisters! I love when my middle and little walk home from school talking to eachother like best friends (they start bickering the second they are in the door, but…) I love how my oldest offers advice because she is an expert on just about everything! LOL I love when the advice she gives is the same advice I gave her years before. You said it perfectly about how wonderful it is to see each little piece of their dreams come true. BTW, my oldest is starting college in the fall. She picked the University she did because they have internships that travel to Africa. I have shared with her Issac’s referral picture and pictures of him now, home, with HIS family, and she knows that it is possible to make a difference. Thank You for helping me teach my girls’ that the world is so much bigger than we are! Happy Mother’s Day!
Hi Andrea,
Happy Mother’s Day! Your post was AMAZING! I am a Mommy to 5 boys. In my heart I have always wanted to adopt a little girl. Ahhh so not what God wants for me. He has place 2 boys on my heart who came “home” to their forever family and 3 months later the family “gave” them up!! Can you PLEASE pray that God will move in my husbands heart. I know that they are suppose to come into our family. I know that they are to be ours…Please pray that God will protect those two boys and keep their hearts open to Love!
Thanks,
Shanna
Oh Andrea, I never get tired of looking to see if your blog has any new posts on it. In fact, I think it’s first in my Google Reader updates for that very reason. 🙂 Thank you thank you thank you for always speaking these true and wise words to my heart. Sometimes I don’t even know what to say but a repeated thank you because your words have touched me and are such a blessing to me. I hope you are having a WONDERFUL Mother’s Day.
As for me, I love being a mom and seeing my kids grow and develop their little personalities and talents for things. They surprise me sometimes w/ what they are seeming to take interests in and it’s fun keeping up and encouraging them through it. And as for a prayer request, as you know, I’m going to Summit this week and my mom heart is aching to do more for children who do not have parents. I’m praying that my heart will be open to hear God speak to me this week and that He will give me some clarity in how He can use me and our family for His Kingdom purposes.
HAPPY HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, ANDREA! YOU are one extra-special momma! I believe THAT is why God has lead you to bring yet another sweet babe home! You CAN handle this and love each one of your precious gifts from God! And we will all be praying you through the adoption process and beyond! 😉 THAT is one thing I LOVE ~ how God connects women with similar hearts, no matter where they are on the road to motherhood! 🙂 Although my heart was heavy with the days leading up to this Mother’s Day (not yet knowing who our babe(s) are), God has blessed me with His peace today. If you would be willing to pray that God blesses us with our little one(s) soon, that would so bless me! *HUGS* p.s….praying you have a lighter week than the last few weeks!
Hi Andrea. I have been reading your blog for quite awhile now though I’ve never commented. You are always such an encouragement to me as you share what the Lord is teaching you and how He is leading your family. I’m thrilled about your news for the new little one coming! Sparrows hold a special place in my heart, too. I have three boys. Our youngest son was born with a rare liver disease and had to have a liver transplant at 6 months old. For the first several years, he was in the hospital more than out of it. During this challenging time, a dear friend of mine gave me two beautiful sparrows with a card and the verses from Matt. 6:25-34. Such a comfort to my heart. My boys are now 4, 5, and 6 and it is a JOY to see them ALL running, playing, and enjoying life together.
I love my children’s faith. It is so simple, so pure, so full of trust. They minister to me daily!! Thanks for continuing to share your journey.