The Young Family Farm

I know I’m not the only one that feels this way–I JUST LOVE MY MOMMY JOB! We have just had THE best Sunday together…saw Nana and Papa back off to Alabama (WAA!) before church…headed to church and Isaac went to Sunday School with Frank and made it the ENTIRE TIME without them needing to page me! (Folks–thats 8 months of going to church every Sunday and sitting in the foyer with Isaac! You have NO IDEA how sweet undistracted worship was today for this mom! Granted I kept making sure the beeper was working as I thought FOR SURE it would go off–but he did it!!! This was just the 2nd attempt…last time he lasted 5 minutes but this time the whole time!!!)

Because worship rocked my face on this morning–I have to share the most amazing song we sang. It’s a song by Christy Nockels–and I would listen to this during our adoption journey…all the unknowns…all the hoping and waiting for our sweet boy…I would turn this up in the minivan and sing at the TOP of my lungs (cool in the mini-van right?!) I LOVE the words…

I have a prayer request for a little guy in Uganda. He is a 1 year old sweetie who is HIV+. He is blind and deaf. He needs medical care…and a family…a very special family. I can’t help but think about how God must love this boy. Please pray for him…and that God would be His fortress. I think about this song–a Mighty Fortress is our God–we will keep our eyes on YOU Lord. Stories like this one make me long for Jesus to just come on back! BUT I also have to believe that He is going to come to this boy through a family some where. God is just that BIG. Please pray.

During worship I constantly think of children all over the world–and sing my trust in the Lord for His care of them. My how getting involved with orphan care through things like Wiphan and then traveling to bring home our son have changed me. I feel officially weird but also like I am in the right place…and while my heart breaks for those who have yet to experience LOVE in their hearts–I also see so much HOPE as God continues to call many to work through them with His power. I thought about how incredible it was to look in my backyard last night to see so many running around whose stories I know–and how miraculous they are…and I know the same God who orchestrated families for these will be enough for those who wait or will never know a family on this side of heaven. God IS enough–and He has favor for those who cry out to Him.

I came home from church and just enjoyed my babies. I took my regular Sunday nap with my Laney-girl…something the girls do together…just us…every Sunday. And then Parker, Laney and I went on an outing while daddy stayed back with the babies. We ate chocolate cake before dinner tonight (thanks to Emily Vogeltanz leaving her cake platter from the fellowship last night) and then we spent the night cutting out and sorting felt Bible stories. Such a perfect Sunday.

THEN as if it couldn’t get any better, I checked my email when all was quiet and found THESE from yesterday’s game waiting in my inbox from a dear friends sweet mom. THANK YOU NINA for the most precious pictures of our batboy Frankie-baby. Have you ever seen a 2 year old batboy that just melts your heart like THIS…(oh look at that little round fist sticking out of the glove on the wrong hand…MELT!)

For ONE hour EVERY Saturday morning Frank does NOT leave his daddy’s side. He stands there–watching and doesn’t leave his side. It is THE most precious thing–and will be one of my most treasured memories…EVER. There’s no running on the field for this kid or acting a nut–he just stands there and walks 2 steps behind his daddy. And melts his momma’s heart when he looks her way and waves.

Hope you all had a GREAT weekend!!! Thank you Lord for the JOY you bring us as moms as we follow and trust You for our lives!!! I ran across some pictures that HAVE to be scanned–and a few stories that HAVE to be told…gotta get on that because it’s just amazing to see how God works and weaves His perfect hand through our lives!!!

XOXO,

Andrea

SOO…tonight was African Family Fellowship night at our house! We TRY our best to get together once a month when we can. AND although it is crazy for everyone to come probably–I will speak for the crew and say we really think it’s worth it! While we were in the adoption process–we looked at other areas of the country and felt like there were amazing pockets of families who do life together…who all were called to grow their families through the miracle of adoption. We’d look around here–and while we were sure there were other families being called like ours–we just didn’t know them yet!

While there are millions of orphans throughout the world–God does care for them in very amazing and unique ways…in our group alone there are about 4 orphan ministries represented where we are caring for orphans across the globe through 60Feet, 410Bridge, Wiphan, and Passion…just to name a few represented by our group! It’s amazing to meet with these others and hear what God is doing through their ministries–but it is ALSO incredible to DO LIFE TOGETHER and to get to raise our FAMILIES TOGETHER!!! Crazy to think not every family could come tonight when you see how God has multiplied our group and brought us all together…

What I love so much about this group of people–is how each of these families has an AMAZING story how God called them to adoption. Each story is so unique–and their journeys are full of MIRACLES…as are each of their children. Some in this group have been home for years–while others are asking questions and praying…and just beginning their journeys…feeling like God is asking them to grow their families and be mommies and daddies to little ones they have yet to meet and instead of carrying under their heart for 9 months…they will be asked to carry a little one IN their heart and jump through hoops and wait and persue a precious one…to raise them in His ways and to have another little one running through and adding JOY to their lives!!!

I LOVE the perspective of these families…the perspective they have about what REALLY matters in life. I love that we have all been changed for the good–we’ve been refined and we are STILL being refined as we die to ourselves to love our children in ways that bring them a deeper sense of their identity in Christ and belonging in this world–that they were created for a PURPOSE and to know how LOVED they are! These families SHARPEN me…and I am just SO thankful that I get to do life with so many of them!!!

Jesus loves the little children…all the children of the world!!!! (And here is Mr.Silas feelin’ some of that love…he LOVES to ham it up at picture time!)

SOOO thankful tonight for these children who are home and for the littles ones who will soon be home!!! AND so thankful for these families and for God’s sweet provision for us through one another’s love and support!

Hope you all have a GREAT Sunday!

XOXO!

Andrea