Waiting....with Peace

We are still waiting on being submitted to court. We heard from the director of our agency last week that due to an error in our paperwork, it would be a couple more weeks until our paperwork was ready to be submitted. That is all I know. 

I dont know the exact day our paperwork will be submitted and I dont know if we will get to go to court before the courts close for rainy season. If the courts close before we get a court date then we will have to wait until early october-ish to go see our girl. I have no control over this, and I have no way of knowing what the next few weeks are going to hold. 

But the Lord knows...and He is sovereign in it all! I DO know that he has given me a CRAZY peace about all of this. It is definitely a "peace that passing all understanding".  I know this Peace is from the Lord.....because this is NOT ME. 

I am a pessimist by nature.....not because I always believe something bad will happen, but just because I like to prepare myself:) "I" would have started preparing myself weeks ago to not go see our girl until October,  "just in case" that is what happened. "I" would be a nervous wreck every time I thought about the court deadline approaching. "I" would be checking my email every second of every day waiting for some news (Well, maybe I am doing that....but not with fear in my heart). 

The Lord has been SO GRACIOUS to me! I know myself, and I know that the Jana a few months ago would be living in fear, and my anxiety would have overtaken me by now. The Lord is doing such an amazing work in my heart through this. HE'S GOT THIS! I know that! I know that whatever happens in the next few weeks will not crush me or destroy me. I am praying expectantly and I know the Lord wants to see my faith. I can literally feel His loving arms around me as I am waiting. His peace is so tangible to me right now! It is only by His GRACE that I am not living in FEAR!

Beach weekend

 

 We enjoyed a great weekend at the beach with the Martin family this weekend. We have enjoyed getting to know them this year and have developed such a sweet friendship with them. Our kids adore each other! It was a very busy weekend at the beach with five kids, but so much fun! The adults were exhausted after the first day on the beach entertaining 5 kids all 6 years old and younger! And then we of course stayed up late chatting at night while the kids were sleeping. It was a refreshing weekend in so many ways! We are so thankful that the Lord placed this family in our lives!

 

 

While we wait....

I know most of my posts have been about our adoption recently. That's not to say that there isn't a lot going on here at home with my two sweet boys. They are so busy and are starting to have so much fun together. They're acting like true brothers....playing together, occasionally fighting, but mostly just loving on each other and enjoying each other's company.

Levi is talking like crazy. There isn't much he won't say! If he wants or needs something he will figure out how to tell you! He thinks he can do anything and everything Brody is allowed to do. He has no idea he's not four years old. Levi is always the life of the party. He is HILARIOUS and we all are constantly laughing at him! Our family would not be complete without that little guy!

Brody is still amazing, as always. He is such a great big brother. He's so patient and has such a sweet spirit and kind heart. He loves his brother to death and will do anything for him. I tell him all the time how lucky Levi is to have him as a big brother. He finished his first year of preschool and did so well! He learned so much and is growing up way too fast! He is so excited about his summer! We have "countdowns" on the fridge to all of the big events of the summer! We have such a busy summer ahead! We are going on lots of little weekend trips and HOPEFULLY a big trip to Africa!

Learning along the way

This journey of Adoption is teaching me so much about myself, about other people, and about my relationship with the Lord. God is using it to draw me nearer to Him and to show Himself to me in ways I never thought possible. I am learning about prayer and about what it means to hope in the Lord, to believe in miracles, and to also trust his perfect plan and will for our lives. I am learning that there is a fine line between hoping in the Lord and getting my hopes up. I am learning about praying with confidence and asking the Lord for things that only he can do, meanwhile knowing that His plan may not be my plan. A few mornings ago after I praying for our court date,  I was reading in 1 John and the Lord gave me this passage....

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him." 1 John 1:14-15

I am praying with confidence that the Lord is hearing my requests and that He will carry out his perfect plan! I am so thankful that I do not have to bear my burdens on my own. My God is there to pick me up when I fall, when I fail to trust Him, and when I am so unsure of myself and my future. He will be there to pick me up when I crumble under the reality of how far away my daughter is. He will be there to help me get through the excruciating months of separation after we have held her and kissed her sweet face. He is teaching me so much, and for that, these months are priceless.

Music to a Mommy's Ears

TEARS. JOYFUL TEARS.
This is what my email held this afternoon. It's from a sweet mommy in our agency who just went to Ethiopia to bring her daughter home. She got to spend time with our sweet girl.....

Jana,   Oh. My. Goodness. Is your daughter a stunner!!  Me and Megan both loved on her to death! Her pictures seriously, don't do her justice! I have some pictures I will email you very soon! She has the same nanny as our girl did. They take such good care of them. She was NEVER just laying in her crib ever! She was playing on the floor or being held or in the bumbo seat, at all times.  She LOVES the bumbo seat.. You need one of those for sure! Your baby is so laid back. Not one time did she not smile or talk up a storm! So cute! God has truly blessed you with this angel, I'm not kidding one bit! She has the chubbiest cheeks, sooooo kissable! I never heard her cry ever! All smiles. She is good hands until you can get there!  I can't stress enough to you how BEAUTIFUL your daughter is! You are a lucky mama!! I have read this over and over again. This woman did not have to send this email to me. I didn't ask her for information on our baby girl. I don't even know her. This is the type of amazing people I am getting to know in this process! This is music to a mommy's ears! We are coming, sweet girl! Hopefully, SOON!

My Heart Today....

Today is Mother's Day

Today in my heart, I am a mommy to 3 children.

Two precious boys call me mommy everyday. 

One precious girl on the other side of the world doesn't even know I exist.

Legally I am not her mommy yet, but God has already knit my heart to hers.

I love her. 

I am fighting for her.

I am waiting for her to be HOME. 

God knew I would be her mommy before she was born. 

As He was forming her, He was creating her for ME. 

SOON you will know that I am your mommy, sweet girl!

My prayer every day is that I will not wish these months away. 

I cannot wait for our baby girl to be home.

But TODAY two amazing boys call me mommy.

I pray that I will not waste a single moment being THEIR mommy while I am waiting to be a mommy to another. 

God has given me such precious gifts in the boys I am raising. 

I pray I will make the most of every minute we are together and waiting for their sister to come HOME!

I am SO humbled by the role of mommy the Lord has given me and this journey of adoption He has called us to.

7:30 Challenge

We are praying hard that we will get a court date before "rainy season" when the courts close in Ethiopia for 2 months. There are 3 other Moms in our agency that are praying for this same thing! We are desperate to have our kids HOME! And the thought of adding 2 more months onto this long-enough wait, is so painful to think about. Our kids have homes and families that love them more than they know! They need to be with their families as soon as possible. So together, the 4 of us mommies, are praying each morning at 7:30 that the Lord would hear our pleas and that we will go to court (and pass!) before the courts close for rainy season. We believe that when we gather in the Lords name together in prayer, He will do MIGHTY things!

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20

Here's the challenge.....
Would you consider setting the alarm on your phone for 7:30 each morning and pray with us? You dont have to drop everything you are doing and pray for hours on end. Just a quick prayer to lift us up and ask the Lord for his mercy in this. 

We are SO EXCITED to see how the Lord is going to work in this! We are trusting the Lord for his PERFECT plan. 

If you are going to pray with us, would you leave a comment on our blog or facebook to let us know you are joining with us in this? Thank you in advance for your prayers!

 ~Jana~