A Week

One week ago, I moved to Nashville. And it's been a great week.

I realize I'm in the honeymoon phase, but I am loving everything about it right now. The town, the job, and the people I'm doing life with have far exceeded any expectations I had. And I love seeing His hand all over it.

My first star-sighting happened Tuesday. That didn't hurt either...

Seasons

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

For the past year, I have been living in Orlando and spending as much time as possible with my sweet family. I worked for a great organization with an amazing team. I watched my beautiful sister marry the man of her dreams. I walked with my mom through a scary diagnosis, surgeries, chemotherapy, and on Thursday, her final cancer treatment. The end of chemo marked the end of a season for our family.

The end of one season means beginning of another. Friday marked the beginning of a new season in my life as I moved to Nashville. It's a new adventure, but one that God began preparing me for a long time ago.

My greatest joy is seeing God set the lonely in families (Psalm 68:6). Sometimes that happens when God graciously brings one of His children into His family through spiritual adoption. Sometimes it's when a family is led to take in a child through physical adoption. In both cases, the child receives a new identity and a new name. They have a future and a hope. They are loved. And the ultimate goal is that God's name is known and glorified.

Both are also costly. One required a sacrificed Son. The other requires an amount of money that is an obstacle for many families that feel led to adopt. As God calls families, He is also calling other believers, churches, and organizations to help overcome this obstacle.

One of those organizations is Show Hope. In their own words, "Show Hope is a non-profit organization that mobilizes individuals and communities to meet the most pressing needs of orphans in distress by providing 1) homes for waiting children through adoption aid grants, and 2) life-saving medical care for orphans with special needs."



To date, Show Hope has been involved in nearly 3,000 children coming home to their forever families, but it's more than a big number. It's about one child that is now loved. One of those children is Mareto, who was adopted from Ethiopia four months ago.



Mareto's sweet mom, Lauren, has allowed me to share a bit of their story with you. Before Mareto came home, their family was blessed with an adoption grant from Show Hope. Read from Lauren's heart here.

And a quick side note... Lauren makes the BEST accessories. I absolutely love my Poppie Lane jewelry! I highly recommend it all :) And 50% of the profit goes to other adoptive families. Does it get any better?!?



God is so clearly working through this organization to carry out the promise of Psalm 68:6. And I am so blessed to be joining this team and to be a small part of what He is doing to bless thousands of families and orphans in need around the world. I'm so excited about this new adventure and sharing it with each of you. Your prayers mean so much, especially in this time of transition. My favorite thing about the whole adventure is that it's so much bigger than me. The only explanation is God. As I step into this new season, I have never been more confident that I am exactly where I need to be.

To my Sweet/Tootsie Rolls

You blew me away last night. I was just going to dinner, but apparently y'all had different plans. Thank you for that, but more importantly, thank you for doing life together this past year. There is no one else I would rather walk and learn and laugh alongside. You are each incredible women with so much sass and passion and love for the Lord and those He's given you. It's a miracle I did not become a blubbering mess last night, and I would prefer to avoid that today as well.

I thought the most appropriate way to express my heart would be to take a country song completely out of context and dedicate it to you. Every time this song comes on the radio, I ignore the verses and thank Jesus for you and your friendship when the chorus comes around. I'm not really sure why I always think of the Sweet Rolls when I hear it, but know that you will always be "my people".

These are my people
This is where I come from
We're givin' this life everything we got and then some
It ain't always pretty
but it's real
It's the way we were made
Wouldn't have it any other way
These Are My People

We fall Down and we get up
We walk proud and we talk tough
We got heart and We got nerve
Even If we are a bit disturbed

Thank you Rodney Atkins. Thank you girls. And thank you, Father, for meeting our needs far beyond our hopes and expectations.

Ramblings

I MAY OR MAY NOT have laughed out loud to myself when I realized how dumb I am. I could not figure out what Emily meant by Mayhave Mondays. I have never heard the word "mayhave" used before, but I figured it had a perfectly appropriate meaning if Emily had chosen it. Then I started reading the linked blogs and noticed a pattern. Thank you Louisiana Department of Education. Be proud of what you produced. (Dear Emily, I apologize for missing the point on my first link up. I will do better in the future.) I think I am close enough to blond.

I MAY OR MAY NOT have been tempted to use a not-appropriate-for-a-Baptist-girl word to refer to cancer a moment ago. Then the Lord reminded me about the great report Mom got today, so we moved past that.

I MAY OR MAY NOT have watched the Tim Tebow documentary (again) tonight and thought to myself that it's probably not healthy for any self-respecting Christian girl without a ring on her finger to watch that man walk around without a shirt on. But apparently that thought didn't convince me enough to turn it off.

I MAY OR MAY NOT have finally found a decent Indian restaurant in Orlando. My mouth was excited. My stomach... not so much.

I MAY OR MAY NOT have gotten addicted to "The Bachelor" again this season. I have no problem blaming the DVR for continuing to record them after last season. I also have no problem calling those girls seriously emotionally unstable.

I MAY OR MAY NOT be an emotional eater. For some reason, my emotions never tell me to eat salad.

I MAY OR MAY NOT regret these ramblings in the morning.

Treasures

I realize we are several weeks past Christmas, but because I am so far behind in my posts, we will ignore that truth for a moment and focus on some other ones.

As I read the Christmas story each year, one tiny verse always takes hold of my attention and my heart. Luke 2:19 says, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart". Wow.

No question she is one of my favorite characters in Scripture. She was young, but God took note of her obedience and faithfulness, and blessed her beyond her wildest dreams. And when this craziness is going on, she just worships and magnifies the Lord. I can't get over it. I'm sure the circumstances had to be overwhelming at times, but instead of freaking out, she took the special moments and memories and hid them away in her heart.

"Overwhelming" is the only word I have to describe the last couple of months. We had the Singing Christmas Trees, Christmas, and New Years, which was immediately followed by the wedding of my lovely sister and Bryan Guillot. Many of our family and friends that came in for the party wanted to take advantage of Orlando, so I spent the entire day after the wedding at Universal. Don't judge. Two days later, my mom went in for a biopsy, and was diagnosed with breast cancer on Wednesday. Since then, we have gotten to know MD Anderson very well and prayed through many treatment options. The first anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti was in there somewhere too.

It makes me tired just to type it all out. Despite the craziness of this season, there have been so many perfect moments. Moments when love overshadows everything else. Moments when I'm reminded of the blessing of family. Moments when a friend opens their heart to share their experiences with cancer. Moments when God is glorified in the midst of a storm. Moments that I've hidden away in my heart to treasure and to ponder and to learn vital lessons.

Through this season, we are clinging to truth and promises. I am seeing His faithfulness and grace in ways I never have before. Despite being overwhelmed, we are overwhelmed in peace that can only be from Him. And even if it's through tears, my heart is joining Mary's song... "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior".

Merry Christmas

As I drove home from the Christmas Eve service last night, I spent some time reflecting on the past year and where God has me right now. I am often tempted to complain about this season and let Him know how things should be. My plan makes so much sense to me.

But then the Christmas story hit me like it never has before. If it was up to me, I would have orchestrated Christ's long-awaited arrival so much differently. I would have made sure Jesus came to fanfare and everyone would be aware of who He was and why He was here. They would treat Him with the honor He is due. It would be important dignitaries there celebrating, instead of lowly shepherds. He would be born in a penthouse suite, not spending His first night in a manger.

His plan was so much better than mine. He showed His indescribable love, His humility, and that He came FOR ALL PEOPLE. He came for the humble, the poor, the sick. Those in India's slums. Those in China's orphanages. Those with earthly blessings, and those whose blessings are yet to come. After the past year, this truth brings incredible joy to my heart.

What would I be missing if I got my way? What blessings would I miss out on if we went with my logical plan?

I choose to wait. To trust when it doesn't make sense. To allow His glory to be revealed in unexpected ways. And to celebrate this Christmas with more gratitude and praise than I ever have before.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Do We Care?

World Orphan Day

This day is so important to me. I was not adopted. I have not adopted. But I am a voice... For the "least of these". For 140 million children around the world without a family. For those that will become a part of this statistic.

My father is in ministry, and that title comes with certain responsibilities. One of those is attending the Southern Baptist Convention each summer. Until a few years ago, this responsibility meant that his family also went. If you've never been, let me tell you... it is not the most thrilling thing ever. I dreaded it, except for the couple of times it was held in Orlando. But the convention had one redeeming quality for this over-achieving and slightly nerdy kid- a discount bookstore. Without fail, that bookstore could keep me occupied for a few hours each year.

When I was 10, I was sorting through the numerous tables of books and came across one titled "China Doll". It had a picture of a couple holding a precious Asian toddler on the front. I read the back and was hooked. I bought the book and pulled my first all-nighter to finish this book. To that point, I had never heard about China's one-child policy or the girls abandoned to make way for sons or the orphanages overcrowded and out of resources. The book also opened my eyes to the miracle of adoption, and my life has never been the same.

When I began to see God's heart for the orphan, I decided adoption must be in His plan for our family. I immediately took on the role of the Holy Spirit and discovered adoption agency web sites. Each had a nice form to fill out for more information. My parents started to receive information packets about adoptions from China. I acted as surprised as they were, but I'm pretty sure they saw through that.

If you know my family, you know that this plan didn't go exactly as intended. My sister and I are very clearly my parents' biological children.

But something else happened.

The Lord opened doors for me to literally "visit the orphan" and the statistics became faces. I wrapped my arms around orphans in Mexico. I pushed them in swings in Thailand. I wiped away their tears in India. And my heart broke for these children in a way I can't understand or explain.



Orphans are heavy on my heart. I don't know why the Lord has given me this burden, but I want to bear it well. I pray orphan care and adoption are in my future, but I don't want to wait until another stage of life comes along to speak up for them. There will always be excuses and obstacles, but He has been opening my eyes lately to ways I can advocate and see that His name is glorified as we carry out His call to care for the orphan. I challenge you to seek Him about how He wants for you to be involved.



I also want you to consider that you once fell into the category of "orphan" as well. We had no hope and no future until a gracious Father sacrificed to make us His own. To lavish us with undeserved love. To allow us to take on His name and identity. To adopt us. Let the Gospel speak to you today, and thank our incredible Father on World Orphan Day.