Our journey is beginning...

I’m getting married in six weeks…43 days to be exact.  So I should be thinking about white dresses, flowers, and dances, right?  Now don’t get me wrong they have been a part of my time, but right now my mind and a good chunk of my heart are half a world away.  I can’t stop thinking of Ethiopia.  So I decided maybe its time to share how the adoption journey began.

Throughout my teenage years, my youth minister and his wife shared a heart for the world with me over and over.  Their home always seemed to have an open door for anyone who needed a listening ear or a place to stay for the night.   They are also amazing parents who helped me see what it meant to raise a child who loved God and his promises. 

However, it didn’t stop there.  I remember sitting in the kitchen of their home one day when Sarah asked to pray for a little boy in Africa.  Little did we know God was preparing to move in this child’s life.  Now, many years later, he is playing soccer at an academy in Philadelphia.  His mother is one of my mother’s best friends.  His father coaches soccer, and he is thriving in an incredible family.  And who is to say that those prayers didn’t play an integral part in that story. 

God has continued to place these stories in my life.  I have watched one of my favorite youth sponsor couples get married and adopt their son through foster care.  God placed me in a church in rural Ohio where I was blessed to watch two amazing middle school girls thriving in their homes.  God had started an adoption journey in their hearts.  Their journey has affected my journey.

Then the amazing man I get to marry soon joined the journey.  As you may have gathered, I have known for a long time that I am called to adopt.  I still don’t know all the details, however I can not ignore that calling.  The only way I can explain it is, have you ever done something, maybe a hobby or a class or a career and it just felt right?  This is how I feel about being a wife and a mother.  Because of this, Tyler and I began talking about adoption about two months into our relationship.  That conversation has grown and progressed continually since then. 

For us, adoption is not a plan B.  It is not because we have had any type of fertility issues or been told that we can not have children.  We have chosen adoption because God has called us to do so.  Adoption is our first choice in how we will grow our family.  Please come along side us.  Pray for us.  Pray God will help us build a strong foundation in our marriage.  Pray for the children God is preparing for us.  Pray for their birth family.  Pray for those who are caring for our children now.  Pray about whether or not God is calling you to be a part of our journey.  Pray about whether God is preparing you for an adoption journey of your own.

Oh and if you want to hear more about our journey, ask.  I love talking about how God is moving in us, humbling us, teaching us, and changing our lives.

Ready...

Today is my third day in the office at BCC. This week has held a lot of introductions, schedule planning, and meetings. And inevitably, as I have begun this step in my life, I have been asked over and over about the next step. As graduation nears, I am continually asked what I plan to do after I am done with school
To be completely honest, this question scares me. When I graduated from high school, I had a plan. I knew I had been called into ministry. I knew that I wanted to attend Johnson Bible College. I knew what (at the very least) the next four years had in store for me. Now, don't get me wrong, I am still convinced of my calling. However, over the course of the three years that I have been at Johnson, I have also come to realize the many things that "ministry" encompasses. I would like to work with teens and I would like to be within a few hours of my parents. I think these desires are part of my inner wirings. Family is so important to me and I can't imagine continuing to live 10 hours away from them.
Yet, beyond these things, I am unsure of where God is calling me. This morning I sat reading some articles about the search and candidating process in ministry. The simple yet honest words of Steve Harling in Memoirs of a Move were reassuring. I was reminded that these decisions about ministry and direction are not ones that I am asked to make alone. God will guide me and be with me every step of the way.

"God, I'm ready now. Ready to get out of the boat of my comfort and security."