I guess I should preface this by saying that a few weeks ago in my Bible study group, I asked people to pray that I would begin to develop a bond for our baby.
Okay, so when Adam and I started talking, praying, and wondering if we should start the adoption process, our pastor began a sermon series in the book of James. We believed that this was not a coincidence, but that this was very timely. We have finished studying James, but we still find that many of the sermons feel relevant to us, in our adoption process.
Well, todays sermon was no exception. The passage was Matthew 9:36-38. He talked about the good news of the Bible, and how we often do not act like we really believe it IS good news. We shy away from telling our friends about Christ, we do not go seek the lost. We are content to live in our comfortable house, with our comfortable family and have a comfortable life. But, Jesus never said that we were sent to this earth to live comfortably.
In the sermon, the speaker described horrific conditions for people living in various parts of the world. People using their toilet water to cook, wash clothes and dishes and bathe, and children being sold into sexual slavery. And here we are living our comfortable life. I of course began to cry. I thought of our child, our baby, not being properly taken care of. Not being cared for as well as we care for our dog! (Which trust me, isn't even all that much anymore). I began to think about when we were wondering whether or not God was calling us to adopt. And then I laughed at myself for having even questioned that. Because of course He is! He doesn't care that I don't have it all together. He doesn't care that we are upside down in our finances. He is asking us to trust Him, that He will take care of us and provide for our EVERY need!
After todays sermon, I feel like I have taken a huge step in building a bond with our child. I can't explain it except to say that my heart is breaking that our baby is living on the other side of the world and not being well taken care of. God has answered my prayers though. I can't even talk about our baby without crying anymore but I couldn't be happier :)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Thanksgiving week!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Every year as the smell of turkey fills the kitchen on Thanksgiving we try to remind ourselves to be thankful for the blessing that we have. Sometimes, even on the day designated for giving thanks we forget.
As Christians, we are called to give thanks continually in all things. It is hard to give thanks to our Lord in hard times. My question is this. Is it even harder to remember to give thanks when all things are going "well?" I know that for myself it is harder to give thanks when things are good due to my own selfish pride. Thinking that it is of my own doing that things are well.
I come from a wonderful Christian family with a great heritage. I am truly blessed. Each year we have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal celebrating together. We have great food, lots of people, so much talking that you better be on your game if you want to get a word in. This year I hope to be different. I want this year to have purpose. I want us to come together as a family in a deeper way as we grow closer to the One who loves us.
So this was my challenge...
I have asked my family to join us in another rice and bean fast for the next week until Thanksgiving day. We start in the morning. I pray that God will use this next week to really draw our family closer to Him. Most of my family is going to join us in this fast. Some will be doing different variations of it. However, we are going to take the money that we all save on food for the week and donate it to Amazima Ministries.
To the family... let's remember to keep each other covered in prayer for the week.
1 John 3:16,17
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the worlds goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Every year as the smell of turkey fills the kitchen on Thanksgiving we try to remind ourselves to be thankful for the blessing that we have. Sometimes, even on the day designated for giving thanks we forget.
As Christians, we are called to give thanks continually in all things. It is hard to give thanks to our Lord in hard times. My question is this. Is it even harder to remember to give thanks when all things are going "well?" I know that for myself it is harder to give thanks when things are good due to my own selfish pride. Thinking that it is of my own doing that things are well.
I come from a wonderful Christian family with a great heritage. I am truly blessed. Each year we have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal celebrating together. We have great food, lots of people, so much talking that you better be on your game if you want to get a word in. This year I hope to be different. I want this year to have purpose. I want us to come together as a family in a deeper way as we grow closer to the One who loves us.
So this was my challenge...
I have asked my family to join us in another rice and bean fast for the next week until Thanksgiving day. We start in the morning. I pray that God will use this next week to really draw our family closer to Him. Most of my family is going to join us in this fast. Some will be doing different variations of it. However, we are going to take the money that we all save on food for the week and donate it to Amazima Ministries.
To the family... let's remember to keep each other covered in prayer for the week.
1 John 3:16,17
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the worlds goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
2 months DTE!
Well, as of today we have been DTE (dossier to Ethiopia) for 2 months! We are moving along in this waiting period quickly! I can't believe that we have been done with our paperwork for 2 months. We still have a few more months of waiting to go before we hear anything from Ethiopia but we are moving along. I really don't expect to hear anything at all until after the new year.
God has been good in the waiting. Our sunday school class at church has been going through Francis Chan's book Crazy Love. This has been a great thing for our class and I am excited to see what God is going to do through it. I think that reading this book a year ago was one of the catalyst that led us down the road we are on right now (to Ethiopia!)
Also, God has continued to provide money for us though we have not really been actively doing fundraisers. One of the ways that we have come up with more money is that we decided to "fast" from grocery shopping for a month. We have 2 days to go. We only bought staple items, sugar, flour, milk, cheese, etc. We have been living out of our freezer and pantry for a month now cleaning it out. Heather has been baking bread and snacks like crazy! (which I love) We have spent about $35 on groceries for the month allowing us to save what we normally would spend. In cleaning out our freezer I have pulled a ham from our pig that we slaughtered a few months back. I can't wait to eat it in a few days.
That is all the news from us right now.
I was able to see both the sunrise and sunset today. Praise God for His beauty! God is Good.
God has been good in the waiting. Our sunday school class at church has been going through Francis Chan's book Crazy Love. This has been a great thing for our class and I am excited to see what God is going to do through it. I think that reading this book a year ago was one of the catalyst that led us down the road we are on right now (to Ethiopia!)
Also, God has continued to provide money for us though we have not really been actively doing fundraisers. One of the ways that we have come up with more money is that we decided to "fast" from grocery shopping for a month. We have 2 days to go. We only bought staple items, sugar, flour, milk, cheese, etc. We have been living out of our freezer and pantry for a month now cleaning it out. Heather has been baking bread and snacks like crazy! (which I love) We have spent about $35 on groceries for the month allowing us to save what we normally would spend. In cleaning out our freezer I have pulled a ham from our pig that we slaughtered a few months back. I can't wait to eat it in a few days.
That is all the news from us right now.
I was able to see both the sunrise and sunset today. Praise God for His beauty! God is Good.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Christmas ornament fundraiser
We are selling handmade Christmas ornaments, just in time for the holidays!! We can customize the ornament, if you would like to have your child's name added it or would prefer different wording! They are $10 for locals, and $13 with shipping.
If you would like to place an order, email us at heathernadam@yahoo.com
Friday, October 15, 2010
Good friends!
God is good all the time, even in waiting!
I really feel like that is all that needs to be said cause that is where we are:)
Since starting this adoption process we have been blessed to meet some new friends, Art and Briana Hori. We did not even know them at all when the summer started. Now, they are some of our biggest supporters and closest friends. They have been there with us for all of our fundraisers helping us sell things and taking care of the kids. It really helped at our garage sale having a spanish speaker. Art sold a ton!
The newest thing that Briana is doing for us is making these flowers for us to sell. Up above is an example. Here is her description of them. You can email us and we can send you more pictures of them.
Support Adam and Heather's adoption by buying a handmade flower. 100% of the proceeds will go to helping them bring their baby home! The flowers look amazing as hair pieces, headbands, pinned to your favorite sweater, or to a purse...The possibilities are endless! Send me a message... I can even customize a flower just for you with your favorite colors and styles. Hair clips and headbands: $8 Pins: $7
If you would like to buy one let us know. You can send us a comment or email us @ heathernadam@yahoo.com We would be happy to ship them as well.
Meanwhile, we will continue to wait on the Lord and trust in His provisions for us.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
10 year anniversary
Today marks the 10 year anniversary for Heather and I. I just want to put it out there that I am a blessed man. Heather is a gorgeous wife, beautiful, full of passion and grace. She is a wonderful mother to our three children (soon to be four) and is always a giver. We have had grown closer and closer each and every day. She is my best friend. I couldn't imagine tackling life's hurdles without her. She is always striving to have the heart of Jesus. She is my support. I love you Heather.
Adam
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Fast: Last day!
We are coming to the end of our rice and bean fast and what an amazing experience it has been.
God is GOOD.
He has taught us so many things over the week. We have learned to rely on Him more.
God provides.
We have been eating roughly 1100 calories daily, and maintaining our "normal" life. I have rarely been hungry. Though, now at day seven I can feel myself losing some energy I know that God is providing me with what I need.
Changing my eating routine has been one of the hardest things for me. The other hard thing has been that I am REALLY bored with rice and beans. Yet, I have the luxury of getting to eat something different tomorrow. A HUGE majority of the world does not have that luxury that you and I have. They look forward to rice and beans today (hopefully), tomorrow (hopefully), and a year from now (hopefully).
This week God has laid it on my heart to read all of the passages in the Bible that relate to the poor and the hungry. This took a while as there are a LOT!) You know what it means when something is repeated over and over again. IT MUST BE IMPORTANT. Let me share a few of these with you.
Proverbs 21:13
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
Proverbs 22:2
Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.
Deuteronomy 15:11
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Notice the command in there. It is not an option for us as followers of Christ.
Isaiah 3:14
The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses." This judgement is against His own people. We are His people as well, let us take this to heart.
Matthew 25:40
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Luke 4:18
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Also found in Isaiah 61:1-2. This is the scripture that OUR Jesus used to describe himself and to proclaim His ministry. If we are to be Christians and to follow Christ, we should follow his example.
I pray that these will change you.
They have been changing me.
What is really important in this life?
We are the rich ones in the Bible.
Let us be openhanded towards the poor and needy.
It is not easy.
Following Christ is not supposed to be easy.
God is GOOD.
He has taught us so many things over the week. We have learned to rely on Him more.
God provides.
We have been eating roughly 1100 calories daily, and maintaining our "normal" life. I have rarely been hungry. Though, now at day seven I can feel myself losing some energy I know that God is providing me with what I need.
Changing my eating routine has been one of the hardest things for me. The other hard thing has been that I am REALLY bored with rice and beans. Yet, I have the luxury of getting to eat something different tomorrow. A HUGE majority of the world does not have that luxury that you and I have. They look forward to rice and beans today (hopefully), tomorrow (hopefully), and a year from now (hopefully).
This week God has laid it on my heart to read all of the passages in the Bible that relate to the poor and the hungry. This took a while as there are a LOT!) You know what it means when something is repeated over and over again. IT MUST BE IMPORTANT. Let me share a few of these with you.
Proverbs 21:13
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
Proverbs 22:2
Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.
Deuteronomy 15:11
There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land. Notice the command in there. It is not an option for us as followers of Christ.
Isaiah 3:14
The Lord enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses." This judgement is against His own people. We are His people as well, let us take this to heart.
Matthew 25:40
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Luke 4:18
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Also found in Isaiah 61:1-2. This is the scripture that OUR Jesus used to describe himself and to proclaim His ministry. If we are to be Christians and to follow Christ, we should follow his example.
I pray that these will change you.
They have been changing me.
What is really important in this life?
We are the rich ones in the Bible.
Let us be openhanded towards the poor and needy.
It is not easy.
Following Christ is not supposed to be easy.
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