Because I was scared!

Ok, why haven't I been posting more often? Because I was scared! Why can I post now? Because I'm not scared anymore. Don't get me wrong, at no point did I question weather we should be adopting. That was the one thing I was sure about, but I have been terrified of making wrong decisions. I have to admit that I have wonderful support in my family and church family, but it is very difficult to share how you feel with someone who hasn't been there. I can tell mid-sentence that some people just don't understand. When I talk about international adoption, cost, time frame, and the process I see more confusion and fear in their eyes than I have ever felt. It does make me wonder if I shouldn't be more scared. What's more scary (and sometimes frustrating) is when you tell people your heart's desire and they say, "Well, have you thought about doing this instead?" or "I still think you should try a fertility treatment." or "You realize what ethnicity kids from there are, right?" Ouch. Scary.

Well, back to that wonderful support. There are many people who have been so encouraging and I know have been praying for us. I have a wonderful friend who put me in contact with her sister who has recently adopted. There is a certain indescribable peace that comes from talking to someone who has not only been there, but who absolutely loves the Lord. How amazing to take time out of her busy schedule to talk to someone she's never met. I have to say, our entire 20 minute phone conversation all I could say was, "I know," and "it's true." Not because I know everything or because I didn't have anything else to say, but because I couldn't stop crying! If you know anything about me you know I'm a crier and that I don't like it. She was so encouraging, suggesting scripture to read, sharing her story with me, reminding me that adoption was a picture of what God has done for us. But what hit me the most were the things she said that I hadn't really thought about. Like "a decision well prayed about doesn't bring regret." She is also the only person who has said, "Maria, just go for it. God will help you while you are stepping out in faith." And she suggested I read Proverbs 16, which I did as soon as I got off the phone. I am forever grateful.

Well, in my last post I told you I had some great news, and this hasn't changed (especially with my new-found strength). I have been reading (and rereading) about a few agencies in particular and we are planning on filling out the application this weekend. This is a big step of faith. I predict many fundraisers in the near future but I'll post about that later. To apply you have to know what country you would like to adopt from and we do...we are going with...Uganda! Yes Uganda, Africa! I am so excited! But I haven't even told you the biggest part...we are applying for...two! It's my heart's desire to adopt a sibling group. We have many reasons for choosing Uganda and for choosing siblings, but again, I will post about that later:) For now please pray with me as I share my heart with you and God:

Dear Heavenly Father,
I praise you for your immeasurable love towards me,
and pray that you continue to enlighten us and direct our paths.
You have laid the desire of growing our family through adoption on our hearts,
and I know you will carry us through it. 
Help us rely on you, keep you first in our lives, and take the next right step without looking back.
Most of all, please be with our children even now. Draw them to yourself, that when they are finally 
home we could worship you as a family. 
Thank you for leading our steps and always wanting what is best for us.
In Jesus's name, Amen.

"Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps." Proverbs 16: 3 and 9

Something is Brewing...

Ok, I haven't posted in a while and have no (very good) excuse, but I will say SOMETHING IS BREWING!

Please pray for our family. We have been praying, thinking, considering, acting, and so on, and are feeling at peace about something big! God has been working in our hearts even when we act too busy to listen. Thank you Lord, for your patience and love towards us.

More soon...very soon...

Pray, pray, pray!!!

A Few Things I Love

Whew! Where did these last few weeks go! I have been so busy, you know, living life. Each past weekend has been such a blessing: Easter, a very special bridal shower, Mother's Day, our church Couples Retreat, and then throw in there gardening and potty training! Life's been full of excitement.

I have had a lot of time to reflect on some of God's great blessings and have found some new things I love right now, and I would like to share them with you:


Hydrangeas, so pretty. And they're doing so well here in Colorado.

The Once Upon A Potty for little boys DVD. My son sits on his potty and watches this over and over. I really think this is why he is so excited to go potty (that and stickers). When you are trying to potty train a two year old boy(!), you learn to really appreciate all these little helps.


City Harmonic's new song, Manifesto. The words come from the Apostle's Creed and the Lord's Prayer. How cool is that!


Living in a friendly neighborhood. Our new neighbors from across the street have already been over four times, I baby sat their little boy once, and they came to church with us this past Sunday! I love it. I really like my other neighbors too. We are all getting WaterWorld season passes together this year. How many neighbors get season passes to a water park?!

and,

a particular blog: http://weloveourlucy.blogspot.com/
They just came home with their second Ethiopian baby! I love reading this blog. This family now consists of 6 kids, two from Ethiopia. They are beautiful and look so happy. There is a button on my sidebar called Praying Wes Home. Well, Wes is home:)

Jared and I are continuing are Foster Care preparation. We pray that the Lord allows us to start our adoption process soon too, but in the mean time I will be living life, watching for new things I love, and staying busy with my two year old (going to the potty!).

Psalm 100:4--Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Easter Resurrection Cookies

I read this in a bolg  I follow, called Foster2Forever, and I thought it was a great activity to do with the kiddos in your life. Enjoy!

"These cookies are to be made the evening before Easter to demonstrate the story of Christ’s resurrection. Our family will be making these together for the first time this year.

You will need:

• 1c. whole pecans,
• 1 tsp. vinegar,
• 3 egg whites,
• pinch salt,
• 1c. sugar,
• zipper baggie,
• wooden spoon,
• tape,
• Bible

Preheat oven to 300 BEFORE BEGINNING.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces.Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl.Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life.Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl.Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.
Add 1 c. sugar.Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know this and how to belong to Him.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet.Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.
Read Matt.27:65-66.
GO TO BED!Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!
On the first Easter, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty!
Read Matt. 28:1-9
Enjoy!
Have a great weekend celebrating the resurrection of Christ!"

Cupcake Fundraiser Results

We had a great time fundraising on Saturday. The weather was perfect and almost all our Youth Group showed up to help, along with eight special little kiddos. We set up behind our church office and worked our table for two hours, and we made $197.36! Praise the Lord! That's $197.36 more than we had that morning:) If you still don't know exactly where that money will go, I encourage you to visit SixtyFeet at www.sixtyfeet.org. Here is an excerpt from their website:

Bringing Hope and Restoration to the Imprisoned Children of Africa

Government facilities called “remand centers” exist throughout the continent of Africa. These facilities were created for children who have committed a crime. The homes are overcrowded and horribly underfunded. The living conditions are shocking.

The worst part is this – the vast majority of the children in these facilities have not committed any crime. Mostly, they are children who are simply unwanted. They are street beggars who have been rounded up by the police, unwanted children who have been dropped off by a stepparent, handicapped and mentally disabled orphans and orphaned refugees fleeing war torn countries in Africa.

SixtyFeet was created to bring hope and healing to these children through the love of Jesus Christ. We are improving the facilities by providing clean water, sanitation, bedding, clothing, medical care, nutritious food and schooling. We are also working to remove the most vulnerable children and placing them in a loving, safe environment.

That's a little bit about SixtyFeet. Thanks to everyone who donated cupcakes! We also want to thank you for your support and words of encouragement.

I want to leave you with a Bible verse I read this morning. It reminds me of my church back home in Jersey. We used to sing it there a lot, and I have always found it encouraging.

"But thou, O Lord, are a shield about me; my glory, and the lifter of my head." Psalm 3:3

10 Things Not Typical of My Home

1. My microwave is clean, inside and out. Sorry to say, not typical.

2. There are two desserts wrapped in plastic, sitting on my counter top. I usually don't have any desserts.

3. My bedroom looks staged to sell.

4. My baseboards are clean. Friend Krista cleaned them for me!

5. My floors have been sanitized. Friend Dennae steam cleaned them for me!

6. My vents are clean. Friend Krista did those too!!

7. All my kitchen cabinets are clean and decluttered.

8. My coat closet is now holding coats! and some of Sawyer's toys. Friend Krista did that too!!!

9. All bedroom closets were cleaned out. Anything not being used got boxed up and sent to the basement. Friends Krista and Dennae helped with that!!!!

10. You can eat off my bathroom floor, although I wouldn't recommend it. I bleach-cleaned them...with a toothbrush.

All in preparation for my Foster Care interview yesterday. Now let me tell you how it went:

She showed up right at 6:00pm. She came in, sat at the kitchen table, explained the 40+ page application, asked us about ourselves (this step took 5 minutes and included questions we asked about her), and left. I even offered her something to drink, and she said "No thanks." At 6:29pm she was leaving my house. THAT WAS IT?!?!?! When she asked if we had any questions, I almost asked if she wanted to come upstairs and see my bathroom floors! When we shut the door behind her, me and Jared looked at each other and in his sweetest voice he said, "Yeah, I thought you were over-doing it. But I didn't want to say anything." I gave him a kiss. He has learned so well how to deal with a "worrisome, over-doing it" wife.

Oh well, such is life. I have to say, I am thoroughly enjoying my wonderfully clean house, just as I enjoyed laughing with friends.

So now we are getting all our paperwork together and getting this snowball moving, woohoo! Thanks for all the prayers, comments, and support. She was very nice and we felt very comfortable with her, which is important since she would be the one giving the training classes and placing a child in our home. I will keep you posted on any new developments.

^"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" -Philippians 1:6

Two Events to Pray For

Today is the day.
I have been cleaning, organizing, de-cluttering like a mad woman for our Foster Care Interview this afternoon. She is coming over at 6:00pm, so if possible, pray with us.
I have to say that we have been blessed beyond compare. Some of our friends from church were sweet enough to give any extra babyproofing stuff they had to us. How sweet is that?!?! Today, I have a friend coming over to help me distribute all that stuff throughout the house. I have already placed the door knob covers on ALL the downstairs doors, and immediately my son went to "test" them out. Once he finally gave up trying he came to me and said, "Keys please." He cracks me up....everyday!
As soon as I can get on the computer tonight, I will let you know how our meeting went.

Our second event you can pray for:
Our cupcake fundraiser. It's this Saturday, at 10:00am. Again, we are so blessed to have so many friends baking cupcakes and participating. One family has even signed their kids up to be sign holders:) Too funny. Do pray that God would do a mighty work there.

That's all for now. Here's a verse a sweet friend shared with me.

"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."
Isaiah 26:3

She's Coming Here?!?!?!

Quick Update on our Foster Care:

I called Bethany Christian Services (BCS) to request information on their Foster Care program, and they quickly emailed me a 14 page guide that I read through right away (twice). I told Jared about it, we continued to pray and knew we wanted to take the next step. I called their office and spoke with the person in charge of their Foster Care program. It went something like this:

Me: I want to take the next step! (I was so excited!)

BCS: Did you read our guide?

Me: Yes, I did. (still so excited!)

BCS: And you still want to go through with it?

Me: Umm…yes. (a wee bit less excited?!)

BCS: Great. So you are ready to take the next step?

Me: Ummmm….yes. (ready? I think so.)

BCS: Well, the next step is for me to come out to your house to meet you and Jared.

Me: Great. (WHAT?!?!?)

BCS: How’s next Tuesday?

Me: Next Tuesday works for us. (WHAAATT?!?!)

BCS: Wonderful. See ya then.

Me: Thanks again. See ya then. (WHAAAATTTT?!?!?)

What happened to that “orientation” meeting? Or the 30-40 hours worth of classes before the interview? I guess this is OUR next step. If you couldn’t tell from the dialogue, I was not expecting a meeting…this coming Tuesday! Please pray for me and Jared; I am the type of person that tends to panic, and Jared is the one who has to deal with it. I will be spring cleaning and baby proofing my house (I have my reasons for never having baby proofed my house, even though I have a two year old). So, I am on the look-out for baby gates, door knob covers, “keep the toilet seat shut” thingies, and other such stuff. I will be hitting some garage sales this weekend (so I am praying for good weather and God’s direction). I know this interview will help identify things I need to do around the house, but I don’t want to come across like a careless mom either! So pray, pray, pray!

In other news, I have been enjoying spring with my little Sawyer.

Here, let me show ya:

Early morning painting. (His hair is usually much worse in the mornings.)

At the zoo. I'll be honest, I have no idea what that is behind him.

 My son the flirt.

I guess the flirting worked.

"I'm not leaving the zoo, mom. Ever."

Sawyer, going down the blue "slide"!

So, we decided to take him to a real slide.

Not so sure about this.

All better, since our puppies were coming too.

I had no idea sidewalk chalk would be so messy!

I specifically remember tucking him in, shutting the light off, and closing the door at 8pm.

This is how we found him at 10pm.

There's a glimpse at life with a two year old. I love it!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

-Jeremiah 29:11

so what's this new idea????

Jared and I have been praying very hard. My husband is a Youth Pastor, I am our church secretary, we have a two year old(!), and we are preparing to adopt. We have much to pray about. When you add to that mix the fact that I almost always have a new idea, our prayer notebook just gets fatter. I thank God for this. I have an awesome God who not only hears all my prayers, but also asks me to pray. His answers may not always be what I wanted to hear, but they are always what is best for me.

As we continue on this adoption journey, Jared and I realize being called to adopt is truly a calling sent from God. While I believe many are being called, and all too few are willingly answering, I still believe being called to adopt is an amazing privilege. What a wonderful way to bring honor to God and show a child that I too am adopted…I was adopted by God.

We also know that many of you have been praying for us, and we thank you for that. We have been in this process two whole months and have already seen doors open and shut. I am grateful for shut doors; they keep me on the right path.

Ok, so what is this new idea??????

While we wait, we walk. And while we walk, we work. There is an orphan crisis out there in the world we live in. It might be taking place in your back yard. My prayer was, “Lord, open my eyes to the need, and then help me do something about it.” I have seen the need. Remember I mentioned JUMPING out of our comfort zones? Here is how we are going to do this: Foster Care.

We are becoming Foster Parents. Wahoo! Doesn’t that just make you so happy for us that you want to rush out the door and sign up too? It should! We are extremely excited. (Please don’t feel the need to quickly submit the worst foster care story you ever heard from so-and-so.) Please believe me when I say we have heard the stories, read the reports, seen the pictures, and know how terribly hard this can be. But there is no place I would rather be than smack-dab in the middle of God’s will…and this is it. That is why we are so excited. This is yet another opportunity to bring glory to God, so yes I accept with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. The best part about it: my hubby feels the same way! The Lord is so good.

So there you have it. That is the latest news going on in the Kidder household. Do continue to pray for our adoption process, and please keep my little ones (my Sawyer and ones to come) in your prayers.

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, KNOWS that we know, and holds us responsible to act." Proverbs 24:12

Calling All Kiddos

We are all set!

The Cupcake Kids Fundraiser will take place on

Saturday, April 16th

at

10:00am-till we are out of cupcakes

in

Lafayette, CO--Our Church Office

and

you and your family are all invited.

If you live nearby, join us!

If you live farther away, join us!

My mom in NJ is hosting a cupcake sale for her friends and coworkers. Here is everything she has planned: she will bake some cupcakes, and...sell them! It's that simple. Then 100% of the proceeds goes to orphans in Uganda through SixtyFeet. I truly believe this is a simple way for all of us to get involved in helping others...around the world! Their goal is to host a cupcake sale in every state and I'm the only one in Colorado. Check their map; you might be the only one in your state too. If you have any questions, shoot me an email at mariakidder17 at gmail dot com.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." - James 1:27 NIV

News, Updates, and More News

I’ll start with the Open Our Eyes Conference in Loveland, CO. It was great! Jared purposefully picked two seats with a tissue box in front of them. Their band opened with worship music that melted my heart in preparation for what was to come. We saw a video of an adoption story straight from the adoptee’s mouth that would break the hardest heart. This young girl was working with the children while we were watching her story; amazing. Then we listened to the main speaker. He told us about his journey to his daughter in Russia, how the Lord opened and closed doors, and the picture this adoption showed. You see, all adoptions have one thing in common. Adoptions are a picture of what God did for me, and if you are a child of His, they also show what He did for you. He called me by name, when I had nothing to offer, and adopted me into His family! I pray that I never get over how amazing this truly is. When he was done speaking we sang some more, which meant I required more tissues. There were 35 different organizations present there and as much as I wanted to go talk to them, I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to say!!! Don’t you hate that! Well, after Jared and I went through the usual, “You talk to them,” “No you talk to them,” we were ready to go talk to them! I knew God had something special there. He had been brewing something in my heart for a few days, but I needed a confirmation.  After the conference I shared my heart with Jared. You see, I wanted Jared to attend this conference and see the need before I brought ANOTHER idea to the table (because I always have some new idea!) and it worked! God worked! All my wonderful husband said was, “Hmm, I’ll pray about it.” That was all I needed. I knew he truly meant it, would pray, and get back to me. As usual, I can’t share exactly what my NEW idea is just yet, but please, please, please be in prayer for us!

Update on Ecuador: This is also an area where much prayer is needed.

I heard back from Ecuador. I spoke with our contact, and honestly did not hear much new information. If we pursue an adoption from there, we would really be taking a leap of faith. She gave me some advice, information, and encouragement.  I know the Lord is going to stretch us and mold us through this journey, and I am super excited about what He will accomplish in and through us…but It. Is. Not. Easy. I believe God speaks to us while we walk. So we will continue walking in Him, listening for His still small voice, casting our burdens on Him, and working to spread His Good News.

More News:

Today I will be working on organizing my cupcake sale. For more info on what this is, visit The Cupcake Kids. It is scheduled for Saturday, April 16^th. All funds raised will go towards helping orphans in Uganda…and you can get involved! If you live in the Denver area, we need helpers! I will have all the details ready by tomorrow morning. Something I haven’t mentioned is this is usually a kid’s activity, but my two year old will probably only help by eating a cupcake. This is a great opportunity to get your kids, nephews, cousins, friend’s kids, involved in a ministry opportunity. If you would like to join me in this effort, shoot me an email at mariakidder17 at gmail dot com or leave a comment. Thanks to those you have already stepped forward.

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” –Luke 11:9-10 NKJV

Jumping Out of Our Comfort Zones

No news from Ecuador…is making me understand that in waiting, I have work to do. There is nothing I can possibly do to get my adoption process moving, so I won’t try to. Instead, I am trying to figure out how to show God’s love by loving others. Well, since I posted about this here, I have been bombarded with ideas, ministries, events, organizations, fundraisers and many more things! Before I tell you about some of them, here is the progression we are trying to follow:

1. Focus on God, through worship, prayer and discipleship. This way we can always remember why we are doing what we are doing: to bring glory and honor to God.
2. Pray that our eyes would be opened to people and needs around us. How can we serve others in our community, country, and world?
3. Get involved. Now that we have seen the needs, it’s time to take action. What efforts should we join forces with, or what ministries should we start from scratch? What skills, assets, and burdens has God given us that will help in this endeavor?

Once our eyes began to open we started hearing and seeing things for the very first time…that were there all along. It just so happens that,

A blog I follow is joining with The Cupcake Kids to raise money for orphans in Uganda.

A blog I follow is partnered with Wiphan, a widows and orphans care ministry.

Another blog I follow is planning on donating some of their hard earned funds, to help others in their adoption process.

Wow, others are really getting involved! So what can I do? Well, we are starting by going to the Open Our Eyes conference in Loveland, CO this Sunday, and I am super excited. (I have a feeling something special is waiting for us there.) I plan on sharing what we’ve learned with all of you. Then, remember those blogs I mentioned above, we are planning on joining with some of them in their efforts (which I will absolutely blog about too), starting with The Cupcake Kids. Here is where we jump out of our comfort zones. It seems simple to hold a cupcake sale and send money to Uganda, but it’s much more than that. It means spreading the word, getting to know our neighbors, sharing the cause, encouraging others to participate, realizing the world does not revolve around us, comparing our needs with an orphan’s needs, etc. I can’t wait! What a way to share what God has done (adopted us into His family!) with those around us! I will have details about our cupcake sale soon.

Ok, so lately it has been all about the music videos…and I have one more to share with you. This song makes me cry when I hear it on the radio, so I won’t even tell you how I got when I saw the video! Hope you enjoy it.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.  –Romans 8:15-16

Are They Crying For You?

I read this post this morning and knew right away I had to share it. It's found at one of my favorite blogs,  http://weloveourlucy.blogspot.com/. Please read this and share it if possible. Every child should have a family of their own, and that just might be you.

They Need Us NOW More Than EVER....

I want to tell yall a little story....When my little sister arrived home on Saturday from Ethiopia...she came straight to Hal's bday party at the park and PULLED OUT HER LAP TOP to show us all the pics from her trip...I got to see NEW pics of my sweet Wes...I saw pics of my new Nephew...BUT..it was the pics of this SWEET sibling group that broke my heart:This sweet set of girls are thought to be about 11 and 7!! They have an incredible story of survival and THEIR ONLY WISH is to find a family!! My older sister met them in July...and they were waiting...I met them in December..and they still waited...NOW our younger sister meets them in March..and they STILL WAIT!! This time though, I guess the waiting got to them...cause as my sister entered the gate for her new son...the older sister of this pair BROKE OUT CRYING!! Crying a REAL cry that would break any parent's heart!! Why was she crying so hard?? Because ONCE AGAIN, NO ONE was coming FOR HER and HER SISTER!! The entire travel group ran to her side to console her, offering her suckers and such to make her feel better. All their hearts were breaking for her...YET she was OVER the suckers and candy...SHE WANTED A FAMILY...SHE WANTED IT TO BE HER TURN!! SHE WANTS PARENTS TO WALK THROUGH THAT GATE EXCITED TO MEET HER!!! As I heard this story, I KNEW God has me here for a reason...AND it's to ADVOCATE for these children that wait!! They are healthy, happy and well behaved children!! 3 out of 4 of my sisters have met them now!! TOGETHER...lets find their mom and dad!! Lets find those parents that are LOOKING for these two!! THEY DESPERATELY WANT THIS!! AND, i know we can make a difference!! Please pass this, share this, pray for these two to find a family. I want them to receive a care package..and pictures..and such to show off!! They've waited long enough!! I have so many pics of these girls!! They were so sweet and kind! Lets replace those tears with SMILES!! I know we can do it!!!! And, with all the Ethiopian changes POSSIBLY taking place..THEY NEED US NOW MORE THAN EVER TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM!!! Email ME at Kristi@ordinaryhero.org to view more pics and read about these girls.

 

"God sets the lonely in families." -Psalm 68:6

Loving the Least of These

“Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, famine, and injustice in the world, when He could do something about it…but I’m afraid He might ask me the same question.” –Anonymous

I have wanted to share this quote for a long time, but have been too scared to post about it because I would be publicly saying that I would “do something about it.” The more Jared and I work towards our adoption, the more we realize the need out in our community, country, and world. I believe the biggest need people have is coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus as their Savior, but how do you show (not just tell) someone who is suffering that God loves them? I would like to tell someone whose child is dying, someone who is homeless, someone who just lost their husband,  a child dying of starvation that my God loves them, but how can I show them God’s love? A song that came to mind was "Change" by Carrie Underwood. Her first lyrics talk about the homeless, then she moves on to talk about the starving orphans of our world. It made me think: what can we do here in our community and then also in our world?

I have a thought. You are probably much smarter than me and already know this but sometimes it takes me a while. What if I showed them God’s love for them by the love I have for them? This is obviously not an original thought! I have read this countless times in God’s Word but like I said, sometimes things don’t hit me right away. I’m too concerned with the struggles going on in my own house to realize my neighbor’s pain. So in an effort to be more loving, Jared and I have started brainstorming: how can we genuinely love the people around us?

We are preparing to jump out of our comfort zones to reach a world in need, in small ways. I’ll share what some of those very small ways are in my next post. Enjoy what has become an eye opening song in the Kidder house.

…for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.
Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

–Matthew 25:35-40 NKJV

A passion for...

Most of the time I’m hoping to share where we are in our adoption process. Unfortunately, right now we are in the waiting phase, so today I’ll share with you a challenge:

See if by the end of this post you know what I have a passion for.

I’ll be honest, when I read some of my favorite blogs, the best part is always the included media. I enjoy pictures and videos. I feel they bring a story to life. I also know I’m not the world’s greatest writer nor most interesting person, so I have set aside a day where I will point you to someone who is. I will be mentioning an “Ordinary Hero” every now and then.  

What is an Ordinary Hero (besides a great blog, with an exceptional story)?

Ordinary-of no special quality or interest; common; unexceptional.

Hero-somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character.

www.dictionary.com

I am fortunate to personally know an Ordinary Hero. She’s from back home, married to my Pastor’s son, and has committed an act of great bravery. Her name is Taryn, and I would like to share a very special video found on her very sweet blog, One Less Broken. She knows her story of international adoption is what inspired me to even consider it, but I think the rest of you should know that too. I especially love the song she picked for her video so I thought I would have you read the lyrics first and ask you to let God speak to you.

Do You Want to Know

by Josh Wilson

If you want a heart of sympathy
Then pray to God to help you, please
See the world that Jesus sees, yeah
But be careful what you ask Him for
Cause if you’re gonna open up that door
There’s no going back to before

Cause once you see a mother who can’t feed
The baby that cries in her arms
Your heart will break and you’ll lay awake
No, sleep won’t come quick anymore
So do you want to know?

You pass him on the way to work
He holds a sign beside the curb
You look away and avoid the hurt
Cause why should you be held responsible
Besides, he’ll probably just spend it all
On cigarettes and alcohol

But once you see that the man on the street
Has a name and a family like you
Your heart will break and you’ll lay awake
Cause you’ll understand God loves him, too
So do you want to know? Oh, no

If you want a heart of sympathy
Then pray to God to help you see

But once you see a world that’s in need
And a sorrow you just can’t ignore
Your heart’s gonna break and you’ll lay awake
Cause you’ll know you could do so much more
Do you want to know?

Do you know what I have a passion for yet? Is it orphans, the needy, adoption, charities, etc.? No, it’s none of those. It’s my Jesus, and loving him more every day. That same love for him is the reason I want to love others. It’s because nothing good comes from me, but from the love of Christ in me.

Orphans are what I’m burdened for, because I have a passion for my Jesus.

Adopting is a privilege I cherish greatly, because I have a passion for my Jesus.

Spreading the Word is important to me, because I have a passion for my Jesus.

"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13

Jared said, "Go for it."

I had daddy's permission and ran with it. If you read my previous post and saw the pictures of my son, you know why I don't have to say much about the two pictures I'm posting today, ha ha.

I'm still not used to seeing his forehead.

Tomorrow I have a challenge and yummy recipe to share with you. Stay tuned. 

"Children are a heritage from the Lord." -Psalm 127:3

Time to Leave it Alone

The more time I spend researching an adoption from Ecuador, the more disheartening it feels. If this works out it will be by God’s doing alone, not that He needs my help. So, I have decided to leave it alone for a while (meaning, until I hear something from Ecuador), but there are other big events in our life that I would love to share with you.

I am a wife! This is huge. I get to love my husband, be loved, and in hard times learn to be loving all over again.

I am a mom! This is a pretty big deal too. I have a two year old. Enough said.

I am a SAHM. That’s a “stay at home mom” for those of you who have never seen the acronym; that would be my family in New Jersey. Love you guys.

Most importantly, I am a child of God. I learn what this truly means more and more every day.

And I do it all perfectly, right? Absolutely, most certainly WRONG. I need help. I’ll be the first to admit it, but as I’m seeking and learning I would love to share my finds with you. I’m working on a schedule for what to write about on certain days. In other words, I’m searching through my favorite blogs and stealing their awesome ideas. I should have this ready by my next post. Until then, please feel free to share ideas with me.

Many of you know our family but haven’t seen a recent picture of us. You’ll have to keep waiting, but we did manage to take a few pic’s of Sawyer. Enjoy…and then help me convince Jared that Sawyer needs a haircut!

 “I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17

Ecuador Update

I spoke with adoption agency #209 and…was denied.  What do I mean when I say denied? I would like to give you an idea of what our family is willing to “accept.” Don’t take offense to that word. Please put yourself in my shoes and think of what child you would be willing to adopt and parent the rest of your life. I inquired about a healthy child (in adoption lingo this means mild/correctable special needs), boy or girl, two or younger.

Ecuador has two adoption programs: regular and waiting children (WIC). Regular meaning healthy children infant age and up, and WIC meaning children harder to place due to age and health. The country of Ecuador has their regular program on hold indefinitely because they are trying to keep their healthy infants/toddlers in country, adopted by nationals. This means the three agencies with Ecuador programs are only offering their WIC program. 

We would have to be willing to accept:

Children four years or older and/or

With mild to severe Special Needs and/or

Of Afro-Ecuadorian or mixed indigenous race and/or

Part of a sibling group.

That’s a lot to be willing to accept (especially if you add up all the “ands”)!

Where do Jared and I stand? We are not searching for the perfect child. We are searching for our child. The one God has prepared for us, conceived in my heart, in need of Jared, Maria, and Sawyer. May His will be done.

Something extremely important to us is birth order. The Lord gave us Sawyer first. We plan on keeping him the oldest. It is his birth right from the Lord. We also know what we can handle when it comes to special needs: financially and emotionally.  Then add the fact that Ecuador has many(!) healthy infants not being adopted. How sad. I type this with a knot in my throat, hoping you can open your heart and see where I’m coming from.

Having said all that, here is the email I received from my dad in Ecuador (I have to specify because I have two daddy's:). It was sent to him from the special lady I talked to you about in my previous post.  It states:

“Hello, I have investigated what I spoke with you earlier. Indeed, there is a corporation that can help you. They tell me that the adoption process is fast (again, in adoption lingo this means less than 12 months) and they have younger children that are adoptable. Next week they will tell me the adequate people to contact.”

By "next week" I hope she means Monday:)

I was born in Ecuador! I am Ecuadorian! I have family members living in Ecuador! This is not all in vain. The Lord has had this all planned from the beginning of time and will show His great power in this situation. To Him be the glory in everything that happens. He is my God and He does everything right. Please pray for clear direction, open doors, and patience as this process is sloooow. Thank you for all your support. It has been so encouraging:)

“You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.” Psalm 77:14