"Something" For The New Year

I wasn’t planning on posting anything else in 2013 but it seems I have one last thing to say. :)

The other night, I had a bit of a meltdown as I sat outside of our local hospital. For the third time in three days, I was about to walk into a room where a family held their baby who would never come home and never grow up. I volunteer for an organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. I, along with two other photographers in our town, do remembrance photography and we have had more than a handful of cases in the past week. I cried for more than the obvious reason. I cried because this world is just so messed up... so broken! Mothers should never have to burry their babies.

We are so close to crossing over into a brand new year. We all have hopes and aspirations of a wonderful 2014 (whether or not you vocalize them in the way of resolutions). Don’t lie. I know you. We all have some sliver of hope that the new year will be better in some way, shape or form from the previous year. And while there’s a chance that our hopes may become reality in our own lives, the truth is that so much of this world will remain the same and likely just get worse.

There will still be mothers who burry their babies (whether 25 weeks in utero, 25 minutes old or 25 years old). There will still be those who creep in the darkness – or even in the light of day – and steal what isn’t theirs. There will still be sinful rulers and politicians who view human life as a comodity to be used for their own personal gain and agendas. There will still be back-ally “businesses” that sell girls’ innocence for men’s sinister pleasure until there’s nothing left but track marks. There will still be children who hide in the closet trembling because mommy or daddy is sick and mean again. There will still be women who feel so trapped in their own pregnant bodies they will believe the lies that there is no other choice than to get rid of that “clump of cells”. There will still be brave men and women who will engage in combat for our freedoms and never come home alive again. There will still be husbands who have to remind their wives who their children are because Alzheimer's has stolen so much. There will still be storms that take out whole towns and villages leaving behind death, sickness and devastation. There will still be hungry bellies in cardboard houses. *Sigh* There will still be six year old little girls who spend all six of their years in an orphanage because they didn’t meet certain expectations. And the list goes on.

This world is broken. There’s no denying that. Sin has left it’s mark on mankind and mother nature and there is no life that is not affected. 

I didn’t bring all this up to be a Debbie Downer and ruin your New Years Eve celebration. I’m not trying to preach gloom and doom. In fact what I really want to say is that God is bigger than all the brokenness in this world. While some find it hard to reconcile all the pain and evil around us with a loving God who is sovereign over everything, the only solace I can find in any of this ugliness is that I do believe that God is in complete control and that he cares for us. 

Psalm 139:1-18 speaks beautifully of how God is so acutely aware of us and how dearly cares for us. 

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.

You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.

If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”

even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
or darkness is as light with you.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.

So we’ve talked about the brokenness in this world and we’ve talked about how God is still loving and in control, and he truly cares for us. However, I think it’s fairly easy for there to be a disconnect between the two in our minds. I don’t think I’m alone in the fact that I kind of default to apathy on a day to day basis regarding all the brokenness in the world. I mean really, what can I do? I’m just one person. Just a wife and a mom. I don’t have any special influence or affluence. Looking at this huge world so messed up and full of hurting people and then looking in the mirror at plain ol’ me, I have a tendency to just inwardly shrug my shoulders and shake my head. There’s really nothing I can do, right? 

But what if there is? What if I play a part in the way God is loving and caring in this broken world?

This Helen Keller quote has stuck with me for a while now. It plays over and over in my head, and I pray that in 2014 it plays over and over in yours, too.

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.”

I am one and you are one and we can do something! 

What if we, The Church, stopped shrugging our shoulders in fear? Because that’s what it boils down to, right? Fear. Fear of failure. Fear of change. Fear of what people will think. Fear of nobody caring. Fear of being irrelevant. Fear of losing what makes us comfortable. Fear of not having the time. Fear of not having enough money. Fear of being inadequate. Fear. What if we chose to lay down our fear at the feet of Jesus and ask Him to help us be brave and full of faith? What if we got real gutsy and asked God to really show us ways that we could be his hands and feet and then actually obeyed when he did?

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of year after year passing me by and still feeling like I make no difference in the world. I cannot do everything but still I can do something. 

What is the something you can do? Maybe it’s a meal (made or bought). Maybe it’s a phone call and a listening ear. Maybe it’s contacting that adoption agency or saying "yes" to a child who needs a family. Maybe it’s a note of forgiveness. Maybe it's being aware and proactive about human trafficking in your home town. Maybe it’s taking a widow to her doctor appointments. Maybe it's thanking a veteran. Maybe it’s getting on a plane and giving your life to a people group who need to hear about Jesus. Maybe it’s sending the person who’s called to get on that plane. Maybe it’s praying for the family who just started fostering or just adopted. Maybe it's a kind word and a sincere smile. Maybe it's volunteering at your local pregnancy crisis center. Maybe it's voting or writing a letter to your congressman. Maybe it’s cleaning out your overflowing closet and filling one that’s bare. Maybe it's showing grace to your children. Maybe it's getting to know your neighbors. Maybe it’s a million other “somthings” that you and I CAN do. 

So, as we count down the hours left in 2013, I encourage you to look forward to 2014 and then look out... away from yourself. Because, while your waistline, career, home or bank account may change in the coming year, there are things that will remain the same. This world will remain broken and in need of hope and love. Will you do the something that YOU can do? 

I’m going to start a few hours early and do a small something...

We found out about Eden through a simple blog post. A plea from one mother to this mother – because I’m certain that post was written for me. So, I know that God can work through blog postings! Tonight, I am going to send out a plea on behalf of two little girls in Ind*a who really need families to call their own. 

The first little girl is a 5 year old in South Ind*a. I just saw her pictures and she is so beautiful! She has been waiting for a while to be matched with a willing family. She has a minor health condition but I would consider her healthy. The clock is ticking and this sweet baby needs somebody to say “YES” to her. 

The second little girl is an 9 year old in North Ind*a. I have seen her picture as well and her little face is just precious! She has been waiting for a family for years. She has some limb deformities, but our friends who met her said this doesn't slow her down one bit. This little girl needs a mom and a dad to cherish her. 

Here’s my plea. Will you not click off this page until you pray for these girls? If you know God has called you to adopt or feel like he may be tugging on your heart in that way will you take a moment to consider these two children? If you feel led, will you share about these little girls? I know that older children sometimes seem “risky” to families who are just beginning to consider adoption. I wasn’t open to older children at first either, but God quickly changed my heart about that and I realized children don’t grow out of needing love. Older children are just as deserving of and in need of a loving family as younger babies and children. I believe that there are families out there for both of these precious girls. We can’t adopt them right now but I can make this plea... this is something I can do. 

Thank you for hearing my heart one last time this year! I pray that 2014 is amazing for each of you and that it is a year full of “somethings.” 

Until next time! -K

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas! I pray that the Lord blesses you abundantly over the holidays and throughout the coming year! May his love, grace and goodness be evident in your lives!

Thank you for being a part of our lives! Thank you for all your prayers and support! 

Until next year! -K

Moving Forward!

I just wanted to give a quick little update for those of you who are praying for our adoption! As of Friday, we were going over Eden's medical files, praying and discussing if we feel the Lord was leading us to move ahead with our pursuit of Eden. On Sunday, we made the decision to move full force ahead.

Now that we have made that decision our next step is waiting on the authorities to approve the match and send us the official documents. As I mentioned in my last post, this step comes with a bit of anxiety considering this is the step we were stuck at when we lost our last referral.

We know that nothing is official until we sign those papers. We are trying to guard our hearts, but I must admit that this is so hard to do. We are falling in love! We feel that Eden is worth putting our hearts on the line again, though. Love is worth the risk!

Please continue to pray with us! We are still burdened to pray very intently for each step that we come to and for Eden as she waits. My desire is for us to be able to point to God's hand all over this process! We want his name glorified every step of the way.

Some other adopting moms and I have joined together in focusing our prayers for specific things at least 3 days out of the week. We use a couple of routine activities like drinking a drink to remind us to pray throughout the day for for these specific things. You are invited to join us in prayer on these days! Of course you can pray everyday if you feel led but on these days you will know what we are praying for specifically and you can join us if you choose!

Document Mondays- On Mondays, we will pray for God to send the documents we need quickly. For us, this is the official referral documents that we must sign.

Wellness Wednesdays- On Wednesdays, we will pray for God to protect, comfort and heal our children both physically and mentally. Of course, we will pray for Eden's health and wellness on this day. 

Favor Fridays- On Fridays, we will ask God to grant us favor with the authorities influencing our process (government workers, judges, lawyers, directors, etc). We will be praying that our family finds favor with the government workers and that they will approve our case pronto!

LET US PRAY!

On a somewhat related note, we are beginning to plan our Both Hand Project which will be February 1st. Here is a short video of our friend's in Texas who are adopting a little girl from Ind*a and just finished up their Both Hands Project. THIS will be our biggest fundraiser for our adoption and we are so thrilled that it not only helps us bring our daughter home but it blesses a widow in need! Please take a moment to watch this video and if you would like more information on how you can be involved in our Both Hands Project please email me at krisogden@hotmail.com and I will be happy to give you more details!


Parmars' Both Hands Project from Eric Baesel on Vimeo.

Touchdown!

If you live in the south, you probably watched the Iron Bowl last Saturday and recognize this play! I'm sure it will go down in history as one of the most unbelievable wins in college football.

I hate football. I don't even know why I watched the game but I did. I watched the reruns and people flooding the field in celebration and I was just blown away. WOW! That was just so amazing!

My dad and Lance went upstairs for some reason or another and I sat there gaping at the TV screen. Again they played the replay and as I sat there I felt the Holy Spirit whisper in my heart, "I'm about to do that for you. Watch and see." Some people will say that God doesn't speak to us in that way today, and they can have their opinion, but I absolutely heard those words in my spirit.

Guys, God HAS done this for us this week! He has completely blown me away! I am practically speechless and that doesn't happen often! I am crying and smiling and shaking. GOD HAS DONE THIS FOR US!

On Monday we were told that our agency had made contact with Eden's orphanage. We were still expecting it to be weeks before we heard anything! It took another family six weeks to make contact! Then on Wednesday/Thursday we discovered the connection with the doctor that I shared about yesterday! This was totally amazing! We also found a buyer for Lance's truck yesterday which is something we've been praying for!

Since Monday, we have been focusing our prayers on receiving Eden's Child Study Report (CSR) so that we could confirm her medical condition, know her age, etc and then pray over moving forward with being matched officially. I've been praying that we would get it by the end of the month! Other families have waited MONTHS for this! Well, any guesses as to what came today? YEP!!!! We got her CSR!!!! Y'all this is amazing! I just can't express how in awe we are of what God has done this week!

Lance and I will pray over this and then if we still feel led to move forward then our next step is the official match. There's a bit of anxiety at this step because this is where we were stuck waiting in the process with the three girls. So, this is where we are focusing our prayers right now! We are praying that if we move forward with Eden that we will get the official match by the end of the month!

You guys are such awesome prayer warriors and once again I want to say THANK YOU for all your prayers and support! Keep praying for Eden! -K

God Answers Prayers!

Oh my goodness, y'all! I keep saying, “God is up to something! He is moving!” and that is becoming more and more evident as each day passes! Thank you to those of you who have been praying for our family and for little Eden. I want to share with you an example of the power of prayer! I won’t be able to use names and locations in this story, because we need to protect the identity of Eden, but some of you will know immediately who this story involves! 

The story starts with another family who adopted a little girl from !ndia this fall. We met this family about a month before they traveled and they are just the type of people that after a few minutes you feel like you’ve known them for years. They have such a heart for the gospel, for orphans and for !ndia!

This family’s little princess needed a surgical procedure for her special need and they had found a doctor in another state in !ndia who was willing to do the procedure. They flew to !ndia, picked up their daughter, flew across the country to a different state and had the procedure done, and then flew to the US Embassy and then back home. They were in country for about one and a half months and I followed their blog like it was a best seller. It really helped lift my spirits as we had just been devastated by the news of losing the three girls. I saw how God was faithful to their family and I knew that he would be faithful to mine as well.

Well, I contacted the mom last week because Eden is in the same state where their daughter had surgery. I wanted to check and see if they happened to have any contacts that might be able to help us with travel if and when the time came (Remember, I’m a control freak. I like to plan even if it seems absurdly premature.). I explained our situation and I shared a picture of Eden so that they could have a face to pray for. 

Yesterday, the mom sent me a message that completely blew my mind! If it turned out to be true, it would be a complete miracle and I was just so excited! She told me that while they were in the hospital for their daughter’s procedure they spent some time getting to know her doctor/surgeon. She said he was a kind and generous man who really cared for children. He volunteered his time and services frequently, and shared with them that he even sponsored four children in a local orphanage (he paid for their schooling, clothing, gifts, etc). She went on to say that he mentioned that one of those four children was a little girl with the same special need as Eden (which is extremely rare) and he showed them her picture. He told them that they had been seeking a family to adopt her. 

The mom went on to write, “I don’t know if it’s Eden, but my husband swears it’s the same little girl. If this turns out to be true... I have to share with you that after the doctor showed us that picture we prayed with him that God would provide for her. I just got chills!” and I got chills at that moment, too, because WOW! I quickly asked her if she would email the doctor the picture and ask him if it was the same little girl and she emailed him right away. We waited for waking hours in !ndia!

This morning she messaged me back confirming that this doctor is indeed sponsoring Eden and she shared a picture that he sent of the two of them together! I am just floored! What are the odds that OUR FRIENDS prayed for God’s provision for this little girl and months later we are pursuing that very child? It would be one thing if our friends had shared with us about Eden, but nope, God brought Eden into our lives through somebody totally different! I’m telling you guys GOD IS DOING SOMETHING! Even if it turns out that Eden is not the daughter God has for our family, he is moving and he has something awesome planned for this little girl! 

Join with me in praising the Lord that he hears our prayers and he is faithful! My scripture anthem for our adoption has been Ephesians 3:20-22, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” He is able to do far more than we could ever even imagine and I cannot wait to see what that will be! Continue to pray with us that we will quickly receive Eden’s files. I am praying hard that we have them before this month is out!

I cannot wait to share with you guys the whole story of how all this came about and how God has been weaving this story together. It’s truly amazing!

Until next time! -K

Truly God Has Listened!

"Truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer." Psalm 66:19

Keep praying for Eden and our adoption process! God is moving! We received a very, very positive email from our agency this morning! Communication has been made with the director of the orphanage,  Eden is still available for adoption and the director is very willing for our family to adopt her! All of this is a HUGE answer to prayer!

Now we wait for her child study report so that we can verify her medical condition and pray over officially accepting her referral. Please pray with us that this comes QUICKLY! I would love to have it by the end of the month! 

We still don't know how all this will play out, but we are trusting the Lord. He is so faithful to lead us when we seek his will!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support! 

Recent Life Via Pics!

We just got back from a week in the North Georgia mountains for Thanksgiving! It was fan-freaking-tastic! Lance said he’s ready to move up there. If only it were that easy.

Here’s how Thanksgiving Day went...

Lance, the boys and I got out and went for a ride a couple of times. Here’s a picture from one of those rides.

We drove to Cleveland, GA and visited an old general store from the 1870s. I loved looking at all the antiques.

We passed by Babyland General Hospital where all the Cabbage Patch Kids are born into the world. I went there when I was a girl. I wanted to go, but Lance refused to take me. He said I had to wait until we had a daughter to go with us. *Sigh*

There are lots of interesting things to see in the North Georgia mountains. Some more interesting than others...

I don't know either.

Luther with his back legs in the seat, his front legs on the floor and
his head on the center console!

Loved this!

Because rednecks need high thread count, too!

This truck said "Army" on the side but I'm pretty
positive it was not a government issued vehicle!

Mom really like the mannequin's hair so she tried it on!

Christmas is almost here y'all! This is the first year in about three years that I’ve been in the Christmas spirit enough to get the tree out and actually decorate it. The last couple of years Lance has put the tree up around mid December because I just wasn’t up to it. Anyways, this year is different and I was ready to have a fully decorated tree. Before we left, I had gotten a new Christmas tree and put it up, but I couldn’t find my ornaments. It turned out that our ornaments were in North Georgia! My mom had taken them up there with a bunch of her stuff. 

So, I got my tree decorated yesterday! Woohoo! I like colored lights and mismatched ornaments because my mom’s trees were always perfect trees with white lights and perfectly matched ornaments. While they were awesome, I secretly always wanted colored lights and different ornaments. Well, I am 30 years old which means I am an adult now, so I can make my tree whatever I want it to be! Here it is! Excuse my messy desk... you know adoption paperwork.

This is an ornament I bought to remind me to pray for Eden whenever I see it. It sticks out like a sore thumb on my tree but that’s ok, one day it will fit right in! :)

We also are doing a Jesse Tree this year with the boys. I did NOT have time to buy or make actual Jesse Tree ornaments so we just do the devotion at night and then hang an ornament on the tree to mark the day. I’m enjoying this time with the boys. I found this nativity set in my ornaments. Not sure where it came from but it's ok with the Jesse Tree. :)

While we were in the mountains, my family surprised me with a month late birthday celebration! They gave me a Keurig! I love it! It totally rocks!

I am really excited about Christmas this year! God has given me so much JOY and I am thankful for every ounce of it! Everyone I know is doing the Elf on the Shelf thing for their kids. We tried that a few years ago but after a few days Brayden decided he did not care for the elf "running around" at night. I found these remains shoved under the tv stand. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry... or take my child to a psychologist. 

Last night Brayden asked if we would get another elf. I laughed and said, "Nope, no more elves for this family!"

Well, that's about it for now. Hope you all are enjoying the holiday season as much as we are!

Until next time! -K