Lessons in Waiting

I would like to recommend a great book to read called, You're Late Again, Lord! The Impatient Woman's Guide to God's Timing, by Karon Phillips Goodman.

My mother bought me this book years ago in a completely different season of my life, but as I am re-reading it now with this adoption wait taking place, it takes on new and fresh meaning. I think it will bless you and re-focus your heart back to God's faithfulness if you take time to read it. Here are a few highlights to tide you over in the meantime...

(this is a good time to go snag the "While I'm Waiting" song by John Waller from You Tube and play it in the background!  I sometimes just let that song play over and over during the day. So..imagine that great song playing lightly in the background right here....ready?....)

*We can renew our spirit and strength while we wait. Isaiah 40:31 - Those who WAIT on the Lord SHALL renew their strength.

*Moving closer to God every day is something you can do in the wait time. "You don't have to wait patiently when you learn to wait purposefully."

*The waiting time can be productive and dynamic. This "waiting room" is here so I can rediscover what I've lost and learn what I need to do. It is there so I can renew my strength and my spirit and move closer to God.

*"You can't wait purposefully and control the rest of the world at the same time."  (I love that!)

*Waiting is not about what is happening on the outside, it is about what is happening on the inside.

*God has a plan, a blessed syllabus for your life, and it's always charted from the inside out.

*Each wait should get us closer to God and grow us so we see God better.

*One of the reasons we are so hopelessly annoyed by the time we spend waiting is because the events are often completely out of our control. We are forced to sideline our plans until someone else completes his. Then we try to seek more control and we can't so we grow more frustrated.  The key is surrendering into God's arms and letting Him comfort me from the inside out.

*GOD'S sufficiency strengthens our spirit.

*Develop the faith to turn to God FIRST, not last.

*God wants you to come closer, but you can't do that if you're fighting Him and arguing with Him; if you can't give up the control you think you need.


Lord, I pray for all of us waiting to meet our new children and waiting to bring them home. I pray you will renew our strength and refresh our spirits. Help us to trust you completely, and to rest in the fact that your plan and your timeline are perfect. Help us to enjoy each day and grow closer to you each and every minute of this wait. Thank you, Lord!

"Why Ethiopia?"

We recently came across this You Tube video clip from another adoption blog and thought it was great. We are including it here to help others understand why our family chose Ethiopia.
Ethiopia Statistics Video

The Great Bedroom Adventure

One of the things we have been doing during the waiting time for the boys is to get bedrooms arranged and decorated. Considering we only have two bedrooms for the kiddos, organization and careful planning have been the key! We finally finished organizing and rearranging furniture, toys and the like. We now have a GIRL bedroom..

Girls room, view1

 

 

 

2 bunkbeds + 4 girls = 6 times the fun

And for the first time ever, a BOY bedroom!

blue...with airplanes and helicopters!

 

 

 

 

No more braces!

After two years, Savannah was finally able to have her braces off- hurray! Here are the before and afters...

 

 Finally, a straight smile! Those two years of abstaining from corn on the cob, ribs, 

carrots, gum, starbursts, jolly ranchers, etc. have now paid off.

Our favorite funny post-braces greeting from fun Aunt Stephanie:

Savannah-Only we of the hallowed halls of bracedom know well the magnitude of this feat! May thou ride out to vanquish menacing corn on the cob without fear. Thy fellow comrades in arms most joyfully salute thee O Victorious One! May the Lord bless thee with immoveable teeth henceforth.
Adieu, My Good Lady

Adoption update

Happy New Year! The Grant family adoption is progressing slowly but surely with the start of 2011. Today we received word that our boys'  paperwork has finally been cleared by the Shalom Orphanage/Sidama region officials. With that clearance, America World is now able to submit our paperwork to the Ethiopian court system tomorrow, and we have been told we should have a court date in about two weeks. This paperwork delay has set us back a month behind our original schedule, and now we are hopeful for a court date in late March. We have been receiving monthly updates and pictures of the boys from America World, providing us with current information. We have also been able to send two care packages with other adoptive couples travelling to Ethiopia.  They have delivered the packages to the boys as well as took pictures and video which they have sent to us. The boys are so cute, and thus far have been growing accustomed to the new orphanage as well as a whole new language (Amharic) which is spoken in Addis. Our hearts long to be there with our boys and to bring them home, but we remind ourselves daily that the Lord has the perfect plan and perfect timeline in place. Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support!

The Puzzle is Complete!

MANY thanks to all who contributed to the puzzle to help Victoria and I travel to Ethiopia.
It is now finished- Praise God! 
 Thank you again for your support and prayers!
Savannah

Puzzle Update- December

Merry Christmas! Here is an updated puzzle picture as of December 7th. We have been blessed by the generosity of many people donating in order that Victoria and I might be able to fly to Ethiopia. There are only FIVE puzzle pieces left, so if you want to take part in this fundraiser, now is the time to do it!

Thank you again so very much!

Savannah