BIG NEWS!!!!

I know I haven't posted in awhile, but there is a reason(which I will get to..) We haven't been doing a whole lot in our everyday life..we have kinda just been surviving winter! The kids had a couple more snow days and we are ready for spring...it can't come soon enough, really!!!! :) We do have a cool , but sunny day here today in Cincinnati and boy am I thankful!!! I need some sunshine!!!

Ok, moving on to our BIG news!

First thoughts........ I am a Christian. What that means in the simplest of terms is that I have a relationship with God our creator through the sacrifice His son Jesus made on the cross over 2 thousand years ago. I am not defined by a religion, my worth is found in God's love for me and everyone else who chooses Him.  My desire in this life is to lead a life that brings glory to God. Period. I know many of you don't like what I am saying and you wont understand our reasoning, that is fine you may not want to follow my blog anymore. :) But I hope you do to see how God works, if you dont know Him, and if you do, to be encouraged that God is in the details and he cares about you what what is going on in your life!

So, back to the part that I want to lead a life that brings glory to God. That includes reading His word (the Bible), praying, and letting The Spirit (Holy Spirit) lead my everyday. The Spirit guides us to do God's will if we let Him. We have to surrender our selfish desires to do what we want to be able to hear the Spirit speaking to our hearts.

 THE BIG NEWS...
Back in November I felt the Spirit talking to me about adoption, yes ADOPTION!!!:) :) :) I am going to be really honest... I have never thought about adopting before! I have three healthy beautiful children, that many do not get to have!! I felt very grateful and happy with our little family, or big family, however you look at it.;) I was so sure we were done having children that after my third babe and she is 3 now, I had my tubes tied!!!! For the glory to be given to God you must also know other details of my life.. I am 28 yrs old, I turn the big 29 on saturday;), my husband Mike is 30. I have been a stay at home mom since  I was 22 when I had my first babe, so we have been a one income family from the begining! And to top it off Mike is a youth minister! ha! Those of you in full time ministry are following where I am going with this...;) Let's just say that you dont go into ministry to be rich and have all of the worldly comforts or luxuries! Now, this is not to pat us on the back..this is to show what God is doing and will do to make the adoption happen! So, we have to make a deal....If you read my blog and follow our adoption journey you have to give ALL the glory to GOD for providing and can't give any to "man". God started this and He will finish it!:)
IF GOD IS FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US? HE WHO DID NOT SPARE HIS OWN SON, BUT GAVE HIM UP FOR US ALL - HOW WILL HE NOT ALSO,ALONG WITH HIM, GRACIOUSLY GIVE US ALL THINGS? -ROMANS 8:31-32 (FROM THE BIBLE)

So, I heard the Spirit telling me we needed to obey and adopt. Plain and simple just like that! I knew right away it was God talking because I have NEVER thought of adopting!So, I started praying and asking Him to speak to Mike about it.  I knew if he wanted us to obey that he would have to tell Mike the same thing!! I even told God...Mike doesnt want anymore children...we were SO done! This will totally be you Father if Mike is willing to adopt!! HA! I got a good laugh about that!! :) So, I prayed all of November and prayed for God to let me know when I should talk to Mike about it...a whole two months went by! Then I felt it was time (in my heart) to bring it up to Mike. We were talking and I said " I have been praying about something for a while now and I want to talk to you about it, he of course was all ears! I just told him that God planted the seed of adoption in my heart and  it came out of nowhere( God's idea, not mine) and I didnt really know what to think about it (or how I felt). He then shared with me that he had always been open to adoption.....WHAT????!!! You never told me that!!! Ha!!! I said..ok..well.. we have to obey and I am not sure what to do next...So we continued to pray and ask for guidance, wisdom and peace. I also had to ask for forgiveness!!! How selfish I have been to not have even considered it before!!!
"IF ANY OF YOU WANTS TO BE MY FOLLOWER, YOU MUST PUT ASIDE YOUR SELFISH AMBITION, SHOULDER  YOUR CROSS, AND FOLLOW ME.- MATTHEW 16:24

Yes, adoption is expensive...it can be more than some make in an entire year!!!!
DONT NOT WORRY ABOUT  ANYTHING, BUT PRAY AND ASK GOD FOR EVERYTHING YOU NEED, ALWAYS GIVING THANKS. -PHILIPPIANS 4:6

BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE TERRIFIED; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD YOU GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.-JOSHUA 1:9
I will have to cling to this one!!! At times I am terrified!! What will it be like? what will the child be like? how will this effect our families? will I be a good enough mother to this child? I think that already with my other three!!

IN YOU THE FATHERLESS FIND COMPASSION-HOSEA 14:3

I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU AS ORPHANS; I WILL COME TO YOU.-JOHN 14:18

YOU WONT LET THEM DOWN:ORPHANS WONT BE ORPHANS FOREVER.-PSALM10:14

 We have decided on international adoption. We are not 100 % on what country yet... we have it narrowed down to two..BULGARIA, and ETHIOPIA. We are open to an older child and we are leaning towards a boy, a brother for Nolan.:) But, Lord willing we wont get in the way and His will will be done! There are reasons we have it narrowed down to these two countries ... we don't fit A LOT of the requirements for other countries..mainly our ages are the problem.

It's going to be a lot of hard work to come up with the ransom to bring our child home!! We are going to plan yard sales and bake sales and we are selling English Bulldog puppies. There are a few grants that we might qualify for, but coming up with roughly 30,000 is going to be a trial of it's own! We are asking our friends and family to pray for us as we start this journey!! Please feel free to send me any other fundraisers you might know of! He has called so we will follow obediently!!

WE KNOW WHAT REAL LOVE IS BECAUSE CHRIST GAVE UP HIS LIFE FOR US. AND SO WE ALSO OUGHT TO GIVE UP OUR LIVES FOR OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS. BUT IF ANYONE HAS ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE WELL AND SEES A BROTHER OR SISTER IN NEED AND REFUSES TO HELP-HOW CAN GOD'S LOVE BE IN THAT PERSON?-1JOHN 3:16-17
This is a verse I have been thinking of...so many of our "little" brothers and sisters are in need around the world...how can we not help them??

And the journey continues.........

Much Love- lauren