Paperwork Anyone?

So no one said this was going to be easy, but I now have a new kind of respect for others that have adopted. It is no easy task to get all the paperwork in order.  

From forms to fingerprints to meetings -  this has practically become my full-time job!  

Thank you Lord that I have a flexible schedule!

And thank you Lord that you have protected me and Sam throughout the years. There are lots of hoops we need to jump through, and we are passing with flying colors.

OK, back to work. We still have a ways to go!!

God's Mercy

Over the past few years, I have kept my eyes and ears in tune to really cool adoption stories. Every time I hear a great story, I do a little bit of research.  I track down a blog that was written or a Web site of an organization. I have filed it in my "favorites" folder so I could go back to it someday.

Well, that someday is now!  I have been praying through each Web site "favorite" asking the Lord to prompt my heart to where He wants us to fill out an application.  What does He have in mind for our family right now? International? Domestic?  Obviously, there is a lot to consider.

One place that has had my heart from the beginning is Mercy Ministries (mercyministries.org).  They are headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee and help girls through all walks of life.  From eating disorders to addiction to unplanned pregnancy.  These girls WANT to be at Mercy and are on the road to restoration, healing and wholeness.  It is awesome what this ministry is doing to help young women.  

I showed the Web site to Sam and he was excited.  We both feel that this is the place we are supposed to put in our application.  It is an understatement to say that we were moved, genuinely touched, by this ministry.  

So here is where we are at. They only do 2, maybe 3, adoptions a year. Not good odds by the world's standards.  But, we feel this is an opportunity for God to do a miracle and provide us with the perfect birthmom and baby.  We are already praying for a perfect fit!

Is It Time?

So I am no stranger to open adoption.  Obviously, I have lived it as a birthmom. It has been an amazing experience. One I would never trade.

I have always felt the desire to adopt. Over the years, it is something Sam and I have talked about from time to time. When we first got married and started dreaming about our future, I told him about my dream to adopt. My dream became his dream. It is something we have always wanted to do, something we have felt called to do.  

In all honestly, our timing was that we would have biological children first and then continue growing our family through adoption. As some of you may have experienced in life our timing isn't always God's timing (big sigh here!).

As I mentioned in a previous post Sam and I just went through another miscarriage. Each time this has happened in the past few years, I automatically have asked Sam, "Is it time to adopt?" And each time his response has been "Give it four weeks. I don't want this decision to be out of a reaction." 

The first two times the four weeks came and went. We discussed it briefly and just felt that the Lord was asking us to wait on His timing. (is it OK to sigh again here?)

This time is different. It is the beginning of July 2007. The beginning of a new journey for us! Sam and I feel a different sense of urgency this time. We feel an excitement for what God has for us. We feel strongly that He is pointing us in the direction to adopt.

So what do I do next?