Blessings

We continue to be so incredibly grateful for the financial support we've received towards our adoption. The financial assistance is amazing and lifts a huge burden from our shoulders… allowing us to focus thoughts and preparation on the actual children. But more than just the money, it feels like a tangible sign of the emotional support you all have consistently shown us. Mere “thank you’s” don’t feel like enough!

God continues to bless us in this area as we move forward with adoption expenses. It’s the big blessing that I’ve shared in past posts ("Uh, Isn't that Expensive?" and "Careless in the Care of God"), but it’s also the little day-to-day things that we can only explain as godsends … It’s the “deals” that frequently fall in our laps… like clothes ringing up to mere cents at the store… or finds on Christmas gifts that equate to significant discounts... It’s unexpected rewards. A recent example – we didn’t take the kids to amusement parks this summer. Things like that feel like unnecessary expenses right now and skipping them frees up a little extra $$ for the adoption fund… But after sticking to that “rule” this year, we won tickets to Christmastown at a church event. It was such a sweet little holiday blessing and the kids were so excited!

Christmastown 2015

We started this adoption process in 2013 with an unknown dollar figure for what was to come… we didn’t know how many children would be referred to us and how fees would change while we waited… Our goal was to raise at least one-third of the total expenses.

Two and a half years in, we’ve now walked through a change in country, a referral for TWO kids, and await two additional trips before the children come home with us. We now know that the total costs will exceed $50,000… And we are so happy to report that we have raised over $16,000 towards these expenses. That’s an accumulation of donations, grants, and “payments” for items we’ve made/sold and workshops I’ve held. We are so overwhelmed with gratitude.

So thank you to all of you who have participated in my workshops, bought items from BitsofFab and made donations this year… and an extra thank you to everyone who has been praying for us through this whole process. We have no doubt that the prayers are the foundation for the actual dollar amounts.

A reminder that all donations made directly to Lifesong for Orphans on our behalf are tax-deductible. Lifesong will automatically send you a 2015 receipt if your donations this year totaled $250 or more. If you want to request a receipt for an amount under $250, you can contact them directly at 309.747.4527 or PO Box 40 Gridley, IL 61744. Be sure to reference our account – Blalock/4230.

God With Us

I’ve been struggling with the whole Santa thing this year… We’ve tried to focus the kids on Jesus’ birthday in years past, but Santa’s always vying for their attention. We’ve allowed him be a main character in our Christmas traditions, intertwining his character with biblical accounts and the historical St. Nicolas. My struggle comes when I picture a future conversation between all of our kids… 

New Kids: Who is Santa?

Asher & Cora: What, you don’t know about Santa? He’s this and that and…

New Kids: This is news to us!

Asher & Cora: Santa didn’t come to you? I thought he visited all boys and girls across the world???

And so on… Maybe I’m analyzing it too much, but I foresee it leading to grown-up questions about social injustice and poverty. Questions I don’t know how to answer for them! In an air of avoidance, I debated outing Santa this year… but then thought better of it. I love Asher & Cora’s sweet little faith in everything Christmas.

So our Elf on the Shelf, Nippy, gave us a scripture to read to re-focus each day leading up to Christmas… As I’ve start re-reading the Christmas story, I’ve realized I connect with it in yet another way this season… Walking by faith on a path just above a heap of unknowns is basically Mary’s story. J

God had promised a Savior to the world… but the details were unknown. And when He started revealing His plan, there had to be a sense of “what?” Are you sure this is how it’s going to come together? This is where you’re leading us, God? A virgin birth? A baby for our king? It isn’t what we pictured!

I’m there right now. We know and trust big picture that God is bringing about his will in this adoption… but the twists and turns have left us with a bit of a “what?” feeling… This is where you’ve lead us? Are you working behind the scenes right now? Assuming so, we’d love to be in on it, God!

With all of her unknowns, Mary modeled such faith. She “treasured up” all of the amazing things that she witnessed. I want to do the same. And I can, because I know that Jesus, Emmanual (God-with-us), IS with us and with ALL of our kids.

Mary’s Song of Praise…I’m bursting with God-news;

I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.

God took one good look at me, and look what happened—I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!

What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.

His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him.

He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts.

He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud.

The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold.

He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.

It’s exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now.

 Luke 1:46-56