Praise and Prayer!

Praise and Prayer go hand in hand together. Today we are rejoicing, rejoicing for the past, present and future. God is so good!! As I sat down to start our taxes last night I went thru out of curiosity adding up the total for our adoption and travel expenses last year and was blown away!! Blown away at the actual amount we spent on everything AND blown away at how God provided $12,000 that we didn't have!!!! God is soo good!!

Some people ask how are you affording an adoption in this economy, now an adoption of not only one but TWO? I simply state it is God!! Yes you have to follow thru on your part and live essentially, sell anything that is a "Want" and not a need! It's all about just saying "YES" to what God has called us to do and leave the rest up to him! So in these next couple months we are praying for more miracles :) to happen!! Not only financially for this adoption but mentally, physically, spiritually and so on. We are the ending stages of preparing to bring our sons home. Rearranging rooms, painting, and God has once again came thru! We have some very close friends in our lives that have been down this road a time or too, it's so amazing to see how God puts the right people in your lives for a time and season.

During my devotions today I came across this verse and although it may have a couple meanings for different situations this is what stood out to me today and thought I would share: But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield. Ps 5:11. I love the last part where God covers us with favor as a shield. Isn't that amazing how he uses favor as a protector for us. A shield is meant to guard your most vital bodily organs.

We are requesting prayer for a couple of things this week if you wouldn't mind adding our family to your prayer requests: favor with SL gov't and that the final ban would lift, we have applied for 3 additional grants and praying for them to come thru soon, the $5,000 matching grant from LifeSong for Orphans is underway until Feb 9th and we have raised $24 so far and we need $4,975 to meet our matching goal, and last but most certainly most least would be God would prepare our family for the changes that we will face this year. Yes it is exciting to add 2 beautiful children in our home, but we definately needs God's help in it all. Emma and Jayden are beyond excited right now but we would just for prayer as we go thru this exciting journey together.

I would also like to start a prayer journal for friends and family on the "adoption journey" as well. Leave me a comment with your prayer request or you don't even have to be specific, just leave a note saying our family could use prayers and God knows what we are praying for. Please I would love to gather together in prayer as this new year of 2011 has just kicked off and join adoption/fostercare families together in prayer!!