Pendant love!!

I have really been liking the website Etsy lately, and have found such cute stuff.  I found the cutest handmade, sterling silver pendants that had my heart all over it!  Just thought I'd share!!  I love them!

 

 

 

Here is my awesome new Pendant!  The heart is over UGANDA!!

 

 

This is the back.  Engraved for when my trip takes place!  I have a feeling those two weeks will change my life forever!!

 

The seller even sent an ankelet/bracelet as a gift!!  They are both so cute!!  Now I can show off my love for Africa even more!!

 

 

 

 

 

Baby steps....

Yesterday was sort of a big day for me.  I went to an informational meeting at Bethany Christian Services, which for those that don't know, is one of the largest and most experienced adoption agency's in the U.S.  Adoption is something I've know I wanted to do since I was young, and for a long time I had sort of "put it in a box" so to speak thinking that it would just have to happen "someday" when I'm married.  In the last year or so my thinking has really changed.  God has opened my eyes and heart to the option of pursuing adoption as a single woman.  I have been praying about it for some time now, and am still really praying and seeking his leading, but after this meeting yesterday I have decided to take a baby step toward pursuing adoption on my own.  The meeting was so informative and made me feel so much more confident in pursuing something like this as a single woman, knowing that I will have an adoption specialist right there with me along the entire journey holding my hand and guiding me!  So, after yesterdays informational session I have decided to submit a preliminary application for an international adoption.  It's just a little baby step.  Basically the preliminary application is just you, submitting your "official" interest in learning more, and perhaps going down the adoption road.  There is no commitment involved, and no financial aspect to the preliminary application.  It is, however, a way for me to see if this is even a viable option for me and if I'd even be approved to start the process.  While it is just a baby step, it's still a really big step for me too!  For quite awhile I've been a little unsure how "on board" my family would be if I decided to do this.  I talked to my parents last night, and while they have some concerns (like any parent would) they are completely on board and supportive of me doing this!  I know I shouldn't be surprised at all because I have been blessed with amazing parents that have never been anything but supportive of me!  I realize that this won't be easy.  There will be people in my life, friends, maybe even family, that will think I'm crazy or think I'm doing the wrong thing; people who may wonder why I would chose international adoption; and people who won't agree at all with me choosing to become a single mom.  And, unfortunately, I also realize I may even lose a few "friends" over this, but I also know the people who choose to stay by me and support me are the ones I can truly call friends anyway!  Even since I have been planning this trip and start talking and thinking about the idea of adoption on my own more I have noticed some change in how some people react to me.  And that's ok.  I say I will be pursuing this adoption on "my own", but I realize that I will not be alone at all!  I will have my family, true there through the grit of life friends, and most importantly my Amazing God right there with me along the way!  I am excited to see where God takes me on this journey!!  I know it may be a very long one, with lots of curves and bumps along the way, but I am ready for the journey!!  One little baby step at a time!!

 

 

This desire is REAL!!

I read this blog yesterday.  Jen Hatmaker - The Truth About Adoption: One Year Later  It is such an amazingly honest look at what adoption is really like!  Some may read this and think that a single woman who may have been contemplating adoption on her own would read this and seriously reconsider whether adopting is something a single woman should do.  I read this and it only confirmed my desire to pursue this!  She talks about the different stages that a family goes through during the first year after adoption, and all the ups and downs...many more downs than a lot of people might think, but the rewards and blessings that God brings to those who trust in Him through the process are totally worth all those hard moments.  I have no illusions that adopting on my own would be an easy process or something that would happen tomorrow.  There are a LOT of things that would have to "fall" into place in order for it to even be possible for me.  Some of the most obvious things that I would have to overcome are the financial aspects, childcare when I work, and just becoming a single mom.  God has actually blessed me recently with a new job that will possibly allow me to be home more and be a little more realistic for even the early stages of researching and pursuing the early stages of adoption.  I got a job on the St. Vincent NICU/Pediatric transport team.  It will be one 24hr shift and one 12hr shift a week, and it's more on day shift than nights!  Maybe my body will actually start so sort of feel what it's like to be a little more "normal".  Adoption is not something I'm jumping into right away, or taking lightly at all!  I am praying about it, educating myself, and trying to start networking a little bit with other single adoptive moms/and families.  I'm hoping my friends and family will be supportive and understanding as I seek God's leading and will for my life.  I know this trip to Uganda will change me and may lead to something more, but I'm also trying to to have any unrealistic expectations for the trip either.  I'm just trying to pray and seek God's leading.  His plan is what I want and what is best!  All I know, is this desire he's given me to adopt is REAL!!

God loves ME!

My life group met again tonight!  What an awesome group of girls!  I'm so grateful that God has brought us together!  We had more great discussion tonight on the topic of God's love for us, his children!  One of the passages of scripture some of the discussion was on was Romans 8:31-39.  Here it is: 

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? 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? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

How amazing is that passage?!?  There are so many things in those few verses that are just so amazing!  "we are more than conquerors"!!  We can overcome everything with Our Lord!  Boy have I learned that in the last few weeks!!  God's provision for this trip to Uganda has been amazing!  This trip would NOT be happening if it weren't for God and Him providing!  "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  No one can be against us when God is on our side!!  But the best part..."that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  NOTHING can separate us from the love of God!!  Not other people, not circumstances, not satan, nothing!  Not even ourselves and our own doubts or the distractions we allow in our lives!!  God's love for us is real, and unrelenting!!  He pursues us like a groom pursues his bride!  As a single woman, that is so relevant for me!  It's humbling to think of being pursued by the Most High, the Creator of the Universe!!  He loves ME and wants a real, deep, intimate relationship with ME!!  Thank you Lord for loving imperfect, dirty, sinful ME!!  I am so unworthy, but I accept it with open arms!!

P.S.  I got my flight confirmation and plane ticket information for Uganda in an email tonight!!  Just more proof of God's amazing love and provision for me!!  I am sooo excited!!

Making History...

Those that know me really well, namely my family, know that I have a love for the Little League World Series.  I know...it probably seems strange, but ever since I saw the first world series game when I was a teenager, I have loved watching it every year!  The enthusiasm and joy those kids have for playing baseball is just so fun to watch!!  Baseball is sort of an All-American game, but in the Little League World Series, it truly is World wide!  There are 8 international teams that compete every year, and the final game is the winner of the International bracket versus the winner from the U.S. bracket.  Every year it is so fun to see these kids from opposites sides of the world come together in little Williamsport, Pennsylvania and play a game they all love.  They all have incredible sportsmanship and the kids can speak completely different languages, but they still have so much fun together and don't let a little thing like different languages keep them from forming incredible friendships.  Every year I look forward to August and watching the LLWS, but this year has been even more exciting.  For the first time in the 66 year history of the LLWS a team from Africa is playing, and that team just happens to be from Uganda!!  It is so heartwarming to see these kids who come from poverty and such hardship be able to come here to the U.S. to play a game they love!!  I was watching a little news story about the kids from Uganda earlier this evening and got a little teary watching.  Those kids are just so grateful for this opportunity and are having so much fun it's inspiring to see them there making history!  They played their first practice without cleats, despite being given shiny new uniforms and equipment to use and play in, because they are used to playing in Uganda without any shoes!  They came only with their coaches because many of them come from single parent families, and some are even orphans, but the fans in Williamsport have totally embraced the kids from Uganda as their own!  Its so awesome to see people come to support these kids just as much as they would their own teams.  Unfortunately, the team from Uganda was eliminated from the tournament today, but those kids played their hearts out, and everyone made them feel like winners!  They are winners just for making it to Williamsport and making history as the first team from Africa!  It just shows how much heart and joy kids in Uganda have!  It makes me even more excited to go meet some of those amazing kiddos!!  And who knows...maybe I'll even get to play some ball with them!!