Monday, November 7, 2011

Prayers For a Mom

Please join us in prayer this evening as Mamush's birth mother attends the US Embassy birth parent interview in Addis Ababa. I can't imagine how she is feeling and how hard it must be for her to again go before some type of government authority and explain how she has no means to care for her/our child.

Dear Lord,
 Please cover Mamush's mom in Your love and peace, give her courage and help her to be strong through this process. Hold her heart near to You and allow her healing as she finalizes this difficult decision.

In Jesus Name....Amen


Sunday, November 6, 2011

Thankful for Orphan Sunday!


Thankful today for the opportunity to share some information and a video for Orphan Sunday today in church. Also very thankful that God has opened ours eyes and hearts to the cause of the fatherless. We love you Mamush!


Orphan Sunday Prayer
Dear Father,

On this Orphan Sunday, we join with Your people across our country and beyond to pray for orphans.

We know that love for these precious children begins not with us, but with You. You pursued us when we were wayward and alone. You adopted us as your children. You invite us to address you as Daddy and to live as Your sons and daughters. Truly, we love because You first loved us. 

You tell us also that You are near to the downtrodden and destitute. Your heart aches for children that face the world alone. You champion the cause of those who have no one else to take their side. And You call us to do the same.

So we pray that You would rouse us to share your heart. We ask that You would stir Your people to passion and vision and action on behalf of children that have no family.

We lift up to You the millions of children in the world who have lost their parents to disease, to war, to addiction, to poverty, to abandonment. As You promise to do, place the lonely in families. Be their defender, their provider, their hope and peace. Help us to do the same.

We pray also for the five hundred thousand children in our foster system in America. So often, they are bounced from home to home, knowing little love, consistency or true nurture. Please be their love, their consistency, their nurture. Help us to do the same.

We confess that we have often lived with little regard for these precious lives. Please forgive us. Lead us to take up their cause, not in guilt or obligation, but as a joyful response to Your great love for us.

As we do, we pray that You would use our humble response to transform. To transform the lives of countless orphans both physically and spiritually. To transform us as we encounter You in them. To transform Your Church as we lift our eyes beyond our own comfort and self-focused religion to live out the painful beauty of the Gospel. And finally, to transform a watching world as it catches glimpses of Your love made visible through the actions of Your people.

We commit all this to You, the One who is both our Father and a Father to the fatherless, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thankful for TIme

Late post for Saturday..

Today i am thankful for Time.  Casey and I have a huge to do list of things WE feel like WE need to get done before we travel to Ethiopia to pick up Mamush.  Notice I said WE.  This list is full of things that aren't necessary but that WE WANT to accomplish. 

Bringing home an older child means he will notice more than an infant would.  Everything will be new to him and he will be overwhelmed.    We are going to have little time when we get home to do much of anything let alone accomplish any projects.   We will be transitioning our whole family. Our bio children will have just spent a week away from us for the first time and they will need lots of attention when we return. Mamush will be transitioning to a new culture, new house, new family, ( with a dog) and the list goes on and on.  Please pray for our transition.  We well aware of the challenges that face us as we both work with children who have and are overcoming many obstacles in life.  This will be the best and hardest thing we have ever done, and need all of your support.


So WE crossed a lot of things off our list today.

1. Painted boys room. 
2. An outside window project ( don't remember what its called) ha ha
3. Winter clothing out and sorted.
4. Christmas things handy and accessible
5. One suit case packed with donations for the care center
6. Cleaned craft/ stage rooms
7.  DINNER OUT TOGETHER ALONE. 

LACEY

Friday, November 4, 2011

Apples

Thankful today for our apple tree!

We neglected our tree in the back yard for ten plus years. Each fall as I cleaned up fallen wormy apples I kicked myself for not spraying the tree. This summer we had the tree sprayed and have so enjoyed the awesome harvest of big beautiful apples.

Apple crisp, apple sauce, fruit leather, apple rings, and today gallons of apple cider!

Thank you Lord for your creation and for our apple tree!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Thankful for Technology

Today I woke up to new pictures of Mamush.  It is amazing to me that across the world another adoptive family is uploading photos and I can view them instantly. As Mr. Bertram will tell you I know little about technology and admit that I am challenged in this area.  Viewing pictures I have mastered in this adoptive process. 



So today I am thankful for modern technology so that I am able to see pictures of my son the day after they were taken.  Thanks to all those traveling families who continue to upload pictures and email me about my boy.
I love that he has all the things we have sent in his bags still and he gets them out and looks at us.
Warms my heart. 
OH and notice the new hair cut.
LACEY

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Thankful For Access to Medicine

Tuesday I had to take Averi to the doctor for ear pain. I am fortunate to live 5 min. away from our doctors office and was able to walk in and get her right in with our favorite FNP (Mr. Willcut).  She did in fact have an ear infection and we were off to fill her prescription. 

We as Americans are so fortunate to be able to get medical treatment when we need it.  Often as Americans we complain about our health care.
1. It cost too much for co pay.
2. We don't like our insurance plans.
3.  I had to wait too long to see doctor.
4.  I had to wait for a prescription to be filled.

Our son lives in a country where Medicine and doctors aren't 5 min away and most people can't afford treatment.  He lives in a country with no chip or medicaid plan.

Today I am thankful for insurance and for access to quality affordable health care.



Thankful





In the month of November we would like to share what we as a family are thankful for.

We have so much to be thankful for Its hard to just share one a day.


Today we are thankful for a warm house.  Our house is not large, but God has still not called us to get a bigger one.  As we grow as a family of six this year we will have to make some adjustments, but still feel like this is the home God wants us in.  We are Thankful for the home we have and the wonderful neighborhood we live in.

                                               (picture taken by a bertram child)