Scott and I had a great time today having lunch with the birth parents who have chosen us. They told us they wanted to spend today getting to know one another better and so we did. They are fun and very sweet. We did not talk through anymore details, but are planning to get together again in a few weeks.

Wanted to let you all know what you can be specifically praying for. The baby girl we are to adopt has a Choroid Cyst, we knew this before we even okayed showing our profile to the birth parents. I am including a definition of a Choroid Cyst from Wikipedia.org:

Choroid plexus cysts (CPCs) are cysts that occur within choroid plexus of the brain. The brain contains pockets or spaces called ventricles with a spongy layer of cells and blood vessels called the choroid plexus. This is in the middle of the fetal brain. The choroid plexus has the important function of producing a fluid called cerebrospinal fluid. The fluid produced by the cells of the choroid plexus fills the ventricles and then flows around the brain and the spinal cord to provide a cushion of fluid around these structures. CPCs can form within this structure and come from fluid trapped within this spongy layer of cells, much like a soap bubble or a blister. CPCs are often called "soft signs" or fetal ultrasound "markers" because some studies have found a weak association between CPCs and fetal chromosome abnormalities. It is believed that many adults have one or more tiny CPCs. CPU's have no impact on an individual's health or development or learning. The fetal brain may create these cysts as a normal part of development. They are temporary and usually are gone by the 32nd week of pregnancy.

So as you can read, it is normally not a problem, we are just asking people to join in praying with us that it will go away before the end of pregnancy.

WE'VE BEEN CHOSEN!!

The birth father called Scott personally to let us know that we were the couple they chose. Our hearts are full of joy and excitement, and yet we know we need to continue to pray. There is a little bit of fear after what we have been through, but we are choosing to walk in faith and rejoice in HOPE!!

Scott and myself will be meeting with the birth parents for lunch next Saturday to continue to get to know one another and talk through more details.

Thank you sincerely for every prayer prayed for us, we would not have had the strength for this 7 year journey with out them!

Another Chance-Please Pray

Scott and I along with another couple have been chosen by a birth mom and birth father. We met with the birth parents last Friday night and after we were finished they met with the other couple.

Going into the meeting Scott and I were the birth father's favorite and the other couple was the birth mom's favorite. The meeting went well, we laughed and connected around many things, however it is impossible to know what happened in the meeting with the other couple.

Please pray for God's good, perfect and pleasing will to be done in the life of this child, in Scott and I's life, in this other couple life and in the birth parents life. We are praying the birthparents will have clarity, unity and feel great about their decision. So please pray with us. We will let you know when we hear something.

The birth mom is due on February 13th with a GIRL!!

Please continue to pray for us. We have a lot of really good days and we also have some really hard and sad days. We feel more excited than ever about adoption, knowing that we could love so deeply in a matter of moments a child not of our own. Our hope is that this “new/old” season of waiting would be short!

Two sources of encouragement

Praise You in This Storm by Mark Hall

I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down

and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day.

But once again, I say amen and it's still raining

as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain, "I'm with you"

and as Your mercy falls I raise my hands

and praise the God who gives and takes away.

And I'll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands

for You are who You are no matter where I am

and every tear I've cried You hold in your hand

You never left my side and though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind

You heard my cry to You and raised me up again

my strength is almost gone how can I carry on

if I can't find You and

as the thunder rolls

I barely hear You whisper through the rain "I'm with you"

and as Your mercy falls I raise my hands

and praise the God who gives and takes away

And I'll praise you in this storm and I will lift my hands

for You are who You are no matter where I am

and every tear I've cried You hold in your hand

You never left my side and though my heart is torn

I will praise You in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the Lord,

the maker of heaven and earth

“Where is God when it Hurts?” Philip Yancey

God does not, in the comfortable surroundings of heaven, turn a deaf ear to the sounds of suffering on this groaning planet. He joined us, choosing to live among an oppressed people, in circumstances of poverty and great affliction. The Son of God cried out "God, why have you forsaken me?"

Jesus, the son of God on earth, embodies all I have been trying to say about pain. Like Job, an innocent sufferer who preceded him, he did not receive an answer to the question of cause: “Why?...why?” he called out from the cross, and heard nothing but the silence of God. Even so, he responded with faithfulness, turning his attention to the good that his suffering could produce.

Human suffering remains meaningless and barren unless we have some assurance that God is sympathetic to our pain, and can somehow heal that pain. In Jesus, we have that assurance.

At the instant of pain, it may seem impossible to imagine that good can come from tragedy. We never know in advance exactly how suffering can be transformed into a cause for celebration. But that is what we are asked to believe. Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.

Sad!

We got the call today that the birth mom has chosen to go get Emilee and parent her. Thank you all for praying for this situation, we have submitted it to the Lord, however our hearts are very heavy and sad today. Please continue to pray for us!

Hard day...

Today was the day Emilee was going to come home with us, so it was rough. We were pretty sad today. Please continue to pray for a quick resolve. Our adoption agency has still not heard a word from the birth parents since last Friday. They have left several messages, but are getting no return phone calls.

Our hearts our heavy to hear something, anything...

We are also praying for God's hope and a future and no harm for Emilee Grace!! (Thank you to all who have e-mailed this verse to us, while we were fasting it was put strongly on our hearts)

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT, we have been flooded with e-mails, phone calls. cards and prayers. We are so appreciative.

Still waiting...

I for sure will be updating this BLOG with any major news, so keep checking for updates. We have still heard nothing yet. Scott and I do feel more and more peace, so thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer.

Our journey continues

THANK YOU THANK YOU thank you to ALL of you who have stood with us, cried with us, covered us with prayer, responded for us, took care of things for us, blessed us with kind words, thoughts, and actions...we are overwhelmed and humbled by the love of the body of Christ and by everyone is our lives. We have people praying in several different countries and all over America, wow that is awesome. We feel peace because of how prayed for we have been and how encouraged we have been by all of you!!

There is no new news to report. The social worker is trying to get a hold of the birth mom to hear how she is feeling now and has been unable to get in touch with her. Emilee is still in foster care with an amazing pastor's wife as the foster care mom. The birth father is still at a 10 for how sure he is of wanting to go through with the adoption, which we are encouraged by.

We stand assured that with all the prayers that are going forward God's good and perfect and pleasing will WILL BE DONE!

The things we are asking most for prayer for are: a quick decision and resolve to this, that the birth parents would make the best and right decision-we truly connected with the birth parents and care for them and understand this is a huge decision for them as well. We want what would be best for everyone involved.

Continue to pray for peace and strength for us as we wait in the balance.

Hard Day...

We got some hard news today, our social worker called us and let us know that the birth mom is having some hard days with lots of emotion and some outside counsel and is reconsidering her decision. The birth mom has not yet signed the papers to get a court date.

So please pray, to be honest we are not sure how to pray, we want God's will to be done above all else, but we have a lot of feelings and emotions. We are scared and yet know God holds this all in His hand.

Please pray

I just want to reiterate to please stand with us in prayer about this whole situation. There are many emotions in everyone involved.

Our on-line profile

Just letting everyone know our profile is now also on-line. You can look at it at www.bethany.org. you will want to click the "family profiles" tab and search Wisconsin and you will find us alphabetically!!

Our Waiting and Longing...

Wanted to ask for more and more prayer. It has been a VERY hard month, very emotional and a daily fight to continue to hope, trust and rejoice.

We are so weary of waiting and wondering what God has planned for us!! We know we can trust Him and know He is good, it just is hard to see through our fleshly thoughts and emotions at times!!

One of our greatest desires right now is to live out this verse:

Be joyful in HOPE, patient in AFFLICTION, faithful in PRAYER - Romans 12:12

Our Profile

Our profile has only been shown twice since we were approved. The first time the birth mom chose a family who had been waiting longer and this last time that I had mentioned in our last blog wanted her child to have siblings, so the birth mom chose a family who already had a child. So we continue to wait on the Lord. We know who is in charge and He is worth the wait...every time!!

We of course are sad and often wish it would happen faster but we know, "To EVERYTHING there is a season, a time for EVERY PURPOSE

under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

and so we wait for that season and that purpose.

OUR PROFILE WAS SHOWN!

FINALLY...a little new news to share. This past Thursday our profile was shown to a birth mom. We are unsure how many other profiles were shown along with ours and we have yet to hear what has come of it. She may have taken the profiles home to look over during the weekend, or she may have already made her decision. We will let you know if we hear anything!

We are super encouraged just to have some activity!

It's been awhile

I know I have not been on here in forever to give any sort of update, I am sorry for that.

We just heard from our social worker and she let us know that no one’s profile was shown in the month of December; I am sure due to the holidays. So our profile has not been shown yet, but they think it will pick up soon. They had no birth moms all last month, but they already had two come in the first week of January.

Please continue to pray for us as we wait. To be totally honest it has been really hard to wait. We KNOW we can trust the Lord in all things, especially this, but it has been something we have had to choose each day, grasping for God’s new mercies every morning!!

We will keep you all updated!