Our Beginning

Wow. Never thought I would ever start a blog. EVER. 

Goes to show you how my brain works...in attempting to set up this blog, I evidently set up my Google profile instead. Huge call of love to my sister-in-law Bev for helping me get this set up!

When people found out that we were adopting, several people asked us to write a blog or a newsletter because they wanted to be kept in the loop. Since Christian Homes and Family Services wants us to do outreach through social media, everything seemed to fall into place!

Joel and I have always discussed adoption. With Joel having Type One diabetes, adoption always seemed to work itself into our conversations even before we were married. Joel was very familiar with adoption through his family and friends, but I wasn't as familiar with the process. I joined our adoption/orphan care ministry "Handprints" at our church to find out more of what adoption would look like....but I even said "I will be a part of this ministry as long as it means I don't have to adopt." God has always had a sense of humor!

We had actually decided to pursue having biological children. However, in November 2012, Joel told me he wanted to adopt. I immediately had a hard time with it-I wasn't ready and knew it. I told him I needed some time to think about it because I didn't know how to handle it. A week later, I was attending a church retreat with our youth group. Through the events, God put adoption on my heart. I felt like God had reached into my heart, broke it, and put his blessings into it. I sobbed myself to sleep that night praying for God to give me peace. I knew he was telling me that adoption is what we should do, but I still wasn't ready. Now I feel convicted that God has blessed our adoption and will remain with us always. 

What is ironic is that God had always revealed His journey and His path to us no matter what we have decided (which is why the description of our blog is "He holds us in His hands"). Now looking back over the past five years, I see God's hands over our lives as he was preparing us to adopt. Especially for me, the trials and spiritual struggles that I experienced was just a way for Him to help me grow and become open to adoption. Joel's experiences in his life and through our marriage has made his love for God, me, and others grow. 

If you had told me that 1) we would adopt 2) I would ever talk about my spiritual life or God like this 3) I would be blogging about it.....I would have told you that you were CRAZY. But here we are, in His hands, looking to start our family with His blessing. 

This is our Beginning.