I am not really sure how this blog thing works. In fact, I hardly ever even read blogs online! And now I am writing one? Well, this blog is started out of our desire to document what God has done in our lives. One day, we want to be able to look back and be reminded of all the ways that He worked to bring our family together. We want to be able to point to specific miracles and movements of His Holy Spirit and say “Look….God did that! He planned for this. He knit us together when we were far apart.” This might be especially helpful during the hard times. Because they will come! The sleepless nights, the tears, the questions, the fighting. We want to be able to hold on to the truth of God’s plan for our lives.

So I am going to start at the beginning and one post at a time, take you through our journey.

In November/December of 2010, my husband and I started praying specifically for what God had for us. We both felt that there was something more! Something more we should be doing. Something more that God was asking us to do. We prayed for God to open our hearts to whatever that might be. Scott and his friend Peter would get together and pray this specific prayer….

“God, make us more like you. Break our hearts for what breaks yours.”

And one night while we were laying in bed, my husband says to me, “What about adoption? Do you think we might be called to adopt?”

The seed was planted.

We both started praying specifically over this. Was this the plan God was trying to reveal to us? We were both a little hesitant. I mean, we already had 2 wonderful children. We had completed our family (and Scott had gotten “snipped” to prove our commitment to that). We were comfortable having a 1:1 adult to child ratio in our home! Did we really want to change that? God, was this crazy idea of adoption really something you want us to pursue?

And then one night in January, as we were praying and reading together, we read this verse….

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Now, I am sure we have read this verse many times before. But this time, it struck us differently. We felt like God was saying, “I already answered your question. Why do you keep asking me if I want you to adopt? Yes, I want my people to care for the widows and orphans. Yes, if you are willing, I want you to put aside your fears and follow my leading!”

All right, then.

Let’s do it.

And there begins our story of this crazy journey God has planned for our lives!

Blessings!

Natalie