Beautiful Bracelets, Beautiful Family

I had the pleasure a few months back of running across a blog about a family who adopted from Ethiopia and were in the process of adopting again. Since I found Erica I have been inspired, uplifted, blessed and truly happy that I know God holds us all in His hands and makes a way for His great plans. Erica lives just up the road from me, though I haven't met her in person or her family I am so moved by her blog and her Facebook posts. She is a true adoption advocate and I aspire to be more like her in reaching out and promoting adoption and a heart for the orphan.

Erica is currently raising funds to travel to Ethiopia to get her daughter. I decided that I'd like to order some bracelets from her for the holidays and wanted to share them here in hopes that more people will support their journey to Ethiopia. These bracelets are beautiful!

You can read more about Erica and her family on her blog:

http://thisshubinclan.blogspot.com/

You can donate, purchase necklaces and tee shirts here:

http://www.theroadlesstraveledshirtshop.blogspot.com/

I love the Baseball tee, I am looking forward to after the holidays so I can order one for myself!

Cookie Party

When I was a child I remember decorating cookies with my family and sometimes neighbors and friends. I loved those special afternoons of icing cookies and covering them with sprinkles. The best part-eating the cookies!

This year I decided to host my very own "Cookie Party" with our adoption group. Not everyone could make it but three families came and it seems the kids all had a great time. I made my favorite sugar cookies and gingerbread too. There was royal icing and all sorts of sprinkles and toppings. I enjoyed watching the kids make memories and enjoy the cookies!

Care for the widow and the orphan.

"Aware, heart heavy and praying for fathers (and mothers) for the fatherless this time of year. Over 2400 children ranging from newborn to 18 are signed up for Foster Angels in Hillsborough this year and they only have resources for 800 so far. There are thousands of ministries, organizations and families that could use help this and every time of year."

This is my facebook status today. Today I have a heavy heart. I know that God has called me to be an advocate for adoption and to care for orphans. While we wait, I will work to advocate for the fatherless. It is what I can do right now, in my circumstances. One day perhaps I will be across the globe, but for now, I'm starting in my own world. In my own neighborhood. 

I think about the kids in my own community that are waiting for a forever family. They are longing to have someone tuck them in at night and to have a warm home to call their own. They are craving a place to belong. From your back door to across the world there are opportunities to care for orphans.

I realize that most of us do not think naturally about the world around us, only the world that we live in. I challenge you to look at my blog hop link. Visit some of the blogs. Learn about what these amazing families are doing. If you feel that you are not called to adopt, partner with a family who is trying desperately to raise funds to go get their child. Open your eyes to the possibility.

I have heard so many people say to me "oh I don't know if I could love an adopted child the same". First of all- just so you know, that is really offensive to say to an adoptive mother. Just flatly telling you how it is. Secondly, if the basis of loving a child is on sharing DNA, that says a lot about how much you love yourself. God shapes families through DNA, and sometimes through love. It's all by His design. 

For You formed my inward parts;

         You wove me in my mother’s womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

         Wonderful are Your works,

         And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

         When I was made in secret,

         And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

         And in Your book were all written

         The days that were ordained for me,

         When as yet there was not one of them. 

God designs our lives. From the womb to the grave. He designs our children's lives. He can fashion a family from two broken halves into a family full of love of joy. He can take a crowded home and cram some more crazy  fun kids in the mix. He can open closed hearts and minds. He can bring mercy and grace...love and family to the orphan. He can bring us to far away places to find the parts that belong to our family. He can surprise us with hope in our own back yard. 

Rather you have thought about adoption, foster care or orphan care, do something! All children are equal in God's eyes. All children deserve a loving home. If you truly feel like you are not called to adopt, be the support and the voice for someone who is. 

I can tell you that nothing has made me happier in my life than my own adoptions, and then watching my friends adopt. When my youngest was only 2 months old my goddaughter O came into my best friend's life. We were right there hand in hand with them. We shared their smiles, tears and laughter. We shared their pain and frustration as they waited, their joy and their first moments with their beautiful daughter. And then this last year again we walked the road with friends who adopted their first child. We shared it all with them. We supported them in any way we knew how. 

Now every time I look at these children's faces, I know that God used us to touch their lives. That they are so precious in His sight that he called us to come along side of their parents. They have been adopted into families, communities, churches and into the lives of those who walk along hand in hand with them and their parents.

We just celebrated my friend's Gotcha Day last Thursday. I dragged my two toddlers down to the very courthouse where they were for each of their final hearings. We sat on a bench and watched as they filled the room with their smiles and joy. We watched as precious J was legally adopted into their family. We saw his grandparents, godparents and parents celebrate together the gift of adoption. The very next night I had the unbelievable pleasure of babysitting J while his parents went to a Christmas party. I just hugged on him and played with him. I am so blessed to be a part of his life. I get so emotional when I think of what God has in store for him. I am so glad to know that whatever God's plan is, I'm going to be there to see it come to fruition.

And to know that my own adoptive children are surrounded now with a huge family and friends who will be there through thick and thin. Who will teach them, hold them, love them and protect them...wow...I am humbled at the grace of God. Truly, humbled that his plan includes me as their mother. Hoping that one day they will see that grace fully. I am hoping that I instill in them a passion for caring for orphans and widows.

All I Really Want For Christmas Music Video

Advent Conspiracy

Thankful.

Every year when the holidays come around I have this sense of pure gratitude and joy. You see, about 6 years ago I was facing a Thanksgiving and a Christmas with sorrow and pain filling my every thought. We spent Thanksgiving that year with my family in North Carolina and while I had a smile on my face I was broken and shattered inside.

With our nieces and my brother during our Thanksgiving trip.

In 2004 my husband and I decided to try IVF. We were finally hopeful. I was very young and the Doctor's all said that our chances were fantastic. We had a successful round of IVF with a positive pregnancy test. I was beyond happy. I was ecstatic! I thought that the waiting was officially over and that my dream of having a baby would finally come true!

That joy lasted about 2 weeks. Then I started having signs of a miscarriage. I spoke with my nurse several times and all she said was that I would have to "wait and see, but probably I was losing my baby". I had an ultrasound at 6 weeks and there was no sign of life. They told me that it could be a late implant but that there was no way to know for another week or two.

Then I started swelling and having severe cramping on my left side. I felt weak and I knew something wasn't right. I asked that they please give me another ultrasound because I feared that I was having an ectopic pregnancy. Turns out I was right. We went in for another ultrasound. My blood pressure was through the roof (and I always have perfect blood pressure). I was shaking and in some pain. Finally the Doctor comes in and we have the ultrasound. I've never forget what I saw on the screen or the words our Doctor spoke in that moment.

"Well I'll be damned"......"There is a heartbeat in your tube".

My left tube had ruptured. I was bleeding internally. My growing, heart beating fetus was not going to live.


As soon as I heard the words and saw my babies heart beat I lost it. I felt faint. I was in excruciating pain, I was undone. I could barely walk. We sat waiting for our hospital papers and called family. I hardly remember anything after that. I remember my husband tearfully holding my hand. I remember my dear friend visiting me and staying by my side after the surgery.

I remember the nurse that cared for me with such sweet gentleness. She was emotionally connected to me. She was exactly the person who should have cared for me. She gently told me about her two miracle daughters. She adopted them both and told me that adoption is a beautiful option.

I left the hospital knowing in my heart that I was done with trying to make it happen. I was not going to go through anymore fertility treatments. I had always wanted to adopt anyways. It just made sense.

In our follow up appointments with the Doctor he asked us what we wanted to do next and we told him we were going to adopt.

Within a month we had signed up with an agency "Heart Of Adoption". By March we were waiting for our first child to be born.

Now every holiday season I remember the pain and the hurt of waiting hopelessly. I look at my miracles and I whole heartedly agree, adoption is a beautiful option. It's the best and only option for me. 

"Beautiful things"

All this pain

I wonder if I’ll even find my way

I wonder if my life could really change at all

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

All around

Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new

You make me new, You are making me new

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

 Every time we sing this song at church I think about how God turned something so painful and horrible into the beautiful family that I have. I am so thankful for my kids. I am so thankful that God has a plan for my life and for my children's lives. I can't wait to do this again! I can't wait to see what beautiful things God has in store for our family, and for yours!

To those of you who have suffered the pain of losing a baby, a pregnancy, or the dream of one, my heart goes out to you. I know the pain of it. I know the misery of it. I can tell you that on the other side, it can be beautiful and joyous and great!

Thankful,

Sarah

Gungor - Beautiful Things