Isaiah 43:1

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine."

I began blogging when I was struggling deeply with my husband's deployment to Iraq. His name is Nathan, by the way. I didn't blog regularly, and despite his still current status in Iraq, I don't often visit that blog. I go there when I have no where else to go, no one else to talk to. Today, it seems, I have spoken enough about our dreams of adoption. No one but Nathan wants to hear any more about it. Partly because we can't begin our adoption yet due to the ever continuing saga of deployment and partly, I think, because our (make that Nathan's) family isn't really convinced that this will happen. So, I find myself without anyone to talk to again. This time it concerns my children, last time it was my husband.

I believe that the above quoted scripture is God's strong voice in my life. Nathan and I have been "unconventional" from the beginning. I think many of his family members are still reeling from our decision to marry just before a deployment. Maybe they are still reeling from our decision to marry after a short long distance courtship. Maybe they are reeling from his choice of a rather unconventional wife (at least by mid western standards). Since we met, we've been on a steady diet of God's surprises and His radical moves in our lives. Adoption has been part of our discussion since our second date. Africa has been a part of our hearts for well over a year. Ethiopia became our focus just a short while ago. We believe that there are two children out there who are ours, who wait for us. I can already feel them in my heart. We are open to who God has chosen for us and we are standing on His faithfulness to reveal our children to us. I believe that God responds to willing hearts. Nathan and I have never had a desire to be ordinary or to be comfortable. We want to live a life that is led by the Creator, the Navigator, the Guide. We want to raise children who will live unashamed of the Gospel, who will live radical, sold out lives for Jesus. Children learn by experience, not by lip service.

So here we are "redeemed" believing that we have been "summoned" as have our children. We are trusting Him, putting our sold out faith in His Word, His promise that He has summoned each of us by name, that He knows each of our children, and that we are all His. Nathan is due home in July. We don't desire to wait much beyond his return to pursue our children. We desire to trust God and believe that He is faithful and that He will lead us and guide us. If you are reading this, you have become my outlet, my go to person, the one who will not judge but who understands. I pray that our family will soon join your ranks and get on board. If they do not, we will press on. Our children's lives depend on our persistence and our faithfulness.