One step closer... but so many more to go!

I am finally recovered from the last week. I think!
We had our home study interview a week ago Wednesday. Our social worker is so sweet and we had a great talk. Everything took about 3 hours and she was on her way by 8:30pm. We only have a few documents we are waiting for from DE and NJ and our home study and dossier list should be complete! Now to wait for the completed home study write up so we can get our I800a out to Immigrations for approval. 
We are moving along relatively well in the process compared to some but it feels like it is taking forever! Please pray that our social worker can have the home study completed and approved (by our adoption agency) before she has her own baby! I am amazed at how hard she is working to help us and she herself is due to have her own baby in just a couple weeks! (She is due near my birthday, so that would be a fun coincidence. :)

The next day after our home study interview I was up at 2am and off to Georgia for the PCA Women's Leadership Conference in Atlanta. What a blessed weekend! There were over 250 women in attendance and such a great line up of speakers. I learned so much more and connected with some really great people! What a blessing to be reminded that we need to simplify our lives and focus on eternal thinking. Asking "How is what I am doing today furthering God's kingdom in the lives of the people I am in contact with?" Also, in reading 1 Timothy 4 - keeping watch on your life with Christ, how you invest your time, where you set your hope, what you talk about, who you love and how you show it, and how you develop your spiritual gifts. Then Ellen talked about our Treasures. 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13. We are called to share our treasures. God has entrusted to us His treasure to be held in fragile clay pots. He has given us his Holy Spirit. We are to treasure our Treasures. Treasure the weaknesses, struggles and limitations. "Through our shattering we can see the glory of God in us." We are weak, but He is strong.

There are so many times I think that I am not strong enough, or good enough to be an adoptive mom. And I am not! But God shows me that He is strong enough and good enough to equip me with what our daughter needs. We have love and willingness to let go of our comfort zone to be a family of 5. This journey is a long one, and there are good days and bad days. God is sovereign over all and he is equipping us each and every day to live for Him. 

After getting home Saturday night I was not feeling well, but thankfully I was able to rest and feel better by Monday. Jared was sick with a fever for most of this week! We are praying the rest of us can stay healthy through the rest of this winter. God is good. 

I pray that each and every one of you who reads this blog knows Jesus as your Lord and Savior and know that through each weakness, trial and pain, it points our eyes to the one who will redeem every tear and make us whole for Eternity! I look forward to that day, but I know that my time here on earth is not done yet. I still have a job to do and pray that each day I can do it well.  If you don't know Jesus but want to know more about him ask me! Also, pick up a Bible and start reading. God's word is living.

1 John 3:16-18

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

We want to thank everyone who has so graciously and generously helped fund this process! It truly is a blessing and we appreciate every bit of help. It is crazy how this process is so expensive, but priceless at the same time. God has truly been showing us daily how He is providing in every way. We are just so thankful!

Paper work, and more paper work...

I honestly have been feeling overwhelmed with all the paperwork that is required for this journey. I pretty much have been keeping track of all the orders, requests, appointments and figuring out the details to get everything notarized. In some ways I feel like I am back in college!! Parent training, book reports, physicals, blood work, money flying out of our account for all sorts of fees and postage. It is truly a test. A test to see if adopting this beautiful girl from China is worth all the stress, time and money. And EVERY time I even think that question: "Is all this worth it?" IT IS A RESOUNDING YES! Yes, it is worth it. I just wish it didn't take so long. Hours of studying and research and filling out questionnaires takes so long and crams my brain with so much information. I know there is still so much to learn and so much time to wait.....

Psalm 139:23-24
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
    and lead me in the way everlasting.

We pray every day for Joy that she would be protected by her foster parents and cared for until we can meet her and bring her home. We pray that her heart would already be captured by God's love and that she does not fear. 

It is so hard. Every day we take to get through this process I am afraid that is one more day she feels she will never have a forever family. She still does not know that we are working our tails off to get this paperwork done as fast as we can so that we can go to her. We are not exactly sure when the agency will tell her she has a family wanting to adopt her. I hope to be able to send her as much information about us as soon as we are allowed. The agency will most likely wait until we have our USCIS approval or even until our Dossier is sent to China and the official request to adopt Joy is approved. That is so far off! But it is all God's timing.

Pray for her, that in her heart, she knows deep down that her family is racing to her. That she will not age out (they age out of adoption eligibility at 14)  and be adrift without a family to protect and love her. That she will not feel alone. Pray that her disappointment, at being left in foster care for so long and seeing so many other kids get adopted because they are little, will be lifted from her and not scar her too deeply.

Pray for us as we continue through this process. We meet with our home study agent this Wednesday and it will take about 3 hours to get through all the information and questions. Pray that our agent can write up our home study quickly and accurately so it can be approved and sent with our I800A application to the USCIS for approval to adopt internationally! It seems like so many steps and doors to walk through, but we are trusting God. We will keep walking forward as long as the door keeps opening. 

Thank you to everyone who have been donating and praying so fervently! It is greatly appreciated! Each dollar is a huge help! We almost have enough for the $2000 fee for our home study this Wednesday. God is so good. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts! You are greatly appreciated!!

So Blessed!!

Over the past week and a half I have held three Origami Owl Custom Jewelry Parties. All of my commission from these parties has gone towards our adoption fund raising efforts to help bring Joy home. I want to thank Dana M. and Cindy O. for hosting great parties for me and to each and every guest at these parties and online who ordered beautiful jewelry!!! Want to know how much you raised!?!?!?! 












$450 dollars!!

That is $450 dollars in commission that was raised to help bring Joy home!! I am just astounded! Thank you all sooooo much for being part of this journey! I can't wait to see all your beautiful designs that you ordered and hear how you are telling your story with beautiful jewelry!

I am so blessed to be able to work from home and to have the opportunity to be involved in such a great business with Origami Owl Custom Jewelry! All commission I make over the next year will all go towards our adoption costs. Check out my site www.jharrison.origamiowl.com. Share with your family and friends. If you would like to host a party there are really great hostess rewards! (average $99+ in free jewelry!).

We are very close to finishing up our home study document collection. We have 12 hours of training to complete (DVD course) and 3 books to read and report on and then our Home study interview!! We are moving along and I am praying that we can submit our I800A form by the end of February or early March. God has been showing us so many blessings in this early part of our journey. We have connected with so many new families and are not alone in this process! I am so thankful for you all who are praying for us and with us. We still have a lot of work to do and long days of waiting. 

This week has been difficult health-wise for us. I woke up with a migraine on Wednesday that was so bad I was unable to do anything but drag myself to my chiropractor and a massage appointment to help relieve the muscle tension. Thankfully I felt better by the evening, but it pushed my busy schedule into today! Joel woke with a pulled muscle in his back this morning and ended the evening by spraining his ankle. Please pray he heals up quickly. Despite the setbacks, we are thankful for what we have and cannot complain one bit!

This has been my passage this week. Through this whole process I have ups and downs but always came out to the same conclusion... Doing things in my own strength fail. But trusting in God's timing and commands keeps my path straight. 

Psalm 119:1-7

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
    who walk according to the law of the Lord.
² Blessed are those who keep his statutes
    and seek him with all their heart—
³ they do no wrong
    but follow his ways.
⁴ You have laid down precepts
    that are to be fully obeyed.
⁵ Oh, that my ways were steadfast
    in obeying your decrees!
⁶ Then I would not be put to shame
    when I consider all your commands.
⁷ I will praise you with an upright heart
    as I learn your righteous laws.

God has been good. We are thankful for your support and prayers during our journey! Each and every one of you are so appreciated!!

Do not fear...

It is hard to believe a week has gone by already! Time is going by so fast! We have compiled all the documents for the home study and are waiting on our birth certificates and abuse clearances from the state. It feels like it is taking forever to get these documents and it feels like we need them right now! Once we finish the home study and receive our summary we will submit our I-800A and then wait the 60 days for the approval. 
I am continually reminding myself that it is all in God's timing. God will work everything out in his timing. It is so hard when we already have information on our daughter. I just want to talk to her, to send her whatever she needs, to give her hugs! At this point she may not even know that her family is rushing to her. She may still have fears of never finding a family to be part of. She is getting older and in just 3 years she will be too "old" and not qualify for adoption. 
Every day I pray for her heart to not be troubled. I pray that God would surround her with His angels and keep her safe and happy. I pray that she will not despair. I long to tell her it will be ok! 

One of my weaknesses is that I give in to fear. I fear the worst. I fear that we will not get approval of our I-800A which basically approves us to adopt from a foreign country. Fear that all the required documents will not get through the many validation checks. Fear of not having the needed funds to pay the fees or the $6000 donation! Fear of this and fear of that! I look back to just 4 weeks ago when we really didn't know how we would raise $4,000 in just 2 weeks. God provided. How are we going to afford another 2,000 by next week for our home study??? God will provide. We have committed to walk this path as God opens doors. This fear is so exhausting and does nothing good. Did you get that? Let me say it again, if not for you, then for myself. This fear is so exhausting and does nothing good. So, saying that, I have taken to letting go of that fear and seeking God's promises that he is with me. Yes, letting go, really really letting go one day at a time. Sometimes one hour at a time.

"Do not fear" is quoted in the Bible 365 times! That is once for every day of the year! I think I need to read one verse for each day to really take it in. 

Here are just a few that renew my strength:

Exodus 20:20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”

Isaiah 35:4 “say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:13-14 “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,’ declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”

Isaiah 43:1 “But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

 Ah, ok! I do not have to fear. Take one day at a time and continue to walk as God has called me to walk. Take a break from refreshing my email every 2 minutes waiting for some news on the process of my paperwork! God has already planned this day out from the beginning of time. I am so thankful for that reminder. 

So, if you are just starting out in your adoption story like us, or are already close to getting your Dossier to the foreign/domestic Agency, or about to meet your child for the first time, or have your child home already; keep God's word in your heart and "Do Not Fear". Easier said than done, but amazingly calming when you let go and let God.

Blessed by so many!

I cannot say enough how thankful we are for the outpouring of support! Family and friends have all been letting us know they are praying for us and for Joy!!! THANK YOU! Prayers are always needed! 
We are awaiting the dossier paperwork and list of required documents. We will also be receiving the home study agency requirements. Thankfully some items are on both lists and we have very friendly and helpful agents to help us stay organized! What a blessing to have so much help! 
I keep telling myself not to look too far ahead. I can't look at the mountain top and see how far away and how high it is without getting intimidated by the amount of work to accomplish! So I focus on my lists and take one day at a time! I celebrate with my friends who are further along in the process themselves, and encourage those who are still only thinking about getting started. It really is a neat picture of how God calls us to "run the race" in our Christian lives. Each day can be a challenge, but if we just sit around and pout about how hard it is, we miss out on the blessing of looking behind to encourage another. We miss seeing the one just ahead looking back and encouraging us to keep going! 
The process of adoption... we were adopted. God adopted us into His kingdom and our sanctification or "being like him" is a process that will not be completed until He calls us home. 
So, if you are like me and you are stuck somewhere in the middle, or just starting out and daunted by how much has to get done, remember that it is all worth it! A child who was abandoned, a child needing a forever family, a child needing our Savior to wipe away the hurts and the fears is at the end of this seemingly endless wait. Stay strong, keep going, encourage those behind you, get to know people who are ahead of you!!!

Ephesians 1:3-14

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to son ship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

We truly are thankful for each one of you!! 

Finding balance

It is easy to get caught up in the mountain of paper work! Thankfully I am pretty good at staying organized and keeping track of things. To-do lists and lists of all my to-do lists are just a regular part of my life. Excel is a wonderful tool and I am using it extensively! Keeping track of what items are needed, which documents are ordered, which ones we have, how long certain ones will take to collect and how much each little things costs is enough to make anyone crazy! Our home study list is just as long! 
While we are still just in the beginning phase of our journey, we are thankful for the extensive network of resources we have at our disposal. I am spending approximately 4-5 hours a day just on research and documentation collection. Reading up on requirements, the best way to obtain certain documents, and studying Chinese culture and food! It is almost a full time job!
While adding all this new "work" to my schedule I am just so thankful for what the last couple years have taught me. 

A little history:
Just over a year ago I had a packed full schedule. I am a mom of two teens, a wife, stay at home mom and teacher of my teens (homeschool), a college student myself at the local community college studying Culinary Arts and Food Service Management, Bible Study Coordinator and member of our Woman2Woman ministry at our church, playing in a weekly volleyball league and baking specialty cakes on the side plus everything else required of a mom and wife inside the home! I can tell you.... I was burnt out! 
I decided to knock everything extra off my plate that did not involve my husband and kids and learned to say "No". I thought I had to say yes to everything that was asked of me. I didn't want to disappoint those who knew I had skills to perform certain tasks. I love to serve, I love to minister, I love doing things for others. I was taking care of everyone else, but not taking care of myself. 
It is ok to say "No". I needed to hear that. I needed to believe that I did not have to be involved in everything. God will take care to have others step up when I can't add that one more responsibility. God will provide for someone else who has been waiting to be asked to help, an opportunity to do so. It is my responsibility to do what God calls me to do but not to the point of burn out! 

Now a year later I am realizing how God was changing my spirit to be more aligned with Him. I was so busy and concerned about getting approval from those around me that my own quiet time was almost non-existent. What I needed most was God's approval and love. Now that I have only a few commitments outside the home I am able to have more time to spend with my teens. I make time to spend with God. I have a better relationship with my husband and don't feel as rushed to get things done. I am not stressed about getting everything just right.

Now, I do have a lot of things to accomplish each day and more now going through this adoption process, but I have been able to find some of that balance. Balance between what the world is asking of me, and balance of what God wants me to do for His kingdom. I have my crazy busy days, but thankfully most of my days are just right! God is working on my heart and each day I am learning to lean on Him. I know that when this process is complete and we have our new daughter home with us, there will be challenges and change. I am praying that I imprint God's words on my heart so that I have them to lean on through the tough days ahead.

Psalm 92:1-5 

1 It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!

Three weeks in...

It has been 3 weeks since we made the call to get information on our daughter!! Three weeks, $4,100 dollars and a mountain of paperwork and we have just barely scratched the surface in this process! I am amazed at the calm I feel even though we are in the process of making huge changes to our family. 

Prayers... I just have to say God Answers Prayers. I already have a page full of prayers that have been answered. I have been journaling again and have a whole section on "God sightings". As we continue through this process we ask that you continue to pray. Praying for Joy and her foster parents and the Orphans in her school. Pray that God would continue to open the doors financially and emotionally as we walk in faith. We are bending, stretching and are way out of our comfort zone, but we are trusting in His promises. 

Philippians 4:4-9, 19-20

4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

Family and friends and their support, prayers and love have just been amazing! Meeting other families who have adopted and are in the process themselves is such an important community of friends! I pray one day I can also be on the "other side" of this whole process and can help other families in their journey. But for now, I am praying for so many more families who have adopted and are struggling or exhausted in their walk. I know it is work. And we just have to know that it is all worth it!  

Pray. God will hear, even if you say "I don't know what to pray." or "I have nothing left to give." Jesus will interpret what needs to be said or done and take it from there. :)