Big Week!

Last week was a HUGE week for my little family. We had lots of exciting things happen. Most of which I can't share yet! Here's how it all went down. I decided to do my first ever fast. I know lots of important people in the bible (Jesus-helllo?!) practiced fasting, but it always seemed too hard for me to accomplish. I mean its  incredibly ridiculous how much I love to eat.  Anyway, I had made the decision for no specific reason. Well let me tell you God works through fasting! It was seriously amazing the weird "coincidences" that occurred last week. One of the random things that happened was Ryan had also secretly decided to do a form of fasting. I  decided to tell him I was fasting because I started praying about whether or not we should sell our house. I have been struggling with our house situation for as long as I can remember living here. I'm not going to go into details, but I had basically detached myself from this house. Well as it turns out yesterday Ryan and I started talking randomly about the house. We both decided that it was best if we stay put. We have room to grow and room to host. I can't begin to tell you how great it felt to have a final decision. I didn't even realize until way later in the day that -duh!- God had answered my prayer! I was in shock because I couldn't believe I didn't realize when we were having the conversation about the house that it was the answer to my prayers!! That is just one of the many, many cool things that happened this week. I would like to leave you with this... If you have a big decision and can't seem to find peace about it, give fasting a try. I didn't get every single answer I was looking for, but I got a lot things I did not expect.The way I felt during the week was weird, it was like I was full in the Lord. I mean I was really hungry, but not empty. I don't know how to explain it. It was a neat time and I don't think I have ever felt closer to God.

The bible is pretty clear we are to fast. In Matthew it says when you fast, not if you decide to fast.

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. -Matthew 6:16-18

1.19

As I briefly mentioned in the last post my birthday was on the 19th. I love my birthday. Mainly because I love the attention if I am just being honest. I thought I would share some pictures from my birthday week (or two)...

Deliciousness from Kristen

My actual birthday.

We had dinner with my parents at TX roadhouse. Weird not having my brothers here!

Birthday weekend at Hot Hearts.

Came home to find our Home Study Report in the mail!!

Celebrating Ryan's mom's and my birthday with Ryan's side at Olive Garden.

Yummmm!!!

My 25th birthday celebrations have finally come to a close
with a lunch date at Casa Ole with my parents and aunt.

All in all- low key, but a great birthday.

Signs of progress...

This weekend was my birthday weekend and it ended with a bang! We got our Home Study Report in on Saturday!!! I was soooooooooo excited! We had been waiting a day shy of 9 weeks. Soo what next??

We were waiting for the report so we could turn in our I600A application. I mailed that off today (guaranteed to be delivered by 10:30 tomorrow!)! Yippeee! Now we wait for the US Deptartment of Security to send us our "Biometrics" appointment. Otherwise known as our fingerprinting appointment. After we have that appointment they will send us another form called an I-171H. Once we get this document we are ready to turn in our dossier!!To say I am excited would be an understatement. I am really excited to almost be waiting. As funny as that sounds!

Top Five Moments...

This moment at Passion was probably one of the top five moments of my life. I could just feel God's heart smiling. All His children singing His praises in their heart language. How great is OUR God...Pretty great :)

Fashion ABLE

I gave some of these to some of my favorite ladies this Christmas...

http://livefashionable.com/

Modern day slavery has been taking over my life lately. Reading Redeeming Love, attending Passion with the focus on Jesus and slavery, Fashion ABLE, Seeing it all over blogs,twitter, and facebook...
I think my heart is being prepared for something.

Prayer

A few months ago my friends and I went to Secret Church with David Platt. It was just a really fun weekend jam packed with some awesome bible time! I mean 6 hour bible study with very few breaks and I left wanting more! I might be insane...or in crazy/love with scripture...Anyway our awesome weekend ended with a trip to an authentic Ethiopian restaurant with some friends and a couple that are adopting from Ethiopia. It was awesome. I loved being at the restaurant (maybe not the food-I'm not super adventurous) and being with the Braddy couple able to talk adoption with someone that knows the language. The Braddy's are amazing people. They have been on this journey for around 2 years I believe. I was THRILLED when I saw their "WE GOT THE CALL" post pop up in my blog feed. I have been stalking them since with just a joyous heart. Today I saw her post "Our Gracious God". I was thinking aw I wonder what awesome thing must have happened!! As I started reading I suddenly realized they had lost their referral. Lost it. And her post was so full of grace and just love for the whole situation. It was amazing. The Braddy's are a true example of Christians. Please take a minute to run over to her blog and check it out. If you don't have time to do that, please take as long as you did (if not more) reading this post and pray for their family. They have been waiting a long time and they will be phenomenal parents.

What's new...

It has been awhile since I have given a paperchase update. We are getting oh so close to having our home study report! It has been approved by us, and the last update I heard was it is getting sent to our social worker. I am not really sure how much more has to be done, but I know we are close! Once we get that I will quickly turn in our 1-600A application. I have been getting lots of back and forth emails about our home study getting passed along, just waiting for that email saying its time to apply!! I doubt I will make my timeline goal of my birthday (next Thursday) to submit our dossier, but I am strangely okay with that. My goal was looking more and more unrealistic as it took so long to get my homestudy papers ready. So my new *wishful thinking* goal is to have a February DTE, but I am realistically (blah) thinking March.

Eleven Ways 2011 Didn't Suck!

*Served in Nicaragua with eMi

*Disaster Relief in AL after the Tornado

*Served in Venzeula and met a wonderful friends

 *Discovered Pinterest

*Attended Secret Church by David Platt

*Started the adoption process

*Ryan started seminary

*Made great friends at work

*The Cellar became like family

*Read the ENTIRE Bible cover to cover

*Found my workout groove!


This blog was inspired by Rage Against the MiniVan..
"Yesterday I wrote a little yearly recap on 2011, and I almost didn’t publish it because I was so frustrated with myself at seeing my resolutions from the beginning of the year.  Then I began mulling over the post I would write where I would scold, prod, and shame myself into change . . . really put those shortcomings out there so I would HAVE to get my act together.  Publicly sharing goals is vulnerable for me.  Publicly failing at those goals?  Even worse.  But as I sat down to write my manifesto entitled STOP SUCKING IN 2012, I took a quick look at my reader and saw this post by my friend Karen, inspired by this post by Erin, about non-goals.  Both of them reminded me of the importance of acknowledging our areas of growth, both in word and in action.  I decided that I would put my self-flagellation on the back burner and take a moment to recognize the areas where I didn’t suck in 2011. Amazing concept, right?  Something tells me this might be a better way to start my year – with some affirmations for where I’ve succeeded, instead of a list of goals that are setting me up to fail.  " -RATM

Created for Care!

We just got home from an amazing time at Passion! I will blog about that soon!

I just registered for Created for Care adoption retreat. I actually blogged about this retreat before, but only  because I thought the slideshow was really cute! For some reason I thought the retreat was going to be during the week so I never really considered going. However, at Passion this week I was in a family group with a couple adopting from Ethioia and she asked if I was going.

Long story short I am going!! Me and my friend Beth, who is adopting domestically are taking the trip together!! I am really excited to spend a whole weekend with other women who have hearts for orphans!!