turn your "less" into "more"

"...'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'" Matthew 16:24

This past year has shown us how faithful God is when we put our worries aside and follow Him.  For me the "deny themselves" portion refers to my constant stress and worry.  If there is one thing about me that most people know is that I am a worrier.  I have been since I was a small child.  In elementary school, the teacher would assign 1-35 odd Math problems for homework.  I would end up doing all 35 problems, because my OCD of not knowing 110% that the teacher said odd and not even problems would get the best of me.  Or maybe I was that big of a nerd that I enjoyed doing extra homework problems.  At any rate, worry is my middle name.

So when Daniel and I started talking about adoption this exact time last year, I immediately saw dollar signs.  A LOT of dollar signs.  Adoption isn't cheap no matter if it is domestic or international.  Granted, domestic adoption is cheaper than international since there is little to no travel (typically) and only one country's government involved.  Domestic seemed like the logical and "financially safe" route to go according to this Worry Wart with a BSBA in Finance. 

Then God answered back.  Our hearts just weren't with domestic adoption.  He was calling us to travel...to the other side of the world.  Insert my many freak-outs and meltdowns here.  And I mean good ones too with tears.  They were hardcore and full of questions.  "Why, God?  Why do you want us to travel THAT far?  Can't we just stay here and find our child?  There are a lot of kids that live in Alabama that need a forever family.  Can't we just go that route?  It would be easier for us.  More convenient.  Less expensive.  Less stress."

But God isn't into giving us "less".  He is in the business of giving a "more" abundant life.  He doesn't like the word "less".  "Less" makes us doubt Him and His plan.  So I have learned to turn my wants for "less" into "more for Him".  I'm learning to deny myself, my struggles of worry, and trust Him.  God has called Daniel and me to adopt internationally.  He has given us a heart for Asia, more specifically China.  It's a good thing too, or else this entire adoption would be completely worthless.  God is the foundation of bringing Paisley home and it shows.

We are asked quite often how much it costs to adopt from China.  Roughly $35,000, which includes agency fees, government fees, medical fees, travel costs, and various other fees and expenses along the way.  As overwhelming as $35,000 sounds, it looks a lot more overwhelming broken down on paper, as you can see the reasons for my breakdowns. 

Never doubt His plan.  When He promises, He will deliver.  He continues to provide.  To date, we are blessed to say that we have raised $15,037 through fundraisers and donations.  Add in our $5,500 from grants from Show Hope and Forever Families Foundation to bring our total to $20,537.  Can you believe that?!  And to those who have supported us financially, THANK YOU for following your heart.  You have answered God's command of taking care of orphans.  As the parents of an orphan, who won't be for much longer, THANK YOU!  We are completely humbled and overwhelmed by your selfless gesture. 

However, the work is not over yet.  We still have roughly $15,000 left to raise.  We are also waiting to hear back about one more grant from Hand in Hand, which will help decrease our funds significantly.  Please pray for this grant!

In the meantime, we still need you!  You are our greatest voice.  Help spread the word about our adoption and our fundraisers (Emerald Grande 2-Night Stay, Apparent Project bracelets, Bedsheets) to family, friends, and co-workers.  It's amazing how many people we have met who were once strangers a short year ago.  Feel free to share our Facebook page, blog, and our story.  We would love nothing more than to let people know that you don't have to be a minister or missionary for God to use you.  We are your average couple who God chose to use in a mighty way.  We are strictly His vessels in order for Him to carry out His plan.  We owe Him all praise and glory for this is His story about love.

Thank you for believing in our purpose.  Thank you for the prayers.  Thank you for the kind words.  Thank you for the support.  Thank you for helping bring our daughter home.