New Beginnings :: Getting Back on the Horse

Life has been busy with Clint back in school. Just 2 years left and he will be certified to teach K-4th grades. We are thankful for my job, it enables the opportunity for Clint to return to school.

We took a break from pursuing adoption, beginning last February. We tried some more fertility treatments over the summer. Then I needed a break to allow my spirit some time to heal and refresh.

It is a crazy, WONDERFUL and discouraging thing to be totally healthy, a medical mystery really.

Well, it is time to get back on the proverbial horse. We are seeing a "Fertility Specialist" at a Fertility Clinic next week, not just the OBGYN at my Doctors office.

We have also decided to renew our home-study and begin pursuing adoption again. We are considering adoption from Haiti, providing the Lord opens the doors. We are at the very beginning stages... And again... waiting

:: We would appreciate your prayers ::
:Pray that God would lead us according to His will
:Pray that we would listen
:Pray that we would find encouragement
:Pray that our thoughts would continue to be aligned

Whirlwind

I am not certian what to write, currently we are at a loss for words. K had her baby on Friday, we got to spend a few days with her and the baby girl, to hold her and feed her and yesterday afternoon K decided that she wanted to parent the child. We would appreciate your prayer right now. Please pray that God would give us his peace that passes all understanding. Please also pray for K and her family as they work through this difficult situation.

Psalm 62 is a great reminder for us right now....

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie; if weighed on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath. Do not trust in extortion or take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

The Hopeful Parents-To-Be

Well so much has happened in the last few months. Early in November Jessica's nurse/friend at the Pregnancy Resource center that she works for mentioned that she had given our information to a woman in her Bible Study who knew of a family (parents of a mother-to-be) looking into placing a child for adoption. Since this has happened several times through out our journey we were excited, but didn't get our hopes up too high.

November 17th the family contacted my and we arranged to meet on November 23rd. It was a short meeting. After we left we thought of many questions. We arranged another meeting with them on November 28th. We felt this meeting gave us an opportunity to express our feelings and get to know the family a bit better. We decided we wanted the mother-to-be to see a doctor before we made a decision for sure. We have been experiencing a whirlwind of emotions.

On December 19th we traveled to meet the mother-to-be and her grandmother. K. was a sweet girl with smiling eyes and a big smile. We got to be in the room for the ultrasound and hear the heartbeat. She even allowed Jessica to touch her belly and feel the baby. The baby was doing well. It is a little girl to be born February 14th. Clint and I along with our families are excited about the upcoming birth of this sweet baby girl. It is a strange place to be, knowing that your joy comes in the wake of another families grief. There are times our souls are elated with great joy, yet others where we feel deep sadness at sense of grief and loss this mother must be experiencing. We are praying that God gives us the words to say to this family to empathize and offer His grace and mercy. We are so grateful to K. and her family for choosing us.

Logistically things are progressing well. The mother-to-be has arranged all of the medical care information and has signed the initial paperwork. The lawyer has been contacted and is working out the details.

We went to Target the other night to complete a baby registry, it was a surreal moment, "is the really happening?" kept going through our heads. Thanks to a super excited grandmother-to-be We already have a tub of brand new baby clothes. We just know that this baby will be worth the wait. We are praying that all of the details fall into place.

We have completed our home study and can now adopt a child privately or through an agency. We have sent our application in to Adoption Link. You can check them out on the web at http://www.adoptionlink.org/. We are busy trying to complete our bio and scrapbook, we need to send them 20 color copies of each. We are learning what it truly means to wait on God.

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"Few of us enjoy having to wait for something we want. It is human nature to desire instant gratification, and it is devine nature to do many things very slowly. Growth is always imperceptible. [But the farmer exercises long patience in waiting for his crop (james 5:7). He has done his work and is assured of the result, hence he waits quietly. He is at rest because the outcome is certian.] If we could simply remember that this is true of EVERYTHING - that God's purposes are slowly being worked out for His glory and our good - we would, like the farmer, keep faith and wait quietly." Elisabeth Elliot
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We are a Christian family seeking to adopt a child soon. We are hoping to adopt a child of any race or gender, preferably 2 and under. You can help us!!! Do you know anyone facing unplanned pregnancy and considering adoption? If so, please contact us at 479-685-3768 or 515-451-1291 or via email at clintandjess@gmail.com.

We have been happily married for almost 6 years, and trying to start our family for almost 4 years. We have always wanted to adopt a child and we strongly desire to begin our family soon. We long to have a child to love. Over the last several months we began pursuing adoption. We have started our home study with a licensed social worker and are currently waiting to see where God will bring a child from.

We have a stable income and a stable home. Clint is the Large Group coordinator for the K-2 town (Kindergarten, First & Second Grade) ministry at Fellowship Bible Church, he was recently licensed as a minister as well. Jessica works part time for Loving Choices Pregnancy Center of NWA, as the site director of the Fayetteville clinic. She is also a part-time nanny for a 23 month old and his 4 month old brother.

We love kids and do a great deal of volunteering and babysitting for friends. We both feel that children are such a precious gift from God (That is why we can't wait to have one of our own). Clint has even spent several summers in the inner city working with different children's programs.

We both have stable families, Jessica's in Wisconsin, and Clint’s here in Arkansas, both of our parents have passed their 25th year anniversaries. Since Clint’s parents live in town they will be active participants on weekly basis in the lives of any child in our family. Jessica's family is also looking forward to being grandparents, she also has 4 younger sisters along with two nephews. Clint had one sister who had spina-bifida and passed away 3 years ago.

We live in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch style home, built in 2007. We have two cats, one, all white with beautiful green eyes, who is 5, her name is Q-tip. And a little kitty, grey with white paws and patches, who is about 8 months old, his name is Boots. As a family we are very active, we love to spend time with friends and family, go for walks, we love watching sports and playing them. Clint is an avid golfer and Jess loves to scrapbook and do beading. Clint plays the guitar and Jess plays the flute, we enjoy lots of different music together.