Christ Our Pattern

What a journey! How AMAZING our God. I am still brought to tears each time He steps in and showers us in little miracles. Put all together, they have become BIG miracles! The most amazing part of this experience has been seeing how each one of us can be used, if we just follow His calling. Yes, some people can help in larger ways, and we have been so blessed by family and friends that have the means and are willing to be part of this journey with us. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. We know that every donation is a sacrifice and a heartfelt gift. It isn't just blessing me, but mostly Kristina. It is events like church on Sunday, when people we don't know just walk up with folded dollar bills and slip them into your hand and say, "buy something for the kids at the orphanage." It is complete strangers from other churches that hear our story and are moved into action. It is an anonymous friend that leaves an envelope on my kitchen counter, wanting no attention for it, with $100 bill inside, saying "use it for the orphans, whatever they need." Here is God's special moment yesterday. Just as I was opening that envelope and reading the note inside, a friend calls me and said, "Linda, you won't believe this but K-Mart is having a huge sale!" She filled me in on the items she picked up for the orphans, and I was listening to her and trying to read the note in my hands at the same time. I was overjoyed, because here was this huge sale, (jeans for $1.19 a pair), and money to bless these kids appears in my hand at just the right time. I asked her if she would want to meet me and help me shop for the kids. We took the money donated at church and the money God handed us at that moment, and headed to town. We were able to purchase over 100 items for the orphanage! AMAZING! I was so blessed being able to share this experience with a friend, and she was overjoyed as well, to be part of it. So, with that being said, I came home to a phone call of a large donation towards our trip that left me speechless. I try not to mention too many names in my posts, but you know who you all are, and please know that you have blessed us in ways we can't always express in words. Bringing Kristina home has not only helped Kristina, but has grown us Spiritually as well. It has been so many people working together, showing us all, that when we depend on ourselves and our own abilities alone, we limit what God may have planned for us in our lives. I am going to share Scripture that has spoken to me lately below. I hope it means something to just one other person. It is titled "Christ Our Pattern" in my New King James version Bible.

2 Corinthians 8:8-15
I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack--that there may be equality. As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack."

In the side notes in this study Bible, it said, "He was not advocating an artificial equalization of property but rather the relief of need."

If you have been following our journey, and have seen the part you can play in helping the orphan find a family who will love them and care for them, you may be interested in checking out Orphans Ransom. It is a newly founded 501c3 organization and I have been blessed to be asked to be on the board of directors. No one on the board will benefit from the donations, so this is not a way to benefit our adoption. It is again following scriptures that show us if everyone does just a little, God can put it all together to work for His plan. This is a prayerfully led group that wants to remove the financial barriers that keep kids from being placed in families because of the expense of adoption. Check it out at http://www.orphansransom.org/ and they have a facebook page as well.

Keeping you all in our prayers as we are blessed to have you praying for us as well. Grace and peace to you and your families on this blessed day!