Blessings and Raindrops

seeking joy in the midst of the ordinary

He invites us in.

You guys. You have blown me away. Truly, I am speechless tonight. {But, you know me. I’ll try to find a few words..} 🙂

Let me tell you – when I originally had my little noonday show several months ago, I ended up with a $200 credit for product. My sweet friend, Corrie {who is a Noonday Ambassador} and I put our heads together and came up with this idea for a raffle to enter to win pieces from the fall collection.


Corrie {pictured left} on a recent Ambassador trip with
Noonday Collection to meet artisans in Guatemala.

We originally thought this would be a great fundraiser to help cover a small portion of our travel expenses when the time comes to bring “S” home.

Fast forward to the DGM suspension. Travel suddenly felt far away. {And, I felt crushed}.

And, then, I heard that these children whom I’d fallen head over heels for are hungry again. I received updates from trusted friends visiting the orphanage where our daughter spent eleven months of her little life. And, the updates were dire. I, along with other mommas whose hearts were aching, decided we needed to do something.

God reminded me that I had this Noonday credit stored away to use “later.”

Later was suddenly now.

And, this little idea turned into an amazing opportunity for friends and family members and people that I have never met or crossed paths with before this week to link arms, step forward and declare to the world that we will NOT turn our eyes away. We will do something.

I prayed about this fundraiser. I prayed that God would use it to bring full tummies to the 54 children at that orphanage. I didn’t know how much we could raise. I just wanted to do something, even if it felt like a drop of rain in the vast sea of need.

And, that my friends, is what I’m learning here…

Our something may feel small.

Our something may feel insignificant.

But, God.  God is big.

He will use what we offer up to Him.

He took this small step and turned it into a huge outpouring of provision. He opened doors to work with other passionate mommas and create a chance to feed not one but THREE orphanages. And, not just one meal like I had originally hoped for, but, at least a month worth of food for these 151 children. And, the donations continue to pour in.

Something that felt so simple – feeding children in need – transformed my heart to see His glory. This opportunity to lift my eyes and remember —

I am not walking this path alone. He will transform ashes into beauty. He is ONLY good.

I read these words tonight, “God does not call us into the deep water to let us drown.”

I’ll be honest. These past few years have been hard. This past year has been ache-with-every-fiber-of-my-being HARD.

God has called my family into deep water. He has broken {shattered} our hearts for what breaks His. He has called us to love the fatherless and to go against what this world tells us defines success and happiness.

And, He has reminded us over and over that He is faithful. That He is near.

These deep waters that we’re in? We’re not alone. He will not let us drown. He is holding us and drawing us closer to His heart.

These past few days, as donations for food for these precious little ones have poured in, I have been reminded in whispers from His Spirit… He doesn’t need me to do His work. Yet, He invites me in.

What an awesome, breath-taking privilege that is.

Thank you for giving. Thank you for sharing. Thank you for loving.

Continue to give…raffle ends Thursday, October 31st at midnight. Winner will be announced on Friday. Details and enter HERE.

feed their tummies + noonday giveaway.

Y’all know how near and dear these children are to my heart.

I’ve held them. I’ve looked into their eyes. Their faces are seared into my memory.

I’ve prayed fervently for them.

I’m heartbroken to know that they hungry today. With the exit letter suspension, fewer families are traveling and fewer donations are getting to the orphanage. I’ve been told that there are only a few days of food left at this orphanage.

My heart can’t take it. These precious ones need so many things…but, right now, they desperately need a meal to fill their empty, rumbling tummies.

And, I know that we CAN do something. We can make a difference. We can send tangible LOVE. Food equals love to these precious children.

A group of mommas have decided to step out and help these little ones. We are brainstorming and working on ways for long-term sustainable care solutions {read more HERE}. In the meantime, we are committed to sending food now.

My dear, dear friend {and servant of Christ in the truest sense}, Dr. Laure, has offered to purchase food and cook meals. I know exactly where the money will go. Directly to these little ones.

This is where you come in. I have some amazingly, gorgeous Noonday Collection items to raffle off this week. Think: Christmas gifts {for someone else or just for yourself:)}!

Never heard of Noonday? I love Jen Hatmaker’s description…
“I’m currently loving, and I’m currently still loving Noonday. Founded by my friend Jessica Honegger, Noonday employs vulnerable women in nine countries, and they make just GORGEOUS jewelry and accessories. I’m not talking about some janky burlap slapped together with twine. This is truly beautiful, artisanal work combining local craftsmanship with designer savvy and making us look awesome. ALL THE WHILE providing sustainable employment for vulnerable women, allowing them to parent and succeed and thrive.” – Jen Hatmaker

Here’s how this will work:

For every $10 donation, you will be entered to win the entire collection pictured below!! {$10 = one entry, $20 = two entries, etc}.

Simply, donate through the Paypal button at the bottom of the page to enter to win! This raffle will end, Thursday, October 31st at midnight.

For $10, you have a chance to win nearly $200 worth of gorgeous brand new Noonday collection fall pieces!!

1. Tasseled Ladder necklace – made in Ethiopia {this is such a unique necklace!}

2. Tasseled Bullet Bracelets {set of 3} – made in Ethiopia {these are so fun and will go with everything!}

3. Courtney Cuff – made in India {I’m currently addicted to cuffs. I need this}.
4. Charlotte’s Bag – made in Rwanda {oh my word! I love this bag!!!}
And, as of this morning, I’ve learned that we are going to make this a challenge for $1,000 with a matching grant of $1,000 to feed 3 orphanages!!  AMAZING!!!
 
{Details, including specifics on what food costs and what we will be purchasing, as well as other awesome projects we are working on for these children can be found HERE}.
 
Enter & Donate HERE:

 

I know. There is so much need everywhere.

I know how overwhelming it all can feel if you look at the big picture of the needs in this world. Instead of feeling like you can’t do anything to help, know full well that you can. With this $10 – you will feed 133 precious, precious innocent children this next month AND you will support Noonday artisans around the world. That is simply incredible in my book, friends.

Thank you all so much for living so generously!!!! {And, please help spread the word! We want to blow these kids away with love!!}
*if you would, leave a comment here after donating. Some folks have had issues leaving “notes” in PayPal and I want to be sure everyone is entered to win!!! 

anxiety is rooted in control.

I had planned to start a new series about our farmhouse renovation. I haven’t really written about it on this blog because Dave asked me not to share pictures until it was finished {he knows I’m an over-sharer…he is so strange to me, the fun is in the progress :)}. Anyway, I decided that I needed something fun to focus on right now and that was going to be it. Remember last year when I casually mentioned we were MOVING a 100+year old house to some land outside of town? I mean, that is FUN. We moved a house! That is not something you see everyday. We are getting close to completing the renovation. And, the story of this house is just so amazing. A God story, for sure.

Sneak Peek at the CRAZY! Yep, you’re seeing this.
That is a roof. In the air.

But, all of that fun will wait for now. Sorry, you’ll have to check back:).

For now, I have to share a couple of things that have happened in our adoption journey…

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 3:30 am and I was wide awake. The only thing that I could think about was that I needed to check my email. And, there, displayed by the bright neon light on my phone in the dark of the room {that woke Dave up – he was so confused and not happy about being woken up to my phone’s light and my shrieks of joy}, were FOUR emails from the Embassy in Kinshasa. I had sent a “few” emails over the past month inquiring about our case and never received a response…until yesterday.

This was such an answered prayer and a reminder that God hasn’t forgotten about us in the midst of all the other stuff happening. He has His hands FULL so I could see how we could slip off the radar. SO thankful God doesn’t work like that. Thankful that His ways are much, much higher than mine.

Soooo, we finally, finally have an interview at the Embassy for S’s birth momma!! The interview is scheduled for next week! I’ve shared on our private facebook page, but here are my prayers for this time {if you would like to join me in praying, I would be immensely grateful}:

 Lord Jesus, please let this woman, your daughter, and the woman who carried our precious S in her womb, feel your peace as she takes this final step of relinquishing her precious baby girl. Comfort her heart and give her strength. Lord Jesus, please let her arrive safely to the interview. And, Jesus, please let the interview go well. Please let the Embassy staff hear her story and stand in agreement that S is an orphan no more- she is a beloved and treasured daughter of our King and can come home to be a part of our family!!!
 
After walking on cloud 9 all morning {even through my exhaustion – no, I could not fall back asleep}, I leaned that the state department had posted a new alert with updated information from the immigration authority in the DRC. You can read the alert HERE.
 
Honestly, this doesn’t change things for us. We are still waiting out the exit permit suspension and praying HARD that it does not last the full 12 months. Please, Jesus.
 
But, this affects three of my close friends on this journey. Three strong women who have walked this road with me and have encouraged me, prayed for me and stood beside me. These three women {and many others} are now being told that they cannot bring home the children they have come to love {and two of them have met their babies already} simply because they are single {and one precious momma is a young widow}. To say that this news is devastating is an understatement.
 
I am so encouraged to already see good coming out of this… we have a group of mommas that have been relentlessly praying, sharing scripture and encouraging one another. And, yesterday, we collectively cried together…across the nation. It has been incredible to watch God bind these sweet sisters’ hearts together for the cause of justice for the orphaned and oppressed.
 
In yesterday morning’s Bible study, Beth Moore’s words rung in my ears. This statement just sent goosebumps up and down my spine. Such truth.
 
“Anxiety steals our joy. All anxiety is rooted in control. Anxiety turns into all out fear when we know we have no control.” – Beth Moore
 
Amen, Beth. Amen.
 
My anxious heart did a double take in that moment. I know that I have absolutely no control here. But, I also know that the One who is in control has more authority than any government decision. Therefore, I am trusting that God cares what happens to S and all of my friend’s children, and I am casting my anxieties onto Him. {1 Peter 5:7}
 
I can’t change my circumstances but I can change my outlook. I can keep my eyes on Jesus and stand firm in His truth.
 
This morning, I shared what God spoke to my heart with my fellow mommas. I’ll copy some of here because I want to remember all of this. I want to look back on these days and see God’s hand in all of it.
 
 
“Good morning, sweet sisters. Warning: this is long. 

 I had to share a little of what God spoke to my heart this morning…
“Jenny, read Isaiah again. Remember my promises.”

You see, when we were struggling over the decision to change country programs and I spent an afternoon praying over the decision, God led me to one of my favorite books of the Bible, Isaiah. I read and cried and prayed and cried for hours. It was an incredible afternoon – I felt like Jesus was sitting there with me reading the words and explaining them to my heart and how they do not only apply to events thousands of years ago, but to my life today. And, how he wants to move in my life and in the life of His children in the DRC. I have highlights and underlines and asterisks and exclamation marks all over that book. He spoke so much truth to my heart that day. He gave me a clear direction for what He wanted Dave and I to do. And, now, as I read back through the same words, I am reminded, that the same God who brought them to life for me one year ago, wants me to read them now with fresh eyes.

He is going to perform a miracle, girls!
“Everyone will see this miracle and understand that it is the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, who did it.” {Isaiah 41:20}.

“He will reveal justice to the nations” {Isaiah 42:1}…When the poor and needy search for water and there is none, and their tongues are parched from thirst, then I, the LORD, will answer them, I, God of Israel, will never forsake them.” {Isaiah 41:17}.

“I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate your righteousness. I will guard and support you…And you will be a light to guide all nations to me. You will open the eyes of the blind and free the captives from prison. You will release those who sit in dark dungeons {or dark orphanages!!}”
{Isaiah 42:6-7}

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. {We are HIS. Our children are HIS}. When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… you are precious to me. You are honored and I love you.” {Isaiah 43:1-3}

Last one…this is good… “For I am about to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? {honestly, no, Lord, I don’t see it yet but I trust you}… I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home {and OUR babies!!}. I will create rivers for them in the desert!” {Isaiah 43:19}.

One of the commentaries in my Bible says this about the verse above, “The past miracles were nothing compared to what God would do for his people in the future.” I know that my family’s adoption journey has been full of incredible, incredible miracles. God’s fingerprints have been all over this path. He has confirmed our steps and revealed His heart to us in fresh ways. So, to think that the miracles to come are going to be far greater than anything He has already done, is awesome.

I cannot wait to see what He has already begun here. I’m praying that He bind our aching-momma hearts together in prayer and open our eyes anew to see His work. So that we can all give Him the glory when the miracles come to pass. So that, we will know without a doubt, that it was God’s hand who delivered our precious children.”

I cannot wait to watch the miracles unfold… 


carbonite

At this moment, I am obsessed with Carbonite.

My computer was accidentally knocked off the counter last week when a certain little man was running through the house {being chased by another little guy} and accidentally tripped over the power cord. All of my photos and documents live on that computer. I am still completely behind on printing photo books – from the past year, from our Congo trip, from our beach trip, I could go on and on…I’m just behind on all of it.

I have also been slowly getting back into photography and had a few sessions on that computer waiting to be edited for clients.

Needless to say, I almost panicked. But, then, I remembered my trusty Carbonite subscription and checked online to find ALL of my files and photos there safe and sound! I almost cried from relief.

Carbonite is this really cool back-up system for your files. I don’t know how it works but it backs up automatically which is awesome because I would never remember to do it on my own. And, you can access your files online or on your phone. So, I have been able to work off of Dave’s computer while mine is being fixed.

I am not getting paid or being asked by Carbonite to plug their services. I am just SO glad I had this installed on my computer and had to share!! If you use THIS sign-up link, you will also receive a free $20 gift card.

Anyway, just had to share because I have talked to so many friends over the past week about this computer fiasco and hardly anyone had heard of Carbonite. I’m installing it on Dave’s computer now and thought it may help someone else out too. 🙂