I try my best to give Jolee and Jalynne equal attention while not overdoing it and excluding one. It’s tough, but I wonder how parents feel with two children they birthed?

Romon replied that he wants us to celebrate her being adopted. We will not hide this part of her life. I began to think, what a great way to explain the love and goodness of God to her, and how he has a plan for us all.

Here are just a few questions that have crossed my mind as an adoptive parent:

Would Jolee be alive today?

Where would Jolee be today?

Would her home have been an orphanage?

Or would she have had parents, and a family?

Would her “family” be able to love her the way we do?

What was I thinking when I, in fear, thought about saying I couldn’t be her mother?

What is God’s great plan for Jolee’s future?

We pray for our girls and pray that we are able to demonstrate Christ in our lives so much that when the girls are older they will not depart from God’s words, from His ways. I thank God for His perfect plan. I thank God for a husband that would not even imagine saying no to a child, to a gift we all know as Jolee.

-Melinda

Fast forward 2 years, little B now walks,  feeds herself, and goes to the bathroom all by herself. Up until last week, it was the House of Dreams orphanage, it’s workers, volunteers, and supporters who took care of this precious girl. We say one final good bye to her and aaaaaaah, at last she is now where she belongs…with her parents. Adoption is a beautiful, selfless act. We are so thankful to families who are willing to become parents to a child they didn’t birth, love them unconditionally, expecting no reward or recognition in return. God is good!
 My Child (Meditations of a New Mom) by Jill Work

My child,
I carried you in my heart before you were even born and dared to dream that you were real. My child,
I carried your picture with me since the day I received it, and dared to love a child I was yet to meet.

My child,
I carried you in my arms at last, and gazed in helpless wonder at your face, and dared to lose my heart to you. And now, my child, a dream fulfilled, a prayer answered, a family created, I have dared to become a mom. And so now, my precious child, I shall carry you home.

We thank God for his perfect plan for B’s life. We thank HIM for having us right where he wants us and for giving us the opportunity to influence this child’s life in a small way. We are rejoicing!

This realization really hit home with me , causing me to realize how critical I can be of others in the name of excellence. Often times In the midst of my criticism, I forget all about extending grace to the individual I’m criticizing.
I find it embarrassing, actually, how I can work up the nerve to withhold something from someone else, that’s been infinitely extended to me, by of all people, God Himself. So if God himself can extend grace to me on a daily basis, who am I to withhold it from someone else? Am I without need of grace myself or am I greater than God? Are you? We are such great recipients of grace, but are so quick to not give it to others.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…”

-Ephesians 2:8

Romon.

The past year has given me lots of time to think about what I would like to do. The day we received Jolee was the day I knew that I wanted to do something to help unite abandoned children and families looking to adopt, instead of having the child enter into an orphanage for who knows how long, awaiting adoption. My desire is not only that, but to create a way to prevent as many  abandonment’s as possible. Obviously details are still in the works.

There is so much Romon and I both want to do. A recent article my friend Angie shared last week really had us thinking of other ways we can help . The article is entitled Bolivia Children on Sale for $3. Yes, the article is exactly about what the title suggests. I figured this happens almost everywhere, but never had evidence of it taking place here. I believe that we are capable, in some way, of making a difference in this area. I wish we had the ability (funding, tools, and knowledge) to do something right now, but within the next several years it should become more clear to me what we can do to help.

Please take a moment to pray for the nation of Bolivia, for the victims of child trafficking and child labor, and for clear direction for our future in ministry.

-Melinda

Planking: The art of planking is to lay horizontally across any object or the ground with their arms by their sides, aiming to occur in daring situations or a brotherly display of core-strength.

Here are some real life examples:

Tell me the truth, do you feel like planking now too? Some of the pictures had me cracking up. Some had me questioning, “what are they thinking”?

A recent article reads,“This morning we have seen a young man take this activity a step further and attempt to plank on a balcony.  Unfortunately he has tragically fallen to his death.” (Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett). “People are trying to out-do each other by planking on structures or in precarious positions putting themselves and others at risk. The potential for disaster increases as more and more risks are taken to get the ultimate photo.”

I can’t help but think that our generation is bored. One day, Romon and I were walking in the park and saw 3 guys, probably between the ages of 15-20, laying in the grass staring at the sky. I laughed and thought, “Wow, they have absolutely nothing else to do”. I have come to the conclusion that our generation is seeking something fun to occupy time. As a church, we fail at being the solution to this problem. I don’t have any specific answers, but it definitely gets me thinking about what can we do to contribute to the solution.

What do you think can be done to be a part of the solution? Any thoughts?

-Melinda