September Fundraisers

We took July and August off from any serious fundraising other than our own savings efforts and now in September we have three fundraisers going on! It's crazy around here!

1. Our friend Crystal has organized a Mary Kay cosmetics fundraiser for us. This fundraiser is going on through Sunday, September 20th. She's generously donating 100% of all profits to our adoption fund! To order online, go to her website. Be sure and write Andy & Mary Ann (Mary Ann) in the notes section so she'll know to put it towards our fundraiser. Mary Kay has lots of awesome products that would make great Christmas gifts for teachers, family and friends so be sure to check it out! They even have a men's line!

2. Our friend Kira is doing a Jamberry nails adoption fundraiser. To order, visit her website and at checkout select Mary Ann's Adoption Fundraiser from the drop down menu. Jamberry features awesome nail wraps that are super fun and more affordable than going to a salon! Again, these make awesome Christmas gifts! For local friends, Kira will be at my house to show you how to apply the nail wraps next Monday, September 21st at 7pm.

3. Our third fundraiser this month is another yard sale!!! Yay! This is our 3rd and last yard sale for the year. Our past yard sales have proven very productive in bringing in funds so we're eager to do this one last time this year! We have plenty of treasures left from our last sale so all we have to do is set it out! We also have a number of things that have recently been dropped off as well as products of our own decluttering (hello, turning-guest/craft room-into-nursery!!!). Yard sale will be held Saturday, September 26 from 7am-1pm or when people stop coming.

As always, we thank all of you for your support during this process! We truly couldn't do it without the prayers, help and support from our friends and family! We have already raised over 1/3 of the total amount needed to complete our adoption. Our goal is to be completely funded by the end of the year! Will it happen? We'll see!

Scripture Meditations

Adoption is a leap of faith. There are so many uncertainties, unanswered questions, what ifs and unknowns.

Through all of this, I've found it so helpful to fill my mind and heart with Scriptures that speak of God's character, His promises and His plans for His children.

This spring, I wrote out some well-known verses on index cards and began reading and meditating on them regularly. I kept them on the window sill above the kitchen sink and would read them as I washed dishes and worked in the kitchen. Sometimes I took them in my purse to work so I could read them during my lunch break and be reminded to trust God and not give in to thoughts of fear.

When life hasn't gone exactly as we've planned and circumstances have threatened to pull our eyes off Christ, the Holy Spirit has reminded me of these promises that have been marinating in my heart for so many months.

So what are these verses?

Philippians 4:6-7:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. "

Philippians 4:19:
"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." 

Romans 8:28:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Proverbs 3:5-6:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." 

And I love the above verses from Proverbs in The Message:
"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will  keep you on track."

The underlying theme is trust. Trust. Trust. Trust. God's got every area of our lives whether we know what He's doing or not. He knows and we can trust Him. He has a great plan. He has promised to meet our needs. I can take Him at His Word.