First Day

Okay, so after spending countless hours reading others blogs, I decided to dive in. When thinking of a name, I had many ideas...Four boys and a baby (read on for this news!), The Rinkenberger Locker Room, Frogs, snails, puppydog tails and ponytails! (Abby you can appreciate this), and so on. Then I remembered an old Steven Curtis Chapman song, No Better Place (than the road that leads to Heaven). Truly in my life, I have to remember that there is no better place to be than right where I am. There are days when I am changing diapers, walking around a crying toddler hanging on my legs, trying to make supper, doing 10 loads of laundry, helping with homework, wiping up pee dribbles on the toilet seat, etc. and I think I want a break...just a few hours alone. Then I remember that there is no better place for me to be than right here with my four precious boys. I do get weary and frustrated but I believe that God has called me to be a mom and am trying to do my best for His Glory.

So, on to the big news. Four boys and a baby..... nope not pregnant.....we are adopting a little girl from Ethiopia! I will share a little of how God brought us to this point. Last fall I picked up a little girl in church and held her. I can't explain the stirring in my heart at that moment. I have had four babies and holding this little girl, who I didn't even know, just felt different. God started working in my heart. I had never thought about adoption before but in the coming weeks I felt like that was what God was telling me to think about. I shared it with Bart and he was surprised but said he would support me if I felt that was what God was calling us to do. So, time went on. When I would think about it, I tried to brush it off and then God would remind me somehow, that this was from Him. I got an email from an adoption group that I had never been in contact with and haven't been since. I heard someone explain international adoption on the radio and it made it seem so simple. Then, I heard Dennis Rainey from Family Life talk about how we are all adopted by God and then he shared his own family's adoption story. I hadn't thought of it that way before. God was slowly changing my heart toward adoption. Bart's brother and his wife, Scott and Heidi, called to tell us they were adopting a little girl from Ethiopia in early Feb. That shocked me and again, I felt like God was providing a way for us. Not that I needed more confirmation, but God wanted to make it clear that I understood this was from Him. :) So, one night when doing my Bible study I was reading a book. The chapter was all about being willing and saying yes to God. At the end of the chapter, God spoke loud and clear. The author wrote down several questions. What has God been asking you to do lately? Does is seem impossible? Are you listing the reasons why you can't instead of why you can? Well, I answered yes! to all of these. I really did feel like God was calling us to adopt but it seemed so HARD. We have four boys and God wanted me to have more? But, like I've said so many times since....there is peace in knowing that God has lead us here. Whatever happens with our adoption or in the future with our little girl, I know that this is God's plan for our life. I can't leave out the last part of the story. After this night of doing my Bible study I showed Bart that book and said, I think this is for real, you better start praying harder about this adoption thing. He didn't say much (typical of the times I tried to bring up adoption) and so I went to bed thinking that I need to start praying for him. The next morning he was on board! What? He said after I went to bed, God brought to mind a song. All he could remember was the title, Do Something Now by Steve Camp. (Okay he remember the singer too) As he looked it up and played it on his iPod, this is what he heard...."Down in Ethiopia, a silent baby clings to an empty breast....down in Ethiopia, another cries for food and eternal rest...." So, here begins a new journey for our family.