Adoption Classes, or Everything You Already Know

Last weekend we spent 12 hours (Friday night and all day Saturday) attending Core Training -- state-required classes for adoptive parents. It was held at our agency, and there were about 8 other couples there.

While any time you spend 12 hours in classes in a 24-hour period it isn't the most fun, this was definitely not a pleasurable weekend. The chairs were uncomfortable and so was the room temperature. But aside from the physical discomfort, almost everything that was talked about was something we've already been told either by our agency or during the homestudy. Other "repeats" included baby care and going over the paperwork process. Honestly we didn't learn much of anything. I think I wrote down 3 things on my notepad the whole time. I hate to complain, and I soak up as much as I can about anything adoption-related, but we really didn't get much out of this class.

The best part about it was our talk together at lunch on Saturday and a "God moment."

But hey, at least it's one more thing we can check off on our list of requirements. Now we face "the great void" of waiting with very little happening adoption-wise. We plan to go to our agency's annual picnic next month, where we'll meet a bunch of families on the other side of this process and see that a wonderful child will actually come from of all this craziness!

On a positive note, we are now 2 months post-DTC and we haven't lost our minds yet over the wait. This is especially significant for me as I have very little patience. Although Jess might say I lost my mind long before we started adopting...

God's Awesome Promise...If we listen and OBEY!

This is my first post (sorry for the long delay) but thank you Kristi for your work on this Blog. You are the best.

I just wanted to give an update to family and friends on a quick trip I just took to see my dad back in Pennsylvania.

He has been struggling the last 4 to 5 months. He has not been able to breathe very well, requiring him to be on oxygen 24/7. Also his heart slows down when doing any kind of physical activity and it's only operating at about 36%. He found out a few weeks ago that he needs to have both a heart and lung transplant. He went to the doctors to be evaluated for the transplants and found out they will not do either transplant because of his age and condition.

When I heard all of this I began to pray and ask for God's leading on what I should do. It became very clear that I needed to go back, see him, and share the gospel with him. Many of you know the history with me and my dad, so you know how difficult this was to acknowledge. So I decided to go back but could not afford airfare and rental car. So I decided to drive but I would needed help to be able to do it. I asked Kristi's dad if he would like to go, and thankfully he was eager to go on the open road. From the time I decided to take the trip and figured out I would need to drive to the time we hit the road was less than 3 days.

It took 27 hours straight on the road to get there. It was by no means a pleasure trip, but one that I feel God was in control of. We hit very little traffic, had no car troubles, and best of all it was a great time for Kristi's dad and me to have together. He is a great dad and we had lots of great conversations. Unfortunately, Kristi's dad got to see all my family and their wonderful disfunction in the 3 days we were with my dad.

We shared the gospel with my dad and I shared my testimony with him. He listened and had questions, which was very good. Dad was wondering why God is punishing him and why he lets bad things happen in life. I hope we explained this all to him correctly and if not, hopefully he heard what the Lord needed him to hear. He seemed to understand our explanation and it was very clear that God is giving him one more chance to come to know the Lord. He did not have a Bible so I got him one. A quick side note on how I know God was in control of this trip...When we went to get Dad and my sister a Bible, God was leading us and we did not even know it until we got to the store. So we went to the small mall in Meadville, which is where the phone book said there was a book store. Well, there was not one there but a very friendly lady told us there was a book store just up the street. We get back in the van and head up the street to find the store, which we saw, but there was no parking anywhere on that block or several blocks around the store. We drive around and finally find a spot...right in front of a Christian bookstore, which was not listed in the phone book. We noticed the store as we were getting out of the van. I have to admit I got tears in my eyes and at that moment I gave praise to God.

We got dad a men's NIV devotional Bible. I did not want to get him a study Bible or anything that was going to over complicate his reading the word of God. After I gave it to my dad, I shared with him again and told him that he really needs to read it. We suggested starting with Romans and the Gospel of John to get him started. He said he would read it and again he understood that God is giving him one more chance. Later on he wanted to give me some of his stuff to bring back. He wanted me to have one of his guns. I told him I have no use or need for it and that if he really wanted to give me something that it would be to read his Bible and come to know the Lord. So please pray with me that Dad will read his Bible and that he will come to know the Lord. I am glad I obeyed the Lord and followed his leading. I have not always done that over the years and was very glad to have listened this time. He taught me that trusting in him and obeying his commands does bear fruit, and if we trust in him and try not to control things ourselves that things always seem to work out. God has given me the opportunity to share his word and only good will ever come from that. Maybe I will be more open to his leading to share the gospel again. It is not always easy working for a Christian company to have daily opertunities to do it.

One last note on God being in control..... The day we were preparing to leave I was out side cleaning the van. I had a CD playing that I created that had 140+ praise songs on it. I was playing it very loud and just really enjoying this time worshiping God. When all of a sudden the neighbor lady comes up to me from across the street. My first thought was oops, I guess I need to turn it down. This is when God does it it again. She asked me who the singer was and what CD it was I was listening to. I told her it was a praise CD I created with 140 of my favorite songs on it. She smiled and asked me to turn it up. She said it was some of the best music she has heard in a long time. WOW! God is so amazing that he can use any situation to touch someone's life. Not only to embolden us in our own walk, not only to encourage us, but to use our lives as a witness to those around us. Kristi's dad had a comment on my visit with my dad that caused my heart to jump... it was simply "You brought peace and comfort into a house in a time of frustration and chaos, and it was noticed."

So my encouragement to those of you who read this is simply.....we bring peace and comfort into a world full of frustration and chaos and it is noticed. God bless.