90 Days for Noelle - Day 45

**This will be our last '90 days' post for a little while. Jessica & I decided, because the process is so long we thought it would be best to break it up and take a hiatus. We will continue our '90 Day' prayer focus once we reach another major milestone in the process such as sending in our dossier or once we receive a referral or something along those lines. We will still be making posts regularly but not as part of the '90 Days for Noelle'. We actually will be starting something later this week that you can find out about on the blog, and if you would like to get involved with our adoption, we have some ways to do so. So stay tuned.**

Well, a while back I posted at how I have been amazed by the response we have received from our blog. I am still amazed! Since we began the prayer focus on New Years Day we have had over 4500 different visitors from at least 14 different countries (I can only view the top 10)! For my small mind, those are big numbers. I hope that our blog has been a blessing to you all and that you have learned a little about adoption. I hope that through our posts, that maybe you have looked at yourself and your walk with Christ a little differently. That maybe you see you are part of something bigger and that you become inspired to do something "extravagant" for God. (Thanks, Scott) But most of all, our purpose is for Noelle and we hope that you continue to keep her in your prayers everyday. Today is Valentine's Day. A day to express your love to each other. I have told Jessica I love her, and Cora that I love her, but I have not told Noelle yet so here goes.... Noelle, I love you very much. WE love you very much. I can't wait until the day I can hold you in my arms and tell you that I love you more than you will ever know. Happy Valentines Day, Noelle.

Lord, thank You for loving us like no other and thank You for giving us the ability to love others. We love you Father and we ask You to send our love to Noelle this Valentine's Day. You are love. We praise You for what You are doing in all of our lives. In Your name we pray. Amen.

1 Corinthians 13:13

 ¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

90 Days for Noelle - Day 39

Well today has been an encouragement. We have been pondering over a decision in our adoption and today, God opened doors for us. Thank you so much for the prayers we have received because today we saw answers. This is a very hard post for us because we can't say what we want to. I will elaborate more in the future but for now all I can say is... thank you. The day started with struggles and less than encouraging words from others about our adoption, but at 5:00 I received a call that gave us the "sign" we were looking for. On top of that, we received information that confirmed to us that God had shown up during that same call. It is so funny how God handles us when we face things in our lives. We look for answers, exhausting all of our human means, trying to make something happen. While all the time all we really need to do is to slow down, step back, and let God handle it. Twice in the past week or so I have talked with other Christians about problems in their lives and told them, "it will happen in God's time". I think God gave me these words to say so that I could hear it myself. I know it's another short one but, if I keep talking I will say too much. Thank you for all of your prayers.

Jeremiah 33:2,3

² “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Father God, we thank You for hearing our prayers. We praise You for showing up in our times of need. We love You, Father. Thank You for leading us in this adoption. We depend on You for all things and above all we give You thanks. Amen.

90 Days for Noelle - Day 29

I wanted to write tonight about a special blessing that we received a few weeks ago. A dear friend of mine made a blanket for Noelle that was covered in peanut butter and jelly sandwich pattern on one side and pink on the other.  She included such a beautiful message of love and encouragement that I want to share her letter written to us.

"I made this for your daughter.  I wanted her to have something to come home with that tells a story.  I found this fabric and fell in love with it, but wondered how it could apply to your situation.  Then it hit me: your family will be as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Though very different elements, textures, and tastes, you all contribute something to the flavor of your family.  The family in which God made you to be.  You may not look alike and some may not know that you are family, but God made Noelle to be your child. The fragrance of God's love and the person you will raise her to be will be the proof of this.  Through this adoption process, I hope that seeing this blanket will encourage you, excite you, and remind you that God is in control.  Like this blanket may He wrap you in His love and peace. When things become uncertain, may He protect your hearts and your Noelle throughout this process.  Let it remind you that though it may take awhile, your baby is coming home.  I love you all and can not wait to met Noelle and to see her grow into a beautiful young woman."

Hebrews 6:10,11

¹⁰ …he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. ¹¹ We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.

Lord, Thank You for providing encouragement just when we need it most.  Bless those who bless us a hundred fold.  We give You glory, honor, and praise.  In Your name we pray. Amen.

90 Days for Noelle - Day 20

The blog keeps statistics as to how many different people view the site, where they are located, and lots of other interesting things. I think it is cool to see where everyone comes from and at what time of day it gets the most traffic. Looking at the numbers, I am amazed at the amount of interest. Since we started '90 Days' we have had over 2,200 views and viewers from 10 different countries. Those number may not be that big in terms of websites but to me, that is awesome. To me, that is 2,200 friends. 2,200 times someone has thought about our family and Noelle. 2,200 times someone has said a prayer for us and what we are doing. I have to admit, I have been a little nervous about everything today. Not in our calling or our love for Noelle, but in things related to the adoption process. I have been searching for more info about our agency, the DRC, and stories from other families adopting from the DRC. I had to go back and look at my own writings, shake myself a little, and say "the Lord has got this". After that is when I checked the blog statistics. These numbers may not mean much to some but it means a lot to me. I hope this blog is an encouragement to all who read it as it is also is for me. So with all this I want to say, thank you. Thank you to all who read this, encourage us, and pray for us. You are a part of our journey as well and one day, when Noelle is older, she can look back at the blog, the comments, and the donations and know she has been loved and adopted by many.

Judges 18:5-6

 ⁵ Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to learn whether our journey will be successful.”
 ⁶ The priest answered them, “Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD’s approval.” 

Dear Lord, thank You for the love and support our family receives on our journey. We know you will provide and however the path changes, that our results will be Noelle. We thank You for those who join us in different aspects of this adoption. You are our strength and we love You, Lord. Amen