WOW!

Another week has come and gone very quickly it seems. But thats good. Waiting for Gabe seems to be somewhat easier when I stay really busy and this past week has been just that.  A couple of weeks ago, my mom and dad agreed to put their house up for sale and move out to our place. It just makes sense. They are getting older and can't physically do all that needs to be done with their house in town. The house is too big and the yard work is also too much. So, we came up with a plan to build a little house beside of ours, IF, they could sell theirs.  My dad put a sign in the yard and guess what??  A week later the house was sold!! So, this past week, I got busy and did a bunch of cleaning out and goin through stuff.  37 yrs. of stuff to be exact.  It was fun, it was sad, it was tiring and it was rewarding......all wrapped up in one.  We are going to have a great time when they get out here beside us. They can watch the kids play from their front porch and if they need something, we'll be right there.   So, we had a garage sale this weekend and will have another one next weekend before we move their things to storage and wait for their house to be built.  Hopefully they will have their new house in 3 or 4 months.    Some might not like their parents living right out side their back door, but we are excited and can hardly wait for them to be here with us. Cole will make sure he keeps their yard looking good and he will keep little momma lined out too! F.A.M.I.L.Y.   thats what its all about for me, and Rick too. When I think about those who don't have them, whether young or old, it makes me really sad.  While on this journey to Gabe, I have been blessed to get to see God at work in so many families lives.  For some, its their first child they are adopting. For others, it may be their 3rd or 5th or perhaps 8th!  The number doesn't matter. What matters is this........God loves the family.  He intended for us to be in a family.  God also loves the orphan.  He intended for US to also love the orphan.   There are so many who need a family. There are so many who will ask over and over, "will I get a mama and papa next time?"

This is Cole and Owen. They have been asking a mom who is there adopting another little one if she will be their mom too.  They want to go home with her.  Can you imagine?? Her heart must be breaking.  How do you tell 2 little boys, who by no fault of their own, that they are "not socially acceptable", that they "are defective", or that you cannot be their mom because  ?????????????. (you fill in the blanks). 

2 little boys who just want a family.

There was a time when I could of filled in the ???????? above. There was a time when Rick Decker could of filled in the ???????? above.

Remember, God doesn't call the qualified......He qualifies the called.

One Step Closer

I really want to just take one big giant step and be across the ocean and standing face to face with my little one, but thats just wishful thinking. However, we are one step closer than we were this time last week. All our documents have been translated in the big city and are headed to our lady in Gabe's city. She will recieve them and then she will get us a court date. SOON LORD SOON! You will know as soon as i do cause you will be able to hear me holler for miles and miles! Thanks for continuing this journey with us. God bless you and yours.

A NAME: PART TWO

And now, THE RRRREST OF THE STORY!!(see, it wasn't that long of a wait!)  You now know where and why I have named my kids Chrissy, Casey and Cole. My other 4 kiddos came already named(ha!) when they and their dad came into our lives almost 10 yrs. ago. Jayla, Jocelyn, Kobie and Rylie. It's really probably a good thing that their names didn't begin with a "C" or I really would get all their names confused!! But anyway, on with the story:

Since I came across Reece's Rainbow, there have been several kiddos that grabbed ahold of my heart instantly. Maybe you know what I'm talking about. That  "connection" that just moves you to tears. You see many faces but you go back to these same kids everyday, sometimes several times a day, because you are drawn to them. There is just something there. Can't explain it. It's just there. The first little boy that caught my eye, reached thru the computer and grabbed me, was Aaron. This was when I first learned of RR and began to follow this ministry. Not long after this, I learned that Aaron had a family coming for him. Wow I thought. What a lucky family. Then I found out who they were and I began to follow their journey to Aaron. I was already on a journey of my own. I just didn't know the destination yet. But as I followed them and became more aware and involved with RR, it became very clear that THIS was the destination and I prayed that I could somehow play a small part in helping some of these precious kiddos.  It was Aaron's mom Julia, who introduced me to the next little fellow who would steal my heart and eventually give my next son his name.
Gavin.......sweet, precious, Gavin. (RR gives each child a "screen" name instead of using their real names to protect their idenity.)

Gavin was needing a family and soon. You can read the post Julia wrote about him here. Oh how my heart ached for this little boy. He was facing transfer anytime and I knew what that meant for him. I wanted so badly to be his mom. But I knew in my heart of hearts......that just wasn't going to happen........it just wasn't going to happen and besides, Gavin needed a family NOW and although MY heart was ready.......Rick's wasn't (ooohhhh but God had a plan!)

As these kids (alot of these kids) became a part of my life, Rick began to ask questions and look at some of the different kids I was following and advocating for. And guess who he began to ask about and follow himself?!  Yep..... Gavin.

Gavin and Brady.

He began to ask if I had any new news on them and  began to get my laptop at night and check on them himself. Them and others. But especially Gavin.

I'll always remember the night I learned that little Gavin had a family.

Rick was checking on him I guess and Julia had just posted that he did indeed have a family coming for him. Rick hollered out, "Gavin's being adopted!", and I hadn't seen it so I was like...."nooooo." And he said," Yeah! Him and Brady both!!"

I'm going to be honest.......for a split second, there was disappointment for me. I had still prayed that somehow, someway, Gavin would be my son. But, only for a second and then "thankful tears" began to fall. Both of these precious babies had families committ to them. Both of these kiddos now had a chance at life.

There was still much to be done and many mountains to be moved before they would be home, but it was a beginning.

It was also the beginning of a man's changed heart. I don't know exactly when it happened, but I know little Gavin played a part in it.

Rick's heart was slowly becoming God's heart for the orphan. The least of these. Those left behind. Those abandoned because they were different in the eyes of the world.

As I said, I don't know exactly when it happened but as Rick became more interested in the kids on Reeces Rainbow, we would sit on the couch at night and look at different ones and read some of the stories that went along with them. He had some kids that he was drawn to and I had some that I was drawn to but then there were afew that we BOTH kept going back to. Myron was one of them.

Remember Myron is his screen name with RR.

We kept looking and talking, praying and talking. And then praying some more! We were both very drawn to this little one and finally, Rick told me to call and see if he was still adoptable. I think I ran all the way to the phone!!

While we were waiting to see if Myron was still available to adopt, I was still keeping up with some other adoptions of RR kids and for sure I was watching to see about Gavin, who by the way had gotten a NEW NAME. His family had decided to name him Gabriel and call him GABE.

I loved the name immediately. I thought of the angel Gabriel and the messages he had carried from God to Zechariah and to Mary, the mother of Jesus.

I then went and looked at my Myron. I looked at his sweet face over and over again for the next few days. Finally we got the word that he WAS STILL AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.

We committed to him right then. The next time I looked at his picture........I knew what this boy's new name would be.

We would name him GABRIEL and call him GABE. 

Because he was an angel who was already carrying messages from God and delivering them right here in our very own home.

And, after precious little Gavin, now Gabe.

Also an angel, that I believe God used, to carry his own little messages to Rick. Messages of love, surrender, courage, and trust.

In my kitchen window sill, I have two pictures. Two little boys. Two little orphans no more. Two GABE'S,  brought together with two families, by ONE AWESOME GOD.

And now you know......the rest of the story and where our newest member of the family got his name!

Please pray for Gabe House as he is in pretty bad shape. He is 6 yrs. old and weighs about 25 lbs. He has basically layed in a crib his whole life. They have so much ahead of them but are too so thankful for this opportunity. You can follow their story here.

And if you have time, please say a prayer for our Gabe and our court date to be issued soon. His mama needs him home. Thanks and God bless.

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A NAME - Part One

What's in a name??? I think that question has lots of answers! From nothing to everything and all in between. Why do we give our kids the names we give them? Again.....lots of different reasons. With my first born, it was just because I liked the way all three names flowed together, Chrissy Lyn Lawrence and the first name was close to her dads, so that worked out good. Her middle name, I spelled with only one n because it was different and sometimes I just like to do things different!! Then came our second, a boy. I liked the name Casey and wanted a biblical middle name, so we went with Joseph, and there you have it....Casey Joe. I always knew I wanted more kiddos and since my first 2 had names that began with a "C", I wanted the next one to also. Long before Cole came into the picture, I was pretty sure if I did adopt again, my next little boy would have the name Cole, simply because I liked it, and it began with a C!. BUT, his first name........now that's a different story all together. Of course I like Samuel, but I didn't name him this just because I liked it. I named him this because it is fitting. He is a "Samuel."  "I prayed for this child and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him" 1Samuel 1:27       Many times in the beginning of Cole's adoption, I questioned if I was hearing God correctly.  I just couldn't believe He would want to use someone like me, even though I had prayed and prayed that He would. I didn't feel worthy then, just as I don't now, but because He is a God of mercy and grace, and because He wants the very best for us....... He continued to call my name, to stir my heart, and shake me up until I knew without a doubt. I finally said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." (another scripture from 1 Samuel)  And my life has never been the same! At some point in the beginning, after I knew this was where God was leading me, I was reading 1 Samuel 3:11. This is what it said. "And the Lord said to Samuel: "See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle."  Now, I don't know if that means anything to you, but it was just more of God's revelation for me.  You see, when I was first told about adoption in Lithuania, I got goose bumps all over my body and I swear....I tingled from head to toe.  I was not familiar with this particular verse at the time, but when I "happened" upon it months later, it was just another WOW from the Lord.  So you see.....my little orphan boy from Lithuania could be no one but a Samuel!!

Now......that brings me to the whole reason for this post on names........but........I will tell you the rest of the story in PART TWO in couple of days! (i hate it when people do that!)

Last of apostilled papers are in route to New Jersey and from there to Gabes country. These are not needed to set a court date but at least they will be there for WHEN the day comes.

Don't forget to come back for THE REST OF THE STORY!!!!

OMGosh! Has it been since May 27th that I posted????  I don't know where the time has gone.
Wish I could tell you our second trip is in the making but its not. BUT, I got word today that Gabe's visa is
where it needs to be just waiting on us! COME ON COURT DATE......WE HAVE A LITTLE BOY
WHO NEEDS TO COME HOME........WE HAVE A WHOLE FAMILY OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS
WHO ARE WAITING TO SHOWER THIS LITTLE ONE WITH LOVE..........COME ON COURT
DATE!  Please don't forget us. Your prayers and support are so needed and so appreciated. We have come along way but we still have MUCH left to do. Hope I can tell you good news real soon. Pray guys, please pray.