Bring me anything that brings You glory

This is one of my favorite songs. It is so hard for me to sing the words, but it is my heart's desire. With a worshipful heart, this is my prayer.
I believe this could be the theme song to our entire adoption process. It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and circumstances, but we have truly believed that whatever it takes, we want God to receive the glory. We want the spotlight on Him.

bring the rain

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that I’ve gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It’s never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you oh Lord
My only shelter from the storms
But instead I draw closer through these times

So I pray
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know There’ll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that’s what it takes to praise You
Jesus Bring the Rain

I am Yours regardless of
The clouds that may loom above
Because You are much greater than my pain
You who made a way for me
By suffering Your destiny
So tell me what’s a little rain

Chorus

Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Is the Lord God Almighty (repeat)

Written by MercyMe© 2006 Simpleville Music(ASCAP) / Wet As A Fish Music(ASCAP)All rights administered by Simpleville Music, Inc. All rights reserved.

Shouting from the roof-top!

I literally want to pull out the ladder, climb on top of the roof and sing praises to our Lord!

WE HAVE OUR COURT DATE!!!!!!

It's finally happening. The date is March 17. We also got the news that Deke and Erryn, who also are adopting two from Uganda, got their court date--March 12! It is always exciting living for the Lord and we are continually being reminded of His sovereignty, love, and faithfulness.

Thank you Jesus!

Here is the link to our news story and spot on KULR 8 News. Make sure to click on 'watch the video'
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/15149336.html

Here am I. Send me!

I love this passage...Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Tonight I was reading a long (12 page) testimony of Deke and Erryn's time in Africa last summer. It is an incredible story of the power of God and His unfailing love. It's amazing how we never tire of hearing about the workings of God's hands. I was in tears several times as I saw how God had orchestrated this entire trip and how He accomplished His purposes through willing and obedient people. Lives were changed for eternity!
God began creating a fire of enthusiasm within me. He has stirred my heart for His people. I am filled with awe, with joy, and with a longing to be sent and to be used by God. I am excited at the thought of what God has instore for us to accomplish while in Uganda. I have already known this, but tonight I have been brought to another level of understanding...this is not just about bringing home two children from Africa. God has such a bigger picture of what He wants accomplished. God renewed my perspective of how I will be spending my time in Uganda. Although 2 weeks to a month is a relatively short time, God can use that time to change lives for eternity. I want to be available. I want to be ready. I want God to choose me, to send me, to use me to the fullest. So Lord here I am, send me!

Where's Waldo... Where's Katie?


Christopher and his friend Amberly




Christopher peeking out from the bottom of a stroller

Psalm 105:1-5 "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles. and the judgments he pronounced."

Psalm 126:3 "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

God is at work around us. He is powerful, He is our mighty fortress, He loves us and He has done great things for us. Le us praise Him. Let us love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.

We are still waiting....waiting for a court date that God had planned from the beginning of time. We have had many spiritual attacks in the last few days. I am refusing to be discouraged. I am doing my best to keep my eyes fixed upon my Lord and Savior.

** We are rejoicing that our friends Tim and Leala, who are adopting Melody and Joseph from Amani Baby Cottage, just received their court date for March 10. We are so excited and praise God.
** Our friends Deke and Erryn are adopting two children from Uganda. They have an amazing story of how God has led them to these precious siblings, Bosco and Nancy. Read their blog to see God's fingerprints all over their lives... http://lundmanzoofollowinghim.blogspot.com
I will be travelling with Erryn and her mom, Cheryl, to Uganda. If it's God will, we will be bringing home four children!!
** Our friends Jordan and Lacey have been extremely supportive and encouraging through the entire process of our adoption. Just recently we found out that Lacey will be travelling with us to Uganda! It is such an incredible joy and blessing to have friends that love the Lord and with whom we can do life together.

So there are four of us going to Uganda, and we will make our flights as soon as Todd and I receive our court date. Erryn and I will be appearing before separate judges and awaiting their approval to bring home our children. We will also have to obtain visas and passports. Although our priority is meeting with the officials and receiving our positive court ruling, we will also be meeting the needs of the Uganda people. We are collecting Bibles, toothbrushes and other hygiene items, medicines, flip flops, bouncy balls...basically anything we can squeeze into our luggage to bless the children and families of Uganda. We are so excited for this trip, we can hardly contain ourselves. Please cover us in prayer.

Psalm 150 "Praise the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."

Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases."

Labor Pangs!

So I was in labor all night...in my dreams. I was dreaming that I was in so much pain and getting ready to have a baby. I wasn't progressing for the longest time and then suddenly I delivered my own baby and my mom was the one to clamp the umbilical cord. Then my dream immediately switched over to me being pregnant and in labor again. But this time I was being prepped for a c-section.
I will tell you that this adoption journey has felt like a never-ending pregnancy. A pregnancy without a due date! Agghhh! Oh what a day of rejoicing there will be!
This morning as soon as I woke up, I checked my email. There was a message from Amani Baby Cottage. This is what it said:

Just a quick update for you...first of all, Katie is officially walking consistently! She was moved to Baby 2 over the weekend! It's great...she toddles all over. On a less positive note, I spoke with the lawyer, and it will be awhile longer before you are allocated a court date (awhile is as specific as we could get) because the registrar is taking a course on how to be a judge. Scheduling is temporarily on hold until a replacement can fill in. I will keep you posted!

It is easy to be discouraged by this news. However I believe that God was whispering to me that He is in control, do not be discouraged. I think sometimes God likes it when the situation is obviously out of our control and not humanly possible. It is then that we clearly give Him the glory. I know that God has huge things planned. He will receive the glory. We are constantly learning what it means to trust and wait on our Lord. He is faithful and He will bring it to pass...And it will be in His timing!

More pictures from Auntie Rachel and Auntie Arielle

We serve a big God

The Chili Dinner was lastnight and it was a huge success. We had such a great time and were in awe (and crying) the entire night. It still amazes me that this fundraiser came together in exactly two weeks. It was truly mind-blowing.
Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!" God did immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine...God provided $9000 lastnight! We are overwhelmed. God has blessed us abundantly. He has blessed us through family, friends, strangers, and the community. We have been embraced by the community of Billings and there has been an outpouring of love, support, prayer, and encouragement. We stand in awe of God and are speechless. Thank you Lord. Thank you Billings, and thank you to everyone who was a part of the dinner lastnight whether you were there physically or in prayer. Uganda here we come! (as soon as we get a court date!) Please stay on your knees before our Father. May God bring Katie and Christopher home soon.

Thank you to all of our donors:

Ophthalmic Associates of Billings
Billings Flying Services
Bob & Joan Carr, PostNet on Grand & Rehberg
Shad Fancher, Independent Silpada Representative
Wal-Mart, King Ave.
Wal-Mart, Laurel
Tracy Pare, Independent Mary Kay Consultant
Billings Bulls
Let’s Party Party Store
Enzo
Starbucks
The Brake Shop
City Brew
Wild Birds Unlimited
Fuddruckers
Grains of Montana
Mustard Seed
Café Desserte
Tammy Sturdevant, Independent Two Sisters Gourmet Consultant
Lana Wilson, Quixtar Consultant
The Soup Place
The Pita Pit
Sunset Bowl
Sherwin Williams
Coldwater Creek
Misty Tull, Independent Mary Kay Consultant
Cookies By Design
The Fireplace Center
The Outlaws
Scheels
Papa Murphy’s
Ginny McDonald
Billings Athletic Club
Johnny Carinos’s Italian Grill
Snow Country
Park Place Salon
Elise Laininger, Independent Private Quarters Consultant
Eileen Pinkerton, Independent Consultant with The Smart Home
Brandi Phillips at Synergy Salon
Carmel Cookie Waffle
Natalie Mullet, Photographer
The Wave Car Care Center
UltraTan Full Service Tanning Resort
Billings Overhead Door Company
Kirstina Hedges at Park Place Salon
Rick, Linda, and Lance Kouba, Heavenly Homes Real Estate
Merle Norman
Linda Lundman, Independent Pampered Chef Consultant
Hope Church
Heights Fitness Center
Apex Mortgage
The Little Gym
Davidson Home Furnishings
Tara Pool, Artist
MTM Jewelry
Kristi Davis, Independent Creative Memories Consultant
Copper Colander
Starlite Roller Rink
Party America
Bible Book Store
Rustic Mountain Furnishings
Poet Street Market
KULR 8 News