UPDATES!!!

To say I am a little overwhelmed by the Lord's goodness would be a complete understatement.
Yesterday was a particularly overwhelming day.

Like to the point of turning up Kari Jobe and having a little moment with the Lord in the car with my head laying on the steering wheel and could barely utter out a thank you, Lord.
I felt His presence so thick with me I could hardly move.
This journey is crazy, I mean just crazy.
The intensity of His love, His presence, His goodness, His faithfulness, the Comfort that only the Comforter can bring, the security of His Word.

I am experiencing my Savior like I have never before.
I am experiencing a part of His heart I have never seen before and just to see it, and experience it humbles me to an explanation that is just wordless.

Back to my day..

1-Since our Home Study is complete, we can begin applying for grants.
This involves filing out applications, writing essays about our family, our relationship with Christ & why we are adopting. We also send in our tax returns and have referral letters sent. We have been waiting for documents to be sent to the grant foundation so we could move forward.
If we have all of the above to them by April 20th they will review our Application at their board meeting and by May 20th they inform us if we are awarded grant money.

Yesterday I received an email from them that they have sent out our REFERRAL LETTERS! This is the last step in getting all of our information in!!

Please pray that we can have those returned to them by April 20th so they can review us in their next Board Meeting!!

2- I received a text from a friend who is currently saving for 2 mission trips and she asked me for my address to send us a donation for our adoption. I said GIRL!!! Save for your trips! She said she had been putting back money for us and another family who is adopting and had already written the check.
Since I am all planning for a mission trip I am aware of every penny being saved and put back. Such a sacrifice for this young friend. Blown away.

3- I came home to read a blog post yesterday by my best friend that made my heart just about bust wide open. Such an encouraging word for how lonely this road can feel at times. So so thankful for her obedience in adopting their 2 children from China. Lord I pray for the day we can walk along side another who follows in obedience on this crazy beautiful journey that isn't just about bringing these kids home but about knowing You more!

2 Corinthians 1:4

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

4- I mean, can you take another one????

I opened up a Facebook message from my friend Jay who is also adopting and it was this image:

I broke down.

Like way down to my face on the computer desk in front of me.

I personally can identify with these photographers.

This date is right in the start of our crazy wedding seasons, sacrificing their time away from their home & families, time spent editing, time traveling to Albany, time editing & burning disks & getting them out, time they could have scheduled other paid sessions and the list goes on and on.

Would you please consider scheduling a session with one of these INCREDIBLE photographers and help us bring our daughter home?

Here is where you can view their awesome work!

http://clickphotographybyjay.com/
http://www.smittenphotos.com/
http://theredflystudio.com/
http://www.jleighcaptures.com/
http://www.facebook.com/HaleyWestPhotography

See the flier for details in scheduling!

5- I received a call from a DEAR DEAR member of a close group of people that I love with all of my heart telling me that a fundraiser we had discussed was a GO and we are in the process of working out some details!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to share this one with you!!!!

Our Makeup night a couple of weeks ago was a HUGE success!! We had the best time learning some tips and techniques for applying makeup, ate wonderful food and laughed until we cried, well only me of course. Thank you so much to my friends Erin Harding and Theresa Mathis for making the night incredible! And for all of you who came! Meant to much to me! Erin also gave us a journal and some of the women there wrote the most encouraging notes in it to us and to Lily. I can't WAIT to read it to her!! For her to know she has been prayed over and longed for and loved for such a long time!

In a previous post I listed that we had $4,400 left of our $6,000 agency fee to pay and I can now say we have $2,367 to go!!!!!!! We have boldly asked the Lord for this agency fee by the end of April. And we are believing and trusting in His timing and provision.

At the end of the day I was in this glorious fog naming the events of the day and talking them over with Roger.

But you know what, even on days when we don't have a list of 5 things to share, He is STILL good.
I encourage you to thank Him for His goodness in your life! His word says we are to overflow with thankfulness!

I just picture my Papa purposely overflowing his coffee cup so some would fall onto the saucer. And watch him sip from the saucer. Tasting the Lord's goodness.

Colossions 2:6-7

 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Psalm 106:1

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; his love endures forever.

May the things of Earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace,

Kim

Waiting on you baby girl...we love you!