Adam's Vision & Call to Adopt

In 1997, when I was 12 I went on a missions trip to Nicaragua, and spent 7-8 days in and around the capital and surrounding city's. My heart broke for others in a way I had never experienced before. I'm sure at that point I said in my heart that I wish I could do something for everyone of the children I met on that trip (roughly 100) but I didn't make any distinction in my life about adoption.

In 2003 I met Jesus in a way that was new and fresh and extremely personal. This picture is the third page of a journal entry in my Bible from camp that year. It’s dated "July 2003", this point in my life was full of pain and regret...I came to camp to be a counselor but I felt like I was broken... That I was unworthy that I couldn't be used. The beginning of the camp week was preparation for the counselors... Almost all worship and Word.

During one of the worship sessions after I had my encounter and felt renewed I felt The Lord telling me that a child, not directly from my body would need to be loved like He loved me. That I would hold him and hug him and love him as my own. 

This vision seemed at the time to just fit into everything that was going on in my spirit but I had no idea how or when this would happen... This journey has reminded me that God does not forget and He has laid out a plan for our life and we are privileged to be led by such a loving Father.

~Adam

A Call to Adopt

There was never a definitive moment in our relationship where we sat down and discussed if we should adopt. We had the conversation most normal dating/engaged couples do. How many kids do you want to have? Seems that it always comes up in conversation. Our conversation was similar but went in the direction on  both sides that we would both like to have some and adopt some. It was never a question of IF but WHEN we would adopt.

Adoption is in both of our immediate families. It is a norm. Not a foreign idea. I say this because this 'norm' that is a part of our families has only recently stretched my mind to a place I have never known. (which i will go into more detail later)

'A Call to Adopt'
I never realized it was a call until October of 2012. At this time I had been off of birth control for 2.5 years. I am 28 days regular and always have been. I had counted days and had done all those funny things they tell you to do. I am now a firm believer that getting pregnant has nothing to do with our timing and our tricks and our calendars but everything to do with God's timing and God's calendar. I am still off of birth control and we fully leave everything in His hands.

I tread lightly with the words I am about to use. I do not want to cause offense, judgement or confusion. I will try and explain my feelings in a way that can be understood but sometimes trying to explain what your heart feels can be tough. This will be news to many and only a handful of people know this about me.

 I have never had a desire to be pregnant.

Now for me to explain. Please do not take this the wrong way. We are not adopting because I don't want to be pregnant. I am not fearful of being pregnant, the process, the side effects. I am not against being pregnant, I am all for receiving that blessing if and when that is God's plan. For the longest time i felt that something was wrong with me because of my lack of desire. This feeling of not having the desire that soooo many women have. I struggled every month like most women do trying to conceive. With that hope that those magic lines would show up on the pregnancy test every month. But I had mixed emotions...because on the other end of that the desire wasn't there. Talk about a roller coaster every month! You know what they say, once people adopt they usually get pregnant. Yeah, we have heard haha.

October 2012 was when we decided to quit counting, quit tracking quit worrying and wondering what was going to happen. We always thought we wanted to have kids and adopt kids. In that order. And in 2012 we realized that wasn't the case. Literally, as soon as we made the decision, an overwhelming PEACE surrounded me. Like that feeling of knowing when you are doing something right. That feeling has never left. This my friends is why we know we have been called to adopt. This journey may not be the normal route but it is the natural route for us. Our Call is to Adopt. This call does not mean we will not have biological children, because we do plan on having them. We just know alongside that we are meant to give children the opportunity of an amazing future and loving home they may not have otherwise been given if it weren't for adoption.

Thank you again and always for sharing in this journey with us. Thank you for listening to our hearts.

Throughout our posts we will be answering questions that many of you may be wondering. We hope to help those looking into adoption and wondering where to begin. We are not experts but I think we can help! Please ask any questions you may have by commenting.

Blessings,

~Amanda

Let's Start at the Start

We are very excited to share this journey that started on January 28, 2004 at Jason's Deli in Huntersville, NC. This was our very first lunch, not a 'date', but a lunch that turned into a dinner that turned into a moment that would forever change our lives. Now, you may be asking "What in the world does this have to do with your adoption?". You see we believe everything happens for a reason. God's timing is ALWAYS perfect and He knows just what He is doing when He does it. So our journey together, orchestrated by the good Lord above, has everything to do with our decision to choose adoption. 

This blog will be a chance to for you to get to know us, to connect with us, laugh with us, cry with us, share in your struggles and victories with us, and to join us in this journey. From the 

very beginning. No, we wont go through every date we went on or every conversation we had but we will outline how God placed adoption on our heart and the steps we have have taken to get where we are today, connected with our birth mom, awaiting the arrival of our lil one in July. 

Our hopes are to encourage those going through what we have been through, shine a little light for those in dark place and to share our journey of patience in knowing all things are possible. 

Welcome to our crazy life and our journey that goes against the norm. 

Adam & Amanda