ThatsWriteFolks

10 August 2014

Deep Breaths...

You guys.

I.Can't.Even.

I mean.

I don't even know what to say.

Overwhelmed.

Excited.

Grateful.

{deep breath}

As of about two minutes ago, we have sold FIFTY-SEVEN pendants. Fifty-seven. In less than 3 days.

Oh me of little faith--I only ordered 75 pieces total. And that was a stretch. Initially I was only going to get 50, but I felt the nudge to get more.

And these have ALL been blog/Facebook sales. Apparently God knows how much I hate looking someone in the eye and asking them to buy something. I haven't even set any aside to sell at the booth we'll have at our church's Fall Festival in a few weeks.

The African Suns are gone. Gone. And four are on back order. I have to call my artist-potterygirl-artisan-friend and see how soon she can make more.

I am in awe. I don't know why...I look at all that God has done already...and yet, I still have moments of doubt.

A little story for you. I was at a thrift store a few weeks ago. It benefits a program for single moms and their kids and is run by a local church. This church is more of the foot-stomping, tongue-speaking, hand-clapping variety than my church (although we do have our moments), and gosh do those women running the shop love Jesus.

Well, when they found out I was shopping for clothes for three chillin's that we're looking to adopt, they gathered around me, layed hands on me, and Prayed. (That's praying with a capital "P," as opposed to the way some folk pray with a little "p," if you know what I mean.)

They prayed for the children, the transition, the resources, the funds to come in. They prayed for our family, our faith, and when they prayed, they believed it.

When the last woman said Amen, Rosemary, the lady I see there now every week, said, "Luann, it's done. Done."

I walked out of that shop lifted up on angel wings. I told Ken about it, but he had yet to go there until yesterday. So yesterday when we stopped by (they are only open on the weekends), Rosemary and another woman, whose daughter is a missionary in Zimbabwe, asked how the adoption was going, and Rosemary encouraged me to show the kids' pictures again. They didn't have to twist my arm.

Then I showed them my necklace and explained how we were selling them to raise money for the kids' airfare.

I must've looked worried about the finances, because Rosemary looked at my like I was crazy. "Girl, did you forget what I told you last time after we prayed?"

No, I hadn't. "I know, Rosemary. It's done. Done."

When Ken and I got back in the car, he said, "Wow! Now I know why you go there. I feel great. That was just the spiritual pep talk we needed!"

THANK YOU, Jesus. Thank you, friends, who have supported us with your purchases and especially with your prayers.

It's not too late to place an order. In case you missed it, below is what we're selling. We're out of stock on the African Suns, but I'm going to order more this week. If you're interested in buying anything, or you want to let us know you're praying, leave us a comment with your email address and I'll send you more info.

----

Splendor

I like to think of the first design as our signature piece. Measuring about 1.5" x 1", this rectangular pendant is engraved with the Bible verse we have prayed for our children. It is perfect for moms, grandmas, aunts, teachers, or anyone who loves kids. I wore it last night when I had dinner with some of my high school friends, and one of them noticed it right away and asked, "Luann, what does your necklace say?" That's the exact goal: it's a conversation starter. The print is small enough that it may be difficult to read, but pretty enough to create an artistic design.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of His splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)

Our adopted children will be uprooted from everything they know and be replanted into our family here in the U.S. Whenever something is replanted, there is a transition time while the plant adjusts to the new soil. Sometimes it looks like the plant won't make it. But once it takes root and is nourished and cared for, it flourishes and grows. That will be our kids...their stories will display His splendor. I am holding onto that promise.

But this promise is not just for adopted children, it's for all of us. Whatever rough patches we've been through, God can redeem those struggles for good and create something lasting and strong...like the mighty oak tree.

Glazed in a concrete-earthy toned color, this organic piece comes with a black cord that can be adjusted to various lengths. We are selling this item for $15, or you can get two for $25.

African Sun--Currently SOLD OUT

The second piece we're offering is a round, two-sided pendant. On one side is a blazing African sun, and the other side simply says "Shine." I love the simplicity of the message as well as the graphic appeal. Like the previous piece, this pendant comes with an adjustable cord, and it measures about 1.5" in diameter. This necklace looks great with a V-neck shirt as well as a plain shirt that need a bit of pizzazz.

Because each African Sun pendant is individually hand stamped and cut, each piece will be slightly different. The glaze has hints of burnt yellow and dusty blue that reflect whatever color of clothing you're wearing.

We are selling this two-sided pendant for $15 each, or two for $25. If you want to order the African Sun, let me know. It will probably be at least three weeks until we get more in stock.

Roots and Wings
When I was discussing our ideas with Linda, the artist who created these pendants, two of her stamps caught my eye. One was an intricate cherry blossom and the other a gentle dragonfly.

I like the contrast between these two symbols: the beauty of the cherry blossom is only produced when it is connected to the tree, which must have roots that go down deep into the soil...and the dragonfly is made to fly, free and unfettered. These two ideas--having roots (knowing where you came from) and having wings (discovering your uniqueness and purpose)--are essential to life.

This two-sided pendant, measuring 1.5" x 1", comes with an adjustable cord and is available for $15 each, or 2 for $25.

Reality Check
I call our final piece Reality Check because that's exactly what it is. There are more than 4 million orphans in Ethiopia. Four Million. I can't even get my head around that number. But Lord-willing, that number will be lessened by three in a few short months.

By purchasing this piece or any of the pendants, you are making the "minus three" a reality. We can't accomplish this without you, and even if we could, we wouldn't want to. We want our children to be raised and loved by a whole community.

Measuring 1.5" long and less than 0.5" wide, this two-sided piece is the perfect size for a key chain. It is also really cute "doubled-up" with one of the other pendants, in a charm necklace or dog-tag style.

This smaller-sized pendant is selling for $10, or $2 for $15. It comes with a silver link key chain holder.

To purchase one of these items, simply leave me a comment or send me an email indicating the pendant you want and the quantity. This is the perfect time to think ahead for teacher gifts as well as Christmas presents.

After placing your order, I will send you an electronic invoice and you can pay directly to our PayPal account using your debit or credit card. Or, if you prefer, cash is always good.

If you live locally, I will personally deliver your purchases. If you don't live nearby, shipping starts at $1.50 per item.

Thanks for reading, praying, and purchasing!

On behalf of our growing family~
Luann

08 August 2014

I am not an adoption advocate...

A friend and I were having coffee last year, and the conversation turned to adoption. She told me she had several friends who had adopted, and then added, "Sometimes I feel guilty. I've never even thought of adopting. Maybe I should."

I know some adoptive parents become very passionate adoption advocates. They feel very strongly about it.

But that's not me.

I believe you have to want to do it. When caring for a child who has gone through trauma, grief, loss, and possible abuse, you have to know you were called to do it.

So I'm not an adoption advocate ... but I am an advocate for doing what God has called you to do. And there are some general things that all Christians are called to do, such as loving your neighbor as yourself, showing kindness, forgiving, and taking care of the less fortunate.

One Bible verse says pure and genuine religion in the sight of God means caring for orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27). How that is accomplished will look different for different folks.

For people like Ken and me, it means to literally take a child (or three) into our home and be their parents. This is what God has called us to do, and while it might get more attention than the person who donates money, it really is no more glamorous nor sacrificial in the eyes of God.

Having said that, some people have asked how they can help us in this adoption process. Right now we have two primary needs.

1. First is prayer. If you are a praying person, we would be honored if you would add us to your list. Pray that our children would feel loved and secure while they wait for their forever family. Pray that they would have enough food to eat, medicine to care for their needs, and loving caretakers to give them hugs and kisses and cuddles. Pray they would be ready to accept the love of a family and be able to attach emotionally to us. Pray for us that we would be wise and loving and ready to add three new lives to our family. Pray that God would provide the resources we need to bring these children home.

2. The second things is a bit more concrete. Our adoptions are pretty much paid for, but we still need funds for air travel. Ken and I have to go to Ethiopia twice--once for court and once to pick up the children, and then we'll need three one-way tickets to bring the siblings home. While we were prepared for the cost of one adoption, or possibly two, we never dreamed we'd be adopting three siblings.

In order to raise the money we need for the air travel, we've teamed up with a local artisan to create four artistic designs to sell as a fundraiser. Each piece is hand crafted and completely original.

Our prayer is that friends and family will come alongside us and say, "God put it on my heart to purchase some of these items. I'm not doing this out of guilt. I'm not doing it because you're my friend. I'm doing it because I feel called to do it."

So, if you're interested in purchasing something for yourself or as a gift...and help us raise money to bring D, M and L home, keep reading.

Splendor

They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of His splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)

The second piece we're offering is a round, two-sided pendant. On one side is a blazing African sun, and the other side simply says "Shine." I love the simplicity of the message as well as the graphic appeal. Like the previous piece, this pendant comes with an adjustable cord, and it measures about 1.5" in diameter. This necklace looks great with a V-neck shirt as well as a plain shirt that need a bit of pizzazz.

Because each African Sun pendant is individually hand stamped and cut, each piece will be slightly different. The glaze has hints of burnt yellow and dusty blue that reflect whatever color of clothing you're wearing.

We are selling this two-sided pendant for $15 each, or two for $25.

Roots and Wings
When I was discussing our ideas with Linda, the artist who created these pendants, two of her stamps caught my eye. One was an intricate cherry blossom and the other a gentle dragonfly.

03 August 2014

I'm Racist, How About You?

rac·ist

noun: a person who believes that a particular race is superior to another.

Based on that definition, I am not a racist. But I'm not sure what else to call myself.

The truth is, I'm not comfortable with how uncomfortable I am around people of certain races.

This admission may make you uncomfortable, especially if you are a friend or a regular reader and you know I'm about to do this.

And this isn't one of those blogs where I drop a bomb (i.e. "I'm a racist!") and then redefine racist in such a light that I'm really not a racist, or in a way that everyone is a racist.

...

Tonight I went to the gas station. As I pulled up, a white passenger van also pulled up. Ten young black men got out. My inner alert system was in the orange zone.

They started walking up to the various patrons who were pumping gas; they were carrying some sort of boxed candy. As one started to walk my way, my alert system rose to red.

I kindly declined, and the young man politely walked away. I willed myself not to be scared.

But I was.

And it's a devastating thing when you realize, That boy could be my son one day. And people might be afraid of him. Just because he has brown skin.

My kinder readers will justify my fear. You were alone. It was dark out. They were dressed like gang bangers.

And all those things are true. But I was afraid, and I didn't want to be. I am ashamed that I glanced around to see if there were security cameras, just in case they tried something.

...

This has been a weekend of realizations.

Last night our little family went to our local hot dog place, and there was an interracial couple there with their children. I found myself staring at them. I wondered how they met, how long they'd been together, and what the nature of their relationship was.

I didn't think that about any of the other couples in the restaurant. And it bothered me that I not only noticed but couldn't stop thinking about it. (I'm still thinking about it!)

I know lots of people of different races. Some of my friends have skin colors different from my own. Our child's godparents are an interracial couple. I don't have a problem with it, really. But I wish I didn't notice it so much.

And I wish my boy didn't have to grow up as a black boy in America, because I know the cards are stacked against him.

54% of African Americans graduate from high school, compared to more than three quarters of white and Asian students.
Nationally, African American male students in grades K-12 were nearly 2½ times as likely to be suspended from school in 2000 as white students.
On average, African American twelfth-grade students read at the same level as white eighth-grade students.
The twelfth-grade reading scores of African American males were significantly lower than those for men and women across every other racial and ethnic group.
Only 14% of African American eighth graders score at or above the proficient level. These results reveal that millions of young people cannot understand or evaluate text, provide relevant details, or support inferences about the written documents they read.
The majority of the 2.3 million people incarcerated in U.S. prisons and jails are people of color, people with mental health issues and drug addiction, people with low levels of educational attainment, and people with a history of unemployment or underemployment.

Sources: Alliance for Excellent Education, Penn Child Research Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, RAND Corporation, Oakland Unified School District, Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics.

These statistics make me uncomfortable, and I don't have an answer--either to society's problems or my own internal struggles.

But I do know this: With God's help, I will love my African-American son with all my heart and soul. I will do everything in my power to help him defy the statistics. And I will pray that people judge him on the content of his character and not the color of his skin.

31 July 2014

Hopes and Dreams

I had a conversation with two of my cousins last year that has stuck with me. We talked about our hopes and dreams for our kids, and how we want more for our kids.

I don't think that's unusual--most parents wants their kids to go further and be more successful than they have been. But my cousins and I were not talking about material success. We were talking about the desire to see our children have a greater faith in God than we do. To love Jesus more than we do. To be more diligent in prayer, steadfast in love, and saturated in grace.

When I think about the children that Ken and I are adopting, I think about the dramatic change in course their lives will take in a few months. They don't know it yet, but they will be given the chance to go further and do more than their biological parents. They won't worry about whether there will be enough food to fill their growling tummies. They won't die of malnutrition or treatable disease. Water will be clean and safe to drink. They will get an education that rivals the best in the world. And they will have a family who never gives up on them, loves them forever and ever, no matter what may come.

But will they think about the years they lost in the orphanage? Will they wonder if God forgot them?

It would be great if they are on the honor roll, excel in sports, get a scholarship to university, meet and marry a wonderful person, live in a comfortable house, and have a high-paying job.

But ultimately none of that matters to me. I want them to know God. I want them to believe without a doubt that He was always there, always watching, always loving--even when their future looked bleak. I want them to experience God's goodness, His kindness, His favor.

Of course I want this for Jackson as well, but it's my special prayer for these three children who have faced so much hardship in their young lives.

This song gives me chills every time I hear it. It's been true in my life, and I pray it's true for my children as well.

18 July 2014

Waiting

A few days ago Jack and I noticed something unusual in our driveway. A small bird was fluttering and hopping and definitely not flying. Only one wing was flapping, and it appeared to only have one leg. It skittered around us, in obvious distress, and made it's way through the open door of our garage.

Little Birdie was hiding behind some boxes, and Jack and I became distressed as well. Besides the obvious concern we felt about the bird, I also thought about how this saga might end: Baby bird gets lost or trapped in our garage, dies a slow painful death, our garage starts to stink, I have no idea where the smell is coming from, I search the garage from top to bottom, find a decomposing bird, and have to call Ken home from work to handle the situation.

Let me reiterate, I was concerned about the bird. Deeply concerned. But when it came right down to it, I was also concerned about ME. Because ME is the lens through which I see the world. <<Human nature right there.

I quickly moved a box to prevent the bird from going deeper into the recesses of our garage, and the noise of the box scraping the concrete floor was too much for Birdie. Scared, he started flopping, hopping, and squealing the most pitiful bird cries I've ever heard.

Immediately, a flock of birds descended, circling our driveway. It was like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's horror flick, Birds.

In the interest of full disclosure and blogging integrity, let me confess that I've never seen The Birds. But if it's horrible and there are a bunch of screaming, flapping, angry birds, that's what this was like.

All the commotion scared the injured bird out of the garage...and also scared the bejeebers out of me and Jack-Jack.

Picture this: Jack, one of the most dramatic, The-Sky-Is-Falling! kind of kids I know, waving his arms and yelling, "OH NO! OH NO!" And then he would jump up, jump down, and repeat.

I wonder if any of our neighbors were watching.

Anyway, I called our local animal shelter to tell them we had a severely injured, near-death, baby bird in our yard, and they dispatched someone immediately. While we waited, I assured Jack that they would take the bird to the animal hospital and help birdie until he was healthy enough to return to his parents.

The Animal Shelter lady arrived, and after a thorough inspection that lasted twenty-five seconds or less, she announced that our almost-dead Baby Bird was in fact a fledgling who was perfectly healthy.

She said it appeared the bird fell (or was pushed) out of the nest prematurely, and hadn't yet learned to fly. Apparently birds are sometimes hatched with their legs crossed against their body, and one might descend before the other...giving the bird the appearance of having only one leg. She said the bird would be just fine, that the birds circling overhead would bring food until he ... for lack of a better phrase, "spread his wings and learned to fly." It would just take some time, probably a day or so.

Phew.

I may have overreacted a little, but I am confident you would have, too, if you had witnessed that scene.

Thirty minutes later Jack was in the house and enjoying his daily half-a-peanut-butter-sandwich for lunch. He was quiet for a while, and then he said something I haven't been able to forget.

"Mom, I'm kind of disappointed the baby bird wasn't hurt."

He wasn't being cruel. He simply wanted the excitement and drama of the bird being put on a stretcher, loaded into the "ambulance," whisked away to the animal hospital, and being miraculously saved.

He wanted to be the Fixer. He wanted results. He didn't like the idea of simply waiting. Letting nature take its course. Allowing time for the bird to summon the courage to fly.

Isn't that a lot like us? We (and by "we" I mean "I") want instant results. It takes a lot of patience to rest in God's timing. To let friends, family members, and our children work out their problems on their own. To find moments of joy in the journey of life, rather than looking for results.

[sigh]

-----------------------------------

In other news:

1. We passed another milestone in our adoption! We received approval on our revised I600a form, which basically says the U.S. government will immediately recognize D, M, and L as our children upon completion of the adoption. We had to re-submit this form because initially we indicated we were only adopting up to two children, and no older than 10 years. We are thankful we received this approval so quickly because Ethiopia requires it in order to take the next step.

2. The next step is complicated, but in a nutshell, documents must be compiled saying D, M, and L are, in fact, true orphans who have no extended family members who are able to care for them. Investigations must be done to locate family members, a court appearance has to happen with the relatives who relinquished them, and court orders have to be approved on three levels (the equivalent of city, county, and state).

All of these things take time. If you've ever stood in line at the post office, you know that government proceedings are slow. Now imagine being in a third-world country where electricity is spotty, internet is unreliable, and phones--where available--only work some of the time.

We are thankful that Ethiopia takes the care of their children so seriously and wants to ensure the integrity of each adoption. But we're praying the process will go quickly. Ethiopian government takes a "holiday" every year for several weeks, usually the end of August or beginning of September, and everything shuts down and gets put on hold. The exact dates are different every year, and they are not announced until a few weeks before it happens. So we are hoping lots of progress is made before this shutdown.

3. We also received an official referral letter from our adoption agency. We had already been "matched," but until we got approval from the U.S. for our revised I600a, they couldn't give us a contract. The signed, notarized contract is now in the mail back to the agency, and we will make one of the final payments on the adoption early next week. Then the only really big money stuff that is left is the airline tickets. Ken and I will travel to Ethiopia twice. The first trip will be for court. The second trip will be to pick up the children...so we'll be flying home with three children...who will have one-way tickets to Chicago. (The gravity of that has not sunk in yet.)

I wish we could buy the tickets in advance so we could get the very best deals, but it doesn't work like that. When Ethiopia is ready for you to come, they let you know, and you usually only have a short time to make your travel plans. (translate=expensive tickets) This expense is a concern to us, but we've seen God graciously provide for all our needs so far, and we know He won't let us down now.

That's all for now. We'll let you know when we have any other new developments.

I hope you have a relaxing weekend. Blueberry picking is on our agenda; what's on yours?

Luann

02 July 2014

Doubting in the Dark

When we tell people we're adopting a sibling group of three, we get a few different responses.

"That's awesome! So excited for you! How can we help?" (Our favorite response, of course.)

"Wow." Followed by an awkward silence. (Yah, that's awkward.)

"Oh my. Do you think you're ready for this?" (As a matter of fact, no we are not. I mean, who is ever prepared for parenthood?"

"How many bedrooms does your house have?" (Still has three, last I checked.) "Well, where will you put all those kids?" (Gee, I don't know. In a dresser drawer? Or maybe, (gasp), they could share bedrooms?)

And my favorite, and by favorite I mean not my favorite, "You're so brave!" Implications include: What if these adopted kids turn into drug-crazed serial killers? What if your husband loses his job and you have FOUR children to support? Etc. Etc.

I admit I read into things a lot, and my own fears, doubts and insecurities play a major role in how I interpret things.

So here's the truth: I'm not brave. Ken's not brave (although braver than me). We're just doing what we think God wants us to do. He has opened so many doors and made it so obvious that we are to walk down this path ... that to not walk down this path would be outright sin. For us.

Some days I feel downright scared. You see, when we started this process, our finanical situation was a bit different. And now instead of the cost of adopting one child, we have the cost of adopting three.

But this is life. We all have unexpected things happen that alter the landscape.
And we have willingly chosen to do this.

My point is that sometimes we look like we're taking a big leap of faith--like adopting a child from Ethiopia--when in fact it's not faith at all. When we started this process, we had the desire to adopt; it wasn't like God was asking us to do something we felt averse to. We had the support of friends and family. And we had almost all the funds we needed, so there was little faith involved. It seemed right, doable.

And God laughed.

Apparently He wanted to stretch us. He wanted us to see that this was His doing, not ours.

He has blessed us in so many unexpected ways. Our garage sale last month generated more than a thousand dollars. Then our church's Vacation Bible School kids raised money for us as their special project. They raised more than $1,100! And my sisters organized an adoption shower, and tons of friends gave us gift cards to help us feather our expanding nest. And did I mention that I totally furnished our girls' bedroom for $66? Adorable matching dressers, a nightstand, twin beds, and two mattresses. $66! That's God right there.

It's humbling to be given so much. You guys, it is humbling to be given so much.

We prayed that our community (church, friends, family) would be involved in this adoption. We know that it takes a village to raise a kid, and a church to raise a Christian. And that prayer has been answered.

But it's still scary. Because now we are operating on faith. We don't know how we will manage going from a family of three to a family of six. We don't know what it will take to transition three children into a new family in a new country with a new language and new food.

But we know that God is able. And He is good. And He loves D, M, and L way more than we do.

These children have spent a long time in an orphanage. Too long. But we believe God will redeem those years. In the Bible God promises that He will repay for the years "the locusts have stolen." And we hang on to this promise for our kids. All of them. We want, more than anything, to bear witness to their redemption story. We want to see the goodness of God gloriously displayed in their lives. We want to be a part of their next chapter--and all the subsequent chapters of their lives.

So if you think we're brave, think again. Crazy might be closer to reality.

One of my favorite quotes says, "Don't doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light." So that's what we're doing. Or rather what we're not doing.

Some days feel dark and confusing and scary. Other days feel light and hopeful and exciting. But every day is good, because God is good.

The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost
    to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts,
the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts....
    Once again you will have all the food you want,
    and you will praise the Lord your God,
who does these miracles for you.
    Never again will my people be disgraced.

Then you will know that I am among my people...
that I am the Lord your God, and there is no other. Joel 2:25-27

27 June 2014

Change of Plans

I haven't blogged in a very long time, and there's been a good reason for that. We've had a change of plans regarding our adoption, and although I wanted to write about it, I couldn't.

You see, we are no longer adopting a child from Ethiopia. And while I know it may come as a shock to some of you, I hope you won't be disappointed.

You see, near the end of May, we received an email from our adoption agency. After exchanging pleasantries, they dropped a bomb on us.

They had a sibling group of three that had become available for adoption. I clicked on the link to see the photos of their sweet faces, and I knew in that instant that we would not be adopting a child from Ethiopia.

We'd be adopting three.

I am limited on what I can share on social media sites, but let me tell you...they are three of the most beautiful children you have ever seen. Ever. I can't post their pics, so you'll just have to believe me.

D is 11 years old, and he is very protective of his younger sisters. He has light brown skin and a shy smile. He enjoys discussing politics with his caretakers, showing his friends his "moves," and studying English and math.

M is 8 years old, and she has huge brown eyes that light up a room. She loves jumping rope and reading. She hopes to be a teacher when she grows up.

L is 6 years old. Her smile is as wide as her face. Her caretakers say she "tries her best to obey," and the mischievous sparkle in her eye seems to confirm that. She loves sports and says she wants to be a mommy when she grows up.

The timeline for when these precious children will come home is in flux, but if all goes according to plan, they should be joining our family early in 2015.

We're praying it will be even sooner than that.

Ken and I, along with Jack, are thrilled. Doubling our family size within a few months is a bit overwhelming, but we are confident that this is God's plan for our family.

Will you join us in praying for little D, M, and L? Transitions are always hard, but we're so thankful these little ones will have biological siblings--as well as a new family and a community who loves them--to rely on.

I'll write more in coming days about all the amazing things we've seen God do throughout this process, but this wonderful news will have to suffice for now.

Love to you all~

Luann, for Ken and Jackson