Thursday, January 20, 2011

THANKS...

This is a video of our 2010 clients! Plus a few from the end of 2009! We have been so blessed to have worked with each of these precious families. Thank you so much for allowing us to walk along side of you during one of the most important journeys of your life!

Please make sure to mute the music at the bottom of the blog before starting the video!!

ENJOY!!!


Isaiah Thomas Poe...

I was going to write this blog entry myself, and tell of this precious family's adoption journey, but then I visited her personal blog, and her account was so perfect, that she said I could cut and paste! Gotta love that!! This family was such a blessing to work with, and we are so thankful for their heart for adoption and their obedience to the Lord!



I'm sitting here watching my sweet little boy snooze as a I write. Many people have been asking about "his story" so here it is!

Daniel and I emailed our now adoption consultant Courtney Lott back in late 2009 just to see if we could have dinner with her and Emory and talk about adoption. We each knew years ago that we both wanted to adopt. Like most people we thought it would take a few years. So with that anticipation we wanted to get the ball rolling so to speak. We thought we may have 1 kid and then adopt but that wasn't God's plan!

In March of 2010 we decided to start trying for a family and within two weeks I was pregnant. It was a rough few months with many uncertainties and on May 20, 2010 we found out our little Turtle went to be with the Lord. Months went by with no "luck" of getting pregnant again. Those months seemed like forever. Eager to have a family even more now we contacted Courtney again and set that meeting up! We met with her and sweet little Emmy at Chick-fil-a one morning and were very suprised to learn it could take such a short time to adopt but we were ready to start the "process".

We went through all the logistics and paperwork (mounds upon mounds of paperwork) and had just finished applying for our grants. A few days before Christmas we got 2 emails within 24 hours that we were denied for 2 different grants. We were kinda shocked and extremely bummed. Daniel and I started trying to figure out how we could make it work and had absolutely no answer. Courtney called us about a "situation" with a baby due January 5, 2011 in Tampa, FL. We went back to our original list of prayer request we wrote when we began the adoption process and every request was answered but one - the finances. We talked and prayed about it and told her we just couldn't do it yet. Within a few days God provided and the finances were met! God is so amazing! So we decided to adopt this little boy.

Once everything was approved we anxiously waited for the agency to call saying the birthmom was in labor. We drove down on Tuesday January 4 for my great grandma's funeral in Tampa and were hoping she would go into labor while we were here but no such luck. So we drove back home on Thursday morning! Sunday morning at 2:00am we got the call...she was in labor!! We jumped up out of bed and drove through the night. We pulled into the hospital that morning to soon found out the little boy was a little girl! We couldn't help but laugh at this! We had a bag full of blue packed! We went in and met the birthmom, held the little girl, fed her, changed her diaper and couldn't have had a better time. To make a long story short the birthmom decided the night before she was suppose to sign that she couldn't do it. Because of the ice back home we couldn't drive home where we so desperatly wanted to be. We were heartbroken but when we woke up the next morning (Tuesday) we had an overwhelming peace about the decision. We didn't understand but knew that God had other plans and was doing something we just didn't know what.

I prepared my heart for another few months of waiting. We talked with Courtney Wednesday morning and she had some other possible situations: a 10 month old boy and a soon to be little girl. Daniel and I talked all day until 4:45 when Courtney had to have an answer about presenting to the birthmom having the little girl. We were torn all day long as to what to do. Daniel has always wanted a little boy and I just wanted an infant. We decided to go ahead and present on the little girl due next week.

Courtney called the agency to tell them and immediately called us back. She said, "your not going to beleive this" and asked if we were sitting. She told us about a little boy that had been born on Sunday (same time as the little girl we were suppose to bring home). His birth parents had already signed over their rights. I had told Daniel previously I wasn't sure how I could stand going through another 48hour waiting period not knowing if the mom would sign or not. What an answer to a prayer! The original adopted family had changed their minds. So there he was this perfect little angel sitting in the hospital with no parents but not for long! It was our baby boy!! God could not have been anymore clear! Once again for the 5th time in a week we made the 8 hour drive back to Tampa through the night! I couldn't sleep at all that night because I was anxious to meet our little man!!

We got to the hospital first thing in the morning and got to lay eyes on our precious gift from God. Isaiah Thomas Poe was born January 9, 2011 at 2:33am weighing in at 6lbs 9oz and 20.5in!! He shares a birthday with his papa Poe (Daniel's dad)!

He is a very special little man to us and we couldn't be more blessed to call him our son! We had no idea what God had in store for us and we are so amazed at this little life! Praise God for His never ending faithfulness! Even though we don't deserve it He continues to pour out His blessings upon us!


Some of the verses that have been encouraging to us throughout this time and even now:

James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of any kinds because the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

2 Peter 5:10 "The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen and support you after you have suffered a little."

James 1:17 "Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights"

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress"

All Glory, Honor and Praise to God!!!

***If you are considering adoption I highly recommend using Faithful Adoption Consultants to help guide you through the process!! Courtney and Emory have been amazing to work with! Not only do they understand the world of adoption but they fervently work and pray for you throughout the entire time! You can contact them at courtney@faithfuladoptionconsultants.com!!*** :)

Gotta love the plug at the end! Thanks, Heather and Daniel!!