Profiles and Pixie Dust.......

I had such good intentions of posting a new blog entry over the weekend.  Then, I decided I would write while we were out for snow.  Since neither one of those got done.....here I am writing today.  First off, I want to thank everyone out there who has been reading the blog so far.  I have gotten so much positive feedback from all who have read.  I feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful group of friends and family who are all so supportive.  Keep up the praying!  I can feel the prayers going up on our behalf. 

One of the things we have learned from Bethany Christian Services is how we should network with others to get our "story" out there.  A couple of you have told me that you have shared the blog with your friends who may not even know either one of us and that those people are praying for our adoption.  I want to encourage all of you to keep it up!  By networking through our friends and family, more people hear about our story.  You never know who may know someone who knows someone who might have a daughter or a niece who may be pregnant and wants to give her child up for adoption.  I also feel that by networking through all of you, more prayers will go up on our behalf.  We need prayers to give us strength, patience, and understanding.  I know those things only come from the Lord.

This week we have started to gather a sampling of pictures from throughout our lives to put together our profile book.  Our profile book will be how the birthmother chooses us to be the parents of her child.  In other words, it should be perfect!  In my mind, I'm thinking.....yeah right.  How in the world am I supposed to put together a profile book to help someone choose us???  We should include pictures and writings--like a letter to the birthmother.  One of the educational classes we took through Bethany taught us that we should choose each word and each picture very carefully as we place it in our profile book.  AAHHH!!!  How do we do that?  I'm not a writer.  If I write the profile, I'll be like......."Uh, uh, we go to Disney World about 4 times a year, uh, we love children, uh, we knew each other before we started kindergarten......."  I will need all the help I can get with the writing....I guess that will be Chad's job.  He has a higher education degree than I do.  HA! But, he is only a math teacher so I will have to proofread it for him!  I have been looking for pictures this week and have been trying to find a few pictures from each major chapter in our lives.  If any of you reading this have any pictures of Chad and me together at school or church, I might like to see them.  I've been trying to find a couple of pictures from church when we were little...like at the Christmas play, VBS, or Sunday school.  What Bethany suggests for us to put in the profile are pictures showing us doing something....not just portraits or posed pictures----if that makes sense.

Yesterday I received a new packet of paperwork to complete for our home study.  I never realized how much "stuff" we would be answering for the agency.  With all of the classes we've taken, the self study, the home study, and the statements of faith......I think all parents should go through these things.  In the long run, it will make me a better parent I know.  However, if all parents were to go through the self study, the educational classes, and the self study.....we would not have the behavior problems in the classroom that I see on a daily basis in high school.  I think parents would be better prepared to teach their children how to be respectful and responsible.  Ok, I'm off my soapbox. 

In closing of this week's post....I want to give thanks to the Lord for His many blessings He has already given to me and my family.  Our pastor, Ricky Stone, is returning from the Holy Land today.  Our prayer was delivered to the Wailing Wall!  Thank you again everyone for reading and continuing to pray for our journey!