A Very Special Christmas Gift

Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year from the Wright Family!

2012 has been a year of change and growth for our family.

 This time last year we decided to move forward with an Ethiopian adoption.  We made adjustments to our budget, sold household excess and held fundraising events.  Our church hosted a cookout and gave generously, friends and family sent checks to our adoption agency, Ordinary Hero gave us the opportunity to sale T-shirts from ordinaryherostore.org.  I took a part-time job at Family Christian Store.  David and I hosted a Christmas Childcare event and a few faithful friends helped us entertain 25 children while their parents shopped or wrapped gifts.

And we prayed!

We have trusted God's sovereignty and provision for our adoption.  Many days I have laid on the floor with my palms outstretched seeking the Lord.  Trusting His good plans for our family.  Trusting Him to select the child for our family.  We've asked Him to choose the gender, age and even the American name for our child.

On December 10th God blessed us with an adoption referral for an older child.  Until our adoption is final we cannot share the details but we will fill you in as soon as we can.  We are so very thankful and excited, all 6 of us!  This child is delightful!  A friend was in Addis when we received our referral.  We were able to email a photo release to allow her to take pictures and video.  It got there within one day of her departure.  She needed to pack and prepare to leave but she took the time to visit the transition home for us.  I received pictures and videos on my Birthday!  There's more to the story, more that confirms God's plans to make this child a part of the Wright family.  We can't wait to let you in on all the details of this amazing story!

At this stage, we wait for our court appointment date. The MOWCYA will write a referral letter and then we will receive our court date, possibly only 10 days before leaving.  Sooo, I am using this time to prepare for our departure.  I am gathering donations for the orphanages and a ministry we will visit. I am purchasing gifts for nannies and the children in the orphanages.  I am also planning meals for our family so they can pull frozen dinners out while we are out of the country.  I'm writing our 4 teens schedules for our friends and Grandparents who will be taking care of them. And I am attempting to learn a few survival phrases in Amharic!  The room is ready.  I go in there to pray for our child often. 

Soon!  We will travel soon!  Then wait for the Embassy appointment and travel again!  Did you know I've always wanted to go to Africa?  If I could go anywhere in the world?  AFRICA!  My heart is already there.

Thank you, thank you to all who have already given, prayed, listened!  I'm so glad you are on this big adventure with us!

That Sweet Man of Mine

David and Me

   Today is my husband's birthday!!!  Happy Birthday David!

I'm dedicating this post to my sweet husband because he's an amazing gift from God.

   David was born and raised right here in Wichita, Kansas.  His parents are Charley and Joan Wright - Wonderful parents. Charley is with the Lord now. David has one very sweet sister, Susan.

   David and I met in 1989 at a Bible Study geared toward college students.  We also attended the same church and Sunday School class.  I was able to watch this guy, listen to the way he interacted with people and spoke of his relationship with Jesus. He willingly served people without seeking recognition.  I had respect for David early on, even before our first date.  He was gentle and kind.  He thought before he spoke.  He didn't need to be the center of attention like so many other young men.  He was also really cute, an added bonus!

   David asked me out and we dated off and on for a few months.  It took me a while to feel secure in our relationship but David was patient and proved to be trustworthy.  One night when I sought God's direction for my life, He very specifically put David's name on my mind.  It was very clear!  David and I went for a walk and talked for a long time.  Soon after, we became engaged.  I married my best friend on March 23, 1991!

   We have 4 terrific kids, all teens now.  We've walked some bumpy roads along the way but we've follow Jesus and He's faithfully led us and matured us.  He's always provided for all He's called us to do.  We put our full trust in Him for the future of our family.  We are now in the process of adopting 2 older children from Ethiopia!  We've never had our ducks in a row and we are not picture perfect from any angle but we are willing to trust and obey.  We thank God for everything (good and hard)He allows to enter our lives and He gives us great joy!  He has lavished His love on us and filled us up to overflowing.

   David is a hard worker and very good at what he does.  He is Vice President of his architecture firm, Health Facilities Group.  He seeks to understand, encourage and challenge his employees and they respect him.  He leads by example and he leads with integrity.

 In addition, David is an awesome dad.   He is intentional about connecting with and encouraging each one of our children.  He challenges them to work hard and live lives that honor God.  They have no question that they are loved and "liked" by their Dad.  He has been very involved in their lives and always will be.

   I am so blessed to have David as my husband.  He is my sounding board and confidante.  He is the perfect balance for me.  He sees the glass half full where I tend to see it half empty (I'm learning from his example I'm glad to report).  He always believes the best about people, giving them the benefit of the doubt.  I tend to question people's motives.  He is linear, I am random. He's self-disciplined and I fly by the seat of my pants. It makes me smile because we compliment each other's personalities so well.  God always knows what He's doing and He does it so well!  I have no doubt that David loves and accepts me. He's done such a great job of telling me and showing me.  When he proposed to me 22 years ago, he asked me for the opportunity to try to love me as Christ loves the church.  Kinda sappy, huh?  But he's doing it!  He's not perfect but he intentionally makes the effort to know me and love me in ways that I truly feel loved.  He leads us well and I am so proud that he is my husband!

   That's enough mushiness for now but you know I could go on and on!  I'm so blessed by David!

More

To arrive at my blog I have to click on More.  More is a word that I am experiencing in life, in my relationship with Jesus, in other relationships.

More GRACE.
More JOY.
More peace.
More fun.
More understanding.
More confidence.
More depth in relationships.

John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full!"

More from God = Full, Abundant Life

God has full, abundant life for all who call Him Father.  For all of us who believe in His Son Jesus, He has amazing gifts that He generously and lavishly pours out on us.

These gifts may come in disguise - hard eucharisteos.  There are hard things that He allows into our lives to get us to the point of dependence and the ability to receive.  Things that force our independent eyes off ourselves (our strength and abilities) to look at Him.  He is our Master, our Creator.  The One who made us LOVES us and has the very best plans for our lives.

Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you a hope and a future, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you."

He alone is Wise and Able and All Good.

Hard Eucharisteos.  Ann Voskamp's book, One Thousand Gifts, has brought about transformation in my life.  I should say that the work God is doing in my heart through His message in her book is bringing about transformation in my life.  Ann talks about Eucharisteo - thanksgiving.  It is easy to be open-handed to gifts that we want.  It is difficult to receive the hard gifts that we would never ask for.  But He gives us the grace to live even through the hard.  When we return thanks for whatever He allows to come in to teach us, stretch us and grow us - He gives us JOY.  Full, abundant JOY!  This is where real living takes place.  This is how we can get filled up by Him.  So full that we overflow onto those around us.  Letting His light shine through us because we can't contain it.
That is His design.

Saying YES to Jesus is never a foolish risk!

Our Hard Eucharisteos (to name a few):
miscarriage
asperger's syndrome
ocd
adhd
epilepsy
anxiety
depression
the loss of David's sweet dad, Charley

I can say Thank You God for each of these things now.  He has brought (or is currently bringing) healing in each of these areas.  We've given them to Him and we've said YES LORD trusting our trustworthy God to work in our lives through them.  He REDEEMS.  He HEALS. He MAKES ALL THINGS NEW.  He BRINGS JOY in the MORNING.  He gives HOPE.  He is the AUTHOR and PERFECTOR of our FAITH...

All GLORY to HIM who sits on the THRONE!  Who daily gives us manna.

Each morning I surrender my day to Him with my hands open to what He wants to give me. (I didn't get here on my own.  He has had to work hard and long on this girl). I want to receive all of the gifts He has for me, the easy ones and the hards ones.  And I give THANKS because He is good in all things.  He has proven Himself over and over.

These are the things we are currently holding out to Him to receive His work, His will: (Would you pray with us?)
Our Adoption  of one or 2 precious children from Ethiopia
ADHD & OCD
Anxiety & Irritability
Future plans to move to a home more fitting for 6 children/2 adults
A job for Tobi
Continued success for Health Facilities Group (David co-owns)

We trust God with our future because He is completely TRUSTWORTHY!

Would you let me know what you are trusting God for right now? Just leave a comment. I will pray for you.  And if you are struggling with anxiety/depression...know that I am already praying for you.  It's a silent struggle for many Christian women and I am familiar with this kind of pain.  You seek Him and He will deliver you.  Thank Him for whatever you can today...that's the beginning.

Pumpkin Patchin'

Mikaela's instagram picture of our teens on the haystacks.

Saturday was a cold and gray day but we had so much fun together at Walter's Pumpkin Patch (a few miles north of El Dorado).

Walter's is different than any other Pumpkin Patch we've been to.  We took the kids every year when they were little but we've haven't been in several years which made it even more fun.  I wasn't sure what our teens would think about going to a Pumpkin Patch but they loved it.  Their smiles and laughter blessed my soul :) They didn't even fuss at me for making them look at the camera (David's phone) multiple times!

Aaron, Natalie, Mikaela and Jordan

David and me - one of our better photos - jk!

The sibling loveness warmed me right up.

Oh my silly boys!  Jordan nearly tipped his pony  all the way forward.

We had to chuckle at these 2 who kept butting each other out of the trough.   Just being "kids."

Aaron, Natalie, Jordan (mid-air) me and Mikaela on the Bouncing Pillow.

David (normally a very attractive man) couldn't wait until  I served up the lunch I packed so...
This was taken somewhere in the Corn Maze.

This is just so stinkin' cute of Mikaela, I couldn't resist adding it.

David enjoyed holding his girls up in the air on the tractor seated teeter totter.

Our boys warming themselves by the fire.  They were the die-hards who actually  completed the Farm Scene Investigation/Corn Maze.  So proud!

Beautiful white pumpkin I found and brought home - it's on  the mantel now, looking lovely.

This was a great family road trip.  If you live anywhere near El Dorado Kansas, I highly recommend it.  It was worth the $10 each - better than a movie in my book.  Ok, there were some additional costs but still so worth it.  We'll go again.  As our time there went on I kept thinking that our Ethiopian kids will love this too.  Hoping they will be with us next Fall!

I love my family!

   I love my sweet family!  David and Jordan (19) went to visit the KU campus today.  Fun road trip for them.  It was a nice cool fall day to be there.  They talked with people in admissions and in the film department.  Jordan has finished his training for the Kansas Air National Guard and is currently working full time on base.  In the Spring he will attend Wichita State and then off to KU in the Fall.  He's so ready!  One of our pastors is starting a church in Lawrence. Knowing that Jordan will have a church there gives us peace.  God covers all the bases!

   Two of our 4 teens were sick this past week but not today.  They all made it to school today :) Well the 3 that are still in school. I did some returns and grocery shopping for my next fundraiser - a Bake Sale.  My friend and her daughter joined my girls and me for Chick-Fil-A  and then came over to our house.  The girls watched movies and Les and I baked A Lot of cookies.   and ate a few too.  Cranberry/Walnut/Oatmeal, Snickerdoodle, Pumpkin Snickerdoodle and Butterscotch/Chocolate Chip.  Oh my! It was much more fun to bake with Les than to do it all myself.  Amish proverb, "Many hands make light work."  It's so true.  Aaron just hung out with the computer because he was terribly outnumbered by girls!  Sorry Aaron.  He'll go with the guys to visit KU in the Spring since he's a Junior.  

   Tomorrow morning we will take a mini road trip to the El Dorado area - Walter's Pumpkin Patch here we come!  Expect too many pictures on my next post!  

   Thanks for stopping by! 

Crisp, Cool, Beautiful Fall!

   Welcome to my blog.  I love Fall!  It is my favorite season.  The leaves turning that crimson red, vibrant orange, warm yellow and still some bright green.   I like them so much that we've decorated our home in those colors. I can enjoy a rainy day but the cool, sunny days with bright blue skies....Lovely! Pumpkins of all sizes on porches, big, full chrysanthemums, fall wreaths hanging on doors.  I love the sound of crunching crisp leaves under my feet and I'm opening myself up to enjoying a little football - the announcer's voices, the cheers of faithful fans.  The aroma of pumpkin, cranberries and cinnamon, ooooooooo.  And, of course, the flavors that go along with those scents.  I can now pull on jeans and long sleeved shirts.  I love to sit on my back porch swing with a blanket and a good book or The Good Book.  All of it brightens my spirit!  I'm so thankful for this season.

   Our adoption has been on my mind so much lately.  Fundraising  brings out different emotions - feeling awkward to ask for help in raising money but feeling so grateful for all the support and encouragement we've been given. So amazed to see how God is providing.  I know adoption is about more than the family adopting and the children being adopted.  God brings so many people into the process to give, pray, teach, encourage, help and talk to.  He's brought kindred spirits into my life through adoption blogs.  We're adopting children who are 4-7yrs 11mo. old.  In the adoption world they are considered as "older."  I read blogs about families who are raising adopted children who have issues somewhat unique to this age range.  Our experiences in foster parenting have also contributed to the learning process.  I believe that God draws this team together to help prepare us and change us but also to do great things in the hearts of our support team.  He doesn't do anything without having a good purpose, whether we are in the giving or in the receiving.  Each gives us the priviledge of being a part of His plans, His movement, His body, His kingdom!

   Our Ethiopian children are also on my mind, all the time.  We are praying that God will bind our hearts together even now.  We don't have referrals yet so we haven't seen their faces and we don't know the details of their lives.  We ask God to heal their hearts, provide for all their physical needs, and to love them through their caregivers and little friends.  Asking Him to let them know they have a family.  God knows who they are and when they will join us.  He knows their future and He has great plans for them.  All of this gives me hope and such peace.  He may give us children that challenge our parenting skills like never before but hasn't He always given all we need for each challenge He allows us to face.  Hasn't He grown all of us in and through the struggles?  He is faithful, period.  That won't change.  That won't change!

   I'm excited about these children becoming a part of our family.  I'm reminded by young children that come into our home through foster care what joy their perspectives on life can bring.  How they simplify things and make a big deal out of the small, seemingly unimportant stuff of life.  In spite of hard times they laugh so full and so often.  It all makes me back up and take it all in.  They seem to take life at a slower pace and notice details and joys I tend to overlook like bugs, sticks, mud, long time swinging and hopping and touching everything.  You know I'm a kid person, always have been.  God's given me this gift to help me see and experience Him more.  It's about them and it's about what He wants to give me and teach me.  I know our Ethiopian kids are delightful too and I can't wait to meet them!!!  His timing is perfect, His timing is perfect, His timing is perfect... My timing is not.  I'd take them today but we still have so much to learn :)

Thanks for visiting and I hope you'll come back.  God bless, Tobi

We are Winners!

Yay!  We won the $500 grant from Ordinary Hero!!!  We sold over $1600 in merchandise which gave us $653 in commission.  Together that makes $1,153 for our adoption.  OH will send a check to America World and it will be put into an account for us!  I am so thankful for God's provision once again and for Ordinary Hero for their huge gift!
Brenda Fleming is the winner of the Starbuck's Gift Card drawing!!!
A BIG THANKS to all of you who prayed or purchased or shared our posts on Facebook!  You have greatly blessed us!
We will continue to keep the Ordinary Hero fundraising going so go shop again if you'd like :)  We are so please with the quality of our shirts.  It will be fun seeing you and your kids wearing OH t-shirts!  :)

I also want to say thanks to Candace Allenbach and Darlene Seibert who've recently donated children's clothing (very nice clothing too) for foster children and our Ethiopian kids!  THANK YOU!

Whew!  Now I need to focus some time on my house!  Do I have a witness?