Scripture speaks of the war that is going on in the heavenly realm. It wasn't until I entered the adoption world that I actually FELT warfare SIGNIFICANTLY. The past few weeks have been a battle each and every day. Gwen and I have been under attack more than ever. We have had our nose to the grindstone, dealing with all of the issues that have been affecting our children. I have had three children wheezing, taking breathing treatments every three hours, one with strep throat, one with a double ear infection, one with pain in his heel to where he can barely walk and pink eye. Gwen has one with a hurt growth plate in his hip, one with her eye ducts clogged (oozing yuck), doctors appointments for Joseph/trying to figure out exactly what his issues might be, a husband that was sick for several weeks, Maggie still healing from surgeries, and now one that is throwing up! yep! SATAN at his finest! When you are going through day to day LIFE, it's hard to take time to look on the outside and really SEE what is happening. Gwen and I were together at a 147 event last night and starting talking through what the past few weeks have held...it was so good to just call it as it is: SATAN.

With 147 Million Orphans we have 132 people fundraising. Tosha is in Uganda bringing Abigail home soon, and I am walking with 8-9 couples through the adoption process right now. He HATES this. I will NOT be defeated. I serve a MIGHTY God who will fight on my behalf and give me the strength to make it through each and every day:)

I grew up in a small town in Tennessee. Adoption is not at the forefront of peoples minds in this town. When Gwen and I started 147, one of my high school friends, Renee Click, started selling beads in this small town. It was such a blessing to watch her sell beads day after day. Her husband was NOT on board to adopt, so she was just doing "her part" in caring for the "least of these." She got so excited when a new shipment would arrive. After a few months, Gwen and I shook our heads, we just knew that she had sold a set of beads to EVERY person in the town...she had sold THOUSANDS...not hundreds...THOUSANDS of beads! Her husband works in Nashville, so he would drop by Gwen's and pick up the beads when she ran out. Little did we know that God was moving his heart and her children's hearts by her selling Ugandan magazine beads! Gwen and I prayed fervently that their hearts would be open to adoption (sorry Tony!) and slowly but surely, Tony opened his heart to the journey that God has set for them as a family. Renee has three children (Blaine, Connor, and Allie...PRECIOUS children who have been transformed and have such HEARTS for the orphan.) Tony surprised Renee at Christmas and told her that he was ready to do paperwork and go to China to bring home their little girl....How precious is she?!! Meet Emery....

NOW THAT IS KINGDOM WORK!! who would ever think that selling beads would move a family to bring home a baby? We serve a MIGHTY GOD folks! WE get so busy "doing life" that we forget JUST how MIGHT HE is!! He created this earth, and ME and YOU. AND this precious little child is a perfect little angel that HE created. AND now, she has a mommy and a daddy and a sister and two BIG brothers..WOW!! HE IS THE I AM!!