Beginning of our journey

                My husband (Scott) and I are in our mid-late twenties and have been married for three years. God has been showing us going on four years now what he wanted to do with our lives. Right after Scott and I got engaged we were trying to find somewhere we can serve together. I kept thinking of this organization Tennessee Baptist Children’s home (TBCH) it’s a foster organization that I knew my parents helped out with some when I was younger. I brought it up to Scott half serious and the other half doubting the capability we had to get involved with something as big as that. Scott then told me how he has been thinking about that type of organization as well. I then really started having so many questions and concerns. We just got engaged we are still young and we are not even financially stable. Both of us were working at a bank and living pay check to pay check. Honestly the random unexpected checks in the mail are what got us through. I went ahead and called to see what they needed and man was it a lot of options. It was Christmas time so they were asking for church groups/ life groups to take a cottage out and just spend time with them and make memories. We decided if anything we could try it once and see if we could do this.

                So we got a few of our friends together and took a cottage of girls to dinner then to look at the Christmas lights at Cheekwood. After that we really wanted to start doing more stuff like that. Honestly the more invested we were getting the more God was changing our hearts and even our financial situation. Scott ended up leaving the bank and took a leap in faith to do real-estate. We were already living paycheck to paycheck and then God was leading us to go on faith to drop Scott’s steady income. Talking about a big leap in faith, but God then again provided for us and started sending Scott customers and with that leap we have been able to get even more invested with the organization and even certain kids. I see it the same way people look at tithing where if you start being faithful with God’s money he will provide for you. That next year we were able to throw a minute to win it party and help the Junior and Senior girls pick out prom dresses and get their nails done before prom.

                Within that year Scott and I had our baby girl (Rory) after Rory was born we were still doing just as much with TBCH and started feeling lead to do more. We always knew and talked about hosting some of the kids and letting them stay with us. Well we found out about their visiting family program. This is where you can open your home to children during certain weekends mainly holidays or school breaks. This allows them to get away from what can be hectic environment for a couple of days and just relax. This is also a good opportunity to show them a stable family life. We started this program April of 2018 and after the kids we hosted they had such an impact on our lives and we started seeing how well Rory was with older kids, and even how well older kids were doing with Rory. We started wondering if this was yet again our next step.

                We then hosted this sweet little boy and he was in the process of looking for a forever family. After talking and really getting to know this boy we began to really believe that we were to adopt. This decision honestly really scared me at first. I always knew that we would adopt but I was thinking it would be once Rory was a little older. It ended up not working out for us to adopt the little boy, but God knew exactly what he was doing because praise the Lord that sweet boy is now home and reunited with his mom. The further into the process we were getting the more the demons were trying to fight against us. I kept thinking what am I doing I am only 26 years old and we are trying to adopt a 10-14 year old. I started thinking am I good enough; I had so much fear that entered my mind. We were being discouraged by friends and family. I finally heard God tell me to cast those demons away and trust in him. The words that Josh Baldwin says in his song stand in your love “my fear doesn’t stand a chance when I stand in your love” those lyrics have really held close to my heart. So we started finally standing fully in his love and started the process.

                 Once we finally figured out exactly what we needed to do the process went fairly quickly and before we knew it we were ready to start looking for our sweet kids. We finally got matched with a beautiful and sweet 11 year old girl and a crazy, fun, and sweet 9 year old boy. This was one of the biggest and hardest decisions we have ever made but I would have never done it differently. We met our kids seven months ago and we have had them with us for almost six months now. Those months have been filled with some rough times but also beautiful times. You have to always remember that the hard times are usually because they are feeling lost because they have never had a lot of structure and love that you are offering them. Once you get past that and see their wall come down a little bit and hear them talk about adoption with confidence that it will happen, or times you see their faces light up because they are doing something for the first time. All of those times make all the hard times so worth it.

                I write this in hopes to encourage the ones out there that might be fighting with demons of their own, or ones that feel they are too young, or can’t afford to take kids in. You do not have to take in kids there are many other opportunities. I will be posting another blog next couple days sharing opportunities there are to get involved.