worship in the wait

       as we continue to wait everyday to open an email holding good news in regards to our adoption, i reflected on what it means to wait..... and God showed up in a big way....to turn this wait for our children, the completion of our family, this long journey that seems to have been going on so long in our hearts, but started in reality not long ago.....to turn this wait into praise back to Him.

wait

  

verb (used without object)

1.

to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens 

2.

(of things) to be available or in readiness

3.

to remain neglected for a time

4.

to postpone or delay something or to be postponed or delayed

5.

to look forward to eagerly

my mind immediately went to our Savior as i read this definition.

my heart broke as i thought of Him expecting, for all of His earthly and human life,  rejection from those who should never have rejected him, expecting a gruesome death that He would face all alone on the cross...Him who had never known sin, baring all the sin of the entire world....all of my sin.

i was convicted as i read of His readiness... how He took every minute He wasn't reaching out to those in need of Him, to connect with His Father...He went to the Source of all strength and power and wisdom...that was the only thing that He needed to sustain Him....it was life and food and breath to Him to connect with His Father.

i rejoiced that He was only neglected for a time! He rose victorious! and because of this truth, my debt was paid and i am now an heir with Christ!

i thanked Him that He did not delay in the pursuit of my soul.... that He "drew me out of deep waters" at just the right time. i thanked Him that He, even now, is eagerly awaiting the moment that the Father tells Him it's time to bring His children home and bind up and mend and heal and fix all the brokenness in our world.

i let all that wash over me.

i pondered.

i prayed. 

i pray.

i want to follow Christ's example in OUR wait.

i desire to be found faithful, as long as this journey takes... expecting with joy and grace and patience as we await the blessing of 2 more precious children that the Father is placing in our family.

i pray to always be available to accept whatever this journey holds and however it ends up looking like.... to be ready for any twists and turns...any joy, pain or sorrow that we may encounter on this path that we are following Him on....to be able wait joyfully, in hope and expectancy, for God to grow us and change us in this process of trusting without borders or conditions....this place of surrender.

i ask for strength to endure the time that lies ahead while having a posture and attitude of praise, thanksgiving, patience, hope, immense joy and abounding peace in knowing that the Father knows the plans He has for our family and that it will all happen in His perfect timing.

 i also ask to NEVER forget the immense loss and pain and anguish that our children have experienced/ are experiencing...that by their need to be adopted into our family, it means they have experienced tremendous hurt and trauma no child should have to face. i pray to be able to meet them in their pain and feel their hurt; honor and respect their past and the life of their birth parents and be able to walk with them on their journey of healing.

i eagerly await the day we see our sweet kids' faces and can call out their names in our prayers..... i long for the day i can hold them in my arms and walk with them, hand in hand, on their journey to Jesus...... their faithful and everloving Heavenly Father, Who has fought for them, and will continue to fight for them.... i can hardly wait to one day be able to introduce them to the Healer of all hurt, sickness, pain and suffering and to be able to laugh with them and cry with them as they experience the true and lasting healing that only He can bring.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west… Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.” – Isaiah 43:5-6

this photo- google images

until then, i choose to worship in the wait.

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” -Psalm 126:3

daughter.

haley joy

~~~~~

a gift.

happy.

smart.

funny.

adventurous.

beautiful.

confident.

kind.

lovely.

generous.

thankful.

giving.

creative.

peace-loving.

learning.

precious.

worthy.

priceless.

loved.

set-apart.

joy.

14.

happy birthday baby girl.

we love you SO much!

you are God's best.

Just a small town girl givin' a shout out!

I love our town!

In the past 6 years since our family moved to little Three Lakes,  we have come to not only LOVE life in our small town and community, but we are truly thankful for it!

Tonight, as the Ledbetter family wrapped up another day volunteering and cheering on the Blue Jays at the Three Lakes hosted basketball tournament, my heart was full. Yes, it was a long day, as all tournament days are, but it was good... oh so good. 

 Tonight I am filled with joy and thankfulness for the many "good things" that our small town offers....and tonight I am reminded to count my blessings.... small town life in this little gem that is Three Lakes, being one of the 100's of ways God has blessed my life.

1. Three Lakes is such a giving and generous community.  I have never been a part of a town that, as a whole, is so supportive, encouraging and generous  towards the youth within their community. Just a few of my recent observations include~ the Lion's Club supporting, attending, and hosting events for the youth of our community: the local TL businesses who give regularly and generously towards fundraisers, raffles and student of the month gift certificates: locals who no longer have students attending school that still come out to regularly  support and cheer on todays students and athletes: numerous and generous education scholarship funds available to graduating seniors, many of which have been around for years: our food pantry that is run and organized by the area churches who work together to meet needs within the community as they arise: the outpouring of support for a classmate of Jordy's who is very ill..... The people of our town are friendly, kind and personable and I look forward getting to know more and more of them by name. 
   
   
   
   
2. The "Single Best" school district in America. I may be biased, but I am convinced this really is true. Our administrators, teachers, school staff, coaches and personnel are amazing in Three Lakes! They genuinely love our kids!! They lead by example and are personal; wanting to know families as well as to be known by families.  They are committed to excellence not only in education, but in character building and developing beliefs and morals that will stick with children long after their school years are over. As a parent of students in the Three Lakes school district, I am so thankful for these individuals and the important role they have in my kids' lives. Our children are blessed to be surrounded by such committed, quality, dedicated and caring adults in their school. 
   
   
   
   
3. The Jewel of the Nicolet. Don't take my word for it, take Discover Wisconsin's . We are surrounded throughout the year with beauty.... From glorious sunrises and sunsets, the sparkling, fish-filled waters of the chain, to the glistening snowcovered lakes and trails. We are so blessed to have so much adventure waiting right outside our doors....however we proceed to venture, it's  ours to decide: boat,snowmobile, xc skis, canoe or kayak, bike, trail, atv, or just on foot in the woods. What a great treasure trove of beauty and adventure awaits us. 

taken in our back yard next to the fire pit by Haley.

ski trails for miles

sunsets with breathtaking beauty

colors painted on by the Creator *great capture Mer.

quiet

My heart was full tonight and overflowed in this way.

So this is a  shout out to our town, our community, our friends.

 I know I left an abundance out of all the good things that could be said about our great little spot on this earth, but now it's your turn......

What are your most favorite things  you are thankful for about Three Lakes or your favorite small town?

i stand amazed

cute print huh?

i stand amazed of our Savior King. 

in awe of our Jehovah Jireh.

we received news at 1:28 today.... after more than a month of waiting and great uncertainty....Ethiopia WILL remain open to international adoption!

from our agency:

"We are thrilled to share positive news from Ethiopia.  Earlier today Minister Zenebu, along with other high level MOWCYA officials, met with agency network representatives.  In this meeting it was clearly expressed by Minister Zenebu that she does not plan to work to stop adoptions, but desires to focus on eliminating bad practice and continue to invest in good practice of Ethiopia adoptions.  She reiterated that neither MOWCYA nor the Ethiopian Government plan to shut down adoptions within Ethiopia, and went on to encourage agencies to continue their work as normal.

We know this news comes as relief for many adoptive families in process.  America World will continue to work on behalf of Ethiopia’s orphans and vulnerable children to place them into Christian homes.  We expect MOWCYA will likely hold more meetings in the weeks to come and will continue to keep families updated with any new information.  We are seeing several regions issue clearances for children to be adopted and are hopeful more will start soon.

America World is in full support of improvements to uphold the most ethical practices in adoption. We care deeply about adoptions operating with integrity and transparency.  We will continue to support MOWCYA in their efforts to implement better parameters around adoption processes and safeguards against fraudulent practice.

We are glad to hear this news today, and know it has been a long few weeks for families since Ethiopia’s first statement about adoptions. Thank you for your perseverance throughout this month. "

the relief and excitement and thankfulness we feel right now is intense.

this past month has been a hard one..... i kind of felt like i did in the weeks leading up to losing our 3rd child, 16 weeks into the pregnancy. 

once again, we found ourselves:

~ praying desperate prayers....waiting for a miracle while preparing for the worst.

~fluxuating between pain that numbed, tears that wouldn't quit coming and  experiencing joy and peace that weren't because of circumstances, but  rather in spite of them.

 God has, once again, worked His will on earth as it is in His Heaven.

and we, once again, have felt His presence guide us and walk every step with us.

so today, I ask that you praise Him with me!

He has done this great work, and His name is to be praised!!!

REJOICE with us and PRAISE His Name!!!

pray. step. wait.

image courtesy of stuck in customs.

this image speaks so strongly to where we have been lately in our adoption journey. 

here we are traveling down this long road... a long beautiful road...in beautiful country... surrounded by vast displays of our Creators visible love and grace to us. 

and at the end of the long and beautiful road?

an equally beautiful, majestic, glorious mountain lies ahead of us that we must climb to get to our destination.

we have absolutely no experience climbing such vast heights and peaks!

 in and of ourselves...

we. can't. make it.

climbing such a mountain will require many things.... great patience, determination, endurance, trust, vast amounts of energy and resources.... and still.... that won't be enough.

unless.

unless, we have complete and utter reliance on the One and Only, well equipped and skillful Guide. He might guide us down a path we might not have chosen... a path that appears to look more difficult... but He knows the way...the best way.....and  in order to make it to the top and then back down the other side safely,  to where this beautiful journey will culminate, we must trust that He knows the perfect route to take us on that will get us there.

we thought we would have an answer today on  whether or not Ethiopia will be closing to international adoption or if it will be some other form of  action or reform that will take place. but we don't know yet. They are hoping to know perhaps by next Thursday now.

so, we have more time.

time to  keep praying. 

time to keep stepping into the unknown.

time to keep waiting for God to do what only He can.

our agency is encouraged by the fact that there have been several regions that have still received clearances from government on children even this week ....which is a great sign!  we have been praising God for how well our agency has been keeping us informed and how they have the best interest of ALL of Gods children from hard places, from all over the world at the heart of their mission. what a true blessing they have been! we are thankful for how God led us to them!

will you please continue to pray with us for Ethiopia?

for:

• boldness of believers in government offices to speak up and stand for the children of their great country
• officials to see that children belong in good families and not in an institution; whether that means homes within their wonderful culture or whether that means out of their culture.
•  processes to remain moving forward even as a decision is being made
•  families who are continuing to trust and move forward even though there is great uncertainty that lies in front of them

thank you for standing alongside of us as we continue along this most precious journey of our hearts. 

God is good.

He is faithful.

and we praise Him for what He has had planned for us, all along.

if you are reading this and feel like you too,  have a mountain that lies ahead of you that you are ill equipped to navigate..... wave your white flag. surrender to trust the route He has for you to climb. He never once promised us easy roads. He only promised He would never leave our sides.

 so look to Him. praise Him for all the good things He has ALREADY done, and abide in His Word. 

"You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your Word." psalm 119:114

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be Glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen." eph. 3:20

Praising and Praying While We Wait

Hello everyone. I hope your 2014 has been off to a great start and that you had time to reflect on 2013 and commit yourself anew to the Lord for 2014.

I'm writing today to ask you to join us in prayer. I'm asking you to intercede for the orphaned children of Ethiopia. To pray for government leaders who will do what is best of the children of their great country. To truly weigh their decisions and realize that they hold countless lives in the balance and that realization will sober them as they come to an agreement.

Not long after my last post, our adoption agency contacted us and the other families in the Ethiopia program, and informed us that there was an important meeting coming up in Ethiopia, with important topics being talked about. The main topic was that of international adoption from Ethiopia. A quite extensive thesis was presented to Parliament and other officials in Addis.

That meeting came and went and we were informed that a lot was discussed and it was decided that there would have be more closed meetings in the weeks ahead to "come to a decision."

Our adoption agency has been AMAZING.  They were able to get the entire thesis translated within the week and we  received it a few days ago. I spent yesterday morning reading all 50 pages....trying to get an idea of what way the decision might go.   I have no idea......there was so much in there.... info that is not encouraging and then some that was.

The bottom line...... they might potentially close Ethiopia to international adoption within the next week. OR.....they might seek to reform again.



Either way,  this is what we know:

• God is in this hard stuff..... in these places where we feel helpless and alone. He is with us and will never leave us.....He also is with every single forgotten and unloved child in this world and He longs for them to meet Him, their  constant and ever loving, Heavenly Father, as well as having a loving and devoted, earthly father and mother.       "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." Deut 31:6
• He placed us here "for such a time as this."     With all the uncertainty we have had for weeks, we keep putting one foot in front of the other. To walk where we can't see and where the footing is unsure. He has called us into this journey, and we will walk in it boldly.... with unwavering faith in the One who holds this whole universe and our very hearts and lives in His hands.
• He is growing us.   This is all about Him and His plans  He has for the lives of His children. This is also about 2 little lives...whoever they are....wherever they are... whom we so desperately long to hold and love and grow in CHrist Jesus with for the rest of our days.          "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in HIM! He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jer.17:7-8
• He is Sovereign. and we choose to trust in His plan. He is The Symphony Orchestrater.  He is The Master Artist.  He is the Tapestry weaver. He is the Story Writer. He adds to it every day. Adding to the beauty, that is our lives. May we see it as that.....beauty....grace....love gifts of mercy from our Father.....May we be found worthy of the gracious beauty He graces us with every day.....whether it is in joy or in heartache....in laughter or solemn silence from wounds that run deep.... whether it is in community or in solitude that is all too painful. May we not just trust Him when we can see what lies ahead and the going is easy. May we cling to Him Who always makes a way when there dosn't appear to be one.      I love how the living bible words a very familiar passage in Eph. 3.     " when i think of the wisdom and scope of His plan, I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God......that out of His glorious, unlimited resources, He will give you the mighty inner strengthening of His Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living with you as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep and how high His love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. and so that at last, you will be filled up with God Himself. Now Glory be to God, Who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of- infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes. may He be given Glory forever and ever through the endless ages because of His master plan of salvation for the church through Jesus Christ."

Will you join with us in prayer this next week and intercede for the children of Ethiopia? They say they will come to a decision by Thursday, January 16th. (that date has been pushed back once already so we hold to that timeline loosely.)

I thank you in advance for hearing my heart and for standing in this gap with us. What we lift up to our Loving Father is never in vain and  our prayers matter so much.
Thank you dear ones!

Here are some specific requests to pray:

·      for Ethiopian government officials to be convicted of the need children have to grow up in a family and for international adoptions to remain open;

·      for advocates in Ethiopia and around the world to speak up on behalf of orphans and vulnerable children;

·      for an end to any corruption, deceit, inappropriate work regarding adoption;

·      for ours and other prospective adoptive families who are anxiously awaiting news of the Ethiopian government’s decision;

·      for wisdom and guidance for America World Adoption as they seek to respond wisely to whatever news is heard from Ethiopian officials.

       for peace and joy as we wait.

Much Love and  Thanks from the Ledbetter's!