We mailed our last grant application! Now we wait. While we wait we'll continue to raise money. This is difficult for me to do. I'm not great at putting myself out there and asking people for money and for their support. It's something I have to come out of my comfort zone to do, but it's been good and I know God will continue to stretch me and help me to grow. If you're looking for ideas of ways to help support us in this process I have some things listed on the side. I just listed one more that some dear friends of mine are putting together for us. It's a triathlon that is happening in September in Holdrege that they are invited people to come join and use the opportunity to raise support for our adoption. Check out more info. on the right!

Now I need to take the time to focus on some other things in life. Like school, for instance. We have decided to wait until after Labor Day to officially start school this year. We have been doing school all summer until a few weeks ago and the Nebraska State Fair just started yesterday and we spend a lot of time there so it seemed to make the most sense to wait until after the fair is over. I'll have pictures and stories to share from the fair sometime next week. I do have to spend this week getting a little more organized for school to start though. I'm very excited to start on some new curriculum this year, it'll be interesting to see how well it works.

This year I have a section of scripture that I hope to memorize from 1 Samuel. The story of Hannah has been a favorite of mine for awhile for some obvious reasons...we have the same name...but I read it through again a few weeks ago and it spoke to me again. Here is a woman that has been longing and praying for a child for a long time and God grants her a son and she immediately gives Him back to the Lord. In a way this is how we should all view our children, not that we should physically give them away to a Church, but we should view them as the Lord's children that He has entrusted us with to take care of for a time. She then takes time to praise and exalt the Lord. She continues to point out His sovereignty throughout her prayer. As we spend time raising money, filling out paperwork, doing everything we need to do in order to bring our child home to us, my prayer is that I can focus on God's sovereignty through the whole process. He is in control, everything will happen in His perfect time, not in our own imperfect time.  There is much more I could probably take away from this, but sometimes a passage just speaks to me and I'm not very good at fully explaining all the reasons why. Have a great weekend!

1 Samuel 1:27 - 2:10 

English Standard Version (ESV)

27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.

28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.

And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah's Prayer

1  And Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
     my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because I rejoice in your salvation.

²  “There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is no rock like our God.
³ Talk no more so very proudly,
    let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.
⁴  The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble bind on strength.
⁵ Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
     but she who has many children is forlorn.
⁶  The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
⁷  The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
     he brings low and he exalts.
⁸  He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
    and on them he has set the world.

⁹  “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
    for not by might shall a man prevail.
¹⁰  The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
     against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king
     and exalt the horn of his anointed