Stability releases Ability

I just heard Joyce Meyer say this on TV... STABILITY RELEASES ABILITY. With a cup of coffee, each morning, I faithfully watch Joyce after getting the kids on the bus. She has an amazing ministry and annointing.

Lately, however, I've been listening, but my spirit has been critical. My faith has been shaken. My emotions have been heightened. Why? I have to believe God is working a BIG plan in our family, and satan is doing everything in his power to deture, distract, and divide. Yesterday, I worked in the morning, so I couldn't meet up with my prayer gals, but they went ahead and met and prayed for our family. The result... last night, I opened the Bible and began reading. I haven't done this in quite awhile, because I always feel that others can teach me better than I can learn through reading. NOT TRUE. By reading the Bible, an instant peace is felt, and God speaks directly to us. Why wouldn't we (me) want to listen to God? I suppose satan has been distracting me from it. Anyhow, I went to bed pondering what I had read, and God gave me awesome dreams, as a result. I woke up with energy, re-newed love for my family, and peace.

I have to be honest, after a wonderful summer of adjusting to our new daughter in the family, the start of fall has been more challenging. It isn't because of her, she is amazing! It has definitely been me. I have this thing some of you can relate to called... "Mom Guilt". I find myself asking, "Am I doing enough for Karis?" "Am I doing enough to meet Evan and Karrigan's needs?" "Am I doing enough in my career to plan financially for the future?" "Am I being a good friend?" I go through all of this in my head daily, and it simply needs to STOP. There is nothing wrong with asking the questions, but dwelling on them is not what God wants or intends. I've been a dweller.

God told me this morning that I AM doing enough, and he used Joyce as the vehicle. Her statement spoke to my spirit and actually woke it up! Kevin and I are doing what He asked of us... we adopted an orphan child, and we are giving her STABILITY. This is something she didn't have a lot of in Russia; therefore, by us giving her stability, it is releasing her ABILITY. Boy oh boy does this child have ability! She is good at pretty much everything she tries! Her English is coming along wonderfully, she is playing volleyball for the school, and classmates are asking her to hang-out! God has a big plan for Karis, and stability is the start of her success. It's the simple things God uses that grow this child that we don't even think about... things such as Karis watching her dad get up EVERY morning and go to work. Also, Karis is watching me get her and her brother and sister up each morning for school, complete with packing lunches for everyone and making breakfast. Here I feel sometimes as if I'm not doing enough, yet it's the general day-to-day "stuff" that she needs and enjoys observing. Why oh why satan, have I been letting you steal my peace?!!!

I love my life, I am very blessed, and I AM doing enough. Watching my healthy, happy kids grow, thrive in school, thrive in sports and friendships... all because God has blessed us with... stability.

John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Isaiah 33:6
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.

Good-bye Summer!

Fourth of July Fun!

Fun with our girl!

In just a few weeks, Karis will be home! Things have been so busy, that I haven't had time to blog. So... here are some photos from the last trip!

Happy Adoption Day!

This was taken right after we left the court room! A happy... happy day!

KARIS YULIYA is ours!!!

We are home, slightly jet-lagged, thrilled to be back with our kids, and waiting... waiting out the mandatory 10-day period before we can go back and pick up Karis.

Court was LONG -and thorough- but not bad.

Quick highlights of the trip...

1. Attending church with Karis on Easter... a 3-hour Russian Orthodox service in which all are required to stand. It was a beautiful experience. We'll never forget it.

2. Seeing the orphans' faces light up when we passed out Mrs. Shook's classes' (and my video classes') Easter goody bags. Thanks to Mrs. Shook and her students for coordinating this missions effort. We were thrilled to be the deliverers! And, who would have ever guessed... the children, in Russia, had never seen plastic Easter eggs!

3. Finally meeting Catherine who adopted her daughter (same orphanage) the same day we did! Looking forward to traveling with you again, friend!

4. Having Karis show up at our door, at 7 am, in her PJs to greet us! She waited up all night for us to arrive!

5. Coloring Easter Eggs with Karis and her friend, Masha.

6. Learning how to play "Lapta" (Russian baseball) in Karis' "physical training" class which happens to be her favorite class!

7. Finding a cafe in Bryansk that served PIZZA!

8. Meeting FOUR men named Sergey in one day! Three of the Sergeys were our drivers, and one of them shared our train cabin.

9. Receiving wonderfully long, informative emails from my mom about how our kids were doing. She made sure to include their activities and funny things they said... it helped us cope with missing them. (Thanks, Mom!) Also, receiving Bible verses from the Bergeron family that helped lift us up when we would become worried.

10. THE JUDGE GRANTING THE ADOPTION!!! And seeing Karis' BIG smile, as a result!

There's no doubt, God is good... and faithful. Thanks to ALL for your prayers during this trip!

~Kevin and Emily

Planting Seeds

Just as the farmers, in the fields, are planting their seeds right now... I have been surrounded by other "plantings" going on.

Last week, we had the amazing opportunity to host two boys, members of the Children of the World choir, brought by World Help and Kids Against Hunger www.achildshopeintl.org , to our church. Dan, 10-years-old, is from Uganda, and Ash, 9-years-old, is from Nepal. My prayer for the hosting was that we, as a family, could love, encourage, and provide a sense of "hope" for the boys. Not only that, I prayed that God would use the boys to "plant seeds" in my children to want to help orphans one day.

The Children of the World concert, alone, had my chilren in AWE! To see the sweet orphans on stage singing, dancing, and praising God was purely joyful. It touched both the kids and I very deeply. Those children have seen and experienced so much pain, in their short little lives, already. They have been on tour for nearly a year and will go back to their native countries in June. One of our little boys confided that he will return to a children's home (an orphanage). Although I praise God there is food and clean water at the home, I can't bare the thought of the young boy not having a family. It breaks my heart. Perhaps God was planting seeds in me, as well. (Smile.) We will never forget Dan and Ash. We will pray for them nightly. They are already mighty children of God, and we will continue to pray that they will grow up to be mighty men of God.

Last night before bed, my little warrior man, Evan, prayed and then told me that someday when he grows up, be wants to be a Marines missionary! He said that his two favorite things are spreading the word about Jesus and battling! Is he all boy or what?! As for Miss Karrigan, I knew she had listened closely at the concert, because she asked God for all of the children to be able, to have clean water. It really bothered her seeing photos of sick children and hearing that 30,000 children die every single day from contaminated water. I can't get over that statistic... I vow that I will never dismiss it or let it go in one ear and out the other - 30,000. We can do better as human beings to not let this happen. For all of the struggles we have in our country, we are so blessed. Through World Help, we can all assist by paying -pennies- TRULY... just pennies is all it takes to help struggling countries build a well for fresh, clean drinking water. That could drastically help the mortality rate of children in countries like Nepal and Uganda.

New topic...

Other seeds being planted:

Oh my goodness, I am just Over the Moon about this one! As most of you know, I am the video teacher at our school. God has allowed me to be surrounded by so many amazing people including Mrs. Shook, the Life Skills teacher. Mrs. Shook is such a kind lady whose heart for children is very apparent as she teaches her classes. She approached me about her classes participating in a project to help the orphanage where Yuliya is! Since the class is about to start a financial unit, one of the sections is about tithing. Helping the orphanage will be a perfect compliment to the course work. So... I had the amazing opportunity to speak to both Life Skills classes and share our testimony about adoption, including how God has adopted all of us as his sons and daughters in Christ. The kids became really excited about helping, and many hands went up in the air with ideas! I believe the details of the project are being worked out, but I did hear that each and every one of the 300 children at the orphanage will be receiving a personal card and a goody bag! I've said from the get-go, this adoption is not about us and our family... we are simply just a vessel -doing- and allowing others to do, His amazing work.

As I look out my window and see the pretty spring daffodils popped out of an empty flower garden, I'm reminded, it was their season to bloom. Other flowers are coming in their season. For my family, it's our season to both plant and receive a harvest, which I'm not sure we've ever done at the same time. -At least not knowingly.- That's the beauty of adoption, there's so much more going on within the workings of God, that we don't ever really get to see. In about one month, our garden will be full, blooming, and over-flowing with "flowers": Yuliya will be home with her forever family, orphans will be feeling love and hope (class project), and God will be perfoming even more beautiful, blooming miracles in his eternal garden, of the kingdom.