Wednesday, November 3, 2010

What's So Special About November?

So, what is so special about November? Well, it's a super special month to me personally because one year ago in November 2009, God revealed His plan. His plan for us to bring our daughter home from Ethiopia.

Did I have any idea that November was Adoption/Orphan Awareness Month? Nope, but isn't that so perfect that God began to write our adoption story during this particular month?! Not a coincidence...it's His perfect plan that takes place in His perfect timing!


One year ago, this is what our family looked like, and I was very content for it to stay that way. But God had other plans.

Well, it all started one November day in 2009, as I was reading Angie Smith's blog when God led me on a "divine blog hop". I had no idea at the time that this was what He was doing! So, from Angie's blog, I clicked on Adrienne's Our Journey of Love blog. Then from there, God led me on to April's Living to Love blog. April and her husband were then in the process of bringing home their son from Taiwan. She had a list of adoption blogs on her blog, and I saw the name Lucy Lane on one of them.

(Insert...life changing moment about to happen!) I literally thought to myself, that's a cute name, let me just check out this family! And that was how God got me to Kristi's Our Family Advocating for the Orphan blog...and the rest is history!!

At the time, I knew no one who had adopted from Ethiopia. I had never seen a family with an Ethiopian child. I didn't even know you could adopt from Ethiopia! This was the FIRST time I had ever "seen" a family that had adopted from there. Then God began to break our hearts for what breaks His.

Ethiopia...over the next few months, God revealed to us that our fourth child would be born there, and we would bring her home to join our family!

November 2009...the month that God first showed me His plan for us to adopt. The month I started earnestly praying and seeking His will. Who knew that was Adoption/Orphan Awareness Month?! God knew!

And on May 3, 2010, six months ago today, after lots of prayer and confirmations of God's will, we mailed our adoption application to AGCI!

Now fastforward to this November 2010...


What a difference a year makes!! Our family may kind of look the same (still in our Ole Miss Rebel outfits)...but we are totally different! Everything has changed! We are not complete without our baby girl, Caroline Faith!

And all of this is what makes November so SPECIAL! So thankful that God led me on that fun, November day "blog hop"!!

"...lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:24

15 comments:

Brittney Galloway said...

Wow! It's so amazing to see how God worked in your lives to bring His plan into action!

The Mulder Family said...

What a great story and someday Caroline Faith will love to hear that!!

meurrier said...

Love it!! I'm so glad that I'll get to witness the "finishing of your story" when you get to bring sweet Caroline Faith home!!

P.S. Love the Colonel Reb dress. We have one too, and I think I might save it as a collector's item! HA!!

Leigh said...

I got chills while reading that!

You know I love some November too :) and I never even made the connection that we decided to adopt in November and it was adoption awareness month in November! When we decided we had no idea too, God is so awesome!

Erin said...

I am so thankful for the Lord's sovereign plan! I am thankful I "know" you to follow your journey!

Shannon said...

Hi Alison!
Thanks for stopping by our blog and introducing yourself! I love this sweet community of adoption families! Looking forward to following your story to your baby girl. You have a beautiful family! I sometimes feel I was born on the wrong side of the US....I love all the monogramming and big bows you do in the South!! Adorable!

Kelli said...

It's awesome to see God's plan unfold!

Bless you in your journey to your little girl.

Lyndsay said...

It is so awesome how God works in those who are willing to obey!

Hannah said...

Isn't it awesome to look back and see the works of the Lord??

Unknown said...

Just amazing Alison, how our stories are SO SIMILAR!!! As you already know, I was also "blog hopping" in March of 2010, I had never even been on a blog before! But, boy, did God know what he was doing! I, too, was let from one blog to another that night and ended up on Lucy Lane' blog... the moment our lives would change forever!!! I knew at that moment, as the tears were flowing while watching the video, that this was God's call on my life as well! His plan for our family! And as of today, seven months later, I have our application layed out on our kitchen table right now... ready to be mailed (Hopefully tomorrow!) Unreal how he has placed you and I together and just how much we have in common, SIMPLY AMAZING!!!! Praising God for you and our divinely appointed friendship, for his Call on families to adopt, and for all He has in store for both of our families!!! love you!

Warren Baldwin said...

Great verse to go with this story. Ps. 139:24. God bless!

Abby said...

Isn't it amazing how much can happen in a year. I am constantley amazed to see Gods plans unfolding.

Andrea said...

Alison, Love to hear your story. It is so amazing to look back now and see how God's plan has began unfolding. I can;t wait to see what the rest looks like and what our children will be like!

Kim said...

So excited to find your blog from a comment on my real life friend Kristi's blog. You family is beautiful (inside and out). Loved reading your story and "meeting" yet another family inspired by Lucy Lane to adopt!
Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim

Carrie said...

Alison, I am siting here with tears running down my face reading the awesome journey of adoption the Lord has taken your family on. We have a couple of friends here in Memphis who have brought their babies home from Ethiopia in the past year! I cannot wait to keep up with y'all, pray for your entire family and see your precious Caroline Faith's sweet face. So happy for you.