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Yearly Archives

2016

Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece By Piece: Day Eight Update

October 1, 2016

Welcome back to our puzzle fundraiser!

This is the LAST OFFICIAL DAY of our nine-day puzzle fundraiser. Now, of course if you want to give but couldn’t during this last week, donating later is acceptable too! 🙂

You will see we have a long way to go in meeting our goal. This week alone we cut checks totally $13,800 for the adoption process, which is a lot more than we raised and left our emergency fund raided. We were happy and willing to do that, as would any family in America when unexpected but necessary expenses come up, but we are now exposed to a great deal of risk if any other emergencies pop up. Here’s to praying that Murphy’s Law stays far far away.

If you’ve been wanting to donate but just haven’t gotten to it, please consider doing so today. After this nine-day fundraiser, we don’t plan to come back to our social media family to formally invite you to give again. We plan to begin making individual and specific asks to find the rest of the funds.

The Lord will provide and find the funds for us someway or another, granted we are working our little hineys off asking, seeking, and knocking on every door possible.

Anyone who’s been waffling about giving and leaning towards making a donation – let today be your day so we can close out the formal portion of the adoption puzzle with a bang!

Thank you to everyone who’s donated. We are so thankful and can’t wait to start writing your names on the back of the puzzle. May God bless each of you.

What kind of progress did day eight see?

  • 294 pieces sold

  • $7,350 raised!!!!

  • 19.60% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress:

puzzle-day-08

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.



Donate w/ Squarecash

Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece By Piece: Day Seven Update

September 30, 2016

Welcome back to our puzzle fundraiser!

We’re excited to have a few updates not only on the puzzle but on the adoption, birth family, and baby!

Today we had our first face to face meeting to kick off our home study process and it went really well.

I also got a text from the agency at the doctor’s appointment it appears all is going well with expectant Momma and baby was very active. They couldn’t see the gender but heart beat was 140, which of course isn’t helpful as everyone online says anything above 140 is girl but below 140 is boy. Um, what about plain ole 140? So between that and the uncertainty of what was going on in the nether regions, we hope to find out baby’s gender with certainty next week…here’s hoping baby isn’t running around so we can get an identifying glimpse. 😉

The puzzle is winding down and it’s been a week of realizing yet again how many generous people are out there. We are so thankful for everyone who has and will join us in bringing this kiddo home. It’s an honor to have your support and enthusiasm.

What kind of progress did we make?

  • 271 pieces sold

  • $6,775 raised!!!!

  • 18.07% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress:

puzzle-day-07

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.



Donate w/ Squarecash

Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece by Piece: Day Six Update

September 29, 2016

Six days down and three to go in our adoption puzzle fundraiser!

Shout out to everyone who shared our post yesterday! We appreciate that so very much and know your shares are working since not only are people we know giving to the puzzle but strangers! You want proof, check out this guy:

Hi guys I just wanted to let you know that your story popped up in my Facebook newsfeed from two different people and I am rarely on Facebook so I really felt called to donate!

Yup – because of y’all. 🙂

Yesterday a heavy majority of our paperwork got turned in, which is a huge weight off our backs. Now clearances need to come through and the home study meetings are all that stand in the way of us being officially approved to adopt again! Oh and the funds we are trying to raise but you know what? God will provide. He will. As long as we work diligently and prudently with our time and resources the Lord will bring whatever we lack.

I had a strong sense of his providence yesterday while riding in the car ad listening to Hillsong’s Oceans. (Sorry to anyone at the intersection of 132nd & Harrison who saw that ugly cry). I asked the Holy Spirit years ago to lead my life and do whatever he wants with me to bring glory to God. There have been some major ups and downs already in this adoption process (can’t go into detail) but I’ve been begging for peace and it came. We are right where we are supposed to be no matter how things turn and bend ahead. Being confident of that leaves little room for fear…just for love.

Today I want to throw out a challenge. Many of you already have BUT if you are someone who’s life has been positively impacted by the presence of True Good & Beautiful or through Jonathan and I’s friendships/mentorship/whatevership we happen to have – would you join us in this adoption puzzle? We sincerely thank you for considering it.

What kind of progress did we make on Day Five?

  • 237 pieces sold

  • $5,925 raised!!!!

  • 15.80% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress:

puzzle-day-06

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.



Donate w/ Squarecash

Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece by Piece: Day Five Update

September 28, 2016

Welcome back to our day five update for the adoption puzzle fundraiser!

We continue to be grateful for ALL the donations and support that has come in. You all can see that we have a LONG ways to go before our puzzle is done, which is slightly overwhelming. We plan to continue inviting you to join us through our puzzle but do want y’all to know we are working our tushes off doing additional things to scrimp, save, and make extra funds. 

  • We had an 5-year anniversary trip to Paris planned months ago that we cancelled last week and got a full refund on.
  • I’m writing a few eBooks and have taken on speaking opportunities this Fall.
  • Jonathan is planning to snag a seasonal job on nights and weekends between now and due date.
  • We have stripped all extras from our budget. If we don’t need it to survive, it doesn’t make the budget.
  • We are selling things in Craigslist and eBay. If it isn’t nailed down or breathing, its fair game.

In some ways we are back to gazelle mode from our early Dave Ramsey days. Back then getting out of debt was certainly a motivator…but bringing home our next child? WAY more motivating! 🙂

I share that for those people like me out there – those who might be tempted to think, “Well why should I donate to people that aren’t willing to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and do some good ole hard work and cut back their lifestyle?” We are working real hard and fundraising is part of how we are taking these expenses seriously and planning to tackle them without debt.

So thank you to all who’ve partnered with us as we scrape, claw, and press our way towards meeting our financial goal. We want to specifically thank those of you who have SHARED about our puzzle on social media or sent it in a message to select friends and family.

Statistically it’s been shown that each social media share is likely to bring the campaign $37 on average. We obviously have a lot of shares to go for our goal to be met but every share counts. So if you’re willing to share, that would be helpful. I know, there are probably many of you like me out there who are not big posters or sharers on Facebook. If that’s you – perhaps think about who YOU would call if you were fundraising and then connect us privately with them.

What kind of progress did we make on Day Five?

  • 200 pieces sold

  • $5,005 raised!!!!

  • 13.35% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress – We can actually see the top of the text forming!!!!! 🙂

puzzle-day-05

 

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.



Donate w/ Squarecash

THANK YOU!

Adoption

Let’s Fund Planned Parenthood’s Alternative – Update 4

September 27, 2016

Jonathan here, picking up the conversation from yesterday’s update.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider. In 2013, they performed 591 abortions per day. That’s 2 children killed every 5 minutes. And that’s just Planned Parenthood.

The alternative, is of course, to choose life. While the conversation might often end there, in real life it’s a little more complicated than that. So a mother chooses to not have an abortion. Then what? Sometimes they choose to parent and other times they choose to make an adoption plan.

In order to make choosing the alternative to abortion an option, we need to throw our support behind these two alternative outcomes. Supporting these options fleshes out the pro-life position and is vital for providing positive solutions to the problem of Planned Parenthood’s abortion operations.

Today is your chance to be a part a solution.

The needs of a mother and/or father raising a child she/they weren’t expecting are many and often carry financial and emotional price tags (food, child care, baby items, healthcare, etc). These are real and valid concerns to raising a child and if they are going to choose life but lack these basics – we ought to help out! If they want to parent, we as a pro-life community must come to their aid.

Let’s look at the other solution: adoption.

There are times when expectant parents decide parenting their child at that time isn’t the best overall option and they make an adoption plan. Choosing to make an adoptive placement typically comes with counseling, support, selection of prospective parents, and sometimes a few financial burdens lightened for a little while. All things it should entail!

Families being ready to welcome these children into their families are a vital part of supporting the expectant families’ pro-life decision. Thankfully there are a number of laws, regulations, and systems in place to make sure children end up in a safe and loving home. Paying all fees associated with the necessary checks as well as services for the birth family a part of an adoptive family getting ready.

Our family is currently getting ready to adopt and the fees will total $37,500+

Naturally, we’re doing a fundraiser.

This is where you get a chance to take a stand. Where you get to say to the abortion industry that you are supporting alternatives.

I invite you to please consider joining my family in making this adoption possible by sponsoring some pieces of the puzzle that will hang in our child’s room. Your name will be on the back of the pieces you sponsor, visible when it gets framed between two panes of glass. (More about the puzzle)

Joining our puzzle fundraiser is a concrete way to be part of saying YES to new life – By helping us be in a position to welcome any life God brings our way while also supporting the birth family’s decision they feel is best for them and this precious little one.

You can donate by PayPal (yellow button) or Square Cash (green button). If you’d like to send a check, use our contact form to ask for our address. You can learn more about our story on our Adoption Hub page.




Donate w/ Squarecash

 

Here’s an update on our progress through Day 4:

  • 185 pieces sold

  • $4,630 raised!!!! (+ checks on the way)

  • 12.4% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress:

 

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption or pro-life issues, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.




Donate w/ Squarecash

THANK YOU!

Adoption

Growing Our Family Piece by Piece: Day Three Update

September 26, 2016

Thanks for checking back in our our Puzzle Fundraiser for bringing home Baby Tex #2!

Yesterday was a slower day in the land of puzzles but we more or less expected it – gorgeous weather, the Sabbath day, and football. Sundays are a slower day online so no biggie.

But we are back in the week and we have SIX DAYS left in which we are trying to fundraise a lot. A whole lot.

Some people ask me why adoption is so very expensive and I don’t really have a solid answer.

Y’all see the fee breakdown like we do on our adoption hub page. We don’t get much more detailed information of how those expenses itemize out dollar by dollar. There is a whole bunch more legal work than meets the eye in addition to providing solid counseling for birth families both before and after adoption placements. There are intense background and psychological evaluations. Sometimes there are even expenses built in to assist the birth family with some basic necessities while they go through the adoption process. These are all good things that ought to be covered. We have to trust our agency to be fair and honest with their fees and we’re with a good one.

There are times I wish it was less costly but I wouldn’t want it to be any less thorough, since then all parties involved would more vulnerable…so not certain it could be any more affordable. All we do know is that we feel supported and encouraged by all of you in this and we’re so grateful. Without your generosity, we wouldn’t be able to pursue adoption at this time.

Thank you for giving to a pro-life cause that isn’t always thought of as one. What I mean by that is most people hear “pro-life” and think about crisis pregnancy clinics and praying outside of a Planned Parenthood. Those are pro-life but it’s far broader – caring for immigrant families, death penalty laws, access to healthcare, taking care of the poor and homeless, end of life issues, foster/adoptive families, caring for birth families, ethical reproductive technology, war time practices, and on and on it goes.

Joining our puzzle fundraiser is a concrete way to be part of saying YES to new life – By helping us be in a position to welcome any life God brings our way while also supporting birth family’s decision they feel is best for them and this precious little one.

Let’s see the progress did we make on Day Three?

  • 139 pieces sold

  • $3,470 raised!!!!

  • 9.25% of our goal of $37,500

Here’s a virtual picture of the puzzle’s progress:

puzzle-day-03

 

If you would like to donate, please do so below. If you know of anyone who has a heart for adoption, please share our story and invite them to consider joining the journey.




Donate w/ Squarecash

THANK YOU!