Prayer

You know I don't consider myself to have a good prayer life. I do however try throughout the day to have conversations with the Lord. I'm trying to be better at praying more intently and focusing more on renewing my prayer life. I know this and studying the word is how I gain strengthen, knowedge and fellowship with the Lord.

The next few things I'm going to tell you about my prayer life are not an attempt to brag about the way I pray or how I pray. Because I know I fail to pray to the extent that I should. I do however want to share these things with you to open up your mind regarding things you might pray for that you overlook. I'm also in hopes that some folks will follow up and encourage me with comments to this posts on things they pray about and how they focus on having time to pray.

As many of you know I spend about 40 minutes each morning on my commute to work and then another 40 minutes returning home. This is generally the quiet time I have to spend and focus on the Lord. In the mornings I listen to Focus on the family. It's such an encouragement for my drive in. The last 15 minutes of my drive I try to spend in conversation with the Lord. Here are a few things the Lord encourages me to pray about on my drive.

• I pass two liquor stores each morning and evening. I pray for the owners of those stores and I pray for the people purchasing alcohol. I pray that they will no longer have a desire to drink and that they will turn to the Lord instead of turning to alcohol.
• There are 3 specific cars I meet on a regular basis. I call these my car buddies when I pray for them. I may never meet these 3 gentlement and they may never know that I pray for them each day. Regardless the Lord has called me to pray for these gentlemen so I do.
• I pass through a community with several elderly people. I pray for the community and the elderly in that community.
• Of course I also pray for my family and the situations we face and turn those issues over to the Lord.
• I also pray for my co-workers at JBHunt and at the Valley.

Again I don't tell you these things braggingly cause I fail to pray as I should and I know where my failures are. However I want each of you to think outside the box when you pray. Do you have complete strangers you pray for? Do you have communities you pray for? Has the Lord given you a specific cause to pray about? If so share them with me. I'd love to hear about your prayer life and the things God has placed on your heart to pray about. We get so tied up in praying for me and my 4 and no more as the old saying goes that I think we forget about the millions that are lost and dieing that don't know the Lord. It's our job to be a light to them not only in deed but also in prayer.

Blessings to you.

Tina

We Are the Truth!

I was suppose to post this yesterday and I let it slip my mind so I wanted to ensure I posted today. Joint Council has asked adoptive families to join the "We Are The Truth" - an adoption blogger day: To ensure the world knows about every successful adoption, on Thursday, April 15, 2010 they ask that adoptive families blog about our adoptions or the adoption of someone we know. It doesn't matter if your adoption is with Russia, domestic or otherwise international. Let the world know your truth!

So here is the truth. Many people are called to adopt. Many people are NOT called to adopt! Our family answered the call to adopt and we have been so truly blessed for answering that call. Most of you that follow our journey already know our adoption stories but for those of you that don't I want to share.

On October 19, 2004 a little boy was born in Vietnam to a young mother that could not care for him. After 10 days of I'm sure heart wrenching thoughts and prayers she decided to give her son Nguyen Nhat Hung the opportunity for a better life. She in turn placed him in the care of the Social Center of Ninh Thuan orphanage Province.

On July 23rd 2005 a little girl was born in China. Her mother must have also felt the same heart wrenching pain and in four days after her birth she placed her little girl in at the gate of the Civil Affairs bureau of Shaggao County.

In November 2004 Johnny and I finally answered the call to adopt and began the process to adopt. We visited our agency for an informational meeting and decided we'd adopt from China. We started the adoption (labor) paperwork and began the long wait to bring our daughter home from China. As we waited to receive our referral from China the adoption process in China slowed way down. What was a normal 6 month wait turned into 9 months. During that time frame Vietnam re-opened for adoptions and I felt a tug at my heart that there was a child waiting for us in Vietnam. After careful consideration I felt we needed to move forward with our adoption in China so we processed with China. In March 2006 we received the long awaited call from our agency that we had a daughter! Her name was Shangguan Xin Jing and we immediately fell in love. It all seemed so surreal at the time. I really don't think I let myself believe that she was our daughter until we were in the U.S. with her. She was so cute and such a sweet baby. The first day we had her we decided to go out for a walk and see Nanchang. So off we went. TinaH and I walking and Addie in the stroller. We stopped to talk to another family along our way and as we turned to walk on I thought I'd check on Addie. There she sat hands clutched to the stroller setting straight up fast asleep. Bless her heart I had to pry her hands off the stroller. That scared little girl quickly became a shining spot in our lives. She has a deep down belly laugh that just makes you smile. We are so blessed that God saw us all the way across the world from Addie and picked us to be her parents! Yes God picked us to be her parents and we are truly blessed.

Six months after returning home the thought that we had a child in Vietnam was still very much real in my mind. A few months later Johnny and I agreed we'd check into adopting an older child. I'd already secretly been online checking out waiting children on our adoption website. I'd found a little two year old boy on the site and had brought home his picture for Johnny to see. After a few days I asked Johnny again if he'd made a decision on the little boy. He picked up his picture and looked again and said "Yes". That was it! I knew from that minute that Nguyen Nhat Hung was our son. Tears came to my eyes and I rejoiced all the way to work knowing that God had just given us a son! I contacted our agency and was told that since Hung was older than Addie that we had to go before the adoption board to be approved to adopt him since our agency does not allow out of birth order adoptions. A week later the board made the decision and we received the call that Nguyen Nhat Hung was now our son "Alex Scott". We'd already begun the paperwork to bring him home so we continued down that path to bring him home. In September 2007 Tanis and I traveled to Vietnam. Where an almost three year little boy by the name of Nhat Hung Nyguen took my hand and walked away from the only home he had ever known! He was such a little man. He didn't cry or wimper and really didn't look back. He just took my hand and walked away from the orphanage and forever became our Alex Scott. We love him so dearly and have been so blessed to have been chosen to be his parents.

I don't want to over look the opportunity to let everyone know how blessed we as parents are. Many people tell us how blessed our children are. But I have to say I think Johnny and I and our family are truly the ones that are blessed to have been chosen by God to raise these two wonderful children.

Blessed beyond measure to be an adoptive family! "We are the truth"

Silly

Rubbing Elbows

How many times have you heard the old saying "Rubbing Elbows". Oh I went (....) and rubbed elbows with so and so. Or I did this and ran into so and so.. Well I have to tell you I went to church this weekend and guess who I Rubbed Elbows with..... Yep Jesus Christ himself. You didn't expect that one did you?


On a daily basis your co-workers and friends will tell you stories about being at the airport and running into someone famous. Or going to a Basketball game and only setting a few feet from someone famous. It's funny how we long to be noticed or to be involved or to be included or to shimmer a glimpse of what life might be if we were famous or if we new someone that was.


Well I have to tell you my friends. You already have that! Yep you know the most famous person in the world and can have a personal intimate relationship with Him! What more can you ask for? He's always present, always listening and has promised that he will never leaves us or forsake us. Hasn't the Bible always been the most popular selling book from year to year every since it was created? Doesn't scripture say with just the mention of the name Jesus that the demons have to flee? Do you know someone else who's name has that power and that authority. Can you call Him your friend? Can you call Him your Lord and your Savior and your King? If so why aren't you spreading the word? The next time someone tells you how they "rubbed elbows" with so and so. Tell them a greater story about how you "Rub Elbows" with the King of King and Lord of Lords each and every day!

Blessings,
Tina

Happenings

I've wanted to post about this for some time but have been really unsure how to post this information. I don't want someone to take the post wrong. So here goes. As many of you know Joe and Ashton have dated off and on again for a couple of years now. On October 31st Ashton decided it was time to switch gears and chose to move out of our home. As many of you know we opened up our heart and our home to Ashton as her own. So her choosing to leave was not an easy thing for any of us but especially hard for Joe. He cares very, very deeply for her. Ashton soon moved in with another family and in January we learned that Ashton was pregnant. She is 19 weeks along and she found out yesterday that she is having a boy. Our family continues to try to be there for Ashton we know she's facing a very difficult situation being a single mom. Joe has been very strong and has been a big encouragement to her during this time. She is now living with a girlfriend and her family. I ask you to uplift Ashton and her baby in your prayers. She has a long road ahead of her and needs your encouragement and prayers.
Blessings to you,
Tina

Pics

Here's Rick and the kids on his leave from the

Marines a couple of weeks ago. Addie did his hair for him.

Handsome and Single!

He found the prize.

My aunts and my granny before my Aunt Donna went back to Washington. From left to right Danita, Delane, Donna and my Granny who will be 90 in August.

And of course you have to have a sheep for Easter!