Team Melott

Today was the 3rd annual Chosen Marathon for Adoption.  This was my third year to run the race, but our first year to have a team of our own.  Although I LOVE the family that I have run for in the past, there is something different, amazing, indescribable, priceless when you are running to bring your own child home!  When I crossed the finish line and saw Scott, I burst into tears.  The emotion was too much to hold inside.  Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to Team Melott (minus a few who had already left or were still out on the course):

These fine, fine friends and family all ran in support of our family.  Isn't that amazing?  We serve a mighty God who places the desire on people's hearts to defend the orphans of the world and help them find their forever families.  The proceeds from this race will go straight towards our adoption costs.

And, since the national bird of Ind*a is a peacock and since I love an excuse to "dress up" a little, a few of us wore these fun little tutus for the race..we couldn't resist.

Fun, right?

So, next time you think you CAN'T run/walk 13.1 miles, just remember the orphans of the world and I'm willing to bet that HE can get you through it.

Blessings,
Jessica

Distracted

I need to get this out because I DON'T want to forget HIS goodness!

I know it has been way too long since the last post.  I hardly know where to begin.  It is no fun blogging when I have nothing new on the adoption home front to report.

BUT, we FINALLY have something to report.  OUR HOME STUDY HAS BEEN APPROVED BY Journeys of the Heart!!!  I was honestly beginning to wonder if I was ever going to be able to say that.

I must confess though, that we have gotten distracted during this long wait for home study approval.  We know God called us to this adoption and we know that He is in control, but we had gotten a little off path.  He is so faithful though to nudge us back onto the right track.

A couple of weeks ago we had an adoption fundraiser (Applebee's Flapjack Fundraiser) that was an overwhelming success.  And by overwhelming, I mean that my emotions were so fragile by the end of the weekend by all of the generosity from family and friends that all I could do on the Monday after was cry.  EVERYTHING had me in tears.  I was overwhelmed by His goodness and by the goodness of His people!

But, aren't we so easily distracted?!?  Why is that?  Why are we on such a high with HIM one day and the next day we forget where He is leading us?  I have read time and time again His directives in Deuteronomy about not getting forgetting the Lord Your God and then I go and do it...ugh!

We found a house, "the house" as it were.  I mean I found it THE DAY that we had reached a financial milestone that we had set concerning adoption funds.  I showed Scott, he agreed that it could be the house, and we asked our realtor to set up a showing.  We fell in love with the views, the deck, and the adorable guest cottage.  It had everything that we "wanted."  We made an offer, went back and forth in negotiations, couldn't agree on a price and had to walk away.  We were OK with having to walk away but the seller called back the next day with another offer and we said YES.  How exciting, right?  Our prayer the whole time though was for God to SHUT THE DOOR on this if we were not suppose to do it.  We were distracted for sure, but we didn't want to flat out get in God's way.  After the inspection revealed that this would be a high maintenance house (and if you know Scott and I, you know this is laughable) we felt that God was whispering to us that this was not the time.  We needed to be concentrating on bringing our child home.  So, we backed out of the house.  We called our realtor around 1:30pm on Friday and let her know.  Y'all, it was not 4 hours later that we got the call that our home study had been approved!!!  We had been waiting since July 26th for this approval.  We are so grateful to HIM and we don't want to miss His hand in this!

I pray that we can stay the course without too many more distractions.  Now, on to the next adoption phase...US government approval.

"Take care lest you forget the Lord your God....." Deuteronomy 8:11a