Who's in Your Camp?

Moses. Aahhh, what a man! Born Jew, raised Egyptian "prince", trained warrior, rich, MURDERER (we always gloss by that with Moses), desert wanderer, radically saved, friend of God. Wow, he had a crazy past didn't he? Yet God chose to use him in not only a big way but in a very historical way also; and He called Moses friend and talked with him face to face. Moses knew a lot about God. Amazing. Now what does this have to do with an adoption blog you ask? You see God gave Moses a great idea....lead My people to the Promise Land. Sounds easy. But of course it wasn't...and why? Because of the people in his camp! (I am not going to go into the whole story, you can read it for yourself in Exodus...2nd book in the Bible) The people in the camp grumbled, complained, tried to turn back denying all the miracles they had seen God do to get them out of Egypt. Moses got SO frustrated with these people he eventually disobeyed God and he didn't get to lead them into the Promise Land....his right hand man did. Ouch! (just as a side note...I would have struck the rock too and been in the same boat as Moses, no pun intended)
Sometimes God gives you a great idea, you know it, you feel it in your bones, you are ready to run with it and then the people in your camp try to discourage you, to dissuade you, to make you question what you KNOW God has put on your heart. If that is happening to you can I just say....... MOVE!!!!! Alright, alright, I know "moving" isn't always realistic, but find a camp around you that will encourage you, believe in you, and believe God with you. Moses had Joshua and Caleb. Sometimes just a couple of positive voices will drowned out the rest of the sounds of the camp! Be on your face before God, knowing His will in the situation. Moses said "I am not moving an inch, God, if you don't move with me." (Exodus 33:14-17) You just listen to God, talk to Him "face to face" and let Him take care of the rest of the camp!!!!

What's keeping You Sane?

So, Nathan and I had to do a psychological evaluation for our adoption dossier.
For those of you who know us, you laugh and ask "Did you pass?" All right people! Enough of the jokes ;-) We spent 2 hours and filled in 587 bubbles of questions like "Do you want to kill yourself" "Do you want to hurt yourself" "Do you like criminals", "Do you think smart criminals should get away with their crime?", "Do you want to hurt animals?", "Do you want to hurt others?", "Do you feel like smashing things?" and our personal favorites, "Do you want to do the work of a park ranger?", and "Would you like to be a florist?". Basically, all of those question except the last two, (and that could be debatable) are HEART ISSUES. What keeps me from wanting to hurt others, hurt myself, smash things.....is it my inherent goodness, the thought that somebody might be watching or even my overwhelming feelings of responsibility to society? Maybe for some people that is what it takes, but for me, I honestly believe it is my relationship with Christ. The fact that He has made me a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!), that He has transformed my behavior and response process by the renewing of my mind through His love and His Word (the Bible) (Romans 12:2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is).
I may want to smash something but I know that instantly I can cast that thought before the Creator of the Universe and He can instantly change my heart and my sanity!!!
So what is keeping you sane? Is is just social responsibility or is it the transforming power of the God who created you and loves you? If it isn't the latter, let's chat, cuz I would like to introuduce you to the sanest Man I know!!!!!!

Elighten Me...Oh Gidget the Wise One...

If you have never met my friend Gidget, or Gidgie as we lovingly call her, I just tell people..."Picture in your head what a "Gidget" might look like and you probably have it!"

Gidgie is a laid back, funny, style all her own, determined, silly, beach bum kind of girl, not to mention a culinary wizard. Despite a challenging childhood; she has beat all the odds and become a beautiful wife, mother of 2 boys, amazing leader and friend. She'll tell you she is shy but she will step out to help anyone. She would not think that she is "wise" but she always speaks from a gentle and quiet spirit who has obviously been seeking the Lord's face and His Word to order her daily steps. The Lord has blessed her with discernment and incredible insight. I have sought the wisdom and advice from my good friend Gidgie many, many times over the years.

When I told her about our adoption plans, she didn't ask me if I was crazy like some others have. She had the best answer yet! (Paraphrase) "You know, Trish, more of us just need to step out in faith and live out on the edge. I think so many of us just stay in our comfort zone instead of stepping out into the plan that God has for us, because it could be potentially life altering. And we miss it! We go through life just missing out on something great." Gidget should know! She just left everything she has known for 15 years and packed up and moved to St John, Virgin Islands. Talk about stepping out in faith.

Thanks for the insight Gidgie, you have given me something to ponder on this journey....of life!
Miss you Gidg, and all of our Maritime Memories!

Year Verse.....

For several years now our pastor has been challenging us to pray about a verse for the year! If this is not something you do already, Nathan and I challenge you to pray and ask the Lord what verse He would lay on your heart for the year. It amazing to see what He will tell you...each year He shows me exactly what I need for the coming year. 2008 has been no different! Our family verse for 2008 is Proverbs 19:17...Mercy to the needy is a loan to God; and God pays back those loans in FULL! We will contintue to share the "mercy" God is showing the LaGrange family during our adoption journey. So here is another story.....

We have to have a psychologiacal evaluation (Why? to tell us what we already know with soon to be 4 kids in a 1500 squaare foot home...we are crazy! ha ha). This cost could be anywhere from $500-700. The Lord led us to someone who is going to help us with only a charge of $100....isn't He amazing!!!!!

And In This Corner......

We drove to Albion, IN, near Fort Wayne, this weekend. We met with Vickie, our caseworker (just glad her name isn't "Juno"). She was wonderful. We liked her because she was real and honest about everything, she didn't try to candy coat anything. The next step will be to schedule our home study and then after that all of the paperwork goes to the Philippine government and we wait...and wait...and wait...
For those of you who don't know this process can take anywhere from 12-24 months so bear with us. However, we do have the Creator of the Universe in our corner....we will take whatever His timing is because it is always perfect. I would rather be in His corner, than hanging out on the edge. (remind me of that in 12 months, will you?)

The Journey Begins

The first step...(after many other steps) we have to mail in our application. After pouring over it with a fine tooth comb you would think the mailing process would be the simple step. The kids and I took the camera and the application to the post office. After finally convincing Connor, our oldest, that it is totally normal to take pictures in the post office, we proceeded to the counter. Now lets see, do we do over night, certified, registered, insurance? The lady was so patient.....we get home....call Nathan at work to tell him "Mission Accomplished". He says, "And the agency fee was...this much, right?" Ummm...long pause...I realized I forgot to put the check in with the application. My reply "ummmhumm, yep, that is how much it cost" Not a lie...he asked if that was how much it cost...not if I put the check in. So I piled, now 5 kids ( I was babysitting) back into the car, rushed back to the post office, begged the lady at the counter to take what was now the property of the USPO and give it back to me so I could include the money for the application. Very typical Trish. Of course, that evening Nathan told me he knew my "ummmhuummm, yep" meant "Oh NO!!!!! I forgot that part" I guess we are off to a great start! :-) LOL!

You Didn't Say No....

I was dumbfounded. My mouth was agape, my eyes were wide, as I stared at the man I have known for 17 years, (and loved probably just as long) like he was someone new! Everything stopped around me. The noisy restaurant we were in on Sanibel Island, ceased to exist. The ocean, the bikes rides, the walks on the beach...poof...all gone for a moments time. I stammered. "You didn't say No! This is the first time you didn't say No! God's going to do something!"
So, backing up...I have had adoption on my heart for about three years now. No big revelation from God, no audible voice, just a sense of knowing, I have enough love in my heart to give to children who aren't from my womb! God just planted that little seed in me.
Nathan's seed was a study on justice and mercy and what that looks like in God's kingdom. Adoption was not a seed he was watering...especially in me. His typical answers to my adoption thoughts were...."No, We can barely handle the three we have" "No, I am gone a lot, I don't want to put that burden on you" "No, I don't want to have kids in the house when I am 50" "Look around you, where are we going to put another kid?" And when our kids were really acting nuts he would give me this look of.."And you want to add another child to this? NO!"
But Nathan is a man of God and believes His Word. He just couldn't get away from the fact that God told His followers to take care of widows and orphans...the fatherless...the poor. That commandment may take on a different form for many people; For the Nathan LaGrange family it meant adoption.
You all know the story is alot longer than this, God's stories always are, but I want this to be the longest entry you ever had to read on this blog....and it is getting too long.....
In August 07 we were blessed by God to go to Sanibel Island. I bought Nathan Tony Dungy's book Quiet Strength, (GO COLTS!) not knowing it had anything about adoption in it, to read while we were on vacation...and that was it. We were sitting at lunch, and I teasingly said something about, "Well, when we adopt a baby..." his reply was not "NO" It was "When the Lord tells me to adopt, that is what we will do." That was the first time he didn't say "NO"
God began to move on Nathan's heart...and here I sit today with my first appointment with our Adoption Agency pending this weekend.
I never nagged Nathan about adopting, I think that is important to know. It shows God moved, not my mouth ;-)
The Lord didn't say "No" either.