share the love 2013

Sharing the LOVE.  

how did it go for yall?  

I was at church Sunday & we sang this new song called "here is love" by Bethel and it was just a sweet reminder than we LOVE because of Christs love for us!!  

Grace and love, like mighty rivers

Poured incessant from above

And Heaven's peace and perfect justice

Kissed a guilty world in love

No love is higher, no love is wider

No love deeper, no love is truer

No love is higher, no love is wider

No love is like Your love, O Lord

Here is love, vast as the ocean

I have seriously loved having this in my head to do every day.  It's been such an amazing way to make a habit out of noticing people and things to do to make people happy every day.  I really do hope and pray that I can continue with this idea of "share the love".  because it's really not that hard.  it's being intentional.  it's going out of your way to speak to someone.  it's thinking about someone and something other than yourself & your plans for the day.  God has really showed me a lot these past two weeks.  

and sadly, I don't have really any pictures of what I did.  

but I want to encourage you & give you some ideas of how simple this whole idea of "share the love" can really be.  so...here are a few ways I shared the love.

picked my mom up from airport with starbucks in hand

paid for guy behind me in line at HEB's cokes

brought donuts to neighbors who were having a garage sale

encouraged the mail lady & told her she was appreciated

flowers + lunch to a friend who was at home sick

surprise (and secret!) birthday gifts to my neighbors

 afternoon coffee to friends

made cupcakes + had friends over to share our heart for missions
helping friends fundraise for mission trips ;)
helped a friend with something she didn't know how to do
encouraged and loved on my kids every day
prayed for daddy as he walked out the door for work
apparently, my love language is coffee - I think I brought a friend a coffee almost every day of the challenge...hmm....
spoke kindly, wasn't on my cell phone + befriended the checkers at the store.

See what I mean?  it's not that hard.  it's simply treating others as you would like to be treated.  you don't have to majorly go out of your way.  you don't have to have this big elaborate plan.  you just LOVE people.  and love is it's own language.  

so if you haven't shared the love, I challenge you to do it.

and if you have [but just aren't posting about it] can you share with us how YOU shared the love?

I've heard so many different things from people + think it would be amazing to have a running list to go back to to get ideas + encouragement from each other.

ready, set, SHARE! 
you can LINK UP below!

transformation.

Source: pinterest.com via Wynne on Pinterest

one thing I know, God is committed to transforming me.
if He wasn't, I wouldn't be alive today.
but I am ALIVE.
and it's because God has a greater purpose, He's transforming me day by day.

this is something that's been going on in my head and heart from our series at church about fear, and from what God showed me at Created for Care.

and I think that there was a level of transformation that occurred through our adoption process, that couldn't have happened any other way.

and you know how transformation goes.
it's hard, it's sticky, it's uncomfortable.  it moves you from what you know and who you are, to who Christ is making you to become.

during transformation, we see a lot of sin in us that we wouldn't see normally.
there is usually brokenness and hurt that leads the way for transformation.

Source: beautifulquote.tumblr.com via alisonholcomb on Pinterest

I was just reflecting on the past two years, and all that God has done in our life.  Even though there were serious seasons of darkness + lots of pain, loss and brokenness...I know that on the other side of that was transformation.  a heart closer to jesus.  a heart that yearns to be more like him.  a heart that can truly say with all she is, "lord have your way!"

our pastor always says that everything god does is for my greatest joy and HIS glory.
my story and path is paved with brokenness, but God has used me to show off HIS glory.
the days that we lost our first referral  or didn't think we would bring Asher home, those days tested us.  but god was good & faithful and HE gets the glory.

and that wasn't JUST for our transformation.
it was for others - it was for others to see Gods work in our lives, to hear and see our testimony and SEE god the whole way.
and I pray that through our testimony, you see the faithfulness of god.
I pray that I have been or will be able to encourage you in your seasons of darkness and brokenness.
I pray I can comfort you as I've been comforted.  [2 corth 1:4]

on my heart.

Source: blog.whitneyenglish.com via alisonholcomb on Pinterest

baby dedication.

tonight my babies were dedicated at church.

a church that has become our family the past 5 years.
we don't live in the same city as any blood family members but God has blessed us with an amazing community that has surrounded us, supported us, loved us and walked with us the past almost 5 years.

so to stand on the stage with 10 other families, to dedicate to love and raise our children to know & love the Lord was pretty special.  It's a day I've dreamed about for years.  Literally, every Elements service I've watched with tears in my eyes as other families dedicate their babies.  and today.  god ordained today a long time ago.  it was special.

I love what Chad [one of our children's pastors] said...these kids aren't OUR kids, they are GODS.  and we commit them into HIS hands and trust that He is good.  He has given them to us to love & parent on this earth, but they are HIS kids.  He read scripture from Deuteronomy 6:4-9,

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Lord, that's what we want to do!  We want to teach them about you, we want to teach them about your great love for them.  We want to teach you + talk to you about that great love every day as we seek to raise you in a Godly home!  

[Stephen's mom, "Nanny" drove in - thankful she lives not too far!]

and it was so special to have so many friends there.  sadly, we had to leave early [I guess the babies wanted to go to bed before 9pm? who knew? :)] so I don't have pictures with everyone but please know we love you & you are so special to us!!! 

[the Knights!  love them all ;)]

[Wendy & Jenna....we have become quite the trio.  these girls are my kinna crazy.  we push each other, challenge each other, encourage/love/pray for each other and I am so thankful to do life with them!]

[2 of Wendy's kids...Baylie on the left, Sydnie on the right.  I ❤ these girls + their entire family. Can't believe we didn't really know each other before Africa last year. They are our midland family. Sydnie + Bailey + Lacey (where were you for this pic?) are Angels with my babies. What a joy to watch Bailey go into those baptismal waters. She has a huge heart and will do mighty things in Jesus name!

One of my besties, Alison [who's literally been there since the beginning of the "trying to start a family" thing]  said it well when she texted me after the service and said, 

"Oh my goodness sweet friend, I can't tell you the overwhelming feeling that came over me seeing your sweet family on stage!!  The presence of The Lord was SO powerful tonight!  Tears just flowed and flowed and flowed out of sheer JOY in witnessing a family of believers proclaiming the gospel!  And your sweet angels. Oh that they live in a Godly home and have the most amazing parents!  I am truly so honored to know them!  So thankful for your friendship and for our community and church!!  My heart is so full tonight!"

part of me wishes I could have watched it through their eyes.  I probably would have cried + cried too. 

such a testament to Gods faithfulness!!  They are HERE and we are PARENTS!  it's for real!
Thank you JESUS!!!! 

[one more of my sweet mommas boy!]

be not afraid.

my head is swimming with so many things right now.
I feel like I could write an entire book, but I'm praying that God would give me the words to put on this page.

fear.
it's a paralyzing thing.
but 1 John 4:18 says....

"there is NO FEAR in love, but perfect love casts out fear"  

right before that verse in 1 John 4:16 it says, "so we have come to know and to believe the love God has for us".

to not only KNOW, but BELIEVE the love God has for us....that has been a prayer of mine for the past few years.  and I feel like the past few weeks, God has really really opened my spiritual eyes to see.  Our pastor has been talking about FEAR the past few weeks, and it's just amazing Gods timing.  The weekend before Created for Care was his first sermon.  Something he said really stuck out to me then & now, "the thing or place we've come to fear is the exact place God wants to show us His great love".  we fear because we don't trust, and part of not trusting is that we don't know and/or believe gods love for us.  if you are like me, you need to read that again.  God loves you, God loves me more than we could ever imagine.  His plans for us are GOOD.  He's a good father.  He wants to lead us.  He wants us to trust Him.

God has been revealing to me what my fear is.
and I have no doubt that my fears have been holding me back.
the first fear that comes to mind is the fear of losing my husband.
which is a very real fear that stems back to a dream or very real thought in junior high that either me or my husband would die young.

but my fears go deeper than that.  
I fear not ever being able to have biological kids [that's a post all of it's own]
I fear that I won't be able to take care of my kids the way I'm called to
I fear missing out on gods purposes for my life
I fear that what I'm passionate about, and what I feel led to aren't where God wants me to go
and the list really could go on....

but bringing those fears to light.
and LETTING God show me His great love for me the past few weeks
well it's wrecked my world all over again.

it's why I'm leading this trip with my husband this summer.  
we heard Bob Goff [if you don't know who he is, order his book now + follow him on twitter] and he has an amazing story.
God has done some pretty big things in his life + his message is simple: BE NOT AFRAID.
He says over & over how amazing things happen "when we aren't afraid anymore" 
did you know the bible says "do not fear" 365 times in the bible?  thats one time for every day of the year.  you think the Lord is trying to get a message across to us?

so...about fear.
I don't want to fear.  I want to bring my fear to light.  I want to KNOW, really know that there is NO fear in love.  I want to know that God has me where he wants me, so He can show me his great love.  and showing me He is.

I am right where He wants me.
I'm stepping out.  I'm saying YES.  I'm not afraid anymore.
I can't miss out on what He wants to do in my life because I'm afraid.
He is sovereign.   He is in control.  He has numbed my days, and I don't want to miss out anymore because I'm fearful.

saying YES to the trip meant laying down my fear of leaving my babies behind with family.
it meant saying YES despite my fear of leading
it meant saying YES to going back to a place that is uncomfortable + stretching for me...[Uganda]

I love what Philip Knight said after we watched the Man Up & Go movie...we don't go on these trips to love on the fatherless because we think it sounds like fun...we go because christ compels us to.

we go even when it's out of our comfort zone, even when it scares us, because that means we have to rely on christ more.  

[camp.  might be one of my favorite pictures ever.  let's pretend he's telling you not to fear!]

ramblings.
but I pray that they encourage you.
and that they make you look at the FEAR you have, and that you pray and ask god to help you KNOW and BELIEVE the great great love he has for you.
because He sure does love you.

"Know that the Lord, He is God.  It is He who made us, and we are HIS"

Psalm 100:3

Share the Love!

I am really excited to partner with Lyndsey of Pink Coffee Photo + 12 other gals for Share the Love 2013!  Lyndsey had an idea about how we could show love in this month of LOVE ;)  

So here's the deal.  Starting today through Valentines Day, we are going to be sharing the love. 

what does that mean exactly?

that means loving those around you, being intentional, being aware of the needs of those around you, doing random acts of kindness for those in your home, your neighborhood, your community, you get the point ;) 

as believers, we are called to share the love of christ with everyone we meet!  

and that happens in lots of little ways.

this week I got the amazing opportunity to hear Bob Goff (author of Love Does) speak and let me just tell you it pumped me up for this.  he puts it this way: love extravagantly   love god, love people, DO STUFF.  because love DOES.  

I myself am really excited about this challenge because I know this will make me AWARE of the needs around me.  I'm praying that doing this for 14 days will allow it to become a habit  and it will become part of our everyday life.  There's something about having to LOOK for a need that makes you see it everywhere. 

I'm thinking about making cookies for my new neighbor I've been wanting to meet, paying for someones coffee behind me at Starbucks, watching a friends kid if they need it, intentionally loving my husband well + leaving him little notes to remind him, random "happies" on friends doorsteps, and the list goes on.  

My goal is to do at least ONE act of kindness EVERY day until Valentines day.  

and the fun of this challenge is that YOU can get in too! 

and you don't have to have a blog - you can share your #sharethelove2013 moments on your facebook, Instagram or twitter.  

what if we ALL intentionally went out and shared the love with those around us?

some pretty powerful stories will emerge I'm sure.

So let's all meet back here on the "day of love" and share those stories!

who's excited?

ready....set....

share the love! 

crazy dreamers, changing the world.

photo credit: Pinterest

thinking about dreaming this week.

MLK inspired post here. 

anybody story # 3 here.  

still dreaming.......

are you? 

calling all dreamers.

I have a dream.
yep, today is Martin Luther King Jr Day.
I've had these thoughts swirling around in my head for about a week about being a DREAMER and just felt like today was the perfect day to write them down.

I was inspired yet again today, by a man who dreamed big.  who risked everything to dream.
and look what has come of his big, audacious dreams. 

I have a dream that one day little black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

He also dreamed that his kids would not be judged not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character. 
that too is a dream of mine. 

back to dreaming.
I ran into someone recently & when I asked how they were and what they had been up to they said something that you & I say or hear said a lot, "oh we're just going through the motions".
my friends, it's SO EASY to just go through the motions.  I know it is.  I struggle and battle with it too.

but in that next moment God reminded me big time, that we should always be praying big prayers and dreaming big dreams.  

remember when you were a kid & someone asked you what your dream was?
why did we stop asking that question?  or beleving those dreams could come true? 
while we might not still want to be a professional singer (yep, gotta actually be able to sing for that one)
we have real life dreams that God has put on our hearts.
passions.

I'm reading a book called The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson  and yall I keep reading the same pages over and over.  It's so good.  I just need it to seep into my soul.  I picked it back up this weekend and this is where I landed,

"If you've never had a God-sized dream that scared you half to death, then you haven't really come to life.  If you've never been overwhelmed by the impossibility of your plans, then your God is too small.  If your vision isn't perplexingly impossible, then you need to expand the radiuses of your prayer circles."  

God is ABLE to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.  (eph 3:20) 

so why don't we believe him sometimes? 

why don't we dream big dreams?

pray big prayers? 

and believe for God to do the impossible?

I don't know about you, but all this talk about dreaming and praying big challenged me to go back to God in prayer and ask Him what he wants of me. 

to look at my passions & my position and not be afraid to dream big.

this past week, Stephen + I served at something called Challenge Day (which you'll hear more about tomorrow in my anybody post) and we had a "buddy" who we shared dreams with.  

My sweet friend shared with me it's his dream to play in the NFL.  

I encouraged him to go for his dream!!

I didn't tell him that there's a high chance that won't happen, I believed in him and encouraged him to GO FOR HIS DREAM! 

and that's what I wish we could do for each other.

encourage each other, meet together, talk about our dreams & our passions. 

a few friends of mine & I had a "dreamer" lunch recently (alison talks about it here) and it was incredible.

it didn't take much but just asking each other what we were dreaming and praying about. 

So, I want to encourage YOU to do the same.  find a friend or two and open up + talk about those god sized dreams, and then encourage and pray for each other on the way to god fulfilling those dreams! 

my dreams need a whole other post, but I'll leave you with what I told my Challenge day buddy: I hope to be a mom to a whole lot of kids who wouldn't otherwise have a family.  

what are your dreams?! 

ethiopian roots run deep.

it's late Thursday night + I'm having one of my "in the mood" late photo editing nights.
thinking about the day.
seriously, adoption has changed our whole life.
it has expanded our world view ten fold.
people that we might never have had the opportunity to know, we now consider family.

I mean, when did we ever go over to our "ethiopian parents" house for coffee ceremonies?
or go to gotcha day parties + celebrate orphans no more being in their forever families?

it's insane.
and I love every minute.


we want our kids to KNOW all about their culture.
so we love when getanah & wosene speak to them in amharic + even oromo (their tribal language)
we love it when we participate in one of the greatest traditions of their home culture - the coffee ceremony.

we love it when they have friends who come from the same places as they do.

tonight, as our sweet friend Lana's daughter Eva Rose met Camp + Asher for the first time, Lana told her simply that they come from the same place that she does.

Eva just studied Asher and said in her 3 year old voice, "mommy she has hair just like me & Lomi do".  Yes, Eva she sure does.  and her skin is the same as yours.
Eva strokes her skin and says an enthusiastic, "yeah!"
"and her eyes are black too"

simple conversation but it still stole my heart.

I love that that four little girls who once lived as orphans in Ethiopia, can now call each other friends in Midland Texas.  they can relate to each other.  even at a young age.  

I'm so thankful for the adoptive families that we are blessed to call friends!

and those of you who are adopting & don't know ANYONE who's adopting in your area... rest assured, we didn't either when we started this thing.  the bond of adoption runs thick.  you will meet "your people"!  pray for an adoption boom in your city! 

Emme, it was an honor to celebrate your gotcha day tonight.  I can't believe it's been 1 year since you've been home.  I still remember so well sitting in YOUR room with YOU IN IT just in awe.  after months of no Emme in that room, that day you spun me around in your chair it all became real.
you are a beautiful joyful  and have the best-laugh-ever + I'm blessed to know you! (jennas blog here!)

camp + asher, may you never lose your Ethiopian roots.  

happy friday yall! 

 in case you missed it this week:

I guest posted over on my girl Tara's blog here. 

talking about my No. 41 bag! 

brokenness restored.

I full believe that the greatest transformation towards intimacy with God came through my brokenness.  

I know that sounds crazy, but it's true.
I often times look back on the past 3 years and miss those hard times.
now, I don't really want to live in darkness all the time + I'm super thankful to be on the other side, but I know it was this crazy adoption process that God used to transformed me.

through my brokenness....god restored + healed + and transformed me!

it just hit me like a ton of bricks this week at church when our pastor was preaching out of Matthew 5.  Matthew 5: 4, "blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  

our pastor said, "contentment doesn't come because of the mourning, but in what God says he will do IN THE MIDDLE of the mourning."

its huge to know that god (in my brokenness) didn't abadon me.  I WILL be comforted!  he heals and restores and transforms us!

there is a level of transformation that happens in brokenness that can't happen any other way.

cool story - last year on my way to the created for care retreat, God was really speaking to my heart about restoration.  about brokenness and restoration and honestly I thought He was just talking about OTHER peoples brokenness that leads to transformation + restoration.  I was dreaming about ministry and what it looks like to minster to those who are broken.  I even dreamed a logo up!  broken/restored was on my heart.  you can read that post here.

ANYWAY!
God so spoke to me this week in that I was once broken and He RESTORED ME!!!!
through my brokeness, he restored and healed me.
I expierenced transformation + intamacy with Him that I wouldn't have any other way.

it was like he gave me a word for the season that was coming, and although it took a year to be fully revealed - I'm thankful He was with me the whole way!

amen!

When I got this tattoo, I knew it meant something but I still wasn't 100% sure what it meant for ME.

until last night. (story here)

now this permanent ink on my left foot will always remind me of the brokenness that God used to restore me in a season of my life.

it will always be an opportunity to share that experience with others who ask.

it will always remind me.

I want to be broken.

because I crave that intimacy with God.

I crave transformation.

even if it costs me something. 

ANYBODY can change the world.

world changing.

itʼs for ANYBODY.

not just “radical” people.

literally, any one who has a body. which Iʼm pretty sure is everyone reading this.

anybody can do something.

anybody can live missionally & make a change in the world right where they are. 

do you believe it?

to me, changing the world means loving with abandon, really seeing people, telling the story god has written for you, and loving + living big.

life is real, messy and beautiful at the same time. It is meant to be lived in community. We were meant to tell our stories because they encourage, affirm and keep each other accountable.

A passion of mine is telling the story god has written for me, not just telling the story but inviting people into the story.

I strive to be real, raw and transparent.

I love telling my story because I love connecting with people. (if you haven't yet, read & respond to this post)

They fuel my energy, they encourage and challenge me to live a better story.

speaking of challenging questions.

my dear friend Katie spoke the most challenging question of all when she asked me in August of 2010 if I would pray about adoption.

somehow something was never even on my radar, became something so possible.

it followed me around.

we said YES.

and God has gloriously ruined our lives from that moment on.

I started thinking that most people probably do things because someone in their life challenged them to do it.

so that got me dreaming.

what if we all told our stories, challenged each other, kept each other accountable, and did things that changed the world?

I believe that ANYBODY can change the world.

you donʼt have to sell everything you own & move to africa to change the world. anybody can change the world right where they are.

itʼs my desire in 2013 to share 52 stories of people who are doing just that. 

one story for every week of the year.

not just to inspire you, but to start a conversation.

a conversation that moves you to action.

and action that moves you to say YES. 

ANYBODY can do ANY THING.

my hope is that you let these stories get into your soul, let them (and the people who write them) challenge you to act.

oh, and I'm excited that my first anybody story will be by none other than the girl who started it all, Katie.  coming later this week ;) 

make Him famous,
wynne 

love this "story" community + keep it coming

pretty magical. 

the past few days the weather has been dreamy.
snowy, overcast, perfect coffee by the fire type weather.

after this pic was taken, my sweet Camp got tubes in his ears (thanks for the prayers - are we instagram firends yet...we should be...wynne4), my hubby got sick, and my sweet Asher girl too.  (oh, and Eli the dog - so fun waking up to about 9 piles of dog dodo in my studio)

so I've pretty much been homebound the past few days, and I have LOVED reading all of your STORIES on the comments from my "nice to meet you" post.  
I have literally gone through EVERY SINGLE comment (and they are still pouring in!), visited your blog, connected with you and been totally humbled and in awe that we get to walk this life together.

seriously!  yall have amazing stories + I'm so thankful for you sharing your hearts.
one thing I love is connecting people - so I am new to this "reply" comment thing on the post, but I tried it out & I love it.
So go back to the post, and join the conversation.
and look through others stories because I'm petty sure so many of you have so much in common.

I'd love for this space not to be just about ME telling MY story, but all of you telling yours.
so comment, reply to each others comments, let's be in community!
*I am a pinterest girl + I started a brand new board after being inspired by all of your stories called "stories"  and you can find it here.

I think it's so cool how God works.
Right before we found out we were cleared for embassy, my husband I went on a little road trip.
and we brainstormed.  and I talked about how much I love hearing and telling peoples stories.  and being challenged by people. and LIVING a better story.  

have yall read this book yet?
well, I'm re reading it because it's that good.
it's a book about living a better STORY!
*I also have a link for books that changed me here (at the bottom).

anyway!  we brainstormed this really amazing way to share our stories on this space.
and our little trip to Ethiopia + first few weeks home with the babes delayed that a bit, but I'm really excited to share it with you TOMORROW!

I call it, the ANY BODY campaign.
and i can't wait to share it with you.

it's simply about this -
sharing stories, encouraging, challenging, connecting, telling the stories HE wrote for us. 

so keep sharing yours with us here.  we are all in this together.
and check back tomorrow for all the details of this amazing project God laid on my heart!!

hi, nice to meet you!

hi, nice to meet you!

(me + my hottie hubs) 

I am really excited about this new year + this new vision god has give me for this new season of life.
change is happening.
I'm going from being a wife who owned/s her own photography business + also a Noonday Collection ambassador (who traveled to Africa 5 times in a little over a year), to a stay at home momma!

whew.

but it's a really exciting season.  I'm loving being home with my babies.  I'm loving getting to do life with my friends in real life + my bloggy friends.  mommy hood has brought a whole new facet to my relationships.  plus this adoption process has expanded my small world and I am so grateful for the people I've met along the way.

I have some really exciting things happening here this year.  and I can't wait to tell yall what God has laid on my heart to do.  in a few days I'll share ;)

but before we got started - I just wanted to know who the heck I'm writing to!
I love to write, writing is my therapy + writing is a way for me to document our story.  a treasure my kids + our family will have forever.  a reminder of all Gods done.

so I'd love to know how I can encourage you - I'd love to know what you are passionate about - I'd just love to know who YOU are!

I updated my "about me" section here.  a little bit about me + why I blog + what I blog about.
so now, I told you about me.

your turn.....

my word, GIVE.

I love the start of a new year.
A clean slate, a new + fresh start.

I loved having a coffee date with my husband this week as we talked about our goals for our family this year, which include: getting away just the two of us this spring, properly documenting our children's growth through pictures, praying as a family for the missionaries + children we sponsor all over the world in a creative way, and finding a way to thank the hundreds of people who helped us get our babes home.

I personally would like to read more/watch less tv, cook more, start running again...all the things that will last about 8 days then I'll forget....

So instead of focusing on all the things I want to do, I wanted to spend some time praying and having a word for 2013.  I loved what Casey wrote about her word + what Beth wrote about her year theme.

after asking God what He wants me to focus on this year, the word that came up again and again was GIVE.  for a few reasons.  I feel like I've been GIVEN much this past year, and I love the scripture that says, "to whom much is given, much is required" (Luke 12:48) I've been given way more than I ever deserve and I want to give back.

I want to GIVE time/energy/attention to those that matter to me most: my family + friends.  

I want to GIVE of my gifts + talents for Gods greater purpose & glory.  

I want to GIVE prayers + support to the missionaries & children we sponsor all over the world 

I want to GIVE my time and resources to those that truly need it.  

I want to GIVE my full attention to whoever I'm with.  to be fully present.  

mostly...

I want to GIVE myself fully to the Lord + his purposes and plan for my life. 

" I give it all to you God, trusting that you'll make something beautiful out of me"  - Nothing I hold onto by Will Reagan & the United Pursuit Band 

Lord, STIR MY SPIRIT!

May 2013 be a year devoted fully to you + your purposes in our lives. 

Happy New Year Friends! 

enjoy this video from Give1Save1 - all the adoptive families who were able to bring their babies home thanks to all the dollars they raised -- honored to be a part of this! 

2012 in review.

2012 has been quite the year.  

(our story via Fotolanthropy coming soon!)

from ringing in the new year in Rwanda to having our two sweet precious ethiopians home with us by christmas (and spending 2+ months living in the country that holds my heart) I'd say 2012 was a pretty darn good year. 

I've never done this before, but I wanted to go through and chose some of my favorite posts from 2012 (obviously I had a hard time narrowing them down).  I didn't realize how much it would ignite my soul.  reading through my fears and dreams from earlier this year & how God answered them and what He did.  as Jenna said, he's so good and faithful even when we are blind & can't see it.  He's been oh so faithful to me.  and this year was quite the journey - the glorious ending to a 2+ year adoption process and being called "mommy" for the first time. 

I can't wait to see what He has in store for 2013! and instead of telling you all my resolutions & goals now...I'll just try to live it + tell the story later.  

(I did these posts in the order they happend - and realized if you are new here, you'll pretty much know who I am and what I'm about after reading a few of these) 

I need Africa

picking up the pieces 

totally feel like that prayer was finally answered.  

affections are stirred

date with god

created for care

ready for camp (1st referral post!) 

when thank you isn't enough

the itch to go

power of relationships

when we visit orphans

dear camp

free to be me

doubling the love (the camp + asher announcement) 

camp + asher story

mommas

africa travel must have list (my go to!) 

restored (story behind my tat) 

be a catalyst

on my heart: africa

a shower for camp (baby shower pics!) 

good team (I love my hubby) 

its time, ethiopia bound!  (court date) 

the day I became a mom (probably my favorite post all year!) 

He has MORE! 

happy 30th stephen

passion for the lost

my missionary summer (living in addis abbaba, Ethiopia) 

changed me 

c+a update

the city

24/7 prayer

they are coming home!!!!

he sets the lonely in families

kissed by grace

perfect timing (if you read any of these posts...you should read this one!) 

I used to wonder

purchase with purpose (responsible/fair trade shopping ideas!) 

welcome home camp + asher

inspiration + what's next.

inspired.
that's what I'm feeling.
it's amazing what simple things can really get my brain+heart+soul going on a new path.

traveling, a conversation with a perfect stranger, a good cup of coffee, being outdoors, spending time with family, a good long drive, music and seeing lots of bold color.

Since we've been home with camp+asher (8 weeks!) - well and really before too, I started asking God what was next.  for life in general, but really for this little space.  my "identity" so long has been wrapped up in the process, and once they get home...then what?

I remember so well being at ACL Fest with one of my besties, Chloe and us dreaming together.
being inspired by the outdoors, the people and the music - we had some great ideas.
and I remember Chloe telling me after we got the kids home, she couldn't see my just posting pics of me & my kids at the park.
her way of saying - you have an opportunity here, don't blow it.

but she was right.


through this 2 year adoption process + half a dozen trips to Africa, we've developed not only some strong relationships & networks, but Gods given us a voice.
a voice for orphans.
a voice for communities in need of clean water.
a voice for artisans.
a voice for our beloved spitiual sons + daughters all over africa.
a voice to tell their stories.

our story isn't over, in fact it's just beginning.
and I get really excited to think about what God has in store for us next.

before we brought the babies home, I was desperate to move.
like, literally move.
I loved my time in Addis and totally fell in love with "the city"
ready to pack my bags & head for really any domestic or international city
but knowing in my heart midland is home (for now at least)
and now.  now that we are home.  i know it's where we are supposed to be
and I don't want to fight god about it
i want to be obedient where i am.  i want to love and serve right where we are.
(plus, i would terribly miss our friends-who-are-like-family a whole bunch anyway)

SO.
he's given me (through stephen really -- don't you love how that works?) a new vision
for this season
one that combines some of the giftings + passions he's given me
and will hopefully encourage + challenge you

I wanted to get it all set up & perfect for the start of 2013, but I want to take my time
I want to do it right
so hang in there with me
I can't wait to show you + tell you about it all.

for now.
i'm staying up way too late & dreaming about color.

love.

ps- on my "brainstorm/vision/dreaming day" in waco this week, I went through Tiny Twigs No Brainer Blog ebook & highly reccomend it.  

encouragement in the wait...give1save1

in case you don't know what give1save1 is, let me introduce you.
my adoptive momma friend Beth started it when she had the thought that "one person can't give an adoptive family $30,000 but if 30,000 people gave just $1...."
since then it's turned into more than an amazing opportunity for adoptive families to raise funds.
it's become a little community!

what started with just a Africa site....

has turned into sites for//
domestic adoptions
Asia
Caribbean
and coming soon europe 

seriously, if you are adopting or have a girlfriend who is - tell her about give1!  Families are nominated for each site each WEEK to be the "Family of the Week" - that week people have the opportunity to flood that families paypal with dollar bills yall!

our week on give1 came at just the right time.  god ordained.  it was an amazing blessing.
so what are you waiting for?  email subscribe to the blog.  watch the videos.  get to know the families.
let it be a part of your weekly "blog reading".

oh, and I posted over on the Africa blog last week :)  find it here.
I may be a slow contributor...but I'm working on it!

and beth did an amazing post today about what it looks like to adopt a child from a "waiting child's list" I found it very insightful :)

oh, and last week they posted this I Like adoption video - if you haven't seen it....please do & get the tissues ready.  here.

so every orphan can find their home,
wynne.