Next

Well our last sermon series was very on track for both of us.   And the new study is "Next A Study of Joshua".    Amazing, we decided to name our new son Joshua because this whole adoption has required a huge step of faith.

Early in the process I used the analogy of Indiana Jones in the scene where he faces the great canyon but he knows he has to step out on faith and trust that something is there.   We felt like that as we prayed about this adoption.  This morning we saw that video clip as the intro into the sermon.   Faith, stepping out into the unknown.

Have you ever felt like the preacher is preaching directly to you?   We have had a lot of that lately.   A verse that really plays in for us is Joshua 3:5 Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.   

Looking at this today I see that Joshua was fearful of the unknown.   Several times he was told to "Be Strong and Courageous"  God was telling him to pull together his courage and to have faith.   Even Joshua needed God to tell him to have faith.   That makes me feel so much better about the days when I feel more like Jonah.   I want the faith of Joshua but now I see that he too needed God to tell him to Be Strong and Courageous.

So we are well out into the unknown.  Home study is complete, we are filing with USCIS, we are authenticating documents.   We are paying fees and making progress toward bringing Joshua home.   There will be many expenses, there will be unknowns and frustrations but we need to be strong and courageous.   We need to trust that God will provide needed finances and that He will prepare Joshua for our arrival and that He will help him bond with us and that he will understand all the changes that will be forced on him.    We can see a few steps in front of us and we can trust that He who called us will pave the way to the end.

Joshua 1:5-6  As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.  Be strong and courageous....   Then in verse 7 and 9 he reminds Joshua be strong and very courageous, Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.   I wish I had gone back and read these versus a few months ago.   What a motivational talk that Joshua received.

 Well let's see what the coming week holds.   It has been a week of adoption expenses.  I have been debating funding for adaptions and feel like that will be a future blog post.  For now signing off.