What happens when your in the middle of living a God-Sized Dream

I've said from the beginning that this entire Adoption process is a God thing.  If it wasn't there would be no way we could do it.  

Recently I linked up with Holley Gerth and some really amazing God Sized Dreamers {http://holleygerth.com/meet-your-god-sized-dream-team/} to encourage one another for living out our God-Size Dreams.  

I'm a planner, list maker, goal writer, dreamer, activity seeker, purpose driven kind of gal, if you get my drift.  So this whole dreaming "together" thing was right up my alley.

As I've worked through some of the projects and challenges{following the guide The “Do What You Can” Plan: 21 Days to Making Any Area of Your Life Better by Holley Gerth} I recognized this thing called adoption is my God-Sized Dream.

I'm not sure when He began to stir my heart toward adoption.

Maybe it was here on this trip to Mexico, where as a young, newly married 22 year old I left this orphanage wishing I could take this little darling home to be mine forever. 

I'm here now 16 years later.....waiting for a little girl on the other side of the world that God has chosen for me to be her mommy.  

Is comfortable ? No way! 

Is it easy? Ha! 

Has it been smooth?  Never count on it!

Have I doubted?  to many times to number

Has it happened in my timing?  Never! (Thats another blog post entirely)

Is it destined to Bring Him Glory? YES

Is it amazing? YES

Is it Life changing ? YES

Seeing God's hand all over our lives.........Priceless

So what are some things God has called you to do?  Have you been too scared?  Have you avoided it so much you've forgotten the dream that used to make you giddy to think about?

Join me here:  http://holleygerth.com/category/god-sized-dreams/  Give God a chance to rekindle the spark that used to burn in your heart before life got in the way.

Sometime in the next week Im gonna share~ Part two of my God-Sized Dream: Where God is leading me to in our life after adoption.

~Kelli

Christmas

It's Christmas time and your not home .....so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in His arms and tell you from my heart , I wish you Merry Christmas.

Dreaming of the day when I can finally call you mine.......


Believing this will be our last Christmas without you in our arms Addi May

I've loved her for a thousand years

Last weekend was Orphan Sunday.  Significant to some, maybe most didn't even know. 
For our family it was the beginning of this journey we are on ......
Orphan Sunday November, 2009 to be exact .  Lloyd and I watched a live simalcast hosted by ShowHope.  This is when the seed God had planted in our hearts many years before began to sprout.  

The rest of the timeline goes like this:
January 2010- A discussion over dinner at confirms we both are "100%" sure about this thing called "adoption", something at the time we really knew nothing about
April 2010 - "let's start", I research, I request packets, we explore options
We found the agency we felt had the most reputable presence in the adoption community.  We looked at countries that met our "hopes" for our daughter.....then it happened
Bulgaria ....estimated 10,000 orphans
Ukraine....estimated 100,000 orphans
                                    but  Ethiopia........ 4.3 MILLION.  
That was all it took for God to open our eyes to something so much bigger than our desire for a daughter.
May 2010- We began the application process to adopt our daughter from Ethiopia
July 2010- We will call her "Addi May"
Sept 2010 - We are officially accepted into the Ethiopia program with All God's Children
Dec 31,2010 - our dossier is received 
Jan 17,2011 We are number  #97 for a girl 0-2
So the wait begins, Here is a little taste of the process:
May 2011-#70
Nov 2011-#48
March 2012-#35
May 2012-#34
August 2012-#21
October 2012-# 19

This process is nothing like anything else.  It's like I've been pregnant now for 22 months.  It's difficult to create a balance of preparation and anticipation for something so life changing, and yet continue to live and enjoy the day we are in at this very moment.


I seriously feel like I've loved her for a thousand years

Because sometimes in the waiting for what we long for, we praise God long when the gift comes at long last. Sometimes God has his people wait long, so our gratitude becomes deeper and wider.” – Ann Voskamp, The Jesse Tree Journey

Blessings~Kelli 

What is your number???

What is your number?   I question I hear on a regular basis and if in truth someone asked me for my number( meaning my phone number) I would most likely assume (like a fellow adoptive mom)  they would mean our waitlist number.

Our waitlist number kinda sets the time frame for the process of this adoption. 

On January 19, 2010 we were placed on the waitlist with our agency for #97 for a girl 0-2.

As of this day October 15, 2012 we are #19.  Finally in the teens! 

What has occured to me is that if you are not an official stalker of the waitlist, you may not understand exactly how it works.  Basically there are 19 families in front of us.  However, these families may be on a sibling list or boys list as well.  So a boy referral may in fact result in movement on the girls list depending on the families parameters. 

Something that I have often explained in an effort to communicate the waitlist process is that once we are at #1 we will receive a referral. 

I no longer think that is how its going to go down. 

To put in perspective, last week the family that received their referral was #10 on the waitlist for a girl 0-2.

I think its time we start anticipating a "call". 

As we wait we are trusting God and His perfect timing for a "call" about a little girl across the world, that we pray will take us as her family. 

What do Basketball and Death have in common?

.....besides the fact they have completely consumed the Belt home January and February 2012

Today I awakened to a yucky sad feeling.  Nothing unusual and something I have experienced most mornings since January 4th.  But today was for a different reason.  We lost.  The Falcon boys basketball lost their chance to win the Gold Ball.  What in the world !- how can this possibly compare to the loss of my mother.  How could the two even remotely be viewed as similar.  So I wrestled most of the morning with this wretched desire to throw in the towel and chalk all of life up as a loss ( a little dramatic I'm sure).

Then God began to show me something .......  As I cleaned the kitchen I finished listening to a sermon entitled "Pivotal Circumstances" by Andy Stanley which I recommend you go here Five Things to Grow your Faith and download for $1.  I had listened to half of it on the way to the basketball game last night.

 So what does losing one of the most important people in my life have to do

With Basketball?

I have watched my husband pour his life into these boys......practicing with them every Sunday night for 3 years .  Talking about them non-stop. With a dream of them getting the ultimate reward of the gold ball and winning the state Championship.  They were supposed to win....they were the best in the State of Oklahoma....

My husband has watched me pour my life into my mom for 4 years.  With a dream her health would be restored.  She wasn't supposed to die.  Her cancer was stable......


Dreams over , gone.  What we hoped for are not even possible anymore.  God did not show up and answer our prayers....  But this is where He showed me something very profound .

When my mom past away we buried her with one of these bracelets.  One of our adoption bracelets that say "praying for Addi May". A gesture of including our daughter who will never know my mom .

When the state tournament started I saw my husband wearing one of these for the first time.  I thought that was really special how he must have wanted her to be a part of this "win" since she is not with us yet.  But he didn't win.

And this is where I realize this bracelet represents so much more to us.  It represents our belief and hope.   We have fallen in love with an Ethiopian baby we have never even seen.  This bracelet represents our hope for Him to redeem a life story of a baby girl on the other side of the world and not leave her as an orphan.

Even in our hurt and loss we trust Him anyway.  Our belief is in a God who is bigger than this sin ravished world that takes our dreams. This bracelet represents, more importantly, our believe in our own redemption through our adoption as sons and daughters of a Living God.

I want to see Him even in our losses.  Disappointment and gut wrenching hurt is sure to come, maybe through death.  Maybe in a basketball game.  I want to say "I believe" even when my circumstances try to convince me I have nothing to hang my belief on.
Today I am going to put on my bracelet , enjoy the sunshine and do some singing along with Crowder

-Kelli

Time to Start Blogging

I figure one day when the wait is over and Addi May is home, people will actually be interested in what I have to say.  So I figure I better start blogging now so I can work through all the kinks and get a little more comfortable with the online publishing.

Reading Adoption Blogs is one of my most favorite pastimes.  This Blog is amazing and this is her amazing giveaway!
Check it out!

These women on these adoption blogs are who I aspire to be like.  Incidentally, they are very Christlike.  They display the heart of Christ in everything they do.

Happy 6th of December.

-Kelli

License Plates for Christmas

Okay I finally am launching the sale of my license plates that have been ready for months. They are two images on one plate , what you see depends on the angle you are looking at it.

This is the plate on my car from different angles changing between ONE LESS to Africa with a heart over Ethiopia.  Mine is pink but if you want one for a boy then I will change it to red.  They are $25 and you can purchase through the Donate button on the side.