Reality Check

Happy Friday, friends!  Good news on the adoption front.  Our immigration packet was received by homeland security and we have our receipt.  Now we are just waiting for our fingerprint date.  Meanwhile, I'll be putting together the documents that make up the dossier.  It is actually starting to feel real again.  I'm thinking about daughters and pink again.  It has been a while since I have allowed myself to go there.  I've been a bit protective of my heart lately.
We've clamped down even tighter on our finances.  It seems crazy.  Because we were already quite frugal. But, I've handed my credit card over to hubby and made a commitment not to charge anything.  We always pay our card off at the end of the month...but you know the psychology behind a credit card.  Things fall into the cart a little easier when you aren't thinking about the dollar amount you actually have in the bank.  So, in an effort to put more of our income into the adoption, I'm credit card free.  Scary!  But good!  I don't believe God wants us in debt for this adoption.  I know He will provide the crazy amount of funds to bring this child to family.  But, we are praying about what our part in that is.  We can't be irresponsible and expect God to provide the money.
We're tossing around the idea of a trivia night as a fundraiser, though.  What do you guys think?  Would any of you attend?  I think it would be a fun way to raise money for the adoption but also have fun with friends.
How are the bio kids?
They are great. It has been busy around here with all of the activities.  It feels like we've been on the road a lot lately.  But, we had the chance to enjoy Martin Luther King Jr day off as a family.  It helped that it was 65 that day and we could spend most of it outside.  It did not help our sleep, however, when the weather radio kept going off and we spent some quality time in the basement that night.  But, we were blessed by the prayers of our wonderful friends.  I don't think you will ever know how much it means to me after a rough night with the kids and the weather to see encouraging messages on my Facebook wall.  I feel compelled to tell you that in the height of the storm that night, we found ourselves in the basement sitting in a circle just looking at each other.  No one was talking.  We were listening to the hail bang against the house and reliving our own memories of that fateful night.  This is how I know prayers are real and they work.  Just as I felt the stress was going to push me into a full blown panic attack, Z ripped the BIGGEST fart ever!  It was so loud.  We all looked at him and burst into complete belly laughs.  D-Dog was next with his contribution.  And so it happened...that the night of the storm became the farting contest of the ages.  What a great distraction.  And I am once again reminded why I love boys so much....especially my boys.
For me, those few moments of pure stink brought me back to reality.  It brought me to the present.  We are all here.  We are all alive.  We are all so blessed!
Reality checks are super important to me right now.  When I worry that we are doing something completely insane by adopting, I go to scripture for a reality check.  Jesus says in scripture that anyone who offers even a cup of water to the least of these is doing it for Him and will not lose his reward.       (Matthew 10:42)
When I worry about the financial impact of the adoption, I have to remember that God has full storehouses.  He will bless this effort.
What is going on in your life that requires you to have a reality check?  I promise that you will find the answer you need if you look toward scriptures in the Bible.  God promises to give us wisdom if we ask for it. (James 1:5)
Have a wonderful weekend!