The Fork in the Road

When I started this journey, I assumed that like most of my journeys that I would take a straight path to my destination(adoption in Liberia).  I WAS WRONG!!  I self righteously thought that I had a plan, and if I stuck with the plan, everything would be smooth sailing.  All of you people who have already adopted can stop laughing now;).  

Thankfully I have been smart enough to not completely depend on my plans, but to rely on God's plans.  I can praise God for His roadblocks and potholes that led me to another road, Uganda. Now there have been some side trips that I took on my own, a failed domestic adoption, but God has directed me back to the path He has for me. 

I praise Him for the success of my t-shirt business.  I can now get my homestudy completed and move joyfully forward.  My hope is to be able to travel in May or June.  Please pray with me that this is the timeline God has in store and that my journey continue on His path as well.  

Believe T-shirts

When I began this journey a year and a half ago, one of my main concerns was how I was going to finance my adoption.  I am a single teacher in Alabama.  I am not exactly rolling in the dough.  But as usual my God came through for me.

After much prayer for not only a way to raise money for the adoption, but a way to supplement my income after I brought a child home, God gave me the answer.  He gave me the idea to start a t-shirt company.  All of the t-shirts are based on scripture or biblical principals.  My hope is for this new endeavor to not only be a way to make income, but more importantly, a way to spread God's word.  I am starting slowly with just a few designs.  I should have a website up after Thanksgiving, but I wanted to share with my blog buddies now.  I hope to be able to offer the shirts as a fundraising opportunity for other adopting families in the future.  Please take a look at the shirts and give me your input.  

The white t-shirt is short sleeved and is available in adult  small to extra-large.

The pink shirt is short sleeved and available in children's sizes extra-small to large and adult sizes small to 3X.

The brown shirt is the Thanksgiving design.  It comes in long sleeves and sizes from adult small to 3X.  I can get the shirt in children's sizes xs-l in a lighter brown.

The gray shirt is long sleeved and is available in children's sizes extra-small to large and adult sizes small to 3X.

the price is $16 for short sleeved and $18 for long sleeved plus $3 shipping and handling.

If you are interested in ordering a shirt please e-mail me at believetshirts@yahoo.com.  I will take a check until I can get a PayPal system set up.  If you want to email me your order I can have it pulled and mail it as soon as I get your check.

If you do order a shirt please use it as a witnessing tool.

Thanks,

Tanya

Pray

As you have seen in my earlier post, God seems to be hitting me over the head with this waiting and praying thing.  Blog posts, books I'm reading, Bible study lessons, Sunday School lessons and conversations with friends keep coming back to how important prayer is in our lives.

I have been asked twice this week, "Who taught you to pray?"  The examples of prayer that I had my life were of course my parents and my grandmother.  But I must say that the associate pastor at my church, Delmus Anthony, has taught me the most about how to really pray.   He had a great lesson for us on Wednesday night on the subject and I thought I would share.

  

We should look to Jesus to teach us how to pray(Luke 11:1).  He prayed first thing in the morning, alone, and even all night(Luke 6:12).  We should pray earnestly(Luke 22:44).  We should pray committed to do God's will not ours(Matt 26:39).  Pray and not faint (Luke 18:21).  Pray for laborers (Matt 9:38).  We should pray in Jesus' name(John 14:13-14).  We should keep 'knocking'(Luke 18:1), be persistent in our prayers.  And very importantly, God's house should be a House of Prayer(Mark 11:17).  

Some other things I have also learned from a study of Charles Stanley's book "Living the Extraordinary Life" are God has 3 answers for prayers: yes, no, and wait.  Why does go make us wait?  To see if we are spiritually ready for what we have asked for.  To test our sincerity.  To build our faith and to develop patience within us as we wait until His timing is right.  Prayer and waiting are to be active processes.  We should still be about seeking God's will though prayer, studying His word, and seeking wise counsel. 

Another thing that has helped me in my own personal prayer life is keeping a prayer journal.  I simply write my prayers down as I pray to God.  I can go back and look at where God has answered prayers. It also helps me see how He is growing and maturing me as I spend time with Him.

 

I hope this post is helpful to someone.  These things have been very important to me and my growth as a Christian.

 

The Connections are Amazing

I don't know why but it still amazes me when God connects all the dots to drive a message home.  Lately my Care Group has been studying about God's Will for our lives, how it is worth the wait, how we shouldn't try to but in(that is so hard), and what we should do while we wait.  I have been reading about these same things in some of the blogs I read.  I have heard it in advice from people who are not in my CG.  It still is wonderful to know that when God wants us to know something, He will continue to bring it up until the lightbulb comes on for us.

Thank You, God for having patience with your slow witted followers.

WHEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Today was our first field trip of the year.  We went to the pumpkin patch.  We always have a great time and today was no exception.  The weather was great.  We were the only classes there and we had a great day playing outside.

As for the picture, you have to be able to get over yourself and your pride when you are a first grade teacher.  How else can you get a 40 year old, out of shape woman to climb 25 ft in the air and slide down an inflatable slide while wearing a stylish tye-dyed jack-o-lantern t-shirt.  Just get 15 6 year olds to chant 'Go Miss Evans, Go!!"  I hope you enjoy my first photos.  We definitely enjoyed making them.

A Lesson On Waiting

If you have read my earlier posts, you know this journey started a while ago.  Our Care Group lesson this week was on waiting on the Lord and His will for our life.  Yes He hears our prayers, he knows our needs better than we do.  But waiting on the next step can be so hard.  I could see how God has worked in my life so much during this lesson.  

One of the topics in this lesson was Active Waiting.  The characteristics of active waiting was spending time with God through prayer and reading His word, being silent(boy that one can be sooo hard)and listen for his direction, waiting for God to strengthen you, and not comparing yourself to others(jealousy and envy).  Anyone who has adopted knows that it is a "hurry up and wait" process.  God has been so good to teach me so much through this process and I praise him for the lessons.  

Thank you God for helping me see you working in me and through me.  Help me to always stay connected to You and Your will for me.  Help me learn what You want to teach me.  God I praise you in the waiting!!!

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!

As the fellow Alabamians know, we have a state obsession with college football.  So when a friend from church wanted to know if I wanted to go to the Alabama game this weekend I jumped at the chance.  What else was I going to do on Saturday, clean my house, grade papers?

I had a wonderful time of fellowship with Susan our hostess and my cousin Dawn.  In Alabama women can fellowship during a football game.  

The game was ugly.  We did not play well, but one of the star players of the game I found out is a devout Christian.  Glen Coffee, who literally carried the offense this week, is a very vocal Christian on the University of Alabama campus.  I was so very happy to hear this, when Alabama was voted as one of the top 10 party schools not so long ago.

Thanks again Susan for the ticket!

Thanks be to God for a beautiful, fall, football day! 

OK I'm going to try this again.

Ok, here I go again.  I am really going to try to commit to this blogging thing.  I enjoy reading them I just don't enjoy writing so much.  I think it goes back to my freshman English professor who failed me.  The woman had it out for me from the beginning.  When I wrote an opinion paper she told me my opinion was wrong.  Excuse me?!?!  You can disagree with my opinion, and people do on occasion, but I don't think MY opinion can be wrong.  

OK back from that tangent now.  This blog is about my adoption journey.  Which as with many journeys, it has been blessed with many twists and turns and side trips.

I will write more about this soon.  

I have a lot of stuff in the works now and I will post about it soon. 

I will also try to get some pictures up soon.  I am always the one behind the camera, not in front of it.

Thanks for any comments.  I need help with this whole blogging thing.  I want all the great bells and whistles, like music and cool wallpaper and stuff.  Somebody tell me what to do!!!!