Big Random Post

     This had to be random, because I spent all of yesterday making the buttons in the sidebar.  How does someone with only 46 followers need a button?  Because she only has 46 followers.  One is for fundraising for our adoption.  If a few of 46 people pray for Isaiah to be home and share in our story, that will be great.  The buttons were a learning experience. The blog will be undergoing some changes over the coming days.

     Check out my NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR,Allison. The Modern Hostess is a wedding planner and 'cotton-freakin'' ball of fire... in addition to weddings, she owns a home furnishings store and she and her husband have two littles.  This wedding shoot will amaze ya.

...did I mention that I made a blog button, yesterday?

     The surreality streak continues.  Our church library is also the library for the school housed in our church.  For several weeks, our fines exceeded the limit.  Every week.  $11 in fines later, I remembered that several weeks ago, we had accidentally returned some church books at the public library.  The public library usually forwards them to us as this happens quite often-- both directions.  Yesterday, I went to the branch where I returned them. "We sent them to Interlibrary Loan on 6-8."  I drove to the main library where I was directed to the ILL department, where they assured me that: they keep no records of any books that come through; my books had not come through or they would have remembered them; they didn't mail them to any churches with the same name as ours or they would have remembered it; they mail everything book rate and it takes longer.
   I called the school office and Bob said he would see if the books had come to the school librarian's office.  I drove over because it wasn't out of the way.  The books were in the school librarian's mailbox.  Postmarked 6-11.  I walked out to the car.  Who is driving up?  The school librarian.  Ironic?  Yeah.  We chatted, I didn't say anything about the books.  Drove to Target.  Who is walking to her car?  The church librarian.  Ironic?  Yeah.  I showed her the postmark, we rolled our eyes in unison, she took the package.  Mission complete.

      There are two issues that people touch on when observing adoption from the outside: high cost and damaged children.  There is a money cost.  It is about the same as an automobile*.  A car is a purchase that people consider mandatory and don't blink if someone pays a fairly high rate of interest for five years or more.  Many people sacrifice in other areas of their standard of living in order to afford more car (larger, faster,cooler).  Yet, if you suggest that someone work hard to put together this same amount in order to become a family to a child who has none, and, "The agencies are getting rich at the orphans' expense and the law permits it."  I have done some math, and I can't see how anyone is getting rich.  Our agency will place about 90 children this year(if everyone who is in process right now finishes before Dec 31).  The fees that stay in-office is about $5500 if there are no grants or fee waivers due to a child's special needs.  Once they pay office overhead and straight salary(zero employee benefits) to six or seven people...  Frankly, I am not sure how they keep the doors open
     Damaged children.  There are Waiting Children with Down's Syndrome, Ambiguous Genitalia, Hydrocephaly, Cleft Lip and Palate and any of these in combination.  Some have no discernible special needs, they are just no longer infants. There are families on our agency's waiting child discussion group who have adopted children with Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Deafness, Blindness, Limb Differences of every description, and Congenital Heart Defects. And Broken Hearts.  Do any of us get through life undamaged?
     Which of your children would you trade for $27,500.00?
      The cost to secure my permanence in God's family was much, much higher.  It cost the life of His Only Begotten Son.

He never hesitated.

Not even once.