A New Hope on this Roller Coaster Ride!!!

Wow, what a roller coaster ride!!! About six weeks ago, we received the terrible news that the previous birth mom/dad we had been matched with had moved out of the apartment prior to the birth without saying anything to the agency; we had been scammed. But how quickly new hope arrives!!! Last Friday, 8/14, we received news that a new birth mom has already chosen us!!!! What we know about her is that she is 4'11' and 113 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes, and that she is in Houston. We don't know anything about the birth father or the sex of the baby- we may find out the gender in October. She is due on Dec.14th, but originally they said Nov. 27th, so...the next appt with the doctor may give a better approximation? We are INCREDIBLY excited, and will love and pray for this baby and birth mom just the way we did the last one- with abandon, no matter what the outcome.

Because many of you have asked, here are our thoughts on the previous failed adoption (this was written before this new match):

Yes, God allows pain and evil to occur in as much as He gives all people free will. These birth parents were given free will, and they messed up royally and broke our hearts, yes. But God is comforting us and holding us up right now, like any loving father would. "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9.9-10) How in the WORLD could I hate Him when He is the one who first LOVED me and sent His Son to die for me? There is no greater love than that, and I shouldn't need any more 'proof' that God loves me beyond him being willing to die on a cross for me (and for those birth parents who scammed us, for everyone; for you). "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. He chose (and continually chooses) to love us abundantly and lavishly (even to death on a cross), and we did the same thing in preparing for that adopted baby girl. We knew there was a chance that the birth parents wouldn't choose to give up the baby, but we wanted to love on that baby and those birth parents anyway during those months of waiting. That's the same thing God does for us (to a million-times greater scale)- loves us even when we deny him and turn our backs on Him and pretend He doesn't exist (just like those birth parents did to us in the end). To God, we are worth it. Our eternal salvation is worth it. My and Andy's eventual pairing with a different baby is worth the pain of this couple who didn't end up choosing us.

That cliche saying that what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger is TRUE. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 2 Corinthians 4:17 This failed adoption situation has already brought Andy and I closer, brought both of us closer to God, and will only make us stronger in the end. I have full confidence in that. Every 'bad' or 'tough' situation I've been through has been turned into some good in the end. None of those things have been easy or always pleasant, but they have taught me so much and made me a better person because I leaned on God and sought to figure out what His plan was; what He was trying to teach me through each thing, and became closer to Him because of it. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.

THANK YOU to everyone who has been supporting us through this.