Can I Proclaim HIS Goodness?

"In awe of God's miraculous wonders" would be an accurate description of the past three days for me.  God's hand over us has been clearly evident over and over recently.  Would you allow me to share a few things He has done?

1.)  Overcomer smiled and laughed!
2.)  We were able to see pictures of it from Ghana within hours of them being taken!  Thank you Kristie!
3.)  Someone whom I do not know very well offered to pay for Overcomer's care while he is in Ghana.  Amazing!  This woman prays for him every night.
4.)  A friend and her children came by the house at 9:30 pm to deliver a $100 bill stating that the Lord told her to bring it.  God is moving in her life as well, and we both teared up numerous times sharing all that we are experiencing in life.  Her husband is returned from a long deployment today.  This woman waiting for her husband's return home, came to our house the night before his return!  What a sacrifice!
5.)  Our missionary friend in Ghana, Godwin, and his wife, Lenusia, who is a doctor, returned from the bush where they had been traveling with an American mission team.  They are hoping to meet the O'learys and Dr. Lu is planning to take a "look" at little Overcomer.  What a praise to have so many we trust looking after our child!
6.)  The O'Learys have held Overcomer many times over the past few days.  They have shown him pictures of us.  Our love for him has been conveyed through them and Anna Turner.  Thank you!
7.)  A woman I've never met bought a necklace to support our adoption, and broke down into tears sharing that her heart has always been to adopt but her husband would not allow it.
8.)  Help for our adoption arrives in the mail from a special family in High Point.  They are like grandparents to our boys!  What a gift!
9.)  A deaf friend of mine shared the way the Lord has moved in her life to pursue adoption.  She and her husband are beginning the process of adopting a deaf boy from Ethiopia!
10.)  Person after person tells us they are praying for Overcomer.  At dinner, when they wear their shirts, in the morning, etc...  God is answering the prayers of His people.
11.)  Someone hands me a card at co-op.  I'm blown away because this family is not well off and working toward adoption themselves!  Thank you!  Her words have stuck with me, "We desire to keep our eyes fixed on him, not fixed on adoption."  They are still giving and serving in the waiting time.
12.)  A professional photographer offers her talent to help us.  She's giving one full day of sessions to help bring Godwin home!  Wow!  We know Stephanie and her husband through the homeless ministry where we volunteer.  She and her husband challenge Reid and I because they are consistently sacrificially giving of themselves to others.  How they love the downtown kids!  This young family is after the heart of God!
13.)  A friend's four year old daughter goes shopping at Target, and guess what?  All she wants to buy is surprises for Overcomer when he comes home!  They came in the mail, and we were excited to see some 2 year old toys.  He will be thrilled to see toys for him when he finally gets here!  Riley, thank you!
14.)  Reid arrives early at Shining Stars (the ministry for the homeless where we volunteer).  He is greeted by an older boy and an young girl running around the parking lot dressed only in their underwear.  His mind remembers children everywhere dressed like this in Ghana.  Our hearts are with the O'Learys as we pray for their ministry. 
15.)  While we were with the homeless children in Knoxville today, our friends are feeding the homeless orphans on the streets of Africa!  The O'Learys expected to feed over 300 kids on the street today.  While feeding, they also planned to hand out the special bags and bible prepared by the homeless of Knoxville.  As I watched Reid with boys climbing all over him, I could only imagine the children in Ghana.
16.)  Today, my sis, Wendy, held her first yard sale for their adoption.  It was a blessing to be able to help her raise the funds for her family's Ethiopian adoption.  God blessed their efforts tremendously!  (Colby, Caleb, and Camden, perhaps your painted rocks drew people in!)  While at the yard sale, an older lady told me about her husband's mission work in Africa.  Two boys In Burkina Faso captivated his heart and this couple had corresponded for over 10 years with these two African boys.  This woman's husband had passed away recently.  She was expecting to purchase two pillows that reminded her of Africa.  When I insisted she take them as a gift to remember the two boys that stole her husband's heart, she was moved to tears...as was I.   What a precious time!  Thank you, Lord!
17.)  After helping my own sis with her yard sale, I come home to find a check from my Reid's sis, Margaret and her husband, Andy.  They are helping us with our adoption!  Oh, the family of God!  You should know that Andy and Margaret are also adopting - from Ethiopia.  Their fund needs are as staggering as ours!  Yet, they give.  Amazing!  Andy and Margaret were fingerprinted the same day as we were and are scheduled for immunizations the same day as well.  Can you believe they would still want to help us at the same time?  Incredible!
18.)  A friend calls and asks if our oldest boys can be in a commercial.  Yes, really!  They will be paid a pretty penny for an afternoon of work.  The boys are thrilled, and excited to have some funds toward some needed music equipment they have wanted for their band.  (Mom and Dad have been unable to help with large purchases recently.)  Watch for a Gander Mountain commercial in the coming months.  Who would have thought?
19.) Our God is so clever.  He's worked on the hearts of His people to give ideas I would have never thought of!   So many have creatively offered their time and talents to help raise the needed funds.  Root beer floats, jars of change, photography sessions, handmade beads, selling garden vegetables, proceeds from selling a kitchen table, etc...  Time is of the essence as we may be traveling much sooner than anticipated.  The amount needed is still more than I can imagine, but this journey has taught me not to worry as God has provided every single step of the way.  To date, we, or should I say, GOD,  has paid $12,115.  This amount is more than we had in accessible savings when we made our application to adopt.  Really!  Jehovah Jirah - God, Our Provider - has met us each step of the way.
20.)  We reach number 500 on the list of people who have helped us with this adoption!  500!  As Reid opened the next card in the mail, he wept.  We were both at a point of being overwhelmed by God's goodness to us.  The card and gift toward the adoption was from Henry and Alana Greene.  This was significant because Henry traveled with us to Ghana in 2005.  At this time my precious friend, Ansley, was battling her cancer, and she was unable to come with us because the cancer had eaten through her spine.  Ansley was my dearest friend, and Henry is her brother.  Yes, he is her brother.  Ansley joined Jesus on February 13th.  Since this day, Valentine's Day has been immensely challenging to celebrate.  When we realized Overcomer's birthday was February 14th, we knew God was "redeeming the years the locusts had eaten."  In the card we received from Alana and Henry, we were told for the first time that Henry's birthday is the same as Overcomer's - February 14th! 

"Our Lord is great and greatly to be praised!"  We stand amazed at the works of wonder He has done!

I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—

the great locust and the young locust,

the other locusts and the locust swarm —

my great army that I sent among you.

You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,

and you will praise the name of the LORD your God,

who has worked wonders for you;

never again will my people be shamed.

Joel 2:25-26

Thank you, Lord, for leading us on this journey. So far, the steps of faith have stretched us beyond what we could have imagined in the beginning. Realizing all that we would have missed if we'd never said, "Yes" fills my heart with joy that we were willing to take the first trembling steps to succomb to your leading.  After the first step, the next ones have come easier.  What if we had missed everything You have done through this? 

You don't need us.  If Reid and I had said, "No," You would have found someone else to obey the call.  You will accomplish Your work.  That is certain.  I'm grateful you've allowed us to travel this uncertain road.  Where you lead, I will follow.

You truly have given us a knowledge of You in every place.  Thank you for revealing Yourself.  We stand amazed.  What an honor to have a front row seat to watch You work!  We love you!

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place."

2 Corinthians 2:14