What's in a name?

Those of you who know us well wont be surprised to learn that our blog name was chosen only after much debate and careful consideration. In fact, we analyzed the possibilities for days, the “Create Your Own Blog” page up on our computer with only that last field yet to fill. How do you begin to reflect two individual life perspectives and a united future dream into a few simple words? How do you represent the juxtaposition (Yay! I have always wanted to use that word!) between an active search for clarity and purpose with the promise of grace and completeness that is already firmly in place?  

One of my greatest fears is that one day I will look back and struggle to name what I have contributed and accomplished. That fear is coupled with my personal skepticism of regret. Certainly self-reflection and experiencing the consequences of poor decisions are critical in developing maturity but I believe that the positive benefits stop there.  Once we cross the line into regret: wishing something to be different, we cheat ourselves from growth and deny our own self-value.  We cannot forget that the worst choices and the most painful experiences have contributed just as much to who we are at the core as all of our favorite ones have. All of these things have made me who I am, in this moment, so I choose to live with No Regret. Those two words, simple yet complex, will be my first tattoo if I can just commit to getting one. 

Ok, so now that we have my perspective well covered, on to Chad’s. His may be more well known, partly because he has fewer commitment issues and has it tattooed boldly on his leg: Live Life to the Fullest. This isn’t just a popular catch phrase to him, but truly the way he strives to live each day. Chad thrives in spontaneity and refuses to accept dormancy as an option. To him, every moment is something you cant get back once you have spent it, so buyer beware!

So these two life perspectives, with their similarities and differences, crash into the truth of grace and the promise that everything we need in life has already been made available to us. Pursing something that is already there…get it?  Believe me, its deeper than just chasing your tail!


Shandra

It is that time!!!

We are starting our family

through adoption!!!

Its true. Its finally happening! We have begun working with a local adoption agency and have applied to a brand new program in Ghana, Africa. This letter, along with the blog referenced below, is our way of informing and inviting all of you- the people who have supported us and cared about us- to be involved.

Why Now? We feel it is time to start a new chapter in our life. We have come to realize that Jesus doesn’t ask us to wait for perfect timing…it never comes. While recently reading the powerful book, Red Letters, we came across this quote by Richard Rohr: “I would say that if you only think about Jesus, “believe” Jesus and believe things about Jesus, not much new is gong to happen. It is the risk of “acting” like Jesus acted that reconfigures your soul. We are converted by new circumstances much more than by new ideas. Or as I like to say, we do not think ourselves into new ways of living, we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.” We have been talking about adoption for years and finally decided its time to step out in faith.

Why Adoption? In the work we both do, we see hurting kids every day of our lives.  It has furthered in us a deeper calling to care for children who are neglected, abandoned, and abused…a calling that goes beyond careers. We can no longer ignore the unimaginable suffering that is all around us- it’s just too easy to see. We hear God calling us to reexamine our lives and rethink everything.

The Old Testament contains more than 40 references in 12 different books to God’s care and concern for orphans- “the least of these”. Jesus carries this theme into the New Testament in Matthew 25:31-46 and it’s found again in James 1:26-27. We felt God speak directly to us through these verses, diminishing our doubts about how to move forward.

Why Africa? We prayed and thought a lot about the great debate between domestic and international and originally felt strongly about adopting locally. When we saw the statistics and heard stories from around the world the answer became clear. The international need is so overwhelming and the circumstances so catastrophic that our hearts just broke for Africa. 

Africa has been described as a dying country being ravaged by greed, genocide and HIV/AIDS. Girls as young as 8 years old are left to be the head of their household, often having no other choice but to sell their bodies to feed their siblings. Thousands of people are dying every single day…but its not hopeless. We have the opportunity to change the course of one child’s future.

We Need Your Support!

Would you please pray for us as we begin this next chapter of our lives? Please pray for the safety of our baby, whether he (yep, it’s a boy!) has not yet been born or is already living in an orphanage. Please pray that our faith and our patience stay strong.

You can also support us financially if you feel so led. While we continue to strive towards our goal of being debt-free, we have committed to paying cash for our adoption...and it will not be easy. There will be several ways opportunities to contribute over the next year and a half.

It seems appropriate to quote the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child.” Our need for your continued prayer and support will not end when the adoption is final.

If you have questions, thoughts or suggestions please do not hesitate to talk to us. We are excited about learning a new process and a new culture and we want to share it with all with you. We have created a blog to document this journey and keep you informed. 

With love,

Chad and Shandra

Hello friends!

This marks the beginning of a new chapter of our lives! We hope this blog tells the story of the different pieces of our world through both of our view points. We will both be posting (hopefully somewhat regularly) on a variety of topics: the good, the bad and everything in between! 


Enjoy!