I finally decided what I would like to name this blog, RAW.
I would love to be able to layout all the details of our life and what's going on...really going on the inside of us. My friend Angela always asks, "how are you doing...really?" I love that. She wants to get the very heart of a person. None of us are doing fine, really. But we say we are because maybe we don't want everyone to know what is really going on or how we feel or maybe that we failed in some way. It's a mask. As my personality test told me - i was wearing a mask when I took the test. I am a firm beliver that people were meant to share lives with each other. We learned that so well in seminary. Life can be horrible and wonderful. If we don't share it, we are never going to know that maybe someone else has the same stuggles or joys. We connect so deeply on some levels with people only when we share our lives.

Now being careful of who you share life with is essential, but not sharing it with anyone and not being honest is another.

I will most likely not name this blog RAW. Somethings are not meant to be written for the world to see.

But I will tell you that I learned a few things about myself this week (again with personality test! AND....it's not first one I taken!) haha! Okay - back to what I was saying! On Wednesday I got to take a half day off. I had a few errands to run and during all this running around, I realized something about myself, that Brent had been telling me for a long time, was true! Only I guess I didn't want to believe it. I am not even sure what to do with this realization. Thursday that realization became even more true! We realized a few things that are a result of our adoption. Not bad....just reality. And I never knew how much I wanted to change some things until I couldn't. I can't do anything about it. God has it all in place, so we at least take comfort in the fact that we are in God's will because we can't change anything. And I know that God is not going to change it, but He will change us.
You may wonder how I know He won't change, we know this because of the way of adoption. I know - it's all vague - but it makes sense to me.

That same night, Brent spoke at the high school baccalaureate. When he spoke, he was talking to himself and me. Kinda of ironic. I don't know if the anyone else need to hear that, but we did. We thought it was great that God gave Brent all these words that was intended for graduating seniors and we were the ones that needed to hear the most. That's how God likes to work. He's so creative.

I kept up the week with new realiztions about myself and ended the week being grateful for my friends and family. If you truely knew me, you would not want to be my friend. I don't know if I would be my friend!!

Thank you Jesus for Your ever abundant grace, mercy, and love and that You are changing me daily to be like You!

My sister-in-law went out on Friday to eat and get a pedicure. We never made it to the pedicure (that is for another post!) But she said in her times with Lord is has been a lot of trials. She was wondering what is coming. I remember before we left Texas that was the same for me. We heard Tammy Trent speak and then Steven Curtis Chapman's family lost Maria that May and he did a concert at the church we attended later that July. All these things I kept learning were about trails and bad things.

The hing I remember most from Tammy Trent and SCC was that they were able to praise the Lord. Simply because He is YAHWEH, JEHOVAH. He is God and He does not change. It matters not our struggles on earth....we can still praise Him for He is GOD.

"YAHWEH" - by Tal and Acacia

Gaze
I want to Gaze at you
Soak
Soak in all you do
Sit
so simply at your feet
Listen
To your voice so sweet
And Let time Pass Away

(Chorus)
As I simply Praise
Yahweh
My Lord I cry
Jehovah Elohim
The Lord Most High
and When my hands are raised
My Knees they fall
As I simply Praise
Jehovah

Cry
As I see your blood stains
Overwhelmed
As I see your pain
And I'll dance, dance, dance
Because I am set free
You are my conqueror
Jehovah Nissi
And Let time Pass Away

(Chorus)

Do I believe that you're my God
That You're all I need That you're all I need
Do I believe that you'll sit down
and be crowned my king for eternity
Do I believe that you're my God
That You're all I need That you're all I need
Do I believe that you'll sit down
and be crowned my king for eternity
Do I believe that you're my God
That You're all I need That you're all I need
Do I believe that you'll sit down
and be crowned my king for eternity
So Let time Pass Away

(Chorus)

My Daddy, My Abba, My Best Friend
YAHWEH

I don't really know where to begin. It's been a really thoughtful week. It all started last Sunday when we took personality tests in our class....and I failed. Did you even know you can fail a personality test? Well you can. According to the test we took, the 2 personalities that were highest for me are unnatural, meaning that I have a mask. So apparently I cannot tell the difference between who I really am and who I have learned to be. Brent took it for me and so I kinda know who I am now.

We did however send our home study to USCIS!! Now we wait for 2 weeks or 60 days (90 at the most - our friends waited 4 months!) for our approval. We are praying for a fast review and approval. We do have a Father who parted the Red Sea and can bring the dead to life, so controlling the government is not a big deal. But if we wait 90 days then God is in control of this adoption and there is a reason. But I know that this timing is right. I just know it. We feel as if we have been on the road since 2008, but technically we decided on Peru in October of 2009.

I have been reading "Adopted for Life" by Russell Moore. This book is amazing. I told Brent the first 2 chapters are completely about Christ and our spiritual adoption! I wanted to put a few quotes in here for you to get a taste, but then I realized I would have to re-type the entire book on here and I figured you would rather read it for yourself - whether you are adopting or not!

We always knew adoption is the gospel. However I did not know it so throughly until I read this book.

Russell and his wife adopted 2 boys from Russia and along the chapters he shares
different experiences about their adoption. It's so nice for him to write about the things that we have felt and spoken about and have had people say to us! Just the other day a lady told me that most people who adopt cannot have kids. I almost laughed in her face. I know it would have been rude, so I controlled my tongue and did not laugh nor did I respond to her.
We have also been asked "are you going to have your own children?" and "most people get pregnant after they adopt". All of these are spoken in kind sincerity. I know it. It doesn't even bother me. Why? Because this child or the children that we are adopting are our children. It's okay if other people do not understand this, maybe one day they will and maybe we will be apart of that process. Adoption is also not a manipulation towards God to get Him to give a pregnancy. The adopted child is not second best or an after thought any more than a birth child is.
Russell once asked a couple who was infertile if they wanted to parent a child or just carry on their genetic line? Then his wife scolded him for being so harsh. He realized that it did sound harsh and apoligized, but also knew it was true - he had just come to terms with parenting and raising children to love and serve the Lord is the goal....not just carrying on your genetics.

Okay, enought of that.....just go read the book. :)

We cannot wait for the day when we land in the US with our child/children! Brent will be getting to visit Peru in a few months with a mission trip. And God just keeps providing financially (we have $15,000 more to raise), emotionally, and spiritually! We believe this is the journey God has called us to, we know He is faithful to finish what He started.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see." Heb. 11:1

SUPPORT OUR ADOPTION

As you all know we are adopting a little girl or boy from Peru!
Along with this adoption comes a huge amount of fundraising.
The Lord has been incredible by bringing funds in quickly! Praise Adoni!

Recently, we learned of a company call Just Love. It is a coffee business that also supports adoptions! You purchase coffee or another product on our site that we have created in their site and part of the proceeds come to us for our adoption! The link to this site will remain on the right hand side of the page. You may visit our site by clicking on the flag. Or here is the web address: www.justlovecoffee.com/coleecasa

We hope that you will visit this site and make a purchase. Please feel free to pass it along to your trusted family and friends.

We have read that "it takes a village to adopt a child"! Thank you for being apart of our "village"!

Eggs for Thought

My life as an egg would be...........scrambled! :)

I'm in desperate need of order!

Slow news

Well our home study is about to be sent off! Hopefully within the next week or two. I have been saying that for the past month or two! haha. We found out yesterday that we do not have to have our home study sent to DHR, it will go straight to Immigration!

Also, this week we have been rejoicing with our friends J and T who are in country with their child. I'm not sure how long they will be gone. But you can check out their journey by clicking here: J and T

Our DiscipleNow was this past weekend. It was amazing. 5 of them gave their hearts to Christ!!!!!

Pictures to come.

Weekend in Chattanooga

The last weekend in March we went to Chattanooga with Clay and Ashely. We went to Unclaimed Baggage which is way over rated, except of the man who bought an oil painting for $65 and a few months later discovered it was work between $15,o0o - $20,000. Then we got to Chattanooga and visited the MoonPie store - I do not like moon pies, but everyone else enjoyed it. Then we went to the Chattanooga zoo...it's a laugh. There are deer and raccoon and coytotes. i can see these in my backyard if I wanted too. Then we visited Bluff Park - it's an art district. Fabulous place. They have a statue of an artist's idea of the progidal son (seen below)

Afterwards, we met up with Angela!! She was my former boss at the seminary! It was so great to see her! A breath of fresh air! As for the shirt that Brent is wearing in the picture, he wore it in honor of her. If you can't read it, it says "fat people are harder to kidnap". A group of us who worked together got a group up to go to a baseball game and Brent wore this shirt. When we arrived someone said they liked his shirt. I proceed to tell everyone that Angela has the same shirt! Silent pause as everyone realizes what I just said. Then much laughter! It was hilarious! Brent and Angela do have the same shirt - only it says "sarcasam is just one of the free gifts I offer." That's the shirt I thought he had on. You really had to be there. It was great moment in history!

Oh! As for the hill with the people below - we drove past a park and at this hill there were tons of people with card board surfing down the hill - it looked like so much fun!

Progidal Son statue

Hooray for Angela! Love her!

What a great weekend!

Update #122

So........our home study is in the final review with our placing agency and it should be sent off to DHR by the end of this week or at the beginning of next week! :) Hooray!!! Who knew it would take almost a whole year? We are s-l-o-o-w! If you are considering adoption, your home study will not take a whole year - maybe 2 months, 3 tops! But we are slow.

We also have fundraiser planned for Saturday May 22! It's a painting fundraiser - this is going to be fun! If you would like more info just let me know in the comment box.
Brent is hoping to sell some Boston butts again at some point. Maybe we will do a dessert auction at my mom's church. Or maybe God will just sell a few of those cattle on the thousand hills for us! :) He is faithful like that, you know. :)

Our friends T and J have received their travel plans!!! They travel within the next two weeks!! I am so excited for them!

DiscipleNow is coming up for the youth. It's going to be great! Annual couch wars!

So good times this week!

Have a great one!

Back Stories

So I have recently become very interested in all the back stories in the Bible. Take Mark - he is writing the "memoriors of Peter" or so that is what the history section of my Bible tells me.
Mark uses the word immediately, a lot. It's actually pretty funny. Do you think he or possibly Peter wanted things to happen quickly all the time - do you think one or both had a touch of ADD? Does Mark have a short attention span - he jumps around so much? Or could it have been that Peter was so excited and just loved following Jesus so much that he told Mark his thoughts in "stream of conciousness" mode?

Also in 1 Peter 3, Peter talks about wives - I know and believe that the Bible was totally inspired by the Lord. But do you think that Peter was directed by the Lord to write that based on his wife, or mother-in-law (see Mark 1:29-31), or maybe he and his wife had some friends where the husband chose to follow Christ (literally when Christ was physically on the earth) by the wife's devotion and actions?
Because Peter was married, he must of had a desire to have a godly marriage and most likely for others who are married to have also have a godly marriage.

So far one of my favorites is the story of Blind Bartimaeus . Can't you picture it? :)
I think it's so interesting that Jesus stood still and waited for Bartimaeus to come to him, or well be helped to Him at least. And then Jesus asks Bartimaeus what he wants Him to do for him. And Bartimaeus doesn't even hesitate - he knows exatly what he wants. He gets down to the very need that hinders him.
I think if Jesus asked me that question - what would I say, would I get down to my deepest need or would I ask for other things?

What would you say if Jesus said: "What do you want Me to do for you?"

Window Treatments!

Window treatments - formally known as curtains - have made their way on my windows after a year! These lovely orange curtians were in our bedroom when we lived in Texas and now they nicely accent our living room walls by mirroring the light orange wall across from them!

The brown ones below were actually meant to go in the sunroom, but make the bathroom much nicer!

Then there is Brent shooting me with a nerf gun he found while cleaning out! HAHA!! He's so fun!

Also today is my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday, mom! Love you!

Addendum

Yes, I know 3 posts in one night is ridiculous - but I get side-tracked! :)

I posted something on my facebook and I wanted to add an addendum to the post on March 7 about April and Tobi getting married. I remembered that I actually did have a breakdown while I worked at the Seminary. It was the week before Trustees. Enough said.