Friday, December 25, 2009

Court Date

Well, it's not good news and it's not terrible news either. Court was closed Dec. 25th for evaluations so our case was bumped to Jan. 1, 2010. This is good because it means we didn't fail court and don't have to wait for a new court date,which sometimes takes a month and then another month for the court date to arrive so waiting an extra week isn't so bad, but it wasn't exactly what we hoped for either. So maybe it wasn't the Christams present we had hoped for , but we are hopeful and confident that the Lord is positioning our case before the right judge at the right time. Please pray for successful court date on January 1, 2010, we're hoping for a new son for the new year.
It was disappointing and yet it didn't rob the joy of the day. Merry Christmas!!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

News of our baby

Our court date is rapidly approaching and we are looking forward to the best present ever, news that our son is legally ours!!! Please continue to pray for a successful court date. I wanted to share with you some news we received about our baby, but I'll need to back up and tell you the whole story.
The day after Thanksgiving, I checked my cell phone and found that one of our travel buddies from Sam's adoption had called. He left a message and said he was going to Ethiopia and that he would love to take a care package to our baby... translation insider info on how our baby is doing. I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to know that someone you trust and respect is going to hold your baby and tell him your coming and you love him. It was so wonderful and amazing to hear first hand that he was doing well and growing big. Caleb (our travel buddy) called after he returned home and told us all about our baby and he also emailed us some pictures. Caleb said he seemed big for his age, very happy and cuddly. I can't wait to get some cuddles for myself. Caleb had an amazing trip and is now looking for sponsors to feed children who currently eat maybe once or twice a WEEK!!! If you want to sponsor a child you can contact him through his blog www.davidfamilyadventures.blogspot.com click on the post titled, Selfless Faith, dated Dec. 16, 2009. I read this quote on someone else's blog and it really struck a nerve. Read for yourself,
"He then goes on to say, “Since I been visitin a lotta churches, I hear people talkin ‘bout how after readin our story, they feel “led” to help the homeless, to come alongside the down and out. But when it comes to helpin people that ain’t got much, God didn’t leave no room for feelin led……what you gon’ do when you get to heaven and you ain’t done none ‘a that? Stand in front a’ God and tell Him, “I didn’t feel led?”
So many have so little and we have so much I think it's time we did somthing about it.

Monday, November 30, 2009

COURT DATE!!!!

We have a court date!!! It's Christmas day, December 25th, can you believe it! What a wonderful gift that will be. News that our baby is ours.. leagally ours. Please be praying we pass court, only about 50% of couples pass court on the first try, due to all sorts of things, such as: power outages, (which are common) lack of internet service, or problems with paper work.
The boys and I just got this out of the Christmas decorations a couple hours ago...

I think I will.
I found this verse several months ago and underlined it in my Bible.
Ecclesiastes 5:8-9 "If you see some poor man being oppressed by the rich, with miscarriage of justice anywhere throughout the land don't be surprised! For every official is under orders from higher up, and the higher officals look up to their superiors. And so the matter is lost is red tape and bureaucracy. And over them all is the king. Oh, for a king who is devoted to his country! Only he can bring order from this chaos."
Please join me in praying for a king (judge) who cares and longs to see the orphan placed in loving homes quickly and effeiently. For I know the Lord turns the heart of the king which ever way he would have it to go,
Proverbs 21:1 "Just as water is turned into irrigation ditches, so the Lord directs the king's thoughts. He turns them wherever he wants to."
Thank you for your prayers. EXPECT A MIRACLE
I almost forgot, that advent wreath I just posted about now has a double meaning, count down to Christ's birth and our baby's court date. You ever notice how multifacited God is... he always accomplishing so much more than what we can see.
Blessings

Advent Wreath


I don't know if you can tell, but this is an advent wreath the boys and I made. They really enjoyed making it and I hope it teaches them about the real reason for Christmas. Inside each tin container is a little note, for example one says take a long walk and talk about what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph, or get out the nativity set and act out the Chritmas story, or do something nice for someone today. We had fun making it and I know the boys will look forward to opening a tin each morning for our mission of the day. I got the idea for a magazine and then ordered the tins off the internet at Specialty Bottle. I'm looking forward to this new tradition at the Singleton household.
Blessings,
Leigha

Monday, November 23, 2009

Go Get Baby

That has been Sam's (our nearly 3 year old) mantra every day since we got our referral. One evening we went out for supper and we were talking about when we would go get our baby and how excited we would be.... Well we pulled into our drive way after supper and Sam bursts into tears... MY GO GET BABY... over and over again. He was tired, but it was like he knew what our baby was facing, alone and without his forever family. It was heart breakingly sweet. Every child deserves a home of his own, with a mommy and daddy to love and be loved. Won't you meet that need for an orphan today.
On a lighter note, I told Sammy we needed to go to Wal-mart and he pipes up with the perfect reply, "to get my baby." He knows you can buy everything else there... why not baby too? If only it were that easy. He is such a joy and a wonderful distraction while we wait to bring our baby home.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

REFERRAL DAY

I can't believe it!!!!! We just got our referal!!! I can't remember if we can post any of the details, I'll get back to you. How amazing is God, just two days after orphan Sunday he sends us another percious angel. I can't stop grinning at the picture. I know we can't post pics until after a successful court date. More to come later.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Orphan Sunday

For several weeks now the Lord has been leading me to share with our congregation on Orphan Sunday. I knew I had to share, but what, our story, God heart for the orphan, well it bacame both.
The week leading up to Orphan Sunday was a battle, and I mean a spritiual battle, all the kids were sick, that's right three sick boys with one tired overwhelmed mother, trying to figure out what she is suppost to say on the upcomeing Sunday and keep them all comfortsable and did I mention Ben is is the midst of harvest and is rarely home except to sleep. It's been so wet this fall and you guessed it, it was completely dry this weeek so they had to hit it hard, working long hours. That is the life of a farmer. It's a good life, but it's also somtimes means mom is on her own, for periods of time. Well Sat. rolls around kids are better, but now I am sick and I'm not done with my "talk" and the boys are tired of being home. Well I got out my cell phone and began texting like a champ to my girlfirends and family asking for prayer and they prayed my up and Orphan Sunday was beautiful. I say all this to point out that satan tried his best to keep me from defending the cause fo the fatherless this week, but I will not be detured from this calling, not only will we adopt untill our family is complete we will defend the casue and try to help others realize their calling concerning the orphans. Below is a copy of my "orphan sunday talk"
Don't Let Fear Steal From You!!!
What has fear stolen from you? It could have robed me of my family, if I hadn’t had a persistent nudging of the Holy Spirit and my husband. Choosing to adopt was a scary decision. The “what if” scenarios were endless. What if he or she doesn’t fit in? What if we don’t love them enough and they have issues? What if we don’t have enough money? What if this completely changes my life? Now as I think back on that time and I think what if we hadn’t chosen to adopt. We would have missed so much without our son Abraham, with his silly ways and beautiful smile. And his hugs, he has been declared the best hugger in the family. And Samuel what if we had refused the clear leading of the Lord to adopt again, this time to Africa. We would have missed out on his beautiful, and persistent child. Samuel is a delight, his current favorite song is, in his words, “Saddle up your horseys” it’s a bible school song. Let me read you a few lines, saddle up your horse we’ve got a trail to blaze, through the wild blue yonder of Gods amazing grace, let’s follow our leader into the glorious unknown, this is a life like no other this the great adventure. Those words fit Sam he’s persistent, fearless, and charges headlong into the unknown seeking adventure. What if we did that everyday going fearlessly with God into the unknown?
Many of you know we have started another adoption. We are going to Ethiopia again, it’s where Sam is from. Are agency told us to expect a referral in 1 to 3 months. A referral is when our agency sends us pictures and information about a specific child or children. We have requested 1-2 children 0-12 months old, boy or girl. We are getting excited and waiting expectantly for their arrival. We expect to travel a couple months after referral. We would appreciate your prayers and support. We have started a blog so friends and family can follow our journey to bring another Singleton home.
Today is Orphans Sunday and I have felt God pushing me to share with you his heart for orphans. God has called our family to adopt, but he has called us all to care for the orphans in some way or another. James 1:27 says, “The Christian who is pure and without fault, from God the Father’s point of view, is the one who takes care of the orphans and widows .” Before, I wasn’t seeing the heart of God. I thought only a few were called and I didn’t want to push my passion for adoption and orphans off on someone else. But recently God has been showing me how wrong I am. Orphans are close to his heart, again and again in his word he calls to defend the cause of the orphans, feed the hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick, orphans are all these things and when we’ve done all these things to them then we’ve done it to Jesus. There are 143 million orphans in the world today. Ethiopia has nearly 5 million alone and it is the size of Texas. The need is real and overwhelming but with all of us doing our part we can change the world one orphan at a time. Let me read you a paragraph from Tom Davis’s book Fields of the Fatherless, “Here’s that number again 143 million. I know that seems like a lot, but compared to the number of professed Christians living on the earth. That number is 2.1 billion. There are 159 million people who claim to be Christians in the United States alone. I know you see where I’m heading, but is it so far-fetched? With so many Christian in the world, is it so far out of the realm of possibility to imagine every one of those orphans being adopted into a family just as God has adopted us? If only 7% of professing Christians around the world responded, every single orphan in the world would have a home.” Adoption is a beautiful wonderful way to build your family. There is nothing like walking hand and hand with God as he leads you to that child he has ordained from the beginning of time to be in your family. Don’t let anything stop you if you feel God leading you in this direction.
There is a verse in Psalms 116:6-7 that perfectly describes Sammy’s adoption, it says, “he stoops to look, and lifts the poor from the dirt, and the hungry from the garbage dump, and sets them among princes.” What do you think of when you think of princes? I think money, power, and influence. All of these are prevalent here in America and that’s what God did for Sammy he reached down and plucked him out of poverty and placed him in a nation and a home that is rich in so many ways one of which is in the Spirit of the Lord. What if we hadn’t adopted Sammy, would he have known the Lord, now he asks daily if we’re going to church and he wants to hear his “saddle up your horsey song” again and again. With this current adoption the Lord has placed a different verse on my heart, Psalm 68:6, he gives the lonely families, and so we go again. How can we not, our baby is lonely and in need of a home and God has given us so much, and truly we are rich in so many ways we have to share the wealth. Now I know not all of you are called to adopt, but that isn’t the only way to help an orphan. You can pray for them, speak up for them, provide for their needs by sponsoring a child, support those who are adopting or providing foster care homes, visit orphans on mission trips or read any of Tom Davis’s books. I know God has created each of us for a specific purpose and plan for our lives seek to fulfill your calling concerning orphans.
You could help rescue a lonely child. I appeal to you search your hearts and the heart of God and find out how he is calling you to serve the orphans. The Lord has lain upon my heart to defend the cause of the orphan, so I beseech you to follow the Lord in the leading that you might too become a defender of the fatherless too. For I orphans are close to the heart of the Father and therefore they should be close to our hearts.
Ben and I are always open to sharing our story and heart for adoption if you want to speak with us or know someone considering adoption and needs someone to talk to we are eager to be of service.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Good News!!




We heard from our agency yesterday and they said we could expect a referral in 1-3 months. WOW here we go again! We can't wait, the boys were excited too. They had lots of suggestions for names from brother to Phillip. We did not specify girl or boy, we are open to more than one, so in other words referral day will be a surprise, and we can't wait to find out. I love knowing we're getting close, a friend said today, what a great Christmas present, we agree.

Check out these photos of Sam he's found a new use for the barn, DOG HOUSE

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

So proud of my boys....

Well, we had parent teacher conferences tonight. I'm so proud of my boys, they are both doing great. Abe is well on his way to becoming a reading machine and Owen has already established his title as a reading super hero. Both boys like school and their teachers both commented on what a joy they are to have in class. What mother doesn't love to talk about her children but especially when it's all good. I'm still smiling just thinking about it. I just thank the Lord for preparing their minds to learn, retain, and for teachers who enjoy teaching young ones.

On a completely different note, I think our church is going to have it's first ever orphans sunday, and I am feeling the Lord leading me to share our story and His heart for the orphans. If anyone has any interesting satistics, key points, ect. I would love to hear them.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Owen our oldest son...

This weekend we went to Spring Mill State Park for a family reunion and had a wonderful time, hiking, swimming, seeing the sites, and just being together with family. At these kinds of events, the conversation always seems to turn to our adoptions, and what is next for our family. We love to share the things God has done and the ways he has moved in our lives to bring us our sons, but this weekend the question asked was a little different than usual. One relative asked how Owen deals with all the adoptions. In response, I shared the words of Owen with them. One evening several weeks ago it was bedtime and we had all gathered in Samuel's bed for the bedtime story and we were reading about Hannah and her prayer for a child, toward the end of the story I read and God's gift to Hannah was Samuel, and Owen pipes up proudly, "Hey that's just like us, Samuel is God's gift to us." I couldn't have said it better myself. Owen is an amazing big brother and a wonderful adoption advocate.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Chose this day who you will serve...

As I was reading my Bible today I was stuck by two pasages of scripture:


"You should defend those who cannot help themselves. Yes, speak up for the poor and needy and see that they get justice." Proverbs 31:8-9


"She sews for the poor, and generously gives to the needy." Proverbs 31:19-20


This has not been the first time I have read these verses, but it is the first time I have believed it included me too. Before I have felt overwhelmed not knowing what to do, always feeling like it isn't enough. I have after all adopted two beautiful boys and we are currently in process to adopt another, but today was different, today I knew there is more to do, more to say, others to touch and save. If I won't be the hands and feet of Jesus, then who will? Why do I always assume someone else will do it, or believe the lie that I can't? I have to, those children are counting on me and so is Jesus. I won't miss my calling! I won't miss out on my children, becasue of fear or money or any other lie satan trys to bate me with. Those of you that have already adopted know what I'm talking about. Imagine if we'd let fear or doubt have it's way, we would have missed out on our children. Can you imagine life without them now? Is God calling you to adopt? If so don't say no, your heart will ache from now to eternity if you do. Don't let fear and doubt keep you from your calling, you were created for such a time as this, heaven forbid your too afraid to grab ahold and love your baby. It won't always be easy but it will be a wild ride, guarteed to bring fufillment.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

We have arrived...

Well I know you thought we would never arrive in the world of blogging, but after much prompting from the Lord, here we are, or should I say here I am writing on behalf of the fam. I must admit so far so good. I guess I'll learn as I go.
For those of you who don't know I give a quick recap of who we are, where we've been and where we're going, the Lord willing. I, Leigha, am a stay-at-home mom, my husband is a hard working farmer, and together we have three boys. Owen is the oldest and currently loves Star Wars legos, and Captain Underpants books, Abraham or Abe is also into Star Wars, he never leaves home without his light sabor and he loves riding in the combine with Pap. Sam is the baby, he loves all things rough and tumble, and anything he brothers do.
We are currently in process to adopt from Ethiopia, this will be our third adoption. Abe is from Colombia and Samuel is from Ethiopia. We hope to have a referall sometime this winter. God's timing is perfect. Journey with us, as we hope to plant the seed of adoption in your heart and allow you a glimpse into the wonderful things the Lord is doing in our lives.