Baby Girl V- SHE HAS A FAMILY!!!

I post these updates with shaking hands each and every time... and it never gets old.

It will never get old.

750,000 page views in 72 hours... over 5,000 Facebook 'shares'... and over 275 inquiries....

and....

Baby Girl V has found her forever family!

YOU helped Baby Girl V find her forever family!

And that... is simply amazing.

This family has not been announced yet but I promise you, when and if they are comfortable making themselves known, I promise I'll let you know! I know their hearts are full... I know their arms are full... and I know that they are full of thanks for everything you did to help them find their precious baby girl.

We will also get an update on Baby Boy K soon... very soon :-)

God is so good...

so so good!

And you, my friends.... you were God's hands and feet on behalf of some of his most precious creations. Thank you for allowing these babies to change your hearts... you have changed so many lives forever... and I'm assuming some of yours have been changed, too ;-)

"You shall receive blessings from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of your salvation!"
~ Psalm 24:5

If you're a family who inquired about Baby Girl V, please don't let this be the end of the adoption process for you... I know how this kind of news feels when there was even a glimmer of hope if your heart to be this sweet girl's mommy or daddy... and I know how hard it is to be so happy for her and so sad for you :-( I firmly believe that God doesn't change hearts only to put them right back where they started. Allow him to continue guiding you... continue learning... and know you're being prayed for as you continue to follow his plan for your family! Growing your family is worth the wait.... worth every single painful, exciting, long, and exhilarating second :-)


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If you or someone you know is in the process of adopting from China, has a log in dossier, and is open to special needs, please email me at OnLoanFromHeaven (at) yahoo (dot) com.

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If you or someone you know (agency or individual) is trying to make an adoption plan for a child with special needs and would like assistance, please email OnLoanFromHeaven (at) yahoo (dot) come to receive our pre-screening form! God has given us this platform and through it, we have found ourselves overwhelmed by the number of hearts for special needs adoption... we are happy to help in any way we can!

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If you haven't met the woman behind the title of our blog yet, be sure you do... her music belongs in your home and I would love nothing more than to bless her in the many ways you have blessed these babies! Plus... it's a great giveaway, too ;-) 

On Loan From Heaven... and the woman behind the song (A GIVEAWAY!)

GIVEAWAY UPDATE (as of June 19, 2014)... YOU CAN ENTER UNTIL JUNE 23, 2014!!!

One of the most common comments I get in reference to my blog...

"I LOVE the name of your blog!!"

One of the most common questions...

"Where did you come up with that?!"

The responses, my friends, date back to 2010.... let's flashback;

  I lived with my grandparents for about a month before I started at a new college as a transfer student during my Sophomore year. A woman came to their church for a mini-concert and I joined them. I can't remember her name.... how I wish I could remember her name. She sang a song that has never left my head; I could even sing the chorus to you if you asked me to and I will never forget the words:

"She's on loan from Heaven

And she's mine for just a while.

God I know you love me,

When I look into her eyes."

I'm starting to think that I made these lyrics up... if I did, good for me! I love them! And if you happen to be 'that girl'.. if you wrote this amazing song... I hope you'll reach out to me. You've impacted so many aspects of my life with your song!

What an impact those words had on me when I became a Mom to my sweet Hannah. All I did for the first few days she was home was study her; her long eyelashes, her beautiful blue eyes, her tiny fingers and toes, the way she smiled when she sneezed. And all I could think was "she's all mine!" Then I'd remember these lyrics (wherever they came from... :-/) and I would take comfort and pride in the fact that she wasn't mine, Jesus was just letting me borrow her for a while... and OH! How much He must love me to trust me with His precious child!

I have spent 7 years searching for the beautiful woman who wrote this song... I have Googled the lyrics, searched for the phrase itself, and have spent countless hours rummaging through old boxes of CD's to find the one that I vaguely remember throwing away... because I had literally played it so much that it wouldn't work anymore. I have not heard that amazing song since then... since 2007.

I have had such a burden on my heart for so many years to find this sweet singer.... to let her know how much her music meant to me, how her words have been etched into my heart forever,  that I firmly believe that God spoke those words to her in order that they might change me as a mommy, and how the words have changed so many other lives through this blog.

So you'll understand my complete shock when I received this email a couple weeks ago;

Hi Lindsay ~ 

I was linked to your page through Facebook and noticed your web page name and your wonderful purpose. I wrote a song a long long time ago called just that "on loan from heaven" and if there is any way it would benefit you let me know. 

On Loan From Heaven

(The Chorus);

She’s on loan from heaven, 

And she’s mine for just a while

God I know you love me

 when I look into her eyes

Your handiwork has left my heart assured

She’s on loan from heaven

~ Katy

Just listen...

(Excuse my HORRIBLE excuse for a sound clip... I'm working on a better one ;-))

With shaking hands, I immediately copied and pasted my post from October, 2010 into my reply and stood in my kitchen and waited to hear her response....

All she could say was "wow"...

And that echoed my own heart completely.

In a matter of minutes, Katy and I were getting to know each other on the phone... and we've been talking since. Let me tell you, friends... There aren't many people like Katy out there; she is so kind hearted!

To think that I have spent all these years searching for her... and God brought HER to ME.

She has blessed me in more ways than I can describe!

Katy is not only a beautiful, beautiful singer/ song-writer, but her passion for Jesus is undeniable through her music and her sweet spirit. She has spent the past few years growing her precious family and leading worship where and when she can, but has had to put aside her own music ...

And that's just not ok with me. Katy's music needs to be in your home... in your heart...

And I'm determined to see that it gets there :-)

I was finally reunited with Katy's beautiful song last week... the song that touched my heart so long ago...

And it was magical! Hannah and I played that one song over and over and over again... and by the 3rd time, she had it memorized, too ;-)

 Katy generously mailed a copy of BOTH of her CD's and they've quickly become family favorites...

 but she also sent me THREE of her Meadows of Mercy CD's to give away to THREE of YOU!!!

And I can't wait!!

SO... here's how this awesome giveaway will work;

I have THREE Meadows of Mercy CD's to give away to 3 individuals and you will have a few chances to enter to WIN 1 of them;

Basic entry... Just leave a comment!!!

Extra entries; 

Entry #1- Head over to iTunes and purchase the single On Loan From Heaven.... and then listen to it! When you're done crying ;-), head back here and leave a comment quoting your favorite line of the song (chorus doesn't count ;-)).

Entry #2- Leave a written rating on iTunes of one of Katy's albums and leave a comment here letting me know that you did... I will compare names to ratings to be sure you get proper entries for this!

Entry #3-  'Like' On Loan From Heaven on Facebook (if you don't already) and then'Share' this post by using the 'share' button on Facebook, then come back here and leave a comment letting me know that you did (note; it's essential that you use the 'share' button on our Facebook page so that your name shows up and I can verify your 'share' compared to your comment)

Entry #4- Head over to Katy's website and browse around... then come back here and let me know what one thing stands out to you about Katy and/or her music.

EXTRA ENTRY- Purchase Katy's album Meadows of Mercy or Princess in Disguise on iTunes for yourself and forward your receipt to me at onloanfromheaven (at) yahoo (dot) com... then come back and leave me a comment letting me know to look for your email! (And if you win, you'll have a CD to give someone as a gift!!)

That's it! I know I'm asking you to invest some time and effort into this giveaway, but that's how badly I want her music to be in your heart! 

There is a maximum of lots of entries per person and 3 winners of the giveaway... with the possibility of one more giveaway if we have enough entries ;-) Take your time completing each entry... you have a week!

Our drawing for the free CD's will be on Saturday, April 12 at midnight (CST)!

Questions? Don't hesitate to ask!

And thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me support such an amazing woman who uses her beautiful talent to continue growing God's Kingdom... I'm so excited for you to get to know her, too :-)

This is no April Fools joke! .... "Jesus Told Me, Mommy!"

Today marks the anniversary, of sorts, of a day that we will never forget.... a day when our faith in God's plan for our family changed forever... it was stretched and deepened profoundly.

You see, our sweet boy just celebrated his 2nd birthday...

but 2 years ago today, we still didn't know him...

he was lying in a hospital incubator, 10 days old, fighting for his life...

And we were still waiting for our #2....

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Let's flash- back to April 1, 2012;

Hi friends :-) It's been a while and I sat down tonight to write a long-overdue blog post/ update ... I just can't. To admit that we are 18 months into this second adoption wait, to try and justify why it's been that long, to reminisce about how much time we've 'wasted' waiting on different situations, and to act like it's all ok because God still has a plan.... Feels kind of fake. Since I can't find words, I'll let God choose them for me...

"Love is never tired of waiting."1 Corinthians 13:4

Last week Joey and I admitted that we were both just tired of waiting... and every time we feel that way God shows up to offer a light, some encouragement, and something to look forward to. Today, we are thankful for some light, are feeling encouraged, and are looking forward... We will never grow tired of waiting for our baby :-)

That was my Facebook post earlier this week and you know, it's really true;

We haven't grown tired of waiting... because well, we'd wait a lifetime if that's what it took to bring our next baby home. Just because we aren't tired doesn't mean that we aren't frustrated or confused or even angry sometimes... or a lot of times. We haven't given up and to me, that means that each morning we wake up refreshed and hopeful and 'good-anxious'... and we rejoice in the fact that we made it through one more day that has gotten us closer to our baby. THAT is worth the frustration, confusion, and anger, is it not?

Nope, Joey and I are doing fine... living one day at a time and doing our best to trust that God's plan is better than our own (but seriously, I CAN'T wait to see HOW and WHEN His plan will be better than my own... because my own is pretty damn good!), ((Sorry I used the 'D' word :-/)), (((Does infertility and/or adoption bring out your dirty mouth? I didn't even know I had one until infertility and adoption!!)

If you're 'waiting' or if you've ever 'waited', you know the magnitude of what I'm going to say... you know that it pierces your heart, makes you sick to your stomach, and gives you goosebumps all at the same time. Mostly, it just makes me more frustrated and confused and angry when I realize that

 we are not the only one's who are hurting through this wait... who are anxious and excited and hopeful. Our children are, too.

We have prepared our sweet girl 3 (T.H.R.E.E) times this year for her role as big sister... as in; "hurry and wash the baby clothes, unpack the car seat, clean the house, and start packing" kind of preparation. One of those times was a slower process but felt just the same when those babies didn't wear the clothes, sit in the car seat, or come home. Because of how difficult this past year has been, Joey and I have been EXTREMELY cautious around Hannah... we simply do not discuss 'baby' anything in her presence. If we get an email from an expectant mom or hear about a situation through an attorney, we wait and discuss it when Hannah's napping or in bed. While we DO pray for Hannah's baby brother or sister some nights at bedtime (it IS important for her to know that when baby comes home, it means that Jesus answered our prayers!), we just want to protect her as much as we can from the possibility of being 'heartbroken'... again.

Well...

Joey and I were getting dressed this morning and Hannah came tearing into our room.... full force yelling, "Mommy Daddy Mommy Daddy!!!! I'm so excited! My baby brother is coming home tonight!!!!"

Now imagine... how do you respond to this?

Well, if you're us, you get immediate goosebumps and stand there like idiots with your mouths hanging open.

I mean, how can you not be a little shocked/freaked out?

When we recovered, we hugged our bouncing 3 year old and moved on... what do you SAY???

Our day was fun; lunch at a fun place since Daddy was home today, puzzles, books, planted a tree, and made sugar cookies. Hannah wasn't into dinner tonight so we said the customary, "You can get down from the table but you don't get any treats until you eat your 5 bites" and she ran to play in the play room.

Joey and I finished eating and about 10 minutes later Hannah came running into the kitchen yelling, "My baby brother is almost here!! He';s on his way, he's almost here! Hurry I have to eat my dinner!  I don't know what car he's in.... let's go watch for him!"

By this time, Joey and I are a little more than confused/freaked out and I finally asked Hannah... "Who told you that your baby brother is coming home tonight?"

Hannah looked sweetly from her Daddy to me and said...

"Jesus told me, Mommy!"

Of course He did....

Ugh.

In the same extremely mature and sophisticated way in which we typically communicate with our daughter...

Joey changed the subject.

(Okay really?!?! Like you wouldn't have done the same thing!)

It was then that I felt sick to my stomach... and guilty... and angry... and confused... and in some strange way...

hopeful.

Here's the thing...

Most moms and dads would hear that from their child, dismiss it, and think, "There's no way that could happen, anyway... a baby showing up on our door step tonight! Ha!"

But... we met Hannah's birth-parents on a Thursday night, and picked up our baby-girl on Friday morning... 13 hours later.

Not so crazy, after all.

Back to the kitchen tonight....  me feeling sick.... my 'inner me' started running her mouth...

"It's Easter weekend.... it's the absolute perfect time to bring our baby home! Maybe she's right... God says that we need to have faith like a child, right? What if we DO bring our baby home this weekend?"

 “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and have faith like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

~Matthew 18:3

But here's what followed...

"What are you talking about?! EVERY SINGLE STINKING DAY FOR THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN THE PERFECT DAY TO BRING OUR BABY HOME!!!!!"

So much for faith, huh?

Joey and I talked later on about how we should proceed with Hannah since she's obviously very aware, despite our best efforts to protect her, of this long 'wait' to become a big sister. We've learned (the hard way) that Scripture is always the best place to turn when you're at a loss...

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”  

~Matthew 19:14

We will let her dream... we'll even dream with her.

We will let her be excited... and we'll allow ourselves to be excited (once again), too.
We will learn from her flawless and perfect faith... we need it.

And we will pray that God will continue to place His loving and profound words in her heart because I have to be honest... there are days when I listen to my daughter more than I listen to my Heavenly Father and quite frankly, that's not ok.

To me, Easter represents all things 'new'... Jesus rising from the grave, our sins being washed clean, the weather, flowers, trees, fresh fruits and vegetables...

So why not families, too???

We always knew that Hannah was 'advanced' (my dad's word ;-))...



 but today she taught her Mama a much-needed lesson in faith!

I love you, sweet girl and know without a shadow of a doubt that you will be the BEST big sister there ever was.... and hopefully soon!

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That day, April 1, 2012, Hannah was absolutely convinced that her baby brother was on his way. She knew.

How did she know?

"Jesus told me, Mommy!"

Friends...

He did.

April 1, 2012 was the day that Hunter's sweet First Mama relinquished her parental rights... not even knowing if her precious baby would be alive when she could come back and visit him on Easter morning.

By all legal terms, that sweet boy was our's...

we just didn't know.

We wouldn't know for 2 more weeks.

But Hannah knew.

She knew that she was a big sister...

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

~Matthew 19:14

And she was right;

Jesus told her heart.

 So you'll understand when we were eating cake and celebrating our #3's 'birthday/ due date' last week and my heart started pounding, the room spun, and I broke out in a sweat when my sweet girl said sweetly...

"Mommy, I know our new baby will LOVE birthday cake on his birthday next year!"

.............

Faith like Hannah's.



** It is always our prayer that the Lord uses the story He is writing for our family to change lives... please feel free to 'share' His story to help change lives and give Him the glory for the amazing things He has done! **