Nally Adventure, Part TWO! And Then There Were THREE!!! NEWS ALERT!!!

Our Baby Boy is arriving in three weeks!!!! AHHHH... we are having a baby in just a few weeks!!  Screaming for joy and awestruck at God's goodness!

Many of you know the long journey Dustin and I have shared in our desire to have children. This has been no easy road!!! But, the Lord in His perfect sovereignty and love has allowed us many years to build a joyous and Christ-magnifying marriage; He has given us opportunity to do ministry together, get our master's degrees, and serve wholeheartedly wherever He has placed us. Those blessings have been incredible, but our desire to have children...a lot of them...has never diminished even a tiny bit. Actually, as the years have come and gone our desire has only grown! 

The Lord got us to a point almost a year ago--after doctor's said there was nothing wrong physically with either one of us to have biological children--that though we always saw adoption as part of our family plan, God was telling us it was time to focus our parenting desires on adopting. We of course still want biological kids one day (who wouldn't want a little Dusty Poo or Jo Jo running around!!)... But, God got us to a point  that we were beyond excited about adoption. Last November, adoption became what we focused our prays on and began the process of homestudy...and waiting!! 

I cannot tell the adoption story now or give anymore details...it is incredible and you will be amazed at how God perfectly is bringing our son home!!!! I can tell you it is an independent, domestic adoption. And for now I'll leave you with the request to pray for our baby boy. Pray for his safety in the womb and his birth. Pray for his birth mom who desperately needs Jesus! Pray for her family. Pray for the biological father who also is broken and lost apart from his Heavenly Father. Pray for us as we prepare to bring our son home! Pray we would cherish these last few weeks as just the two of us. Pray for safe travels. Pray we would work just as hard on being Christ-centered parents as we have on our marriage! And please pray that our powerful God would work all the complicated legal issues out ...so we can focus on this precious miracle!

Thank you for walking with us in this journey. May the Lord bring each child He desires into our home so we can be a beacon for the Gospel. This little guy is going to show the world that God the Father desires to adopt all people into His loving Home, just as he was adopted into our home. I can't wait to share the whole story!

No words for the joy our precious baby boy has already brought to us. We are in love.

Moving This Week! Our New House...Nally Adventures, Part One!

This is only Part One of the adventures we've been on these last three months since graduation! Over the past two months in particular, life has seriously taken us on a roller coaster of transition and emotions. This month in particular has been near crazy! Never do we want to wish weeks to pass, or envision ourselves as the leading character of Adam Sandler's movie, CLICK...but some months seem like fast forwarding to the end will be a sigh of relief, and finally some rest!

The end of June our house went on the market, by the middle of August we had an offer. We accepted it and rolled forward to closing. The house we're trying to buy has been anything but an easy road...that's what we get for putting an offer on a pre-foreclosure. One week we're moving toward a September 17th close date, the next it's going to close by the end of September...and the next their bank says they may pull our offer and put the house into short sale. 

But, tomorrow we will close on our sweet Home on New Castle Court! (If you never saw our house, you can visit the last post: HERE). It is bitter-sweet to leave this home we've made so many memories in! Not only incredible married moments of challenge and growth...but also hosting for three years our small group at North Wake! 

On Wednesday the moving trucks will come, thankfully offered by our wonderful church family's carpentry ministry! The way it sounds, we should have such a crew here that we are moved out within an hour or so. The owners of the house we are trying to buy, thinking we would close by the 17th, already planned to move out. So they agreed to let us move in and pay rent until the loan closes (or their bank agrees to close). We are still hoping to close before the 30th so we don't have to deal with a short sale!

So, our week goes: Today final packing and my preparations for three ministry speaking engagements, tonight I speak for our women ministry's kickoff event; tomorrow we close on our house and have a very important meeting (that is Part Two of this blog post...coming soon!), and get the yard ready for the new owners; Wednesday moving trucks come to pack the house, Wednesday evening we clean the new house and move a few things in; Thursday carpet cleaners come, Thursday evening move everything in new house; Friday morning women's Bible study at the church, and Friday at noon Dustin drops me off to ride three hours outside of Wilmington to Oak Island, NC for a women's retreat Fri-Sun that I am the retreat speaker for the weekend. Dustin will hunt while I'm gone!! ;) Whew! Sunday...I will return, I pray refreshed and ready to lay my head down on my pillow in my new bedroom! Here is a sneak peak at our NEW HOUSE! (Of course the furniture, paint, and house color will change soon...)

Outside of house needs a lot of work. So, we will be repainting it the same blue color as our current house (cause we purchased 5 5-gallon buckets of paint too much!?!!!). It will be blue, navy shutters, and a dark red door.

A great porch for a' rocking!

House plan is very open...the ceilings are about 20 feet high!

Our roomy kitchen

Dining Room. Soon my Dustin original walnut 8-foot table will be on display (and ready for guests to eat on!)

On two acres...backing up to over 500+ acres of Army Corp land that goes directly to the lake. We can eventually get a path marked to have our own lake access and little dock ;). Though we might need a golf cart to make that lake hike manageable!

Also, the book release of The Storms of Life is an incredible answer to prayer, but I haven't had time to do much with marketing it yet. So, I thank all of you who have helped promote this encouraging book by sharing it with friends, family, and church members! Please continue on... This was the purpose of writing it! To encourage as many people as the Lord would desire for His glory, salvation, and great work to be known! If you haven't seen it yet...

View Book on Amazon HERE

Yes, this week is crazy...but exciting. Full but I pray fulfilling! Please pray for everything to go smoothly with our move, the meeting (Part Two!!), and all my opportunities to teach women!

Have a joyous day!

Our Home Sweet Home!

Well...it's officially on the market as of this past Saturday! We had two families come for showings, one Sunday and one Monday. Praying for the right family to love our little home that we did SO much to!! Sure I have before and after pictures somewhere...but that would take way too much time to make an awesome blog post. So, you can see the amazing finished project. Just imagine..."we bought this house as a foreclosure, it was gray, had old stained carpets, and no landscape!" Selling a home is hard work! Stress levels sky rocket and sleep is scarce. Doing the 30 minute spaz-out clean every time we have a showing is "super" fun, but...Please, Lord send someone for this sweet home soon!

So, here is our Home Sweet Home...for a little while longer!

The Lovebirds...a.k.a Home Owners (notice the purple counter tops...they've been updated!)

Little Blue Country Home

Beautiful Flowers

BIG backyard for all our animals!

Our big garden...for the new owners! Geesh...every year we don't get yummy tomatoes!

Shed Dustin and his grandaddy built from scratch!

Now the inside...

Our dining area.

Remodeled kitchen

Living room! And new bamboo floors by Dustin Handyman!

Master Bedroom

Office

So...this is our super cute home! 

Someone better treat him right. Sad to leave...but excited for the adventure. If you know anyone looking for a great family neighborhood, send them our way!

Here's the official link: http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/100-New-Castle-Ct-Youngsville-NC-27596/60620775_zpid/

Dustin was Called to be a PASTOR! We're Moving!!!!

Wow! What started in Charleston, SC as a call to pack up our belonging, leave great jobs, and move to North Carolina to get our Master's in Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has transformed into something so much greater than we could have ever imagined. We thought we were coming to SEBTS to do a para-church ministry for marriage and family, like Family Life (which we loved in Charleston and had incredible leaders who are serving now full time with Family Life)! During our time in seminary, the Lord began shaping our hearts to fall more and more in love with the Church, the Bride of Christ! (A Thought: If you don't love the Bride of Christ, who He loves most...do you really love Christ?) After Dustin and I worked with a para-church addictions ministry, it became clear to us that although these ministries are useful to the church, God was directing us to do counseling and ministry within the church. Dustin switched his major from Biblical Counseling to Christian Ministries so he could pursue preaching and pastorate classes. Dustin answered the call to be a pastor while completing an internship with our church, North Wake. 

In our many travels from Charleston to Wake Forest "planning" the next step in our future, Dustin would say, "I definitely am called to full time ministry, but I really don't think I'll be a pastor!" HA! Well, I sure never thought I'd be a pastor's wife either...but WOW are we amazed at what God is doing and excited! As a wife who is shepherded by her husband in the tenderest and most compassionate way possible, I can wholeheartedly say, THIS  MAN is going to be the best shepherd of his flock! Dustin, you are going to make an incredible pastor!

So...I'm sure you're wanting to know where and when this transition will happen!!

Dustin was called to Central Baptist Church in Henderson, NC as the Discipleship Pastor! We thought we would stay in the area a couple more years to re-focus and wait for a recommendation to come from a professor or pastor friend before we moved!...But God, had other plans! The week of graduation Dustin got a call from our best friends' pastor, Jeremy Evans (also Dustin's seminary professor), who wanted to recommend Dustin for a pastorate position. Dustin met with the Lead Pastor, Randy Mann the Monday before graduation and they hit it off. Little did we know (until we met the deacons and their wives a few weeks later) that Randy had been searching for a Discipleship Pastor for a little while and interviewed some other men. He had gone to visit an old professor friend at the seminary, randomly asking if he knew any good pastor candidates...Jeremy "happened" to be in his office that day and overheard the conversation. He recommended Dustin. After a few whirlwind weeks of meeting church leadership and falling in love very quickly...we knew Central was our new home. Randy and his wife, Melanie (and their amazing three kiddos) are incredible. And the worship/youth pastor Allen and his wife, Erica (and their precious son and baby girl on the way!)...and absolutely wonderful! We felt like old friends the first time we met! 

So, we are in a bit of a tailspin trying to get our house on the market, buy a new house in Henderson, and restructure our whole lives!! haha Dustin begins at Central on July 13th! We are amazed at the perfect plans of the Lord...while we thought nothing was happening, He was busy at work to see His kingdom grow! Lord, may we be excellent leaders in your beloved church and grow to love you even more!

Here is Central Baptist Church!!!

We will be moving to Henderson, NC which is about 45 minutes north of where we currently are living. Here are a few picture of where we'll be moving by Kerr Lake. The house is about to be officially under contract today (not ours yet...but we're pretty confident this is our home).

We will be ten minutes from the church and about 5 minutes from Kerr Lake which means...church family, family, and friends...party at our house! You are welcome anytime you need a getaway!

We can put our kayaks in just a few minutes away!

Our (hopeful) house has 500 acres of Army Corp land behind it that backs up to the lake about 10-15 acres back from the house.

The Kerr Lake Dam

Thank you all for your prayers about the next steps the Lord would take us! We are in awe of seeing His plan unfold. Honestly, Dustin is overwhelmed and humbled that the Lord would bless him by calling him to be a pastor! I am just as amazed with being a pastor's wife! And, this amazing church has blessed us in such a way financially that will allow me to eventually stay home with kiddos, work alongside Dustin at the church (hopefully in women's ministry, counseling, and with teens!), write (more books) and speak/teach at churches however the Lord may use me!

Please pray for us as many pieces need to "fall into place" for us to get settled in our new home/location! And pray, more than any moving detail that Dustin and I would humbly lead this amazing body of believers, along with the other incredible pastors and wives! 

AMEN!

Empty Arms...Full Heart

Today is one of the hardest days for me to go to church. Every year this day comes as a megaphone for a longing not yet fulfilled. Each year I whisper a prayer that 'next year' the Lord would fill our arms with a beloved child. This morning was no different in heartache or pleas to the Lord, but in the Lord's goodness even with empty arms He filled my heart.

I knew this morning would be baby dedication Sunday...at our church the 'magical water' works for every women who even glances in its direction (so I feel). Women young and old pregnant and birthing new life is announced in every weekly newsletter. Our church is known as the "baby make'n church!" Today we celebrated about 25 babies lives. Amen. Getting ready for church, Dustin asked me how my heart was doing. Honestly, I said, "I am really doing okay. Not really allowing my heart to feel this morning. Tired of focusing on me, just wanting to rejoice in the blessings of other moms today. Want to love and serve them." But, as we dedicated and prayed for all the new babies, with all the young doting parents, my resolve to 'not feel the hurt' dissolved. Worship began and I wept in the arms of Jesus as my arm reached high in the air for a gentle hug. He heard my prayer...He always has, every single year, every month, every day. 

My dear friend, Krystina, who is celebrating her first year of Motherhood today sent me the sweetest words this morning...which I got right after my tear-filled worship. She took her eyes off her own celebration to shower me with the Lord's love. She said, "I know you are not a mother in the way your heart desire, but you have been a mother to many young girls. You have encouraged and lifted me up too..." and she finished with reminding me that not a single tear shed before the Lord has ever been lost. Then this afternoon, my friend Kat--who is also celebrating her first Mother's Day after seven years of waiting for their adopted baby boy--wrote me, "'Because of the Lord's great love you are not consumed. For His compassions never fail! Great is his faithfulness.' God is faithful to you Nally's...a year ago my arms were empty, but God has been faithful to fill them. I'm praying you will rest in His peace, presence, and sovereignty today."

When someone I am counseling says, "God isn't answering my prayers"...or..."I'm not sure God is working in my life." I remind them that I am sitting beside them...a physical answer to their prayers to have a friend walk with them through this time. A physical "Jesus" who can give them a giant hug and minister the Word to their broken hearts. Krystina was my "Jesus hug" today and Kat was the Lord's Word to my heart. (Multiple other ladies loved on me this morning with kind words, a hug, and even our dear friends' parents taking us to lunch with their family...so we didn't have to go home 'alone.') 

Thank you selfless women...beautiful mothers...who have shepherded my heart in such a deep and nurturing way this Day. The Lord, through you, has been so near I cannot even begin to thank you for being His loving arms today. 

May I always be reminded how much my Father loves me...and how much the Church is His beacon of love and hope.

The Cool Kids on the Block

It's true. What can I say. Dustin and I are the most popular kids on the block. 

Cool KIDS of the Neighborhood!

We step outside, the kids come running. 
We're inside, the doorbell rings..."Can you come out an play?" (Okay, well, maybe they are asking for our dogs to come play or to see our chickens...seriously...we need real kids!).

Dustin the "Hero" to little 6-year old Sam. He loves Dustin!

Our house is the petting zoo with a super awesome garden. Don't get me wrong, when I was little I loved playing and dirt (and still do), so I get it. Our house is fun. A couple weeks ago we started our garden! Here shows the neighborhood fun!

Yes, the kids wanted to help shovel horse poo...it was FUN!

This year is going to be a great year. We haven't had the best "luck" with our garden. 

Year One: Tomato Mania...too many, didn't know how to can yet, couldn't keep up with the flow of tomatoes. Tomatoes everywhere...many rotted.

Year Two: Tons of growing, beautiful ripe tomatoes (I know how to can now), watermelon, squash, and about 15 other items. Darn rats and rabbits...ate it all. ALL OF IT!

Year Three: Beautifully grown heirloom produce from seeds. Perfect. Until the rain. Down it came...forever. Until our garden was a mushy mess of fungal rot. Only the strongest survived--a handful of cherry tomatoes. 

This is Year Four and we're ready! So what, the winter has lasted way too long, the sun hardly ever comes out, and our seeds didn't grow inside. No problem. We got this. Planted ahead so we can restart. 

Getting the planting trays ready!

Here's our plan this year:
1. Raised Beds: Rain can't hurt 'um.
2. Rat Poison: Come on and eat up furry friends...may be your last meal!
3. Better Boys: If the heirloom seeds don't grow we have backup tomato plants, Better Boys always grow!
4. Bad soil: Not this year, we have horse poo for that!

So, we are designing the most beautiful raised bed garden, with 26 items to grow...walking paths and even a handmade trellis in the corner of the garden to sit under for shade (Dustin's creation!). Here is our hope for our garden...we're thinking Southern Living may visit us this year...just getting ready!

Probably similar to what it will look like in a few months!!

Waiting on God...This Process is a Whirlwind!

This picture is from college (look how young Dustin looks...I look the same! right?!). I thought this picture captured the way these last few weeks have felt.

What a whirlwind Dustin and I have been on the last few weeks. After realizing the waitressing job I was doing was not only not providing much money (like $30 a shift) and not conducive to our preferred schedule (I realized I would have to work nights to make any money...been there, done that...not interested in having an opposite schedule as Dustin again! YUK!)--I quit. I began substituting at three local Christian Schools, which has been an absolute blast. I know mom, I should have listened to you months ago...it's a perfect fit for our schedules and all my writing!! I get to edit my book while I "work." So, basically my work is hanging out with super fun teenagers, telling them about why they should choose to flourish in Christ now (I take 5 minutes of their class time...shhh), and work on my writing! Awesome day. Well, I'll let you know after today...subbing elementary school for the first time. SCARY! I love kids...love 'um. But, subbing all day...in one room...starring at me to entertain them...ALL DAY! Yikes. Prayers are coveted!

About three weeks ago I had the awesome privilege to go back to the school I love and miss--Grace Christian, where I used to be a teacher. Some of our good friends who I used to teach with just adopted a precious baby boy after years of waiting for him! Since I was near their house (about an hour away from where we live), I set up a time so I could come by and see their baby after school. My friend gave me the address to meet her. She let me know she would be late, but her husband and pastor would be there. When I got there, I talked to her husband (who I used to work with) and their pastor for a little while. Realizing that we were also in the adoption process, the pastor asked if we would be interested in adopting two sisters, blond hair blue-eyed girls who were 6 and 4--absolutely beautiful. WOW! After much prayer and overwhelming feelings we were like...BRING IT ON!! 

So, we contacted some people, got a lot of information, and fell in love in two weeks. We were already verbally restructuring our lives, rearranging the furniture, planning out the girl's room, and planning to buy a new car. Then we actually talked to the social work on the case...

There is no possible way for us to adopt these girls. None. Yesterday was a hard day hearing this news. We cried and got our hearts broken again. So I say...Praise the Lord. Seriously, I am praising Him with joy. This whirlwind has taught me two things.

First, since this process of waiting has been years of heartbreak and confusion, my heart easily grows cold. If I don't allow the excitement of possibilities to come in...I can't get hurt. If I don't hope...hope can't be dashed. It's sad, really. I fight it and ask the Lord for a soft heart, but sometimes the hardness wins. Falling in love with these two little girls who will never know us has been a refreshment to my cold heart. IT STILL WORKS! So, I learned that when the Lord does allow us to be parents, I will be able to radically, sacrificially love our kids. With adoption, sometimes the question comes...will I be able to love children that aren't of my womb as much? YES! Thank you Lord for the renewed stirrings in my heart, squashing those fears.

Secondly, I learned the beauty of again trusting my perfect, sovereign God that infinitely loves me! I had so much joy yesterday...given by Him in my moment of grief. My friend that just adopted a baby said to me, "There is no door that God can't open, and no door that can be opened that God closes." What truth. Another friend told me yesterday, "You know you don't want anything that God doesn't want for you." Another truth. Distrust is a sin I battle. The Lord again refreshed me yesterday. Again I fully surrendered our children to Him. We still wait eagerly...but with soft, trusting hearts!!

"Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from Him cometh my salvation." First we wait on God for salvation. Then we learn that salvation is only to bring us to God, and teach us to wait on Him. Then we find what is better still, that waiting on God is itself the highest salvation. It is the ascribing to Him the glory of being All; it is the experiencing that He is All to us" (WAITING ON GOD by Andrew Murray). 

This book is already kicking my tail...in a fabulous way!

How can people live without a REAL God who unconditionally loves them and sovereignly guides their life for their best and His Glory! 

Oh, I love my God this morning so much!! 

In other News:

1. Our kitty almost died from a urinary blockage Monday (He's okay for now...)

2. My book is finished, endorsed, and ready to submit to the Publisher!!! 

3. We graduate from seminary in less than two months!! 

4. We started our awesome garden...with the help of all the neighborhood kids! (What can I say, our house is the petting zoo, outdoor adventure land!) 

Our Adoption Update

With school, work, traveling, home study paper gathering, and a youth retreat (Dustin and I were the speakers!) we have been busy! I will blog about the travels and retreat later (cause they were some exciting times!), but for now a quick update on our adoption process:

The Lord has provided the money for a private adoption, the contacts (in GA and SC), and an almost complete home study all within a couple months!!! We await the final confirmation that our home study has been approved...there should be no problem, just waiting for the final South Carolina background check. (The other ones all cleared if you were wondering if Dustin and I had criminal pasts!!) Our social worker was wonderful. The first meeting we talked about our childhood, family relationships, and marriage. What a sweet time to see all the Lord has brought us through to be a couple-saint! The second meeting was about parenting ideals and what children we would be approved for (F.Y.I. Approved for age newborn to 6; up to 4 children at once!! haha...the first one we are still thinking newborn, but the Lord only knows!)

We met with an attorney last week, which was a next exciting step, but also a little discouraging. In this terribly difficult process of growing our family, each complication gets my heart easily burdened. The attorney said that adopting a baby from out of state would require more money and possible set backs. With our only two connections being a labor and delivery nurse in South Carolina and a pregnancy support center in Georgia that news was a bummer to hear. Good news though...the nurse in SC gave all our information to the OB doctors at the hospital too! Definitely widens our chance of "finding" our child (even if he/she is out of state)!

One day WE will be THREE (or four...we are not opposed to twins!)

Please pray we would continue to trust the Lord with every step of this process. It is just a different type of waiting. A new set of fears to battle. At times adoption seems just as obscure and impossible as getting pregnant. We of course know the truth...nothing is impossible with our incredible, all-knowing Creator. 

When we stop focusing on our own little world, we see that our God is so great He isn't just orchestrating a plan for us to be parents, but the lives of our future children, their birth parents, and all the friends and family that will be affected now and in the future! I love the realization that our Lord is already working out our future children for our best, their best, and His glory! 

Thank you for the prayers. With our home study ready, now we just wait to hear of a birth mother choosing us to adopt her baby. Please pray that would be soon...though we trust the Lord's perfect timing.

Check out our Adoption Photo Book!!

http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books/all/nally-adoption-photo-book-10208815?vk=uYveocNmuk

A Joyous Christmas in Hilton Head Island

Christmas was a joyous celebration with family in Hilton Head. We had a wonderful time hanging with the family, playing with our nieces (Abbagail 3/ Ellie 1.5), visiting our brother's new coffee/dessert restaurant (being built), clamming, walking on the beach, and Dustin managed to rebuild my parent's back deck! It was a beautiful week near 75 each day, until it was time to go home and it dropped to the 40s!

Christmas began after Dustin and I traveled 7 long hours, arriving 2 hours late at my parent's house (terrible holiday traffic). We walked in the house...I was carrying a large present under one arm and a few smaller one in the other. We "flopped" the presents down on the bench and my mom summoned us to eat a late dinner. We said, "Well, first mom, you need to open THIS gift." She said, "No, wait for Christmas! Or at least eat first." We shot back, "No, really, you need to open this one NOW." As she opened it, she screamed and jumped back...

Out popped, baby kitten, Toby! Mom has wanted a kitty for her boy cat, Linus, to have as a buddy for a while now! Oh, what a fun surprise! She couldn't believe it and was thrilled. Only problem was...I've never been so attached to someone's Christmas present. It was hard not to be an Indian Giver! 

Below are some pictures from our week!!

Mom and Toby snuggling!

Dustin and I cuddling our precious nieces Christmas Eve

Abbers and me goofing around! She's hilarious!

My handsome Pa Bear...smiling for a Colgate commercial! Look at those pearly whites!

Ellie's favorite Christmas present!

Abbagail's favorite present...however the Pez was a close second! No Smart Phone for this girl when she learns to drive...dangerous!!!!!

Ellie and Anabelle posing for the camera!

Dustin resting after another day's hard work!

The beautiful Cooke family. My sister, Kali and bro-in-law, Josh! Abbers was MIA??

Girls playing one morning!

Abbers had fun wearing a Turban...

The wonderful Christmas morning fun at the Cooke's! After this Dustin, my parents, and I went back home, played 9 holes of golf while waiting for the girls to wake up from their naps...and prepared for Christmas dinner and Christmas for the adults that evening! Nice long Christmas day!

 We are so thankful for family and the joy of sharing special times together. Soon we'll be traveling to Georgia to visit Dustin's family for a late Christmas (they'll finally get their gifts from us...shipping was just too much for these heavy presents..Dustin's been busy!!) We'll miss seeing Dustin's mom in Wyoming, but we're hoping to see her soon. Just thankful.

LOVE YOU ALL and HAPPY NEW YEAR!