Coffee anyone?!

So, I guess the most recent update is that I got a job at Starbucks!!! I'm super excited to have the opportunity to meet some new people, work with some great people and reap the awesomeness otherwise known as "Starbucks Benefits!" Getting health benefits through them will mean that I do not need to purchase benefits through OSU, which is great because it's $3,000 a semester!!! That money can now go towards our adoption. The other awesome thing is that Starbucks offers financial support to help with adoption expenses and offers up to $4,000! I am super excited to have this opportunity and really feel the Lord's hand in all of it so far. I am not going to give up my nanny position, I'm just going to do both for a while :) 

As far as the adoption goes, we have submitted a draft of the paperwork that needs to be filed with the state of Ohio. They are really particular about how the form is filled out so our agency "screens it" for us before we send it off.  As soon as the draft is approved, we will officially begin our home study! 

This last week has been amazing. It's only been one week since we started our journey, but it feels like we have done SO MUCH. It's been awesome having my little brother, Louie, here with us :) He has been such a help and so fun to hang around with. I love him so much! Needless to say, I am feeling very blessed!

~Celeste

The Beauty of Adoption

A friend of mine shared this video with me. I think you will all enjoy it and find yourself smiling at the end...

Have a blessed day!!!

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."  James 1:27

It's the Small Things

I'm sure that many of you can testify how God has worked in the smallest and most unexpected ways. I am reminded of this today with a simple trip to the Post Office. After standing patiently in line, I hand over our completed notarized packet. I inform the worker that I have stamps and I just need to know how many to put on it. She looks down at the city and replies, "I live in Medina".  A bit surprised (because it's nearly two hours north), I smile and proceed to tell her that we will probably be visiting often because that's where our adoption agency is located. Her faces lights up and she proceeds to tell me that both of her children were adopted. She continued on to say how it has been the most rewarding and difficult journey she has experienced in her life. She goes on further sharing more and more about her life. 

I left the Post Office with two thoughts. First, it is amazing how personable someone becomes when you show the slightest bit of interest in their life. She was literally smiling from ear to ear and in that short amount of time shared so much about her life. Second, how God can find the smallest ways to encourage you. 

When is the last time you stopped to show some interest in someone else's life? Such a simple task can lead to so many opportunities. Opportunities to encourage someone and opportunities to be encouraged.  

I hope you all are having a restful weekend!
Celeste

Sign Contract: Check!

Today was a great day! We got lots of snow and I didn't crash into anyone... I would call that a success :) It's only slightly stressful when you're driving and then all of a sudden can't see ANYTHING out of your windshield. Gotta love Columbus! 

In other news, we signed our contract with our adoption agency!! We needed it to be notarized and learned that our bank (US Bank) offers that service for no charge (thank you, Lord!). It was a really surreal feeling; it made everything feel that much more official. We send off our first of three packets tomorrow. We are one step closer to our home study and just praying everything goes smoothly. 

Since this is becoming more real, we have started to brainstorm ideas of how we are going to make this happen. We've been thinking of ways to cut our spending and find ways to add a little more income. It is amazing to consider how many things I am willing to "cut back" on, when in previous times I would not even consider. That probably speaks more to my vanity, but hey, I like unrealistic reality TV, what can I say?! I guess I just wanted to encourage you all to not be afraid to take chances and pursue the things God has put in your heart. He has always shown Himself to be faithful and I have no reason to believe otherwise. "O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you." Psalm 89:8

Once again, thank you for all the phone calls, emails, texts and messages. We feel absolutely loved!! We couldn't ask for a better group of family and friends :) Some of you were asking which agency we decided to go with, below you will find a link. 

All our love, 

Celeste and Joel

Building Blocks Adoption Service, Inc.

Feeling Excited!

I have to admit that I am getting more and more excited with every passing minute. I realize this is going to be a long journey, but it is a journey that I cannot wait to take. I feel like this experience has already taught me so much about myself, my family and God, but I know there are many more things to learn. I love being able to talk to family and friends about this. I love that I get to share my heart and my desires and feel safe in doing so. For me, it's a picture of how God shares His heart and desires for us through His Word. Even though I want to spend every minute researching the process and reading about other families' stories, I know that I need to stay focused on the commitments I have right now... which is getting all my work done by my 11:59pm deadline tonight :) 

Thank you for our wonderful talk this morning, Christina! You are a dear friend and I love you so much. Thank you for your constant support, encouragement and prayer in all of this. What can I say, I think we were cut from the same cloth... after all, we're both from Whittier :)

Making the Decision

January 22, 2013 marks the day we officially decided to take the steps necessary to pursue an adoption and we submitted our first application! As many of you know, Joel and I have been praying for a baby for the last three years. We are hopeful the Lord will answer this prayer of ours in His good timing. Until then, we have decided to continue forward with the hope of adopting a precious child in need of loving parents. 

We are thrilled beyond belief and know that God is more than capable of meeting our needs every step of the way. I invite you to take this journey with us. My hope is to record every way God moves on our behalf, no matter how big or small. We are incredibly thankful for the unbelievable support from family and friends literally across the country! 

All our love,

Celeste and Joel