18 months

Today is January 10th which means that half a world away, our son is turning 18 months old.  I will admit that 18 months - 24 months is my absolute favorite age of kids.  It's like suddenly they become little people instead of little babies, and they learn and do and know so much! Part of me is a little sad that by the time we get Asher home he will be two or very close to it, and yet I also know that whatever age he is when he comes home, it will be great.
I can already tell that these next 6-ish months of waiting until we go get Asher will not be easy.  I like for things to happen when I think they should , without having to wait, and so really I'd like to get on the plane yesterday!  :)  I think it's fitting that this was my devotion for yesterday:
"I am with you and for you.  When you decide on a course of action that is in line with My will, nothing in heaven or on earth can stop you.  You may encounter many obstacles as you move toward your goal, but don't be discouraged-never give up!  With My help, you can overcome any obstacle.  Do not expect an easy path as you journey hand in hand with Me, but do remember that I, your very-present Helper, am omnipotent.
Much, much stress results from your wanting to make things happen before their times have come.  (Could've just put my name at the beginning of that sentence!)  One of the main ways I assert My sovereignty is in the timing of events.  If you want to stay close to Me and do things My way, ask Me to show you the path forward moment by moment.  Instead of dashing headlong toward your goal, let Me set the pace.  Slow down, and enjoy the journey in My Presence."  (taken from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)
There are so many parts of this devotion that I love and of course it was just what I needed as we start our wait to get Asher.  We know that God has these next months planned out~He knows if we will have paperwork that takes forever and He knows if our paperwork will be processed in a short amount of time.....none of this journey to Asher is a surprise to Him.  
I love the sentence that talks about encountering obstacles...but never give up!  We sit here and look at how much money we have left to come up with, and God already knows where that money will come from.  I wll be completely honest...I despise fundraising.  I do NOT like asking people to give money to us, Wade & I would much rather be on the giving end than the receiving end, but yet, we can see God's plan in this.  It pushes us out of our comfort zones, encourages us to meet new people, AND gives God ALL the glory!   This entire adoption journey has been orchestrated by God and it is only by His power that we will get Asher home with us!  We have two fundraisers coming up, which I will write more about soon.  Here is a sneak peak of what one of the fundraisers involves:

Can't wait to tell you all about it!  :)