Off We Go!!

 

 

This face.

 

This is what arrived in my mailbox after choosing to go with Bethany Christian Services.

 

This was a brochure that will forever change the Woodley family.

 

This face...will soon be replaced with the face of our own beautiful child.

 

Wow!!! So hard to believe that about 6 weeks ago, this dream, this desire, this passion, was just that...a dream. And now, here we are knee deep in paperwork and head over heels in love with this idea of adoption.

 

But just like the old saying, "What goes up must come down," the same is true when a high turns into a low. I was having a low day on Monday. Dave and I were preparing to send out a good portion of our paperwork that would lead us to the next step in our adoption process...and closer to the next payment that had to be made. It was in that moment that I was hit with the overwhelming responsibility of the adventure we are about to embark on...financially, mentally, and spiritually.

 

I opened my Bible like I try to do every day and prayed that God would help me see in a BIG way that this adoption was His idea and not mine. And then, I continued my devotional journey through the book of Luke. I was finishing up the book of Luke and coming to the end of Chapter 24 where Jesus sees His disciples after His resurrection and prepares them for His ascension into heaven. I didn't think there was going to be any BIG way God was going to show me that this adoption was His idea as I was reading through the book of Luke...but remember what I said about prayer?? Yes, it works.

 

I was finishing up my reading of Luke and got to Luke 24:50 which says, "And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands, and He blessed them." WHAT??? I had to read it again. and again. and again! He led them- his disciples- out to Bethany and He- Jesus- lifted up His hands and blessed them- his disciples! As a follower of Jesus, I am one of His disciples. I am the recipient of His blessings. And then, God just had to top it off in a BIG way and made sure I understood that HE was the one leading Dave and I to Bethany...Bethany Christian Services...and there, He will bless us. It doesn't say beforehand, on the way, half way there, but there.

 

I was once again blown away by the way God speaks to me. I fail Him all the time and yet, He is so faithful. He promises to take care of me. All I have to do is just follow Him.

 

So, as Dave and I mailed off the first stack of paperwork, I was at peace. I was at peace knowing that the Creator of the universe had this plan all laid out before I was even created. He knows my weaknesses; He knows my fears; and if I just follow Him, He will raise His hands and bless me!

 

 

 

So, on to Bethany we go to bring our forever baby home!

 

 

 

 If you would like to join us on this adventure to adopt baby Woodley, there are a couple of ways you can hop on for the ride. The first is by praying- pray for wisdom and patience for Dave and myself, and for our birth mom, whoever she may be! The second is by helping us reach our financial goals by donating to our GoFundMe account or by watching for more fundraisers that are coming in the near future! Thank you for helping us on our adventure to #adoptbabywoodley!



Our Newest Adventure

 

 

  I had never seen "UP" before; however, it is one of my husband's favorite movies and one I had to see! The reason being? The sweet love story between the man and his wife. Every time the beginning of the movie starts, my big, strong, non-emotional (so he thinks) husband begins to tear up. Every. Time. The music. The love story. The heart wrenching years of heartbreak. Each time it brings him to tears. Why? Because he thinks of me.

 

 So, I watched it. And, I cried too. It really is a sweet love story.

 

 Then, it got me thinking. Why not start an Adventure Book for me and Dave? Better yet, how about an Adventure Blog?! And what a better time than now as we embark on one of the biggest adventures of our life...ADOPTION!

 

 

 John 14:18- "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

 

  As many of you know, Dave and I have been on a get-out-of-debt adventure for about the last 20 months. We are one loan away from being done and we are super excited! Our goal from the beginning had been to take a 3 week trip to Australia; however, a prompting began in Dave's heart that would change all of that. For those of you wondering why we have chosen to adopt before biologically having children, here is a little insight into our decision making!

 

Why are you adopting before biologically having your own?

  About 3 years ago, God laid on Dave's heart the desire to adopt. I (Catherine) on the other hand did not have that same desire. Down the road? Okay. But not anytime in the immediate future. We even had a chat about it in early May, and I was dead set on having a biological child before adopting. And, Dave, like he so sweetly does, patiently waited...and fervently prayed. For those of you who don't believe that prayer works...it does!!

  About a month and a half ago, I saw the most beautiful picture of a little girl from China that desperately needed a home. Have you ever had those moments where you are broken? So broken that you have to do something to fix the ache inside? Well, that's how I felt when I saw this little girl. Dave was totally on board and was totally excited that the Holy Spirit was working on my heart (I had no idea he had been praying!) We quickly found out that we did not qualify for a Chinese adoption due to our age, but I was hooked. I was ready. I knew I wanted this. I no longer felt the desire to biologically have our own first. I was ready to adopt. When God puts a passion and desire on your heart and a brokenness for the lost and hurting, you can't help but do something about it. So, we began looking into other options.

 

Who are you adopting through?

 

  Dave and I began looking for different adoption agencies and I remembered from my days of volunteering at a pregnancy center in Athens, GA that Bethany Christian Services was a great adoption agency. So, we looked them up. And quickly found out that they had a location about 20 minutes from us. We attended one of their informational meetings in early June and began the process of applying to become adoptive parents the next day! Because we did not qualify for an international adoption, we are doing a domestic infant adoption here in the USA! We can't say enough good things about this organization and have already been so impressed and blessed as we work with them!

 

When will you get your baby?

  We are currently in our home study which stands for lots of paperwork, background checks, and interviews! This process should take about 8 weeks and then a profile is built for us that will be presented to expectant moms that are looking to place their infant into a forever home. Once our profile is available, it is a waiting game until we are chosen. Dave and I are open to any ethnicity, either gender, and are open to medical needs as well. Because we are very open to just about anything, our profile should be chosen quickly...however, only the Lord knows the exact date that we will get a baby!



 

Will it be an open adoption?

 Yes. My grandmother was adopted over 70 years ago and she had no idea who her birth mom was...MUCH has changed since then! We will have a very open relationship with the birth mother, and truthfully, I am super excited about it. Our case worker put it beautifully when she said, "Why would you deny the opportunity for someone to love your child who loves and cares for them so much that they gave birth to them and then willingly gave them away so they could have a better life?" Birth moms are my heroes! They choose to sacrificially give up something that is so precious to them. What will the extent of the openness be? We won't know until we meet our birth mom and decide from there.

 

How much does the adoption cost?

  As Dave and I are quickly learning, adoption is not cheap! From the background checks to lawyer fees and all the stuff in between, the cost of our adoption will total around $30,000.00. I know. That's a pretty big number.

 Remember I said we have been planning a trip to Australia? Well, we have decided that rather than go to Australia, we are going to make a difference for eternity and adopt a baby!

 Even with the cancelation of the trip, we are still going to need to raise money for this adoption. There are grants available and we will be doing a "Go Fund Me" page as well.

 

So, why adoption?

 Dave and I are firm believers that our role here on earth is to tell others about Jesus and to make disciples that will continue to pass on that same truth to their generation! Adoption is a beautiful picture of what God has done for us- He gave us a way out of a desperate and hopeless situation to live a life full of hope and joy with Him. Dave and I have a special opportunity as adoptive parents to LIVE OUT the Gospel story to a birth mom and adopted child as we rescue this precious little one from a desperate and hopeless situation and give them a life full of hope and joy! And, our prayer is that we would also be able to share the story of Jesus' redemptive love and forgiveness with the birth mother so that she too can know the amazing story of God's adoption of us!

 

So, there you have it. THAT'S why and how we are adopting! I am so excited to begin this adventure and hope you come along for the ride as well! I can't wait to be a mommy and hold this precious little one in my arms!

 

Waiting for our missing piece!

 

The excited grandparents! (Dave's mom and dad)

The very elated soon-to-be Aunt Dayna! (She designed the cute sign!)