tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46191701461454515932024-03-13T00:42:13.803-05:00Everything Beautiful"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, so that no one can fathom what He has done from beginning to end."
Ecclesiastes 3:11Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.comBlogger354125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-70180630916559933112019-12-26T13:52:00.000-06:002019-12-26T13:52:05.727-06:00Exciting News! Hey there! It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm so excited to share with you that this little blog of mine helped lay the groundwork for a brand new ministry that is launching in January 2020! Click below to jump to the Everything Beautiful Ministries website and learn all about the new and incredible things God is doing! You can follow our blog, find us on Facebook and sign up to receive weekly devotions right in your inbox.<br />
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Click <a href="http://everythingbeautifulministries.com/" target="_blank">HERE!</a><br />
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I'm excited to start this new journey with you!<br />
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Love,<br />
Baylor<br />
<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-89112125255499164432018-07-25T14:07:00.001-05:002018-07-25T14:07:57.201-05:00One Month It feels impossible that we first met our sweet Lucy one month ago today. So much has happened in that small, small amount of time. We have watched, in awe, as she has transformed before our very eyes. She is just so different from the frightened little girl we met in that government office on July 25. I can tell you exactly who I credit for this dramatic transformation.<br />
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1. God Almighty. The work I have seen in my daughter's heart over the course of the last month can only be explained by Divine intervention. Truly. It is almost like the Lord has rewired her heart for our family. She is comforted by us, wants to play with us, laughs with us and looks for opportunities to be silly with us. Her personality is coming out more and more; and she fits with us perfectly.<br />
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2. Bradley and Asher. These two kids of mine have been incredible with their new sister. I will be completely transparent and tell you that I was straight up terrified to bring Lucy home to two siblings. I thought it would be a jealousy-driven battle for the ages. I envisioned pushing, biting, screaming and tantrums galore from all three of them. BUT IT HAS NOT HAPPENED. Yes, there have been moments of tension and--ahem--heated disagreement. But on the whole, Bradley and Asher have welcomed Lucy with wide open arms and hearts. They invite her to play their make-believe games, they share their toys, they include her. They make her feel safe. It is so beautiful. More than anything else, this is what brings me to tears: watching all three of my non-related, we-look-nothing-alike, but we-love-each-other-fiercely kids.<br />
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again. God has worked a miracle in our family. I mean it.<br />
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Think about it for a second. Imagine a toddler or preschooler that you know. A child who is not your son or daughter. Maybe a friend's kid. Now imagine going up to that kid and saying, "Ok. I'm your mom now." And then bringing that child to your home and convincing him that you are, in fact, his mom for the rest of time. That is essentially what we are doing. We have adopted Lucy, and we are now in the process of convincing her that we are her family, that we are forever, that she can trust us and even love us. It is holy work that cannot be done apart from God's grace. It is hard work that lasts a lifetime. It is worthy work to fight for my child's heart.<br />
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I know it can be done. I have seen God do it before in the heart of my son. During the tough moments, I look at Bradley, and I remember how far the Lord has brought us. How much the Lord has changed all of our hearts. How deeply the Lord loves our family. And how faithful the Lord is to those whom He calls.<br />
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I love you, Lucy, and I am so thankful that we belong to each other.<br />
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With love,<br />
BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-23431999144163350682018-07-16T20:42:00.001-05:002018-07-16T20:42:17.095-05:00Three Weeks TogetherWhere to even begin? Three weeks ago today, our daughter was placed in our arms for the very first time. It was a day of profound emotions for all of us. Her most of all. It was a day we had longed and prayed for. A day we had begged for. The morning leading up to meeting her left me a total and complete wreck. My warring emotions nearly left me paralyzed as I swayed back and forth between excitement and fear, relief and sadness. Three weeks ago, I sat in our hotel room on the other side of the planet with tears running down my face, knowing that we were about to begin this incredible journey, and--having done it once before--appreciating more fully all of the joy and the deep, deep heartache that would now be woven into the fabric of our family.<br />
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You've heard me say before that adoption is born from loss. No words are more true. Lucy is ours, not because everything in her life was going beautifully, but because this world is terribly broken. She came to out of tragedy. Sometimes, people tell me that she is so lucky to have us. I disagree. She's not lucky.<br />
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But we are. We are the ones who get the joy of, not just knowing her, but parenting her. I don't only get to have a relationship with her, I get to have what is arguably THE MOST IMPORTANT relationship with her. I get to be her mother. I get to curate her life. I get to become her inner voice. I get to introduce her to the world, more importantly, I get to introduce her to Jesus Christ. I get to tell her that she is CHOSEN and LOVED by the Creator of all that exists.<br />
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And I get to protect her. I get to protect her heart and her story. I get to tell her over and over again how precious and cherished she is.<br />
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So there is this struggle for me. What do I share? When we brought Bradley home, the imminent arrival of his baby sister resolved the issue for me. I had almost no time to write, so not much got shared just out of default. I certainly don't have more time now, but I want to make use of the precious little time I do have. That's why I'm sitting on the floor of my room, in the dark, typing this while Lucy naps right next to me. I want to use the time I have to document the incredible miracles God is working in the life of this family I call my own.<br />
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Three weeks ago, we were holding a beautiful little girl who was a complete stranger to us. She was terrified. And rightly so. Her nanny handed her to me, and then baby girl did not let go for the remainder of the day. Alternating between crying and staring, she hung on to me. Those first hours and days are are something I will never forget. They will serve as a constant reminder of where we have started and how far the Lord has brought us.<br />
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Even today, I watch this silly, smiley girl toddle around my living room, and I am in awe. She loves to laugh and hug her dolls. She loves to snatch books out of my hands. She loves to follow her brother and sister around. And she really loves her dog. The precious child sleeping in my room has covered MILES--literal and figurative--in just three short weeks.<br />
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The Lord Almighty has worked a true miracle right before my eyes. This little girl who sobbed at the sight and sound of her dad three weeks ago, now follows him when he leaves the room. Adam spent our first week in China hiding in the bathroom so that she could play and bond with me without being afraid of him. Now, he is lucky to go to the bathroom alone because she is his constant shadow. God has answered our deepest prayer by softening her heart toward us, and it has been astounding to see.<br />
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Adoption is not rosy. It is not just adorable pictures and airport celebrations. It is a lifetime of small victories and a daily effort to hand parenting over to God. It is a constant, in-your-face reminder of God's unwavering, unfailing, redemptive love. It is an invitation to watch Him do the impossible in your own home.<br />
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Baylor </div>
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<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-86453735855880580452018-06-18T14:23:00.000-05:002018-06-18T14:24:55.441-05:00Back in the CocoonI just can't believe that we leave THIS WEEK to adopt our daughter! We are officially in the chaos portion of getting ready to leave. Packing. Cleaning. Organizing. Last minute Target runs. Hugging Bradley and Asher way too much.<br />
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And as we approach our departure date, I have found myself drafting this post in my mind again and again.<br />
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We are so excited to bring Lucy home, and we cannot wait to begin the next chapter of our life as a family of FIVE. But as excited as we are, it is so critical to remember that our daughter is not having these same feelings.<br />
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We will be strangers to her for quite a while. We will have to EARN her trust and teach her to love us. Part of that involves our family staying behind closed doors for a while. From the moment we pick Lucy up, we need to be the only ones to touch her, hold her, feed, her, change her, bathe her. Pretty much everything.<br />
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This part of adopting is so important. We only have ONE chance to establish ourselves as Lucy's primary and permanent caregivers. We are not just teaching her that we are her parents, we are teaching her what parents actually are.<br />
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This part is so hard. Because you all have been so instrumental in our adoption story, and we WANT you to know her and love her in person. But, for the foreseeable future, we will have to stay in our little cocoon. We have made this plan after countless hours of research, reading and training and after having lived this experience once before. But even so, the reality of it is still so hard!<br />
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Don't worry, we will let you know just as soon as Lucy is ready for hugs from her friends and extended family! We can't wait for that day!<br />
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With love,<br />
Adam and BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-75754988956769247312018-06-13T20:20:00.001-05:002018-06-13T20:20:54.190-05:00On the Cusp June 13, 2015.<br />
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A day that changed my entire life. It was this very day three years ago that I first held my most precious son in my arms. In that moment, I witnessed the promise of the Lord fulfilled in the life of our family. God had asked us to trust Him in the biggest of ways. And when I reached the top of those stairs and saw my son mere feet from me, I knew that the Lord had asked something big of us so that He could give us something bigger in return.<br />
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I held that eleven month old child, still a stranger to him, and prayed that the Lord would bind our hearts together. That He would somehow make my son know, in the depths of his soul, that he is fiercely and deeply loved. I begged God to move.<br />
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And three years later, I look at my my son, my nearly four year old boy, and I see the bravest soul I have ever known. I see someone the Lord loves so fully. I see a child whom I could not possibly love any more. He is the light of my life, a CONSTANT reminder of God's faithfulness.<br />
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And here we are. On the cusp of doing it again. Begging God to move AGAIN. Pleading with Him to give our daughter a supernatural peace during these last days. Days that she does not know are the last of their kind for her. I am praying, throwing myself at God's feet, asking Him to ready her heart for us.<br />
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I remember this feeling so clearly when it was Bradley. My heart: bursting with love for this longed-for child. All the while knowing that he had no clue that we even existed. I find myself in that same place tonight. Loving our daughter deeply and knowing that, when she meets us in a few short days, we will be strangers to her.<br />
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Adoption is so many things. Not the least of which is utterly heartbreaking.<br />
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So will you pray for her tonight? Will you join me in pleading with God for her heart and soul? I am praying that the Lord would, somehow, let her know that we love her and that she is safe with us. I am praying that she sees us as permanent figures and not just another set of rotating caregivers who will be here for awhile and then gone forever.<br />
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I know it can be done. I have seen it in the life of my son. And I am begging the Lord to do the same for my daughter.<br />
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With love,<br />
Baylor<br />
<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-58111307076446415582018-05-20T16:26:00.001-05:002018-05-20T16:26:34.569-05:00He Will Supply Every Need People often ask how this adoption compares to our experience adopting from Ethiopia. The short answer is: It doesn't. At all.<br />
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Bradley's adoption took so long. And, for most of that time, it truly seemed like it would never actually happen. There were delays, shut downs, law changes. It felt like anything that could have conceivably gone wrong did go wrong. The Lord used that time to strengthen and deepen our faith in a way that I still cannot fully wrap my head around. He showed us that He will always be with us, in the trenches, in the impossibilities. He showed us that we had been relying on our own strength and (perceived) righteousness, not His. God took the hardest thing we have ever done and used it to show us His glory.<br />
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Lucy's adoption has swung us the other way. When we started the process early last year, we thought that it would be at least three years before we brought our daughter home. God had much different and far better plans. He brought our daughter to us after only three months of waiting. We were floored (still are!) and so thankful.<br />
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After we gave our best yes and began to take the next steps to bring Lucy home, we realized that we were going to have to trust the Lord to provide in a completely new way. At the time we were matched with Lucy, we still had over two thirds of our adoption costs left to pay for. Adam was already working two jobs, and I am with our kids full time. On paper, there was no way we could earn that much money in such a short amount of time.<br />
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But then we reached out to you, our family and community. We asked you to love our daughter in a very real way by helping us to bring her home.<br />
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And SO MANY of you responded. You gave of your resources to give our daughter a family. We are so humbled by you. Thank you.<br />
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We have also been applying for grants through adoption-focused ministries. And we are thrilled beyond words to share with you that, last week, we were awarded a matching grant from Lifesong for Orphans. This incredible ministry comes alongside adopting families through local churches and offers everything from fundraising support to grants. Their heart's desire is to see children find families. We have been blessed to be one of those families.<br />
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Lifesong for Orphans has offered our family a $4,000 matching grant.<br />
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That means that any funds we can raise, up to $4,000 will be matched. And THAT means we can potentially put $8,000 toward bringing our daughter HOME.<br />
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We are stunned and so deeply thankful. If we can do this, we will be fully and completely funded to bring Lucy home THIS SUMMER.<br />
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One of the most amazing parts about Lifesong is their commitment to partner with local churches, and OUR HOME CHURCH is our partner in this grant. That means that the money matched for our adoption will come from our church's benevolence fund. The global church speaks often of supporting brothers and sisters, of meeting the needs of fellow believers. Our church is doing that in an amazing way. Our faith family is standing beside our family and saying, "Yes. We believe in what God has laid before you, and we want to be a part of it."<br />
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How incredible is that?<br />
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So if you are still reading, and you are feeling led to donate, just follow the directions below.<br />
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Click <a href="https://www.lifesongfororphans.org/give/donate/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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Where it says, "Please direct my donation to," select "Adoption."<br />
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In the FAMILY ACCOUNT NUMBER field, enter: #7733<br />
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In the FAMILY NAME field, enter: Knott Family<br />
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Any donation above $50 is automatically tax deductible. For donations below $50, you can request tax deduction receipts.<br />
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You can also mail a check to:<br />
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Lifesong for Orphans<br />
P.O. Box 40<br />
Gridley. IL 61744<br />
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If you give by check, please include "Knott Family, account #7733" in the memo line.<br />
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We will never be able to thank you enough for helping us bring our daughter home. We know that she is worth it, and it means the world to know that you think so, too.<br />
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"And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."</div>
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Philippians 4:19</div>
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With love,<br />
The Knotts<br />
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<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-31283869235402475602018-05-17T21:16:00.001-05:002018-05-17T21:16:38.469-05:00Her Name We have SO MUCH going on in the adoption world right now. Electronic forms being completed and submitted. Paperwork crisscrossing the planet. I want to step back to breathe for a minute. and in that minute, I want to share our daughter's name with you.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lucy Ruth</span></div>
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It was the spring of 2010 when Adam and I first felt the Lord pull our hearts toward adoption. We were sitting in church listening to our pastor teach on the Book of Ruth. It wasn't even an adoption-focused sermon, but at the same time, Adam and I looked at each other and said that we felt the Lord telling us we would one day adopt a daughter from China. AT THE SAME TIME. We love the story of Ruth, of her faith to follow God when it was hard and her boldness in doing what she knew the Lord was asking of her even when her reputation was on the line.<br />
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So we always knew that Ruth would be a part of our daughter's name.<br />
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Lucy means LIGHT. Years ago, God used His call on our hearts to turn on a light in our lives. He opened our eyes and our hearts to adoption. Our little girl coming home is the Lord fulfilling a years old promise. She is the reason we started down this path. It is also our deepest prayer that she would come to know Jesus early and be a light for Him and His kingdom here on earth.<br />
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So now we are praying. We are praying that our Lucy Ruth comes home as soon as possible. We are praying that the Lord would continue to guard and protect her in the meantime. We are praying that He would claim her heart early and never let it go.<br />
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With love,<br />
BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-60628846949009938652018-04-24T16:54:00.000-05:002018-04-24T16:55:02.555-05:00Isn't It Interesting I never get tired of God showing up. Never.<br />
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On Sunday night, hundreds of you joined us in prayer for our daughter's adoption case. You prayed that she would feel loved. You prayed that her caregivers would have extra strength. And you prayed that we would get the necessary document to move our case forward this week.<br />
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Well, I got a call from the director of our agency's China program this morning letting me know that the in-country staff says we should have everything we need by the end of THIS WEEK.<br />
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You GUYS! Thank you for begging God alongside us.<br />
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I want to say that I cannot believe it, but I totally can.<br />
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As soon as I got off the phone with her, I called Adam to tell him the news and he said, "Isn't it interesting how as soon as we share what our prayer needs are, God moves?"<br />
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Yeah, it is interesting. It reminds me that God WANTS us to ask great big things of Him. He wants us to come running to Him. Over and over again in my life--especially since we began our first adoption process--I have seen God wait. I've seen Him wait until we reach out to the world and ask you to join us in prayer to do something HUGE.<br />
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And I might wonder why, but I think I know. When we ask Him to move in God-sized ways, and when we do it in front of people, He alone gets the glory for moving the mountain. I can't claim victory over this paperwork glitch. HE CAN. And He can claim that victory in front of everyone who joined us in prayer or even just read about what was going on this past Sunday night at 8:30.<br />
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That is how we are called to live our lives, dear friends. We have to throw the spotlight back on God. That is where it belongs. Our victories are due to His hands moving.<br />
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And we are so thankful to have the opportunity to see God toss mountain after mountain into the sea for the good of our family and the glory of His great and powerful name.<br />
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So we don't have the paper in hand, but we should get it this week. Please keep praying with us.<br />
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With love,<br />
BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-23967202111206809992018-04-22T12:59:00.000-05:002018-04-22T15:36:43.855-05:00Will You Pray With Us? Well, I suppose it would not be an international adoption without a bump or two along the way. Sadly, we have hit a big one. Ten days ago, we received a letter in the mail from our immigration officer. It is the letter you do NOT want to get. It's called a Request For Evidence (RFE). Basically, it means that the immigration officer assigned to our family's case thinks something in our family's file is lacking and he has, therefore, requested further evidence before granting permission for our daughter to enter the country as a U.S. citizen.<br />
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At it's core, an RFE is a good thing because it is the United States doing its due diligence to ensure that children being placed for adoption do, in fact, need to be adopted. We fully support that. What is frustrating for us is that we feel like what immigration is asking for should have already been in our daughter's file. A clerical error, more or less...at least that is what we are hoping. I'm not going to go into any more detail as to what our officer is looking for, as that information is part of our daughter's story and not ours to share. But suffice it say that we are STUCK and a little nervous. Our case cannot move forward until our officer receives what he is asking for, and what he is asking for is a critically important piece of documentation.<br />
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An RFE is a HUGE setback because there is no definite time frame as to when it will be resolved. We were really hoping to get the documentation we need to move forward some time last week, but that did not happen.<br />
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So we are, once again, turning to you. We are asking you to pray with our family to help bring our daughter home. Each day our case is delayed is another day our daughter spends without a family. And that reality breaks our hearts.<br />
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Tonight at 8:30 CST we will be praying for the following things:<br />
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-That our daughter would feel safe and loved every single day<br />
-That her caregivers would have extra energy and patience as they go about their work<br />
-That we would receive the necessary documentation THIS WEEK in order to move our case forward<br />
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These are ENORMOUS prayers. Each one will take a miracle. I mean that. And I am certain it is no coincidence that our church's sermon this morning was all about connecting with God through prayer, how He knows what we need before we ask, how He is able to do all things. And the part that stuck with me the most: when we pray according to His will, it will be done. God's heart is to set the lonely in families, to be a Father to the fatherless. Scripture shouts these truths.<br />
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So will you pray with us? Will you pray and ask the Lord to move these mountains? If you can commit to joining us tonight, will you leave a comment below, or on Facebook or Instagram? We love to see how the Lord moves when we come together before Him.<br />
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Love,<br />
BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-60510793910484643572018-04-02T17:56:00.000-05:002018-04-02T17:56:13.283-05:00Wow. Just WOW. Yesterday marked one whole month since we saw our girl's face for the very first time. It's been one whole month of being absolutely blown away by God's favor and faithfulness in the life of our family, one whole month of totally readjusting our plans, one whole month of trying to get our heads around the reality that we have a daughter who will be coming home this summer.<br />
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Referral day left us stunned, marveling at God's goodness and wondering how on earth we would be able to pull this off. And that is where we went wrong. WE are not going to pull this off. God is. A referral this soon is so beyond our capability to manage, and that reality is leading us to trust in our mighty God in a whole new way.<br />
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About a week after being matched, we came to you--our community-- with a need. A BIG one. We thought we had at least a year to get everything we needed saved in order to complete this adoption. God turned that timeline on its head, and we were left to trust Him to provide for us to bring our girl home. And He led us to you. We did something so completely out of our comfort zone, something I had promised myself I would never do. We asked you to prayerfully consider supporting us by donating directly to our adoption. My stomach was in knots when I published that post.<br />
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But then God use YOU to absolutely blow us away. In the last three weeks, YOU have donated nearly $9,000 to help us bring our daughter home.<br />
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I am speechless.<br />
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You are giving our family the most incredible gift there is. You are allowing us to become parents to this precious girl. You are using your resources, your hard earned resources, to say that you believe children deserve families. You are telling us that you love our daughter, that she matters to YOU, that her life is important and that she deserves a mom, a dad, a brother and a sister (a dog, too).<br />
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You are part of our story, of her story. And we will never be able to thank you enough. But I'll say it anyway: Thank you for loving our family. Thank you for believing in us and walking with us. Thank you for loving our daughter, for helping us get to her. Thank you for responding when God spoke to your heart. Thank you for being our village. Thank you.<br />
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Click <a href="https://www.youcaring.com/adambaylorbradleyasherandlucyknott-1119821" target="_blank">HERE</a> to see what you have done!<br />
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We love each of you so dearly.<br />
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BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-90056638748667581542018-03-14T20:32:00.001-05:002018-03-14T20:32:46.419-05:00LOA! We are so, so excited to share that we have received our Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from China! What does that mean? It means that we have been officially accepted by the government as Lucy's prospective adoptive parents. This is an ENORMOUS milestone for our family! <div>
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So what now? </div>
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Now we fill out another heap of forms to get the different approvals required. Yaaaaay paperwork! </div>
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And, of course, the big question: When do we leave? Well, today our social worker said to expect travel in 2.5-3 months. So it looks like it will for sure be early summer when our family officially grows by one more precious soul. </div>
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Adam and I are just stunned. This is all happening so quickly. And it is INSANE to type that about adding children to our family. We are thankful to the core to our great and glorious God for His provision in our family. And we are thankful for you, too. So many of you have encouraged and supported us along the way. You have prayed for us, spoken truth to us, cried with us, rejoiced with us, and reminded us of God's unwavering faithfulness. Thank you. </div>
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Many of you have asked how you can help over the coming months. Here are some things we have going on: </div>
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1. Prayer. We so desperately need your prayer. Please pray for our daughter, that she stays healthy, that she stays safe, that she feels love every single day, that God gives her peace and prepares her heart to join our family. Please pray for Bradley and Asher, that the Lord would prepare their hearts for this great big change, that they would continue to know how deeply we love and cherish them both. Please pray for us, that we would rest in God's peace during the next few months, that God would renew our strength for the first few months home. </div>
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2. Yard Sale: If you are local to the Birmingham area, we are having a yard sale on April 14. If you have items you are looking to get rid of, we will take them off your hands! We are accepting any and all donations, so send us your junk! </div>
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3. Donations: We shared last week that we are breaking into new territory with this adoption and doing something that is so uncomfortable for us: asking our community to prayerfully consider donating toward our adoption. And you all have been so amazing. In just a few short days, you have donated 10% of our remaining adoption costs. WOW! If you are interested in supporting us in this way, you can click <a href="https://www.youcaring.com/adambaylorbradleyasherandlucyknott-1119821" target="_blank">HERE</a> to be taken to our fundraising page. </div>
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Today, we are celebrating being one step closer to our precious girl! </div>
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With love, </div>
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Baylor </div>
Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-82577178055992371182018-03-09T15:21:00.003-06:002018-03-09T15:25:14.457-06:00Trusting God in a New Way Now that the adrenaline rush of last week's<a href="https://heritagefromthelord.blogspot.com/2018/03/a-mountain-thrown-into-sea-seeing-her.html" target="_blank"> biggest surprise ever </a>is starting to subside, I am finding myself feeling wholly and completely overwhelmed by God's grace and favor in life of our family. I absolutely cannot believe that this is our life. I was telling Adam last week that feel as though our life as a family has come full circle. When we originally felt the Lord leading us to adoption in 2010, He drew our hearts to China. We weren't old enough yet to meet the requirements, but we knew that adoption, especially adoption from China, was going to be a part of the Knott family story one day.<br />
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As years progressed and we fought to bring Bradley home, the Lord was continually asking us to trust Him, to believe in His holy sovereignty. He was asking us to walk by faith and not by sight. And it was so hard, because the things we could see terrified us, made us believe that our vision for our family was simply impossible. There were days, even months, when it looked like we would not be able to adopt from Ethiopia. And then, <a href="http://heritagefromthelord.blogspot.com/2014/11/his-face-our-referral.html" target="_blank">with one phone call</a>, our lives were forever changed. We saw God's faithfulness revealed in the face of our son. The Lord showed us, through Bradley's adoption, that He can be trusted in every circumstance, that we can throw our lives at His feet and KNOW that He is good.<br />
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<a href="http://heritagefromthelord.blogspot.com/2015/09/and-then-god-did-this.html" target="_blank">And then there was sweet Asher</a>, the surprise we never saw coming. When we were told that biological children would not be part of our life we mourned deeply. We grieved the loss of what we though our family would be: a beautiful reflection of what we imagine the family of God to be like. Over the years, the Lord was again asking us to trust Him. And it was so hard. But slowly, He broke us down and then rebuilt us, teaching us all along the way that He is worthy of our love, our loyalty and our trust. So when we found out about our first daughter, we were reminded again of God's faithfulness, of His goodness, of His perfect timing.<br />
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And now we face something completely foreign to us: an adoption that is moving at lightning speed. When my phone rang last week and Maggie told me that we had a daughter on the other side of the world, my soul fell silent except to say, "Thank you, Lord." I know that only He could have done this. Adding children to our family has always been so difficult, so fraught with obstacles, so seemingly impossible. And in that one moment, the Lord, in His infinite goodness, redeemed years of grief and hardship. It is as if He is extending His hand of grace directly to us and merely asking that we take it.<br />
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And we are so honored to do it, to add another life to love to our family. She is already so dear to us, and we are so ready to have her home. But here is the tricky part about an adoption that moves faster than you expect: We are now in the position of having to trust God in a new way. We are having to trust God to provide financially in a very short amount of time. Prior to last week, we thought that we would be matched this time next year. So we have been diligently saving and planning fundraisers (t-shirts, yard sales, etc.). And it looked like we might be OK just doing that.<br />
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But now things have drastically changed. We are planning on traveling to bring Baby Knott #3 home in June. That means we have about three months to finance our remaining adoption costs, which, at this point, are substantial. After much discussion and a lot of prayer, we are going to do something that I swore to myself I would never, EVER do. We are going to turn to you, our community, and ask that you prayerfully consider helping us bring our daughter home by donating toward our adoption.<br />
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I don't like asking for help. I actually pretty much hate it. But I love my daughter more, and I know that there is no way we can get to her and bring her home in this short amount of time on our own. We have applied for grants, and we are still planning yard sales. We are still saving as much as we can, but we need help. We have set up a YouCaring link that you can donate to, if you feel so led. PLEASE do not feel obligated in ANY way. We know this is asking a lot, and, believe me, we feel plenty awkward doing it, but we are trying to step out in faith and believe that the Lord will provide a way for us to bring her home. I have included the link below.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youcaring.com/adambaylorbradleyasherandlucyknott-1119821" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a><br />
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I could never say it enough, but thank you. Thank you for loving our family. So many of you prayed right alongside us to bring Bradley home. And then you prayed Asher safely here. And then you prayed for this adoption. Our family would not be where we are without you, and we want you to know that we know that. You have been the hands and feet of Jesus in our life.<br />
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With deep love,<br />
Adam, Baylor, Bradley, Asher and Lucy<br />
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<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-90181486064788687552018-03-05T14:46:00.003-06:002018-03-05T14:49:12.405-06:00A Mountain Thrown Into The Sea: Seeing Her Face So on Thursday morning, I was sitting in my car in our church parking lot about to go in and teach an ESL class on the proper use of the present continuous tense. As I was trying to eat my granola bar and finish my coffee, my phone rang. It was Maggie, our social worker. I immediately thought, "Which form did I forget to sign?" Our papers have only been in China since the end of November, so I knew nothing had expired, and I was planning on a 12-18 month wait for a referral.<br />
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I answered, and she responded with a very happy sounding, "Hey, Baylor, How are you?"<br />
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My heart immediately dropped into my shoes. There is only one reason an adoption social worker uses that hopeful, upbeat tone of voice.<br />
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YOU GUYS. WE HAVE BEEN MATCHED WITH OUR DAUGHTER.<br />
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I had no eloquent words for Maggie. No gracious response. I was stunned into near silence.<br />
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Somehow, I managed to listen as she told me a little bit about our precious girl and that she would email us her file and picture. I feel like I am usually pretty well-spoken, but I could barely get out complete sentences. At some point, I told her I needed to talk to Adam and that I would call her back.<br />
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I ran upstairs and told our ministry leader that I could not, in fact, give a lesson on the present continuous tense today but that my lesson plan was in her inbox. She graciously understood and I raced off to Adam's clinic.<br />
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On the way, I called him and called him and called him. No answer. So I did what I only do in emergencies. I voice paged him. He, of course, thought something was wrong, but I told him to just call me back right away.<br />
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He did, and I got to break the very best kind of news to him. We have a referral! He was just as shocked as I was.<br />
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A few moments later, in a supply closet at his clinic, we saw her face for the very first time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGH1jFxyvOupE15uzUVE3VrDn3F5pkLHz5kA8A1KXSVBIkE8QoiMNoaPGq2QDy6plfr-ZleNApGQQnySDdTe5UQqZTtFr6D1aScNf6QO0c4U_S6DNq_G_ohav6_6BljEOVtr3BAoXhnIs4/s1600/IMG_0440.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGH1jFxyvOupE15uzUVE3VrDn3F5pkLHz5kA8A1KXSVBIkE8QoiMNoaPGq2QDy6plfr-ZleNApGQQnySDdTe5UQqZTtFr6D1aScNf6QO0c4U_S6DNq_G_ohav6_6BljEOVtr3BAoXhnIs4/s320/IMG_0440.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>
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These are screen grabs from a video, so pardon the blurriness. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_uBgayx9UgL_ceXSmj34s1tUCU_zflP92m3K56Vr8iUSKXQAvXtxZpT6ggqVxWgvX3OYM58mTDfjhkYwQ1Pop6agdwCam3oZ-PmnBWmE0tumfdW_VF3Na5np6SSmG_fNfeWYYzVAkWGN/s1600/IMG_0407.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_uBgayx9UgL_ceXSmj34s1tUCU_zflP92m3K56Vr8iUSKXQAvXtxZpT6ggqVxWgvX3OYM58mTDfjhkYwQ1Pop6agdwCam3oZ-PmnBWmE0tumfdW_VF3Na5np6SSmG_fNfeWYYzVAkWGN/s320/IMG_0407.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>
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But I think the sentiment in clear. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MECse_Bw3oBcNe6v9ymjwKpvCMwC_IKhB8Qy2a1ehpxgKgRVJgPfJsmMImeFobm4qso_zAdUZc_p-QBIYdlHg1J7m6QQb913Erlj7lwzZytKrKnCs_8m8MaYjM_UHBarbMJ5BXAVul0D/s1600/IMG_0403.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MECse_Bw3oBcNe6v9ymjwKpvCMwC_IKhB8Qy2a1ehpxgKgRVJgPfJsmMImeFobm4qso_zAdUZc_p-QBIYdlHg1J7m6QQb913Erlj7lwzZytKrKnCs_8m8MaYjM_UHBarbMJ5BXAVul0D/s320/IMG_0403.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>
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We are in love. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjfDoXKGv-9xCfcg1IZew4rED-20u_4Dx9aM_UhCLL4vHdFKOVJf4nTLolFKJ61e6XOaHm1jDn7kiq2h4WHFpjkJvNGHtAZ5ODGjy53AzYxGSn0OXYr7mN3GK0Ktm1LyUSflfITeugsaO/s1600/IMG_0405.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjfDoXKGv-9xCfcg1IZew4rED-20u_4Dx9aM_UhCLL4vHdFKOVJf4nTLolFKJ61e6XOaHm1jDn7kiq2h4WHFpjkJvNGHtAZ5ODGjy53AzYxGSn0OXYr7mN3GK0Ktm1LyUSflfITeugsaO/s320/IMG_0405.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>
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And also in shock! </div>
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And later that afternoon, we got to do the most AMAZING thing. We got show Bradley and Asher their new little sister for the very first time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OOkDf2p9MiB_GtCKh8vwhPj-NczOcvLNyXNOrPmJBc2vVFzGS58vcCHGb3KQuZ9BnB5PD3LpVT-jPtklFe5Z2Lbz1i3-9oW2hFL4TzICVjZXOnrgySab4oYFldzYO8gxMKcZPkXoYJyF/s1600/IMG_0443.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OOkDf2p9MiB_GtCKh8vwhPj-NczOcvLNyXNOrPmJBc2vVFzGS58vcCHGb3KQuZ9BnB5PD3LpVT-jPtklFe5Z2Lbz1i3-9oW2hFL4TzICVjZXOnrgySab4oYFldzYO8gxMKcZPkXoYJyF/s320/IMG_0443.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>
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Bradley's first words? </div>
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"We go get her now?" </div>
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My feelings, exactly. </div>
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Asher's first words to her new sister? </div>
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"Hi!" </div>
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Oh, dear friends, we are awed and humbled by God's abundant grace and favor in our family. With our first adoption, it seemed like we ran into every single brick wall that existed, like we would never get to Bradley. And then with Asher, well, we just didn't even think she was in the realm of possibility for us. And now, to see the Lord extend His hand of mercy to us in this powerful, tangible, real-life way....well, we are speechless expect to say, "Thank you, Lord." </div>
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So it looks like we are going to travel to China early this summer to bring our girl home. That's in <span style="font-family: inherit;">like three months. GULP. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">More is coming soon on what the next few months hold in store, but for now, we just ask you to join us in thanking our great and powerful God for working a MIRACLE for our family's good and His glory! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">but believes that what they say will happen, </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">it will be done for them."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mark 11:23</span></span></div>
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With love, </div>
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Baylor </div>
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Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-66685316746666715012018-01-01T21:45:00.000-06:002018-01-01T21:45:01.031-06:00Resolution State of Mind It's the first day a brand new year, and I've got resolutions on my mind. But leading up to today I had something else on my mind. What did I feel like I was missing in 2017? Where did I miss out? I found my answer in, of all things, a Christmas carol.<br />
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"O, come let us adore Him, </div>
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O, come let us adore Him, </div>
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O. come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord." </div>
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When I look back at 2017, I feel like I missed out on so many opportunities to adore my Savior, to give Him the honor and glory He so rightly deserves. I'm so tempted ALL THE TIME to rely on myself and try to do things on my own. And as a Christ follower, I simply cannot do that. I have to recognize my complete and utter dependency on Jesus.<br />
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So as I sit here tonight with resolutions on my mind, the one that jumps to the front is to make 2018 the year that I shift my gaze to Jesus. I want to see everything in my life through the lens of Jesus Christ. I want to be a wife whose devotion to her husband honors the Lord. I want to be a mother who raises her children to seek God first. I want to be a friend who bears the burdens of those she loves, who points them back to Christ when they are tempted to walk away.<br />
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So how on earth am I going to do this? NOT BY MYSELF. I know that it will be Jesus alone who changes the posture of my heart and my life. But I also know that I have to do the work, too. So I am trying to start the year off by being more focused, more intentional with my time. I am trying to manage my time in a way that honors God. Literally writing every single thing I plan to do that day on a calendar to make sure I have account of what I am doing.<br />
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It is my prayer that God will reveal Himself to me in brand new ways this year, that He will show me aspects of His character I have not yet seen and that He will further amaze me with His profound love and abiding grace.<br />
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Happy New Year to you!<br />
Baylor </div>
Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-9079746358499040392017-11-28T14:12:00.000-06:002017-11-28T14:15:23.380-06:00Time to WaitI got a call from our social worker this morning.........<br />
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WE ARE OFFICIALLY LOGGED IN!<br />
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Our dossier has been processed and registered. We are now a logged in family, which means that the clock has started on our time as a WAITING family.<br />
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This is a MASSIVE milestone for us, and we are so, so excited! Baby girl, we are waiting for you and praying for you every single day.<br />
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AND this happened on Giving Tuesday, the one shopping day a year set aside for us to give spend our resources on causes that matter to us. So we are going to ask you again to consider joining with us on this journey by purchasing one of our mountain moving adoption shirts. These will make fabulous Christmas gifts for the ones you love, and each shirt gets us closer to our girl.<br />
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You guys have already ordered FIFTY! Y'all are incredible.<br />
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We are only selling shirts through THIS FRIDAY. Time is running out!<br />
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Click <a href="http://www.theknottsadopt.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to shop, shop, shop!<br />
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With love,<br />
BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-88499445720925545392017-11-23T21:26:00.001-06:002017-11-23T21:26:47.216-06:00Where Going Morning? There is a question that I get asked by my three year old several times each day:<br />
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"Where going morning?"<br />
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It's his way of asking what we are doing next, and he hits me with this question as soon as we finish ANY activity. He always wants to know what the next fun thing is. I'm a planner myself, so the question itself doesn't bug me. But the frequency. Oh, the frequency.<br />
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There is a part of me that wants to say, "Can't we just appreciate the thing we just did? Can't we just bask in the fun we just had?"<br />
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And that got me thinking.<br />
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Do I do the same thing to God?<br />
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He provides in some miraculous way, and I look up at the throne and impatiently ask, "What's next?"<br />
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Does He shake His head at my demands? Does He get tired of my selfishness?<br />
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A few weeks ago, our pastor taught on contentment. The sermon was focused on greed and the accumulation of wealth. That kind of greed isn't a major temptation for me, but CONTENTMENT. Oh, now that is something I struggle with. I am always on the lookout for the next experience, the next adventure. <br />
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I struggle with THANKFULNESS.<br />
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I struggle to look at what the Lord has done and bask in the graciousness of my Heavenly Father. Instead, I look ahead, wondering what's next. Sometimes, in my pursuit of relevance or life experience, I pass over all that the Lord has done. It's wretched of me. This God I serve has FAR surpassed any and all expectations I may have had for my life. And He has done so out of His deep, abiding love for me. He is a Father who LONGS to give good things to His children. AND HE IS GOD. The sovereign Lord over all creation knows and loves me. And you.<br />
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We need to be more thankful. I need to be more thankful. I need to show that thankfulness to the world. Because every single good thing I have ever had has come directly from this great God I serve.<br />
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And so my three year old convicted me this week. <br />
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The Lord used my sweet son to remind me that HE alone is enough. He is the Great Provider, and I need to give Him thanks. <br />
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With love,<br />
Baylor<br />
<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-48961358621816518282017-11-17T19:48:00.003-06:002017-11-17T19:48:50.039-06:00Three Little Words YOU GUYS! YOU GUYS! YOU GUYS!<br />
<br />
I talked to our social worker today and she said the three little words I have been longing to hear for MONTHS:<br />
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DOSSIER TO CHINA!<br />
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Our family is DTC (dossier to China) as of TODAY! I could sob.<br />
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We have been working toward this for almost this entire year. Right now--RIGHT NOW--our papers are flying overseas, and once they are registered, we are officially waiting to be matched with our daughter.<br />
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OHMYSTARS.<br />
<br />
We are so excited and so very humbled to see what the Lord has in store for this family in the coming months. Thank you so much for you love and prayer and support. We could not, COULD NOT, do this without you.<br />
<br />
With love,<br />
Baylor<br />
<br />
**And we are still selling our new t-shirt designs. Click <a href="http://www.theknottsadopt.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to check them out and place an order. As of right now, we have sold 24 shirts, and our great big goal is 150. Shirts will ship in time for Christmas!Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-83345509462264012092017-11-14T15:50:00.001-06:002017-11-14T20:18:30.227-06:00Mountain Mover If you have been with us any amount of time, then you know that we have seen the Lord move MOUNTAINS for our family. Big, giant, huge mountains. Mountains that scared us, challenged us, humbled us. But each of these mountains have one thing in common: God has used them all to WOW us, to remind us of His sovereign power and endless grace.<br />
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And we have seen Him do the same this year as we have started down the road of international adoption again. Already, we find ourselves humbled by the work the Lord is doing in our family, for the chance to glorify His great name and point people to Him.<br />
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We are now at a critical point in our journey to bring our daughter home. All of our FINAL paperwork has been received by our adoption agency. It feels insane to even type that. Our social worker is reviewing everything this week, and early next week, our papers will fly to China, and we will officially be a waiting family.<br />
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I can't believe we are here again. Standing on the edge of something so huge. We're honored that the Lord has asked us to do this again, and we cannot wait to see what He has in store for our family. We know that whatever it is, God will continue to move mountains.<br />
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And as we prepare to enter this next phase, we are trying to think and plan ahead, to get ready for whatever might happen. So we are asking our family, faith family and community to partner with us once again, to join with us as we seek to follow this mountain moving God.<br />
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We are selling a BRAND NEW, mountain moving t-shirt design during the weeks leading into the holiday season. Check it out!<br />
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Tank top in Heather Deep Teal</div>
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Tank top in Maroon </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5SaaRPMNc6zyNYZpeByLqR4hkdHd8hyUujqMBY1vxCGU6RCYeSa7OlCQ77L4AVRzUVCLYNu8zuizK6T3FRCi3NjTito99_DubM7Hjjxqtjn4Z4wnORIQ4O2ytlmWI5JQTJnHP8KpVCsH/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25287%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje5SaaRPMNc6zyNYZpeByLqR4hkdHd8hyUujqMBY1vxCGU6RCYeSa7OlCQ77L4AVRzUVCLYNu8zuizK6T3FRCi3NjTito99_DubM7Hjjxqtjn4Z4wnORIQ4O2ytlmWI5JQTJnHP8KpVCsH/s320/FullSizeRender+%25287%2529.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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Baseball tee in Grey and Emerald </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEddG8G7lDkZS-C6VCHwYtQZNi-F2x7r-s2tvv8Pue2SdbVbC5-00MrHeq1JjH5ssovsLV27wIk28pGi3f032YH2e2fUOyunJ4eLDzzauZTopddW6O6eONvPkSvoedzDrFOsJc18IuX6QO/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25288%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="749" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEddG8G7lDkZS-C6VCHwYtQZNi-F2x7r-s2tvv8Pue2SdbVbC5-00MrHeq1JjH5ssovsLV27wIk28pGi3f032YH2e2fUOyunJ4eLDzzauZTopddW6O6eONvPkSvoedzDrFOsJc18IuX6QO/s320/FullSizeRender+%25288%2529.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
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Long sleeve tee in Dark Grey Heather </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKxSMvgzfsoj8t82dh0Xy8qjkLL1HonxUfIGwXQinh_vatIUsIeKKNAb6DwBZyON23zqRHeUyLPf_fa-rqlPiFMO393khU2DAB1vVx1N3-AsqVgM9q1K5sF9qaseur4nKkjcCfgOu1pi1/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKxSMvgzfsoj8t82dh0Xy8qjkLL1HonxUfIGwXQinh_vatIUsIeKKNAb6DwBZyON23zqRHeUyLPf_fa-rqlPiFMO393khU2DAB1vVx1N3-AsqVgM9q1K5sF9qaseur4nKkjcCfgOu1pi1/s320/FullSizeRender+%25289%2529.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
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Long sleeve tee in Forest Heather </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDgJ5nH0me4bMqAiBa_wXuo-TMePGoDiIR5xe8AicWrMCRHJRh6MOu8TFdKhVmkRfhcwIaDw6WPIYkKoc7dCQj-uWgE7JTNImp7BvCgLAAw2ZG-kIVTlvfQlir31gE9ViV2iQ5mePylsI/s1600/FullSizeRender+%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDgJ5nH0me4bMqAiBa_wXuo-TMePGoDiIR5xe8AicWrMCRHJRh6MOu8TFdKhVmkRfhcwIaDw6WPIYkKoc7dCQj-uWgE7JTNImp7BvCgLAAw2ZG-kIVTlvfQlir31gE9ViV2iQ5mePylsI/s320/FullSizeRender+%252810%2529.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Crew neck tee in Heather Clay </div>
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Crew neck tee in Black </div>
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Each shirt will come with a beautiful, printed thank you note from our family, making them the perfect Christmas gift for everyone on your list this year. The shirts will be $25-$27(includes shipping) and are available in sizes small through XXL.<br />
<br />
Our goal is to sell 150 shirts by December 1. Will you be a mountain mover and partner with us to help bring Baby Knott #3 home for good?<br />
<br />
And we promise they will be delivered in time for Christmas.<br />
<br />
Click the link below to shop away!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theknottsadopt.bigcartel.com/">www.theknottsadopt.bigcartel.com</a><br />
<br />
With love,<br />
Baylor<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-79610481654593724322017-10-31T20:49:00.000-05:002017-10-31T20:53:28.576-05:00So That God Gets the GloryIt's so funny. When I look back at our journeys to Bradley and Asher, there are so many SPECIFIC instances I can point to that so clearly demonstrate God's sovereignty, His goodness, His love for us, His desire for His own name to be glorified. During those seemingly impossible years, Adam and I saw the Lord move in ways that are still beyond our comprehension. By God's grace alone, we found favor in the eyes of our government and the government of Ethiopia to proceed with an international adoption. With no experience as parents, we were somehow deemed suitable. As we walked what seemed to be an endless road toward parenthood, we watched God change our hearts, our marriage and, most importantly, our view of Him.<br />
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God glorified Himself in a breathtaking way as He slowly wound us toward our children. He used the platform of our family, our pain, our struggle and our redemption unto Him in order to bring glory to Himself alone. By compelling us to share our story as it was being written, He elevated His Name, allowing those walking the road with us to see what He alone is capable of achieving.<br />
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So why am I even a little bit surprised that He is doing the same EXACT thing this time around as we run toward our daughter in China? Don't know what I'm talking about? Allow me to explain.<br />
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We have been finished with our homestudy for awhile now. Which means we have been waiting on our immigration approval before we can send everything over to China and become a family waiting to be matched. More or less, our case has been in the hands of the U.S. government, and I have become a mailbox stalker, checking each and every day to see if our approval letter has come.<br />
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For a host of reasons, I have not been able to document this adoption process as thoroughly as I did the first. Something about a three year old and a one year old living in our house. But on Friday, I did share via Facebook a post that I had written four years ago that day. It talked about focusing on Christ instead of all the hardship and impossibility raging around us. At that time, I was thinking a lot about Peter walking on the water, doing the impossible only because Christ was enabling him to do it. So I shared that post again on Friday and asked our community to please pray that our clearance letter would come by the end of the following week.<br />
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Not two hours later, I received an email from immigration telling me that our case had been approved and that we could expect our clearance to arrive within 3-5 business days. EXACTLY THE TIME FRAME I HAD ASKED OUR FRIENDS TO PRAY FOR. I couldn't believe it (though I don't know why; the Lord has already moved mountains for us in this process). The thing I had been begging for for WEEKS. We share it publicly and get response in a matter of hours.<br />
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And I have a theory about that. God wanted to give Himself the glory. Might it have happened this way regardless? Sure. But I know for certain that when the Lord moves, He does so for our good and for His own glory. And I believe wholeheartedly that our sharing this request with our community provided an opportunity for God's sovereignty, goodness, faithfulness, everythingness to be on full display for more than just our family.<br />
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BUT THAT'S NOT ALL.<br />
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Yesterday morning, I got a phone call from our case worker. Somehow, she already had her copy of our clearance IN HER HAND. I thought it would be Friday at least before she had it. But then GOD. He is sovereign over the postal service! So our last document was sent for translation today!<br />
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And isn't that just like our Heavenly Father? We ask for something that feels impossible to us, and God not only does it, but then does something we wouldn't have even thought to ask for because it's actually beyond the realm of human possibility. He is bigger than we are!<br />
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So I tell you all this to keep you updated on our progress toward Baby Knott #3. But even more, I tell you this to remind us all of Whom we serve. He is a great and powerful God, and His Name deserves to be exalted high. So when God is doing something incredible in your life, SHARE IT. Not to turn the spotlight on yourself, but to shine it brightly on the Lord Almighty, to give Him the glory and honor that are rightly His.<br />
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With love,<br />
Baylor<br />
<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-80139526655581828092017-08-17T13:59:00.000-05:002017-08-17T13:59:08.227-05:00We Must Take Sides I have felt compelled to write something--anything--in the days since Charlottesville. But every time I have sat down in front of this computer, I have been unable to order my thoughts in any coherent way. Anger, frustration, sadness, helplessness, despair, rage, fear are all warring with each other. And so I was tempted to just walk away, to let other (far wiser) voices ring out. But there is a deep part of me that knows that the absence of my voice would speak volumes.<br />
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The absence of my voice might project that this horrifying display of the wretchedness of human sin was simply not enough to move me to action. The absence of my voice--a white, female, middle class voice--might scream that since these events did not directly impact me that I am excused from acknowledging them, much less dealing with them. The absence of my voice would, in all reality, be my giving consent to allow things like this to continue.<br />
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And that I cannot do. I cannot give consent, even tacitly. I cannot ignore. I cannot accept. I cannot pretend that people like this do not live in my neighborhood, go to my church, play on my playgrounds and shop in my grocery stores. I cannot.<br />
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But what I can do is add my own voice to the chorus of those standing against racism. Because that is what this is. It is racism. Pure. Simple.<br />
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It is a group of people so entrenched in their own pride and selfishness, so accustomed to their own superiority, so insistent that they alone should reign supreme, so consumed with hatred that they are willing to incite violence, to bring harm, to hurt, maim and even kill all who stand against them.<br />
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When I allow myself to sit and truly sink into thinking about all that Charlottesville represents, I feel like I am drowning. And so I cannot even begin to fathom what my brothers and sisters of color must be thinking and feeling. What my own son would be thinking and feeling if he was fifteen instead of three.<br />
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It is time for us white people to do better. Our fellow human beings, fellow image bearers of the Most High God are being attacked because of the color of their skin, a color that same God designed. It is not enough for us to shake our heads and say, "How awful." It is not enough for us to make jokes aimed at white supremacists. It is not enough to change our profile pictures on Facebook and quote Dr. King.<br />
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We have to start looking at people the way Jesus looks at us. With love and compassion. With arms open wide. We have to start living the way God commands us to in His Word. What if the white Christian church did that? What would change? Everything would. God's banner over us is love. Let that be what identifies us to the world. Not this racial elitism that threatens to destroy anything in its way.<br />
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Let us live like we believe that Jesus died and rose again for all mankind, not just those who look like we do. Let us live in such a way that our children learn to love the way Jesus did, recklessly. And when our leaders fail to call out racism, let us be bold enough to step into the gap and speak the truth in their stead.<br />
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I'll finish with a quote from a hero of mine, Elie Wiesel. Elie Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor. He lived through deportation to Auschwitz and was eventually liberated from Buchenwald. I had the privilege of teaching his beautiful memoir Night for all of my eight years in the classroom. At the end of the text, his publishers included his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. It is incredibly compelling, and I always made sure my classes took time to read it and discuss its importance.<br />
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The words I have included below shake me every time I read them. There is so much truth here. Truth and a call to action. A call to respond.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever wherever </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">human beings endure suffering and humiliation. </span></i></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">We must take sides. </span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. </span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. </span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sometimes we must interfere. </span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. </span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must — at that moment — become the center of the universe.</span></i></div>
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May we have the courage to interfere.<br />
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With love,<br />
Baylor<br />
<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-18457267099816003702017-08-10T13:52:00.002-05:002017-08-10T13:52:41.743-05:00Progress! A huge weight lifted on my shoulders to when I DROPPED OFF OUR I800A! Yes! You might be wondering what that means. Well, it means a few things. First, it means that we are being able to move forward with our adoption process. This is a BIG praise to the Lord Almighty. Secondly, it means that we are FINISHED with our home study. A to the MEN. And lastly, it means we are awaiting our pre-approval to bring our daughter home. Once we receive this approval, we will be able to send our dossier to China and at that point, we will officially be a waiting family.<br />
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So travel to China is still a loooooong way off, but we are at a huge milestone, and it feels good to celebrate a sense of true progress.<br />
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When Adam and I sit and talk about adding another daughter to our family, we are overcome with a sense of nervousness but also a deep sense of rightness. We know that this is what the Lord has for our family.<br />
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So today we are excited to be another step closer, and we are still praying for this sweet girl who will one day join our family.<br />
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With love,<br />
BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-25287973857619239402017-07-13T15:55:00.000-05:002017-07-13T15:55:00.459-05:00A Change in the Requirements We've been sitting on some news since last week. Don't get excited.<br />
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If you know our family's story, then you know that international adoption can be fraught with uncertainty. The peaks and valleys that inevitably accompany trying to work with two sovereign nations on two different continents on opposite sides of the globe can leave us feeling quite dizzy at times. Add to that the emotional toll that IS adoption, and it is easy to feel utterly and completely overwhelmed.<br />
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While we were in process to adopt Bradley, there were several points along the way when it looked like things would not work out. There were rumors of Ethiopia closing to foreign adoption completely. Then things did shut down for about six months. Then the requirements started changing to a degree that our agency offered to let waiting families change programs because it looked like things were coming to a halt. It was a chaotic experience to say the least.<br />
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And while we were in the middle of it, I really struggled. Deeply. Now, though, on the other side of it all, it is so easy for me to trace the Lord's hand in the writing of our family's story. Each piece that felt like a delay or setback was overseen by our great and glorious Father, who was truly working a miracle. And I would do it a thousand times if it meant I would be able to be Bradley's mom.<br />
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Then, a few months ago, we started the process to adopt again, this time from China. And I thought it would be easier. I thought that our past experience and the notorious consistency of the adoption process for China would make things easier to bear. I was ready.<br />
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But one week ago today we received a phone call from our social worker. She told me that they had just received word that China has changed some of its requirements for inter-country adoption. My heart started racing. When I hear things like "change in requirements" I immediately start sweating. She told me that among the new requirements is one that affects our family in a big way. The new policy states that in order for a foreign family to adopt from China, the youngest child currently living in the home must be three years old.<br />
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I managed to hold it together on the phone. But after we hung up, it started to sink in. Asher is not quite 16 months old yet. That means we will have to wait a year and a half before we can submit our paperwork. We are devastated. We thought that in a year and a half we might have our daughter home.<br />
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I called Adam and sobbed on the phone with him. We were scheduled to have our final home study interview the following day. We were one step away from submitting everything to immigration.; a huge milestone. And now we are on the sideline.<br />
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It's so tempting to despair. To throw our hands up and say, "Why?" But we are trying to take some deep breaths and make the right decisions.<br />
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We are still committed to adopting from China (until the Lord tells us otherwise). After meeting with our social worker and our agency's program director, we are going to complete our homestudy and keep it updated until the time comes when we can submit.<br />
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As we have talked with each other, family and friends over this past week, we are starting to see some light. We have more time with Bradley and Asher, more time to invest in them and focus on them. We also know that if our first adoption had followed our desired timeline, then Bradley would not be our son. So we KNOW that the Lord is sovereign, and that while this shocked us, it did not surprise Him.<br />
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So we would ask for your prayers as we wait in this new way, that God would use this time to strengthen our faith, our marriage, our family; that we would not grow weary in the waiting; that we would seek out ways to glorify Him through the path He has laid before us.<br />
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With love,<br />
BaylorBaylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-2890258199425330382017-04-14T14:38:00.001-05:002017-04-14T14:39:30.365-05:00We Can Now Be His I love Easter. Not the bunny or the eggs. That's not so much my thing. But the redemption, the power of Christ on full display, the conquering of death, the reuniting of Holy God with His people, His bride. That I love.<br />
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I've often said that one of the most unexpected gifts that came from the adoption of our precious boy is this teeny tiny glimpse God gave me into His heart, into His deep love for us.<br />
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We pursued Bradley while he was unaware of our existence. We stood in the downstairs room of his orphanage itching with anticipation, knowing we were about to meet our son while he slept above our heads completely unaware of the fact that the people who would become his mom and dad were in the building. We were tense with excitement and thrilled beyond description that the moment we had been longing for was finally upon us. My stomach was in knots and my heart was galloping. We had been running toward this goal for so long, and here it was. All we had to do was walk up two flights of stairs.<br />
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And I wonder now, if our Heavenly Father doesn't feel the same way right before one of His image bearers meets Jesus and has his or her life forever changed. I wonder if the Triune God tenses with anticipation and gets giddy with joy, knowing that everything that has been done, all the sacrifice, the pain, all of it has been leading to this moment. This moment when a wanderer is claimed forever by the Father. This moment when He reaches out and says, "Mine. This one is mine."<br />
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I wonder if the relief I felt when I held Bradley for the first time isn't in some way similar to what our Lord must feel when one of us leans in to His loving embrace.<br />
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And then we went and stood in front of a judge to petition one final time to be Bradley's mom and dad. Oh, I was nervous. This hearing would decide our family's future. The judge asked us a series of questions. Do you love this child? Do you want to parent this child? Will you love this child as one you birthed? On and on. I was in tears by the time he got to the final question.<br />
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"Do you understand that once I sign this document, the adoption is final and cannot be undone?"<br />
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I whispered, "Yes."<br />
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And he signed it right there in front of us and said, "It is done."<br />
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I tried not to sob in his chambers.<br />
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It was done. Finished. We could not change it. Finally.<br />
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There was nothing we could add to make Bradley more ours. Nothing he could have done to be more ours. It was over.<br />
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And I wonder again, was this God giving me a peek into His heart? When Jesus proclaimed, "It is finished." and gave up His soul, it really was over. Nothing else could have been done to redeem us MORE, to save us MORE. We bring nothing to the redemption table. Jesus paid it all. There is nothing left to be done. We can now be His.<br />
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What beauty we find at the cross. What finality. What redemption. What grace.<br />
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And we are only the recipients. God fights for us, and we become His heirs.<br />
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That is Easter.<br />
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And here I have to pause. I do not want to paint myself as a savior in any way. Adam and I did not save anyone. We don't have that ability. We are ONLY Bradley's parents. That's it. And I always hesitate to use our family's story as part of the gospel in adoption narrative because I realize that as the parallels progress it is easy to look at the adoptive parents as "God figures." Let me assure you WE ARE NOT in any way. Just ask my kids! What I do want to clearly convey is my deep appreciation of God's love for us, the battle He wages for us.<br />
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With deep love,<br />
Baylor<br />
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<br />
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<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-90644730120707776502017-02-21T15:57:00.000-06:002017-02-21T15:58:15.056-06:00Incredible You You guys are really something else. Do you know that? Do you? I mean, buying a shirt might seem like such an inconsequential thing to you. Not to us. To us, it is you reaching out your hand and offering to walk side by side with us all the way across the world to bring our girl home. To us, it is you saying, "This thing Adam and Baylor are trying to do is worthy of me investing my resources." To us, it is you giving sacrificially to help us walk the path the Lord has laid at our feet. You are making it possible for us to adopt our daughter, for us to fly around the planet and bring her into our family, into her family.<br />
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So you might think you just bought a shirt. But please let me assure you, you did a whole lot more.<br />
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And for that, we are humbly, fully and deeply thankful.<br />
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Pursuing international adoption has caused Adam and me to do something we are not very good at doing: ask for help. You see, we can commit to running after this girl, bringing her home and loving her for all of our days. But first we have to get to her. And we can't do that alone. With international adoption costing what it does, we just can't.<br />
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But then God sends us you. You, who freely give your resources, your prayer and your love. You, who have known us all our lives. You, whom we have never even met. You, who see this path as one worthy of walking. You, who helped us bring our son home and are now doing the same for our daughter.<br />
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YOU ARE INCREDIBLE.<br />
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And incredible you purchased 151 shirts. 151! That is enough to cover half of our first agency payment! You did that.<br />
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Thank you. We could never say it enough.<br />
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With all my love,<br />
Baylor<br />
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P.S. We should receive the shirts during the first week of March, and then I will make it my mission to get them to you as fast as possible.Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619170146145451593.post-26870282226701799192017-02-05T14:15:00.000-06:002017-02-05T14:15:40.424-06:00Mess This Up We are in such a good place right now. Bradley and Asher are both thriving. They love each other so well. They are happy. They are healthy. We have found our rhythm. And when I sit back and look at them, I find myself feeling tempted to think,<br />
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"Why would I do something that could mess this up?"<br />
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It's tempting to say that we are done, our family is complete. Two kids and a dog. That's good, right? We both come from families with two kids. Two's company and three's a crowd, ya know? And the truth is, if that's what God had asked of our lives, we would be done. DONE.<br />
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But right in the middle of things moving and grooving along, God appears to have asked us to trust Him again and take the first step toward adding another daughter to our family. And while I am so, so excited, there is a part of me that KNOWS this will have such a profound impact on the two sweet babes who already share our home.<br />
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I remember having these same feelings right before Asher was born. Bradley was in such a good place. I felt like all of our hard work had paid off and we had finally turned a corner. He was so happy and eager to love. He was so obviously secure in his role as our son. And I just knew that when baby girl came along, he would take such a hit. And he did. The first three months were tough. I told Adam that we needed to get an apartment and Asher could live there with me while Bradley and Adam stayed in the house. Then after six months we could reconvene and see if we were ready to all live together. HA! Seriously, though. It was rough going.<br />
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But now! Now I watching these two play together and laugh. I watch my son help take care of his sister. And I just think, "YES. This is family. This is what it's about."<br />
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And then I get so excited about doing it again. About bringing another daughter into our family. About watching our current two learn to love her. About watching Babe #3 learn to love her brother and sister. About watching my own love grow again.<br />
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So this little family right here is not done growing just yet! </div>
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I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do in each of us through this next adventure. And I am so thankful that so many of you have already linked arms with us to help get our girl home. We are still selling our t-shirts, baseball tees and tank tops to help fundraiser for this adoption. Shirts will be in sale through February 16. Our great big goal is 500 shirts sold. And our goal for this weekend is to get to 100. Right now, we are at 63 shirts sold. SO CLOSE! Will you help us today? Click the link below to shop!<br />
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www.theknotts.bigcartel.com<br />
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With love,<br />
Baylor<br />
<br />Baylor http://www.blogger.com/profile/10804204013556032002noreply@blogger.com0