The NEXT BIG ADVENTURE! We. Are. Moving!!!!

So, Lowcountry...YOU READY FOR THE NALLYCATS? We're moving to town (and back home)!!!!

This news seems exciting and surreal at the same time!! WE ARE MOVING to Beaufort, SC in just three weeks! WHOA. I wrote those words in a blog post.

God has taken Dustin and I on many adventures in our 11 years of marriage. Many adventures have not been conventional. Yup, that's us. Unconventional. And, it seems here we go again. 

We are moving to the Lowcountry for ministry. More like being sent as missionaries, since Dustin will not be transitioning directly into a pastorate.

We can't believe God wrote this story for us. We're excited, overwhelmed, and can't wait to see what the next years hold...because we have No. Idea. What. He. Is. Doing!

In moments like these we praise the Lord He guides our steps in His wisdom, not our own. It is certainly bittersweet to say "good bye" to our church family in North Carolina! Yet, we are super excited to get to know our new church family in Beaufort (and be closer to family who are in Hilton Head and Bluffton). 

Our Great God who directs our steps is sending us out on mission. It is a gift from the Lord that our church has been led through a recent study of Acts, and how God has used it to encourage our hearts during this season. Sermons on trusting the Lord, being ready in obedience if He says “Go” on mission for Him. We are all called to share the Gospel and be His workmanship, but as Acts 17:24-27 explains, God guides our steps to live and work where He calls – so that His Kingdom work can be most effective, and His glorious saving grace shared with those who are lost.
  
However, to be honest we feel a bit like Abraham when God told Him to go to the land He would show Him without giving him all the details, so that he could trust the Lord by faith. Even now, we don’t have all the details. 

This is what we know the Lord has revealed to us so far. In a few weeks we will move to Beaufort, SC to join with a year-old church plant, Cross Community Church. Working with Cross and the South Carolina Baptist Convention, we will begin the process of a church planting residency program, where we will build a team of which Dustin will be a lead pastor for a local church that needs to be revitalized in Beaufort County. That church and the timing (could be 3+ years) is yet to be determined. Lots of prayer there!  

Currently, around 88% of the Southern Baptist Churches in South Carolina are plateaued or dying. Beaufort County, South Carolina (Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, and Beaufort) has a population just over 160,000. Over 90% of that population, that’s 9 out of 10 people we would meet on a given day, do not have a personal relationship with Jesus – lost, without hope!! A spiritual awakening is happening in this area, so much so that even our North American Mission Board has recognized Beaufort County as a major target area for church plants and re-plants because of the tremendous population growth, and projected continual population growth over the next decade. 

While this ripe harvest field is incredibly exciting, when God calls us to obedience it is not always comfortable or easy. Currently, we have been asked by the Convention and the lead pastor at Cross to move down to Beaufort and plug into the church as the Lord continues to reveal more of His direction. That’s where the tremendous faith comes in!  

Since early into our marriage our love for the Lowcountry was stamped on our hearts. Through seminary that love grew, and we began working with a dying church on Hilton Head Island for 8 months in hopes of doing a church re-launch with a pastoral team. But, God had different plans! We felt very clearly that He said “no” at that time. Shortly after, God made it clear to us that Dustin was called as the Discipleship Pastor at Central Baptist Church, and for us to minister to Henderson. And what a joy these almost four years have been – what incredible ministry/service the Lord has allowed us to be a part of! 

All the while, the desire for the Lowcounty to be reached for the Gospel was still a burden on our hearts. We began seeking Him even more this past year about why, and what, and when. One thing was clear, God was preparing Dustin to be a lead shepherd in a church somewhere in Beaufort County. 

Around August, we discovered a new church plant in Beaufort called Cross Community Church. Knowing the area very well, we had never heard of this church and became curious. (K.J.’s family lives in Hilton Head and Bluffton, and she grew up in Hilton Head during high school). We spent a couple of months researching Cross Community and listening to the pastor’s sermons. Awesome!

About the same time, we e-mailed the S.C. Baptist Association requesting the demographics for Beaufort County to help us in our praying for God's direction. Instead of sending us what we requested, the S.C. Convention wanted to know WHY we wanted that information.

Phone conversations began, and God began putting some pieces together for us! S.C. Baptist Convention had been praying for God to send pastors to Beaufort County. By sharing our burden for ministering to that area, we were an answer to that prayer. And Cross Community…this church we were following, was the church the Association was working with to be the healthy church to send out the next Beaufort County church plant!  

In December, while visiting K.J.’s family for Christmas, we met with Taylor Burgess, the lead pastor of Cross Community to share our hearts. It was an amazing, God-ordained two-hour breakfast. And God again made a step clear, we needed to move down to Beaufort to begin whatever process and plan God has for us in ministry there. We needed to be obedient and trust Him. 

That brings us to where we are today. God is calling us out from Central and North Carolina to be on mission to Beaufort. The plan is for Dustin to start working bi-vocationally the end of April with SunTrust Bank, as he begins the church residency program. Besides saying “good bye” to our Central  church family, stepping-out of full-time ministry for a season to move to the land God has called us to, is the hardest part of this obedience. It truly breaks our hearts, as we love serving in pastoral ministry. But, in God’s sovereignty, He opened one position at SunTrust in Beaufort County the month Dustin began looking. So, we know He has a reason for him working there.

Our house was on the market for ONE DAY and was Under Contract. Everything was moving forward smoothly. Just Saturday the buyer on our house terminated the contract, one month before closing (really for no good reason!)! Two lessons...First, when God calls us to a mission it is not always smooth or easy. And secondly, His ways are not always understandable! But, we know His way is best for us and His glory! He sees the whole picture, so we pray He will SHOW OFF His awesomeness as people watch our obedience!

We have prayed for months for God to do AMAZING, God-sized work as we move to Beaufort, SC. Oh, he has!! I will write that post after we're settled! 

Please pray for us. It's been super stressful keeping our house staged for showings with two toddlers. Many house projects. K.J. editing a 500-page novel. And, all the moving and job details that can (and have) caused anxiety. But, we are AGAIN resolute to trust the Lord for each step as we go. 

South Carolina...get ready for us! We're coming soon. 

May God’s Glory shine in Beaufort as He transforms one life at a time…and uses our family in this process!

**I shared this information on our old family blog, because I didn't want to share such personal information on our ministry website: www.AbsorbedinHim.com.**

Watching God Do Extraordinary Things!

We are amazed that God is using us for extraordinary things!

It is time for Christians to start living in a way that leaves opportunity for God to do amazing, only God-sized tasks. This is true Christianity. While Dustin was at karate Tuesday evening, as God perfectly ordained, I listen to two sermons on this subject. Very appropriate to our situation!!

Many of you have watched our journey of desiring kids. The loss of our first baby, Lil' Bean five years ago. On February 25, 2011 God gave and He took away. As beautiful a gift to know our child rests in the arms of our Father, it is still hard to this day (I had a good cry yesterday) that my baby never rested in MY arms. 

BUT, through the loss of our child God used it to grow us, reach out to others needing encouragement, finish our seminary degrees, write a book to help others suffering, and bring home our precious Jaden. Could He have chosen a different road for us...allowed us to have our baby, still allow us to adopt Jaden, encourage others, write books, etc. Sure. He can do whatever He pleases. But, He didn't. 

And through His direction, He guided our heart to begin a life of passionately pursuing the Lord, no matter the cost. Radical abandonment for His Glory. Our life, our ministry, our family. To others, this may look irrational at times. Truth is each step has been carefully prayed over and cautiously taken. Fighting to trust the Lord in His plans, even when the watching would may criticize our choices is a real struggle. But, if everything was "cookie cutter" it wouldn't look very extraordinary and God-sized would it? Review the characters of the Bible! People thought most were crazy!! Dustin and I haven't lived life conventionally, much to do with how God has directed our path...even at times against our own will.

Dustin and I are big believers in stewardship. That is why we "dubbed" this year: The Year of Rest. Every year on our anniversary (a day before the New Year), we review the year's strengths and weaknesses and prepare for the following year by a "dubbing." We believe stewardship is so important as a Christian it should permeate all of life: our finances, our relationships, our possessions, and certainly our time. Hence...the Year of Rest. Learning to rest and (be dependent on) our Great Lord. 

Well, He has certainly started this new year off with a bang of reliance!!!! We need Him every moment and for every step.

A huge step of faith--expecting God to do the extraordinary--began with the process of adoption in November 2013. 

And God still has us on this journey.

If I told you ALL He has done (and is doing...) you would find your mouth hanging open in amazement. Soon, there will be a day to share all of this. 




 Adoption is our want. Certainly. But, it is a NEED. For those who have joined with us to fight for the life of this child, Thank you!!! Prayer is needed to bring this child home safely. Jaden's adoption did fill our every longing to be parents. And God still used us to save him from his dark situation. 

 
This second adoption, is so very different. God choose us this time. We weren't planning to go with an agency. We weren't even planning to adopt again right now. (Our plan was to start again in the next year or so). 

But, God determined in His (crazy-to-us) plan that we were the best fit for this child...for whatever purpose God has for his/her life. And we are amazed.This is different because though we are so excited to be gifted a second child, we truly feel this situation is God calling us out of our comforts (time, money, people's perceptions, etc.) to care for the life of an orphan! So with our experience of Jaden's adoption, and now the circumstances of this second adoption--God has made it clear to us He has called us to Orphan Care: To be a voice to the lost who desperately need their Father, and to change the cultural understanding of adoption, both in the world and the Church (James 1:27).

This calling has a practical side too. This side is the only reason people seem opposed to adoption. If you wonder about the finances of adoption...our government is ridiculous in many ways. Adoption is one of them. Our government would rather pay over $100,000+ for a child to stay in foster care for their entire life, than help couples adopt a child forever in their own home (costing the government more like $10-20K a child). Makes no sense. 

But, because adoption agencies/attorneys have to comply with our government fees/marketing/legal system, etc. the couple trying to adopt must come up with this money. We wish we had $30,000 sitting free and clear in an account to adopt, but God has never abundantly blessed us with monetary wealth. Yet, He has ALWAYS provided for our NEEDS. We are so thankful for that! Adopting was always going to be an investment for us, and debt would be involved. As good stewards we would pay it off as quickly as possible.

Buying back lives...is costly!

A couple weekends ago...In THREE days, we watched as God provided $11,000 toward our initial $15,951 for our match, birth mother expenses, and home study. Now, I start grant writing with the hopes that God provides in part through them the remaining $15,000 (total adoption is $28,000 + social worker visits and travel).

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Please pray for our hearts in this process to stay steadfast trusting our Good, Good Father. If He called us to this task, which however it appears by the watching world, we know He did...He will provide. We are certain of that. 

• Pray we would trust His provision and preparation. 
• Pray for our hearts to rest in Him as we seek to trust Him to protect our little one yet in the womb. 
• Pray for the health of our baby and birth mom.
• Pray God would give us an opportunity to share the Gospel with our birth mom when we meet her (we already did through a letter). Pray she receives the letter with an open heart.
• Pray for God to answer prayers and do something EXTRAordinary! 

Oh, God that you would continue to do God-sized tasks! 

We are excited and waiting for His power to be displayed to the multitude. 

And...pray we would be faithful to give Him all the glory!!!

If you want to read more or help practically, please visit our adoption page: Bringing Home Baby #2.

Feeling Overwhelmed...We Need a Miracle: Our Concerns

Tonight I'm tired. To be very honest, Dustin and I have journeyed through a lot of suffering in many different ways in our young years. Yet, He has also (and because of suffering) blessed us beyond measure. Desiring children has been an emotional and burdensome venture to say the least. Even tonight I am overwhelmed to the point of tears at the task ahead of us. Because honestly, it would be a LOT easier just to announce we were pregnant...the conventional way. However, as in all of life God is in control, we are not. He chooses the path for us and just because it's hard doesn't mean we complain or fight against Him. It means we trust our Lord every second of our day. It means we rely on His promises to encourage our weary hearts. And it means we believe He will provide all our needs for His glory and our best! So, in my exhaustion tonight I will choose to trust and obey my loving Father! And...as soon as I finish this post I'm getting a bubble bath for some much needed R & R! hah

There are two major concerns we had to work through before saying “YES!!” As my wonderful sister wisely told me, “Adoption is harder than being pregnant. If you’re pregnant, even if the timing is all wrong by your perspective…too bad! You have no choice but to embrace the news. With adoption, you have to analyze if this is the best choice for you as a family to make…and even then people around you may still think you’re crazy!” 

In our case we might just be a little crazy??!!

Even in college we had a heart for adoption one day! Well...it is safe to say it is now One Day. And in a way to redeem the crazy out of our situation, let me share what we had to work through.

1.      Sharing Love. Again I cried as I rocked Jaden to sleep. So in love with my little boy. Jaden has always been enough to satisfy every longing to love a child. God has graciously gifted us another precious child to overwhelm with love. However, the fear that we have to make room to share our love with Jaden is hard to fathom! The truth is, we know we don’t have to share our love, God expands it with each child. Just as He expands His love for each child He adopts into His Forever Family. I am certain--as every parent with more than one child can attest--God will expand our love at first sight! (Actually, God is already growing our love for this little one!) We'll find out around Valentine's Day if we're having a son or daughter!!

2.      Risk. Most times Godly pursuits cost a lot. Jaden’s adoption was filled with emotional cost. This adoption should be an “open/shut” case. Since this adoption is through an adoption agency in Florida, we will have no attorney in North Carolina to deal with! HUGE Praise! It should finalize in 4-6 months because of the parental rights being easily terminated. AND we can even show pictures on his/her BIRTHday! However, we must continue to pray for the safety of this little one still in darkness. Geesh…can you imagine how hard it is to know your baby is being “cared for” in another woman’s womb! Please pray for the protection of our little one. This was the same fear for Jaden—as Jaden's birth mom said when we saw her at Thanksgiving, "I really thought he was going to have problems at birth!" Yes, God amazed us with His provision. Jaden was and is the healthiest and most beautiful child. Our angel baby!

      Our greatest risk, and honestly what almost kept us from saying “yes” is the financial burden. Because of some incredible people in our life, the financial burden of Jaden’s adoption was made light. Since our second adoption providently is coming through an agency, we have to trust that God will provide the $28- $30,000 it will cost us. We're praying for a miracle!
  
Why are we going with an agency you ask?? Well, because this is how God choose to knit us together with this (our) child. We don’t understand God’s sovereignty, we just listen and obey. And this wasn't something we were seeking out. God sought us out and asked us to be faithful! 

      So, whether the money comes through grants, fundraisers, loving donations, or years of paying it off…we have to trust our Great God will provide. And as Dustin says, “Our God owns a thousand cattle on a hill!” haha The saying really goes... “God owns the cattle on a thousand hills!” We don’t have it, but God assured us He does! 

Every Christian may not be called to adopt a child, but we are all commanded to pray for orphans and pray for God to reveal our part in the adoption process. What is your part?

 33% of Christians say they would adopt. The reason most don't is because of financial concerns! ONLY 2% of Christians actually adopt!!!

Did you know...If ONE family in every three churches adopted one child...

The Needs

Adoption is a calling, and for us The Nallycats…it’s our calling. Yes, God is blessings us as parents through the sacrifice of other women needing an alternative parenting plan for an unplanned pregnancy.  In no way are we seeking for handouts...we are trying to do everything we can to work hard to see our child rest peacefully in our arms this June. We are being obedient to God's call to actively care for the orphans. And hope that we inspire you to find your part in caring for the orphan too...and it might be helping us bring this little one home! Here are ways you can help us invest in this child’s LIFE!

• Please pray for the safety of our baby and God's provision in bring him or her home in June! Our birth mom is due July 15th, but since this is baby #9 and all her babies have come at least two weeks early, we need to be ready mid-June!

• BUY BOOKS!!!!! This may be the most encouraging way to support us...because we know God will encourage others through it! Please buy my books to encourage others. I may only get a few dollars from each book that sells, but this is a great way to spread the word about our adoption through social media, while allowing the Truth of God’s Word saturated throughout these books to encourage people! If you really want to help: Please put a link to my books on your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and that every dollar is going to our adoption fund. Here are the three books:

  The Thread: Adoption Stories Knit Together by Love. Please buy it, read it, and pass it on to encourage others to see the sovereignty of God in adoptions!

Absorbed: Becoming Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Intimate as God Designed. If you or someone you know has questions about dating, marriage, or how a lifetime of singleness can bring God glory, this book is for you! This book is a wonderful resource to battle the lies this generation has believed about singleness, dating, and marriage.

The Storms of Life: Trusting God through Emotional Pains, Hurting Marriages, and Addictions. An encouraging book for anyone needing strength  while suffering.

• We have a donation page set up at www.YouCaring.com where you can give monetarily to our agency to fight with us for our child! This makes raising funds simple and fun...knowing that your money goes directly to this precious child's life!

• Grants and other fundraisers! We’ll keep you posted about fundraisers! 

Yes, the monetary burden is our reality. And no one enjoys asking for help. Quite honestly, it is downright difficult sharing this burden! We know that is our pride. Because God calls us as the Church to work together to see His work fulfilled. This child is His Work! And…buying back lives is costly! Strange as it may seem to all "pitch in" for buying back the life of this child into our home, it is the world we live in. Adoption is very expensive. It isn't like our insurance covers most of the bill. Joining together financially gives you an opportunity to be a part of God's command to care for orphans.

 What we need most is prayer for all the above mentioned fears. Our Loving Father has entrusted to Dustin and I precious children that HE CHOSE to redeem from the darkness of their situation to the beauty and light of a Christ-centered home, our home. Was this the plan we had for ourselves many years ago...no, our plan was FAR easier! As we faithfully follow the Lord, we know this plan however difficult is much more rewarding! We hope you join us in being a part of God's grand adoption plan for this child!

Love The Nally Quartet