I've changed some things to try and make it better this year. First of all, I created a separate website for OFA. I think it helps organize things. Next, there will be a giveaway each week for people who order ornaments. Be sure to check out the home page of the OFA website to view the prize rules and schedule. The last big change is that I've created a page for ordering information that I hope better explains how things work and can help make paying easier.
In case you weren't around last year, let me quickly explain what Ornaments for Adoption is. A few years ago, God really started working in my life and gave me a heart for orphans and families trying to adopt. Shortly after this time, I started feeling like I wanted to adopt one day. I began reading more blogs on orphan care and adoption. I also felt like I wanted to do something to help adopting families. I have always enjoyed being crafty and I wanted to find a way to use my crafting to help raise funds for a family. I knew that trying to run a small business year round plus working full time plus trying to grow a blog would be a lot of work and I wasn't ready for that. So, I decided to only try to run a small business during part of the year and what better time than Christmas? What better thing to sell than ornaments? Ornaments are something that you can never have enough of in my opinion. Not only do I want to use OFA to raise money for an adopting family, but I also want to use it as a time to raise awareness of adoption and orphan care. Therefore, every post on Monday between now and December 9 will be adoption/orphan related.
Now, the thing you've been waiting for: meeting the family for Ornaments for Adoption 2013.
Meet the Thigpens (Joseph and Laura) and read their story.
Our story really began in the hallway of an elementary school back home in Florida where we first took notice of each other. But, our paths hardly crossed after 4th and 5th grade until we both came home one summer for college break and found ourselves attending the same Bible study. It was there that the Lord, in His grace, brought us together. We’ve been together for about 5 years now, and married for 3 of those years. And what an amazing journey it has been thus far!
Before we ever married, we had already had conversations about our desire to adopt whether or not we ever have children biologically. Of course, we desire to grow our family biologically and by adopting. We naturally felt that our life circumstances would prevent us from adopting any time soon, mostly because of finances, and so we began trying to grow our family by getting pregnant. After almost a year of struggling to get pregnant, we finally had a positive pregnancy test only to lose our baby a few days later in miscarriage. In a matter of days, we had experienced the highest of joys and the lowest of sorrows: life and death.
As we grieved, we continued to be confronted with the question, “Why are you waiting to adopt?” We still felt that there were obstacles in our way that we just couldn’t get around. But God, who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), has poured out encouragement and support through our family and our community of faith, reminding us the He is the One who makes straight the crooked paths, who makes the rough places into level ground (Isaiah 42:16), and when there seemed to be no way for man to be reconciled to God, He made a way through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might be adopted into His family and made co-heirs with Christ (Galatians 4:6-7)! When faced with these truths, we could no longer shrink back from the call to adopt.
So, we have literally just begun the process to adopt a little boy or girl from Ethiopia! We are elated with joy, overwhelmed with excitement, and hopeful for the future! We are stepping out in faith, trusting the Lord will meet our needs along the way as we walk in obedience. Obviously, finances are and will be an “obstacle” throughout the process, so we appreciate your prayers as we begin our journey and we’re so glad you’ve taken the time to read about our story. In sharing our story, we desire that you will trust in the promise that Jesus has made; “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). And, we hope that you will find ways to get involved by either adopting, or helping those who are.
Before we ever married, we had already had conversations about our desire to adopt whether or not we ever have children biologically. Of course, we desire to grow our family biologically and by adopting. We naturally felt that our life circumstances would prevent us from adopting any time soon, mostly because of finances, and so we began trying to grow our family by getting pregnant. After almost a year of struggling to get pregnant, we finally had a positive pregnancy test only to lose our baby a few days later in miscarriage. In a matter of days, we had experienced the highest of joys and the lowest of sorrows: life and death.
As we grieved, we continued to be confronted with the question, “Why are you waiting to adopt?” We still felt that there were obstacles in our way that we just couldn’t get around. But God, who is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), has poured out encouragement and support through our family and our community of faith, reminding us the He is the One who makes straight the crooked paths, who makes the rough places into level ground (Isaiah 42:16), and when there seemed to be no way for man to be reconciled to God, He made a way through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, so that we might be adopted into His family and made co-heirs with Christ (Galatians 4:6-7)! When faced with these truths, we could no longer shrink back from the call to adopt.
So, we have literally just begun the process to adopt a little boy or girl from Ethiopia! We are elated with joy, overwhelmed with excitement, and hopeful for the future! We are stepping out in faith, trusting the Lord will meet our needs along the way as we walk in obedience. Obviously, finances are and will be an “obstacle” throughout the process, so we appreciate your prayers as we begin our journey and we’re so glad you’ve taken the time to read about our story. In sharing our story, we desire that you will trust in the promise that Jesus has made; “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18). And, we hope that you will find ways to get involved by either adopting, or helping those who are.
**If you order ornaments this week to help the Thigpens, you will be entered in a drawing to win a Starbucks gift card! If you don't win this week, you'll be eligible for all the other prizes for the next 9 weeks.**
The last thing you need to know today is that I need your help. So, I'm hosting a little giveaway (this is different from the giveaway mentioned above) in exchange for you helping me spread the word about OFA 2013. Check it out below for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card and a name ornament with the name and colors of your choice.
