1 John 5: 14-15

Well this week has been an interesting week.  We contatcted our attorney this week to try to get things rolling with the paper work.  He told us that we had to accomplish somethings before we could proceed.  So we are still working with the liasions for us and the birth family.  We haven't heard back from them in a few days and so it can be discouraging.  We get a good piece of news and we are on cloud nine.  Then we get in contact with the attorney and then he says ok.....but......we need to do the next step.  Then it seems like it takes forever for us to get to the next step.  It is always hurry up and then wait.  Sometimes that can be discouraging....and then sometimes we wonder .....is this really going to happen.....will something fall through......I am sure these are all normal feelings when dealing with an adoption.  Yet I know these feelings are normal in everyday life.......this happens in school, at work, at home, at church, just about everywhere......Hurry up and wait.....but today I was writing an encouraging letter to a friend of mine and as I was typing this passage out.....I had an Ahhhh Haaaa moment......God was talking to me, too.
God knows our dreams and desires about having a family.  God is in control of the big picture with this adoption.  You know God is even control of our everyday lives and He understands why we hurry up and wait.   But when you get discouraged and I get discouraged we need to cling to these verses  in 1John5:14-15.....This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know He hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of Him.....So as I break this down here is what I get.....

• That we can have confidence that God hears us.  I am sure he hears us loud and clear a lot of the times.
• That if this is according to God's will (hint....not our will but His divine will) then we will receive it.....but now it probably won't be on our time frame but His.
• So hang on ....God is molding and shaping us for a specific purpose and at a specific time to give Him the glory in whatever situation we are asking Him about.

"I Will Follow"

Here are the words to my new favorite song by Chris Tomlin
 Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you

Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow

 

 

This song just really speaks to my heart about our adoption journey. 

The first part of the song is " Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...In this adoption journey we really have to go where God wants us to go.  We want to move this process along at a rapid pace but God says....."Not so fast!"  Then He tells us just get comfortable where you are and just stay.  So we have to stay......Then all of a suddent the Lord says, "Move" and we move forward with another part of the process....and all we can do is to FOLLOW Him!  We are really learning to be totally dependent upon God!  We know we should be already but as humans we just really are control freaks!  Well....at least I am. 

 

We have to totally surrender everything to Him.  When we totally surrender everything to the Lord....then the next part of the song happens...

All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone

Once we have surrendered our lives, our adoption journey, your life to Him, then we realize that all of His WAYS are good and sure.  The only person that we can trust in is God.  But think about it....in life we put are trust in things, in people, in heroes and when you get down to it....these things fails us!  At some point in time..... ALL of them will fail us and yet we still trust in them time and time again.  The only person we can trust in is GOD!  His ways are sure and good.  He will not let us down.  We know that we will go through ups and downs on roller coaster ride of faith but in the end it all comes down to that we should be following God and not taking the wheel into our own hands.  We have to live for God alone!

 

You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone

In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow

At the end of this song it talks about seeking God.  That is all we have been doing.  Seeking God's will for our lives, the baby's life and the birth familiy's life.  We realize that there is freedom in knowing that God is in control and joy knowing that He is in control, so we will surrender our plans,  dreams, wants, and needs to Him.  We will follow.

 

Who will you follow today?  Who will your surrender your plans and dreams to?  How will you find your joy in your life and freedom for your soul?  Hopefully it will be with a relationship with Christ!

 

 

Ephesians 3:20 -21

Now to Him who is able to do IMMEASURABLY MORE than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory in church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

WOW!!!  Can you say that backwards????  Try it.... WOW!!!  All we can say is that God has done IMMEASURABLY MORE than we could have asked or imagined.  We want to give Him ALL the Glory for what He has done.  We want to bless future generations and let them continue to bless future generations!

This past weekend we met with the lady who has been running interference with us and the birth family and our friend who has been helping us.  It was such a blessing to meet her.  She filled us in on where everything was going.  Throughout this entire story, we can only see God's handiwork in every little detail.  God has specifically placed each person at the specific spot, saying the specific thing, at just the specific time, to make all of this happen.  We are totally blown away with how God can work everything out, even when you didn't even know the other person existed until a month ago.  God was preparing hearts, plans, and dreams for everyone involved.

We will probably be meeting the birth mother in a couple of weeks.  We are very excited and nervous about meeting her.  Please continue to pray for the birth mother, the baby to be, us, and all parties involved.  Pray that God gives each of us a peace about the adoption.  Please pray that no matter what that we will do the will of God.  Please pray that we will always remember that God is in control of this entire process and that we will always give God the glory for everything He has done and will do.

We will fill you in on the details as we go along....but in the mean time....can you look in your life and see how God has done IMMEASURABLY MORE than you could have ever thought or imagined?  If so, take time to thank Him today!  Have a great week!

God Has A Plan

Hello Friends!
I just wanted to give you an update on the adoption.  It has been pretty AMAZING at what God is doing in our lives.  In every direction, we can see the hand of God working!  We had been struggling with the decision about what agency to go through with the adoption.  At every corner we turned, somebody was telling us about a private adoption that might be possible or they knew of someone that had just adopted privately.  We kept going .....God what do you want us to do......and I believe He answered us!!!

We recently have sent out a letter about fundraising for the adoption and that we were going through Catholic Services of Pensacola, Fl.  Well before I passed out the letters at my school, I prayed over the letters and asked God to just lead us in this endeavor if it is His will.  I prayed over them saying, "God you're in control and do what you need to do.  I am looking at this financially and I am overwhelmed.  We need all of our friends help.  We need to know if this agency is the one you want us to go through."  Well at 10:30 that morning I put all of the letters in the teachers' boxes at my school.  At 10:36 I received an email from a friend of mine telling me that he knew of someone who wanted to give up their baby for a closed adoption and would we want to pursue this.......As Gomer Pyle would say, "Well I'll be!"  I kept saying is this for real God....I mean for real.......

So we are pursuing this! :0)  The young lady is 14 weeks pregnant.  My friend is helping us every step of the way.  In fact, he and his family adopted a daughter about a year ago or so.  He has been through the ropes.  He is helping us in dealing with the attorney, and the birth mother, and how to deal with all of the documentation.  God has blessed us with a friend that is so freely giving up his time to meet with attorneys and dealing with all of the parties involved while still working at his job and having his own family time.  We are blessed to have his wisdom in this process.

I must say that is all going a little bit faster than we thought.  I am still kind of freaked out about the financial part of it but I know God is going to provide the funds right on time for each step of the way. 

I would ask you to pray for the following:  please pray for the birth mother, pray that God puts his hedges of protection around the birth mother and the baby,  pray for peace in this process and to realize that God is in control of all of this, pray for the attorney to have wisdom in dealing with all of the documentation, that money will come in at that right time, pray that we would be parents that will provide a Godly home, and pray that the baby will grow up to have a relationship with Christ and will serve Christ.

Thanks for praying for us!  Thank you for helping us out!
Love,
Kathy and Joseph

Gold Canyon Candle Fundraiser!!

Dear Friends & Family,

     I know this will be surprising to a lot of you, but we have been praying about adoption for almost two years!  We really felt that adopting a child would be impossible because of the high costs of adoption.  The Lord has put a heavy burden our heart to go ahead with adoption.  He is teaching us once again that we need to depend on Him and not ourselves.  We feel the Lord has called us to adopt a child from Catholic Services of Pensacola.  We know that God is bigger than finances, so we are truly relying on God to provide.

     This adoption will cost around $23,000.  I know this sounds like a lot but we will receive a $12,500 tax credit which is over half back.  However, we will need to have the money up front, not to mention an additional $9,500 that will not be able to re-coup from any other source!

     We know that this will not happen overnight!  We are relying on God each step of the way.  We know that God has given us friends & family that may be willing to donate to help us get one step closer to bringing Elizabeth Grace or Landon Scott home.  No amount is too small!  Our plan is to apply for as many grants as possible and pray that doors will open for the money to come through.

Please consider helping us bring Elizabeth Grace or Landon Scott home.  Here’s how you can help:

· Please consider purchasing a Gold Canyon candle.  We will receive approximately $11 from each candle.  All profits will go into Elizabeth Grace’s or Landon Scott’s fund.  Please see the flyer below for details!

· If you would like to directly contribute to bring Elizabeth or Landon home, rather than us having to take costs out of the purchase price for the candle, we have set up a pay pal account. Check out our blog www.theiviesprout.com.  Just hit the donate tab and enter the amount you would like to donate!.

· You can send a check payable to Joseph and Kathy Ivie @ 238 Gloucester Drive, Bossier City, La   71111.

Thank you for praying with us about our family.  Thank you for helping us build our family. 

 Love,

Joseph & Kathy 

The following are AMAZING Candles and when you order ALL the proceeds will go to aide in the Adoption Process.  We thank you for your prayers and support as we take this next step in our lives!  If you wish to order a candle, just reply to this email or call us at 318-564-0347 or 318-564-0361.

Thank you and God Bless!

Gold Canyon Candles are the World’s Finest Candle with superior fragrance and burn time!  They are cool burning and burn evenly all the way down!

There are several scents to choose from that are perfect for the upcoming Holiday Season and make wonderful gifts! You can have yours and help a great cause in just 3 Simple Steps!

STEP 1- CHOOSE YOUR SCENT(S)

 Apple Spice • Autumn Walk • Christmas Presence • Cinnamon Vanilla

• Clean Sheets • Cozy Christmas® • Cranberry Orange • Days of Christmas

• Holiday Wreath • Mulled Cider • Pomegranate • Pumpkin Pie

• Sugar Cookie • Sweet Pea • Vanilla

STEP 2- CHOOSE YOUR SIZE(S)

26 oz. burn time:

175-200 hours

YOUR COST: $25.00 (INCLUDES TAX AND SHIPPING)

16 oz. burn time:

120-140 hours

YOUR COST: $21.00 (INCLUDES TAX AND SHIPPING)

 8 oz. burn time:

50-65 hours

YOUR COST: $16.00 (INCLUDES TAX AND SHIPPING)

STEP 3- REPLY TO THIS THROUGH EMAIL WITH YOUR ORDER OR GIVE US A CALL!

AWESOME GOD

All I can say right now is.....Lord I'm Amzed by you!  Details to follow soon!

A Little Bit About Us! :0)

A LIL' BIT BOUT KATHY! :0)
I was born at Edwards Air Force Base in California!  My family moved to Fort Walton Beach, Florida when I was two.  I have two brothers and one sister.  My oldest brother passed away when I was 25.  My other brother lives in Siberia, Russia with his family.  His family have been missionaries half way around the world for the past seven years.  I am very blessed that I have a strong connection with my brother Scott and my sister Debbie!  They have been my lifesavers to get me through tough times,  We also have a blast and love to cut up and just act goofy.  We have strong family ties.  My dad lives in Fort Walton and just celebrated his 80th birthday!  My mom passed away 5 years ago.  That is a huge void in our lives!  She was the center of our family.
 In 1991 I met "Joey" Ivie at BCM (Baptist Campus Ministries).  We went out on our first date on November 7, 1991.  We have been together ever since.  In December of 1993 we got hitched!  I can honestly say that I have married my best friend.  "Joseph" as he now likes to be called is my rock.  He is an encourager, a hard worker, goal driven, supporter, comedian, and Disney lover!  The thing I love most about him is that Christ is in the center of his life.  He is very grounded in all things and I know that comes from the Lord!  Oh by the way, the first ten years of our marriage we moved on average of every ten months.  We have lived in Mobile, AL - Fort Walton Beach, FL - Panama City, FL - Fort Walton (again) - Monroe, LA- McComb, MS - Ocean Springs, MS - Gulfport, MS - & finally we are in Bossier City, LA.  We have been very blessed to make wonderful "lifetime" friends everywhere we have been. 
I have been teaching for 17 years.  I am a Nationally Board Certified Teacher!  I have taught kindergarten, middle school reading, third grade, and fourth grade.  Right now, I am the reading enrichment teacher at Waller Elementary in Bossier City!
The #1 thing in my life ....yes....even above Joseph is the Lord.  I try to seek His will daily.  I love my relationship with.  Christ is at the center of most of the decisions that I make.  I am human after all and that is where God's grace comes in!  The Lord has been very gracious to me and I hope I use the gifts He has given me to the best of my ability.  I love to encourage others and be supportive.  Well enough about me....now it's Joseph's turn!!
Most importantly is my relationship with Christ!  He is the center of everything in my life.   I try to follow His ways...but I must admit that it doesn't always go the way He would  want it.  That's the beauty of grace! 
A LIL'  BIT 'BOUT JOSEPH
I was born in Century, Florida in 1971. I was raised in Jay, Florida.  I have two sisters and one brother.  I am the baby of the group and according to my siblings the "FAVORITE".  I have decided not to argue that any longer.  I mean what is there not to love about me? HA!HA!  I know that as a family we have been raised to always be there for each other and I know my family has for me.  My Mom and Dad have also been pivotal in my life.  Through their guidance I have learned the love of Christ Jesus.  I served for period of time as Children's Minister for Cinco Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach, FL.  I have been in retail for over 16 years.  I know God has a purpose for me in each place and job he puts in our path.  As Kathy stated we have lived in many places and in each place God used many different people like  puzzle pieces, that took shape and fit into .each of our lives.  I am so thankful to God for allowing Kathy to come into my life and will always remember December 18, 1993, the day we were married as the day God allowed us to become one.  Since our move to Bossier City, God has once again put so many special people in our lives and has called us to a church that we absolutely love.  For anyone searching for a church or just curious where we are at it is Willowpoint Baptist Church. My relationship with Kathy is totally blessed by God.  I have one of the most supportive wives that God has created.  Besides my time with the Lord there is NO One I would rather spend my time with.  I absolutely love to do everything with her.  I enjoy encouraging others and using whatever gifts the Lord has allowed me to have be used for Him.  I have currently been with Shoe Carnival going on 7 years now.  The Lord has blessed me with this company and I am very thankful that I have my position here in  Bossier City.  Thank you Lord for being so awesome!

The Call to Adopt

In a response to the Lord's call on our life to adopt, Joseph and I have decided to begin a blog to journal our journey through this process.  We welcome all and most especially welcome your prayers and we take our first steps down this path. 


Kathy