A Fun Blessing!

We have been chosen for Lipscomb University's annual Adoption Rally!
Every year they set aside a basketball game as a fundraiser for families who are adopting.

Saturday, February 8th at 4:00
Tickets are $10.
100% of every ticket purchased in our name will go directly to our adoption.
Click Here to purchase tickets online.  Use code "AdoptYarbrough".

Butterfly All Day

"Do not conform any longer to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

Transforming Love.  It's true.  God's amazing Love keeps transforming me.  I can look back over the last year, amazed at the changes in my life, perspective and priorities.
It's nothing to my credit.  God is at work.  Only God can transform:  create new life.

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.  The old life is gone; a new life has begun." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Some moments I am that butterfly, burst forth from a cocoon of the old.  I fly in God's strength and am changed.  Then other times, regretfully, I am actually more like a toy - the classic Transformer.  Plastic transformers are meant for playtime:  one thing now - then something else later . . . but not a new creation.

Does a butterfly regress, fold up her wings and roll back into a sluggish worm?  Does she retreat from her gift for fear of flying?  Does she forsake her wings because she doesn't deserve them?  Do pride and distraction end her flight?
No. She is a butterfly.  Changed.  Transformed.  The wings are hers.  A gift from God.
Why do I spend my days as a Transformer?  Only temporarily altered.  One moment I am new, the next minute somehow old again.

I look ahead to all God has before me.  I don't even know most of it, but I know a caterpillar won't fulfill it.  I can see how I've changed, but I can also see how much more God needs to replace.
May I continually be transformed with no resemblance of the former.
Through God's grace, I will try to be a butterfly all day.

"The unfailing Love of the Lord never ends . . . His mercies begin new each day." - Lamentations 3:22-23

Surprise!

It's time for an update!

As you know we are "paper pregnant" - waiting for the final stage of our adoption.

But we want you to know, we are also pregnant-pregnant . . .

like "belly pregnant" . . . "bun in the oven" . . . "preggo".

Yep.  You read it right.  We are having a baby!

You probably have some questions, so
here are answers to some FAQs:

Yes, we are still adopting.

Yes, we knew we could have more kids.

Yes, I was on birth control. . .therefore, surprised.  :)

Our baby is due in June.

WE ARE EXCITED! - especially Drew and Kate

Long story short:  We will have #4 while we wait for #3.

Surprise!

Yarbrough, Family of 6

   Too many blessings to count!

DELIVERED!!!

Our "Spirit-Soaked" documents are now in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!

Woop! Woop!

Dossier Victory!

It's in the mail !!!!!!

At the Altar

It’s here!  The last piece of paper for our adoption dossier came in the mail!
Before we mail the whole thing to our agency, we want to literally lay it on the altar.  We are planning to pray over it at church tonight.
We want to ask you to pray along with us.
If you would, please join us in prayer this evening from wherever you are.  God will hear us agreeing together in a petition on behalf of the little girl who waits for us.

This dossier (packet of all our legal and family documents) is the most tangible connection we have to our process in Ethiopia.
The dossier will represent our family during the process.
The dossier will be on the table, front and center, as decisions are made.
We want to soak these papers in the Holy Spirit!

 Fact:  The wait time for orphans in Ethiopia is outrageous.
 Fact:  The time it will take for us to be matched with a little girl is indefinite.
 Fact:  God is sovereign in all things!
 Fact:  We are praying miracles of speed.
 
 Please
-Pray for the logistics of travel and approval to surround our documents.
-Pray for our documents to reflect the love in our hearts.
-Pray for God to supernaturally expedite our papers.

Fact:  God answers prayers!
We will begin EVERY DAY with the expectation that today could be the day we see a picture of our little girl.
Thank you for praying with us tonight and always!!

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And, we did!
 

Big House - Big Love

My kids inspire me!  They have the best love.
Drew and Kate are always playing together.  Age and gender mean nothing to their relationship.  Most of the time they are stuck together like one of those double popsicles.  They annoy each other sometimes, but they will spend HOURS in a nonstop run of imagination.  The icing on the cake is that my sweet pair not only love each other, but already love their little sister.  Every dream and plan they concoct for our family involves all three of our kids.  They set aside toys; dream of outings for a family of five; plan the new car seating arrangement; she is constantly included.  It blesses my heart, because it comes from such a pure place.

What I love even more is how they apply their love and dream so big.  They want everyone to have a family.  They want to do more.  They talk about it, and they are confused about the imbalance in our world.
Me too.

Just moments ago, they ran into the kitchen and said "We are the Super Team of Adoption".  They had changed clothes (again) and were on a mission to rescue all the children.
I said, "So, what do you do?"
With a super hero stance, Drew said, "We have super speed and a huge house for all the kids".
And off they went.  They continued their venture, finding lots of kids and taking them to do fun things.
In my head I started singing "Big House" by Audio Adrenaline. (I know. old-school from youth group days) It's a fun song, not a song that makes you cry.

Well now read some of the words to that song:

I don't know if you got a family
Say a mom or dad
I don't know if you feel love at all
But I bet you wish you had

Come and go with me
To my father's house
Come and go with me
To my father's house

It's a big, big house with lots and lots of room
A big, big table with lots and lots of food
A big, big yard where we can play football
A big, big house it's my father's house

All I know is it's a big ol' house
With rooms for everyone
All I know is lots a land
Where we can play and run

All I know is you need love
And I've got a family
All I know is your all alone
So why not come with me?

Come and go with me
To my fathers house
Come and go with me
To my father's house

It's a big, big house with lots and lots of room
A big, big table with lots and lots of food
A big, big yard where we can play football
A big, big house it's my father's house

It's a big, big house with lots and lots of room
A big, big table with lots and lots of food
A big, big yard where we can play football
A big, big house it's my father's house
My father's house

It is a fun song, but there's a real Superhero with a real Love that everyone should have.  One day we can all be Home together, but we need to bring every one to the Table now.  It's not just about bread and water.  It's about Bread and Water (John 6:35-40).

May I Love as big as my kids.  May my kids always Love big.