With Adoption

This is my friend Jamie.

 She lives in Michigan not too terribly far from my in-laws. We became friends when they were stationed in Virginia with the Navy. We try to get to see each other at least once a year, but sometimes it is every other year. She and her husband Sam have two adorable children whom I love very much. They also live very near Jamie's parents whom I love as well. Their whole family is very special to me because they like to adopt things.

Jamie and Sam 

 Collectively I can't even count how many animals they have added to their home/ranch/deer preserve. Jamie and her mom ride horses as well as barrel race them. Her dad runs a huge deer preserve. Her sister breeds Yorkies. All around, whenever you go to visit, you will see animals.

My son Chad enjoying their pet donkey.

Daughter-in-law Kaye feeding a deer.

Jamie's dad with a pet deer and her baby.

 Jamie loves animals, but there was something that she loved more and wanted very badly. Jamie wanted children. She and Sam always wanted children, but it wasn't happening for them. Several years went by and still no baby. Jamie prayed a lot and waited. One momentous day this happened.

 We were all so excited! We kept on praying and for awhile everything looked okay. However, at 26 and 1/2 weeks her daughter Jenavive was born.

Daddy comforting her

Momma for the first time.

 She was so so tiny and we didn't know if she would survive. God had other ideas though, and Jena grew and grew and is now a healthy little girl who loves to ride horses just like her momma.

Jena waving bye bye to the hospital.

Sweet sweet baby

Daddy's girl

Jamie and the desire of her heart.

 Sam and Jamie loved their precious girl, but God had another surprise for them. A sweet boy from Columbia was made available for adoption, and through a serious of miraculous events, they brought their son Sean home to the states about a year and a half after Jena was born. They look like twins because Sean is big and Jena is small, but I think a year separates them in age. They are two of the nicest kids you will ever meet, and Jamie is an excellent mother.

First picture as a family.

First time to fall asleep with Mommy.

Siblings

Guess what? They love animals!!

Four generations

 I tell you all this, because just like her animals and her kids, Jamie has adopted me and my family. She doesn't care that we aren't her "real" family. She just accepts us for who we are. The word adopt can mean several things, but the definition I like is: to choose or take as one's own: make one's own by selection. Jamie chooses to love me. She chooses to love my kids and she chose to make someone else's child her own. Did you know that God does this with us too. If you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and asked Him to forgive your sin and save you from an everlasting punishment that you deserve, then you are adopted in to His family. John 3:16 says, "For God so love the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." If you have never been adopted in to God's family, I hope you will consider asking Him to be your Eternal Father. Friends need to be adopted. Jamie models God's love to me in lots of ways, but her desire to adopt others is truly Christlike. I pray you will join her, and Flood your life.