Signs of Love

Meet my dear friends Daniel and Jessie Fox :)



I must say, my family has been TRULY blessed by this amazing couple. We are privileged to have spent this time growing in community with them. They have been such a beautiful example of pure love for God and His people. They are willing giving up their careers, selling and giving away what they own to follow God's call on their lives. They serve others selflessly, no motive other than love and for God's glory. That is why I want to take the time to advocate for my dear friends and the journey they are about to embark on.


In February Jessie will be leaving for Honduras (Daniel will join her in March) for at least two years to work with an organization Signs of Love. Jessie will be working in the local school for special needs students and also providing literacy training for the Deaf leaders. Dainel reinventing their current micro enterprise. Together they will be filming for a native sign language program on a local television station, facilitating camps and retreats, mentoring young deaf, and implementing community development programs.

In case you are still scratching your head and thinking WHY??? Why would a young couple with their lives ahead of them give up great careers (which they love)leave family and friends and the comfort of all things that is home to go to another country to love on people they don't know. These numbers will explain their passion:


250,000,000 deaf or hard of hearing people in the world.

115,000 deaf in Honduras

200 deaf believers in Honduras


(As a whole the 4th largest unreached people group in the world!)

But we are more than just numbers...

...if you have a relationship with Christ Isaiah 43:1 says "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine!"

Christ died so He could claim every person as His and call them by name.

"How then will they call on Him who have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear [or see] with out a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" (Romans 10:14-15)

In this case I would say how beautiful are their HANDS as well :)






Would you please consider being a partner in all things BEAUTIFUL! My friends will need people to support them with prayer, one-time donations or monthly financial commitments. Please pray about how God might have you be a part of His mission among the deaf in Honduras!

Please check out their blog at

http://signsoflovefox.wordpress.com/

Thank you and God bless :)

Hallelujua! What a Savior!

Did you know the word HALLELUJAH is only used 3 times in the new testament? I was so blessed by this morning message. Until this morning I "thought" I always knew what the word ment. There is so much more to it! If you have the opportunity I encourage you to have a listen when it is posted:

http://www.austinstone.org/



I snapped some "Christmas Pictures" while the kids were dressed and ready to go for church this morning. One of these days I should do a post like my friend Amy did where she just posted the out-takes! HA! For now I will leave you with the giggling/hand holding version of my kiddos ;) Hope you enjoy :)

A messy but thankful heart.

I am sorry it has been so long that I have posted. I have had a bit of a messy heart lately and have not been able to get myself to a place to writing. How do I come here and describe to y'all what is going on inside of me? I want nothing more than to be real. This road I am on is changing me. For good in some ways, but in others like the other week I wonder if only time will heal or if I will ever be the same.

I was sitting at dinner with my family . Taking in the scene, my kids were happy, giggling, nibbling away on their food. My beloved was sitting across from me...the source of where the kids giggles were coming from. Taking it all in my heart *seemingly* full...then it hit, PAIN. My heart felt as if it was crumbling. SHATTERING PAIN! My ears tuned in on the worship song playing in the background. Hoping that would comfort my aching heart. No... that just made it worse! I could not ignore it, or run from it, "Oh Lord, she should be here with us!" I cried out, inside my now braking heart. As I looked around that table I could just see her with us. Sitting in her chair, sharing fries with Madelynn, crawling all over Nathan, making Noah laugh. I could not hold back the tears and they started pouring down my face. Nathan was taken a little back at first...LOL! Poor guy! But all I had to do was mutter "Selah" and he smiled and nodded as he usually does. I love that he gets me. Messy heart and all. I was able to pull myself together but this ache of mine does not just go away. It lays low and resurfaces at any given moment. Like when putting up and decorating the Christmas tree for example. It was bitter sweet.



The thing is, it just doesn't end there. Selah is not just my little one who I wait for. She represents all the waiting children in the world. My heart hurts for these children who deserve a family. I look around at the joys my children get to experience and I then I think of the precious faces who don't have a family to experience these things with. To have some one tuck them in at night. To hold them after they have had a nightmare. To celebrate every birthday and every Christmas with them. To teach them about Jesus! This is why I think my heart will never be the same. Even after Selah is home. I will continue to advocate and be a voice for those that don't have one.

Psalm 68:5
A father to the fatherless, a defender of the widows, is God in his Holy dwelling.

This is the very heart beat of God. As messy as it is for us. As heart braking as it is, his holy dwelling is found in the heart brake! We sing worship songs "brake my heart for what brakes yours" but do we really mean it? We pray things like "Give me your heart oh God." Do we REALLY mean it? Are we ready for what that might mean in our lives?

Needless to say... yes, I have a messy broken heart. Maybe it is not ment to be healed. Maybe I will never be the same. Maybe that is a GOOD thing. I want to be close to His heart.


As you all know our Pillow Pets fundraiser has come to an end. Thank you to all who participated! Our sales totaled $353.86 of which we will get 30%.Which means $106.15 will go twords our adoption fund !


Through this fundraiser we were able to meet a wonderful lady Sara Fleeman who has a big heart for adoption and God laid it upon her heart to support us in our adoption fundraising. She has graciously offered 10% of all her sales through her new boutique Snuggle Bunny boutique. How AMAZING is that??? Please check out her ADORABLE items here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Richmond-TX/Snuggle-Bunny-Boutique/121649164562603




also

my very sweet friend Jacqui has offered from now until the end of Dec to give 10% of all sales made in our name, to our adoption from her vinyl designs business! You can check her things out here:

http://www.myrefineddesign.com/



SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I just love it when we can come together with our gifts and talents to do great things! Thank you Jesus, may you be glorified!






In closing I would like to leave you with this music video. Be sure to hit PAUSE on the music at the bottom of the page if you are going to watch! It's such a beautiful song. I can't watch it with out crying. It speaks to the very pain within me. Yet it reminds me, beauty is coming. :)

Pillow Pets for adoption....what a FUNdraiser!

I am SO EXCITED to announce we are partnering with PILLOW PETS for our next FUNdraiser! How COOL is that?? Just in time for Christmas too! I was so thrilled when we got the e-mail! Here is the what, when and how of it all:

What: "The Coriell Family Adoption Fund"

When: Will run from November 1st-30th

How :

Step 1
Visit the website, www.mypillowpets.com

Step 2
Browse the site and shop the extensive line of cuddly pillow pets, blankets, backpacks, and slippers. Add your selections to your shopping cart.

*Step 3

(Very important)
At checkout, enter the promotional code “adoption” in the space provided at the bottom of the "checkout" page and complete the process. By this code they will know to credit us for the sale. Your selections will be shipped directly to you by Pillow Pets!

It’s that easy...at the end of the term, we will receive a check for 30% percent of all the sales! Which will go directly into our adoption fund! How great is that? You buy an adorable gift for your child/ren, or a Christmas gift for someone you love and it supports our adoption at the same time! It's a WIN WIN :)

* Helpful Tips*

Non-Pillow items (blankets,slippers,etc.) and Mini Pillow Pets that are sold out, will not be restocked until next year.

If the PILLOW/S you want are not available be sure to check back daily as they get their PILLOW shipments in DAILY :) (After a week into this I have yet to see them restock daily ;)PLEASE keep checking back though!

UPDATE:
Looks like they are finally updating their site with more stock! RUN don't walk..these sell out fast!

Here to model just a few of the MANY ways she loves on her Pillow Pet is my little one Madelynn :)

So don't delay! Order now in time for Christmas, get some great gifts and at the same time help us in our efforts to raise money for our adoption! Thank you and God bless!

Chosen Marathon , Chosen Heroes!!

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
2 Timothy 4:7
I got a *glimmer* of this verse this past weekend at
Chosen Marathon for Adoption .

Over 1200 people ran in support of adoption and adoptive families. Over $100,000 was raised! Praise God!!

Nathan ran to support our church's adoption fund. Which will help support adoptive families with the financial burden. It was so great to see many from our church running and crossing that finish line, including my niece Katie and her boyfriend Jay. Our dear friends from our community group Brian and Sid, you guys ROCK!!! All who ran are truly my heroes! They easily could have saved their money and slept in. Instead they spent one beautiful morning sweating it out along 13 miles of scenic New Braunfels Texas. All so that it would be made possible for children to be placed in their forever families!!! Heroes I tell you!

There is one hero though that I would love to draw your attention to ;) Yes that is him, the one with the look of determination on his face.





As this daddy was running he thought about his kids that God has blessed him with. He thought about the deep sweeping, overtaking love that he has for them. Then he thought of Selah who we have yet to meet. We have not been matched yet, not even a homestudy started. Yet God has placed her so strong in all of our hearts. As he was running, thinking of Selah and how that same love just swept over him for her. As he ran he would say " I am coming baby, I am coming."

Oh dear one, do you know how much you are loved??? You have been loved LONG before you were ever born. You have been WANTED for so very long. Yes ...as your daddy said, We are coming baby! We are coming!

The GREAT Provider!

Adoption fundraiser Yard Sale

Day 1:





Preparing for this fundraiser has been months in the making! With many of our amazing friends and family donating to our sale my prayer for one packed garage was answered!

Being that this Yard Sale is a 2 day sale, I thought "Hey, Friday might be our "slow" day but that's ok. It would give us an extra day of selling and even if only a few things sold, that was a few dollars more than we had before. But as of late I have really started to struggle with fear in a new way. Fear induced by other peoples words. People naturally and not meaning any harm at all, question why I would have a Yard Sale on a Friday?? Well....that's what they do out here ;) At least , that's what I have seen. But then I started questioning myself. Then doubting...would anyone even show up?? Would we be sitting out there like fools with our yard totally loaded and not a person in sight? "Oh God, it really doesn't matter if I look a fool. I just pray that you will bless this sale. Please help us! Bless our efforts, Send us buyers so that we can raise the money we need to bring Selah home! Keep showing us that you are with us and will provide!"



We got up at 5am (Yikes! I know but there was ALOT of stuff!) to get everything out and organized. We officially started at 7am and right at 7am people started pulling up! It was NONE STOP all day! What was really amazing was sharing with others about our adoption journey and the bonds and connections we made with neighbors and people in our community that we had never made before! To watch and listen to God moving on their hearts, I never want to forget these precious moments!



When we finally wrapped things up for Day 1 and got everything loaded back inside, we got the money together and counted it up..........$500 WOW...ok $800...$900 "No way!".....$1000! Finally when every last piece of change was counted.....$1128!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!! That was just on Day 1...and on a FRIDAY!!! In a still small voice I could hear Him whisper to my heart " He who is able to do exceedingly beyond what we ask or think!" He loves to not only show up but to show in ways that we don't expect. How great is our God?!?



Day 2

It did not take very long for that fear to creep back in. How is that??? God just moved a major mountain and did a miracle, what a miracle it was! However we are made of flesh and in keeping it real I will be honest with you with my struggles. Fear DID creep back in and the next day I started having thoughts as we set back up. "Well, you sold most of your big stuff yesterday. Surly today wont be as good." What they heck kind of thoughts are those? Even if we did not do "as good", yesterday was such a BLESSING it should not matter! I quickly tossed those thoughts out. I would not allow them to have a place. This day belongs to the Lord as did yesterday. "God, I give you this day. Please bless it. May we be a blessing." Things started off slow then all of a sudden the WAVE hit! Things and people started moving all around. I must take a side note here to say we were also so incredibly blessed with people stopping by to visit to bring us lunch and to help watch our children for us. We could not have done this with out them. To those of you, you know who you are. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Thank you, Thank you!!

By the end of day 2 we brought in another $700 dollars!! For a grand total of $1828dollars !! But wait there is more...sense then there has been a few more things that have sold our total is now at $1900 dollars. PRAISE GOD!!!

It is just mind blowing, I started off with a secret hope that maybe just maybe we could earn $1000 over the 2 days. I really did not know if it was even possible and I was not holding onto any expectations, I just turned it over to God the great provider asking that he would help us and provide. Not only did He provide but he near doubled it :)

That leaves us at $2700 to go to cover our homestudy and agency fees. We still have a few more months to come up with it but as we all know there is going to be MANY more fees and payments to fundraise for in the future. There is so much work to be done but God is faithful and He is spurring on my faith. Ever so gently whispering "I am here, I am with you, do not worry! I will provide. It is my Joy!"

A Brother's Prayer.....

Tonight was like any other night, we got on our "cozzies" (pajamas), brushed teeth with Spiderman tooth brush and crawled into bed with Grover.







I said a goodnight prayer over Noah, and sang our special song. We have done this sense he was a baby. I love this time with him. Especially now that he is older and he participates with me. It gives me such insight into his world. His little mind, what he thinks about....his faith. After I prayed I asked him if he would like to say a prayer. "Yes." He said with a big smile. "Dear Jesus "We bless the adoption yard sale. We bless that you bring Selah home. We bless and have you open that box for her in Jesus name Amen."


Tonight...I knew what his little precious heart was thinking of . I gave him a big kiss and said "You are such a good boy!" He said "Yeah but Selah is a crying baby right now ." I said "Why?" He said "Because she does not have a Mommy and Daddy. But don't worry, you can be her Mommy and Daddy her Daddy. I can be her big brother and Madelynn her big sister." I wrapped my arms around that little guy and kissed him up some more!! Holding back tears I said "Selah will be blessed to have you as a brother Noah. I love you!" Noah has talked about Selah before but there was something different about this moment and in this brother's prayer. It was no longer a subject to him, it was reality. Somewhere along the line his child like faith embraced in his heart his soon to be sister and in this moment he was announcing it!



Then I paused and thought about his prayer.... "Noah, what box were you talking about in your prayer for Selah? He said "The one in the garage that was given for our yard sale. We can open it for a surprise for Selah."



This is the box he was talking about.








It was donated to our yard sale by a good friend along with a bunch of other stuff her daughter had out grown.Something about this "box" made him think of her. I find it interesting sense it has pandas on it. When I opened it I found some old shoes, when I removed the shoes I found two little baby dolls :)



Just like Noah said " a surprise " indeed! Needles to say I will be buying this "box" and "baby dolls" off myself and it wont be making it into the sale.


I love how God uses our little ones to see things we would completely miss with out them. They may be "little" but they have great FAITH! Their love is pure and there are so many lessons to be learned from them. We just have to take the time to come off our high horse and meet them at their level. It's a beautiful view ...