What's in a Name

We finally decided what Vera's middle name will be. It was a big decision. I mean, she'll be stuck with it for the rest of her life. We want to give her a name with meaning. And there were 5 of us in the discussion. We had a great time throwing out ideas and looking up the meanings of different names.

Do you remember what the name 'Vera' means? Faith.

Before we knew that, when we were discussing her middle name, I told Jon that the only name that kept coming to me was Faith. Then we found out Vera means faith. We still like the sound of Vera Faith (a lot), but then her name would be like Faith Faith. Which isn't terrible or anything, but...

As we were throwing out names, we each had a favorite. We wanted to pick a name that could end up being her first name in case she ever decides she doesn't want to be called by her birth name. I guess it's pretty common for kids adopted from overseas to eventually want nothing to do with their birth country, including their birth name. So, we're thinking of names that we can say with Vera. We'll call her both names until we know what she wants to be called.

Anyway...

Jon still likes Faith. I do too. Vera Faith.

I also like Grace, which means Gift of God. It fits, don't you think? Vera Grace.

I also like Hope, but Jon didn't care for it. Vera Hope.

I also thought of Joy, but had mixed feelings since that is the middle name we gave Leanna. But then I thought it would be neat for them to share that. Jon thought it was too cliche, whatever that means. Vera Joy.

Jacob really likes Kathryn, which means pure. He kept saying, "What about Kathryn?" Vera Kathryn. That works, don't you think?

Caleb likes Kate, a form of Kathryn. Vera Kate. (Very cute!) He also likes Hannah and Mary. Vera Hannah. Vera Mary. Just doesn't sound right.

Abbi likes Kate and Katie, also a form of Kathryn. Vera Katie. Hmmm...

Jon didn't care for Kathryn. I thought it was cute.

We must have tried at least 30 different names to go with Vera. Many of them we laughed about. Many of them I said, "I am NOT calling her THAT!"

And then...someone said THE name.

We all said it a few times.

We all smiled.

We knew.

We found the winner!

So, her name will be...

Now, did you really think I was going to tell you?! No way! There has to be some sort of suspense for you! You already know it's a girl and you already know what she looks like!

Just know that her middle name is very sweet and simple and put together with Vera is full of meaning to us. You'll know why when you know her middle name. Until then...

Dear Vera

Dear Vera,

I wish I could tell you how excited we are to meet you! Our journey to you has been a long, windy one full of surprises around every corner. One day, when you're older and you know English, I'll tell you the story of how God brought you to us. It's really quite a story. There are many people who love you and have been fighting for you for a very long time. They are all quite excited to meet you one day. But no one is more excited than us!

Our dossier (which is just a big fancy word for paperwork) arrived in your country on Monday and is being translated into your language as I type. We hope to be submitted next Thursday and then we'll wait to hear when we get to come meet you. Daddy and I are SO EXCITED for that day to arrive! We've seen lots of pictures of you and even a video. We know what you look like and that you're walking all by yourself. We are so proud of you, Vera.

You have 2 older brothers and 1 older sister. Your sister, Abbi, has never been an older sister before, and she is very excited to fill that role for you. Your brothers are Jacob and Caleb, and they are both pros at being older brothers. I know you will not have any trouble with them. And from what I saw in the video of you, I have a feeling you'll whip them into shape in no time. Jacob is almost 14 and will start high school next fall. Caleb and Abbi are twins. They are 11 years old and are finishing up 5th grade. You will join our homeschool this fall and we will have a splendid time! We already have a shelf for you with lots of books that we can't wait to read to you.

We have a dog named Toby and a cat named Phoebe. Toby is very sweet and laid back. Though he may knock you over if he gets excited. We'll try to keep that from happening though. Toby loves kids, especially giving kids kisses. Have you ever been kissed by a dog? Daddy and I think it's icky, but you may like it and think it's funny. Whenever we ask Toby if he's excited to meet you, he wiggles and growls. Toby is kinda weird in that regard. When he's happy and excited, he growls. But it's cute and we love him. Phoebe, the cat is mostly Abbi's, but she sure does enjoy your bed. A lot. Don't be surprised to find cat hair all over your bed.

We are all ready for you...well, as ready as we know to be. We still need to find a stroller that you'll fit in, but your room is all ready. We hope you like it. Jacob, Caleb and Abbi helped me get it ready for you.

Well, sweet girl, I will close for now. Know that we think about you and pray for you every day. There are many, many people looking forward to your homecoming!

Love,

Mommy

Jonah

I didn't think I was going to write this. I was supposed to write something completely different. But here I am. Erasing the post I had in my head and replacing it with this. The story I had written is not the one God is writing.

If you're Facebook friends with me, you probably know about Jonah already. He's an orphan in Eastern Europe. He's in Vera' country. I learned about him after we committed to Vera. He desperately needs a family. I've read all about the place he will likely go when he's transferred, and just the thought of him there makes me weep. He doesn't belong there. No one belongs there.

I first learned about Jonah on March 1 and began plastering his darling picture on Facebook just about every day. There are a few people who love Jonah like I do and have been advocating for him. Several families have been interested in adopting him, but for various reasons, no one could commit to him. I even thought about us adopting him, but was advised not to by several people for several reasons. The main reason is that Jonah and Vera are in different regions. This means that if we were to adopt them both at the same time it would mean double everything - two dossiers, two court dates in two different regions, double money, double time in-country. Very difficult. Very expensive. Very time consuming.

So, I put it out of my mind. God surely must have a different family for Jonah. Right? Well, then where are they?! Surely it's not God's will for Jonah to take this car ride and do nothing all day, every day. For a few days, I just continued to pray for Jonah's safety and that someone would commit to him SOON. I checked the Reece's Rainbow website every night before bed hoping to see Jonah in the My Family Found Me section. Every night I went to bed praying that someone would find him tomorrow. I would watch him in this video and smile through tears. Surely his family is out there. What a little treasure he is.

And then I had the strangest thought. What if we ARE supposed to adopt Jonah with Vera? At first, I would dismiss the thought as soon as it came to mind. But it just kept coming, so I stopped to really consider it. I've always known we would adopt more than one. We're approved for two. Although when I would bring up the possibility to Jon he would say, "Just one for now, Amy." I told him that if I'm going to start school all over with Vera, it would be MUCH more fun if we had two to start over with. "Just one for now, Honey." He would say it with a smile.

Meanwhile, the thought of adopting Jonah just seemed to make sense to me. The more I prayed about it, the more peace I felt. Except for one thing. Location. I looked at a map and discovered that Jonah and Vera, while in different regions, really aren't that far away from each other. So, I asked a few people about the possibility of one of the children getting moved so that we could adopt them together. I was told the same thing by each person that I asked. "It's impossible." I must admit, this ruffled my feathers a bit and under my breath I said something like, "Pshh...impossible. Watch what God can do with 'impossible'!" And I began praying that if it was God's will for us to adopt them both that He would do the impossible and get them in the same region. I didn't tell Jon I was praying this way. Actually, I only told two people. Two people who I know love Jonah and would pray with me.

That was about the time I quit posting about Jonah on Facebook because, "What if someone saw him and committed to him before we could?" We found Vera through Facebook, so I knew the possibility was real. This was also when I began posting the following scripture on Facebook. If you were wondering about that, now you know the reason.

‎"Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

I will go before you

and will level the mountains;

I will break down gates of bronze

and cut through bars of iron.

I will give you hidden treasures,

riches stored in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the LORD,

the God of Israel, who summons you by name.

Isaiah 45:2-3

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:21 - 22

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

Mark 10:27

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

Mark 11:22 - 24

I believed God was going to do it. I really believed God was going to do the impossible and move one of them so they were in the same region. Then someone emailed me. Someone who was in Vera's country adopting from her orphanage. The same person who sent me the priceless video of Vera. She told me that Vera was all set to be transferred and the facilitator wanted to know how our dossier was coming. I asked her if she knew where Vera would be transferred to, and all she knew was that it would be to a different region because all the facilities in Vera's region were full. Can you imagine my reaction? Here I was praying and believing that God was going to move one of them and I get the news that Vera will likely be transferred very soon. Although I did worry about her being transferred, I was also very peaceful knowing that God was going to answer my prayer and move Vera to Jonah's region. They were both coming home together. That was when I told Jon about my secret prayers. After hearing the whole story, he agreed that if they ended up in the same region, we would pray about it. Well, I already believed it was going to happen. In my mind it was settled. We were bringing Vera and Jonah home together. I would have to stop myself in conversations. I would catch myself wanting to say, "When we bring the kids home..." Jon and I talked about a stroller for Vera one night and I didn't have the heart to tell him that we needed a double stroller.

Our dossier arrived in Vera's country on Monday. We're scheduled to be submitted next Thursday. I knew that if we were going to get Vera and Jonah at the same time, we needed to find something out soon as a few of our documents would need to change. I emailed our stateside helper Tuesday to find out if Vera and/or Jonah have been moved. I got the news yesterday. They are both safe in their baby homes. Neither one has been transferred. God didn't do it. Could He have? Yes, I am certain God could have done the impossible. But He didn't. Stubborn as I am, that was the not the end of it for me. I emailed our stateside helper back with all sorts of questions. What if this? What about that? None of her answers were what I wanted to hear. I was confused and sad and surprised. I believed so firmly that God was going to do this. But all the while, my prayer was, "If it is Your will, please get them in the same region."

Apparently it is not His will. So all morning I prayed and cried and cried and prayed. I kept asking, "How can I glorify You in this?" I had a completely different post written in my head to announce Jonah into our family. It was going to be a lovely God-story full of praise and awesomeness and glory. What was I supposed to write now? How could He be glorified in this? I took my Bible and devotion book out onto the deck and sat down with a heavy heart. I had one question. "Why, Lord? I don't understand." Though my heart wasn't in it, I opened my devotion book to yesterday's date. I was supposed to read John 13:3-20. I got to verse 7 and the tears came again.

Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I'm doing, but later you will understand."

And I knew. There was still one question that had not been answered by our stateside helper. There was still a faint glimmer of hope that I clung to. But with these words, I knew. It is not going to happen. And I cried. I grieved. I've lost another child. It's funny how your heart works. How you can love someone so much that you've never even met. I do love Jonah like he's mine. I feel like I did after my miscarriages with one difference. This time the child is not in a better place, safe in Heaven. This time I know what the child looks like. This time the child is out there waiting for a mommy and daddy to come get him. I so wanted to be Jonah's mommy. I had mentally moved all of our Thomas trains and track from under Caleb's bed to under Jonah's bed. I could picture him playing and having so much fun with the trains. Don't you just long to see a train in each of his hands and a smile on his face? I could picture Jonah and Vera playing in the tub. I could picture him at the kitchen table sitting in between Vera and Caleb drinking his milk. I saw him on Jacob's lap reading a book together. I saw him using Toby as a pillow on the floor as we watch Veggie Tales together and eat popcorn. I saw him delight in chasing Phoebe around the house trying to pull her tail and poke her eyes. I saw him in the pool with Abbi wearing cute little floaties.

Loss.

Grief.

How do I praise God through this? I went back and read this post that I wrote last year. It was comforting in a strange way to remember that the past 15 months have been full of grief and loss. God has brought us through all of it. Our faith has increased by leaps and bounds. Things seem to go one way and we think we know what's going to happen and then God throws us a curve ball that we never saw coming. We've learned to trust Him so much more. His plans are bigger and better than anything we can dream up. I remembered a post written by Beth Moore that meant so much to me not long ago. John 13:7 inspired me to look it up again. You can read the whole post here, and I know you will be blessed if you do. But here's the meat of it. (I know this is a long post, but I really didn't want to split it up into two. Please keep reading...good stuff.)

"Often I try to help God out with ideas. “Why don’t You do it this way?” Or, “why don’t You do so and so with so and so?”

I’m forever giving God workable suggestions about how He could – sometimes, if I may be so bold, should – handle something. Or someone.

Anybody else?

Don’t you know there are times He wants to say to us right out loud in our stubborn hearing, “Child, THAT’S NOT WHAT I’M DOING.”

Often, we just don’t know what God is doing. So often we think we do but, the truth is, we just don’t. Thankfully, He does. He really does. He doesn’t need our help. Our brilliant ideas. Or our last ditch efforts because He ignored our first ten suggestions. He just wants our cooperation.

He is constructing something beyond our human rationale. He knows in advance every piece – past, present, and future – that will be required for the finished work. He has all the patience in the universe to put it together. We see one little part and one little moment. He, the One who is, who was, and is to come, sees beyond the singular piece to every generation and condition He means to effect. Meanwhile, He works all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The one thing may not be good at all by itself. In fact, it may be horrendous. Criminal. It’s when He weaves it with all that comes before it and all that will come around and behind it that something good, something beneficial, emerges.

Never let Romans 8:28 become so familiar that you subconsciously fold it into your spiritual fairy tale file. It is as true today as it was the moment the Apostle dripped the letters on the parchment. Don’t blow them dry.

Maybe it’s not that God isn’t listening. Maybe it’s just that what we keep suggesting is not exactly what He’s doing. And, if that’s so, what He’s doing can only be better and more effectual than what we think we’d do in His place.

John 13:7 says something that keeps ringing in my ears.

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

Later.

LATER.

L.A.T.E.R.

We WILL understand."

I'm brought to tears again rereading the above. Not my will, but God's. Not my plans, but His.

Proverbs 16:9 says, "In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."

So, how can I praise God in this? How can I bring Him glory in my suffering? By continuing to trust Him and His plan. By believing His word and that one day I will understand why the answer to my prayer for Jonah is "No."

While I wait for understanding, I will continue to love and pray for Jonah. I have no doubt that he is meant for someone. As I said before, several families have been interested in him, but no one has been able to commit to him. So there MUST be someone out there for Jonah. Someone is supposed to go get him. I am praying fervently that Jonah's family finds him soon. This little love needs to come home.

What IS a dossier?

So, you probably saw the announcement on Facebook...

Our dossier is on its way to U-know-where. It should arrive on Friday.

A few people have asked me lately, "What exactly IS a dossier?"

Well...a dossier (pronounced dah-see-ay) is basically your life on paper. It begins with the homestudy which, for us, began with over 50 pages of paperwork. The homestudy and dossier are very similar in the paperwork.

The homestudy and dossier both include

Proof of employment

Proof of home ownership

Most recent tax return

Medical reports and copies of the doctor's license

State background check

The homestudy also includes

LONG application

LONG financial statement

Local background check

Federal background check

Birth certificates for all family members

Marriage certificate

Proof of health insurance

Many different consents

Pediatrician reports (if you already have children)

Proof of up-to-date pet vaccinations (if you have pets)

Septic tank letter (from the county saying your tank has been pumped in the last 5 years and is in good working condition)

3 reference letters

The dossier also includes

Adoption petition

The licenses of your homestudy agency and social worker

Passport affidavits

Petitions for Interpol

Letters of Obligation

Approval from US Immigration (the golden ticket)

Powers of Attorney

One of the big differences between the homestudy and dossier is that everything, EVERYTHING, for the dossier must be notarized and apostilled. The apostille basically certifies the notary and makes it official for a certain country. The kicker is that whatever state your document is notarized in, it also has to be apostilled in that state. Each state charges a fee for apostilling. We were married in Washington State, so our marriage certificates had to be apostilled there. Washington charges $15 per document. Jon's employment verification was notarized in California, so we had to pay their $20 (per document) fee to have it apostilled there. YIKES! Our proof of home ownership came from Michigan where they charge $1 to apostille each document. The rest of our dossier was apostilled here in Georgia, where the charge is $3 per document.

So...here it is. Our life on paper. Our dossier. 41 notarized, apostilled documents. Including our 11 page homestudy.

So, what now, you ask?

Our dossier should arrive on Friday. Then it takes a week or two to be translated. Then we wait for it to be submitted to the State Department on Adoption, which is done on Thursdays. Then we wait for approval. Then we wait for our travel date.

We wait. We wait. We wait.

And then

We GO!

Waiting

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

The average person spends anywhere from 3 to 5 years of their life waiting. We wait in grocery lines. We wait at the doctor's office. We wait while our gas tank fills up. We wait at the bank. We wait at the airport. We wait at restaurants. We wait at stop lights and traffic signals. We wait for ketchup..."Good things come to those who wait." We wait. We wait. We wait.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

Psalm 37:7

7 weeks ago today, Leanna signed a piece of paper sealing her future and ours. She cannot be adopted internationally because of that particular signature on that particular piece of paper. For over a year, Leanna waited for us to come get her and bring her home. She would email me weekly (sometimes every other day) asking when we're coming. How much longer? She was waiting. She was impatient. For over a year we waited to bring her home. We worked, we filled out paperwork until our fingers cramped, we held several yard sales to raise money, we prayed, we cried, we toiled. While doing all these things, we waited. We should be experts at waiting by now, don't you think?

Well, we're not. At least, I'm not.

I'm tired of waiting.

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Romans 8:25

7 weeks ago today, on Valentine's Day, I saw sweet Vera's picture for the very first time. And I cried. I knew she was ours. I knew we were supposed to go get her. Although the timing was questionable...I mean, though we knew it was coming, Leanna had signed the paper just that morning making a permanent decision that she would not be coming home with us. It was an emotional day all around. But there was no doubt that God had orchestrated it all. Leanna may never be an Evans legally, but she will forever be loved by us and considered our daughter and sister. Vera, though...Vera is who we're waiting for now.

Waiting.

The most difficult, frustrating part of adoption is the waiting.

Why must it take so long?

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

We're waiting for ONE more document for our dossier. ONE. The Golden Ticket. Approval from immigration. I called USCIS this morning to find out how long our approval will take. We've already been approved. But we were approved to adopt a teenager from Russia. So, our approval requires some changes. I was hoping this would be quick turnaround. I mean, we've already been approved...just a few minor changes need to happen. I was told today that the normal processing time is 75 days and not to call back for a status until that much time has passed.

75 days. Two and a half months.

Seriously?

Waiting.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,

I wait for God my savior; my God will hear me.

Micah 7:7

Vera turns 6 this week. Six years old. Vera has been waiting SIX YEARS for a family. She's been waiting SIX YEARS for a mommy and daddy. She's been waiting SIX YEARS for a sister and brothers who will love her and dote on her and treat her like the princess we're sure she is. SIX YEARS for snuggles on the couch and being read to by mommy. SIX YEARS to be held by her daddy's strong, gentle arms. SIX YEARS for hugs and kisses and prayers and getting tucked in at bedtime. SIX YEARS for a birthday party and cake and candles and presents. SIX YEARS to discover what the world is like outside her orphanage.

6 years. 2,190 days. And now she's supposed to wait another 75 days?

We're praying it isn't so. We're praying for God to move and get our approval to us pronto. Six years is long enough to wait, don't you think?

We wait in hope for the Lord;

he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice,

for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,

even as we put our hope in you.

Psalm 33:20-22

We would be honored if you would say a quick prayer right now asking that we get our I-171H approval as quickly as possible. Vera is waiting. After 2,190 days, she shouldn't have to wait any longer.

Update: The VERY DAY I posted this, our I-171H approval arrived in the mail!

Video of Vera!

So, one of my new friends-that-I've-never-met is adopting from the same baby home that Vera is in. This new friend was recently in U-know-where. This new friend was able to get a video of Vera! WOO HOO! It's one thing to see her picture...it's another thing to SEE her and HEAR her! Jon and I just got this about 10 minutes ago and have watched it over and over and over and over. We're mesmerized. We have questions. We're ready to go get her. We only need one more document and our dossier is ready to send. We still hope to travel in May and be home in June.

So, enjoy this video of our girl! She's walking WITHOUT assistance! Can't wait to get her home and begin physical therapy and get her walking easier. My friend said that Vera is VERY animated and talkative. Oh, I just CAN'T WAIT to meet her!

The Battle

Adoption is beautiful.

And redemptive.

Adoption is difficult.

And requires much prayer.

And sacrifice.

Adoption is joyful.

And sometimes sorrowful.

Adoption is a battle. Ephesians 6 tells us that our struggles are not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil. I don't think I've ever seen this more clearly than in the world of orphans and adoption.

Last week was hard for me. I could feel the raging war. I could almost hear the ring of the swords as the battle was fought. Good vs. evil. God and His warriors against Satan and his legion of demons. It was very hard to accept that Satan seemed to be winning last week.

The story of Kirill and the judge denying his parents their petition to adopt him - simply because he has Down syndrome. The judge told this couple they should pursue a 'normal' child because there was nothing wrong with their dossier. This judge would not deny them if they petitioned for a 'normal' child. This judge denied Kirill a family...solely because he has Down syndrome. Kirill's family is appealing the judge's decision. Please pray that this decision is overturned and that Kirill can come home.

Another family took their first trip to Russia and had the lovely 8-doctor medical experience. The psychiatrist told them they should consider adopting a 'normal' child because a child with Down syndrome doesn't know the difference between being held and lying in a crib 24/7. This mother was much more gracious with her response than I would've been.

The story of Carrington...a beautiful 3 year old girl...who weighs 11 pounds. She was on the brink of death when her parents brought her home a week and a half ago. Carrington's family adopted 2 girls from the same orphanage. One girl was a favorite at the orphanage (like our Vera) and was well loved and taken care of. Carrington was not a favorite. She was not deemed worthy by her caretakers. Carrington was put in a 'laying' room. Where many children are left to lie in cribs...until they die. Some are tied down so they can't roll around and bang against their crib. Others are drugged to make them sleep most of the time and keep them quiet. Carrington is holding steady at 13 pounds. Please pray for her continued growth and strength. The doctors are trying to get her strong enough for surgery.

A loving mother of 3 kicked out of her apartment and FORCED by her government to choose which of her 3 children would go to an orphanage. Those of you with more than one child, how does a mother make that decision? I can't even imagine. Please pray for this mother. She has two months to get her daughter out of the orphanage before the government begins to terminate her parental rights. She has a new job lined up but is in need of an affordable babysitter for her other two children.

Airplanes, carrying people on their way to adoption related appointments, catching fire and having to turn around.

My precious Jonah had a family. Then he didn't.

A friend of mine, hoping to adopt a teenage boy she hosted over Christmas, was crushed when he told her he didn't want to be adopted.

Children dying while they wait for their families to come get them.

Delays in our own pursuit of adoption.

People whose family and friends have turned their backs on them. For adopting a special needs child. This confuses me greatly. Isn't adoption supposed to bring families together? In some cases, it is tearing families apart.

Can you sense the battle? It's pretty fierce, isn't it? There is a war raging for orphans. As I see the Church awakening to the call to care for the orphans, I also see the enemy preparing to defend his territory. How I pray that as the Church continues to open her eyes to the orphan crisis that she also prepares to fight. The Church must arm herself.

Last week I felt defeated. Knocked around. Beat up. Discouraged. Part of me felt like giving up. Not with the adoption, but with the fight. The exhausting, painful, never-ending fight. Last week I don't even how many times I prayed, "Come quickly, Lord. What are You waiting for?" I found myself longing for Home more and more. It became painfully obvious to me that I am a foreigner here. I don't understand this world or the injustices that go on daily, moment to moment. I am ready for the Kingdom of Heaven. Restoration. Redemption. Creation has been groaning and eagerly waiting to be set free from it's bondage and decay. Last week I joined creation's chorus of groans.

I spent some time in Romans 8. I find so much hope here. HOPE. That's what I was missing last week. Of course...hope.

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:18 - 39

So now, my sleeves are up, the gloves are off. I am ready to get back in the ring and fight.

Who will join me?