The Brady Bunch!

Putting Things in Perspective

We haven't figured out yet where we are going to display this picture of Benjamin's father, but his tired eyes and weary face are clear reminders to us of the divine privilege and God-ordained responsibility which we have to parent Benjamin.

Poor. Widowed. Childless.

We very much feel like he is a part of our family.

This picture also reminds us of the silliness and pettiness which are too often a part of our little American lives.

Giving and Gaining

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.

Jim Elliot

Loving Miss Ruby, Knowing God, and Adopting Benjamin

Twelve years ago this month, a dear, godly lady named Ruby Schoonover gave Todd a copy of Knowing God by J.I. Packer (InterVarsity Press, 1973). Knowing God is not just one of those books you read. It is a book you read and read again and again and again. You mark it up. You highlight it. It's pages are brown at the edges. You devour it.

For two years, Todd preached the gospel in Miss Ruby's church. Twelve years and four boys later, we still find ourselves reading in this classic. Little did we know that Packer's words about adoption in chapter 19 would one day resonate so profoundly with us. What we once acknowledged with our minds, we are now experiencing with our hearts and lives. Adoption is a rich theological concept, but at our house adoption is now more than just a concept--he's a boy named Benjamin who is crawling around on the floor!

You should have and devour your own copy of Knowing God, but here are some choice words on adoption from Packer:

What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father.

If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God's child, and having God as his Father. If this is not the thought that prompts and controls his worship and prayers and his whole outlook on life, it means that he does not undertand Christianity very well at all.

Our understanding of Christianity cannot be better than our grasp of adoption.

Our first point about adoption is that it is the highest privilege that the gospel offers.

To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is a greater.

Our second point about adoption is that the entire Christian life has to be understood in terms of it.

Adoption, by its very nature, is an art of free kindness to the person adopted. If you become a father by adopting a son or daughter, you do so because you chose to, not because you are bound to. Similarly, God adopts because he chooses to. He had no duty to do so. He need not have done anything about our sins except punish us as we deserved. But he loved us; so he redeemed us, forgave us, took us as his sons and daughters and gave himself to us as our Father.

We love you Miss Ruby!

Why?

According to an international Children's Ministry Organization,


25,000 children

throughout the world

DIE

every day

from MALNUTRITION and PREVENTABLE DISEASES.


With this being the case, what are we doing playing the kinds of games we are playing with our lives?

God Moves in a Mysterious Way

Dear Matiwos,

As we write these words, it is Monday morning here in America. The Monday sun has already shone on Ethiopian soil for most of your day. We can hardly believe it, but there are four little boys who have just begun to stir in our home. We thank God for Jack, William, and Isaac. And at this time, we are especially grateful for Benjamin.

Arriving home and watching his three brothers welcome him was simply more than we could take in. There were kisses and hugs galore. We will never forget the boys touring Benjamin throughout the house and showing him every nook and cranny of his new home. The best line of the evening was “Benjamin, this is YOUR room!” Indeed, there is no doubt that he is a very real part of the Brady Bunch!

Thank you for making the time to travel the long eight hour journey to Addis Ababa to meet us and have a brief time together on Saturday. We realize that you may never read these words, but writing them seems so helpful to us.

We will never forget our momentous meeting on that Saturday morning before leaving Ethiopia.

How heartbreaking it was to hear of Abayenesh’s death just hours after Benjamin was born on April 13, 2009. Since you were married to her for just two years, we can only imagine how deep your pain of loss continues to be. It was such a delight to hear you talk about Benjamin’s mother the way you did.

We grieve with you that a simple lack of medical attention cut her 24-year-old life short. We are so thankful for the diligent effort that you and your in-laws made to keep Benjamin for five months. However, we are also thankful for your belief in God and his Son, Jesus Christ, and for your trust in God’s providential watchcare over him. How difficult it must have been to hand him over to the orphanage—not knowing what would eventually happen to him.

On your side of the planet, life seemed to be falling apart as you lost your wife and only child. But simultaneously God was stirring in our hearts and preparing us for another son here on this side of the world.

God has given us a love for Benjamin that cannot be explained. We know that your heart-wrenching loss has resulted in a divine and overwhelming blessing for us. We will never understand the particulars of God’s workings, but “…we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

As we said through two interpreters on Saturday, we promise to provide for, protect, and parent Benjamin. We promise to love him. We promise that he will be able to have that which you have always longed for—an education.

We continue to be overjoyed at your belief in God and His redemptive work through Christ. You may rest confidently in the fact that Benjamin will hear the gospel. He will be raised in a God-centered, Christ-exalting, gospel-driven home, and he will hear often the good news of God’s great mercy for us in Christ.

Hearing that you are a singer in your small Christian church makes us realize why Benjamin loves music! The nannies at the transition home told us, and we have seen it for ourselves—whenever he hears music, Benjamin immediately begins dancing.

As we laid our hands on you and prayed for you on Saturday morning, we promised to continue praying for you for the rest of our lives. We will. How grateful we are that you now have pictures of our family. How grateful we are that we now have pictures of you. We look forward to Benjamin learning about you and the God whom you love.

More than ever, we are now mindful of the fact that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

John’s vision seems clearer than ever to us—“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9-10)

As we all gathered around Isaac’s crib late last night, all things seemed as they should be. As we have sung each night for months, we sang again, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

We pray for you. We thank God for you. We love you. We love Benjamin, and we thank God for His only Son, the Christ, whom He has given to us.

May each of our mysterious and divinely-ordained stories bring much glory to our great God in the years to come, and we look forward to that day when He will finally make all things right.

Your son’s parents,

Amy and Todd Brady

Visiting Orphans...Remembering Their Plight...Doing What We Can

Today we toured two orphanages--one which once housed Benjamin for a few days before he came to our adoption agency's transition home. The visits were tough to endure as the conditions were less than acceoptable, but we of course fell in love with the many children living there. In light of our visit, and in light of the fact that there are over 144,000,000 million orphans in the world, we call your attention to words which we recently wrote on our blog, and we hope that you will consider what your response will be to the plight of orphans in the world.

Are you reading this because you're thinking that adoption might be for you? Perhaps you're considering adoption--something you have never thought about before. Maybe you're sitting there thinking, "A while back, I would have never even considered adoption." Now look at what is happening!

Here are some thoughts that might be helpful to you as you think about going down the road of adoption.

How do you confidently move forward through the process of adoption when so many questions and uncertainties continuously swirl about you? Not only are there your own questions like, “Are we going to be able to pay for this? How is this going to work? Will a new child fit in well with our family?” or “Are we out of our minds?” Others are also asking questions. Sometimes, well-meaning friends and family members ask questions which can sometimes be discouraging and unhelpful. Let’s just admit it. The occasional question flowing from a critical spirit of another person can often be like a cold, wet blanket thrown over expectant parents’ joyful enthusiasm about their soon-coming child.

Traditionally, people in the United States have adopted both domestically and internationally. In 2009, over 12,000 children were adopted from other countries. Adoption currently seems to be growing more popular among Christians as churches are waking up to the mandate to care for orphans (James 1:27). Several families in my church are in the process of adoption, and I know of many others elsewhere.

One of the most repeated questions about international adoption goes something like, “Why would anyone adopt from a foreign country when there are so many children who have needs right here in our own country?”

Indeed, there are truckloads of needs when it comes to the children of our own society. Over 3 million child abuse cases are reported every year in the United States. More than half a million children languish in our foster care system. However, understanding that 147 million orphans live on the planet, the following realities are great reminders as each of us seeks to walk the adoption journey God has laid out for us.

Different People Live Out Their Convictions Differently

The “calling” of God is like a snowflake—no two callings are the same. Each of us certainly has the responsibility to live our lives and do what we feel is best for us. However, all of us are different, and we all go about living our lives in different ways.

When we decided to adopt our son, we found ourselves with three children already and desiring to add to our family as quickly as possible. As what hair Todd did have was quickly turning gray, we each realized that neither of us was getting any younger! So with a desire to minister to a child by bringing him into our family and with a desire to go about doing this as quickly and as affordably as possible, we chose to adopt a male infant from the country of Ethiopia. This was the simplest, quickest, most affordable, and best route for us.

Should everyone adopt a male infant from Ethiopia? Of course not. For us, adopting from Ethiopia is the right thing for us at this time. Is domestic adoption a great way to care for orphans right here in our own country? Absolutely! Whatever you do, be faithful to God, live with conviction, and do what is best for you.

Doing Something is Better than Doing Nothing

Yes, there are millions of needs right around us. Yes, there is much that we can and should do to care for orphans and needy children in our own country. However, the question pitting international adoption against local needs may very well be a veiled disguise of a heart which simply longs to do nothing.

Todd's grandmother used to say, “It takes little size to criticize.” A century ago, Teddy Roosevelt famously said,

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

If you are called to do something, don’t allow others to prevent you from doing what you know you are supposed to do.

The Greatness of Needs Everywhere Should Not Prevent Us from Doing Something Somewhere

A boy was walking on the beach. Every so often, he would pick up a starfish and throw it back into the ocean—saving the starfish’s life by tossing it back into the water. Someone said to him, “There are starfish all over the beaches throughout the world. When you think about how many there are, don’t you realize that you’ll never make a significant difference?” The boy thought for a moment, looked at the starfish in his hand and said, “Well, I’m making a difference for this one!”

Truthfully, none of us will ever make a world-wide impact which garners the accolades of millions. However, such a thought should not immobilize us. There are plenty of needs to go around. Let each of us seek to be about meeting needs—alleviating pain and suffering wherever we can.

Ultimately, Each of us is Responsible to God

As I live my life, I must remember that I am to live my life. I do not have the responsibility to live another person’s life. There is only one head which I lay on my pillow each night—mine. And ultimately, I am responsible to God.

In the end, only God and what he thinks matters. In the end, we will all have to answer to him. In the end, the accounting will be with God. As in how I spend my money, how I use my tongue, how I treat my neighbor, how I treat my body, and more—how I go about caring for orphans is ultimately an issue to which I will answer to God. When it comes to adoption, whether it be “international” or “domestic”—each of us must follow what we feel God would have us do.

The Great Commandment and the Great Commission are Calls which are to be Universally and Indiscriminately Applied

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). He also said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28: 19-20). The Great Commandment and the Great Commission are the twin engines which propel the believer’s life. As we go about loving others and sharing the gospel with others, let us remember that we have a duty to love all and to make disciples of all. We are not to be picky with our love. We are not to be choosy about the recipients of our love.

Adoption is a wonderful journey. It’s a beautiful picture that reflects the love God has for us. As you walk down the path God has for you—whether it be “international” or “domestic”—remember that your adoption journey is God’s adoption journey for you.

May God bless you on your journey!

Permanent and Final

"Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the deeps." Psalm 135:6

After all the excitement, today we were able to rest a bit.

Benjamin took an afternoon nap (along with Daddy) and then we spent some time relaxing up on the roof of our guest house. There is a great view of the entire city, and there's also a play room where Mommy and Benjamin played with the fun balls.

We ended the afternoon on the swing. Every time the swing slowed down, Benjamin started rocking back and forth because he wanted to swing BIG. He also liked Daddy's sunglasses. Isn't he so cool?

The one To Do item today was our US Embassy appointment where we were to receive the original copy of Benjamin's birth certificate.

No cell phones. No cameras. No iPods. No electronic devices. No air circulating in the Embassy Offices!

We all took our passports and our babies and sweated our way through the hot and sticky rooms.

The final stage of the Embassy Office journey was a dingy 2nd floor room where we stood before an attendant behind thick glass. We stood there holding Benjamin, and the lady asked us to raise our right hands, swearing that the thick file in front of her was true and accurate. After we thought, "Do you realize how hard it is to raise your right hand while holding a baby?" we said "Yes."

A litany of Yes/No questions followed. With Amy being the one who has facilitated this entire process, Todd just stood there and let her answer. (Not a hard thing for Todd to do.)

The final question was "Do you realize that this adoption is permanent and final?"

We immediately thought "Permanent and final???" "You're asking us if we realize that this adoption is permanant and final??? Lady, you bet this adoption is permanent and final! We haven't prayed like this and come this far for things to not be permanent and final!"

We answered that "Yes, we realize that this adoption is permanant and final." However, as we said those words we wondered if the stoic lady behind the glass realized how permanent and final this adoption actually was.

We walked out with Benjamin and birth certificate in hand resting in the confidence that this was permanent and final a long time ago.

The United States government didn't make Benjamin's adoption permanent and final. The Ethiopian goverment didn't make Benjamin's adoption permanent and final. Our adoption agency didn't make Benjamin's adoption permanent and final. God is the One Who has made Benjamin's adoption permanent and final.

God knew that Benjamin would be a Brady long before the foundation of the world. We'll never understand the mysteries of how God worked, but he knew that Benjamin would have a Mommy and Daddy who would love him and that he would have three fantastic brothers who would share life with him.

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:11-12)

Permanent and Final.

God has made it so.

Permanent and Final.

What a Great Day!

We got him!

In the world of adoption, many call this the "Gotcha Day." But we think he is the one who may have gotten us--not sure which. Either way, Benjamin is with us.

Most of our friends who are in the United States are currently enjoying their afternoon, but our full day has wound down.

The four couples who are a part of our group filled out paperwork and had a brief orientation over lunch. We then headed back to the transition home to pick up our kids.

Benjamin stayed in Mommy's arms while we talked to the transition home nannies, nurses and doctor. How grateful we are for the good care and love Benjamin has received over the almost five months. Seeing all the workers kissing on Benjamin sure made us feel good. We asked his primary nanny what she might want us to do. Through a translator she told us, "Just love him and take good care of him." Not a problem!

On the way back to our guest house, we stopped at a local grocery to buy some extra formula for Benjamin. (While there, Mommy, Daddy, Grandmamma, and Grandad also picked up some chocolate and diet Coke…items which make us all feel better!)

At supper, Benjamin ate most all of Mommy's rice. Then we hiked up the five flight of stairs for bath time in our room.

After Benjamin had his bath (which we are told he loves--and which seems to indeed be the case), Amy decided to take a shower and then put him down for the night in his crib.

We made a pallet on the floor for Benjamin to play on until Mommy came back. Within a matter of minutes and before Mommy arrived, Benjamin scooted around in a circle four times, then lay down. In seconds, he was out like a light.

As he dozed off into La-La Land, he didn't make a noise. But we are confident he went to sleep tonight thinking "I'm finally with Mommy and Daddy, and I'm closer to home than I've ever been."

Our Benjamin!

We arrived in Addis Ababa, ate a quick lunch and headed to "meet" Benjamin. We were able to spend about 45 minutes with him this afternoon!

He was overwhelmed by the paparazzi of parents all teeming around and taking his picture, but he went to mom and everything was ok. He got a little nervous with the crowd, and his nervousness showed up in a big way in his diaper! We got him changed, took him back outside, and he immediately fell to sleep in Amy's arms holding on tightly to a new ball we had brought to him. Benjamin was then moved over into daddy's arms and he slept the rest of our visit.

Tomorrow afternoon, we head back to the transition house to get him. Then he is with us the rest of the way!

Meeting him today and holding him was the climax of a long journey. We love him so much, and after tomorrow, he will finally be with us.

Jack, William, and Isaac…Benjamin can't talk yet, but we saw it in his eyes--He can't wait to get home and meet his brothers!

Grandad and Grandmamma

When this adoption journey started many months ago, we invited both sets of grandparents to go to Ethiopia with us when the time came. Gram and Papa graciously decided to stay behind and keep the boys. Grandad and Grandmamma (Amy’s parents) graciously decided to go with us. What would we do without our parents? They have been wonderful throughout the whole deal.

Ed and Kaye Houk (Grandad and Grandmamma) are our fellow travelers. We met them at the Nashville Airport on Saturday morning, and we are excited that they will be with us each step of the way throughout the next week.

Grandad is a great photographer (most people would have to pay good money to have him along on such a trip)—so we plan on having some great photos from our trip. As he is 99.9% of the time, Grandad will be the one who has taken most of the pictures you see of us Bradys.

We left Nashville on Saturday for New York, and then it was off to Dubai where we will spend the night before heading to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We should arrive in Addis Ababa on Monday morning—which will be during the middle of the night on Sunday in America.

Ethiopia is 7 hours ahead of our time.

Our plan is to post here as frequently as we can. We are elated that you are virtually going with us. We are told that there is internet service at the Guest House where we are staying.

Thanks for praying for us. Thanks for loving us. Thanks for journeying with us.

Grandad and Grandmamma, thanks for going with us!

Gram

While it doesn’t take a village to raise a child, we are finding that it takes almost an entire army to get ready to go across the planet to get one!

Having only four days to prepare for our international flight means that some serious wheels have been turning this week!

Where would we be without our friends and family? We are especially thankful for our church family—some of the greatest people on the face of the planet. We have known of their ongoing prayers and support, but folks have been coming out of the woodwork to help us as we prepare to head to Ethiopia.

There are so many details. Friends are mowing our yard while we are away. They are running errands for us—going to WalMart and other needed places. Folks are scheduled to do grocery shopping while we are away so that the life can continue at home for Jack, William, and Isaac. Friends and bending over backwards to help in any way they can.

Gram (Todd’s mom) is keeping the boys while we are away next week. Gram—the greatest Gram in the world has taken off work, has come to live at our house in Paducah, and is taking care of the boys. In some ways, she has the hardest job of anyone, but she will tell you there’s no place she’d rather be! As we spend the week on the other side of the planet, we’re sure glad Gram and her three boys will be doing life together. (The boys love taking funny face pictures with Gram.)

We’re also looking forward to coming home and introducing Benjamin to his Gram and Papa and his three brothers!

Thanks so much, Gram! We love you.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers for us on this journey so far.

Be sure and pray for Gram this next week. She has her hands full...and her heart!

Getting Ready to Leave...Going After Benjamin...Finding God in the Process

We leave tomorrow! Today is filled with last minute shopping, frantic packing, multiple phone calls, checking off list after list, mowing the yard, and making more final preparations to leave. And oh yeah, there's one more thing to do. We haven't even left yet, but we are already exhausted!

(We took a break from all the madness today to shoot the picture of us and our three boys.)

We're not sure which is harder--to travel across the world to get a child or to prepare the other three children to stay at home.

Tomorrow, we get on the plane in Nashville. In just a few days, we will have Benjamin with us there in Addis Ababa. In just a little over a week, Benjamin will call Paducah, KY home!

With each step along this journey, we are continuing to realize that this adoption is not so much about Benjamin as it is about God.

We are finding that there is indeed a hungering for God among folks in our church. Several families are experiencing God more than they ever would have imagined through the process of adoption. We are smack dab in the middle of that experience!

We can't wait to get our hands on Benjamin on Monday, and while we want to get our hands on him, God is the One who has gotten his hands on us!

Many have said to us "What a luckly little boy Benjamin is!" However, if anyone is "lucky," it's the two of us.

We are the ones whose lives are being changed, and we will never be the same.

Indeed, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

True Religion

A prayer as we pack and get ready to leave on Saturday...

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY,

I ask not to be enrolled amongst the earthly
great and rich,
but to be numbered with the spiritually blessed.
Make it my present, supreme, persevering concern
to obtain those blessings which are
spiritual in their nature,
eternal in their continuance,
satisfying in their possession.
Preserve me from a false estimate of the whole
or a part of my character;
May I pay regard to
my principles as well as my actions.
Help me
never to mistake the excitement of my passions
for the renewing of the Holy Spirit,
never to judge my religion by occasional
impressions and impulses, but by my
constant and prevailing disposition.
May my heart be right with thee,
and my life as becometh the gospel.
May I maintain a supreme regard to another
and better world,
and feel and confess myself a stranger
and a pilgrim here.
Afford me all the direction, defence, support,
and consolation my journey hence requires,
and grant me a mind stayed upon thee.
Give me large abundance of the supply of
the Spirit of Jesus,
that I may be prepared for every duty,
love thee in all my mercies,
submit to thee in every trial,
trust thee when walking in darkness,
have peace in thee amidst life's changes.
Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief
and uncertainties.

The Valley of Vision
Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Here We Go! Finding All in Him

We’re headed to Ethiopia this weekend!

For some time, we’ve been expecting the call to travel, but when it came this morning we still found ourselves overwhelmed.

We remember filling out the initial paperwork and putting it in the mailbox on March 10 last year. Now, here we are. A week from today, our son will be with us.

Today has been filled with frenzied phone calls, rearranged schedules, and even a quick trip to the hospital. In the midst of all the excitement, Amy fell down the stairs of our den and sprained her ankle. We are confident that she is going to live, but we’re not sure what Benjamin is going to think about that huge boot-like contraption on mommy’s foot when he first sees her.

When you’re in the process of adoption, lots of things go through your mind. Nine couples in our church are currently somewhere in the process of adoption! Our friends, Jody and Shannon Stivers got their son, A.J. today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Needless to say, adoption is on our minds a lot these days.

Our adoption process has taught us a lot. While we have learned much about adoption and orphans and the needs of children, we have been overwhelmed by how God has used this process to draw us closer to himself and to show us more of Who he is.

Truly, this whole deal has been a lot more about God than it has been about Benjamin. God has given us a great love for Benjamin, but he has given us a greater love for himself.

Our adoption journey has caused us to realize the gospel in a way that otherwise we probably would have never known. Adoption is one of the greatest earthly pictures of the gospel.

God took the initiative, set his affection on us, came to us, revealed himself to us and rescued us. We “…once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds," but Christ has “…now reconciled [us] in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present [us] holy and blameless and above reproach before him...” (Colossians 1:21-22). Romans 8:15 has grabbed us, and we don’t think we’ll ever read over that verse as quickly as we did before—“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry ‘Abba! Father!'”

Sometimes God doesn’t work the way you thought he would. Sometimes he does not answer our prayers the way we thought he would answer them. He works and he answers prayers better than we ever could imagine.

John Newton put it this way back in 1779:

I asked the Lord that I might grow
in faith and love and every grace,
might more of His salvation know
and seek more earnestly His face.

‘Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
and He I trust has answered prayer,
but it has been in such a way
as almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour
at once He’d answer my request
and by His love’s constraining power
subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of this He made me feel
the hidden evils of my heart
and let the angry powers of Hell
assault my soul in every part.

Yea more with His own hand He seemed
intent to aggravate my woe,
crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
humbled my heart, and laid me low.

“Lord, why is this,” I trembling cried;
“Wilt Thou pursue Thy worm to death?”
“Tis in this way,” the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for grace and faith.”

“These inward trials I employ
from self and pride to set thee free,
and break Thy schemes of earthly joy
that thou may’st find thy all in Me.

We're going to get Benjamin this weekend--but we realize that we're getting a lot more than we ever imagined.

Christ is all.

Gospel-Driven Adoption

A group of our best friends spent three days with 7,000 people in Louisville, KY at the Together for the Gospel conference. We spent our time together with Jason, Tammy, Rusty, Kelley, Jeremy, Glen, Steve, Josh, Tommy, and Justin, hearing the gospel, singing the gospel, praying the gospel, and fellowshipping in the gospel.

We were reminded that the gospel is to be the foundation and focus of our lives and our churches. We were encouraged in the gospel. We were emboldened by the gospel. We were thinking and singing about the gospel. How good it was to be with our dear friends—and how good it was for us all to be Together for the Gospel.

Our greatest need is the gospel—God’s gracious work of redemption through the person and work of his Son, Jesus the Christ. We need the gospel. Folks in our church need the gospel. People in our community need the gospel. The almost 7 billion people on the planet need the gospel.

Indeed, “For Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit” (1 Peter 3:18).

Indeed, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Throughout Together for the Gospel, our minds were often turned to ourselves, our three boys, and our church. Our thoughts were also very much with our fourth son, Benjamin (who turned one-year-old on April 13 in Ethiopia!) We are waiting any minute to get the call telling us that we will soon travel to go and get him.

God has given us a heart for adoption, but we are even more amazed at the heart that God has given us for himself and the gospel. We want God, but we want to want God a lot more than we currently want him!

For us, the gospel is motivating our adoption of Benjamin. We want the gospel to motivate our every thought, word and action. We want to give Benjamin a “better” life. We want to give him a “good” home. We want to bring him into our family. But more than all those things, we are praying for Benjamin to hear the gospel and embrace the gospel.

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ” (Romans 11:17).

Bringing him into our home will guarantee that he hears the gospel, and we are praying that the entire Brady Bunch might one day be Together in the Gospel.

Benjamin, Salvation, Children, Reflectors, and Lights...

Getting ready to go get Benjamin has got us thinking about salvation like never before. Even now, we are praying for Benjamin’s soul—just as we are for Jack's, William's, and Isaac’s.

In addition to adopting Benjamin, other circumstances have us thinking about salvation. We just walked through Holy Week and had a wonderful Easter celebration with our church family. Our church is hosting an upcoming funeral for a couple from another faith tradition who were tragically killed last week. In addition, for the last couple of months a father at our church has been talking with Todd about his daughter’s salvation. The father recently called and wants for him and his daughter to have lunch with Pastor Todd to talk about what God has been doing in her life.

Jesus told his disciples, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). He also said “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit (John 3:8).

God’s work of salvation is a mysterious miracle.

God’s work of salvation in the life of a child is an even more mysterious miracle.

As parents, we want to be faithful to the words of Deuteronomy 6:6-7—“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

We’re teaching God’s Word to the boys as diligently as we can. We are talking about his commandments every chance we get…when we’re at home, when we’re walking by the way, when we’re lying down, and when we rise. Literally, all the time!

Shepherding children in the midst of God’s working of salvation requires parents’ diligence and discernment. Too often, children are easily swayed into receiving false assurance about salvation and are not properly equipped with the understanding of what God has done or may be doing in their lives.

We have the responsibility to lead our boys to Christ, and we have the responsibility to ensure that they understand God’s salvation to the best of their ability. Therefore, we teach them.

When the father in our church called Todd about his daughter, he said that a while back his daughter had said she “asked Jesus into her heart.” The father responded by asking her what she meant by “asking Jesus into her heart”—making sure that she had an understanding of the simple gospel. He was elated that his daughter not only spoke of God’s love, her sin, Christ’s death, and her repentant trust in Christ, but that she also showed observable signs of a new heart in her everyday living.

Several weeks ago, Daddy got a new bicycle. Four-year-old William asked what the red thing on the back was. Daddy explained that it was the “reflector,” and that at night when a car’s light shines on the bicycle, the light would reflect (like a mirror) and people would be able to see Daddy riding his bike.

For several minutes, William tried to say “reflector.” He said, “flerector.” He said, “lefector.” He said, “relector.” After growing increasingly frustrated, William said, “Daddy, I’m just going to call it a ‘light,’ because ‘flerector’ is too hard to say.”

Daddy said, “No you’re not, because it’s not a ‘light.’ It’s a ‘reflector.’”

Kids need guidance. They are continuously learning about the realities around them, and they need the right words which correspond to the realities they are experiencing—especially for something as important as salvation.

We are praying that God will give us wisdom as we give our boys the kind of guidance they need.

My Parents are Coming Soon!

How about that smile!?!

We’ve been getting regular updates on Benjamin since we received his referral. And while we’re ready to go over there and get him, it sure is good to get information and pictures!

As you can see, Benjamin is looking good. He’ll be a year old on April 13 and he’s up to 17 pounds. We are thankful for the good care he is getting at the transition home there in Addis Ababa. He’s creeping some and trying to crawl, and he’s even able to stand with a little help.

He’s recently had an upper respiratory infection and the Chicken Pox but is better now. Since Jack, William, and Isaac haven’t had the Chicken Pox, we’re glad Benjamin got that out of the way before he comes home!

Our newest picture of Benjamin makes us think that he knows we’re on the way!

We are, Benjamin. We're on our way.

Your parents are coming to get you, and we'll be there soon.

Breakfast with a Brady Boy

Fridays are great days.

Daddy is off work, and the entire family has fun together all day long.

Each Friday morning, a different boy goes to the restaurant of his choice with Daddy. A couple of weeks ago, Jack wanted a sausage and biscuit with chocolate milk from McDonald's. Last week, William wanted pancakes with all 5 syrups. (Notice that you must have the bowls of syrup surrounding your plate so you can dip systematically, efficiently and effectively into Maple, Pecan, Boysenberry, Strawberry, and Blueberry Syrup. Sometimes, you need to dip your pancakes into all of them at the same time--something William really likes to do.

This week, it's Isaac’s turn. He’s already said that he’d like to go to McDonald’s but there is time for him to change his mind. We all wonder where Benjamin will want to go eat breakfast with Daddy when he comes home.

Here are some lessons Daddy and William learned together at IHOP last week.

• Daddy likes to dip his toast in his runny eggs just like William likes to dip his pancakes in his syrup. (Don’t tell William, but it’s called "sopping!")

• Jenn is a great waitress and she even brought us BIG bowls for William to use for his syrup.

• Benjamin’s skin is not as black as the people we met at the table across the way. (According to William, it's "more brown.")

• Everyone is special and loved by God. (William said that God created all people in His image and for his glory and that God does not have a skin color because God is a Spirit and does not have a body like us.)

• The people at the other table were the Taylors. We are going to pray for them because their son just died.

• Lots of sugar in the morning makes for a wild 4-year-old the rest of the day!

Daddy can’t wait for this coming Friday morning with Isaac, and he can’t wait to have breakfast with Benjamin soon, too!

Fridays are great days.

A Heart for Adoption at Our Church

Some things cannot be explained—they can only be attributed to God.

God gave us a desire to adopt before Isaac was born. His birth was both a gift and a wrinkle in our adoption plans. Now however, we find ourselves well into our adoption process.

As God was working in our hearts over the last couple of years, little did we realize that he was also working in the same way in the hearts of several other families in our church. Some families walk through the adoption journey feeling quite alone, but God has put a bunch of people around us in Paducah, KY who are on the same path.

In fact, there are almost 20 adopted children at our church from the United States, China, Guatemala, Ukraine, El Salvador, and South Korea.

Currently, there are also nine families in our church who are somewhere in the process of adoption. How great it was to get together the other night, eat, share our stories, and pray together. The food was good. The conversation was great. The prayer was sweet—and the kids were all over the place! The more we talked and spent time together, the more obvious it was that we are all a part of a definite God thing.

God is bringing children into our church through parents who have a heart for the fatherless. The Parkhursts and Roarks are adopting from within the United States. The Pecks are headed to China. The Housmans and Durfees are on their way to Korea. The Heavrins are going to Russia. The Stiverses, Moores, and Bradys are adopting from Ethiopia.

Johnny and Laura Roberts are being used mightily by God. How thankful to God we are for them.

In Paducah, KY and throughout the country, God is waking the church up to the responsibility and privilege of James 1:27. Many are getting in on what God is doing...and we are having a blast.

What a great life!

Considering Adoption? Remember, it's Your Journey

Are you reading this because you're thinking that adoption might be for you? Perhaps you're considering adoption--something you have never thought about before. Maybe you're sitting there thinking, "A while back, I would have never even considered adoption." Now look at what is happening!

Here are some thoughts that might be helpful to you as you think about going down the road of adoption.

How do you confidently move forward through the process of adoption when so many questions and uncertainties continuously swirl about you? Not only are there your own questions like, “Are we going to be able to pay for this? How is this going to work? Will a new child fit in well with our family?” or “Are we out of our minds?” Others are also asking questions. Sometimes, well-meaning friends and family members ask questions which can sometimes be discouraging and unhelpful. Let’s just admit it. The occasional question flowing from a critical spirit of another person can often be like a cold, wet blanket thrown over expectant parents’ joyful enthusiasm about their soon-coming child.

Traditionally, people in the United States have adopted both domestically and internationally. In 2009, over 12,000 children were adopted from other countries. Adoption currently seems to be growing more popular among Christians as churches are waking up to the mandate to care for orphans (James 1:27). Several families in my church are in the process of adoption, and I know of many others elsewhere.

One of the most repeated questions about international adoption goes something like, “Why would anyone adopt from a foreign country when there are so many children who have needs right here in our own country?”

Indeed, there are truckloads of needs when it comes to the children of our own society. Over 3 million child abuse cases are reported every year in the United States. More than half a million children languish in our foster care system. However, understanding that 147 million orphans live on the planet, the following realities are great reminders as each of us seeks to walk the adoption journey God has laid out for us.

Different People Live Out Their Convictions Differently

The “calling” of God is like a snowflake—no two callings are the same. Each of us certainly has the responsibility to live our lives and do what we feel is best for us. However, all of us are different, and we all go about living our lives in different ways.

When we decided to adopt our son, we found ourselves with three children already and desiring to add to our family as quickly as possible. As what hair Todd did have was quickly turning gray, we each realized that neither of us was getting any younger! So with a desire to minister to a child by bringing him into our family and with a desire to go about doing this as quickly and as affordably as possible, we chose to adopt a male infant from the country of Ethiopia. This was the simplest, quickest, most affordable, and best route for us.

Should everyone adopt a male infant from Ethiopia? Of course not. For us, adopting from Ethiopia is the right thing for us at this time. Is domestic adoption a great way to care for orphans right here in our own country? Absolutely! Whatever you do, be faithful to God, live with conviction, and do what is best for you.

Doing Something is Better than Doing Nothing

Yes, there are millions of needs right around us. Yes, there is much that we can and should do to care for orphans and needy children in our own country. However, the question pitting international adoption against local needs may very well be a veiled disguise of a heart which simply longs to do nothing.

Todd's grandmother used to say, “It takes little size to criticize.” A century ago, Teddy Roosevelt famously said,

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

If you are called to do something, don’t allow others to prevent you from doing what you know you are supposed to do.

The Greatness of Needs Everywhere Should Not Prevent Us from Doing Something Somewhere

A boy was walking on the beach. Every so often, he would pick up a starfish and throw it back into the ocean—saving the starfish’s life by tossing it back into the water. Someone said to him, “There are starfish all over the beaches throughout the world. When you think about how many there are, don’t you realize that you’ll never make a significant difference?” The boy thought for a moment, looked at the starfish in his hand and said, “Well, I’m making a difference for this one!”

Truthfully, none of us will ever make a world-wide impact which garners the accolades of millions. However, such a thought should not immobilize us. There are plenty of needs to go around. Let each of us seek to be about meeting needs—alleviating pain and suffering wherever we can.

Ultimately, Each of us is Responsible to God

As I live my life, I must remember that I am to live my life. I do not have the responsibility to live another person’s life. There is only one head which I lay on my pillow each night—mine. And ultimately, I am responsible to God.

In the end, only God and what he thinks matters. In the end, we will all have to answer to him. In the end, the accounting will be with God. As in how I spend my money, how I use my tongue, how I treat my neighbor, how I treat my body, and more—how I go about caring for orphans is ultimately an issue to which I will answer to God. When it comes to adoption, whether it be “international” or “domestic”—each of us must follow what we feel God would have us do.

The Great Commandment and the Great Commission are Calls which are to be Universally and Indiscriminately Applied

Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). He also said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28: 19-20). The Great Commandment and the Great Commission are the twin engines which propel the believer’s life. As we go about loving others and sharing the gospel with others, let us remember that we have a duty to love all and to make disciples of all. We are not to be picky with our love. We are not to be choosy about the recipients of our love.

Adoption is a wonderful journey. It’s a beautiful picture that reflects the love God has for us. As you walk down the path God has for you—whether it be “international” or “domestic”—remember that your adoption journey is God’s adoption journey for you.

May God bless you on your journey!

Good News From a Far Country!

We are officially the parents of four boys! We passed court today, and Benjamin legally became a part of our family. Because we passed, we are so glad to be able to post Benjamin's picture above.

Never before have we so powerfully felt the truth of Proverbs 25:25--Like cold water to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

The adoption agency told us that we can expect to travel to Ethiopia sometime within the next 12 weeks. How is that for specificity?

Tonight, we celebrated by going to a local Mexican restaurant. We told the folks there that we will soon be bringing four boys with us rather than just three! We can already picture all the extra rice on the floor after dinner with four little boys.

At night after bathtime each evening, we read our Bible story and go with Isaac into his bedroom. Before we put him into his crib, we all sing Jesus loves the little children,all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white. They are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world. It's one of the best parts of the day.

Lately, Isaac has been saying "Bee Huh" right after we sing and before he gets in his crib. "Bee Huh" is 2-year-old speak for "Big Hug." We are loving the nightly Big Hug as mommy holds Isaac, Jack and William wrap their little arms around mommy, and daddy puts his arms around everyone. We all then say "BIG HUG!"

Not long from now, our Big Hug is going to be even bigger. Benjamin is going to be in it, and we can't wait.

The Covenant of Adoption

This is DiscipleNow weekend in Paducah—an entire weekend for students to spend focused, concentrated time seeking the Lord with other students. We are praying for God to show himself mightily in the lives of our students over these 36 or so hours.

As DiscipleNow began with opening worship, we were reminded of the differences between contracts and covenants.

When people enter contracts, they seek to minimize their responsibilities and maximize their rights. When people enter covenants, they live to maximize their responsibilities and minimize their rights.

Take a look at many aspects of society, and you’ll probably see more evidences of contracts than covenants. Friendships are too frequently contractual in nature. Marriages are often seen as contractual agreements where both the man and the woman unfortunately seek to advance their rights and to retreat from their responsibilities. How sad it is that so many parents seem to be shirking their responsibilities to love, care for, and raise their children—and are seemingly doing as little parenting as possible so that they might have more time to make the most of what they consider to be their rights.

We’ve filled out lots of paperwork over the last year, and we’ve signed our names more times than we care to remember. We travelled to Louisville, KY this past summer to get our fingerprints recorded. And while some might see this adoption as merely a contract, it’s more than that—it’s a covenant.

On May 8, 1999 when we said our wedding vows to one another in Nashville, TN, we entered into covenant. When Jack was born on November 15, 2003 and when William was born on January 8, 2006 and when Isaac was born on November 20, 2007, we realized again and again and again the responsibilities of our covenant relationships with our boys. We are learning every day that parenting is not about rights, but responsibilities.

Adoption is a covenant. We are vowing to Benjamin that we are going to bring him into our family and that we are going to parent him. In coming years, we will be driven by our responsibilities as parents—not our rights.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” Jeremiah 31:31-34.

God graciously made a covenant with us through Christ.

“And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” Matthew 26:27.

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba Father!’” Romans 8:15.

As we think about God’s covenant with us, we want our faithfulness to our children to be a reflection of God’s faithfulness to us.

Little Boys Having Lunch

It's a special treat when mommy says the boys can sit on the den floor and eat lunch while watching one of their videos on television. The risk of spillage is great, but with plastic place mats, Nalgene drink bottles, and ongoing encouragement to "make sure your crumbs fall on your plate," these moments allow mom uninterrupted time to get some other things done around the house.

Pretty soon, we will have four little boys eating lunch in the den! And if they spill their drinks on the carpet, no big deal. We're much more interested in the character of our boys than we are in the spotlessness of our carpet.

Good News for Friends and More Photos for Us

Congratulations to our friends Jody and Shannon Stivers who heard yesterday that they passed court! We are elated for them and look forward to their bringing AJ home soon.

We received more pictures of our Benjamin today by email from Audrey and Ty Ferrell who are currently in Ethiopia picking up their child. They were so gracious to snap some shots of Benjamin, and we wouldn't take a million dollars for the photos.

As soon as we pass court, bet your bottom dollar that we'll post a photo of Brady Boy #4!

Adoption and Reconciliation

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

The Boy in Striped Pajamas is the terribly confronting story of two eight-year-old boys in Germany who become friends during World War II. Bruno is the son of the German commandant who oversees a Jewish work camp. Bruno explores life beyond his house and there finds Schmuel, his friend who wears striped pajamas and lives inside a barbed-wire camp. Innocence fades as Bruno’s friendship with Schmuel deepens. Meanwhile, the commandant’s family struggles as Bruno’s father tries to remain committed to nationalistic interests while simultaneously working to keep his family oblivious to the horrors of Nazi Germany.

You will need to see the movie for yourself. Suffice it to say, however that the story causes one to feel the obvious clashes that often exist between loyalty, truth, friendships, and family.

Indeed, the era of world history which produced the Holocaust vividly reveals the depravity of humanity. Reflecting on the Holocaust inevitably leaves one panting for hope.

While the Holocaust, and particularly The Boy in Striped Pajamas do not inspire hope, the Christian is simply unable to think about such tragedies without reminding himself of the redemption which is found in Jesus Christ. In the face of despair and hopelessness, Christ brings strength and hope. As Maltbie D. Babcock reminds us, “This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”

God certainly is the ruler. There are many times every day when his rule may be questioned. However, regardless of circumstances, he is the ruler. And one day, all things are going to be made right.

One day, there will be no more pain. One day, there will be no more suffering. One day, there will be no more tragedy. One day, there will be no more orphans.

There will soon be four little boys in our house. And they won’t just be buddies—they’ll be brothers.

One day, we will have our family together. And while it will not be that Day of no more pain, suffering, tragedy, or orphans, it will be a foretaste of that Day when God makes all things right.

Not By Feeble Sense

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

William Cowper
1731-1800

Faith to Wait

We didn’t pass court…again.

The first time we didn’t pass court, we were somewhat prepared. Our adoption agency had told us that many don’t pass the first time around. They also told us that many have several court dates before they eventually pass.

Hearing that we didn’t pass this time was a tough pill to swallow. In a way, there has been a real sense of grief around our house tonight.

Again, an Ethiopian agency didn’t meet their deadline to turn a letter in to the court, and we are finding ourselves paying the consequences. We have to wait another two weeks—March 23—for our third court date. Another two week wait? Surely, the third time will be a charm.

To be honest, we are disappointed. We’re seeing more and more pictures of Benjamin, and with each picture our hearts are being knitted closer and closer together. We are more than ready to go get him. We are more than ready to bring him into our family.

There is absolutely nothing we can do but wait. We started this blog because we thought we’d soon be in Addis Ababa and that we’d be posting pictures of our newest Brady boy. But this blog is currently being used as a venue for us to share about the unplanned stops along the way.

Now, we are being told that if we pass court on March 23, we probably won’t travel until June—much later than we had expected. Until then, our desire to go get Benjamin will only grow. With each passing day, we miss him and feel as though we are missing out on precious and valuable time.

In his excellent little book, Humility: True Greatness, C. J. Mahaney says “It takes faith to wait tranquilly for something for which we have a promise from God, but no date. Waiting is not resignation; waiting is active trust in God to provide fulfillment in His perfect timing, according to His ultimate purpose of glorifying His Son.”

We keep having to remind ourselves that this is not about us. From the beginning, we have been motivated by a desire to join God who sets the lonely in families.

Sometimes, setting the lonely in families takes a little longer than expected.

We need God to give us faith to wait.

Friends for the Journey

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Our adoption goes before an Ethiopian judge again on March 9. While we are sleeping on Monday night, Benjamin’s adoption case will go before a judge. We didn’t pass court on the first round a couple of weeks ago. We hope all goes well this time.

We recently heard about some friends who are also adopting from Ethiopia through a different agency. They didn’t pass court last week. The reason? The electricity in the courtroom went out on the day of their hearing. Whatever. Who would have thought?

God has been good to put some friends from our church smack dab in the middle of our lives. In fact, the Stivers family is walking with us step by step along the same journey we are travelling. Over a year ago, Shannon and Amy were talking at dinner one evening about our adoption. After joking about the possibilities of adoption they said, “What if both our families ended up adopting? It could be Brady-Stivers Ethiopia 2010!”

Well, now here we are a year later, and indeed, it’s Brady-Stivers Ethiopia 2010! Jody and Shannon are adopting a four-year-old boy named A.J. Their first court date was the same as ours, and they too didn’t pass court. Now their court date is March 8. We are hoping that we both pass court this week. How crazy would it be if both of us were on the same trip, flying in the same plane to the same country to get our boys!?! God has certainly done crazier things.

Whether or not we end up going through this whole journey together, it’s been so good to walk this path together and we’ll always remember this time in our lives. We’ve had lots of conversations about this process. Our families have grown closer. It’s been especially fun to listen to our seven children talk about their soon-coming brothers. We’ll never forget those special moments of our families sitting on the floor and praying together while the little ones climbed and crawled all over their mommies.

We pray we will pass court on March 9. And we also pray—thanking God for giving us such friends to walk this road with us.

God is more than good to us.

Talking Truth to Ourselves

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:28-31).

We recently started attending a group at church where we’re reading The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges. Each week, we go to our corners and read a chapter. Then, we all come back together to discuss how we are thinking and how we are processing what God seems to be doing in each of our lives. There are about 20 of us, and we are such a diverse group. It’s great to hear how everyone is striving to live a life of holiness while at the same time trying to rest in God’s amazing grace.

Chapter 3, “Preach the Gospel to Yourself,” was monumental for us when we first read it. Years ago, it was almost as if a light had been turned on when we ran across this concept. Indeed, nothing has motivated our desire for holiness and our confidence in the grace of God as has our daily reminders of the good news of the gospel.

It’s important to speak truth to yourself. Even for those of us who are Christians, it’s important to be about the work of regularly preaching the gospel to ourselves. If we don’t remind ourselves often of God’s truth, we are sure to sink into legalistic, performance-based, and discouraging thinking that is not of God.

As we wait on word about our Benjamin, we are having to talk truth to ourselves on a minute-by-minute basis. When we think about how we wish we could go and get him soon, and when we think about the fact that we can’t go until somebody tells us we can go, it’s easy to get restless. We’re tempted to be frustrated. If we're not careful, we can quickly grow weary.

We didn’t pass court on February 22, and not only were we assigned a court date of March 9—we were also told that the United States Embassy in Ethiopia may start taking a bit longer to process adoptions than before. This means that our travel to bring Benjamin home could take place later than we had originally hoped. We’re glad that all i’s will be dotted and that all t’s will be crossed, but we sure do want to get over there as soon as we can.

While there is nothing we can do but wait, we remind ourselves of God’s truth. Benjamin gets older every day as we wait, but we are forced to look to that truth which is constant, unchanging and eternal.

We certainly don’t feel it right now, but we are confident that God is working his purpose in all things. We sure are looking to Romans 8:28 a lot these days. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

We recently received photos of Benjamin from a couple in Kentucky who just returned from Ethiopia. They went there to get their two children, and while they were there they were gracious to hold Benjamin for us, to give him a care package from us, and to take lots of photos of him for us. (We can't wait to be able to post pictures of Benjamin!) It’s hard not to look at those pictures of him and think, Why can’t we be there? Why can’t we go get him? Can’t we just get on with this? We’re missing out on being together as a family. But as those thoughts begin to descend upon us, we remind ourselves that there’s a much bigger story being written, and it’s not our story. It’s God’s story—a story which we’ll only be able to partly understand years from now.

Jesus told his disciples, I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Followers of God are not guaranteed immunity from tribulation. Difficulty and strain are natural parts of life. However, in the midst of it all we are promised the peace which is in Christ. Again and again, we remind ourselves, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Although we would like to travel soon, our peace is not found in how quickly we can go get Benjamin. Our peace is not found in our families or our friends, and our peace is not found in our possessions. No. As Paul says, …he himself is our peace… (Ephesians 2:14). Our peace is found in Christ alone.

We sang the following song at church this morning:

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles
(Chris Tomlin)

Everyone was singing, but we felt as though the song was just for us.

Why We're Adopting

A while back, Todd wrote an article about adoption for our church. Lots of folks were asking us all kinds of great questions. And the overwhelming question seemed to be “Why?” As we now find ourselves waiting, waiting, and waiting even more, we thought the following might give you a little insight into what (and more importantly Who) is motivating us as we travel this exciting journey.

God is doing some great things in the hearts of people at our church. Folks are growing in their desire to live holy lives. Young moms are wanting to be good and godly moms. Husbands are desiring to be good and godly husbands. Young fathers are seeking to be good dads who honor the Lord and raise their family in a godly way. And while these and many other things are happening, God also seems to be stirring in many of us a deeper love for children.

Now we realize that adoption is not for everyone, but we sure are encouraged by the heart for adoption and for children that God seems to be growing among us. Right now, there are several families in our church who are somewhere in the process of adoption!

Several folks have asked us why we’re adopting. There are so many underlying truths compelling us, but here are a few of the realities which are driving us in this journey.

1. We are not sure that there is a better earthly picture of the gospel than adoption. God has loved us with a love that does not quit. He did not have to love us, but he did. God set his loving affection on us—for no reason of our own—and made us his. The Bible says, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Romans 8:15-17).

Our soon-coming son has done nothing and will do nothing to deserve the love that we are showing him. But we do have love to share, and we can think of no better way to love both him and our current children than to model God’s love in this way.

2. Adopting our son will ensure that he hears the gospel. Now, adopting our son will also ensure a lot of other things. It will certainly ensure a “better life” for him. It will ensure that Jack, William, and Isaac has a baby brother. It will ensure that there is a little more pandemonium in the Brady house. It will ensure yet another grandson for Grandmamma and Grandad to love.

However, the greatest assurance that exists for a child growing up in our home will be the guarantee that he will in fact hear the gospel. There is no greater message which needs to be heard. Kids need a lot of things. They need dads and moms. They need love and security. They need hope and education. But most of all, they need to hear the gospel. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

Benjamin will one day join us on the bed as we get together each night to read, sing, and pray. We look forward to telling him the stories of the Bible—and helping him to know the story of the Bible. We can’t wait to sing with him, and we’re looking forward to us all praying together.

Who knows what he would experience if he were not our son? I can only imagine. He is only one person. One person is only one person, but adopting this one person will ensure that this one person hears the gospel. We are already praying that God would save our son—this one person.

3. We are caring for an orphan and providing him with a good and godly home. We have seen enough videos on You Tube to realize that life is not that great in Ethiopia. Life expectancy for a male in Ethiopia is 52 years, there are .03 physicians for every 1000 people, and the probability of reaching the age of 40 stands at 43.6%—just to list a few statistics. While we would never fully know what his life would be like otherwise, we are compelled by a desire to give him a better life.

4. God’s love is an indiscriminate love—and our love should be, too. Needless to say, our 4th son is going to look a lot different than everyone else in the family. His hair will be curly and his skin will be darker—much darker. However, there will be no difference between Brady boy #1, #2, and #3 and Brady boy #4. We will love him no less, and we will treat him no differently. He will be just as much a Brady as any of the other Bradys, and we can’t wait to love on him just like we do the sons who currently live in our house. In the same vein in which Paul said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” (Galatians 3:28) we will also say that in our house, there is neither American nor foreign, there is neither adopted nor biological, there is neither black nor white, for we are all one in the Brady family.

5. We desire to be obedient to the Great Commission. Jesus said. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Hoy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). So often, we think of obedience to the Great Commission as involving our travelling across the street or across the city or across the country or across the ocean to tell someone about Jesus. However, the Great Commission should begin right here at home. Our own children are the first objects of our pursuit of the Great Commission. Before we make disciples of other nations, let us begin with ourselves. We are looking forward to making disciples of all our sons. We are looking forward to teaching all our sons those things which have been commanded to us. For us, adoption is just one other means of being obedient to the Great Commission.

We can hear it now. In a few years, we look forward to our children singing—“that’s the way we all became the Brady Bunch!"