OUR NEWEST ADDITION ... sweet sweet Kevin ... Kevin is a junior in high school and was in need of a family to step up and stand in the gap for him ... He has the kindest eyes and a pure faith in his heart ... Life has not always been fair, but you can tell Kevin has a resilience to handle whatever life throws at him ... On Monday I went on a simple ride w/ my friend Kelly Putty (Ordinary Hero) to pick Kevin up because he was in need of switching schools again due to his living situation ... After hearing him talk for a few minutes God simply told me that this was a crucial moment in his life and that we were suppose welcome him into our home and hearts ... After talking w/ Scott, the three of us sat down and just discussed Kevin moving in with us and allowing us to be a part of his life ... WE MOVED HIM IN MONDAY ... Yep, that quick ... I just jumped cause God said jump ... I am really not good as asking how, when, where, why ... I just jumped (most of the time ... I am bit stubborn, but so glad I wasn't on Monday) ...

Now as many of you know I was praying for God to open Scott's heart to adopting again and I had my specific requests ... HERE IS THE COOLEST THING EVER ... I had never even mentioned a Junior in HIGH SCHOOL ... hee hee, but GOD knew what would bring my heart peace, joy, and love ... We stepped off the cliff into a peaceful tornado ... We are so excited Kevin is with us and even more excited to see what God will do with his life ... I know it will be something significant, because Kevin has a special spirit ...

HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS SWEET PIC OF THE MEN GOING OFF TO BBALL PRACTICE ... I am sure I will take a few more pictures over the next week or so ... hee hee

Thanks Kate for making me this sweet gift of our journeys so far !!! love ya !!!

AAAAHHHHHH the timing of life ... My way vs HIS WAY ... The hardest part of any journey is the waiting for GOD'S TIMING ... I know in my heart his timing is perfect, but my head has all these plans ... I have to talk myself off the ledge everyday lately ... ha ha ha ... I have a perfect plan and I am ready to move forward, but apparently God and Scott have other plans right now ... I keep saying to myself ... GOD'S TIMING AND SCOTT'S LEADING ... and when I say keep telling myself, I mean like about 10 times an hour ... The strength and heart the LORD has given me always serves me well, but when I have a dream NOW ... a plan NOW ... a desire NOW - then it sorta complicates things ... I have to laugh at myself or I will go crazy WANTING WANTING WANTING what I want ... WANTING what I know God wants, but yet waiting for his TIMING and his whisper to Scott ... Gosh, I sure do love my sweet husband and how patient he is with my many God given desires !!!

I think most would say our plate is full ... 6 kids (not to mention all the doctor and therapy appts), our sweet church that my husband has began pastoring over the last 2 years, his job as Spiritual Life Director at FRA, my responsibilities at 147 (along w/ the traveling to speak or visiting countries we give to), our very active sports life w/ basketball and all the fun family time ... SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, but oh wouldn't another sweet child fit right in there ... Another one to love, fix dinner for, take to church, hold when they fall down, explain the LOVE OF JESUS TO, one to keep from hopelessness, one to accept forever, one to tickle, one to take on vacation, one to play in the backyard with, one to pray over, and one to call our very own !!!

AAAAHHHHH, my sweet dream !!!  I will continue praying GOD'S TIMING AND SCOTT'S LEADING ... I know many of you out there have a dream of some kind that you are waiting on GOD'S TIMING and someone's leading ... We will pray together that we don't grow weary in our prayers and desires or let evil get a foothold into the TRUE HEART of our dream ... All great dreams come from a desire to show GOD'S LOVE and bring GLORY TO HIM ...

Just thought it would be fun to give you all an update on the Oatsvall Team !!! I feel like we are in a transitioning phase about every 9 months ... growing out of clothes, needing to clean out toys/trinkets, weeding through mounds of school paperwork and artwork, emerging independence in different areas of their life, and the list goes on and on ... My precious growing family is doing just that - GROWING UP ...

Jeremiah is 13 yrs old and completely amazes me every day w/ his ability to communicate and care for others ... He is fun to be around and I love to watch his growing heart for orphans ... I can see how he is changing others around him as they watch our family and join our crazy life ... I see hearts open to serving the least of these because of the impact he is having on his friends ... He is starting his 7th grade AAU season next week and I love love love watching him play basketball ...

His current prayer request is for another brother and trips back to Uganda and Honduras  !!!

Short and Sweet - today you and I will push people off the fence and get them moving !!!  I see opportunities each day to answer a question, challenge someone, or give them the final push to GET MOVING FOR THE LORD ... I used to ignore this opportunities - I was to tired, embarrassed to speak my mind, or I would tell myself it wasn't my business to comment, or I would give the polite answer, BUT NO MORE ... You ask or make a comment/excuse especially about orphans or adoption and I AM ALL OVER IT ... No more letting people off the hook ... It is my duty to give testimony of the LORD's words ... It is my privilege to share what HE has done in my life ... It puts my heart at peace to be honest with others who don't know the JOY OF A LIFE LIVED FOR THE LORD ...

SO DON'T LET AN OPPORTUNITY PASS TODAY TO HELP SOMEONE SEE and reach God's purpose for their life !!!

The truth is very few of us will every truly understand the full purpose that God has for us, but it is SURE FUN TRYING ... I AM A JOYFUL WOMAN !!!

This is basically the question that is asked all the time whether it is about adoption, the orphan crisis, sickness, poverty, or homelessness ... They all seem like mountains in our way ... This huge unmovable thing that no matter how hard we try it won't budge ... It represents what is in our way - the thing that stands between us and our hopes and dreams !!!  SO HOW DO WE MOVE THE MOUNTAIN ???

Well I have the answer - it may not be the one you are looking for ... It may not be the quick solution or get you what you want, but it is the ONLY WAY TO MOVE A MOUNTAIN out of your vision for life ...


I have found myself in a cluster of mountains over the past year ... ONE mountain represents this issue and ONE mountain represents this situation and on and on ... There is no peace or resolution until I give it all over to JESUS ... HE IS THE ONLY MOUNTAIN MOVER ... My behavior or manipulation of the situation doesn't move it ... My past experience doesn't move the mountain ... My going to church and being kind to others doesn't move the mountain ... There are so many things we try first to move the mountains in our life before we go to the only place that can ....  We can't earn the mountain moved ... Or trick the mountain into moving ... We can ask JESUS to move it  !!!

Here is what I have learned about mountains - they seemingly disappear, become smaller, or insignificant when I put all my heart into seeking Jesus - knowing him deeper ... HE knows all that my heart desires and when it desires HIM above all else then I can even see through the mountain !!! At times it is easy to put the GOOD thing we desire above the LORD - adoption, healing a sickness, or ending poverty as such GOOD THINGS that you begin wondering WHY won't God help you do this GREAT THING ... When in reality he is w/ the orphans, w/ the sick and w/ the hungry everyday as they suffer ... He sees his children suffering and it hurts him .... In the design of FREE WILL there will be suffering and injustice and we must speak-up and act ... BUT WE MUST ALSO KNOW THAT NO MATTER what your situation that you must desire him above all else ...