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Our theme for the retreat “He Makes All Things Beautiful in His Time”… {Created for Care}

Today was the first and last day of registration for the Created for Care retreat. We had 250 moms and volunteers last year. And today–we made room for every single person we could hold in the resorts fire code. 400 adoption moms and 50 volunteers, speakers, breakout leaders, etc to total 450 of what the resort will allow. The retreat sold out in 9 short hours, and a growing wait list–which tells me there is a BIG need for retreats like this one. We anticipate with 400 adoption moms there will be lots who find out court dates and end up traveling…so I’d guess several on the wait list will get to come! Still, we will be praying how we can serve MORE moms for future retreats…so hang tight:) What is MOST encouraging to me about this is this: many of us often feel alone in our callings to grow again through adoption…but the Lord is truly raising up an army of believers to join Him in being a father to the fatherless. He doesn’t leave us in the dark to figure out how to do this alone. He wants to equip us, to encourage us and to lead us from the darkness into light…and our children who may come from hard places…will Lord willing follow.

I am so, so excited about this next retreat. I’m so thankful for so many of you–and I can’t wait to have a much needed retreat with many of you in January! We spends months jumping through hoops paper chasing. Some times we wait years watching red tape. And over and over again–He reminds us that we are called simply to say “yes” and then to wait on Him…in His perfect time. It’s hard while you are waiting to KNOW…I mean to REALLY KNOW…how perfect His timing is. But–on this end…let me tell you–IT IS PERFECT. He truly does make beautiful things…

There will be days when you come home and you feel like although you’ve already parented a handful of littles–that you don’t know what you are doing all over again. Sleepless nights. Fear-filled eyes. Only He can heal…and through Him–we love deeply. Some times it takes months. For others years. And still some…change is forever hard to see.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Did you hear that???

What has He made beautiful in its time???

EVERYTHING.

And what else???

You can’t even FATHOM what God has done from beginning to end!!!

The Created for Care retreat is about so many things…coming together with those who across the country you’ve gotten to know through listservs as you have ached and waited together…finally–finally–FINALLY having a time of respite and rest that you haven’t felt you could take as you serve the sweet ones in your heart and care…encouraging one another…mentorship from speakers who are moms who have been here and God led them every step of the way…having time with HIM–uninterrupted–and worshiping the One who CARES FOR ME…because I, too, was created to be cared for…by Him.

The list for me goes on. And for each of it probably looks different. Can’t wait for another amazing weekend…celebrating Him and how He makes beautiful things…

Have a blessed weekend!

Andrea

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Kim - September 1, 2011 - 11:25 pm

I am SO excited I can hardly stand it!

Brantley - September 2, 2011 - 8:39 am

So glad I signed up when I did! Soooo excited! Andrea… did ya’ll get any of our messages???