"For my thoughts are not your thoughts and neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the eath, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9
Never has this verse been more true in our lives than in the month of October 2011. There are several stories to be told, but one of them, the one I am going to tell today, was a story that God allowed SO many of you to help Him write! When God placed the Adoption Rocks t-shirt dream in our hearts, we had NO idea what He had in store for us. But, thanks to you, 98 shirts "Adoption Rocks!" t-shirts are going to be worn by people from Georgia to California, and we were BLOWN AWAY! The biggest surprise of all was that we made over $2,000 profit from the sale of the shirts! We were completely humbled and blessed!
Those are the facts of the t-shirt fundraiser, but what I cannot even begin to put into words is what happened in my heart with every check, dollar, or paypal deposit that came our way. Time after time, we were humbled. Our friends and family started buying shirts as soon as we posted them. We were humbled and blessed. We had friends buying shirts for other families going through the adoption process. Humbled and blessed. We had friends buying shirts while going through their own adoption process. Humbled and blessed. We had friends and family who said, "I don't want a shirt, but I want to donate money to your adoption" (one from halfway around the world). Humbled and blessed. We had friends who clearly cannot count very well who paid too much for their shirts. ;) Humbled and blessed. We had friends who had their co-workers, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins buying shirts. No joke. Humbled and blessed by people we have never met. Craziness! We had friends buying shirts to wear in honor of their daddies, sons, daughters, and brothers who were adopted. Humbled and blessed. We had friends who said, "You don't have the time to be doing all this. Let me take care of the shipping and delivery." Humbled and blessed. We included "free shipping" in the cost of the shirts, but we had friends who decided that they would be the "free shipping." Humbled and blubberingly blessed.
So, when I say 98 shirts and over $2,000, what you hear and what I am saying aren't the same thing. I cannot even put into words what we have gotten to see God do through this process. But, please know, we are so thankful and so blessed by your hearts and the story that God used so many of you to write on our hearts. We will never forget it.
That said, please do not forget that tomorrow is Orphan Sunday! November is adoption awareness month, and we hope and pray that you will focus your heart and prayers on orphans tomorrow. If someone asks you about your shirt, please use it as an opportunity to share that there are currently estimated to be 163, MILLION orphans in the world. Please pray for them. Even though our God knows their names, He knows their needs, and He knows their precious hearts, we do believe that He loves it when His children intercede for the least of these and, that in turn it will make our hearts tender to their needs. May He break our hearts for what breaks His.
"Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed." - Psalm 82:3
If you wear your shirt tomorrow in honor of our sweet baby boy (and we hope you do!), PLEASE have someone snap a picture of yourself in it and either post it to Facebook and tag me in it, or e-mail it to me at nsgruhn@yahoo.com. I would love to include your pics in a future blog post and see all the BLUE out there for Baby Boy Gruhn!
He has done GREAT things for us! Praise to Him alone for HE. IS. WORTHY!
Love to you all,
Stacy
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Adoption ROCKS!
I can take credit for NONE of these shirts...so I will give credit where credit is due:
Idea and Vision - GOD!
Design - Garen McConnell
Color Choice - my friend, Melissa (who suggested blue for BOY!)
Slogan "Adoption Rocks" - That'd be the super cool man I am married to!
James 1:27 - Okay, so I chose the verse, but considering it's God's Word, we will go with GOD on this one!
Now, for the good stuff! The PRE-SALE IS ON!!! We will be selling shirts starting right now and going through October 13th! As I shared in my previous post, our hope is to get the order turned in and the shirts back to you in time for you to wear them on Orphan Sunday which is November 6th!
It's a regular-cut, 100% cotton, shirt, and we will be offering them in both youth and adult sizes.
Adult shirts are $25 and come in sizes...S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, and 5X.
Youth shirts are $15 and come in sizes...XS (2-4), S (6-8), M (10-12), L (14-16), XL (18-20)
***If your kids prefer an adult size, it's fine. The price will still be $15. ***
AND, that price INCLUDES shipping or local delivery! :)))
To buy a shirt, please go to the blog and look in the upper left hand corner. There is a "DONATE" button that will take you straight to PayPal where you can place your order. In the comments section, let me know who you are ordering for (ex. 2 Adults, 2 Kids) and what sizes you would like (ex. Adult Small, Youth Large).
If you are a Dave Ramsey fanatic (we are, so I can relate!), or you are just not thrilled with the idea of PayPal, let me know, and I will let you know our address so you can send a check! Please include your shipping address, as well! If you have questions, concerns, or are just generally confused, let me know. You can e-mail me at nsgruhn@yahoo.com
Thanks so much for the support! We can't wait to see what God does. I am hoping that there will be at least 147 of us wearing these shirts all across the country on Orphan Sunday. One person for every 1 MILLION orphans! If that were true, we could EACH be interceding through prayer for 147 MILLION orphans on that day.
"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed." - Psalm 82:3
And, if you want, please feel free to share this blog post on Facebook, through e-mail and with anyone and everyone who you think might be encouraged by our blog or who might just want a new, fabulous blue shirt! ;)
Thanks for going on this journey with us. We are blessed for it!
Stacy
Stacy
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Defending the Cause
A few months ago, the Holy Spirit was REALLY dealing with my heart about defending the cause of the fatherless. It makes sense. After all, it's biblical. Want proof?
Deuteronomy 10:18 - "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing..."
Psalm 68:5 - "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."
Psalm 82:3 - "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed."
Isaiah 1:17 - "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."
And, just so you know...those are just a few. There are many more. And, before we go on, and you go all Pharisee on me, let me assure you that I am aware of the verses that also talk about the widow. He has been dealing with me about that, too. But, this post is about orphans. Thanks. :)
I could not stop thinking about the 147 million plus orphans in the world. Not just the 0-12 month old, Ethiopian baby boy who will one day join our family, but the other ones. The ones that we will leave behind when we go to bring our son home. The ones who are on the wait list because they have "special needs" or are "older" than the usual, preferred age of adoption. The ones in the countries that are currently "closed" to adoption. I could NOT stop thinking about them.
One thing I can tell you, but I cannot make you understand fully unless you have experienced it for yourselves is that when God opens your hearts to welcome one orphan into your family, He will open your heart to them ALL. It's why so many families who adopt an orphan go back again to adopt another...and sometimes another...and another. It's why in the middle of the craziness of the adoption process, before some couples every lay eyes on their child, they are already talking about starting the process of adoption AGAIN. For ANOTHER one. I can't explain it. It doesn't make sense if you haven't been there. He has changed my heart. And, I am pretty sure it's going to be that way FOREVER. And, now, it doesn't make sense to me that I haven't ALWAYS felt this way...that there was a day, not too long ago, that adoption wasn't even on my radar. Thank you, Jesus, for opening my eyes. For showing me glimpses of what you see and who you care about. I am SO grateful.
And, so, with the orphans of the world constantly on my mind and my heart, I couldn't stop thinking about how we could help them. I firmly believe God is calling the Gruhn family to not only embark on the journey of adoption, but is also calling us to some sort of lifelong adventure with orphans at the heart. I think He has plans bigger for us than bringing home this little baby to our family. And, He is SLOWLY allowing me to see pieces of what He has in store. And, while you might think that the adoption process is big enough to tackle at this crazy time in our lives, I knew that God was up to something more.
Somehow over the course of a few weeks, God began to reveal to me that He had a plan for us to start with awareness. This blog could obviously be considered part of that plan. But, I really began to sense that God was leading me towards the idea of creating a t-shirt that would serve two purposes. The first purpose would be to help us fund our own adoption and bring home our son. The second would be to promote the cause of adoption.
When God called US to adoption, we trusted Him with the finances. We believed that meant to two things. First, that God would provide. He has. And, we have been humbled. And, second, that we would live sacrificially to make it happen. We will, we do, and we will continue to do so. In fact, adoption has disciplined us more in our finances and our giving than anything to date. So, knowing that was our previous stance and that we had never really talked about fundraising of any sort, I shared my idea with Neal. And, he was in full support. And, then, a God-thing happened. I called my friend, Melissa, like you do when you feel like you're supposed to do something, and your husband agrees, but you just need ONE more person to make sure you aren't crazy. And, if you don't know her, you aren't aware that everybody needs a friend like Mel. She is one of the most encouraging, supportive, cheerleading friends I have ever had. And, of course, with that said, she thought it was GREAT! :) But, more than that, God placed her in my life for such a time as this. She said, and "I know WHO could design it for you!" Long story short, she knew a teenager in her church (our previous church) that she thought would do it, despite the fact that he didn't know us! I was SHOCKED. And, over the course of the last month, it has been AMAZING to watch as God used a teenager who was willing to serve God by using his gift, to design a shirt for us, and to see that shirt come to fruition. I am pretty sure I am not doing this part justice because I am SOOOOOO excited! But, it has been SO cool. I have loved it!
From the beginning, my heart has been that, if we could pull it off, that the shirt would be ordered, printed, and ready by Orphan Day 2011, which is Sunday, November 6th. Of course, you can absolutely wear it and promote adoption ANY time, but our hopes are that you will wear it in YOUR church on Orphan Sunday and do your part to "defend the cause of the fatherless" on that day. AND, I would love to see a picture of you in it. But, we can talk more about that later. :)
It looks like I will have the proof to show you TOMORROW, but let me just tell you that what I think (and I am SO not biased, of course). IT. IS. AWESOME. So, get ready. The pre-sale will begin tomorrow and likely go through October 13th. You will have TWO WEEKS to order a shirt and share our link with every one you know who might want one, too! That will hopefully give us time to get our order to the company and get them back to you in time for November 6th. That's the plan.
Our hope is that the shirts will generate discussion. Maybe you will get to share our story or our blog. Maybe you will get to share that there are 147 million orphans worldwide in need of a home. Or, maybe, one day as you wear it and stare at yourself in the mirror, you will realize that YOUR family could welcome an orphan home. ANYTHING is possible. To God be the Glory. I cannot wait to see what He does.
Love y'all,
Stacy
Deuteronomy 10:18 - "He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing..."
Psalm 68:5 - "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."
Psalm 82:3 - "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed."
Isaiah 1:17 - "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."
And, just so you know...those are just a few. There are many more. And, before we go on, and you go all Pharisee on me, let me assure you that I am aware of the verses that also talk about the widow. He has been dealing with me about that, too. But, this post is about orphans. Thanks. :)
I could not stop thinking about the 147 million plus orphans in the world. Not just the 0-12 month old, Ethiopian baby boy who will one day join our family, but the other ones. The ones that we will leave behind when we go to bring our son home. The ones who are on the wait list because they have "special needs" or are "older" than the usual, preferred age of adoption. The ones in the countries that are currently "closed" to adoption. I could NOT stop thinking about them.
One thing I can tell you, but I cannot make you understand fully unless you have experienced it for yourselves is that when God opens your hearts to welcome one orphan into your family, He will open your heart to them ALL. It's why so many families who adopt an orphan go back again to adopt another...and sometimes another...and another. It's why in the middle of the craziness of the adoption process, before some couples every lay eyes on their child, they are already talking about starting the process of adoption AGAIN. For ANOTHER one. I can't explain it. It doesn't make sense if you haven't been there. He has changed my heart. And, I am pretty sure it's going to be that way FOREVER. And, now, it doesn't make sense to me that I haven't ALWAYS felt this way...that there was a day, not too long ago, that adoption wasn't even on my radar. Thank you, Jesus, for opening my eyes. For showing me glimpses of what you see and who you care about. I am SO grateful.
And, so, with the orphans of the world constantly on my mind and my heart, I couldn't stop thinking about how we could help them. I firmly believe God is calling the Gruhn family to not only embark on the journey of adoption, but is also calling us to some sort of lifelong adventure with orphans at the heart. I think He has plans bigger for us than bringing home this little baby to our family. And, He is SLOWLY allowing me to see pieces of what He has in store. And, while you might think that the adoption process is big enough to tackle at this crazy time in our lives, I knew that God was up to something more.
Somehow over the course of a few weeks, God began to reveal to me that He had a plan for us to start with awareness. This blog could obviously be considered part of that plan. But, I really began to sense that God was leading me towards the idea of creating a t-shirt that would serve two purposes. The first purpose would be to help us fund our own adoption and bring home our son. The second would be to promote the cause of adoption.
When God called US to adoption, we trusted Him with the finances. We believed that meant to two things. First, that God would provide. He has. And, we have been humbled. And, second, that we would live sacrificially to make it happen. We will, we do, and we will continue to do so. In fact, adoption has disciplined us more in our finances and our giving than anything to date. So, knowing that was our previous stance and that we had never really talked about fundraising of any sort, I shared my idea with Neal. And, he was in full support. And, then, a God-thing happened. I called my friend, Melissa, like you do when you feel like you're supposed to do something, and your husband agrees, but you just need ONE more person to make sure you aren't crazy. And, if you don't know her, you aren't aware that everybody needs a friend like Mel. She is one of the most encouraging, supportive, cheerleading friends I have ever had. And, of course, with that said, she thought it was GREAT! :) But, more than that, God placed her in my life for such a time as this. She said, and "I know WHO could design it for you!" Long story short, she knew a teenager in her church (our previous church) that she thought would do it, despite the fact that he didn't know us! I was SHOCKED. And, over the course of the last month, it has been AMAZING to watch as God used a teenager who was willing to serve God by using his gift, to design a shirt for us, and to see that shirt come to fruition. I am pretty sure I am not doing this part justice because I am SOOOOOO excited! But, it has been SO cool. I have loved it!
From the beginning, my heart has been that, if we could pull it off, that the shirt would be ordered, printed, and ready by Orphan Day 2011, which is Sunday, November 6th. Of course, you can absolutely wear it and promote adoption ANY time, but our hopes are that you will wear it in YOUR church on Orphan Sunday and do your part to "defend the cause of the fatherless" on that day. AND, I would love to see a picture of you in it. But, we can talk more about that later. :)
It looks like I will have the proof to show you TOMORROW, but let me just tell you that what I think (and I am SO not biased, of course). IT. IS. AWESOME. So, get ready. The pre-sale will begin tomorrow and likely go through October 13th. You will have TWO WEEKS to order a shirt and share our link with every one you know who might want one, too! That will hopefully give us time to get our order to the company and get them back to you in time for November 6th. That's the plan.
Our hope is that the shirts will generate discussion. Maybe you will get to share our story or our blog. Maybe you will get to share that there are 147 million orphans worldwide in need of a home. Or, maybe, one day as you wear it and stare at yourself in the mirror, you will realize that YOUR family could welcome an orphan home. ANYTHING is possible. To God be the Glory. I cannot wait to see what He does.
Love y'all,
Stacy
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