DIY Todd Nest : Hymnal Banner {Come Thou Fount}

After we took down our Christmas decorations, the front entryway seemed so bland. 

Solution: Banner across the glass block wall (can you tell I'm really embracing it these days?)

I wanted to make a banner that would fill the entire wall so it needed to be a phrase with either three words of similar length or three phrases that could be made into one. 

Micah 6:8 stuck out to me. I could have one banner with "act justly", one with "love mercy" and one with "walk humbly with your God". I got super attached to this idea but it wouldn't work out the way I had planned. 

Next idea. Mama E sent us home with a box of old books and hymnals when we came back from our Christmas visit. "Come Thou Fount" had just about the same number of letters, it's one of our favorite hymns and it was the first hymn in sight when I opened up the book. It's a song of redemption and Christ seeking us out while we were but strangers.

It was the obvious choice. 

My original plan was to feed the hymnal pages through the printer but they looked like this (two examples on the left) when they came out. The color didn't hold well and the printer devoured the top of the page (see the wrinkled ink-blotted top). Instead, I decided to print each letter off on cardstock and trace the letters onto the hymn. Time-consuming, yes. But so worth it.

Supplies:

Hymnal Pages (I used 14 pages since I made a flower for one)

Pencil

Black Marker (or whatever color your heart desires)

Hole Punch

Jute

This is the pen and pencil I used...

I printed two letters to one page since the hymnal page is about half of an 8.5" x 11".

Then I went old school and traced the letter silhouette using a sunlit window.

After you have traced your letters, fill them in with a brush pen or marker.

I like to put a decorative paper on the back for more support and to give the banner a finished design. Hole punch the tops and string jute through. If you use only the hymn, be very gentle in stringing the jute!

The banner is a lovely complement to the three palette frames my dad made us!! I still need to put some photos in them but I'm also kind of okay with them being empty for now. 

I used the actual "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" hymn for the first flag and added a paper flower onto it.

What is your favorite hymn?

The CD

Music embraces us. It comforts us. It energizes us to move. It may even compel us to cry. 

When JD and I first started dating, I made him a smΓΆrgΓ₯sbord of awesome mixed CDs. 

I'd give up forever to touch you 
Cause I know that you'd feel me somehow

Those are the first words JD heard when he popped in the first CD I had made him as he embarked on a summer-long mission trip to Mobile, Ala.  

What was I thinking...?

The songs ranged from "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls to "Grillz" by Nelly... the song Iris (lyrics above) because that is the name I so lovingly bestowed upon his Impala after finding out he hadn't given it a name yet. I shouldn't even have to mention why I would put a song like Grillz on the CD!! Come on.

Anyway, we had no doubt that we wanted to share our passion for music with our wedding guests. Don't worry. Our music choices were much more viable than what I would put on his CDs. Mama E (Whit's mom) designed the CD covers. We gave her an idea of what we wanted. She worked her magic and produced these lovely designs for our wedding CD and Year One.



The flow of the song list is meant to exemplify the flow of our relationship, from start to the wedding day. In hopes that we may help to expand your musical horizons, here's our song list from our Wedding CD:
  1. Enterlude - The Killers
  2. You Get What You Give - New Radicals
  3. Coffee - Copeland
  4. Falling Slowly - The Frames
  5. Hey - Backseat Goodbye
  6. Closer to Love - Mat Kearney
  7. Set the Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol
  8. Just Let Go - Mae
  9. Eyes - Rogue Wave
  10. Like Socrates Loved the Truth - Bradley Hathaway
  11. Sunshine - Matt Costa
  12. Grow Old with You - from The Wedding Singer Soundtrack
  13. Daylight - Matt and Kim 
  14. Stolen - Dashboard Confessional
  15. First In Line - Matthew Mayfield
  16. Passenger Seat - Death Cab for Cutie
  17. Evolve - Bosc
  18. You're Beautiful - Phil Wickham
  19. First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
  20. The Sun and the Moon - Mae

In honor of our friends and family that stood beside us on our wedding day, we decided to send out an annual CD, in tribute to the songs which translate into the past year of our life. Thus, we introduce Jitney: Year One.




We found some sweet envelopes at The Container Store, stamped them with a little fleur-de-lis and snuck in a tiny note to remind the recipients just how amazing they are. We loved being able to send these to our new friends we've made in the past year too. In fact, we implemented one of our newlywed couple friends' songs from their first dance at their wedding {She Knows Her Way Around}. 

Song List for Year One:
  1. Generator (First Floor) - Freelance Whales
  2. Spinning - Jack's Mannequin 
  3. Home - Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
  4. Down River - The Temper Trap
  5. Your Love Is Strong - Jon Foreman
  6. Lead Me - Sanctus Real
  7. She Knows Her Way Around - Act of Congress
  8. Garden - Needtobreathe
  9. Bennie and the Jets - Elton John
  10. Green and Gray - Nickel Creek
  11. Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie
  12. Forever Young - Bob Dylan
  13. Losing You - John Butler Trio
  14. Cielo - Phil Wickham
  15. Dance - Derek Webb
  16. Secret Song [aka: The Office theme song]


- - > Year 2 Soundtrack...





Song List for Year Two:
  1. Mountain Music - Alabama
  2. The Cave - Mumford & Sons
  3. Down to the River to Pray - Alison Krauss
  4. Washed by the Water - Needtobreathe
  5. Take Our Turn - The J Band
  6. Send Me On My Way - Rusted Root
  7. All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar
  8. Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
  9. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
  10. One Day - Matisyahu
  11. Comes and Goes (In Waves) - Greg Laswell
  12. Carry Me Through - Dave Barnes
  13. Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars)
  14. Happy As the Sun - Tyrone Wells
  15. Sun Down - Iver
  16. Something In the Water - Brooke Fraser
  17. White Dress - Ben Rector
  18. One Voice - The Wailin' Jennys
  19. What Do I Know of Holy - Addison Road
  20. Shalom Chaverim - The Weavers

- - > Year 3 Soundtrack...
Theme: Wake Up, O Sleeper

  
 

Song List for Year Three:

1. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons
2. Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding
3. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
4. Ho Hey - The Lumineers
5. Lover of the Light - Mumford & Sons
6. Slumber - Needtobreathe
7. Overwhelmed - Tim McMorris
8. That's What's Up - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
9. Hold On - Alabama Shakes
10. Where I Land - JJ Heller
11. A City No Longer Forsaken - Sojourn
12. All the Poor and Powerless - The Digital Age
13. Wait - Caleb
14. Awake My Soul - Chris Tomlin
15. In Tenderness - Citizens
16. It Is Finished - Matt Papa





Etsy Shop : Annual Planner / Agenda / Calendar

Now announcing the Jitney's Journeys line for the 2014 Agenda.

Call me old school, but nothing helps me to get more organized than pencil and paper. I love flipping through pages without having to scroll down a screen. Writing something down helps me remember dates way more than typing it in a phone. I try to utilize Google Calendar the best I can since it syncs mine and JD's calendars but I still run to my written out planner when the time beckons.

Like all of our printables, the annual planner set was designed for personal purposes but with hopes that others could find good use in it as well. My 2014 agenda is already bound up with dates penciled in. 

Below you will find a by-the-hour daily printable planner that includes extra room for notes and checklists.


It is available for instant download in our Etsy Shop here


It is available for instant download in our Etsy Shop here


This annual calendar includes the scripture Zephaniah 3:16-17, our theme for the year.
It is available for instant download in our Etsy Shop here


List out your upcoming events on this page.


 This set includes a calendar for every month in 2014 and pairs perfectly with the set when bound into a notebook.


Don't forget to stop by our shop and see what other items we have stocked. 


Are you a digital planner (using Google Calendar, etc.) or do you still prefer a good ole' fashioned date book?

Todd Nest Holiday Recap : Featuring Mama E's Spicy Mac & Cheese Recipe

The worst part about not posting anything over the holidays is deciding on what the most "Post Worthy" post could be for our comeback in 2014. 

I've been trying to decide on the topic for at least a week now... which means if I don't post something soon, the buildup will only become too heavy with pressure and then we'll just stop posting altogether. 

This Christmas was much like every year, filled with tons of laughter and sweet little moments. 

Mom and Dad had a sweet surprise waiting in Georgia for us - an overnight trip to Stone Mountain filled with snow tubing, Polar Express 4-D, funnel cakes and a restful hotel stay. We also watched a man perform the art of glass blowing, which in turn blew our minds. It may be one of the most exhilarating art forms I've witnessed in years. 

We enjoyed time with extended family, the guys watched movies while mom and I planned our goals for our businesses, and my parents gave us a ridiculously awesome pocket projector that we have thoroughly enjoyed in our den upon our return home. 

Tag (Chase and Jackie's pup) broke his little leg at the dog park prior to their journey to Georgia so they had to stay in Vegas to doctor him up. 


As long as he's feeling up to par, they should be able to fly over in February for the annual Birthday Throwdown (aka : dinner with the family). 

Then we drove over to JD's parents as they greeted us with a warm welcome and amazing feast. Brandon and Theresa came in a few days later (but we didn't wait on them to open presents - whoops!). 

The best part of that trip was Sunday morning. Our church in HSV didn't have service (in hopes that families would stay at home and worship together with their family or small group) and instead posted a video and discussion questions online. It was one of the most intimate and sweetest times I've had with the Todd family. We sang praises and discussed the Word at length. It was truly beautiful. 

We returned to HSV knowing that we wouldn't be able to drive to our families' homes for a New Year's Day feast so we decided to seize the day by making our own. Risky but gosh, it was well worth it. We invited our friends (Matt and Julie) over to help us take down black eye peas, collard greens, spicy mac and cheese, cornbread (courtesy of Julie).... and a rotisserie chicken from the Kroger deli.... I promise everything else was homemade though.


Because I'm not a chef or anywhere remotely close to it, I feel that it is safe to say that it was - by far - the best meal I've ever cooked. Not to brag or anything, but I was pleased to start my 2014 off in such a successful way. Ok. So that's totally bragging but I'm afraid I won't be able to replicate that goodness ever again. Just run a victory lap with me and I'll digress. 

As I get to the end of writing this post, I realize that the most "Post Worthy" thing I could leave you with is Mama E's Spicy Mac and Cheese recipe. She worked on perfecting this recipe for YEARS. All of that hard work and macaroni paid off. Be careful when eating it though. Nothing else will ever taste as good. 


Mama E' Spicy Mac & Cheese
by: Yvette Adams

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Velveeta cheese, shredded
2 cups Jack cheese
1.5 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 tsp. salt
(we like to mix in a few diced jalapeΓ±os too)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9 x 13 baking dish; set aside. In a saucepan, cook macaroni according to package directions, drain. Return macaroni to saucepan.

While macaroni is hot, add the cheeses to the pan; stir well. Spread the macaroni mixture in the prepared baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together the milk, sour cream, eggs, butter and salt. Pour the milk mixture over the macaroni. Top with a little extra Cheddar cheese.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.


Enjoy the spicy goodness!!






The Best of Etsy, Huntsville Edition : Why It Fueled Us

You would’ve thought that Jitney’s Journeys had been announced as the Top 100 young businesses to watch. We were that excited. The honor was basically the equivalent for us. As far as we know, this is the first list (outside of Etsy treasuries) that someone has recognized Jitney’s Journeys in some form or another for our products. [We should really put a marketing strategy in place for 2014.]

AL.com included Jitney’s Journeys in β€œThe Best of Etsy, Huntsville Edition” earlier this week. We were one of twelve companies featured. Even though we’re the last photo in the list, our placemat photo headlined for the article when the author posted to Facebook. That counts for something, right? We wouldn’t have even known about it if it had not been for my sweet friend Rebekah who texted me with, β€œJitney’s Journeys was featured on AL.com!!!!” Haha!

This announcement fueled me.

I began writing out 2014 goals (personal and for business), class lists, mixed media ideas, even Christmas products for next year’s line, all in the midst of finishing current orders for Christmas.

Encouragement fuels us to move forward faster and with more stamina, a clearer mind.

I keep a file of encouraging letters and emails from past customers (doesn’t everybody?). 
Those letters and emails fuel me.

You know why?

Because those letters and emails… and even this article… they’re not about us.

The majority of the letters and emails include gratitude, not as much about the placemats or the actual product. The words of gratitude are targeted toward the small piece of cardstock we include in every package with a peacock feather on one side and a verse on the other:

But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18


It is so not about us.

This article... that was Jesus. As far as we're concerned, Jesus led her to our page and that's the only explanation of her finding us in order to announce us as a "Best of" candidate. 

Jitney’s Journeys was featured.

While, yes, it is β€œour” company; it’s first and foremost Jesus’ company.

That’s the reason we can boast (1 Cor. 1:31).

It is not about us, has never been about us, and never will be about us.

It’s about Jesus and bringing glory and praise to His name.

If we ever lose focus of that, it is our daily prayer that He will take it away from us.

He’s the reason we have what we have - from talent to skill to creativity to tangible materials to accolades.

He’s the Creator, the Lifeline, and the Sustainer of our marriage and our business.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever and ever. (Romans 11:36)

Christmas Decor at the Todd Nest : Staircase Edition

I really love our house. 

Maybe that's a little vain sounding, but I feel like it should be a good thing too, right? We should be happy and content with what we have -- and we really could not be happier. This house is perfect for us. 

Decorating for Christmas has only made me more excited about this house, the house in which God has graciously made our home. We'll start out posting about our decor with the entrance to our home, which we have yet to reveal on our blog. Our house is a split level, so as soon as you walk in, you have the choice of either going up or going down. This was one of the "negative" features of the house, according to our real estate agent but we haven't found any fault in it. 

JD and I finished putting up the barnwood wall Tuesday night. This project has been on our list for a while. I hate bare walls, especially this one above the lower staircase. I realize there is a potential beauty in bare walls - and some people can really make them work - but that just won't do in the Todd Nest. Our plan is to put up a few large photos and interchange handwritten signs that correlate to the seasons. My vision for it is totally there, now it's just a matter of making it happen.


Color inspiration for this season: golds and browns


As soon as you walk in, you're greeted by this lovely arrangement. Basically, I went to Hobby Lobby's floral section, started piecing things together that appealed to my eye and topped it off with a neutral peacock feather. That's the main statement piece when you walk into the tiny foyer. 


We draped the handrail with garland and put a burlap bow at each break. Three ornaments are draped from each bow. One of the ornaments is a rustic jingle bell. You may recognize the larger white "ornament"from our Thanksgiving table centerpiece jar. It's actually a larger decor ball I found sitting beside the smaller box of decor balls in the home decor section at HL. I made it into an ornament by twisting in a metal hook (I had to hot glue the hook into the other two balls because they are a little different from this one) and then hanging it from string. Super easy homemade ornament. ;)


How amazing is this glass block wall? It's one of those statement pieces in the house that you decide to either hate or embrace. Surprisingly, I have very-much-so embraced it. As Mama E says, "This house will have no style (categorically) because it will be made up of sooo many different styles, which will then be created into a style of its own." With the barnwood wall perpendicular to this glass wall, we're combining modern and cottage chic. Hopefully my vision will turn out as great as I'm thinking.... 

Anyway, we draped garland from this wall as well and hung a burlap bow with three smaller ornaments hanging from the bows. 


What is your color / material(s) inspiration for this season?

PS: We'll try to post about the barnwood wall steps after Christmas. :) 

Thanksgiving at the Todd Nest

JD and I were super excited to host our families for Thanksgiving this year. My parents, his parents and Brandon and Theresa (his sister) all drove up for the weekend. We wish that Chase and Jackie could've joined us from Las Vegas but we can't wait to see them at Christmas! 

Not gonna lie here, I thought it would be a lot more stressful than it was. We woke up around 7 to put the turkey in the oven, hung out for about two hours and then started prepping everything else. I probably had about 10 minutes of stress spark through me, but I was pretty calm (and crazy focused) besides that. 


Mom and dad brought up this amazzzzing butcher block industrial island to fill the massive open space in our kitchen. I've been wanting an island with a butcher block top and this one was beyond perfect. I honestly don't know how we would've made it without this piece at Thanksgiving. We would've had to serve food off the floor. (You think I'm kidding... but I'm not.)


The Menu:
Honeybaked Ham
Cajun Fried Turkey
Cornbread Dressing
Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Spicy Mac & Cheese
Sweet Potato Casserole
Pancit (Filipino noodle specialty)
Eggrolls (both of these were kindly provided by Mrs. Josie)
Turkey Gravy
White Gravy
Rolls



JD was the carving master of the day. He cut that cajun turkey up like a champ. 


Of course, we had to set up the perfect table setting. Remember my charming jar with the buckeyes and acorns? Well, apparently you're supposed to let buckeyes dry out before you put them in a contained space. It didn't take long before the mold started to settle into the bottom of the jar. 

#decorfail

So I hand-washed the jar at least three times, threw it into the dishwasher, and headed to Hobby Lobby for a quick solution (thus, the neutral color palette of fun decor balls in the crisp and clean glass jar). 

My Gingin sent up this gorgeous tablecloth she cross-stitched years ago. It was the perfect touch to our table and meant the world to me that she passed it down to us.



Whenever my family comes to town - it never fails - we have a list of projects to do with Handyman Dad. Projects that we have thought up but aren't quite sure how to execute. But it also never fails that Dad knows how to make them happen. Here's a glimpse at one of our special projects from the weekend:


It's not completely finished but one of these days, I will give you a tour of the cool things we've done to the laundry room (after I get those cool things painted). ;) 

Oh, and one last thing before I go....
War Eagle!!


The Todd Nest : Dining Room & Fall Premiere

Welcome to our Dining Room! 

I've spent the last two weeks or so painting the walls and reupholstering our dining room chairs in preparation for a fall dinner and game night with some friends from JD's office.

You really can't tell in these photos but we painted the upper half of the room in the same gray (jogging path gray) as we used for the Jitney's Journeys studio. We painted the lower part a stark white. We considered using beadboard on the bottom half but we would eventually like to cover the old school popcorn ceiling with beadboard... you know, after we tear down two walls and renovate our kitchen in like seven years. ;) It'll all happen someday, right?


{sidenote: we are currently in the process of brainstorming for barnwood picture frames to cover that entire bare wall to the left of the built-in and looking for a super unique, rustic yet charming chandelier. we will update you via blogosphere as soon as we make this stuff happen.}

We've had so much fun (and probably way too much stress) with decorating both sides of the built-in between our dining room and living room. I've got to hand it to Mama E - she pretty much designed this side of the built-in too. Isn't it lovely! I honestly don't know what I would do without her. 

Below you will see the before and after shots of our reupholstered chairs. JD was such a champ for taking 300+ staples out of the six chair cushions. Gosh, I love that man. :)


The gorgeous fabric we used was from Hobby Lobby...

Here's another close-up:


At Shop with a Purpose, a new friend ordered a table runner from us with a monogram like the one above. I fell in love with the design. It just so happened that the table runner I made for the Todd Nest originally fit our old table but wasn't long enough for the new table (above) when it had the leaf insert. Obviously, I had no other choice but to make another table runner for the new table with the same monogram style I had made a few days before for a client, right?


The fall theme in our home this year is pretty simplistic. I bought a bundle of pumpkins from Hobby Lobby at 50% off. Half were the distressed orange and the other half were brown glitter-beaded pumpkins with gold glitter stems. 

But I was really set on having off-white pumpkins this year so I spray painted the orange ones with Valspar (Churchill Hotel Vanilla ) spray paint and covered the stem in a dark bronze glitter. Just what I had envisioned. 


For the centerpiece, I layered buckeyes from our yard on the bottom followed by baby acorns our neighbors helped us pick up and a tiny bronze pumpkin propped on top. 


Come back tomorrow to see the recipe my amazing chef-of-a-friend, Leah, helped me make!


What has been your fall decor inspiration this year?


An Adoption Story : Journey to Ethiopia with the Long Family

Meet our friends, Andy and Bethany Long. They have two awesome kids, Carter and Piper, and are currently awaiting the arrival of a new addition from Ethiopia. As they were introducing themselves to some new friends in our small group last week, Bethany said they had three kids but one just happens to still be in Ethiopia. 

I love that. 

Their anticipation and excitement for the child they haven't even met yet encourages faith and hope in everyone who hears their story. 

Get ready to have your world rocked by Jesus and the amazing things He is doing across the nations. 

{photograph by Ginny Webb @ Sleepy Fox Photography}

{photograph by Ginny Webb @ Sleepy Fox Photography}


This is their story:

Our story starts the same as any other family's really. We wanted a baby. We had two children and we wanted another child. We had been trying to get pregnant for about three months before we stopped and reassessed the situation. Something didn't feel right. We weren't excited. We were nervous and unsure. This was not the way we had felt with our first two children. So we decided to take some time to think and pray. As we did, the question came up: What about adoption? 

I had a lot of reasons why we should not adopt: I was not a super mom. Only wise godly parents can adopt and I was not in that camp. I was scared. There were too many things that could go wrong. Even with all my objections, my husband and I could not let the question go. We kept talking and thinking and praying. Over the course of the next 6 months or so, God began to take away all of my excuses. 

He began to show me that I didn't need to be a super mom. In fact, there was no way that I could be. I am a sinner. I will fail my children. My hope for parenting any of my children has to be Jesus because He will never fail them. I did not need to be scared because I am not in control. I am also not alone in this task of parenting. Jesus has given me His Spirit. And so slowly everything I had been pointing to and saying, β€œSee, there is no way we could do this,” slipped away. On April 11th, 2011, it dawned on me, that after my fears had been stripped away, all that was left was a little boy who didn't have a mommy - a little boy who needed to be loved. In that moment, I knew that I wanted to love him. It was that simple. There was no turning back then. 

I did not say yes to adoption because I became the mom I thought that I should be or had because I had no uncertainties, but because I saw that Jesus would be enough. My fears didn't need to control me. 

Jesus was bigger than all the β€œwhat if's”. 

So, six months of paperwork and 22 months of waiting... here we are. We have had ups and downs in the process. It has taken much longer than we had hoped. But during that time I have seen Jesus provide money through people who love us. I have had to trust that God is good even when it feels like He has forgotten us and our son. I have had to believe that He is working even when I can't see anything happening. Even though it has been hard, it has been a rich time. Hopefully in the next couple of months we will get our referral; which is an email that says β€œwe have matched you with a child”. It will have a file with some facts and a couple of pictures. It may not seem like much but I have dreamed of that moment for 28 months. It will be the moment I see my son for the first time. All the paperwork, all the waiting, will be worth it. I am not going to pretend that adoption will be easy. I have read too many books to be that naive. But I am convinced that this is what I want to do. I want to walk alongside this boy. I want to weep with him over the brokenness of this life. I want to love him. I want to be his mommy. 

And that is the story of our third child. It is different than I imagined it would be. It is a bigger plan than I dared to dream on my own. God is weaving our family together. I know it will be beautiful, not because we are amazing- we are just normal people. No, it will be beautiful because Jesus is doing it.

-Bethany


{photograph by Ginny Webb @ Sleepy Fox Photography}

Jitney's Journeys has created a set of chatter tiles to express the story of their hearts with the scripture of their choosing that has carried them through the adoption process. Half of the proceeds from each chatter tile purchase will be donated to the Long Family as they continue to follow Christ in obedience and come closer to bringing their child home.


We recommend buying a set directly from us (via email) or from Andy or Bethany. However, you can also purchase a set from our Etsy shop here which we had to bump up in price because of fees and shipping costs. However, if you live in Huntsville or are friends / family of the Long's, you can enter coupon code JOURNEYTOETHIOPIA and receive free shipping [in other words, you can pick it up from them or The Todd Nest (the in-home Jitney's Journeys "boutique")]. 

An Adoption Story : Journey to Ethiopia with the Long Family

 
{photograph by Ginny Webb @ Sleepy Fox Photography}

Meet Andy and Bethany Long. They have two awesome kids, Carter and Piper, and are currently awaiting the arrival of a new addition from Ethiopia. Jitney's Journeys has created a set of chatter tiles to express the story of their hearts with the scripture of their choosing that has carried them through the adoption process. Half of the proceeds from each chatter tile purchase will be donated to the Long Family as they continue to follow Christ in obedience and come closer to bringing their child home.

{photograph by Ginny Webb @ Sleepy Fox Photography}


This is their story:

Our story starts the same as any other family's really. We wanted a baby. We had two children and we wanted another child. We had been trying to get pregnant for about three months before we stopped and reassessed the situation. Something didn't feel right. We weren't excited. We were nervous and unsure. This was not the way we had felt with our first two children. So we decided to take some time to think and pray. As we did, the question came up: What about adoption? 

I had a lot of reasons why we should not adopt: I was not a super mom. Only wise godly parents can adopt and I was not in that camp. I was scared. There were too many things that could go wrong. Even with all my objections, my husband and I could not let the question go. We kept talking and thinking and praying. Over the course of the next 6 months or so, God began to take away all of my excuses. 

He began to show me that I didn't need to be a super mom. In fact, there was no way that I could be. I am a sinner. I will fail my children. My hope for parenting any of my children has to be Jesus because He will never fail them. I did not need to be scared because I am not in control. I am also not alone in this task of parenting. Jesus has given me His Spirit. And so slowly everything I had been pointing to and saying, β€œSee, there is no way we could do this,” slipped away. On April 11th, 2011, it dawned on me, that after my fears had been stripped away, all that was left was a little boy who didn't have a mommy - a little boy who needed to be loved. In that moment, I knew that I wanted to love him. It was that simple. There was no turning back then. 

I did not say yes to adoption because I became the mom I thought that I should be or had because I had no uncertainties, but because I saw that Jesus would be enough. My fears didn't need to control me. 

Jesus was bigger than all the β€œwhat if's”. 

So, six months of paperwork and 22 months of waiting... here we are. We have had ups and downs in the process. It has taken much longer than we had hoped. But during that time I have seen Jesus provide money through people who love us. I have had to trust that God is good even when it feels like He has forgotten us and our son. I have had to believe that He is working even when I can't see anything happening. Even though it has been hard, it has been a rich time. Hopefully in the next couple of months we will get our referral; which is an email that says β€œwe have matched you with a child”. It will have a file with some facts and a couple of pictures. It may not seem like much but I have dreamed of that moment for 28 months. It will be the moment I see my son for the first time. All the paperwork, all the waiting, will be worth it. I am not going to pretend that adoption will be easy. I have read too many books to be that naive. But I am convinced that this is what I want to do. I want to walk alongside this boy. I want to weep with him over the brokenness of this life. I want to love him. I want to be his mommy. 

And that is the story of our third child. It is different than I imagined it would be. It is a bigger plan than I dared to dream on my own. God is weaving our family together. I know it will be beautiful, not because we are amazing- we are just normal people. No, it will be beautiful because Jesus is doing it.

-Bethany


{photograph by Ginny Webb @ Sleepy Fox Photography}