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Archive for the ‘Adoption’ Category

Posted on: August 28th, 2017 by Laurie Coombs

Some of you have been with me for a long time and others are just tuning in, but regardless of where you fall in that spectrum, I’d like to invite you all to join me in the work God has recently called my family and me into. But before I do that, I’d like to give some context. As I’ve mentioned before, we brought our little girl home from Uganda in April 2016 after a five and a half year long wait. Baby girl’s name is Joy, and she lives up to every bit of her name. She has not only brought joy to our family, but quite honestly, she spreads her little light to just about everyone who sees her. Prior to coming home, Joy was loved and cared for by the people at Happy Times Childcare Initiative, an incredible institution run by Ugandans who have a heart to…

Posted on: October 18th, 2016 by Laurie Coombs 2 Comments
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Jesus turned this world on its head. Things people thought they knew crumbled in light of His teaching. The first are the last. The greatest is the least. The rich are the poor. Life is found in death. Strength is found in weakness. Second Corinthians 12:9-10 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” You see, our weaknesses do not negate our strength. It’s not about ridding ourselves of all our weaknesses, but allowing our weaknesses to become our strength. Allowing God to become our strength. I still have weaknesses. LOTS and LOTS of weaknesses….

Posted on: August 22nd, 2016 by Laurie Coombs 4 Comments
Bringing Joy Home!

I finally finished my baby girl’s adoption video! Be sure to watch this incredible story of God’s faithfulness. What a crazy long, wonderfully messy, immensely beautiful and difficult journey it was!! We are super blessed to finally have our baby girl HOME! I pray our story blesses you… Having trouble viewing the video? Watch it on YouTube instead!

Posted on: April 21st, 2016 by Laurie Coombs
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Hello friends! I received word last week that there’s a new short film produced by Moving Works that is being released today that tells the story of a family who adopted from Ethiopia. There are so many adoption stories out there, but what sets this story apart from all the others I’ve seen is how the film makers chose to weave biblical truths throughout the film about the doctrine of adoption. It’s incredible and well worth the nine minute investment required to watch! So take a moment today or whenever you can steal away some time to see this short film. I pray this resource blesses you and your perspective. What an incredibly good Father we have that He loved us enough to have adopted us into His family! L If you have trouble viewing the video above, click here to watch the film on YouTube. Any thoughts? Share in…

Posted on: April 19th, 2016 by Laurie Coombs 6 Comments
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We are HOME!!! It’s hardly believable but after all these years of waiting and waiting and waiting, we finally have our little girl home from Uganda! It has been a long hard road that my family and I have had to travel to come into this promise, but with every twist and turn, every obstacle to overcome, we have seen God’s sovereignty lead us, teach us, and grow us in ways that would have never been had the road been quick and easy. There are moments that I just can’t help but wonder how it is that I get to be this little one’s momma. This little girl whose eyes dance and sparkle with each joyful smile and giggle. This sweet girl who quite literally exuded the joy of the Lord. She is ours, forever ours to love and raise up in the Lord as our own. I have once again witnessed the goodness of our…

Posted on: January 15th, 2016 by Laurie Coombs
Off to Africa

Hello friends! I know it’s been few weeks since my last post, and for that, I sincerely apologize. I don’t usually allow life to throw me off my game this much, but some exciting things have been happening behind the scenes. As many of you already know, my family and I have been in the process of adopting for five and a half years. It has certainly been quite a journey, but this trek we’ve been on is just about to get crazy awesome. I’m super excited that I finally get to say that we have our court date!! Yep. We’re going to Uganda to begin the process of bringing Baby Girl home! Jesus has most certainly done it. Though the journey is not yet over, He has continually thrown open each and every door since Baby Girl was born last September to bring her home to us. This leg of our journey has gone much…

Posted on: December 17th, 2015 by Laurie Coombs
Jesus is on the throne

Jesus is on the throne, now and forever. It seems I’ve been reminded of this continually lately. Life’s circumstances have clouded my vision a bit, but with this simple reminder, I have consistently been brought back to the truth. Troubles lose their weight when we see and believe this reality deep within our souls. This truth gives us a heavenly perspective on the circumstances we face and allows us the ability to endure trials with confident assurance that our God is in control. Now, I cannot pretend to know all the reasons why God allows difficulties into our lives, but when confronted with them, I often think about what Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. He said, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance…

Posted on: November 10th, 2015 by Laurie Coombs
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It was Orphan Sunday last Sunday, a day for Christians to take a stand on behalf of the world’s orphans. To be a voice that cries out for redemption and justice for those most vulnerable. Orphan Sunday holds greater significance in my family than in most. It’s a special day. A day to remember why my family and I are doing what we’re doing, giving us perseverance to stay the course toward adoption despite the many challenges we’ve confronted and the innumerable unknowns and uncertainties we continue to face. Travis and I were asked to participate in the sermon at our church last weekend along with another couple who is pursuing the adoption of a little boy through foster care. Our pastor preached an incredible message illustrating the heart behind adoption by Christian families, which is certainly something that Travis and I are passionate about. Not all churches bring this aspect of the Gospel to light, but ones that embrace, encourage,…

Posted on: October 15th, 2015 by Laurie Coombs

I’m super excited to share some incredible news on the heels of the article I recently wrote called, Living Victoriously in the Messy Middle. What I’m about to share serves as an example to what was written in that article, particularly the point I made about doubts. So anyway, here’s the news! The Coombs Family adoption has taken a bit of a twist. Just under a month ago, my husband Travis said, “If God wants us to adopt, He’s gonna have to drop something in our lap.” Famous last words, it seems. Not more than a few days later, it happened. A wonderful little bundle of joy was dropped in our lap. A baby girl, only a few weeks old, in Uganda. For those of you just tuning in, we’ve been pursuing an adoption in Ethiopia for the past five years, not Uganda. Hence, the twist of this incredibly wonderful, yet immensely difficult, faith-testing journey….

Posted on: October 8th, 2015 by Laurie Coombs
Messy Middle

“How’s the adoption?” A friend asked excitedly as I walked into church one Sunday. I desperately wanted to tell her that we were moving forward without a hitch and that we had everything ready and that we would soon be traveling to bring our children home, but I couldn’t. Instead, I reluctantly spoke words that broke my heart. “We’ve hit another roadblock,” I said, before mustering enough faith to add, “but we’ve been here before.” I expected to see sorrow in my friend’s eyes at my response, but she simply said, with complete and total assurance, “Yep, and you know how to get through them,” before she quickly hightailed her way to service. I was a bit stunned to be honest at her quick reaction to my heartfelt confession, but I couldn’t help but smile. She’s right, I thought. I do know how to get through them! God was reminding…