Today's verses from YouVersion--an amazing website/app-- are Jeremiah 33:1-3 NLT
"While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the Lord gave him this second message: 'This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.'"
Wow, this one nailed me in the heart like a 2x4 to the face! A few thoughts: 1) Jeremiah was in jail. JAIL. EEK. 2) He was still seeking the Lord despite his earthly circumstances. 3) He could hear the Lord's voice 4) God promises if we ask, He will answer.
As we wait on the Lord, we find ourselves in the position to live this scripture to its fullest. We know God has a magnificent plan our lives & our boy's lives; & we know He loves them more than we ever could. What our souls know & our minds wrestle with are often pinned against each other in stark contrast & sometimes it's tough to see the story God is writing.
So we have "mustard seed" days: days where we are waiting & we cannot see the plan unfolding. Days when we know what He's called us to & we cling to His promises because it's all we have. Days when there is nothing left to do except wait on Him--& the Chinese government--& pray.
Today is a "mustard seed" day. Honestly, I fear we may be in for a "mustard seed" week. But that's ok. We know & trust the journey as God has revealed to us so far, & we are clinging to our mustard seed as we ask Him to show us the "remarkable secrets we do not know about things to come."
As you know from previous stories, God has abundantly blessed us in this journey of adoption. In addition to the details in this post, we've had friends provide the funds for Chosen Charlotte advertising materials & the prayer support we've had is incredibly amazing!
We are so blessed.
There are many families that use creative methods for fundraising for their adoption. After much prayer & consideration, Jonathan & I decided to sell t-shirts to raise money to support our upcoming travel expenses.
We've actually worked on it for several months now, & the we think the result is pretty AMAZING:
Jonathan & I have drawn great strength & encouragement from Matthew 17:20--the "mustard seed" scripture. This is the inspiration of the t-shirt.
The Chinese characters represent "faith in God" & the word "faith" & the scripture reference is written by our 7 year old son, Jayson.
Our dear friend, Ryan Morris, is massively talented & has worked relentlessly to help create the final product. We are very grateful to him & his wife Alexis for how they have helped us & loved on us!
The colors for the design of the shirt were chosen because of what they symbolize in Chinese tradition: the color red represents good luck, celebration, happiness, joy, vitality, & long life. The color black is the traditional color for young boys (who will continue the family/ ancestor lineages); also represents stability, knowledge, trust, adaptability, will, & emotional protection. The color orange indicates change, adaptability, spontaneity, & strengthens concentration.
This truly has been an act of love & we are so excited for each of you to have the opportunity to purchase one! We will profit $9.50 from each shirt sold, & there are kid's, women's slimfit, long-sleeved, & hoodie sizes available in addition to the standard unisex t-shirt!
If you're planning on joining us for our airport homecoming---when we arrive back in the US from China with our boys (there is not a specific date yet & ALL are welcome)--we'd LOVE for you to purchase one so we can see the sea of red, Faith in God when we return home!!
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE: https://www.bonfirefunds.com/patterson-family-adoption
Thank you all for your love & support, we will keep you posted~
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