Picture of God's Love: Introducing Emmanuel Joshua

I was having a conversation with a very close friend of mine. We were discussing how after seeing one picture of a child or children who are orphans, we can't get them off our minds. It's as if the thought of them have taken our entire mind captive. We instantly include them in our family life and discuss how life will be like when they are with us. Listen to me...I'm not talking about after we have met the child but when all we have seen was a PICTURE. Then my friend mentioned the what ifs....like what if we don't connect, what if they think we are boring, etc etc. My response was "in the Bible did God have all these WHAT IF's when He sent His SON to die for us so that we could become SONS of God.....adopted into Him........!!!!" Then she came back and said....."Noooooooooooooooo there were no what ifs.  And even then he took a chance.  He took a chance on us." After that I was floored....trying not to burst into tears.......

1st picture we saw of our son named drumroll.......Emmanuel.

We are pretty much sure that we will name him Emmanuel Joshua.

For our family, it isn't about a rescue mentality but about a mandate that God placed in our heart. Not only will we pour into and give to him but he will change and has change our lives in ways we could have never imagine! As we teach him many things, we are confident that we will learn in leaps and bounds from him!!

Picture of EJ in his 1st outfit from us picked out by his sissy Triniti!!

Why Should Christians Adopt? The Old Testament contains more than 40 scriptures that show God's concern and compassion for orphans. God's people then and God's people now must care for this disenfranchised and neglected segment of society. Adoption is the most loving and permanent way to care for these little ones. Psalm 68:5-6a says about God, "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families..." (Taken from http://www.cafadopt.org/adopt_why.html).

Here are a few websites that I enjoyed reading:

• 5 Reasons Christians Should Adopt
• Is Adoption Really a Christian Duty
• Together for Adoption

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. John 1:12-13