The Country Blonde Goes to Atlanta

The Country Blonde Goes to Atlanta

Posted by Candace

They say that if it can go wrong, it will. I must be a secret optimist, because I am rarely prepared for anything to go wrong. And if it does, I am always convinced it can be fixed at the last minute. Hopefully, for my own sake, I am right.
Last week we received our approval from the US immigration office to proceed with our adoption. After six weeks of waiting, I was more then ready to proceed. So after 2 days of visiting what seemed like every courthouse and police department known to man, I had my documents ready for the State authentication. This is done at the Secretary of State's election division in the middle of downtown Atlanta.
Normally I would wait for a day that David could go with me, because not only am I a complete blonde when it comes to navigating Atlanta's one way streets, but I am too small to fight off any "would be" attackers and too nice to not give my life savings away to the tragic amount of homeless people. But when I am ready to get something completed, it is hard to talk myself out of it. So off I went this morning to lessen the days that my child will wait for her family.
All was well until I got off at the Hill St. exit. It suddenly occurred to me (somehow it hadn't before... I don't really think things out all that well sometimes) that I would need to park my car somewhere where it wouldn't get towed in downtown. Easier said then done... especially on a Monday at lunch time. Panic welled up in my chest as I found myself on one street after another trying not to get hit, not to hit anyone, not to go down a one way street, and to find a public parking lot that wasn't a mile from the Capitol or in the shady part of an alley. I finally decided on one off of Pryor street...hey, at least I could see the Capitol from there. I got out and started walking toward what I thought was my destination. Six blocks and 10 street crossings later, I was covered in sweat and walking up the steps of the Capitol building. A kind security officer informed me that my journey was not yet over because the building that I needed was further down the street. Hmmm...all I can say is never pray that God will start giving you opportunity to get your exercise in throughout the day...He don't play!
I finally arrived at the Floyd West Tower and ventured up to the 8th floor where the office I needed was located. The first thing that the lady that helped me said was that there was a problem with the birth certificate that I was providing for David and that I would have to visit the Vital Records office in Decatur for another one. I almost laughed. Instead I prayed...."God, if there is any way that You can get me out of going to Decatur today, please, please do it!" Well, the answer was a big fat "no" :). I guess I needed more exercise. So I got 15 of my docs authenticated and then headed back to my car six blocks away.
Now I will say a complete miracle happened today...if you know anything about me and anywhere in Atlanta, you will know that for me not to get fully and completely lost, is pretty much a miracle, especially since I had to find I-85 N to get to Decatur. I won't tell you how many times I turned around or went down the wrong street, but finally I was on the right interstate and eventually in Decatur.
The vital records office in Decatur is actually hidden within an apartment complex, which was completely confusing, but nonetheless I found it and walked in...to a waiting room of people no less. I was given a form to fill out and told that I need cash to pay for it. The only method of payment that I was not prepared for. I took the form and told the lady that I would be right back. She didn't seem to care if I was or not. I drove up to a gas station and went ahead and filled my tank so there was no chance that I would get stranded in Atlanta (that "58 miles left" goes quick when you have to renavigate streets). Then I went in to use the ATM..."out of service"...of course it was. As I exited to find another gas station, I spotted a Quick trip right up the street... it almost looked like the pearly gates at that particular moment, what a great gas station QT is! I finally got the money I needed and drove back to the vital records office. Within about 20 minutes, I had the birth certificate and was on my way back to Atlanta.
Now I completely know what Paul was talking about when he said to be "constant in prayer". And as I got off on the right exit and entered the right parking garage, I thought that God must be finally saying "yes". I changed my mind when it took me just as long to find my way out of the parking garage and across the street to the Floyd West building, as it did when I parked on Pryor St. I was starting to feel the exhaustion as I entered the 8th floor office again, but thankfully within 5 minutes, the form was authenticated and I was on my way home. Or so I thought... I found a short cut from the building into the wrong parking garage. Then it took me 15 minutes to realize I was in the wrong parking garage. And remember all this is going on in 100 degree heat. Finally I find the right parking garage, but I can't find my car. I am literally wandering through this parking garage wondering if I will ever see my family again. The only way I finally did find my car was to go back down to the entrance and follow the arrows on the concrete until I spotted it. Whew! Ordeal over! NOT! How blonde can I possibly be? I didn't know until today. I drove around in a few circles and finally found the exit... then I got on the freeway going the wrong way and had to turn around a few times. Somehow eventually I was back in Conyers.
About now this story is getting really long, so you are very welcome to stop reading if you would like. I would actually prefer it. But I find myself needing to get the entire thing out on paper.
So I make my way back into town and decide to go ahead and finish this paperwork stuff and get it out to the consulate. I know I should have had the good sense to go home, but when I start something there is a drive in me to finish it. So I stop at the bank and then by QT to pick up the money orders that I need, then I head to David's office, because I have to make copies of ALL of the documents before I send them off. This was all fairly uneventful besides the fact that it took over an hour, I had to empty the shredder and made a mess (sorry, mom) and the ink in the copier decided to run low. Finally I got them all done and headed over to Office Max to send them off FedEx. As I am walking into Office Max, the FedEx truck is pulling away from the building not to return until tomorrow at 5:30pm. Shouldn't have emptied that shredder, I would have made it...Or not. It took 45 minutes and 3 different employees to try to figure out how to send a prepaid return envelope with my docs and even then noone came up with an answer. I finally told them to just ship the packages and I would figure out how to get them back to me later...once again last minute optimism.
I am in my car, finally headed home when I remember as I pass Kroger that tomorrow is Nathan's birthday and I need to send treats to school. The dreaded grocery store was a must visit. I chuckled out loud as I started pushing my cart... there was something wrong with the wheels and it was probably the loudest one in existence. Fortunately for me, I could care less... I grabbed my items and headed for the checkout... the only one with an old man arguing about his Kroger card balance.
No, I certainly did not catch many breaks today. But as I sit here, finally home, with documents on their way to the consulates in Houston and on track to know who my daughter is in less then a month from now, I cannot help but laugh inside and be very thankful for the adventure of life. I am completely exhuasted, but this country girl made it home safe and sound in time to updater her blog :). Night, everyone!

5 Days that Changed My Life Forever

5 Days that Changed My Life Forever

Posted by Candace

Gosh, I really don't even know where to start on this post. I know many of you will have a hard time believing my loss for words :). This morning I watched the sun rise and thought of how a good many of us have lost all dreams, all imagination, all creativity, but God renews His every single morning. The same sun rises and sets, but do you ever see the same sunrise or the same sunset? I am amazed at His new mercies every morning... not old mercy refurbished...brand new mercy! He never runs out... just as He never runs out of ideas, or melodies, or truths, or love. Unfathomable!!

This past weekend was one of the best of my life...the best of my relationship with God. I attended a 5 day worship intensive led by Aaron Keyes and his wife, Megan. Aaron is the worship leader at Grace Fellowship Church in Snellville. Not only is he a worship leader, but he is a humble servant of the Lord and an amazing mentor.

Going into this event, I was not expecting much. In fact, my spiritual life had become pretty dry. Between church transitions, busy summertime, hosting and adoption details, and decisions being made about our future livilihood, I found myself preferring to be a zombie in front of the TV, rather than an excited follower of Christ. I really only wanted to know more about music and how to sing it, play it, etc. Instead I received manna from heaven... the food of angels. As one girl with an amazing gift from God put it...I climbed a ladder into heaven and brought back revelation. No, there were no audible voices or hallelujah choruses, but God entirely rocked my world.

There is too much to tell to even put on paper... over and abundantly too much to tell. I still am unsure of what exactly He is calling me to besides being light and peace to the world, but I do know that I have never in my life been so excited about my destiny. On the night before the last day of the conference, I woke up with a Scripture on my heart. It is found in John 14. I felt compelled to go look it up and study it... at 5am in the morning no less. I am not a 5am kind of girl, but I jumped out of bed and headed downstairs to my Strongs Concordance. During this conference, God had been pointing out lies that I had been believing all my life and it was a good amount of stuff. I was able for the first time to examine each of my thoughts according to the truth of God's Word and reject the lies. So my thoughts on this morning began like this... "This isn't normal?" I laughed at this out loud and said "Thank God!" Then I heard "It won't last." To which God pointed me to John 14: 23 "Jesus said 'If a person loves Me, he will keep My Word; and my Father will love him and We will come to him and make Our home with him.'" So my first question to God was "I thought God already loves the whole world? Why does this Scripture say 'if....then'" So I looked up the word love in this context and in the John 3:16 context. In John 3:16, the love there is grace, charity, benevolence... sorta like if you saw a homeless person on the side of the road and gave him some money or food or encouragement. He did nothing to deserve that...he didn't work for you or even like you, but you loved him anyway. The love in John 14:23 is the friendship or social love...like your spouse or your best friend. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks! Those of us who believe in and follow Christ are offered the opportunity to live with God! Not just for a day or 5 days or when we get to heaven, but from the time we start believing until ETERNITY!!! What I am experiencing right now is how God designed it to be all the time! Does that speak to anyone else??

So my next question was (and I wrote all these down that morning as I was trying to work this out) "Why do I not see this around me? even in Christians?" Next verse, John 14:24 "Anyone who does not love Me, does not observe My teaching, and the teaching that you hear from Me is not Mine, but comes from the Father." UGH!!! O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E... remember that song? Obedience is the very best way to show what you believe... but not only that, it is the very best way to show the Lord that we love him. When we stand before Him, I don't think "I was too busy" or "I was too distracted" or "I didn't know" are going to work. I know that those excuses don't work for me when I tell my children to do something and they don't do it.

So in this analytical head of mine, I went on to ask "How do I know what to obey?" Duh! Yeah, all of this "world-changing" has not gotten rid of the "blonde" in me, which I find hilarious and endearing!! The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that's the book for me (they had something going on with those old children's songs and everybody groans at now :). We HAVE to be in His Word or we will forget the truth and His voice will fade in our ears. Now I know why every time I reach for my Bible something says "Do that later."

Yes, I have been revolutionized... I feel it, but I also know it. Thank Jesus for His incredible streams of grace, because I did nothing to deserve this awesome change of thinking being poured into my life. As a matter of fact, if He would have done this based on my devotional life, it would have never happened. Quiet time was pretty low on my list of priorities. Now I realize that I can't live without it. I have to come and be refilled so that I can pour out more to others... so that Jesus can be seen instead of Candace. And oh, can I just tell you that life is SOOOO much more worth it when Jesus is seen instead of me. I really don't know how I lived for so long so self consumed. It is so freeing to take my burdens, desires, dreams, longings, etc and put them at the foot of the cross to let God work through me in whatever way He created me. I feel like I have been a drinking glass trying to be a plate. Now I realize and take great pleasure that I am a drinking glass and it feels so much better to have living water poured into me than for me try to stuff myself with food.

Anyway, I had to let some of this come out, so I figured the blog was the best place. I don't know who will read this, but if you are reading it... it is NOT a coincidence. That is a lie! This truth can seep into the soul of anyone who will receive it. We were all created to be vessels... the same playing field, none of us more or less important then anyone else...you (whoever you are) and me are loved the same by Christ!! Oh how He loves you! He longs to make His home with you, but just like in this physical life, He will not come where He is unwelcomed. He must be invited...and then even in the awkward, uncomfortableness of the first visit, He must be welcome. Then as you get to know Him, as the visits prolong, you will find yourself saying "Jesus, why don't we just move in together? I want more of You all the time." And then when you find yourself living with Jesus, you feel the weight of the privilege you have and you don't even have a desire to do anything but cultivate that relationship. It's completely AMAZING!

Last night, I found myself discouraged and depressed, maybe a little bit of coming off the mountain into a valley. Maybe a little bit because God had given me words for a song (I have never written a song before) and I had recorded it onto my iPad and listened to it and thought "My voice is horrible! Why has noone ever told me?" lol... probably another lie. But later as I went to bed, I found tears pouring down my face as I realized that I missed my 20 friends from the worship intensive. I missed them profoundly. I had listened to their stories and embraced. Some of them had spoken into my life. I had never really been mentored before or been in a community setting quite so deep and these people had quickly become brothers and sisters in Christ. I realized that when you open your heart to the Father, every relationship in your life becomes right... and you barely have to try. I have run out of words...