Doing it debt-free....

Jay and I have been working to become debt-free for many years.  At one time, for about a month, we actually were completely debt free (minus mortgage and car).  It was a glorious 2 seconds and then, we went downhill back again.  It doesn't take long for credit card debt to pile up.  The washing machine breaks, the trim needs painting, rotting wood replaced, the car breaks down, your budget runs out before the week's necessities are bought....and so on.  Every week, we strive to remain on budget and continue our very tiny baby steps out of debt.  Most weeks, we feel like we are spinning our wheels as our progress is ever so slow, but it's just that.... progress! Jay and I take turns reminding  and encouraging each other to celebrate the small steps and rejoice in small victories.  It's the small the victories that add up to BIG differences!

Last year, we sold our previous home we had been renting out since we moved to North Richland Hills.  We used a portion of the profits to make a big chunk in our debt payoff, some of the profits for various home improvements (that trim finally got painted outside), and we set aside a bit for 2 upcoming trips we knew were coming (still reliving that amazing Jamaican trip! And the family reunion in Missouri was one of the best yet!)  Last night, Jay and I were going over our budget for the week and upcoming months, knowing school will soon be starting and all.  It's back to our weekly tight reins, but I looked at Jay and said, "It sure feels good to have paid for the last two trips with cash." I can't remember the last time (not counting Jamaica), that we went on a trip and DIDN'T use the credit card! It feels good and is a taste of what is to come for us.  We are far from being debt free, and we continually mess up.  BUT, we will keep plugging on and forward.  Every day is a new day to start over, to dust yourself off and move forward.  Sometimes, it's 1 step forward, 2 steps back, but keep pursuing, because then it's 2 steps forward, 1 step back, and then it's 3 steps forward..... celebrate the small victories.  Appreciate the moments of success, no matter how small.

And now, as we have stepped out in faith into the journey of adoption, it has been another test of our faith (okay, of MY faith) to trust the Lord and not the power of the credit card.  There have been a few times here and there where we have used it to mail this, overnight that and such, but we.... no, I [emphasis on I] am really learning to not just grab that piece of plastic and swipe when it comes to paying for adoption expenses.  Jay, on the other hand, stays mostly calm about the financial part of it.  He amazes me.  Once we decided to step out in faith on this journey, he has had a peace about the financial part of it, knowing the Lord will provide.  Me? I inwardly panic at times wondering how we are going to pay the next amount due.  But Jay, he is my anchor in all of this, knowing that the Lord is our Rock and our Provider.  Loving another child, welcoming her into our home? That's the easy part of this journey! Trusting the Lord to provide financially so we don't go into further debt? That's the test of my faith....and it's just one of the ways the Lord will shine His glory in all of this.  Just as we are parents who strive to provide good things for our children, the Lord is our Heavenly Father and He provides all that we need as His Children.

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
Matthew 7:11

Praising my Heavenly Father that HE is our Provider and He has nothing but good for our family!
Thanking Him for His mercies that are new every morning!

Life Goals....
One day, we will be debt free.
One day, we will be able to financially bless others who are adopting.
One day, we will take all 4 of our kids on a dream vacation to Disney Land/World (I don't care which, I've never been to either!) and we will pay cash for it.

Every day, we want to glorify the Lord in every aspect of our lives, including our finances.

What have we been doing lately and how is the adoption process going?

Life has been a whirlwind and a blur these days, from making summertime memories to filling out grant applications to planning a family reunion to a certain handsome little fella turning 7 years old!

Eli turned 7 on June 16th.  SEVEN!!! We celebrated with lots of family and friends at the park with donuts and juice!  He had been asking for MONTHS to go skating, so we also rounded up a handful of his friends and hit the local skating rink up for a couple hours.  He had a blast and as we rounded out his birthday week with some Sonic shakes, he told Jay and I that this was one of his best birthdays ever.  He melts my heart faster than ice cream melts in the sun!

We have a family reunion coming up that has been over 2 years in the planning.  It's on my mom's side of the family and she is the youngest of 7 siblings... SEVEN! It's going to be a BIG reunion! :) The last one we had was when Jadyn was just 8 months old.  We are looking forward to seeing lots of old and new faces and making new memories! The past 2 years have flown by since we first began planning this and now we will soon be in the Ozarks!  This has given me something to look forward to and helped keep me busy and not twiddling my thumbs in the adoption process!

Speaking of the adoption process.... where are we at in it?

We are currently awaiting our I800A Approval to go through authentication process.  We are half way through the waiting process of authentication (it went to the Secretary of State and will go to the Consulate next).  Once our adoption agency has that freshly authenticated paperwork back, all of our documents will officially be DTC (Dossier To China)!  Man, I can't wait for that day when we can say we are DTC!! That is a HUGE milestone in the adoption process, and once you hit that milestone, you are usually traveling 4-5 months later!  We anticipate traveling around November to bring our little girl home!  We recently got an updated video and pictures of Annika and we were THRILLED to learn she now knows she is being adopted!!!  I put together a photo storybook that introduces us to her and it will be delivered here next week.  I've had the words translated to Mandarin and when I send our first care package to her, she will have the photo album written in both English and Mandarin, along with her set of goodies from us!  In the midst of all this, we have been filling out numerous grant applications and continuing our t-shirt fundraiser.  In all, we are over 1/3 of the way into our adoption costs.  That means, over $10,000 has come in through donations, fundraisers, and our first approved grant!  God is good!!!  We continue to trust Him to provide ALL of the funds needs to bring our little girl home.  If you feel led to donate, our crowd rise fund link is still active too.  You can donate here.  We know that it is His desire to bring Annika into our family and we know He will meet every need we have for our little girl.  Just this week, we decided that the boys will be staying home and Jadyn will travel with us to get her sister when we go.  All 3 of the kids are thrilled with this decision.  Eli can't wait to have adventures with his friends for 2 weeks and Asher is the same. (Whatever big brother is thrilled about, so is he! Ha!)  Jadyn has been praying from the get go that she would get to travel with us, and the Lord confirmed it in our hearts over the last week.  She is ECSTATIC to travel to China and bring home her sister!  We went this week to get her passport application turned in and her picture taken.  This big sister was all smiles! 

To God be the glory in all the we do....

Love Never Fails,

Shannon

Our progressing adoption journey...

Summer is in full swing around here!  We've been having fun reading books, watching movies, going to NRH20, having sleepovers and playdates, and battled a summer cold or two.  June has lots of reasons for us to celebrate around here... Father's day, family birthdays and Eli turned 7!  We have had a great time making memories as a family and with friends!  I look at my children in wonder and amazement at how big they are now.  It seems like not so long ago, I was cradling Jadyn in my arms and keeping her cool during her first summer.... or watching Eli splash on his first little splash pad with his squishy chunky self erupting in giggles...... then, taking Asher to his first Rangers baseball game and carrying him in my ergo.  Time fast forwards to today where Jadyn and Eli are now 8 and 7 years old and Asher asks to be held and when I pick him up, his legs dangle to nearly my knees it seems!  As I snuggle his long body, I think to myself, "How did my baby get so big already??"  Soak up these moments, for they go fast!

These days find us celebrating each step as our adoption is progressing along.  Today, we had our fingerprinting appointment at the US Citizenship and Immigration center.  Once those clear the FBI, we should hopefully have US approval to adopt internationally!  The next big step will be all of dossier paperwork heading to China! This is a BIG milestone in the adoption journey and we are sooooo close! :)  I've been working on filling out grant applications these days.  So far, we've been awarded our first grant and hoping for more!  Each grant foundation has their own timeline of when they review applications and distribute funds, and each application is time consuming to fill out.  Needless to say, it's pretty draining filling out your life story, financial status, and why you want to adopt, but it is sooooooo worth it when you get that notification that you are being selected to receive a grant from that Foundation! So the more grants I fill out, the better our chances of receiving more funds to cover adoption costs! Jay and I also know that regardless of how many applications we fill out, it is ultimately in the Lord's hands and we know that He will continue to provide, just as He has been faithful to do so far!  To date, we've been blessed with just over $10,000 in donations, fundraisers and our first grant!  To God be the glory in each step!  We are over 1/3 of the way through our adoption costs and almost half way through our journey to bring Annika home!

We are continuing our shirt fundraiser (see pic below) and also have plans in the works for a Family Play Day Adoption Fundraiser in September! 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support on our adoption journey.  We are anticipating traveling in December to bring our little girl home!  Once we have received LOA (Letter of Approval) from China, we will be able to share Annika's picture on social media!

If you feel led to contribute financially, you can click on the link below or PayPal to jaysapp@gmail.com.  All money goes straight into our adoption account!
https://www.crowdrise.com/adoptingannikajourneyoflove/fundraiser/shannonsappington

Well, time to read bedtime stories and daily devotionals to the kiddos.
Have a blessed evening!

Love,
Shannon

Like pieces of a puzzle falling into place...

The Lord, MY God, answers prayer. In a matter of hours today, He brought in all the EXACT amount of money needed for the 3 post adoption visits. Since Monday, we have been praying while our adoption process was on hold. Knowing that our hands were tied and trusting God to bring it in, we have been doing what we can, and that is pray. Today... the Lord gave us the EXACT amount we needed...$1,050 has now been paid in full tonight. Now, we can get our home study report into our adoption agency's hands and move forward in our adoption process. (RELIEF!) AND, I can FINALLY start applying for GRANTS! :)


Jay and I have started reading Jesus Calling to the kids before bed each night. They love it and won't go to bed without it! They remind us if we 'try' to skip it and hurry the bedtime process! I love that the last thing they hear before bed is the Lord's Word. And it's amazing how each day's devotional has spoken directly to my heart for whatever I'm going through at the time. I started a Puzzle Fundraiser today to help raise the funds we needed to prepay for our post-adoption visits, knowing that our Home Study Report wouldn't be released until we did. Would you know that the Kids' devotional tonight was called Puzzle Pieces? How fitting! Here is what their May 18th devotional was from Jesus Calling for Kids:

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher

than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

--Isaiah 55:9 (NKJV)

I gave you an amazing mind. With it you can think great thoughts and dream great dreams. But My Mind is infinitely bigger and more amazing. My thoughts contain all of creation and the universe, all of the past, present, and future. And because I understand all things and all times, My thoughts and My ways are different from yours.

Life can be like a box of puzzle pieces--with the box top missing. When you look around at your life, all you can see are the pieces. But I see the final picture. I know how all the pieces fit together. I know how to join together all the jagged pieces of hurts and disappointments, plus the smooth pieces of victories and joys.

Trust My timing and My ways. Trust Me to fit all your pieces together into a wonderful life. And trust Me--at the end of your life--to lead you home to heaven.

Over the last couple days, I've been praying for the Lord to increase my faith. It is such a roller coaster of emotion in the adoption process! One day, you're on cloud 9 over all that God is doing to bring your little girl home, and then another day, you're worried how you're ever going to meet the next payment needed without going into debt. I've been having some heart to heart talks with my heavenly Father, bearing my heart about being worried how we are going to pay for this precious little girl to get here. And then, He reminds me, "I've got this. I've called you to adopt her. I have already made the way for her to come home. Just trust me. I've got this." His gentle reminders renew my faith, refresh my soul and bring joy to my heart. And how He uses special people in our life to show us that He is indeed making the way for our Annika to come home.... He uses people who want to bring glory to Him, who see this as not just the Sappington's journey....but everyone's journey. God has used people (and you know who you are) to help us, pray for us, to remind us of His faithfulness......Our little girl is loved dearly.


I came across this song today and instantly began crying. Another reminder that the Lord indeed has this adoption and Annika in the palm of His hand...

Adoption Update

Provided by CoolFundraisingIdeas.net

We are waiting for our Home Study Report to be finalized.  It is in the Rough Draft phase between our Home Study agency and our Adoption Agency.  Waiting is HARD!  We know we've passed and all, but waiting for paperwork to go through the proper channels and it's out of our control is TOUGH! We are so ready to have our little girl home, yet we are still so far away in our process, it seems.  Once we have the final report of the Home Study, our paperwork will then bounce from Washington's government and then to San Francisco to the Consulate.  This is about a 3-4 month process, all said and done, and THEN our paperwork will head to China for it's process there (based on current wait times).  In the mean time, Jay and I will have things to do here and there as far as paperwork goes, for the adoption process, but for now.... we wait.

It occurred to me to make a thermometer that shows the total of what has been raised so far in our journey.  We've had people donate on our Crowdrise site, donate in person, by mail and by PayPal, so I haven't been able to show a running total raised so far.... until now. :)

https://www.crowdrise.com/adoptingannikajourneyoflove/fundraiser/shannonsappington

We are also selling shirts and our first round of orders have arrived and been delivered!  I'm getting ready to send in another BIG order on Monday.  Let me know if you want in on it!

God is so good and He continues to provide at every step of the way.  Every time payment is due, the money is there!  We are so humbled and thankful to everyone who continues to support us through prayer and financially along the way! We canNOT wait for you to meet our little girl!  Lord-willing (and a faster adoption process), we will have her home before the end of 2016).

Waiting and enjoying

Waiting hasn't necessarily been my greatest strength in life.  (Jay, on the other hand, is very good and patient when it comes to waiting!)  As I wait for these last couple of steps to be done with our home study report and dossier submission to our agency.... I have to remind myself WHO is in control and it's HIS timeline that we are on.  I hurry as quickly as I can to get our end of the paperwork done, and then I wait for the recipient to be finished.  Hurry up and wait. :)  It's a good time to pull my head out from the bubble I've been in and take a look around at life, be thankful and present for the here and now.  

This past weekend was chalked full of events.... Home Fellowship, sports games, birthday parties for friends and family.....it has definitely been fun and memorable! THE most memorable part of this weekend for us though was Eli's spiritual birth when he asked Jesus into his heart Saturday night during bedtime prayers.  The moment was so precious and quiet as I listened to him praying, his voice so honest, so believing and humble as he lifted his words and his heart to the Lord.  I truly sensed the Lord's presence in the boys' room during that moment.  With child-like faith, Jadyn (and now Eli) have opened their hearts without hesitation to the love of our Lord.  My heart overflows and words cannot express the awe I feel knowing the Lord has entrusted Jay and I with the task of teaching our children the Word of God.

Last night after prayers, Jadyn and Eli explained some of what they've been learning in 

KiDZ Church:

1. to ADMIT that you are a sinner

2. BELIEVE in your heart that Jesus died on the cross for your sins 
3. CONFESS with your mouth that Jesus is God

Did you know the angels rejoice in Heaven when a soul is saved?  The Angels have been rejoicing this weekend and so is our household! 

Eli, May the Lord shine brightly through you in all you do!  God has big plans for you life, my son!

And to think.... the Lord is adding one more to our household!  I am in awe of His workings through it all.  Later today, I'm headed up to my doctor's office to pick up the last piece of paper (hopefully) needed for our dossier packet. As soon as I do that, I'm then headed to the post office to mail my last envelope of dossier paperwork to our agency! 

Pray that the letter from my doctor has everything formatted the way the agency requires for dossier submission. My sweet doctor was up at her office working yesterday (on a Sunday) to get that letter right.  And please pray that our home study report will be finalized this week. It's been over 2 weeks now, and I'm eager to get it submitted with our dossier.

"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:10

Before you were even born...

I think about you all of the time. You have already become a part of our family... and you don't even know it yet.  Over there, on the other side of the world, you are already in full swing of tomorrow, going about your day, and you probably don't even know it yet that there is a family on the other side of the world preparing for you.  As we are in the midst of paperwork, trainings, meetings, and preparation, we are praying for you every single day, several times a day.  You have a sister and two brothers who pray for you to come home quickly and for our plane ride to be smooth to you and back.  You have a mommy and daddy who love you fiercely and spend late nights talking about you, dreaming and planning the future and talking about what-if scenarios.  I often wonder what you are thinking or feeling as you go about your day?  Will you be happy to learn that you are going to be adopted?  Will you be nervous, yet excited to know someone wants you as their own?  We know you'll be scared as you step away from what you've always known and begin a new adventure and a new life with us.  I hope you will be happy with us.  I hope you will grow to love us as much as we love you.  I hope that as you grow and mold perfectly into our family, that you will feel and flourish in the love of a family.  I pray that as we love you as God loves us that you will see His Light shining in us and you will bask and glow and come to RADIATE His love!  I pray that you will come to know Jesus as your personal Savior.  My prayer is that as you grieve over the end of your orphanage days....possibly even grieving the separation from your best friend if you have one and those children who you have grown with since you were a newborn... as you at some point or more, grieve the loss of knowing your birth mother and father did not keep you, as you grieve not ever knowing who your birth parents were.... that you will know that you weren't born without a purpose, without hope.  You were not abandoned forever.  You were not thrown away.  You, my child, were born for a purpose.... and that purpose was to become a part of our family.  You, Annika, were born for us....to be a part of our family.  Not that you needed us or we needed you.  But that the Lord can work out His plans for your life.  What big plans He has for you! I have FAITH that He will work mighty things in your life, in our life.

"Before you were born, I set you apart." Jeremiah 1:5

My frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
(Psalm 139:15-18)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you a future filled with hope". 
Jeremiah 29:11

Annika, I cannot wait for the day to come that I get to hug you and hold you.  I know that it will come soon, my daughter.  I cannot wait for the day you see your sister and brothers and realize you are not alone in this world.  I cannot wait for the day when I see your eyes light up when you play with your siblings or daddy takes you on your first daddy/daughter date.  I know that will take time as we all get to know one another, but, I know that the day will come when the smile on your face will reach to your eyes as you look upon your family and laughter fills the air as joy spills over from your heart.