Michael & Lia Zalvin

Updates

• Update 4

  

  Praising All the Way

  September 10, 2022
  Michael and I are still in the waiting game, but wanted to hop on here to express our praise and gratitude for unexpected blessings that we've received recently. We are overwhelmed and humbled with each new donation that we receive, and will never be able to fully express our gratitude for your generosity! This is a long journey, that's for sure, but it is also one that is showing us that we have a much bigger village than we ever dreamed of... and they say it takes a village! On the crib in our nursery, we have covered it with... Read moreBible verses and lyrics that remind us that God has a perfect plan in place, and to help renew our trust in Him throughout this process. These two cards have stood out to me in the last few days because He is working even when we don't see or feel it. He is a Way Maker, and He will never stop working. Each new donation or surprise blessing that we receive, we are reminded of how important it is to fully build our life on His promises, and not be shaken. Thank you to everyone who is in this waiting game with us, praying through the waiting and supporting us. We love you and we cannot wait for the day that we get to write an update that we have the baby that God has specifically chosen for us in our arms with us! To Him be the glory, always!

• Update 3

  Feels Like Draft Day

  August 18, 2022
  We are thrilled to have the update that we are officially "on the clock" and have a whole new appreciation for Draft Day... sitting and waiting by your phone for a call that will change your life forever. We are officially a waiting family with our agency, and placement can happen really at any time depending on when a birth mother selects us. Thank you all for your prayers, excitement, support and encouragement. We know that we could not be on this journey without all of you, and we love you so much! We are prayerfully coming to God to... Read moreask that He continues to be with us and our birth family every step of the way, like He already has been. To Him be the glory!

• Update 2

  

  Homestudy = Completed!

  August 8, 2022
  These are the faces of two very excited Zalvins after their final homestudy visit was completed! With this stage now over, we only have one more stop before we are an official "waiting family"! We will have a Zoom with members of our agency to go over the home study, discuss placement and will have the opportunity to ask any and all questions that we have. From there, our "family profile" will be posted on the Christian Adoption Services website, as well as will be shown to expectant birth mothers. Now all that's left is to hurry up and wait!... Read more Thank you all for your prayers, check-ins, excitement and donations. Your support is invaluable to us, and we could not and, really, would not be on this journey without each of you! We love you! Michael and Lia

• Update 1

  "Adoption is not For the Faint of Heart" They Said

  July 28, 2022
  ... and they were right. Our adoption journey, not unlike anyone else's, has been filled with a lot of waiting, wondering and worrying. These three W's seem to bring out the best in Michael, and the worst in me. They also have created a unique dynamic in my mind where my differing versions of myself compete with one another to make sense of it all. The "marriage therapist" in me tells me that "I statements are effective tools for conveying thoughts and feelings to your spouse" when I've snapped at Michael for the hundredth time, using my snapping as a... Read moremethod for masking my pain. The "friend" in me tells me that I am a "bad friend" for feeling envious with each new pregnancy announcement that I see online. The "Christian" in me tells me that "God has perfect timing for everything" and that I need to "trust His timing more." One thing we have both learned throughout this adoption is- hearts that long to be parents have a hard time understanding God's timing. Another is that we can choose to stay put in that confusion, or we can choose to accept the journey that He has called us to be on. In choosing to accept the journey, we are also choosing an attitude of gratitude. I am grateful for this process, because I have never felt more tested by God and His plans, but I have also never felt as secure letting go and trusting Him. I am grateful for my family, who hugs me while I cry in a public bathroom or who never fails to boost my confidence in the decisions we are making. I am grateful for my friends who tell me that they have enough hope and joy for me, even on the days when it's hard for me to find joy and hope. I am grateful for my husband, who never ceases to bring a calming presence into a situation and who is also able to remind me of positive aspects, especially when I can't see them. I'm grateful for worship music that gives me lyrics to meditate on like "I am not skilled to understand what God has willed, what God has planned", "...but as the thunder rolls, I barely hear Your whisper through the rain "I'm with you", and as Your mercy falls I'll raise my hands and praise the God who gives...", and "You take what the enemy meant for evil, and You turn it for good... I'm going to see a victory." I'm grateful for these two verses- "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you- plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 and "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13. I am choosing to lean into those plans, and to trust that they are GOOD. Lastly, I am grateful for every other adoptive mother on this planet because even without knowing them personally, their existence reminds me that I am not alone in the wondering, worrying and waiting. I think the therapist in me, the friend in me and the Christian in me are all in agreement of the choice to choose gratitude today.
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