Mother of 7

I never set out in life to have a big family. In fact, I can honestly say that I was never very good at motherhood with my oldest 2 children. Ever since becoming a teenager, I did things “my way”. God has a way of letting you make your own choices. As a divorcee and mother of a wayward son, who continues to make poor choices in his own life, I felt as a complete failure as a mother. Satan has a way of making you feel that way. After both of my children were grown, Bobby and I thought we were home-free. Our kids were grown and independent. We were going to enjoy life the way we wanted to. Our money was ours, our time was ours, our TV and things were ALL OURS!! We lived like that for about 2 years when we both gave our entire life to God. I didn’t know what that whould look like. I just knew that life had more to offer than what we, ourselves, could bring to it. I also had heard people say things like, “God told me this”, or “God led me to do that”, or “God opened this door or closed that door”. Well, I felt that I must be deaf because God didn’t talk to me. Maybe God didn’t think or care about me at all. Now I know that He was just waiting for me to be tired of messing up my own life.
All I can say is that the day I told God to take my life, He began to work in my life, our lives. This little, tiny thought of having more children in my life began to become something that I could no longer ignore. Bobby began to experience the same thoughts and we discussed it. I now know what it means to be “called” by God to do something. I don’t know why He called me. I am totally inept. I told God that someone else could do a much better job than I could… why don’t you choose that “PTA” mother over there. You know the type…the perfect mother of 2.5 children; always at the school, at PTA meetings, the class roommother baking cupcakes, on all the field trips, and when poor Johnny (now 16 yo) falls and scrapes his knee, she would pick him up and lug him home on her back in order to apply antibacterial ointment and a snoopy bandaid.
I love the PTA mothers because they do all the things that I never wanted to!!
But, God made it very apparent to me that I only need to trust Him. There is a saying that comes to my mind all the time: God does not call those who are equipped, but He equips those that He calls. This fits me to a “T”.

2 years ago, we adopted Kevin and Katie. In many respects, it has been the most challenging experience of my life. But in every situation, every time that I have asked for wisdom in dealing with a situation, He has granted that. There is no way that I could be a successful mother to kids that are half-grown with their own thoughts and ideas, and that come with their own baggage from life without God granting wisdom, grace, love, and somehow working out the things that I still do wrong as a parent. In fact, I am one of the most impatient, perfectionist, control-freaks you will ever meet. I want control of everything. Well, guess what? In adoption and raising adopted children, I have had to turn over my control to God. He has blessed in a mighty way!!! The blessings that I have received from being obedient are astounding!!! These kids have flourished and blossomed in a way that I never thought possible.

So, we are again following God in adoption. When I first felt this calling again, my questions became, “God, have you see the color of my hair lately-it is silver”, “God, have you seen our bank account lately and have you heard about the economy lately-financially we aren’t prepared for this.” But I have experienced the blessings that come with obedience. I am coming home with three more children. I am a little nervous, because as I think back to when my first 2 came home, and the issues that I faced then, I can’t remember what worked. What made them bond? How did I get them to do what I asked them to do? Etc…. I can see that I will be where God wants me to be: in His presence, asking for His wisdom. We don’t know what kind of challenges that we will have, but we could be bringing home the future President of the US, or the next Billy Graham. Or we could be bringing home a future mother who shows her own children to the Lord in a way that might not have been possible in Ukraine. What a blessing for us!!!

Today in court, the judge granted us the 3 children that we have petitioned for and we are joyfully making this announcement.

We are now the proud parents of Kolby Ricks Kemp, age 10; Keri Jo Kemp, age 8; and Elijah Richard Kemp, age 7.