Eddie and Martha Marie Smith

When we work, we work. When we pray, God works. – Hudson Taylor

Thank you for praying so that God can work!

Thank you for your prayers for a home!  God has provided a fully furnished home for us for no cost!  We plan to move our things to Salisbury this weekend and to move into another home in South Carolina before this weekend.

Please pray for a miracle for August.  We need a miracle to make it to North Carolina sooner.  Odds are stacked against us and it would be a complete miracle, but we are crazy enough to believe that the things that happened in the Bible can happen today and that God is in the miracle business!

Joshua asked the sun to stand still in Joshua chapter 10 and God granted his request.  Joshua probably thought the world was flat, and in all actuality the sun does not stand still, since the earth is what rotates.  But even in Joshua’s ignorance of science, God granted him what he asked because he believed that God was God of the earth (whether flat, round, or square), the sun, and everything else.

Please ask for the sun to stand still for us so we can march to our next assignment for God’s ministry.

If we could live this out, we would be unstoppable for the Kingdom of God!

One of Martha Marie’s new favorite songs and artist.

www.hulu.com is a great site to watch favorite movies and TV shows!

There is nothing else I would claim to have been wise for other than my choice of who I married!

I am a very blessed man!

We are in the middle of season 4 of this TV show.

I asked the Lord earlier this week to remind me how to pray.  He reminded me of how he taught the disciples in Luke 11:1-4.  This is the Message version of the Bible.

¹ One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” ^2-4So he said, “When you pray, say,

Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”

I love the simplicity and the power!

This is a poem I wrote for Brayden and read at his dedication that was held the same day as his adoption.  It sums up the past year and a half for us and we give all the glory and praise to God!

 

Dear Brayden,

 

I have a story that’s on my heart

February 11, 2008 is the very start

You see on that day we picked up a little boy

He had blonde hair, brown eyes, and not much joy.

 

But he smiled at us as we came through the door

Although we knew that physically he was very sore

He had bruises all over from head to toe

I wish I could say it wasn’t so

 

It broke my heart to hear of his past

But praise the Lord it did not last

He found his way in our home you see

From the abuse and neglect He was finally free

 

The first few weeks were an adjustment for all

Every scream at night made my heart completely fall

He wasn’t sure whether he could trust us or not

We covered him with love and prayed a lot

 

The constant throwing up finally went away

And the meds went from 5 to just 1 a day

Before our eyes we saw God answer prayer

He loved our little guy, God truly did care

 

We were finally getting settled in this great new life

But we then received news that cut like a knife

On March 28^th the dreaded phone call came

It shocked us; we knew we’d never be the same

 

An aneurysm had been found on my brain

There were many tears and so much pain

But the God we serve is amazing you see

So we asked for healing on bended knee

 

Peace was given through this horrible storm

God was great and our faith transformed

The surgery was set for the 6^th of May

Dr Barrow and staff operated that emotional day 

 

God answered prayer and I was healed

The grace He had given us was completely revealed

Friends and family had encircled us with love

Which had been sent directly from the God above

 

We thought it was over until July arrived

When gall stones were found and again I cried

But recovery was quick and we were back on our feet

Our story of healing was now complete

 

We were licensed to adopt we were soon told

The dream of you as our son began to take hold

In October is when the court case would fall

Not sure whether the parents would contest at all

 

We arrived at the courthouse early that day

To find out parents rights had been signed away!

What a huge blessing this turned out to be

One more miracle God did for us to see

 

Through this journey God opened our eyes

We decided to help others understand orphans cries

So we started Caroline’s Promise here in our state

We want to reclaim hope and set the problem straight

 

This all brings us now to the 9^th of June

When you officially became our son at noon

You little man now have a brand new name

Brayden Elijah Smith you’ll never be the same!

 

This story that started 16 months ago

Has been such a time of amazing growth

It has stretched our faith in countless ways

We truly give our God all the praise!

 

So to our little Brayden we want to say

How blessed we are that God made a way

For you to be part of our family in full

We love you so much and are so thankful!

 

We pray daily that you our little guy

Will decide to give our God a try

Because He’s amazing and a wonderful friend

He loves you so much and that will never end.

 

Love, Mommy, Daddy, and your sissy