yay for this awesome story! I know the Ivey family will encourage you to step out + do what is “outside the norm” in our culture but instead requires obedience to what God is calling you to! Are you noticing a trend with these stories? It’s so cool how God has intertwined our lives, and I’m so happy to get to share these stories with YOU! Meet Jamie!
Anybody can change the world, I’m just a regular mom and wife.
Hello my name is Jamie Ivey and I’m married to the man of my dreams Aaron. We live in the greatest city on earth, Austin, and we have four children that have joined our family through my body and through adoption. Our oldest Cayden is nine, and then Amos is eight, Deacon is seven, and our youngest, Story, is five going on 24.
So many times I meet people and they tell me that we are awesome people for what we have done in our kids lives. This is one of the most awkward moments in my life, because the truth is we haven’t done anything except just live our life. We for sure don’t see ourselves as braver than you, or crazier than you. We just see ourselves as two people who want to follow God with all of our lives and here’s where we are.
I will admit though that although we are not amazing people we have done some things that aren’t the norm in most peoples eyes. Although let me say this – these are our norms and we don’t know any different. They don’t seem out there or crazy. They just are things God has asked us to do, and we have decided to follow. These are ours. What are yours?
#1 We left a full time job to follow a calling. We were newly married and stepped out on a huge act of faith. It was hard. It wasn’t fun sometimes, but it was just where God wanted us.
#2 We started a domestic adoption when we had a 7 month old. Most people thought we were crazy, but we were just following God.
#3 I left my two kids to go on a mission trip to Haiti. Moms don’t leave kids to go to third world countries is what I thought. I did. I followed God and our lives were forever changed.
#4 We started an international adoption in a country that didn’t have clear adoption laws. It looked crazy for sure, but we were just following God.
#5 We decided to adopt 2 and not just 1 child in that international adoption.
#6 We hosted a child on medical visa to the states. We loved her as our own for 9 weeks and then sent her back home to her parents.
#7 We moved our family into one of the most under resourced areas in our town. It looked crazy and “unsafe”, but it’s where God wants us.
I would say these are things that have been huge milestones in our families lives, and yet they are just what God always had planned for us. Everyone has things that God is calling you to do and live for. Are you listening? Are you following?
I promise that life may not be easier when you step out and do the things that people call crazy, but life will for sure be more meaningful when you are doing what God asks you to do.
What is God asking you to do that doesn’t look like the norm of our society? What is holding you back from this? What is your fear? How can you fight it?
Go all out. We only get one life and when it’s over it’s over. Make a difference. Do the big stuff! Go out and change the world!
I’d love to hear from you about what God’s challenging you to do. I’d also love to hear from you about what is your family’s norm. We aren’t crazy people that are out to save the world. We’re just following God where he leads. You can connect with me on my blog –
Dreaming Big Dreams, or on
facebook.
Thanks for letting me share our story! I have loved reading all the other stories so much! Anybody can change the world!
yay, well thank you jamie!!! it was an honor to get to hear from your heart!
this is heart warming and you can see Gods hand in their photos. amazing.