Feel Like a School Girl Again!

This morning began with a series of unfortunate events that I will choose not to share publicly:)  

Let's just say that I can laugh about it all now!

Anyway, after multiple events...when all I wanted to do was cry...

I started to sing my favorite camp song from Royal Family Kids Camp.

Insert music here...

"It's a good, good, good, good, good, good morning;

 a good, good, good, good, good, good morning;

 a good, good, good, good, good, good morning;

It's gonna be, a very good day!!!

Half way through my song I realized it was a good morning, and a good day!!

Today was our 18th wedding anniversary!!  

which I had forgotten until that moment

So there was only one thing to do...I beautified myself and prepared to surprise my love at work.

(after a bit more drama...I made it there with goodies in hand)

I can tell you I felt like a nervous school girl again!!!  

Butterflies in my stomach, asking my girls if my hair and outfit looked ok, hoping that I was able to successfully make it to hubby's office before he found out I remembered our anniversary.  

My mission was successful!!  He was surprised!!

And I think he liked his chocolate covered strawberries (as well as several coworkers...lol)

Then I learned that he also had a surprise in store for me!!

Later the love of my life took me on a date.
I had yet to go in his jeep with the top and doors off...so there was a promise of going off road:)

Again I felt like a school girl going out to dinner with my hottie and then some adventure!

 Let's just say I didn't die!
We almost got stuck two times.
As we approached a LARGE puddle (with an unknown depth)
I said, "well, lets see if three is a charm".

Not only were we stuck, the jeep was almost on it's side.
(it was dark and we were a few miles in...
my visions of walking out in the dark through rough terrain and critters got the best of me)
I started praying in my head and then as it was obvious we were stuck, I started praying out loud.

God is so very faithful even in the small things!
We got out...and had ourselves a good laugh!!

I will say that the funniest part was walking through Walmart after for a grocery run.  The picture does not do him justice!  Hubby had mud on his face, head, neck, back, and down his legs as well:)

I am so very thankful for the past 18 years that I have had with the love of my life!!

And I cannot wait to see what the next 18 have in store for us!!

They That Wait...

They that wait upon the Lord,

 

shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

 

they shall run, and not be weary; 

and they shall walk, and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Some verses you learn in a certain translation and it just has to be said that way.  

I learned this one in the King James version, and as a song when I was a very little girl.  

(And I am so very glad that I did!)

There is something so very powerful about memorizing the word of God.

It provides strength, peace, and hope at the moment you need it.  

This particular verse refreshes my spirit!  

I have heard different interpretations of the word "wait" over the years.  

Not one of those interpretations imply doing nothing:)

One interpretation I heard some years ago said that to wait means "cling to".  

I will say that it happens to be my personal favorite:)  

They that cling to the Lord shall renew their strength.  

Others have said that it means to wait "in great expectation" or "confidence" in HIM...
looking to HIM for help...putting trust in HIM.

We still do not have our referral for Aaron.

I can tell you we are in a stage of CLINGING to our heavenly father!!
But we are also in great expectation...
walking forward with complete confidence that Christ will continue to open doors!!
We will continue this journey without growing weary or faint.
Claiming God's promises along the way.

I was sure that this past Friday was going to be the day for several reasons.

No one heard anything Friday so we waited expectantly for Monday news.

The good news is that our dear friends walking this journey HAVE received their referrals!!!!

Both families that have been on the same race with us, and another I have followed from afar have moved to the next step over the past few weeks.

They are one obstacle closer to bringing their treasures home!!

We are so very happy for them!

And we long to understand God's plan for our delays and wait.

but as that old songs goes...

 Teach me Lord, Teach me Lord...to wait!! 

Where I Am:)

Ok...it has been brought to my attention by my sister that I have been terribly slacking in the blog writing department!!!  

Unfortunately I am guilty on ALL COUNTS!!  

Until I can gather my thoughts and write something of substance...

please read this blog post called "The Adoption Crazies"!!!  

I have a baddy bad bad case of 'um...I case you were unsure.

CLICK HERE

Back in line!!!

We have been waiting...

waiting for news, waiting for a birth certificate, waiting for God to move mountains...

I have been asked if I have learned patience yet.  I am not sure I know the answer to that one.  

I can tell you that it has been painful waiting. 

It has been prayerful waiting.

I am not sure it has been patient waiting. 

BUT.....TODAY...another obstacle was moved!!!

I love it when we cry out to God in a certain situation, and then HE answers our prays in ways we do not understand.  It takes the human factor out of things and clearly shows that it is ALL HIM!!  

We learned this morning that the passport agency of the Philippines will issue a passport in the name of "baby boy"!!!  

Because of this our dossier will be put back in line to be presented to the ICAB for referral!!!!!!  

How is it that it can be done now and it couldn't in March when we learned that Aaron could not be hosted??? Or why not all those months in-between?  

My answer is so very simple....BUT GOD!!!   

He has a plan and purpose for our son, and our family as a whole.  

HIS timing is perfect!

HIS ways are perfect!!

HIS plan is perfect!!!

There is a LITTLE part of this story that makes it all so much sweeter!!!  

After telling me the fabulous news this morning, and hearing a very loud squeal in her ear, the fabulous gal from our agency went on to tell me more.

She told me that earlier this week they learned that we would not be able to get Aaron's corrected birth certificate until DECEMBER!!! 

If that happened, we would then have to go back in line for a referral (which could take weeks to months considering how the ICAB is already backed up and the fact that government offices are closed most of December)...then we would have had to wait the three months it usually takes to get visa approval to travel.  

All that to say...it could have been spring or summer of next year before we traveled for our son!!!!!!!!  

So you see...this new turn of events is nothing short of God's gracious answer to many prayers from those around the world specifically praying for our Aaron!!

I do hope that one day God will reveal the reason we needed to wait longer.  I love looking back and seeing his sovereign hand in our lives!!!

But until then...we will shout out his faithfulness from the rooftops!!!

I have been working on some new children's worship the last few weeks...one of my new favorites completely expresses how I feel today:)

Have a listen...

Finding our groove

We have not fallen off the face of the earth...

just spinning to find our way back to some sort of normal schedule.  

School began Tuesday and we are finding our groove!!

Some of us get very cozy during essay writing

Some of us were rockin' out the vocab 

But all of us were super excited for a special worship night at our church with Kari Jobe!!!!!!!

(yep, she is the gal I pretend to sing like in the shower...shh don't tell)

Our church was PACKED OUT!!

But we were so very blessed to worship with her from this distance

Kari does not do performances...

She engages in authentic worship and pours her heart out to the Lord.

What an evening of total peace and surrender!!

I spent the evening and into the night crying out to God concerning our adoption delays!!!  

Stay tuned...I cannot wait to share how God is movin' and shakin' on sweet Aaron's behalf!!

Wearing a Crown...

As the day approached anxiety ran high for one crowning princess.  

The closer we got to the date, the more she questioned wearing a crown.

  

After years of diligent work she wavered in finishing the very last small assignment.  

You see, the enemy of her soul did not want her to take a stand for Jesus.  

he didn't want to see her honored for the things of Christ, 

nor feel beautiful as a princess....daughter of the most high God.

She overcame the temptation to quit and completed the last assignment.  

Then the ugly nothings that were whispered in her mind questioned her beauty, 

her ability to be loved and accepted.  

She is a gorgeous young lady who was created by the one true God 

to do great things for HIS kingdom!  

She is treasured, she is valued, she is loved, and she is wanted.  

But somehow those ugly whispers rang stronger than our words of affirmation.

Somehow she believed that if she could just change her appearance,
THEN she would be seen as beautiful and worthy of a crown.  

But the tempter is a snake...a liar...a thief.  

His goal is to rob, steal, and destroy.  

Once we step over the line to listen to the whisper, he screams words of condemnation...

that we are not worthy, that we will never amount to anything, 

that no one will want us because of the ugly of our sin...

The truth is...we are ALL sinners, saved by grace!  

All sin is ugly...but Christ trades beauty for our Ashes.  

So in Christ's strength...our baby girl put satan under her feet...and a crown she wore!

She was honored for the work she accomplished,

but more importantly she boldly took a stand for Christ!!

She stood with seven of her peers 

Was reminded that God made her beautiful, and HE longs for us to see what HE sees....

I pray that the truth of this special event resonates in my sweet girl's heart.  

She is a beautiful princess...daughter of the the Most High God!!!

She has beautiful wrapping paper, but her true beauty is on the inside!!  

May she shine like the stars of the universe for HIM all the days of her life.  

May she find her identity and worth in the ONE that created her for HIS special plan and purpose!!

May she walk BOLDLY for JESUS, putting satan under her feet, all the days of her life.  

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  Proverbs 31:30

choosing to rejoice...a different part 3

Well friends...I have been gearing up to write Rejoicing part three (a referral for Aaron)!!

We received a verbal approval of our  I-800A (US immigration clearance) on July 16th 

and got the hard copy in the mail on July 21st.  

The social workers present dossiers to the ICAB (Inter Country Adoption Board) on Fridays.  

So we waited anxiously to hear if we were approved for our Referral on July 27th or if they will present us on August 3rd.  

Today I received a conference call from the director of our agency and our agency contact for Philippines adoptions.  

I was SURE they were calling to tell me that we have a referral!!!!

Instead, they called to say that we still do not have a birth certificate for Aaron.  (remember that this was what prevented us from bringing Aaron home for the summer hosting program)

We do not know where things are in the process or how long it might take to get it.  Unfortunately it appears that the ICAB will not give us a referral without the appropriate birth certificate.  

We have had so many opportunities to see where our hope rests throughout this journey.  

We have told Christ that we will praise him when things go well, and when they do not!

So, I am once again humbled and reminded that the timing...and the journey as a whole is not mine:)

My mama's heart is having a hard time today with this setback.  

The enemy of my soul wants to discourage..whisper ugly nothings in my ear that once again we will not be getting the littles that our heart longs for.

But I am choosing to walk in truth and rest in the knowledge that our God is greater than this problem!!! 

 God is MY refuge and Strength, and ever-present help in trouble!! (Psalm 46:1)

  "Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;

my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief...

But  I trust in you, Lord; 

I say, "you are my God."  

My times are in your hands...

Love the Lord, all his faithful people!  

The Lord preservers those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.  

Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord." (from Psalm 31)

Once again I am reminded how very easy it is to rejoice in the Lord when all is well, when we get what we want, when our hopes and dreams all fall into place the way we plan.  But we are not to stop rejoicing when things look bleak, when there is a setback.  

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  (James:2-4)

So today, I rejoice...

I rejoice in the fact that I am loved by a heavenly father who gave HIS SON to pay for my sins

I rejoice that the enemy sees us as a threat for the kingdom of God

I rejoice that God has blessed me with a fabulous family

I rejoice that HE has hand picked Aaron for our family and in HIS time our sweet boy will come home

I rejoice that through this journey HE has given us a heart for littles around the world that are in need of love and a family

I rejoice that HE knows my heart even when I cannot articulate what is held there

I rejoice in our journey knowing that this setback is so little in the big picture of 

ALL GOD PLANS TO DO IN AND THROUGH US