He Is Risen

An Invitation to All

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him." john 3:16-17

Understanding Jesus' suffering and ultimately His sacrifice on the cross, believing that He died to take away all of our sins and did so willingly because He loves us is AMAZING!! The best part is that He is Risen and that all who ask Him into their hearts can begin a personal and real relationship with him that does not end but actually gives us the hope for heaven and spending all eternity with Him. 

Personally I can say to anyone reading this blog that my life has been changed for the better. It is so much richer and fuller than I could have imagined. Now don't get me wrong richer and fuller does not translate to no problems. His word says that "in this world we will have trials but to not fear because He has overcome the world" so what I am saying for me personally is that I find my strength in the Lord, my hope comes from reading His word and His promises, and I trust that He can and will sustain me.  I cannot do it on my own and I am not ashamed to admit that.

Here's the invitation:  My hope is that for anyone out there who is struggling with life, feels alone and abandoned or can't put their finger on that one thing that is missing in their lives that you open your heart and  accept Jesus right now.  He is the greatest gift you will ever receive!  

Praying you all a very blessed day,

Connie

20/20

Here's a little recap of things:
We are now #43 on the infant girl list and we are so thankful for each and every family that recieves their referral as it puts us that much closer to our little one. While there hasn't been an "official" announcement in regards to how adoptions from Ethiopia are being handled there is still good news.  Rather than the drastic reduction in files being reviewed daily it appears that it is still quite close to the original review of 45-50 files a day. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness and goodness.  Families from our agency are also passing court more consistently the first time around.  Yeah!
On a personal note I joined the Y for a couple of reasons.  The first being an attempt to nourish not only mind, spirit but also my body. I have to say those first few weeks were painful.  I am happy to say that I am sticking to it though and I look forward to the rewards of this not so fun getting back into shape thing. :)  I have a friend who joins me a couple times a week and that is nice too. The second part of this is for Emily. Next year she will be starting pre school a couple days a week and I am using this as an opportunity for her to adjust to having some time away from me.  She really seems to be enjoying herself so that makes this momma's heart feel a bit better too.
Last but not least.... I just so happened to pick the nicest day that we've had thus far this spring for our eye exams.  I was told it would be a half hour appointment for each of us so I made plans to go to the zoo after her nap. Well FOUR hours later we were done with our eye exams and received as a parting gift "special" glasses for our dilated eyes.  Have you ever taken a 3 year old in for an eye exam while at the same time getting your eyes examined? Let's just say it was challenging.  The good news is that she was a trooper and her vision is 20/20.  I am grateful for that. I was worried because she had started squinting her eyes and blinking her eyes in a funny kind of way.  It turns out it is very dry where we live and most likely the squinting was due to her eyes being dry.  The eye doctor said we could expect dilation to last 4-5 hours so obviously the zoo didn't happen.  And of course as the weatherman predicted a cold front moved in and today was windy, rainy and cold. 

My "special" glasses

Happy St. Patricks Day

What a great day! Miss Emily wanted to know where the silly leprechauns were that made her milk at breakfast turn green.  So began the fun... also thank you to Andrea at http://www.babeofmyheart.com/ who gave me the idea to make us pots 'o gold for a treat at lunch. They turned out SO cute and tasted yummy however the picture of my masterpiece is blurry, bummer.  The silly leprechauns also left her a few green varieties of jelly beans which she enjoyed as well.  I have to say in the past St. Patricks day hasn't really been a go all out holiday or even really celebrated however we did have some fun today and with a preschooler it didn't take much to be wow'd which makes even the simplest  things a blast.  I end this with a little Irish blessing for you all.

                                                                                            

May the road rise up to meet you.

       May the wind always be at your back.
          May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
            May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Taken from the Vineyard Church V-Blast newsletter

It's a mixed bag....

Today was such a surprise!  We had rain forecasted for this entire week however today we are literally having a snow storm. It is beautiful. The kind of snow that is like big goose down feathers floating down out of the sky. In light of the events of this past week, I welcome the snow over a gloomy rainy day.  As I look out our office window at home I see that it is really starting to come down, I love it! Spring in Idaho.

In spite of all of the uncertainties regarding adoptions from Ethiopia referrals continue to be given.  We have moved up two more places on the waiting list which now makes us NUMBER 46 on the infant girl list.  Little by little we getting closer to you baby girl.

I opened my bible last night after dinner and found myself in the Psalms.  Once I began reading I just lost myself and the words began to nourish my soul.  It is so comforting when the words you are reading can speak to your heart in such a way that it truly is like a healing balm.

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you,

my body longs for you,

in a dry and weary land

where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary

and beheld your power and your

glory.

Because your love is better than life,

my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,

and in your name I will lift up my

hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the

richest of foods;

with singing lips my mouth will

praise you.

On my bed I remember you;

I think of you through the watches

of the night.

Because you are my help,

I sing in the the shadow of your

wings.

My soul clings to you;

your right hand upholds me.

They who seek my life will be

destroyed;

they will go down to the depths of

the earth.

They will be given over to the sword

and become food for jackals.

But the king will rejoice in God;

all who swear by God's name will

praise him,

while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Blessings to you all....

Waiting,Trusting,and Hoping

Todays devotional taken from my favorite book "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young

Waiting, Trusting and Hoping are intricately connected, like golden strands interwoven to form a strong chain. Trusting is the central strand, because it is a response from My children that I desire the most.  Waiting and hoping embellish the central strand and strengthen the chain that connects you to Me. Waiting for Me to work, with your eyes on Me, is evidence that you really do trust Me. If you mouth the words "I trust You" while anxiously trying to make things go your way, your words ring hollow.  Hoping is future-directed, connecting you to your inheritence in heaven.  However, the benefits of hope fall fully on you in the present.

Because you are Mine, you don't just pass time in your waiting. You can wait expectantly, in hopeful trust. Keep your "antennae" out to pick up even the faintest glimmer of My-presence.  John 14:1,Psalm 27:14, Hebrews 6:18-20

This devotional speaks to my heart mostly due to all the uncertain changes that may or may not happen with Ethiopia and adoption.  It seems everyone has an opinion right now. There are posts on blogs encouraging PAP's (prospective adoptive parents) to sign petitions which leads to discussions saying that PAP's are more concerned about becoming parents to a child versus the needs of the children. There are posts on blogs saying that adoption requests for healthy young as possible girls has led to the corruption because there is a supply and demand, there are supporters of Ethiopia doing whatever it needs to do even if that means a HUGE slowdown or shutdown of the Ethiopian Adoption Program.  All the news pertaining to this is a LOT to digest and frankly it is overwhelming. Am I scared for what this could mean for our family? Yes, however fear comes from the enemy not God. I refuse to give fear a foothold over something that is out of my control. I am going to trust God because bottome line He is in control. Thy will be done. My hope is in you alone Lord.

 "With man this is impossible, but not with God;all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27 I pray for grace to handle however this plays out.  I pray for strength for this journey. Discernment while we wait.  Protection.  His heart is for the orphan and the widow. He says to us "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" James 1:27 So if we are called to look after the orphan and widow well than it is probably safe to say that He loves them even more. We love because He first loved us. Lets watch with wonder and awe how God moves these mountains.

I want to end this with saying it was exhausting emotionally and financially when we waited 3 years for a referal for our daughter from China. However we also were in it for the long haul.  God blessed those 3 years of waiting by doing some amazing healing in our lives that in the beginning only He could have known we would need. So I believe that if we are called to wait again upon the Lords timing that it won't be without purpose.  One of the reasons I ask for grace is because in my flesh I long for our daughter, a sibling for Emily and the unknown and waiting is depressing. I need God and only He can provide me refuge and the rest that I will need to continue on with this journey.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6

I am praying for Ethiopia, the children, families that have been referred their children and are caught waiting to bring them home, and for famlies with hearts that are hurting while they wait for referral, please join me in lifting this all up to the Lord. We need each other.  Prayer is powerful. I love this acronym PUSH = pray until something happens! 

Blessings to each one of you!
Connie

His Ways are Higher

Today is a bittersweet day for us....
Last Friday a little babe captured our hearts so we stepped out in childlike faith and said yes! for wanting  to be this little ones forever family.  She was on our agencies waiting child list (special needs) which is ironic because one of the reasons we chose to adopt from Ethiopia was we have requested a "healthy infant girl".  Obviously the Lord works in mysterious and wonderous ways. I called our agency bursting with excitement and joy telling our coordinator that our daughter had found us.  I was caught off guard when I was told we would be put on a list for families who also wanted to be her forever family. Strangely enough we hadn't even stopped to consider the possibility of other families.  We had several things fall into place for us over the next few days and we prayed, requested prayer and hoped and longed for this little one. All the while trying to keep the Lords will in the forefront.  We learned along the way that NINE other families were hoping to be this little ones forever family too.  Talk about making beauty from ashes. This little babe went from an abandoned orphan to being pursued and loved by NINE families.  God is so good.  I can honestly say it brings joy to our hearts to know that she has been referred to a family who is going to cherish, love and care for her. 
It is the selfish, my plan doesn't match God's plan that is causing me pain. I am licking my wounds a bit as I try to process these past few days. I am sad because I have to let go of a little girl who melted and captured my heart.  I don't know yet what God wants me to glean from this experience.  What I do know is that throughout it all I tried to remember all of God's goodness that He has accomplished in my life. I am declaring that He will continue to show favor on me.  "Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  I  choose to trust the Lord right now in this cirucmstance, I want to find peace in it and that will only be possible if I lay it all at His feet.  His word says "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."  I surrender and I wait upon the Lord and give thanks for this experience. And yes, I love you Jesus!

Bye Bye 50's

oh yah!

Well we're moving up on the wait list, we are number "48" to be exact, woohoo!  I am thrilled to be out of the 50's.  In agency news families are starting to pass their court dates and other families are getting their embassy dates. All steps to bringing home their sweet babe(s).  I am so happy for all of these families. I continue to pray for momentum in referrals and that the processing of all the paperwork before, during and after court will continue at the same rate or quicker rather than turning into a slow down.  Anyone reading this blog please pray for all the children, their caretakers and that MOWA will not see it neccessary to reduce the number of files that are reviewed on a daily basis for court.  These children need to come home to their families where they can be loved up and cared for. I thank you in advance. Blessings to you all and have a super week! :)