Friday, January 23, 2009

LOVED This!

So Pete actually pointed this one out to me!

http://www.ysmarko.com/?p=4567

Monday, January 19, 2009

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Our Angels!

So...drum roll, please...we have our USCIS approval!!!!

Ok, well, it actually seems really anticlimactic to be honest. But, we're still really happy, and it wouldn't have been possible without our two angels. Let me explain. First, I called the USCIS Hague Unit every day for the past 2 weeks with no luck, but last Thursday I finally got a hold of someone who gave me their name (shocker, I know), looked up my file, and said, "Oh. Your file is back on the shelf. [This was AFTER we send in the information THEY requested from us...just some silly statement by our social worker...ok, quote continues] I'll request your file right now. [She did it, right then, on the phone.] My name is Meredith and I'll call you if I have any questions." She called me back and said we're approved and the letter is in the mail. How simple was that, and why didn't anyone else do that? That's all I want to know at this moment. But, thank the Lord for Meredith!!!

Ok, our second angel. On Monday I was bummed that I didn't see the letter in the mailbox, but I figured, be patient. Well, I went out for a walk during lunch because Pete could watch Ali on his lunch break, and when I came home, he handed me THE ENVELOPE. It had been delivered to a neighbor's house. HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT MISTAKE, MR. POSTMAN? Thank the Lord for our neighbor. He told Pete he thought it looked important! Given that it's a huge envelope that says Department of Homeland Security on it. :) Hehe. I wonder what our neighbor thinks of us?

Anyway, good news all around. Yay!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Safety

"The only haven of safety is to have no other will, no other wisdom, than to follow the Lord wherever he leads. Let this, then, be the first step, to abandon ourselves and devote the whole energy of our minds to the service of God." John Calvin

So, in light of several negative comments lately and some not-quite-negative-but-questioning-with-a-negative-message-intended comments regarding our adoption (along the lines of: You're crazy, your family is going to be messed up b/c adoptive kids have hard times sometimes), I found the above quote to be so encouraging and it puts words to what I've been feeling or trying to say in response to some comments. (I'll post sometime about my vent regarding the "Christian bubble" that we so often fail to leave.) Pete and I are convinced that this adoption is God's will for our family. It is not Plan B, it is not second-best, it is not because it is difficult for us to get pregnant. It is what God wants, and we feel a peace and a joy beyond explaining about this child...and the child already feels a part of our family even before we know his or her name or age or birthday! God does not give ANY guarantees to parents, whether they have biological or adopted children or both. We work with teens and have seen messed up kids from every situation, and great kids from every situation. I mean, God is the perfect parent, right, and look at the messes we, His kids, get into every day! God's power and His grace are perfect and all sufficient. We know that, in our family, God is working according to His purposes, and we are willing to submit to His plan...it doesn't matter if it means that we might suffer, have broken hearts, experience pain, etc...God called us to have the same attitude of Christ Jesus, who humbled himself and became obedient to death! We can do no less, and we are safe in His hands and His will, no matter what happens! And we're excited. I can't wait to meet our newest child. I really hope that I get to hold him or her this year!!! That's our prayer. Will you pray that with us?