New Years Eve

It is a rainy, cold dreary day here in Charlotte. But...that does not hold back the good times that the evening will hold. Looking forward to spending time with friends and celebrating Christmas and New Years.

Very thankful for this long break that we have had from school. It is always good to go back to MO and see my family. I was even able to meet up with a high school friend at Panera's and catching up with her.

The offices at Nightlight are going to be closed until the 3rd, so no news. I sent out a care package today to Jamie Hedges and her family to take over to Yosef in January. They will be traveling at the end of the month. I have learned alot from their process.

I pray that this year holds new and exciting adventures for me and my friends. May God's blessings be ever so evident in our daily walk. Let all that we say and do glorify Him, our creator and maker of all things.

Christmas Eve

I am in MO. visiting with mom and family and it is nasty out here. It has been raining all day. We have the forecast of snow for Christmas, but the weather has to get more frightful before that will happen.

I heard news from my agency that Shimeliss is coming home to celebrate the holiday with his family. We were never able to get ahold of him and find out the status on Yoseph. I did receive some more pictures of him these last two weekends. Wow he has grown. I think his eyes are getting bigger with each picture. He turned 8 months old on the 22nd. Doesn't seem like I have been waiting for 7 months to hear something about a court date, but that is the time frame.

HOPE. I keep it at the front of my mind all the time. What are you hoping for this Christmas? May God bless all of you and your families as you spend time focusing on the Savior. Merry Christmas!

What Child is This?

My pastor at Forest Hill has been preaching on this series for the last two weeks. We are talking about God's presence in scripture from the Old to the New Testament. Today was about Shad, Mesh and Abed in the firey furnace. Such a great story of how God was with them in the fire and the testament to staying strong to what you believe and know to be true.

The motivating speech by Mel Gibson in Brave heart was shared during the service. It brought a smile to my face when I thought of my visit with Heather to the William Wallace Monument. Oh how I have grown up since then. :) Once again I am convicted about having courage and standing up for the right thing all the time. As Wallace said "They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom".

Courage and Hope. My focus for the week has been set.

Update on the adoption front is that three people from my agency have passed court last week and will potentially travel in 6 weeks. There were 42 cases that had paper work problems and over half have been solved. I am in the last half. I do feel encouraged that something is happening in my agency. Mondays are when we usually get updates, so it is always a great way to start out the week.

Better news yet, I received an email from a friend with my agency telling me that there were new pics on snapfish. Yoseph was in about 7 of them. Holy smokes this kid has huge eyes! I got a chance to see him sitting up and playing. He also has a lot of hair on his head. It is always great to see new photos of him.

Tasfa...

I had a freindly co-worker (Shannon) come by to see me the other day and she brought me this sweet little magnet of Africa that had this word "Tasfa" on it. Turns out this word means HOPE. My first symbolism of HOPE. It is now holding up a picture of Yoseph on the fridge.

Thank you for the thoughtful gift.

She's back....

Lisa is back from her trip in Uganda and we have a semi update. A family that I have met on a ning group that is a part of my agency just received a court date for Dec. 8th. They were also missing paper work, so there is hope.

I have been thinking about getting a necklace that says HOPE. I feel like that is one thing that I must cling to. My agency was called Carolina HOPE adoption and we are partnering with HOPE adoption in St. Louis. So...maybe I should invest and start praying for this word.

I think about those of us who do not have HOPE. What a sad predicament to be in. As I enter this holiday season I think of family and friends who struggle with having an ever lasting HOPE in Christ. May God continue to remind me of His love and purpose in my life. I am so thankful for life, health, family and friends....and HOPE.

God is so good!

Paper work missing?

Yes...that is the question. The latest news is that Yoseph does not have all of his paper work from the orphange that found him. He was abandoned and I will learn his whole story once I pass court. Meanwhile, we are waiting on the orphange to get his paper work sent to the transition house so that I can get a court date.

Seems like it is just another obstacle in the path to my son. Why this now? Oh the questions that run through my mind. The one thing I know is that God is a God of order and this is a part of His plan for Yoseph and I. Being able to rest in that thought is the job at hand.

Being a Christian educator allows me to be constantly thinking about God and how I can integrate Him into my daily work. Sometimes I can leave that thought pattern at work and not carry it on into my own life. It is so good to be reminded how much I need Him in my life.

The way I see it is this...There is something that I need to be working on over here before Yoseph comes my way and there is something over there in Ethiopia that he needs to receive in order to be the sweet young man that he will grow up to be. In the mean time God give me the patience to walk in this knowledge and accept it.

God is good!

Lazy Sunday

My brother, Larry, and my future traveling buddy to Ethiopia.

Good morning blog friends. It is a cool wet morning here in Charlotte and I am taking time to do a little update. Last week, the guy in charge of the adoption agency in St. Louis left to go to Addis Ababa to see what is going on. The word is that the 10 court dates that were given did not pass. Not sure about all of the details.

I did get a few more pics of Yoseph on the Snapfish account that our group goes to. Does anyone know why they take photos of them naked? I feel a little weird printing these off at Walgreens, but I want to get all the photos of him that I can get. He is now 6 months old and I want to be able to document his growth. Not looking forward to making eye contact at the photo counter this morning.

I am so thankful for all of the blessings that God has poured out on me. I have parent/teacher conferences in the next few days and I am taking time to write comments on my kids today. God has blessed me with a great class this year. Being a teacher is one of the best jobs out there. I love my class!

I had dinner with my classroom moms last Monday night and it was great visiting and getting to know each mom. The subject came up about what started me on this process of adoption. When I think about it, I guess it all started 7 years ago when I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. God had a plan all along for Yoseph to come into my life. I just needed to be open and willing to the idea. It is neat to look back and see how God works in our life. His plans are so much better for us then ours.

God is good!

Courts are open

Here is the latest news:
-My agency has 43 cases that need court dates.
-We have received 8 court dates already.
-The court dates are random and not in order.
-The judges and court employees have been replaced after this rain season break. This could be good or bad. Only time will tell.
-There are 400 cases that need dates.
-Open cases are being heard inbetween court dates. (That is not me.)

So, I am still waiting. I will say that my agency has been in touch with me via email at least three times this week. It has been nice to receive information. I keep feeling like it could be any time when I receive that phone call. Who knows?

Mom has been out here with me for the last week. It has been nice to spend some time with her before Yoseph gets over here. I feel so thankful for my family. I will update again once I hear more news. God is good!

Greeeeat News!

What a busy week this has been! Mom got her results back from the PET test on Monday morning this past week and they could not find cancer anywhere in her body. She called in tears to let me know that God had healed her. It was one of the best phone calls I have had in a long time. She turns 87 tomorrow and this was a wonderful way to start out her week. As I usually say, God is good!

I heard news today that Ethiopia is not opening until Oct. 13th now. I also heard that we have 30 people waiting for court dates. They said those of us who are waiting longest will get dates sooner. I just wonder what that means. I mean, I have been waiting since June 2 to get a date, but is that really long? It is all relative in this process.

It reminds me of when I moved out to NC and the traffic was so crazy. In MO, there never was traffic in my town and you could travel 5 miles in 5 minutes or less. In NC it takes 30 minutes to travel 5 miles. It all depends on where you are and what the word "Long Wait" means. Life is different in Ethiopia and I am sure I have no idea just how different. I am ready to find out.

Thank you all for praying for my mom and for Samuel. Glad the weekend is here.

Updates

I have some news on my mom and it is not the best. She has some areas in her body where the papilary thyroid cancer has returned. The good news is that she can get treatment and the dr. feels confident that she will be cured. She had another test run on her body on Thursday and we are now waiting on the more detailed results.

Some good news is that my sister, Tammy is traveling up to see mom for her birthday. Mom is looking forward to having company. Mom has also decided to commit to coming out here for two weeks in Oct. I am very excited about this trip. I was wanting to spend more time with her before I traveled to Ethiopia. God is good!

I did talk with my agency this week and they are waiting to hear about court dates. I am one of three that are waiting on their court date. Praying to be patient and to depend on God and not myself.

Waiting for Oct. 6th

I am waiting...along with everyone else I know who is adopting. To wait is not one of my strengths, but I think I have been doing a pretty good job of it. Oct. 6th is when the courts are suppossed to open back up in Addis Ababa. I am waiting to hear from my agency about an assigned court date. I am waiting to hear about my mom's test results on Monday. I am waiting to know any information from people who are traveling over to Hope House. Waiting.

This week I did log onto Snapfish and found 3 pictures of Yosef. I was able to print them out and send a few to my mom. She is so excited about him. It makes me so happy to hear her talk about him coming over here and how she can hardly wait. There it is again, that word "Wait".

I am reminded about all of God's promises and how we should be eager to know more of him just as I am eager to know my son. I believe God has created us to love one another and encourage each other to be more like him. He looks on the heart. Thank you God for being personal to me and my friends this week.

My family celebrated dad's 86th birthday on Monday, the 14th. I still miss him. Linda and mom went to Maid rite and had an ice cream in his honor. :) He always loved his vanilla ice cream. I am so thankful for a Godly set of parents. Thank you mom and dad for loving and encouraging me to be the woman that I am today. God is good.

Update time

Sorry it has taken me so long to blog. School has begun and I am back into the swing of things. I love teaching! I don't think there is anything better than impacting a young life for Christ. God has given me a great place to work and with great people.

My friend Julie did get over to visit Yosef and took several photos. Here is a pic of his little torso, hands and mouth. He is so beautiful! I can hardly wait to show all of you his full pictures. I can not believe how huge his eyes are. Wow God...you are so good.

The courts have closed from Aug. 21-Oct. 6 and I will have to wait to hear for a court date during this time. I hope my adoption agency gives me updates as we wait. Meanwhile, I am getting to know my 23 kids in 5th grade and preparing for his arrival.

I am still trying to figure out what to do about daycare. Being single and an educator is rough. I know God is going to help in this situation. I keep saying to myself to relaxing and let go. If you know me, that is so against my nature. :)

Sunset Beach

I have just spent the last three days at Sunset Beach for a little bit of focus time before school starts back up. I won a stay at Sunset Inn on the island during the teacher appreciation dinner and it was wonderful. This island is about 2 miles long and 1/4 mile wide. The beaches were crowded near the pier, but it was great for people watching. I now understand why they call it The Sunset Inn. I took a few pics of the front porch and the sun going down on Saturday night. I am thankful for this time to reflect on my summer and for what my future holds. I heard that a friend has a court date this Thursday in Ethiopia. May God show favor on this little girl and allow this family to pass court. God is so good.

Some good news

That was the first few words in the update from my agency. It was so refreshing. I am used to "I am sorry to say...blah...blah...blah" Hope adoptions had 9 court cases approved on Monday and one of them was from Nightlight. That is good news. There were no new court dates last week, so maybe this week it will happen.

I believe that Julie, my friend traveling to Addis Ababa, should be over there right about now. I am so hoping that she gets a chance to see Yoseph and hold him. I also plan on getting in touch with a former CCS teacher that is returning to Addis on Aug. 13th. She is teaching over there at a missionary school. I need to make a face to face meeting with her.

I went over to school today to start moving things around and setting my classroom up. I can not believe that school starts in less than 2 weeks. Ahhh, where did the summer go? I love my job, but can't believe I have lived my summer away. It was a good one. I really enjoyed spending time with my mom. It was also nice to see my brother and sister and their kids. Their kids almost seem like my siblings. Two of them are having babies in the future. It is all pretty exciting for my brother.

I am thankful once again for the opportunity and privilege to travel and spend time with family and friends. God is so good to me. Here is a pic of my mom and sister at Jodie's wedding. The other one is of my brother, the father of the bride. It was such a beautiful wedding.

I need Africa more than Africa needs me.

This is such a neat cause in helping the people of Africa. Take time to invest in your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Mocha Club

I have just joined this organization to help orphans in Africa. Please take a look at my team and consider joining it for just $7 a month, which is two grande lattes. When you think of it that way, how can you pass up the opportunity to support children in Africa. It is an amazing idea! Here is the address to go and visit the site http://mochaclub.org/joinme/glister.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my sister, Tammy's birthday and Yoseph's 3 month birthday! I have a friend who is traveling to Addis on the 28th for a missions trip and I am hoping she can stop by Hope House and see him. I would love to have an update on his growth.

Heather and I just returned from NYC and I had a hard time not buying stuff for him. I ended up with a few oneies because I figured I couldn't go wrong. There are alot of cute kids clothes out there.

So...Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Tammy and Yoseph...Happy Birthday to you!!!

Travel time with mom

The time has come to say good-bye to Charlotte and hello to Rolla. I met up with Larry and mom in Lebanon, TN on the 20th and we stayed over the night. The next day mom loaded up with me and we headed to Charlotte. It has been a great week with her. We did alot of eating out and watching movies. She had her toes and hair done and managed to do a little shopping in the midst of it all.

Today we met up with my teaching team and had lunch at Jo Grey's house. It was so good to catch back up with everyone. I love my job and the people I work with!

We took these pictures in Cracker Barrel in TN. As you can see, we were having a good time. :) Mom was cracking us up with her picture taking skills.

Cannon's first birthday

I am really behind schedule on posting lately. The crazy thing is that I am not working and have alot of down time and I am still not posting. I think this is a case of laziness.

Cannon celebrated his first birthday on June 20th. Deedee had invited friends and family and Sir Purr. It was all a good idea until Sir Purr rolled up on his bike. The pictures speak for his reaction.

We all enjoyed burgers, dogs and cake. Deedee's dad did a fine job of grilling and the fellowship was great. It was good to see Kerri and Joshua back from their honeymoon and catching up with them. Thanks for a fun evening everyone!

"On His hand"

This is your first glimpse of Samuel. This photo reminds me of the scripture of how our names are written on God's hands and how He knows us before we were made. God knows Samuel and his inner most parts. I know Samuel will be a great man of God. I am so thankful to the Spears family for taking many photos of this little boy.

He is dressed in a pink shirt that says "Shhh...the princess is sleeping" . All of it is very funny. His first photo will be one dressed as a little girl. One day he will look back on this and laugh. :) One of my friends said "It is great that he is in touch with his feminine side already". I have some great friends and I am so blessed to have their support.

What a week!

This has been a week to remember! I have yet been able to sit down and journal the whole event. It has been life changing. God is constantly molding me into the person that He wants me to be and I have been reminded of this plan this week. He is the potter and I am the clay. Mold me and make me into the daughter,sister, friend, and mother that you want me to be. Thank God for the reminder that He is in control and I am NOT. I will need to come back to this post many times in the next few months.

I am not sure what the time frame is next. I am waiting to hear about the court date. I know many people have not passed court the first time for different random reasons. Please pray for all families that are in this waiting process. I did hear that the abandonment cases were going to be back on at the end of June. There is also the rainy season to contend with, which is different each year and not made known until a week or so before courts will close. There are alot of factors in the time line.

I received word from the Spears family that they saw Yoseph while they were getting their girls. They have taken photos for me, but I do not know where they are. So I wait in anticipation to see more photos of him. This part is so exciting. All of my family and friends are eager to get a better look at him. He looks like he is full of vigor in his referral picture. I think I am in for a wild ride.

I just returned from Hilton Head SC for my friend, Kerri Lich's, wedding. Deedee, her mom, Cannon and I hung out for the weekend. It was a beautiful ceremony. Kerri was so pretty! We stayed at the Belfair country club in Bluffton, SC in a cottage and the entrance was breathtaking. I feel like I have seen this picture in a movie before. Thank you Kerri for such a great weekend.

The Roller coaster is going up the hill...

Yes...I have been on a roller coaster ride of emotions today. What in the world is God trying to say to me? The girl referral was retracted today because it was acutally for another family. Thanks for letting me know that before I got connected. I told everyone at school. So ridiculous, so I had to tell everyone that it wasn't happening in the afternoon when I received the email.

I had life group tonight and determined in my heart that I was not going to set perameters on this adoption. Whatever God wants to give me I will accept and not try to prove that it is from Him. He knows just what I can handle. This was my prayer.

Life group is over and I turn on my phone and there is another email with another referral. There is a brief description of why this mistake happened and then some information on a cute little guy named Yoseph. He was born on April 22, 2009. Am I getting all worked up? No! I am taking this one slow. I am talking with Lisa Prather before I do anything else.

I can not loose another night of sleep. I was so worn out today, I came home and slept for an hour before bible study. He is in control. He is in control.

Oh Boy...or should I say Oh Girl!

I received a referral tonight from my adoption agency! The big switch-a-roo is that it is for a GIRL! I have been preparing this whole time for a boy. What are you doing, God? After having talked to many family members and friends, I think I am going to accept the referral.

God has a sense of humor. As I look at this event, I think of the gift of life that He is allowing me to mold and form into a follower of Christ. What a huge responsibility. So...Samuel is going to be Samantha. I still like the idea of calling her Sam. I guess I need to tweak my blog site.

Thank you God for this night!

Good-bye 5th grade Hello 6th grade!

We did it! We have promoted the class of 2017. They are no longer mine, but the middle school's gain. I have enjoyed teaching this motly crew. Many great memories with each one of them.

God has blessed me with another wonderful school year and now a relaxing summer to enjoy. I feel so grateful tonight. It is my prayer that He keeps His hand over everyone in this photo and that they grow up to be leaders for the cause of Christ.

On the adoption front, there has been a hold up on abandonment cases at Ethiopia. Grace, our point person for our orphanage, seems to think this will blow over in the next couple of weeks. My orphange has received 10 new babies that are abandoned and they are getting their medical reports done. If all works out, I could be recieving a referral pretty soon. So...please pray for Samuel and his health.

Look what a year can do

I just received some pictures from my friend, JP, tonight. He was the leader of my mission trip to the Dominican Republic last year in Feb. While down there I met a 5th grader named Rafelina. She came to the church the night we set up the clinic and we connected. Throughout the week she would sit with me while I did blood pressure on people and helped me to translate. We did not communicate well, but ended up giving each other a gift on Valentine's Day.

Now JP takes care packages down to her every now and then and we have set up an account for her future education. I can not believe how much she has grown in a year. He and I are meeting up this week to exchange information and to see when he will travel again to her home. This has been such a great way to continue the lines of communication with Rafelina. I really appreciate JP and his love the DR.

I feel like I should make another trip to see Rafelina once more before I become a mom. JP has offered to take me down there and see her again. God is so good. He continually provides for all of my needs and then the needs of others. I do not take any of this for granted. I am feeling very grateful tonight.

Now What?

Well...I received word from my adoption agency today letting me know that they have merged with another group called Nightlight Adoption. I checked out their website and seemed a bit confused. They have advertisement for frozen embryos. What? I didn't see anything about Ethiopia on their site, so that concerns me. I did email my contact person and will probably call tomorrow if I don't hear back from her.

So my question still remains..Now what? Does this change anything for our wait on a referral? Will this help us in the future with connections and are we still with Hope Adoption in St. Louis? I will have to say I often question my agency about what is going on. I am sure this is part of the process. Still trying to rest in God's plan and not mine. Easier said then done.

A friend asked me the other day if I am still asking myself "What am I doing?" I have to say that I am not asking that question of myself anymore. I guess I have crossed that bridge and feel like I am finally getting used to the idea of being a mom.

Speaking of being a mom, the little girl that I carpool almost threw chunks in my car this morning. We were at a stop light at Providence and Rea Rd. and she opened the car door to gag. Her brother had a bunch of school supplies in a grocery bag and I dumped those contents like no ones busy and had that bag at her face in seconds. Now I have to say that I did that out of some selfish reasons along with their safety. I can not hear, see or smell throw up without feeling sick myself. I hope that problem changes for me in the future. Turns out I am not quite there yet after all. God has a way of reminding me of my weaknesses.

Good Friday

Boy oh boy is God ever talking to us tonight. The day has been overcast and rainy off and on. As I sit here typing, watching tv, petting the dog and drinking diet coke, (Yes...I am ADD) I hear the thunder roll. Isn't it always neat how Good Friday seems so dark and mysterious?

I went to the Maundy Thursday service last night with Jen and Jenny and it was amazing. Forest Hills does such a great job of presenting the message. I sat afterwards for awhile to reflect on what I had just heard and seen. There were parts of the movie called "Passion of Christ" shown on the screen during the service. Candles lit and then extinguished as the story of his betrayal was told. One candle was left for the last supper. The bread is his body and the juice is his blood and it was given for our forgiveness of sins.

Wow...the atmosphere was just right to help you imagine the pain and suffering that He went through. How can we be sad or discouraged when this act of ultimate love was done on our behalf? God, forgive me for being consumed with myself and the daily activities that take me away from you.

The thunder is still rolling...thank you for the reminder...

We've got to pray just to make it today

This DC talk song reminds me of how we should be living our life each day. I heard news this week that a family in my adoption group just received sad news. They were supposed to travel next week and just found out that the parents came back for their future son. Woah...I suck in my breath and think "How would I respond to this?" God is in control and he has a plan. I am so thankful that my pastor is speaking on this topic right now. It is in the " whisper moments" that we can listen the most to God's voice.

Please pray for my adoption agency and those incharge of our adoption process. I am waiting for the referral of Samuel. Pray for his health and his parents. God, give them a peace about their decision.

Waiting on His timing...

H2-africa

Please take time and check out this site. Isn't it time we did something for someone else? That is where we find the greatest reward.

Spring Break

Here I am circling my wins and crossing out my losses. Yes, I am talking about my bracket for March madness. I am in MO for the week visiting with my family. I just sent my mom off with my sister today to go to Fla. to visit the rest of my family. My day is going to consist of sitting infront of the tv and watching basketball.

There is no news on the adoption front. I did email my person today to see if she had heard anything. Just hurry up and wait, right? It is getting time for the referral to happen. The timing needs to happen soon so that I will have the summer to get sorted out. Whatever that means.

Here's to hopin' that the Heels go all the way!

Latest Greatest News

I just communicated with my adoption agency via email yesterday. Another person on the list has received a referral. I checked to see if I was next. She said there are two things that are holding up my referral 1) I am single and Ethiopia has banned singles to adopt now, so they are squeezing us in every now and then 2) I am looking for such a young fella. She did say that Grace, from Hope Adoption in St. Louis, thinks my referral will come soon.

I also found out that we will be staying in a guest house while we are there and that travel can be within 2 months once you pass court. It sounded like there are several who did not pass court the other day and it has been rescheduled for March 13th. Many random reasons for this. I am praying for these families to pass and be able to proceed with their travel plans.

I have also been contacting people about daycare for next year when I have to go back to work. I spoke to two very nice ladies this week, but know that I can not afford their services. They sound great, but being single and an educator has its limits on what I can afford. I know God is going to provide the right person for Samuel's care. He is in control. I have to keep reminding myself of that.

It is messy out here today. Raining all day. The forecast for tomorrow night is snow. My friends are going to light the magical Snowman candle tomorrow night. Make sure you wear your pjs inside out and sleep with a spoon. It doesn't hurt to flush two ice cubes down the toilet either. These are all elementary myths that I am trying to pass on to my students. :)

Lucky #11

For those of you who don't know me real well...I have a few numbers that I consider "My numbers". One always changes each year when I get another year older, but a few of them will always be my numbers. I am not sure if this is a math thing or what. :0) They are #11, 32, 44 and now 42. Number 11 is my birth date, but now has so much more meaning. I will explain...

I talked with Lisa the other day and found out that our agency has a waiting list that I was unaware that I was on. I had heard about a list of 17 waiting parents, but I thought that was for girls. Turns out she accidently missed contacting me. I think in my last post I said that #9 received a referral for a little girl a week or so ago. Well...I am on that list and I am #11. For those of you who are wondering what that means, I have one person between me and my son!!!

I know...relax. It could be a week or a month. I just keep thinking that all of this is in God's timing. But, I am pretty excited to think that the email is coming. I have been reading from David Chadwick's devotional book called "Moments of Hope". There have been several devotions on courage and taking risks. Here are a few thoughts from his book...

If I had my child to raise over again, I'd build self-esteem first and the house later.
I'd finger paint more and point the finger less.
I'd take my eyes off the watch and watch with my eyes.
I'd stop playing serious and seriously play.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
I would be firm less often and affirm much more.
I'd worry less about the love of power and more about the power of love.

These are such great reminders of things I need to be preparing for in the future. The power of love is such a novel idea. God has given the greatest example to us. Help me to lay my life down for others today and everyday.

II Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a Spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.

Updates on the process

Well, I have received a little bit of an update about the waiting list for Carolina Hope Adoption. Lisa Prather emailed all of the Ethiopian families and said there are 17 parents waiting to adopt a female in the age of 12 months or under. This wait is a 6-9 month period once your paperwork is in Ethiopia.

I, on the other hand, am waiting on a boy and they said the wait would be less for a male. There was not a wait list given for the male adoptions. I have heard that it is easier to adopt a male then a female. That did not make a difference for me. I know I am supossed to raise a man of God. I know that it is hard for some to understand, but this is the calling for my life right now.

I am getting ready to enter two important dates in the next few weeks that represent the passing of two important people in my life. One being Bonnie Mill's one year ann. homecoming to Jesus on Friday, Jan. 30 and the other is my dad's two year ann. on Feb. 24th. Spending time thinking about these two wonderful people always makes me cry. Death is so final. Hard to stop missing someone you have spent the majority of your life loving. I am reminded of the eternal hope we have to spend the rest of our life with Jesus and our loved ones. I am thankful for both of their impacts in my life and the lives of others. Thank you for memories with Bonnie and Dad.

What have I done?

Well...that is the question I keep asking myself. I did it. I joined facebook last night due to some pretty severe peer pressure. I have been consumed today with filling in information and pictures. Talk about being connected to people. Wow! It is unbelievable.

So...I have connected my blog to this web page so that others can see what is happening in the adoption process. I am constantly giving an update to my family and friends about the process. I wish I had some information to give out, but nothing at this point. I am in the "waiting for a referral" time. I spent time at Deedee's house this Friday night watching Cannon. Of course he was in bed, so there was actually no babysitting. I did check on him a couple of times when he made some groans.

Deedee has done such a great job with him. I hope that I can do as good of a job. I am so thankful for my friends and the people in my life who love and support me through this process. Thank you for your prayers.

What's Next?

I have this stirring inside of me that tells me something is going to happen soon. I received an email from my agency about new children. The information is all a little scattered in what these pics mean. I saw quite a few infants in these photos that were on Snapfish. I just feel like the time is coming near for a referral.
So what I am asking... is for you to pray. I am not sure for what or how. This is where I have been for the past few weeks. What does God want me to pray for? Today He made it clear that I need to pray for the hands that hold my son and care for him. I am so thankful that someone is taking care of Samuel even as I type.
I am humbled once again at the thought of holding this little man and guiding him through life. God, thank you for the strength and wisdom you are going to bestow on me to go through this process.
Thanks for your prayers everyone!

Looking back to memories and forward to new ones

I am sitting here at my home over Christmas break and reading my journal from 2008. It is amazing how God has walked beside me throughout this year. Sometimes you think you have been doing it all on your own and then glancing back you see it differently.

Streams in the desert, Jan. 1 says: "Today we stand at the threshold of the unknown. Before us lies a new year, and we are going forward to take possession of it. Who knows what we will find? What new experiences or changes will come our way? What new needs will arise? In spite of the uncertainity before us, we have a cheerful and comforting message from our Heavenly Father: 'The Lord your God cares for (it); the eyes of the Lord...are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end.' Duet. 11:11-12"

God is going to lead the way into 2009 only if we give Him the wheel. I look forward to this new year of opportunity. I know God is going to stretch me in ways I had no idea could be possible. Thank you ahead of time for the grace and mercy you will show me when I mess up and disappoint You.

I didn't make any resolutions last night. Of course I want to stay healthy and challenge myself to try something new in a physical realm, but no precise items. I want to be used this year to impact others for Christ. I know God has great plans for me this year. Thank you for Your calling on my life.

I did spend some time with my family over Christmas break. Here are a few pics of me, mom, my sister, and my nieces. Happy New Year everyone!