The Perfect Gift

George Mason is truly our amazing GIFT from GOD this Christmas!

We are so blessed to be chosen by God to be his forever family!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~ James 1:17

Just Love Coffees is a wonderful organization that works to support coffee farmers in 3rd world nations as well as adoptive families who are journeying toward bringing their child home. We have been given this amazing opportunity to raise funds toward our adoption agency fees with every purchase made through our family page on their website they will donate proceeds toward our adoption fund. Browse their wide selection of organic and fair-trade coffees and please consider purchasing their products for amazing Christmas gifts for the Coffee Lover in your life.

George Mason - God's Gift!

 Now that we have PA (official pre-approval from the C C A A to adopt), we are free to share the photos of our new son! So adorable! Okay, so I'm biased I know. :) We can't wait to travel to Ch*na to embrace him! We received the very first glimpse of him through an email on October 7, 2010 and in less than a month God has chosen us to be his family!

We are beyond blessed! What a gift!

 He is 15 months old. He is said to be a happy baby and very easy going from the  reports we've been given. We hope to receive updated information after we have completed our dossier and our DTC (dossier to Ch*na).We are updating our home-study and just have a few more things to check off our list before that is completed. Then our agency is sending us the official packet that outlines everything we need for the dossier. Just as quickly as possible, we hope to get everything completed being realistic though as we have three wonderful blessings at home too. :)  The average process time is about 9 months; although, I do know a couple families who were able to complete their process and travel within 4 months! It all depends on how quickly government agencies return documents. Not just Ch*na, but also the good ol' USA with all of its red tape galore. All in God's time. His timing is perfect. :)

The map above shows where his orphanage is located (Jessa's province, Guizhou, is just below his, Sichuan.). He was born in the Sichuan Province of Ch*na in a city called Chengdu. He is currently living in the orphanage in Chengdu and is in the Half the Sky program where he receives one-on-one care from a personal "ayi" - nanny. Half the Sky is providing him with rehabilitation services and therapy as he is missing (from birth) the lower portion of his right arm. We are blessed to have dear friends who adopted a little boy with a similar special need, and their journey inspired me to look into adopting a waiting child with limb differences. Sarah and Chris are amazing parents and their son is thriving in their home! Through their testimony and amazing work for the orphans of the world, after months and months of running from God's calling, I finally found the courage to place my fears in God's hands, and he replaced them with a deep desire to adopt again. Little did I know that it would take us back to Ch*na for a son with a similar special need. :) Just to witness how he orchestrates our lives so that every detail is made perfect through His hands - what else is there to do but PRAISE HIM!

"Located in the west of Sichuan Basin and in the center of Chengdu Plain, Chengdu covers a total area of 12.3 thousand square kilometres (4,749 square miles) with a population of over 11 million. It has a humid subtropical climate and is largely mild and humid. Chengdu is situated at the western edge of the Sichuan Basin and is therefore sheltered from northwest winds from Siberia in winter by the Qinling Mountains to the north; the short winter is milder than in the Lower Yangtze because of the sheltering effect of the Qinling. Snow is rare but there are a few periods of frost each winter. The summer is hot and humid, but not to the extent of the "Three Furnaces" cities of Wuhan, Nanjing, and Chongqing in the Yangtze basin. July and August average around 25 °C (77 °F), with afternoon highs sometimes reaching 33 °C (91 °F). January averages 5.6 °C (42.1 °F). Rainfall is common year-round but peaks in July and August. Chengdu also has one of the lowest sunshine totals in China (less sunshine annually than London), and most days are cloudy and overcast even if without rain. This is especially so in the winter months, when it is typically interminably grey and dreary, compounding the poor air quality. Spring (March-April) tends to be sunnier and warmer than autumn (October-November).

Chengdu, as the capital, is extremely productive. The Min and Tuo Rivers, two branches of the Yangtze River, connected to forty other rivers, supply an irrigation area of more than 700 square kilometres (270.27 square miles) with 150-180 million kilowatts of water. Consisting of abundant mineral resources, the land is extremely fertile. In 2008, the Sichuan province was shaken by a tremendous earthquake that families are still recovering from today. His orphanage was affected, but he was not yet born. The Half the Sky program was instrumental in bringing the little ones every kind of aid imaginable during those months that followed. Since then, they have recovered and are back in the wonderful new facility.

The history of Chengdu can be traced back 2,400 when the first emperor built his capital here and named the city. Through thousands of years its original name has been kept and its position as the capital and as the significant center of politics, commerce and military of the Sichuan area (once called Shu) has remained unchanged. Since the Han (206B.C.-220) and Tang (618-907) Dynasties when its handicraft industry flourished, Chengdu has been famous for its brocades and embroideries.

Shu embroideries still enjoy a high reputation for their bright colors and delicate designs, ranking among the four main embroideries in Ch*na. Chengdu was the place where the bronze culture, an indispensable part of ancient Chinese culture, originated, the place where the Southern Silk Road started, and the place where the earliest paper currency, Jiaozi (not the dumpling!), was first printed. It is listed among the first 24 state-approved historical and cultural cities and owns 23 state and provincial cultural relic units. In addition to its profound historical and cultural background featuring historic places of interest such as the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu , Wuhou Memorial Temple and Wenshu Monastery , etc, natural beauty abounds in surrounding areas such as in the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area and Huang Long Valley (Yellow Dragon Valley) .

The natural habitat of giant pandas, Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center , supports the world's only giant panda breeding and research base. Sampling the famous Sichuan cuisine is a must on a trip to Chengdu. Enjoying the food as well as the culture, shopping and having tea at a teahouse afford a deeper understanding of Chengdu.Improved land and airlines extending nationwide provide greater convenience. Chengdu is also the main inland access city to Tibet."

God has filled David and I both with an excitement to go back to Ch*na and explore it with new eyes. Because of Jessa's hard transition, we had such a difficult time embracing the culture and country just because we longed for home so much, but we have a new sense of peace with this calling and we are praying already that God would grant us a peaceful transition and lots of JOY as we travel through our children's birth country. He is faithful!

As we do with all our adoptions, when good news comes from "a distant land" we celebrate with Chinese food for dinner! So yes, I know it isn't the real deal, but still, what better way to REJOICE than to TASTE and SEE that the LORD is GOOD! ♥

PA TODAY!

We just received God's MIRACULOUS answer to our biggest prayer request! We have officially been granted pre-approval (PA) to adopt our sweet little boy! I was praying the answer would come in half the wait time (typically takes 2 to 3 weeks) and we received it in mere DAYS. God MOVED SO QUICKLY He has OPENED EVERY DOOR! Our agency emailed us with CONGRATULATIONS because Ch*na sent them the PA today! PRAISING THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE! Thank you Jesus! We are BEYOND ecstatic!


And today, TODAY, David had a 1/2 day and the email came right as he was pulling into the garage, so we were both home to celebrate together how God has moved for our family in granting us favor to adopt again from Ch*na! I am so thankful for God's open doors and for dear, sweet friends who support our family and God's calling on our hearts. I was blessed to share my struggle with two wonderful friends who love Jesus and love adoption, and both of them lifted my spirits and caused me to hope again as I was just beginning to loose God's vision for us. Thank you Marci & Gretchen for pausing in your day and investing in our journey, may God bless you both for your words of encouragement and faith. It is so hard to travel down a path of faith with resistance and opposition facing you, but you both reminded me that the Body of Christ is our family and when we are hurting or beyond ourselves to understand, it is then that the Body ministers to us the most through quoting the Word of God and reminding us that He is Able to carry us and He is Able to sustain us so that when we endure hardships and trials of many kinds we can count them all as JOY for we are suffering for His cause, His name. We love our friends who come alongside us and don't let us suffer alone. :)

So, the very last thing the agency email said was, "Have a great weekend!"

PRAISE HIM!

The Not Enoughs

Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail, but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God. ~ Acts 5:38-39

We knew going into this journey that it was going to be one of the harder journeys of our lives, not because we didn't believe God could do anything we asked Him too, but because so many others around us would be struggling to believe that He was MORE than able and their fears would steal the JOY out of what God was doing. Right now the fears of others are taking a toil on us. Fears of loosing comfort zones, of loosing finances, of loosing the security that our other children need, of embarking on a journey to China again when there are so many "world problems", and the list goes on and on and on.

Each time I get a phone call, an email, or a letter {like today} that pulls me away from God's calling by reminding me of all the times "I've tried before and failed" or telling me again of all the GIANTS in our Promise Land, I simply go back to what is the most important thing - my obedience to Christ Jesus. My love for Him must come first before anything else. Yes, even before my own safety, even before my own comfort, even before my own financial gain, even before my "common sense" for there is nothing "common" or "sensible" about following a radical Savior, and yes, though I would die for each of my children I love them all that much, my love for Jesus comes even before them. What else can I say? God is number one, and His plans for my life are the plans I am embracing. So we will follow no matter the raging waters of fears swirling around us, for we know the one who walks on water and cries out, "Peace! Be Still!"

 And the same day, when the evening was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.

 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea,

Peace, be still.

And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And he said unto them,

Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Mark 4:35-41 (King James Version)

I can't say I didn't know this was going to happen, and I don't blame them for their fears often it shows me how much they love us to worry so much about our choices. It's just that when God tells you to do something you don't say, "But why?" or else you loose the anointing of His calling and miss out on the blessing He has for you in serving Him with obedience.

As I was praying for God to unite David and my heart toward this calling to adopt again, there were several conversations I had with Him in prayer and so much of what I was offering up as excuses as to why this was soooo not a good idea had a lot to do with how our family and friends would react. Suddenly it became clear that in the end, that didn't matter to God, what mattered was my obedience. Still it was so hard to hurdle over that HUGE wall of self-doubt staring me in the face.

Whether we choose to believe that God is who He says He is, and that He can do what He says He can do or we struggle through life trying to do it all in our own strength, the TRUTH is that God is constantly moving and proving Himself time and time again in our lives if only we would BELIEVE Him to do so! Showing up and showing out loud that he is Jehovah Jireh {the God who provides} especially when it comes to His children, His precious waiting children.

God sets the lonely in FAMILIES, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. ~ Psalm 68:6

Families. That's God's desire for each of these children. Family is His heart. To be in His family is to be chosen. Chosen! That's what we are, and that's what we must do, we must choose to believe that He can do what ever it takes to accomplish His will for us. He has chosen each of us to be His daughters and sons, heirs to His kingdom, why would we waste our lives doing things unto ourselves, when there is so much to do for His kingdom.

And then it came- my awakening!

{gotta thank Beth Moore for her excellent study on FAITH}

God's Word alive and active in me echoing through all the walls I had built up. Seven days of marching and praying around that wall, crying out to God to change my heart and David's heart, asking Him to trust us with His will for our family and showing us that He would lead us and He would provide for us. And soon, that masonry work of self-doubt that I had erected in the name of "not enoughs" came falling down!

The "not enoughs." You know those screaming bricks I'm talking about, don't ya?

Not enough money. Not enough self-worth. Not enough time of healing my heart. Not enough desire to adopt. Not enough reason too. Not enough calling. Not enough confirmation. Not enough time on earth left to parent {aka We are toooo old to be parents again}. Not enough planning. Not enough resources. Not enough of me to go around. Not enough support. Not enough time in our comfort zone.

Oh, yes, just when I thought the "not enoughs" had taken over my life, how God loves to give me "more of Him" to answer them all! Praise Him! Realizing I had already learned the biggest lesson of my life through becoming Jessa's Momma, which is: that I could never fully love another out of my heart wrenching need to cure my loneliness, but that perfect love only comes out of His loveliness shining out through me. For my love is imperfect, conditional, and full of expiration dates, tallies, and grudges. Only, ONLY His love is perfect and whole, only His love will remain in me and through me, the same. Praise Him!

So when the "not enoughs" disappeared behind His powerful presence, it all suddenly became clear. Crystal clear. That He was going to call us again to love in His name, and that there were literally dozens and dozens and dozens of waiting children on China's special needs lists that had no one to call family. And that we, if we are anything, are already serving in His kingdom work as our kiddos' Mom & Dad, not such a huge stretch then to be another child's parent, so now just to believe Him that He will equip us to be THIS CHILD's Mommy and Daddy.

Yes, that was it. That was all it took. One prayer of believing God when He said, "I will equip you!" One step of obedience and faith toward His future plans for us. That I am a Mom already. That I can be a Mom to another child, and that He is faithful to always equip me with all that I need to do His will, all I have to do is BELIEVE. To step out in faith and accept God's power in me to work for HIS GLORY!

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him,

through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~ Hebrews 13:20-21

So bring on the naysayers, the doubters, the questioners, the scoffers! We will not be moved from God's will unless He is the one doing the moving. And though the Enemy is working overtime to make us feel incompetent in our decisions and crazy for moving out in the stormy raging waters of uncertainty, we will exclaim all the more loudly as we are faced with doubts,

"I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

~ Mark 9:24 NIV

There are no troubled seas that His voice can not calm, there are no raging waters of fear that His hands can not cease, there is no doubt in me that my faith in Him can not conquer!

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ Mark Twain

Priceless Work of Heart

On August 31, 2010, we celebrated our 2nd Forever Family Day Anniversary with Jessa Li! A wonderful day full of remembering how far God has led us. I wrote this poem for Jessa Li as a gift, not knowing then that God would have us embarking on this journey of faith to our son. Even then as the words flowed from my pen, I felt God breaking down walls I had built up to protect my heart. Now reading this it all has NEW meaning, as I see that His Hands orchestrate every last detail and All For His Glory!


Priceless Work of Heart

One bright day in heaven, God chose a canvas incomplete
to place upon His easel and paint a new masterpiece
He paused before he painted, and searched both far and wide
for colors of the rainbow that would portray His heart applied

standing poised to begin His portrait full of never-ending love
he wept to hear the tragic cry of a lonesome mourning dove
setting aside his watercolor palette of paints both soft and bright,
with Fatherly compassion He watched through the long & grieving night

He wanted the timing to be perfect honing each and every detail
for through the brush strokes of these lives His majesty would be unveiled
changing forever and healing for always these dearest subjects of His art
with the passion of Creator He began to paint with all His heart

a new painting of a family
a sweet baby girl, a mom, a dad
but this painting had something special
for God had given them joy in place of the sad.

He had planned each stroke deliberately
sending their hearts upon a journey
to find each other through great loss
and discover life's new beauty

at first the painting seemed to weep
in depressing shades of blackest blue
but as His hands kept stirring over it
pastels of hope broke through

blending in dark shadows with subtle hues of gold
using the richest colors, a portrait of courage to hold
one very special girl with two fathers and two mothers
the changes began taking shape with such exquisite colors

splashes of love outlined the pigments of pain
shades of joy tinted over sorrow's stain
brush strokes of new life blended in all the old
with sweet promises of forever and happiness untold

and when our family portrait finally stood flawless on His Mercy Seat
Heavenly Father gazed at the wondrous work of His Hands and His Feet

for He had journeyed beside us long before we would meet
guiding, comforting, leading us until all healing through Him was complete
His strokes of divine intervention would bring us together to stay
a family forever, a family of love, a family designed through His Way

God must have smiled so knowingly with warmth that brightened the sun
on the very day we held you and His love formed our hearts into one
for what had begun as a desolate landscape full of loss and grief and pain
was now a portrait of new life that only His miraculous hands could ordain

tenderly framing our portrait with His Spirit of mercy and grace
He lovingly hung up our painting on faith-walls within glory's place
and standing to admire this story of loss and love redeemed
He whispered softly, "It is good", and through his eyes joy beamed

His faithful hands had designed every detail of this beautiful art
and no one could ever change it - God's priceless Work of Heart!

© Shelly L. Watt. All Rights Reserved.

No portion of this work may be used without the prior written consent of the author.

Fingerprints of Love

There are days in my life when I look around me and take the time to really soak in all the little things of this moment. Like the fingerprint smudges all over the fridge from where my sweet girls open and close a hundred times a day to retrieve their sippy cups of milk, and the collage of hand-prints scattered all over the sliding glass door where my kids come in and out from their play in the sandbox just to give me "treasures" they've found - like dandelion flowers, and leaves, and sticks, and just to talk to me about seeing birds, and airplanes, and hot air balloons, and then there are those cute little nose prints on the front door window, where they stop to watch their Daddy leaving to go to work and wave excitedly as he pulls away. I'm sure Martha Stewart would be appalled at my uncleanliness. I'm sure she would have something to say about the need to have things kept and tidy, but these are the little things that I love about being a Mommy! Little reminders of the little people He has entrusted me with to help grow. Occasionally I take out the glass cleaner and wipe away the grime and mess, but there is always a marked heaviness in my heart knowing soon, all too soon, my little ones will be grown and I'll long to see those little reminders of them everywhere.

Today we received an unexpected gift - the fingerprints of our girls. We went to the county jail (a first for all of us) to visit the Sheriff and ask for our County Criminal Clearance Checks to be processed and while there, David and I had to be fingerprinted the old fashioned way (black ink and prints on a card). The prints will be mailed to the FBI to have our Federal Criminal Clearances processed. Anyway, the girls where with us (I know not a place for children, but no one was available to babysit them. Funny story about them asking where we were going! LOL! When I told them to the jail, they of course asked what a jail was. I hesitated. How to explain jail to a 3 yr. old? Hmmm. Then it hit me, "Girls a jail is where grown-ups have to go to sit in time-out because they have not followed the rules." Perfect 3 year old concept that they could grasp. LOL!) So as I was saying, the girls where with us and they were mesmerized by this whole fingerprinting process. The dipping of our fingers in the ink and the way she meticulously rolled each and everyone of them on the paper. They LOVED it! After we were finished, the wonderful lady asked the girls if they would like to get their prints done too! YES!!! So the girls were fingerprinted at the county jail. We were quick to inform them that this will be the ONLY time that this will be happening (unless of course they decide to adopt when they are Mommies, which would bless my heart beyond measure!). She let us take the little cards home for each one of them. "Look Momma! Fingerprints for our baby brother!" they said; fingerprints of LOVE I thought. It really is the little things.

Adoption Costs

Several have asked how to join us in prayer for this journey of faith we are on, the only way I know how to pray is to lift up every praise, every thanksgiving, every need, and every request to God. Asking Him to provide for what He knows we already need. Believing Him for the "equipping of every good thing" to do His will. So David and I have literally laid before him this page of our agency's adoption website which breaks down the costs of the entire adoption into paperwork and travel phases.

He knows each of our steps to Ch*na. We know he is and will continue to direct our paths. He knows when each phase will be completed. He knows when we will need His blessing of provision. We are believing Him for the harvest to bring home His precious child - the one He has specifically chosen for us. The son that He has called us to love.

If you are feeling God leading your heart to give toward adoption, whether that be our adoption or another family who is being called or even an organization like Show Hope that gives grants to qualifying families who apply, it would be so helpful for you to take a few seconds just to look at this breakdown of costs AAC Adoption China Program Fees so that you can be aware of the HUGE mountain of costs families like ours are believing God to provide. He is ABLE!

It is difficult to understand why something so much in His will has out-of-this-world costs associated with its completion. Yet, He is able to do "immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine!" Please pray for us and the many other families who are believing God to provide. Believe with us that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do in His Word! We know our God is able to meet each of our needs as they come due. The ticker at the bottom of this blog is a testament to the AWESOME power of Jehovah Jireh. He has called us, we have walked out in faith and obedience, and He will equip us with all that we need for the journey ahead. Praise Him!

First Step

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." ~ Chinese Proverb

We have taken the first step in our walk of faith today by mailing to our agency in Colorado (AAC) the preliminary documents requesting permission from Ch*na to complete the adoption process to bring our baby boy home. He is listed with their new Special Focus Child program with the AAC Adoption & Family Networks agency! We are excited to be working with them for this next journey! They are amazing! 

This first step required us to submit a Nurture Plan that details our desire to adopt him and the assets that God has blessed us with to care for his special needs. We are praying for God's favor and that He would place individuals to review our file that would grant us the OPEN DOOR that He has promised.

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:7-8

Praising Him for His Provision of Favor and knowing that in the spiritual realm He has already given us the only approval we need to Go! in His mighty name!

Our agency will have our documents translated and mail them to Ch*na within the next couple days. The program director told us that they usually hear from the C C A A in 2 weeks with the answer if we have been approved. We are asking you to stand with us in prayer and offer up our requests to God who knows our future even before we have arrived. We are praying that we will hear the answer in 1/2 the time!

Until we hear the GOOD NEWS of PA received, this cute little ladybug graphic will be hovering over our son's adorable photo up there on the blog header. So it's worth praying for PA to come quickly, just so we can reveal his precious photo. Oh, and by the way, Hollyn and I saw a REAL red ladybug the other day, not just the orange beetle bugs, on a bundle of hay at the apple orchard when she was there for a preschool field trip. For some reason, in the Chinese adoption community, a red ladybug is a sign of "good luck" and that "good news" is coming. Well, I just think that's fun, and I often look for ladybugs outside. And no, I don't really believe in fate or things like that because I believe God's signs are the truest gifts of confirmation, but I have to say, it was surprising to see the ladybug since usually the red ones are so tiny. I think God knew I would smile thinking about all the red threads He is weaving into our story with this new journey. He was right. I did smile up at Him. I smiled because Oh How He Loves Me! Thank you God for the red little ladybug. :)

Heart Held High

Music

There always seems to be a song for each season of our lives. When Hayden was killed in the crash in August of 2003 by the drunk driver who hit us the night of David's birthday, we were beyond devastated. Our little boy was taken to be with Jesus and we never even got to say goodbye. During the months that followed there was one specific song that offered us hope during the grieving: Blessed Be The Name. Each time it would come on the radio, our hearts would begin testifying to God that we would choose to serve Him in this storm and that no matter what man did to us we would say "Blessed is the name of Jesus!" 

This faith walk to Ch*na has been ushered in by the gift of faith songs! David's testimony of how God changed his heart and called him into obedience was brought on by God spurring him through song.

My journey has also been attached to a song of love. The following are the lyrics to the first song that touched my heart to want to go back to Ch*na. It was written by an excellent musician of God, Bebo Norman, and it is called Walk Down This Mountain I think you will see just by listening to the song why we named this blog Heart Held High. Oh friends, that God in heaven would give us the faith to hold our hearts up high, no matter the cost, so that others might see Jesus' love in us! That's our calling, that's what we are hoping to give to our new child - the love of Jesus.

Just click on the play button of the player above and you can listen to the music to the song. Also loaded are the two songs David was inspired by: My Own Little World and The Voice of Truth. As well as an amazing song called Always that reminds me of gentle Hayden Matthew and the gift his life has been to us - the way God has interwoven his story with that of his sister Jessa and now his little brother. Oh the rejoicing in heaven there is going to be the day all my children are gathered in the throne room of God, dancing! singing! praising! God is faithful - Always!

So walk down this mountain
With your heart held high
Follow in the footsteps of your maker
With this love that's gone before you
And these people at your side
If you offer up your broken cup
You will taste the meaning of this life

Well it's a common ground
And I see you're all still standing
Just look around and you'll find
The very face of God
He's walking down into the distance
He's walking down to where the masses are

So walk down this mountain
With your heart held high
Follow in the footsteps of your maker
With this love that's gone before you
And these people at your side
If you offer up your broken cup
You will taste the meaning of this life

We're standing in a place of peace
This is how the world should be
How the world should be
(Walk down this mountain with your heart held high)
How the world should be
(Walk down this mountain with you heart held high)
How the world should be
(Walk down this mountain with your heart held high)
How the world should be

So walk down this mountain
With your heart held high
Follow in the footsteps of your maker
With this love that's gone before you
And these people at your side
If you offer up your broken cup
You will taste the meaning of this life

A Heart Like His

We are thrilled to be able to share with you the wonderful news that our family has decided to adopt an adorable son from Ch*na! We are happy and truly blessed that God has chosen us again to bring one of His precious treasures home from Ch*na and into our family! We count ourselves so unworthy of this work, but God has a way of choosing exactly those who deem themselves "unworthy" to do His will. I think of Moses and how He needed a "burning bush" to tell him to lead God's people. Well, there haven't been any shrubs on fire at our house, yet, but we certainly have been so blessed to receive more signs, wonders, and confirmations than any human soul needs to KNOW without a SHADOW OF A DOUBT that He is calling us to go in His name. Please follow our Faith Walk to see all that God has accomplished and worked - to His Glory! - in such a short time! We put our trust completely in Him to bring this good work He has started in us and through us to completion. In ourselves, we can do nothing, but with Him, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

I know some may be shaking their heads and saying, "What on earth are they thinking?!?" I know many of you have witnessed first-hand the hard time we went through with the grieving, attaching, and transition of our sweet daughter's adoption. I know there were days that only your comfort and encouragement pulled David and I through. And I know, we struggled to keep our family together and bring a new sense of "normal" back to our lives. I know the enemy loved seeing us struggle and I'm sure he hissed in excitement to see our faith weaken, but Praise God! that though our faith was shaken, He remained ever faithful! How much life has changed for all of us! How much JOY and how much LOVE there is in our home, it is truly overflowing at times, so much so that there are days I just cry happy tears all morning knowing how far she and I have come together.

I guess the unlikelihood of us adopting again seemed HUGE even to us. Considering all that we've been through the last two years, the insanity of it unfathomable, and who would blame us if we never spoke of adoption again. Thinking at the time that my God was just too small to work in my pain and suffering. That all that was left for us was the lingering bitterness about the whole experience. In fact, I think the enemy wanted just that from us - bitterness, complete silence, and total resignation. And so it makes perfect sense to us that pretty much everyone (including some of our family) is having a hard time swallowing this whole idea. I know they would like to "save of us from ourselves", but the truth is we already have a Savior, Jesus Christ, God's Only Son, and he died on the cross for my sin, and he gave up everything to give me eternal life, and I want to live out these days that I have as a sacrificial offering to Him for all that He has done for me. This I believe; the enemy wins every time we allow him to paralyze us in fear instead of trusting in faith that God's Plan A for our lives is better than any Plan B we might think up. We are all eternal souls and in the end no matter how bad things on earth get, God is BIGGER still! I lost that picture of Him for a long, long time, and it is AMAZING what a difference it makes just to remember whose child I really am!

The truth is there are 147 million orphans in our world that wait for their forever family to come...

God is calling us to grow our hearts to meet their needs. While we can't do everything, we can do something, and the something He is asking our family to do is to adopt. So here we are then, embarking on another journey of faith, despite our battered and bruised egos, the broken vessels that we are, lifted up and ready to be poured out for His Kingdom, open hearts ready to receive His assignment, ready to bring Him All the Glory! Completely trusting in the God of the Universe to not only show up, but to help us climb up, this HUGE mountain that He has set before us. And it seems that before we can even begin to be equipped for the climb, we must first descend the mountain we are already standing on - the summit here is full of JOY. This is the safe place that He has brought us too where peace and healing have been poured out and all is well with our little piece of the world. Yes, even though it feels like we have only just arrived at this summit of calm and comfort and that He has only given us just enough time to take in the view from the top with a few deep breaths, we know that it is His will for us to follow Him back down it again. Back into the hurting masses, where hopeless hearts beat in a broken rhythmic pattern of sorrow, where children cry out for the loving touch of a mother, a father.

We don't know what the view from the next mountain will look like, but we are trusting that just as God will once again travel with us, before us, and behind us, and continue to meet us where we are and help us when we are in need. Our hearts desire nothing more than to serve Him. To end our journey of faith, with a heart more like His.