~♥~ WELCOME HOME ~♥~

Tonight as you lie sleeping

For the first time in your bed,

There must be something lasting

And profound that should be said.

But as your face is gazed upon

Framed by your soft, black hair

No words can tell or quite express

The feelings that we share.

The wait is finally over

You're home, at last, to stay.

And there will always be the memories

 Of the joy that filled this day.

With a love that's running over

By the sight of you alone

Welcome home, dear cherished son,

At long last … welcome home!

Author Unknown

Destination CHENGDU!

Our agency has confirmed our Consulate Appointment (CA) date to be August 30th, and we've booked our tickets to China!

We will embrace our son for the first time on Monday, August 22nd in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan.

Please be praying even now for this miraculous day. Praying for his heart to be comforted by our love and for God to be even now preparing his little heart to embrace his new family. Prayers for God to fully equip David and I with the wisdom, strength, patience, and the endurance we need to parent our new son as he grieves and braves the changes in his life.

What a journey we've been on! Miracles and confirmations that Jesus has directed every path! We are humbled by His goodness and once again in awe of His timing.

August 22nd. It isn't a date we will ever forget.

Eight years ago, we had only the promise of a future hope to hold onto. We were shattered. Barely able to grasp the hands of the Father who was even then reaching down to us. It felt like we had been standing on a bridge overlooking the rapid torrent of the falls, when suddenly we awoke to find ourselves plunged into the icy waters below. Struggling to survive the current that kept taking us under. No compass to follow. No way of turning back. Completely drowning in the greatest sorrow of our lives, the final goodbye to our little boy - the last time we would see our son, touch his little hands, look upon his beautiful face this side of heaven.

August 22nd. The day before the last goodbye.

As hundreds of friends and family gathered to mourn the death of our son and offer us comfort, I remember feeling completely numb. Was this really happening? Was I at a funeral for my son? My baby boy? How did this happen? Weren't we just celebrating David's birthday? Stopped at a red light, minutes from tucking my little boys in their beds, and from nowhere our lives forever changed by the recklessness of another. Slammed from behind by an SUV going 70mph. He never stopped. His drunken state too intoxicated on alcohol and drugs to know the damage he had caused. And here I was, just days later watching others file into a room to small to hold them all, the love was beautiful, the sorrow too much to hold. Who were they coming for? Who lay in that small casket draped in baby blue? Everything was so surreal - like the set of a movie - I was watching my life unfold before me and I had no control over any of it.

This was my son these people were coming to say goodbye too. Will he awaken soon? Can I never hold him again? Oh please. Please. Please! let me hold my baby again! Just one more time to feel his soft cheek next to mine. To feel the weight of him in my arms. Oh Please no! No! No! Not my son. Not my baby! Somehow, without my knowing it, I had been cast as the grieving mother in my own life, but this was a part I did not want to play. Please someone, anyone, take my place. I don't want to lose my son!

It felt like at any moment I would wake up from this nightmare. Only the days stayed dark, and there would never be another morning without the mourning. Hayden was dead. The funeral was for him, and tomorrow we would bury our son in the dark, cold ground. Oh my heart! I don't want my son in the ground! I want him in my arms. I want to care for him. I want to love him. To dress him and feed him and play and sing and, oh! I want to be his mother again! Please God! Please give me my child!

The numbness that had once distanced me from the truth fled as the rawness of the reality exploded inside my heart. It was too much for any human soul to endure. I crumbled to the ground and heard the screams of a mother desperate for her child and even in the weeping could not recognize that they were my own.

Death creates spaces of loss and missingness. Those never leave us. I've never felt whole again, and the part that is broken, the part that longs to hold my son again, that part is in a constant state of waiting. Waiting for the glorious day when we will see him again. Waiting for the day that He calls us home and the one who loves us beyond any other, the one who gave his life for us, Jesus himself, stretches out his hands to heal us and make us whole again. Yes, August 22nd is a very emotional day. It has always meant separation. The beginning of the missingness and empty places.

On August 23rd, we gathered together with close friends and family to celebrate the life of our sweet son, Hayden Matthew. As we wept over his broken body, we could never have imagined that the God of the Universe was already planning a way to make this day beautiful again. Huddled in the chapel, our tear-filled songs lifted up to heaven echoed the love we felt for Hayden and the deep ache we had to see God's hands work for our good. My cries unrecognizable even to myself pouring out from the depths of a shattered heart joined with the overwhelming fear of not knowing how this will ever be alright, how we will cope, how our lives will ever feel normal again. Packing away his clothes, his memories, I tried to hide the reality of his existence, but try as I might, I couldn't pack away the loss. It stayed like an unwanted house guest. I awoke to it each morning - slapped in the face by the sting of death. Pushing myself to create a life out of pain. Struggling to keep my head above the water. Soon I found myself floating with the current of the hurting. No direction, no purpose, just floating, just existing. Sorrow upon sorrow raged through my heart. There is no comfort for a mother who wants nothing more than to hold her baby boy again. There are no words. There is no acceptance. There are no moments of relief. Just the weight of empty arms, the pierced pain of broken hearts, and the beginning of a lifelong goodbye.

And now here we stand on God's promises and His faithfulness! Eight years of remembering the saddest goodbye and our Mighty God has redeemed even this day! What healing we would have missed had we chosen not to listen to the Father! How could we know He had this planned when our hearts were pulled to adopt back in October? For you see, as an adoptive family, we celebrate our children each year on the day we first held them, a celebration of a new chapter in our family's story - a celebration of life! How wonderful are God's ways! How awesome are His plans!

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I feel from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! ~ Psalm 139

And this year, on August 22nd, we will celebrate a BRAND NEW DAY when we embrace George Mason for the very first time as our son! God has given us the incredible gift of another son and we will welcome him into his forever family on August 22nd.

And, on August 23rd huddled together in a room in Chengdu China, George Mason Yang will officially be our forever son as David and I sign the adoption papers.

August 23rd, 2003. The beginning of the long goodbye.

August 23rd, 2011. The beginning of a forever family.

Now who among us can deny the overwhelming love of a God who brings about healing in such a GLORIOUS WAY!

Our hearts will always long for our son, Hayden, but oh the JOY, the inexpressible JOY in knowing he is safe in the arms of Jesus! Our hope is secure in the God who brings beauty out of ashes. We will see him again and when we are reunited around the throne of heaven, dancing in the streets of glory, their will be GREAT JOY!

For God has multiplied our family in unimaginable ways!

Bringing into our family a wonderful daughter who shares the same birthday as her brother and whom we embraced at 17 months old, the same age that Hayden was when he first entered heaven's glory and saw the very face of God.

And as we prepare to embrace our adorable new son on the same day, eight years ago, that we said goodbye to his brother, Hayden, we are in awe of God's plans for us. These days that would bring nothing but pain and sorrow have been redeemed by the Father to give us JOY even in the midst of the painful remembering. Oh how He loves us! PRAISE HIM!

To only my Maker my Father my Savior
Redeemer Restorer Rebuilder Rewarder
To only a God like You
Do I give my praise!

Foundation of Love

For those of you who have so kindly inquired as to how you may support our adoption financially, first let me say, that David and I are deeply moved and humbled by your loving generosity and so blessed by your support as you feel called to help our family in whatever way He leads, and secondly, we are so thankful for those of you who are praying day and night so fervently for our family and for Mason as we embark on this journey to bring him home.


The Christian Foundation has graciously offered to receive donations on behalf of our family for our adoption travel costs and this will allow each donation to be tax deductible. Donations should include on a separate note:

"This donation is for the Watt Family Adoption" 

and donations may be mailed to the following address:

Christian Foundation
8445 Keystone Crossing Blvd., Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN  46240

Thanks be to God! For His indescribable gift!

We feel incredibly loved by the Christian Foundation as they bless us through this endeavor of accepting donations from others on our behalf. We are also over-joyed at the outpouring of gifts and offerings that the Body of Christ has provided already through donations of adorable clothes, a tricycle, beautiful changing table, winter coats, shoes, a stroller, a gift card, and monetary gifts for related travel expenses. Each time there is a need - God meets it far and above what we thought was even possible.This has been a journey of faith. Trusting Him for every provision. The Body of Christ is so beautifully amazing and we are so very blessed to be called children of God and lavished by His love through yours. Thank you doesn't seem like a big enough sentiment to convey the huge feeling of overflowing joy in our hearts - we cry tears of happiness each time God answers our prayers through the kindness of His children.

Blessed! So blessed! Knowing He will make a way, even when there seems to be no way. Thank you dear family and friends for loving on us so well! May He richly reward you for all you have given in His name!

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! ~ 2 Corinthians 9:12-15

LOA

 

Yahooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

We are officially approved by China to be George Mason's Mommy & Daddy! David and I are BEYOND excited! God has been so faithful throughout our journey to do exactly as He promised and open every single door for us! Praise His Name! I had a feeling pressed deeply on my heart that we would hear news this week. I can't really explain it - we should have waited 2 to 3 months for our approval, but I know God's ways are so much higher than ours, and there was a peace that this week we would receive our LOA. I have to admit all day today I've been a little sad thinking somehow I had heard Him wrong. It wasn't until this evening that things started to make sense...

you see...
 

Apparently, Nicole from AAC called earlier this morning...and well, the girls both decided that to TODAY of ALL DAYS they would be "helpful" and they both ANSWERED the phone call! And NO they are not supposed to answer the phone! And YES this is the VERY FIRST time they've ever done that. lol! I was in the bathroom of all places!

So our director at our agency told them "Go tell your Mommy that "Nicole" is on the phone and needs to talk to her." They both said "Mommy is in the bathroom." (nice! oy vey!) So she told them again to tell me and they said "Okay" and then she heard "click" as they promptly hung up the phone. lol! Now to their credit they did knock on the bathroom door and tell me that "somebody is on the phone" but of course I didn't IMAGINE that they had answered the phone. I thought they were just letting me know someone was leaving a voice mail - because we have a really, really, did I say REALLY, old answering machine and you can actually hear the person leaving the message. So I went on with my chores, bathed the girls, put them down for naps, jumped in the shower and got ready to go to Target to work. The whole time neither one of the girls offered up any IDEA that they had talked to someone on the phone. Nope...they never did deliver that message. Those little munchkins!

So right before I'm headed out the door to my evening part/time job, and I mean RIGHT BEFORE, keys in hand, purse on shoulder, walking out the garage door - Nicole calls back. And tells me the story of what happened earlier this morning..and then she says, "I have some EXCITING NEWS FOR YOU! WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR LOA from CH*N@!"

And ever since 4:45 pm this evening, I haven't been able to erase the smile from my face. My cheeks actually ache! :) What a GREAT DAY! And to think, somehow, someway, God even worked all that chaos out for good too, because David was home from school when we finally learned the AMAZING news together, so I guess it all worked out in the end just as it should have.

We are so EXCITED! So it is official! We are PARENTS to the CUTEST LITTLE BOY in the WORLD! (not that I'm biased or anything...lol!)

AAC is Fed-Exing the all important documents to us, we sign them and notarize them and send everything back to them ASAP! Then our paperwork goes to USCIS for our I800 approval (processing immigration paperwork for his travel visa to the U.S.). We don't really know how long that will take. Could be weeks or a month or more. Then the wait for our Travel Approval. So we are praying that we can still travel before school starts. Wouldn't it be miraculous to be able to hold him on his 2nd birthday!?!

Praising God for another miraculous milestone completed on this journey to our treasured son!

Things Unseen

All around us God's miraculous plans are unfolding in things unseen. Our lives are orchestrated to a symphony that only The Great Conductor can measure in rhythms and chords. Our journeys intertwined among His thoughts and Higher reasons.  And all through out the daily melody of our life song, His divine sovereignty remains the ever constant cadence. The music of life is composed by the faith we have in things unseen - one note at a time.

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. ~ Hebrews 11:1-3 NLT

David and I both were surprised by God's call on our lives as He began opening up our hearts to the idea of adopting again. We had much to pray over as we pondered the weight of this new call. We have dedicated our lives to Christ, and our lives are His to use for His glory, but still, it was difficult to process the how? why? and when? part of the journey. Armed with faith and little else, we jumped in with both feet and full hearts to see what God's plans included.

And how miraculous our God is to supply all of our needs! He is faithful to fulfill His promises in His ways which are always higher than our own. This miracle of faith begins back in 2007 when we joined our adoption agency's yahoo group while waiting to adopt our daughter, Jessa. Little did we know the amazing friendships and encouragement we would receive from these wonderful Christian women! From the beginning, I quickly connected with a wonderful mom who was adopting a little boy. Her heart so tender for the plight of the orphan. She not only has been called to adopt, but is sacrificially advocating for those children who are waiting still to find their forever families.

As the years went by, we both ended up traveling to bring our children home from Chin@. Every now and then we would connect through emails, and then one day something very happy happened for her family. They brought home an adorable puppy. But not just any puppy, a King Charles Cavalier puppy! She had no idea that we had been researching  breeds of dogs for months and that David and I had agreed to purchase a Cavalier puppy as well. This would all be just a happy coincidence if it didn't lead to something more - some thing unseen!

Several more months went by and Sarah shared with me that they would be purchasing another Cavalier in the hopes of some day breeding the dogs to have their own litter of pups. The day came that she had prayed for - Kai Kai was expecting! We were thrilled to hear the good news as there is nothing cuter than Cavalier pups! The next couple of months would be hard for Sarah as she prayed over Kai Kai. Several times it seemed as though she might have miscarried, but each time Sarah prayed and Kai Kai recovered. It came time for her to deliver and she gave birth to three adorable puppies. And this is where God's life-song for both of our families began to play.

Sarah wrote me a beautiful email explaining that the reason she was so distraught over Kai Kai's puppies was that their family had decided long ago to give to the Lord a "first fruits" offering from the sale of the pups. They had planned from the beginning to purchase dogs to breed so that the sale of the puppies could provide financial assistance to an organization that advocated for orphans or a family that was currently believing God to bring home their child. She had prayed and God had answered. "God is laying your family on our hearts - this first fruit offering is to help Mason come home."

My heart leapt with JOY over the way God had woven our stories together. For it is then that I emailed my sweet friend back and shared that God had laid on our hearts to adopt a son with special needs, and that it was their faith to adopt their son with a limb difference that opened up my heart to the possibility to pursue Mason's adoption. Somehow seeing their son thrive in their amazing care softened my heart and took down barriers of fear that I had in adopting a child with special needs. I explained to her that when we stepped out in faith to trust God to provide for our financial needs to adopt Mason that we believed that God would lay our family on the hearts of those He had purposed before time began to intercede on our behalf. I explained that while they were contemplating which family to offer up their "first fruits" too that our family had been praying for God to provide the "first fruits" of our faith showing us that He would provide. We both wept at the others news! Only a God like ours can orchestrate a symphony of faith so beautiful!

Here is the story from her blog post in Sarah's own words:

I knew from the time we brought Kai Kai home that the first puppy of every litter sold was God's and not ours. It didn't matter if she had 1 puppy or 7 or how much the first puppy sold for. After we bred Kai Kai there were 2 times that I was sure she had lost her puppies. I cried out to God not because we were going to lose the money from the puppies but mostly because I knew there was a family that needed this puppy to help bring their child home. We honestly didn't even know until 3 weeks before she had them that she was pregnant.

Kai Kai has 3 beautiful, beautiful puppies and oh I will have a hard time letting them go to their new homes.

I prayed and prayed over which family would receive the money from this first puppy. I was kind of pushing a friend to start an adoption and get them to take it but I knew that wasn't right. I then prayed and prayed about giving it to some good friends of ours that are adopting but every time I tried to make plans for this puppy God kept putting another family on my mind. I can't even begin to tell you how many times God put this family in my head letting me know the puppy was to help bring their son home.

I wrote the mom one day and I told her that I couldn't believe I was telling her this because I wasn't going to say anything until we had the money to give them, but I felt God wanted me to tell her. The mom wrote me back an amazing letter that clearly showed why I was to tell her and that we had the right family.

I wasn't going to share the family on here but I want to because I would love for you to read their amazing story on their blog. This is a family that stepped out in COMPLETE faith, and God is moving mountain after mountain for them to get this beautiful little boy home who just happens to have a limb difference like Jaxson.

I wrote this because I want people to know that if God has given you a passion for something or a desire to adopt don't be afraid to ask God for creative ways to make things happen. Don't be afraid to ask God to multiply your money to do good things, your family or even your boundaries. Ask God to help you think out of the box and get creative.

So today, received in our mailbox was yet another amazing miracle - creative? yes! like only the Creator of the Universe can design! out of the box? for sure! The card reads so simply, yet with such profound purpose,

This is a gift from God, not from us.

Have a good day! :) 

And with trembling hands, understanding once again the full measure of God's amazingly beautiful love for me, for Mason, for the orphan, for the families desiring to follow His will and adopt a precious chosen child of His making, for each and everyone of us who believe Him in faith - I hold a monetary gift from the sale of their very first puppy! We have been praying for God to provide for the remaining cost of our home study update. Praise God He has given us the amount we needed! To Him be all the glory!

Some may be reading this and thinking to themselves, well yes, of course, God would do that for their family, but that's not how God operates in mine. I just want to encourage you, do not let go of your faith so easily. God is no respecter of persons. What He has done for us, He will do for your family as well! Step out in faith - trust Him to provide - seek Him first. So you might be wondering how? How do I believe like that? The Scriptures tell us that all we need to do is believe that Jesus died for our sins and allow Him to be your Savior, King of your heart, God of your life. Bow your head, fall on your knees, and humbly ask Him to come into your heart, be the one who guides your paths, that you long to follow Him all the remaining days of your life, ask the Holy Spirit to anoint your life with His power and strength, and then prepare to change your life allowing His Word - the Bible to transform you making you a new creation and to bless you with the faith to move mountains.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. (He is the author, originator and perfecter of our faith!) ~ Hebrews 12:2 NLT

David and I have faith so small that it literally is unseen! Often times are hearts fail us despite God's promises to provide. We hope and pray and wait. There are days we question whether we have embarked on the journey wisely knowing the cost both emotionally and financially. Those days are hard. And yet, God always finds a way of reminding us that this is not our plan - but His.

So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong. ~ Hebrews 12:12-13 NLT

He will make a way. He will provide. He will direct the hearts of His people and guide their steps to bless those that are doing His Kingdom work. He is ABLE. Today has given us the first fruits of our faith for we hold in our hands "the evidence of things unseen!"

Good News!

O! my stars! Isn't he getting sooo big! This makes me want to hold him all the more! Today we were given a gift in our in-box! I was so excited to open up an update about our son! The Chengdu CWI was willing to provide two updated photos as well! YaY! We can't wait to put a huge smile on his little face!

I just have to say that our adoption agency is AWESOME! They provided this service to us absolutely FREE and they did not even blink twice when I asked. They inquired right away! And talk about an "open door"! God is surely with us even in the small steps of this journey. Praise His Holy Name! The director we've been working with is so kind and sweet. She has been out of town for personal reasons and she went out of her way to send my request to someone who was in the office this week. So blessed that this was given to us as a gift! A.A.C. Adoption & Family Network is just that a network of people working TOGETHER. They are an incredible TEAM and they actually ENJOY helping and blessing families like ours. We are incredibly blessed to be included in their family now as well.

They told us he is very healthy & a big eater! lol! :) He weighs 20.9 pounds and is 29 inches tall, which means he is still wearing 6-12 months clothes at age 17 months. So teeny compared to our kiddos who always manage to end up in the 90th percentiles. hee. They also said he has 8 teeth and is able to sit up on his own now. Answer to our prayers! He can stand alone too and is just learning to walk holding onto his nanny's hand. Be still my heart! We soooo want to travel to scoop up our little guy NOW! :)

Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land!

Proverbs 25:25

Our Christmas Miracle

Opening up our friends & family Christmas cards is one of the many things that I look forward to doing during the holidays! It is such a blessing to catch up on everyone's family and to see the way God is working in their lives and how He has shown Himself faithful throughout the year. Not to mention the beautiful photos I get to collect of my dear friends and family! Love those!

So this year was not different. Day after day the mail came and in it beautiful cards and letters from those that we love. I say nothing was different, that is until the day God sent us a Christmas Miracle.

We have been praying for God to move in the hearts of those He has planned from the beginning of time to help Mason come home. Not shouting it from the roof-tops or pleading our case on-line, but praying and looking to Him to provide. A couple weeks before Christmas I began to panic that we wouldn't have the funds that we needed in order to mail the fees to our agency. I began to pray and God spoke to my heart and gave me a complete peace that when the time was come that these documents should be delivered - He would provide just as He had provided for His own son's miraculous delivery. Not a day before, not a day after. But, when the time came - God's promises would be upheld.

So we went through Christmas and soon found out that although are home study had been completed for over a week, we would have to wait through the holidays to pick it up because it needed to be approved by our agency in CO. It was hard waiting, but I also knew we were short the amount of funds we needed to pay for the adoption fees for this phase.

$1,500 short.

David and I prayed and sought after God for guidance. What should we sell? What should we do? Is there any extra hours I can pick up at Target? Can he drive more sports teams over the holidays? We tried our best, but still, with Christmas being here, it wasn't looking good. Then the unthinkable happened. Our roof began to leak. David's car broke down on the highway. Our water filtered stopped working. We were feeling attacked, and not just any kind of attack, attacked in our finances.

Opening up our mailbox that afternoon, I was happy to see more cards inside. As I opened the first of three cards, I suddenly began to realize that this was no ordinary delivery. This was God's special moment to shine! For I discovered lovingly tucked inside the cards of three very special friends were incredible donations for Mason's adoption!

Each of them had given what God alone had layed upon their hearts. None of them know the other one. Miles and states and even countries separate them. How then, how did they know the need? How did they know the timing? How did they purpose to mail their blessings at the same time? Only God! Not a day before, not a day after. When the time had come - He delivered!

Fingers trembling I held onto the checks that God had moved their hearts to send to us. My mind whirling with overwhelming thoughts of gratitude, thankfulness, and so humbled by my deep unworthiness to be blessed in this way by dear ones who have very full plates of their own. I was still processing what God, our Jehovah Jireh, had provided when David bounded through the door after school. He was, as always, all smiles and asking about our day at home. I handed him the Christmas cards and looked deeply into his eyes, with no words exchanged, he knew what I was holding.

His eyes began to well up with tears and he clutched the checks to his heart. Spilling out all over his face was the knowledge that our God, the God of the entire universe, loves us so completely.

Even when we reject His plans for us. Even when we say "absolutely not". Even when we think all of our 1000's of reasons are better than the 1 act of faith He is calling us to. Even when we don't deserve it. Even when life tells us to give up. Even when the enemy attacks and drains our finances. Yes, even then - God is still there, planning, working on our behalf.

David did not want to pursue another adoption. His reasons were all so valid. His heart shattered by the transitions we had struggled with after Jessa's homecoming. Yes, he was reluctant, but more than that he was scared. And rightfully so. Yet, God moved my husband's heart to see that this journey was not about fear but about faith. And dear friends, isn't God so good to bless us for our faith! What small things He asks us to do. To just believe Him. BELIEVE. And then somehow, just through that small step of faith, we are overwhelmed by His great love!

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" I John 3:1

Standing there together, holding the promise of God in our hands, realizing that this was our Christmas Miracle, we wept for joy, wept over our dear friends' kindness, wept from the way we were beginning to doubt Him, wept because we are so undeserving. My always smiling husband wept because this was the SIGN he needed. Not that the other signs weren't enough, they were! But, he needed to see that God was going to provide - and He did friends!

Every. single. last .cent.

For we were short $1500, and our GREAT, MIRACULOUS GOD, sent to us, not a day before, or a day after, but ALL on the SAME day $1500! He is FAITHFUL to uphold His promises.

Oh Praise HIM! Give Him all GLORY for the GREAT things He has done for us!