Today Is The Day

Well, the day has come. The day I was hoping to avoid is looking at me right in my face. I see the calendar. Today is here...whether I wanted it or not.

Some adoptive parents mark their anniversary's of starting their journey by when they actually started taking the first "baby steps" (that could be really discouraging for us for it has been years and years since we have started that), some mark it when it was laid upon their hearts (that started before we were even married...so it is going on 17+ years)...but we mark it by when we called the agency and said "Yes, Elijah belongs to us." So with that being said, today is the day we celebrate 2 years since we have accepted Elijah's referral.

How do we approach this day? How do we deal with this day? How do we look back and see what was suppose to be a 7-12 months ordeal, now a 2 year and counting ordeal? How do we face the doubts of those who are watching us and reading this blog? This is how we choose...

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice an be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24
and

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances..."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Yes, that is right. Today we choose to remain in joy. Today we choose to be thankful. We will pray, but there will be a celebration of thankfulness and joy in it. Let me share with you part of my prayer journal.

"Father God, people are watching us, watching our situation with this adoption. They don't see your victory because Elijah and Ruth aren't here, and God there are days I fall into this same lie. But today I claim your victory once again. I continue to walk in obedience to you. I have seen that you have NOT closed doors, but rather OPENED the doors that have increased my faith. God, in the beginning of this journey I thought I knew you, but now I see where I stand and look back and see that I didn't know you at all. "

I remain in joy for I have seen my faith increase in this journey. I remain thankful for the intimacy I share with our Savior.

I remain in joy for I have the full armor of God on: I have the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, my feet fitted with gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. (Ephesians 6:11-18) I remain thankful for the all His provisions.

I remain in joy for my God fills me with that joy. I remain thankful for He remains good.

I remain in joy for this battle is not mine, but HIS. And He is victorious. And for that alone I give Him thanks.

We remain in joy for how He has grown this family through the past two years. I am thankful our family stands together and will give Him our all in all.

We remain in joy for the favor God has for our agency. And we will thank God for the agency our children and we are apart of, and for God's grace and compassion that is shown through it.

We have much joy to be part of lives in another part of the world, lives who are celebrating the God we serve together...even with them there, and us here. We will give thanks for the staff at the orphanage, who continues to work even though there are no funds to cover what they are doing.

We are joyful for God is our Protector. We will give thanks that our children are safe and under a brand new building and playing in a play yard.

We are joyful for our God is a compassionate God, and full of abundance. We will give thanks that God has given us an abundance...for we started this journey with one child and now have two!

We will remain in joy for our God listens. We will give thanks for the answered prayers as we received the court decree and passport for our son, and the answers soon to come.

We will remain in joy for our God is building His people up. We will give thanks as our whole family has the heart to go and experience the Liberian life as our other children only know.

We will be joyful for our God has redeemed the five of us here, individually, in our marriage, and as a family. We will give thanks, as our marriage has flourished and become even stronger through this added stress of waiting as well as our financial state.

We remain in joy through the strength of our Lord. We will give thanks for God has been our strength through all this. He has not only wiped each tear that has fallen, but knows the exact number we have shed. He has given us patience and joy. He has been our Sustainer.

We are joyful and give thanks for our God has remained Faithful. He has never left us nor forsaken us.

Today we pour out our joy and our thanks upon a God who is Faithful, Good, Just, and Compassionate, and we have the privilege to call Him our Father and Friend. And because of the God He is, we have joy and reason to be thankful.

The Time Has Come...

There is a phrase "All Good Things Must Come To An End". I think about this as our summer has officially ended, and the girls have returned to school. Our life that we have discovered, our life outside of school activities and car rides; we have come to embrace. My time alone as I walk and worship each morning, and the quietness of the living room as the girls sleep and I read my Bible and journal has to work itself into my schedule instead of it greeting me each day. My mind being focused on God as I wake, and throughout the days are now interrupted with "what is on the agenda today" and checking off my "to-do's".

But then I felt a nudge. One that was saying... "I Am THE Good Thing, and I will NEVER come to an end". And now I ponder, and am washed with such gladness. Our God, who is the Author of Salvation, Creator of the universe, Friend and Father never leaves us or forsakes us! Remains with us forever! He Himself is the Beginning and the End. As long as we choose life with Him there is no end.

So as I approach another first day of school, and the sadness of the three good things God has given us to maintain go off and experience life as they will choose for themselves, I will approach it with gladness, for as long as we choose salvation through Christ, there is never an end. The time I have daily enjoyed this summer was only a beginning of the days to come...some will be full of distractions, and others quiet. And I will continue to choose to give thanks. (But I still will wipe a tear or two of joy as I send them off today and as they take their next steps.)

Lindsay - Sophomore (10th grade)

Katie - 7th grade


Courtney - 6th grade - 1st year of middle school!



Family Fall Pictures...

Our Latest Picture...

Some fellow adoptive parents made a trip to Liberia to help finish the orphanage project. We opened their pictures the other day and this is what we found...please look on ONLY if you can see it with laughter, ONLY if you could look past the tears and see their personalities. From a mom who has met her kids, and knows their personalities....this made me laugh out loud....

What's growing at our house...

It is hard to believe but we have celebrated our three year anniversary, since we have been in Colorado and in our home. Our time has gone so fast here...it has been a hard transition for me, but now I can say it has all been worth it. I love our life here, but mainly because I am with Duane, who I believe is the best husband in the world. Our family is closer than ever before, that alone makes this journey worth it.

Three years ago, we moved into our forclosure home. Three years ago we started our home and yard looking like this...

A year later, when the potable water was turned on in our development we were able to landscape and turn what was known as the "house with the dead yard" into the "house with the beautiful yard"....

Last year we planted our garden, and weren't too succesful, for we are still learning what grows well in Colorado and what doesn't....

This year, this is what we see...

And for all these things we give thanks ... for His goodness, His faithfulness, His grace and mercy, all of His provisions, His love and for the love and togetherness of this family. God we are truly greatful!