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Day by Day

2/18/2006 Welcome from our "Winter Wonderland". We have 4.5 inches of snow...that is like a blizzard in Arkansas. It was beautiful to look at, at least before the kids had their brief fun. Now it looks like a kids' dream...ready for more playing.

I think I am ready to do my little love entry I had for Valentine's Day. As we have gone through the adoption process, the whole idea of love becomes new and mysterious again. How can we love this little brown eyed timid child we have only spent 24 hours with? Yet we do...our hearts overflow with love for her. Sometimes I find myself almost catching my breath, overwhelmed with love and the sadness of not having her here with us.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 Love is patient, Whoa, have you ever sat in the front seat with two children in the back asking a million questions, vying for your sole attention...I may need to work on that one...Love is kind, Yep, still working on that one, at least between the brother and sister whose sole goal seems to be to aggravate the other...Love does not envy, I have seen that green eyed monster a few times, like when Hunter brings home candy and Lauren doesn't, or Lauren gets a party invitation and Hunter doesn't...Love does not boast, is not proud. I wonder if that applies to parents of children. It is hard not to "puff" up when someone says how beautiful Lauren is or what a cute kid Hunter is...(It) does not behave rudely, is it just me or are we sometimes the rudest WITH the ones we love?...It is not selfish, does that include when I am eating a handful of pistachios and Lauren asks for one and I DO not want to share?...and does not get upset with others. Does that include when you have tripped over the football in the floor for the sixth time ina day? Love does not rejoic in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. I cannot argue with that. We have many discussions about honesty around here. Love bears all things, even stomach viruses, bad moods, a HUGE gas bill, and long adoptions that seem even longer in our hearts...believes all things, like a God who loved us that He sent His own son, like your husband and children who are a gift from above...hopes all things, like the faith that God will bring your daughter home when the time is right (which we pray is sooner than later...)...endures all things. Like the messiness of life, the consequences of sin in a fallen world, yet knowing the best is yet to come. Love never fails. Thank you, God, that you are faithful. Even when the world seems to fail us (I hear Hunter's favorite phrase right now, "It's not fair that..."), you don't. And love won't.

Keep praying for that birth certificate, as well as Maria's heart to prepare for our love for her!

If you return to the Main Page, we hope that you will sign our guestbook. We hope to share the encouragement and kind words with Maria someday.

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2/19/2006 Happy "Son"day! We enjoyed a nice family day at home. Church was canceled. (And my inservice for tomorrow is already canceled.) Okay, maybe "nice" is stretching it a bit. The kids have cabin fever. They were on each other's nerves (and occasionally ours too :) much of the day. But then there are those good family moments, like eating potato soup together. (Okay, not everyone would eat it...) Or playing "Go Fish" without ANY tears about who was winning or losing. Or reading books all snuggled on the couch. I treasure those moments, though I sometimes forget them when it feels like a battle is brewing.

I have learned a lot from children. Matthew 18:3-5 "Assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me." I think Jesus knew that children are a blessing too.

Some of you may know that I pray for several children with lifethreatening illnesses (most cancer). It is a humbling experience. I go to their sites after getting angry about being honked at on the way to the store and feeling down that we have received no news again about Maria/adoption. And I read about their chemo sessions or the devastating news that the cancer has returned. And how do most of the children reply? They pray. They laugh. They live for this moment. No wonder Jesus said to be like the little children. They don't know about the difficulties of life (though those in the hospital are facing many!) or the pain of paying bills. They just know to live for today..."This is the day that the Lord has made...I will rejoice and be glad in it..." If you have a second or need a little humbling yourselves, here are just a few of the children I "visit" Sadly there are more than your heart can take at times...). I promise you that your life won't be the same; mine isn't.... Cole, Jacob, Stanton, Madelaine and Nathan, Brent, Jake Owen , Christal.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!