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| 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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| 3/12/2006 What fun it has been to read the guestbook today! I think I have actually had more people I don't physically know sign than people in my own family...which makes me wonder if any of them are reading. :) But really, we are all family through Christ. Thank you so much for the encouraging words! I feel like I have to type really fast. We have had some whacky weather this weekend, and tonight has been a little frightening. And my modem keeps going out on me. Anyway, it was a good day at church. Today in Bible Fellowship we read in Luke 11:8-10, "I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will opened." Wow! That is powerful stuff. But what is really powerful is that God doesn't need us to ask persistently. It isn't like He waits until the 15th time and then says, "Fine, since you keep asking, I will give it to you..." (Like we sometimes do with our kids who are asking the same things over and over...or at least want to do :) The persistence is for us. Really, prayer is more for us. God has a perfect plan. He has a plan for Maria. He has a plan for us. Through our prayers (and your prayers), God's perfect plan is unchanged. But rather our hearts, our minds, our understanding of His faithfulness...that is what changes. I know, I know...it is enough to make me feel lightheaded trying to understand it all. All I know is that we are going to continue to ask for the adoption to be finalized. That our case will get submitted to the Embassy and receive pre-approval quickly. That Maria will continue to grow and develop while we wait. We will continue to seek Him through every step of the way. And we will continue to knock on His doors daily with our praise and our prayers. Thank you for being a part of it! |
| 3/13/2006 Happy Monday! Okay, Mondays are not necessarily the popular day of the week. But I am glad to be here, be typing this...even if it is Monday. Actually, this has been a special Monday. Our son Hunter had his first grade program tonight. The topic? Arkansas! Could you pick anything more perfect for that child? He wore his Razorback jersey and helmet and be a football player! And who says God isn't in the details? What a big night for Hunter.... It showed so much of who he is...the ultimate Razorback fan. We are thankful for God's protection last night. A tornado went through to the north of us. Some close calls to the south. We were spared (this time)...a little tired from watching the weather in the middle of the night, but again, thankful to be here. Well, our verse tonight is one I will probably use several more times before it is over. (The adoption process that is) Philippians 4:6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." That being said, we have a little good news and a BIG prayer request. From what we have understood (and this message gets relayed a time or two before we get it), we have entered family court (the Guatemalan side of the adoption). That is one of the major steps. Well, exiting successfully is. So that is a praise/prayer. But the bigger prayer is that our paperwork WILL get entered for preapproval this week (if it hasn't already) at the US Embassy in Guatemala. And that it will be accepted, and of course, that we will obtain pre-approval quickly. Our other request is this...we have started praying about Maria's birthday. We are asking God that we might be with her on her birthday. If that means she is home, that is a HUGE praise because it is only possible with Him. If not, we are praying that financially we will figure out how to do it. (We are talking about taking kids with us too) Yet if it is not God's will for either scenario, we will trust in HIM for that. We are just praying for that peace that passes understanding in whatever decision is made. Thank you for visiting! |
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| 3/14/2006 Hello all! Tuesdays must not be good computer days. I can kind of track how many people come to the website each day. The last few days, attendance has been very high, today, very low. Interesting... :) Well, I started the day off with prayer that our paperwork will get submitted THIS week (if it hasn't already). Then I saw this verse sitting in front of me in my little box of verses while getting ready. "Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, The God of our salvation!" Isn't that a neat verse? Oh, it is from Psalm 68:19. Anyway, I started thinking about how easy it is to get caught up in what isn't quite going right. That huge American Express bill. Hair falling flat right after I fix it. Not having the Tostitos to go with my refried beans for my lunch. Missing one of my precious beanbags at school, so one lone student has to pretend. (Like the real life examples :) Not getting e-mails through the provider I have used for years (and not getting any assistance from the "Help Team".) Not knowing if you are in preapproval with the Embassy and wondering how much longer this stage will take. But you know, some things go right. Every day...DAILY...the Lord loads us with benefits. I think this was a reminder that every day I need to look and see what God loaded with me that day. I hope you will help hold me accountable! So what benefits/blessings did I find today? Well, a former intern came to visit. I haven't seen her in about a year. She had her precious child with her. (She is not teaching currently as she takes care of her sweet family) It was such a joy to see her and catch up with her for a few minutes. Don't you like those unexpected meetings with friends you don't get to see very often? The other benefit...pictures. The pictures arrived from my Internet friend whose sister went for a visit to Maria's Hogar. I will admit, I opened the envelope holding my breath. She had said Maria was SMILING in the pictures. That doesn't sound like the Maria we know (for pictures, not in real life...well after a couple hours...) I thought it might be the wrong child. But it wasn't. It was our sweet Maria Elizabeth. And I just cried as I looked at them. She is beautiful. Not just her big brown eyes or thick dark hair. Just her smile. Her self...who she is. Just beautiful. Thank you, God, for sending that precious gift to us! We are blessed. |