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| 8/15/2006
Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. You can tell where my children have been in our house. Their fingerprints are EVERYWHERE. On the doorframes, on the windows, on the lightswitches. I can look at those prints and think, �Yep, they have been here all right�� Yesterday, my new intern (at school) was asking me about why we chose to adopt. As I went through the story (lucky for her, only highlights), I started seeing some �fingerprints��God�s �fingerprints�. I know I have mentioned some of these things before, but I just have to PRAISE Him for all that He has done. When we first started looking at adopting, we hadn�t been thinking about it for years and years, at least not seriously. It literally was a thought process in just a short time (though it had its roots years earlier). Yet a series of events with God�s prints led us to this road. Of course, I was stuck on adopting from Mexico. I looked at every website I could. In fact, I got frustrated that Guatemala kept showing up when I could find NOTHING on Mexico (except that adoption there is VERY difficult). I remember going to bed and praying, �God, change my heart or change my mind.� The next day, when I looked, I am almost positive that Maria�s picture was one of the first ones (if not the first) that I saw. And we just knew in our hearts. I think about how our agency took a chance with us, allowing us to accept her referral even though we were just starting. (This is not normal procedure, but it also was not a typical adoption due to the abandonment process.) I get chills thinking about many ways we believe God was leading us to Maria and her to us through various circumstances. I do not have the space to write ALL of the places I have seen God�s fingerprints, from the issuance of the abandonment, to the relatively short adoption process (believe it or not), to the two trips we never dreamed we would be able to make, to some provisions with finances, to the way we found out we were done. His prints are all there. Today I got to see just one more evidence of God�I got to see a copy of Maria�s new birth certificate. Our names are on there as her parents. We learned some things about where and when she was born, and we were able to actually view the very words that say she is our daughter. We are one step closer to bringing her home. We are thankful for the �prints� God has left on our lives with this process. We look forward to seeing His fingerprints through the next several years in not only our lives, but in what He is doing with Maria�s life within our family. Thank you, God! PS If you ever have a free minute, please go to Christal's website. She is one of the beautiful children I pray for. She is experiencing a rough time right now with her cancer. I encourage you to read a couple of her mom's entries...Christal is a neat little girl even in the face of crisis and pain. She encourages and amazes me with her spirit. Just like we always ask, feel free to sign her guestbook...it thrills them to see entries from around the world and encourages their hearts and souls. Thank you! |
| 8/16/2006
Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Nothing new to report today other than I am missing my little girl. If you have known me for a while, you probably know this is one of the hardest times of year for me physically. I am exhausted. :) Thus, the verse. Yet, even in the weariness, I am enjoying planning for a sub. It will be well worth the energy spent! Thank you for waiting with us! |
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| 8/17/2006
Hello again! Sorry for the short entry last night. I am always exhausted this time of year, thrown in with a LONG to do list of things to be done for school. Yet, at the same time, there is this �freshness� in starting with a whole new class, an organized room, new supplies, fresh outlook, etc. It is kind of a mixture of emotions! I don�t really have the right verse for tonight. Maybe because that would involve pinpointing where my emotions are right now or what our needs are. Honestly, I am not sure. We HOPE we got a new passport today for Maria (a Guatemalan one), but we haven�t heard one way or the other on it. And we COULD have pink next week, though I have learned not to count on such things. But just like with school, there is this hope and �freshness� in knowing that God is in control of that. I do have a prayer request that is adoption related but also Reba related. We have NOT selected classes yet�we screen kindergarten students the first few days of next week. Then we will divide the classes up based on personality, number of females/males, etc. We try to get a good mixture of abilities and personalities in each room. I am a little concerned about what parents will think about having a teacher who is going on maternity leave so soon into the school year (I am planning on taking 5 weeks off). I guess I am asking for prayer for JUST the right students for my class as well as understanding parents. Obviously a maternity leave will be a bit of a surprise since I do not look like I am expecting (though I did eat WAY too much today). I do plan on being very involved with the class even when I am not there. The sub has worked in our building before. I will be outlining all lessons to ensure the students are prepared for the first quarter assessments. I will also be visiting the class on occasion (probably with a little girl on my hip) and sending home my weekly parent letters. I just don�t want parents to feel like I am going to be less of a teacher by not being there for a few weeks. This time will be VERY important with Maria. We need that time to establish a bond and get into our routines. At the same time, I very much enjoy my job and want what is best for my students. Please pray for that balance. And then pray for Maria�s adjustment when I DO return to school. (She will be staying with my WONDERFUL mother three days a week and attending day care the other two days.) I have so many other emotions, praises, etc. but right now they are too jumbled up in my mind to relate. That is another thing about this time of year, I don�t have time to really think. That may be for the best, since sometimes OVERTHINKING gets me into trouble. Praying for Pink! |
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