My Cup Runneth Over

Miracle of the Moment

As I was listening to this song by Steven Curtis Chapman earlier today I realized once again what a great message it has for me to hear. Tomorrow we will celebrate the life of Uncle Thad. He was actually my great-step-uncle to be accurate. But, more like a grandpa. He was such a wonderful man. I met him when I was probably around 8 or 9 years old. And he always had a great story for me every time I spent time with him from childhood right up until the last time I saw him. He lived an amazing life and he was definitely one to notice the miracle of the moment. He encouraged everyone around him with his words, stories and frequent letters and pictures. I am thankful for the time my kids were able to spend with him, learning from his wisdom about life and experience in this world. But, I wish it would have been more. We, too often take for granted that those we know and love will be around for a long while. We also received hard news of another death of a friend's family member and a friend that is very sick with cancer. Hard news to hear. Lord Jesus - please pour out grace and peace on these families.

This song also is a good reminder of the little wake-up call I gave myself during our adoption process for Loe. It is easy to become wrapped up in the plans and prep for a new person to enter the family. Thoughts of names, adoption advice, sibling relationships, travel, fees, bedroom arrangements, etc, etc, can circle through my mind at times and it is so good when a song like this reminds me to live in the moment. I remember feeling so blessed to be homeschooling the boys during our first adoption. It kept me mentally from floating out into adoption-land too often! And having all three of these kiddos here this time is a gift while we move past 2.5 years of waiting for Ren. Without Jesus and these kids I would probably have driven Trevor insane by now. :)

We think there is a possibility that we are starting to get closer to referral. "Closer" in this process means within the next 2-4 months! There are no guarantees - they could slow down to tiny batches and we could get bumped to after the Olympics. But, right now things are looking up a bit and so I have found myself a bit preoccupied with thoughts of Ren and travel and all that goes along with that the last couple of days. I am going to take this song as a reminder to cherish each day with my family and friends while we wait and there is no doubt we will cherish the moment we see Ren's face when that happens.

                                 

Merry Christmas Sweet Ren

I have been so enjoying this Christmas season, God has blessed me with a peace as we prepare and spend precious time with each other. But, every single time this song comes on our stereo it brings tears to my eyes. Especially when I hear the words..."it's Christmas time again and you're not home". This will be the third Christmas since we started our adoption process to bring Ren home in July of 2005. Not knowing how the process would change in China during this adoption we hoped when we started out that it would be simliar to Loe's and that our new baby would be home in the summer or fall of 2006. Here we are at Christmas of 2007 and we are still several months away from receiving our referral. We're hoping for a referral and travel by this spring. I remember so clearly asking CCAI to put our adoption on hold back in the fall of 2005 while we waited on the Lord for finances to continue, then finding out the week of Thanksgiving that we were blessed with a grant that would allow us to finish our paperwork and send it to China! I knew at that moment as I got into my car to drive home from the meeting with the grant foundation when they told Loe and I their amazing news - that God knew exactly who this little one would be, when she would be born and her file matched up with ours. He was the one to move our timeline forward. So, we trust Him with both the timing and providing the rest of our travel fees. (Our hearts long to travel to China as a family again.) But, I admit it hurts to think of not having her here at home with us this Christmas. There is a member of Third Day's band that has adopted a little girl from China and he wrote this beautiful song, the video is of their family and precious new daughter.

                         

                                 

Sweet Ren, we don't know what you look like yet or where in China you are, but we know that Jesus knows all of that and He will bring you into our family when the time is right. Until then we pray that Jesus will wrap His arms around you this Christmas and all the way until He places you in our arms. We love you baby girl.