What to pack??

Good morning my friendly blog people! I love that anyone reads this crazy stuff that pours forth from my fingertips onto the keyboard, and eventually ends up "out there"!! (Obviously I am not very technical...:-)
Okay, I am leaving in less than 48 hours to fly to Guatemala(alone) to see my toddler daughter . I think I have everything I need. I have clothes to wear, toiletries small enough to please the airport people, and even a whole slew of donations for Hannah's Hope (the orphan care home where our daughter lives). I also am bringing new clothes for my little sweetie, and new shoes, and toys, and a toothbrush, and Gerber Puffs(as a bribe to get her to play with me!!LOL!)I hope it works!
As I have been collecting all of the necessary things to take, I have been reflecting on the trip itself. It has reminded me of a story I read in school a long time ago. It was called "All Summer in a Day". That story has stuck with me for quite a long time. The connection? Well, in the story, the people live on the planet Venus, and the sun only comes out for an hour every 7 years. That is how I feel about this time I have been gifted with. I will spend an actual week, yet a lifetime, with my daughter. I will soak in her light every second that I am with her. I will bask in the warmth of our embraces. I will delight in the seemingly stolen moments that will be ours. I do not know when we will be together again, so I must treasure this very special time. I must look deep into her eyes with the "I love you" look, in hopes that she will see and remember. I must be very careful not to let the memories fade from my mind, or let any time escape while I am there without filling it with much meaning. I have been gifted with this time. I will slowly unwrap this precious gift, and give thanks to my God for allowing me to have it. God is good...all the time:-)

2009

Happy New Year everyone!
I think it is about time to update this old blog of mine. Well, Christmas was wonderful, albeit a bit sad missing our sweet Guatemalan princess. The lack of her presence was magnified by her stocking hanging quietly without little hands reaching for it to see what prizes were inside. Her little gift nestled under the tree, and no big brown eyes searching for it. Finally, when all else was opened, and the floor littered with discarded wrapping paper, her brightly wrapped gift called to our hearts. Summer Rain asked if she could open the gifts for Y. She sweetly unwrapped, and emptied the stocking as we all sighed at the heart-wrenching reality that Y was not present for her presents.
Then came her birthday. We had a little cake and placed her picture beside it for a picture of her with her cake. We sang "Happy Birthday" and Summer Rain blew out the two pink candles shining brightly in the darkened room. I don't know what Y wished for that day, or even if Summer Rain wished something for her, but I know I wished for a whole lot on those two little candles!! One wish is coming true very soon!! I asked permission to go on a visit trip to Guatemala the first week in February. My wish was granted!!! I will be there for a whole week! Just me. Just my girl. I cannot wait to hold her tight! It will be heartbreaking leaving on Friday to come home without her. I am trusting the Lord to get me through that....and asking that He place just the right person next to me on the plane coming home!!LOL!
We have heard no new news as of yet. I am waiting in expectant hope for news soon!!
I cannot wait to post all about my visit trip. It will be so good to be at HH again. I will be staying in their guesthouse, and so I can spend lots of time with Y.
Jesus keeps calling back to me, and telling me to keep going. Without Him, I would be nothing. He has had to pick me up from the floor, dust me off, and remind me that anxiety is about lack of faith. I have learned more this year about my faith than I can even comprehend. The lessons have been "tough-love". "Thank you Jesus for caring enough about me to show me myself." I needed it! Didn't ask for, didn't particularly want it, but I needed it!
That is all for now. I will try to write more later:-)
Peace and Blessings to all!

Christmas Card picture for this year

Well, it was a job that had to be done. Wubby went upstairs, walked carefully into each boy's room, and gently roused them on Sunday morning. Their little eyes still half closed in sleep blinked to clear away the dreams they were having. Daddy asked them to come downstairs for a quick Christmas picture around the tree....oh, and be showered and dressed when you get there!!

What????

TeeHee! Believe it or not, half an hour later we had all four children posed for this pic(we did tell them they did not have to "dress up")...all were clean and smellin' good :-)What good sports they were! I just love these kiddos! My life has been enriched beyond measure since having them. Thank you Jesus for the gift of my children.

Advent...the coming.

Yesterday was the first Sunday of Advent. This season marks the beginning of our Liturgical year, and it is a time of waiting for Christ to come into our lives. We wait with expectant hope. After all, that is the ONLY way we should wait.
I must remind myself to keep the focus on Christ, and His coming. We know we are remembering His birth at this time, and we wait for His time to come again in glory.
I cannot help but note the similarities in this waiting. As I wait for our daughter from Guatemala, I also wait in expectant hope. We are adopted sons and daughters of God, as she will be the adopted daughter belonging to her new family....she is already a member of His divine family. I humbly pray that I may not allow my wait for her to overshadow my wait for Him.
As I contemplate Christ and His humble entrance into this world as a helpless baby, may I be reminded that Christ exalts the humble. May I be reminded of all of my blessings, and of all of those less fortunate. May I see His face in the poor, and the defenceless. In the arrogant and in the angry. In the rich and in the reproachful. May I know that it is not my place to judge, and that I am called to love as Christ loved.

Judgement Day

Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. (Luke 18: 6-8)

This scripture passage came to me this morning in a devotional I was reading. It was very timely(thank you Jesus!), as on Saturday morning as Wubby and I were praying and reading, the parable of the persistent widow came up in our daily readings. As we discussed the need to pray without ceasing concerning bringing our daughter home from Guatemala, we also realized that sometimes praying in "thought" just isn't enough. We needed to pray in "action"!! We are taking this to the next level, and we feel very empowered by the Holy Spirit. We feel now is a time of movement, not passivity. We continue our fervent prayers and we are turning up the heat as we strike the match again and again until we have a roaring flame ignited that will reach far away into the heart of the judge that feels he is in control. We are praying for his submission to the will of God, and for a just decision to be rendered...NOW! We will be relentless in our efforts to thwart the plans of the enemy, and will plague the Heavens with persistent prayer until a decision will be made. We know who is truly in control...God! I have commanded Satan back to Hell in Jesus' name, and will not allow him to devour this tiny soul.

Please pray with me!!

Happy Halloween!

Every year my husband's office decorates for Halloween. Other bays join in, and there is a contest at the end for the best design. Summer Rain loves to go, and she gets enough candy to not go out later...but that doesn't stop her from trick-or-treating later..no,no,no :-) This year Wubby grew a goatee and moustache and transformed into "Shaggy" from Scooby-Doo! They all did a great job with costumes, and everyone had a great time!

Thanksgiving in October?

I didn't think it was possible. It was definitly handcrafted by God. :-) Last Sunday evening as I was cooking dinner, it dawned on me that our middle son had not left to go back to college. Hmmmm. His girlfriend was still there, too. Then I realized that our firstborn son was also home, and with his girlfriend no less! Our dear daughter was there as usual, and I made a quick phone call to get son #3 home from a friend's house as well. The wheels were turning very quickly in this brain of mine. Suddenly I started cooking even more!!! There was homemade beef stew, chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, baked beans, white gravy with peppercorns, fresh bread, and brownies hot out of the oven! I also brewed up my special sweet tea, which they can only get at home! A feast for sure!! We all sat down to eat together, and the laughter and smiles that accompanied the meal nourished our souls as much as the food nourished our bodies. Funny, but just the night before, Wubby had asked me what truly made me happy. I told him I was truly happy when our whole family got together and shared a meal. God was listening, and "overnighted" me an answer to a prayer!! Thank you Jesus!!