"A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her."
— Max Lucado
God’s already begun the work to get me there! I’m so excited for him to lead me to the next door He has ready!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
My quest…
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Reflecting…
I’m not sure why but I’m very reflective today… I keep thinking back to my pick up trip 3 years ago right now. All the details are still so fresh. I flew in on Weds of that week, Madalynn was placed with me on Thursday, we had our embassy day on Friday, my Dad flew in on Saturday, I got Madalynn’s passport on Monday, and we flew home on Tuesday… that time was so precious. This also got me looking back at pictures from that trip, and the trips before… those trips are more than precious to me.
First trip August 2007… she was such a tiny peanut… 6 weeks old. I had no idea what to do with a baby… I was so glad my Mom & Dad were with me. Amazing how Mommy instincts took over. I was a pro at sterilizing bottles in a hotel bathroom sink (thanks to the advice of other Moms who had traveled before). There was a crib at the foot of my bed in the hotel room… I had her in there the first night, but each time I’d get up to feed her I’d just end up putting her in bed with me, so that’s what happened. Her arm would reach over each night for me. When it came time to leave I was fighting a double tooth infection, and now was doing the ugly cry as I handed her back to her foster mom.
2nd trip Thanksgiving 2007… There were lots of questions regarding Guatemala adoptions at this time, and strong predictions they would be shut down as of Dec 31, 2007. Those of us in process weren’t sure if our cases would be grandfathered or part of the shutdown… I went down for Thanksgiving because I missed her, and had a mothers ache to see her. Thankfully, cases were allowed to continue, and she came home in March 2008. Unfortunately, there are still hundreds of ‘grandfathered’ cases still awaiting that precious pick-up trip to bring their children home. Sadly, Guatemala is still shut down to international adoption, and no new cases have taken place. Guatemala now suffers from the highest malnutrition rate in Central America… 2nd only to Africa internationally.
I also took the opportunity of this trip to take pictures for our Christmas card… after all my single years I was so excited to finally send out a ‘family’ card….
I LOOOOVED this dress… I still have it. She didn’t like the camera even then.
Then the pick up trip… 3 years ago this week… I can’t imagine my life without this spunky, headstrong, goofy, attack life at full speed girl!
LOOOOK at those piggy toes….
On the airplane… heading to America!!!
On the job front… I’m not sure what is in store, but I have such a peace, and feel as if God is just holding us right in the palm of His hand. He knows our needs before we even ask for them! Of course, I think this would be awesome timing for my Kinsman Redeemer to show up… but my time is not God’s time.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Forever & Ever Day #3
Today is our 3rd forever & ever day…. Ohhhhh how I love this girl, and being her Mommy… I ask her almost everyday “How did I get so blessed to be your Mommy?”…. I also ask her when she wakes up “Did you grow more cuteness while you were sleeping?” as she gets cuter to me everyday (I know that’s boastful, but I’m a proud Mom, and this is my blog).
To celebrate our special day I took her to “The Children’s Museum” in Boston…I got passes at our library so the cost fit into my now unemployed budget. She had a ball!!
Her favorite exhibit combined 2 of her favorite things… WATER (she would spend HOURS playing in the sink if I let her), and “Peep & The Big Wide World”.
Of course there was her other favorite activity… CLIMBING….
When we went into the bathroom… she got sooooo excited…”Look Mommy… they have a sink MY size”…. well… almost.
Then we were leaving it was really warm out… almost 50!! There were some ducks & a swan in the water, and Madalynn loved throwing chunks of ice in the water (NOT at the water fowl)…
Tonight we’re having dinner with the family & a small cake…. Happy Forever & Ever Day baby girl!!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Being held up…
God is holding me up… not just emotionally, and spiritually, but physically as well. I lost my job yesterday.
God knew this was coming long before I did, and as I reflect back I see His preparing a support system to surround me, and hold me up… I feel such peace…. some in the world would call it denial… but I know it’s peace. That’s not to say I don’t have moments when the fear, and doubt creep in, I was awake for several hours last night, but I’m able to fight them back with the peace. I’ve had counsel from 2 different sources in the last 24 hours that have said …. lean in to Him…stay close to Him… rest your head on His shoulder…. so that’s what I’m choosing…. trusting this …another closed door is His faithfulness keeping me on the path He has laid out for me before the stars were hung in the sky.
The Steven Curtis Chapman song is in my heart & mind tonight… “Be Still & Know” … if you’ve never heard this song track it down on youtube, or itunes… it’s quite powerful. This is the verse I’m clinging to…
Come rest your head upon his breast
Listen to the rhythm of
His unfailing heart of love
Beating for his little ones
Calling each of us to come
Be still
Be still
Just to leave a little Madalynn luv… This is the face we get when she wants something… a smile… tilt of the head… her hands are usually clasped too… and a big…. “Peeezzzze”….
One other sad note… Nemo (Madalynn’s little beta fish) left this world today… she wasn’t too traumatized… although at bedtime she kept saying… “I miss Nemo… he was such a good little fish….” A picture from the day we got him. Thanks for being such a good little fish Nemo….
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Blogger For Orphans II
OCA Mission Moments from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.
They sat in the studio with an expectant glow as they spoke about their children they had yet to meet, but who they claimed as their very own...
Josh: "As unbelievers, we are aliens. We are strangers. We are separated from God. But God has come in and adopted us, through Christ, to be in His family."
Jenn: "And we're just so thrilled that our family can be a picture of that to the world! And just like we would never question our true son-ship to God the Father, it's been an encouragement to us to think about, we really don't have to question whether these kids are our true children... cause they are!"
When Josh and Jenn Philpot felt God's nudging toward adoption they weren't sure where they would get the money. They received a matching grant through the Orphan Care Alliance (OCA), turning the $6,000 they had raised into $10,000, and making it possible for them to bring home not just one child but two!
OCA is a multi-church alliance in the Louisville/Southern Indiana area. Adoption funding is just one part of their ministry. Their many outreaches include recruiting and training foster parents, mentoring local foster children, assistance for local churches in launching orphan ministries, international orphan care, and more! They are also a part of Lifesong's Outside the Walls Network, which connects churches to serve orphans more powerfully together than they could on their own.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Madalynnisms…
All of these were posted on Facebook within the last few months, but once they go on there they get buried, so I wanted to be sure I got these down on the blog which serves as our scrapbook.
Me; “Madalynn, how did I get so blessed to be your Mommy?”
M; “Jesus brought me here”
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Me; “I don’t want you to watch this part it’s scary, and you’ll have bad dreams”
M; “But Mawmmy I’ll be next to you” (as she pats my shoulder).
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Me; “Madalynn, want do you want a sandwich & chips for lunch?”
M; “No, I want….ummm….ummmm…ummmm….ummmm summfing squishy!”
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Me;"Madalynn don't eat straight sugar it's not good for your teeth".
Madalynn: "But it's good for my tongue".
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Madalynn called my parents & asked my Dad "So, when are you guys getting Marwwied?"... I have no idea where that came from... she was glad to hear they were married over 40 years ago.
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Madalynn talks in her sleep, and it just cracks me up. Once as I was leaving her room after she fell asleep, she asked me for something, and then then held up her hand, and said "Just put it right here Mommy"... I just kissed her hand instead :-)
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Madalynn's bedtime prayer one night "Dear God, please give me a giant ice cream cone, and my own TV show... Amen" Oh dear... I think she got it from a movie she watches at my parents house.
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Madalynn was over near my nativity this morning "Madalynn, what are you doing?" her response "I'm just watching baby Jesus being boring" ( I think she meant 'born'... let's hope :-)
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Quote of the day "Moooommmy! You need to hang up your sock-fing (stocking) so Santa will bring me a Daddy for Christmas!!"... I guess we should have put that in the Christmas letter. :-)
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Madalynn just came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl full of grapes "Madalynn, don't eat all those grapes you'll get a bellyache & it's almost dinner time"... To which she responds by walking to her Little People nativiity "But Mommy, they're for the kings".
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Madalynn just did something silly, and I laughed & she said "Oh...Mawwmy... I so happy I make you laugh... Mawwmy... I make you sooo happy"... Hands down best Christmas present I've ever gotten... I love that girl!!
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Madalynn comes walking out of the kitchen w/ a lollipop from Halloween... Me; "Madalynn didn't I tell you not to eat a lollipop?"... Madalynn; "Mommy, I'm not eating it I'm just licking it"... nice try...
Sunday, February 20, 2011
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