Adoption Prayer Chain

Kathy's recent post inspired me to be a copycat and do an adoption prayer chain for our home this holiday season. If you are currently in the adoption process or know someone who is, please leave me a comment with the child's name being adopted and how to pray for them. I think this will be a fun thing for our family to do together.

Don't be shy now...quit lurking and leave me a comment. We'll be praying!

A Work of Art...The Turkey Leg Hat

This was our fun project of the day. Don't you just love it's superior styling? If you have some lunch bags and napkins lying around you can make your own! This little number is something no Thanksgiving dinner should be without.

Let Me Set the Scene...

We went to Culver's for lunch with Delaney, Brezlan and my nephew after taking Delaney to a doctor appointment. It was past nap time and "Mr. Magoo" was falling asleep. I got his coat on him and sat him on the seat of the booth while I got Brezlan's coat on. Delaney got out her camera to take a video of him sleeping while sitting up at the booth. He opened his eyes, saw the camera, said "cheese", and immediately fell back to sleep. Hilarious!

40 is a Beautiful Number

Thank you Faith Fellowship!!!!! Our church has been collecting boxes for Haiti for Project Christmas Angel. I was beyond thrilled to find people had generously donated 40 BOXES to be distributed to the children of Haiti.

I will be shipping these to Florida tomorrow and a team will be hand delivering them to Haiti in December. God is good!

The Motley Crew

Hooligans I tell ya...hooligans!

4th Photo Tag

Well, the lovely Sarah Olson tagged me forever ago, and I'm finally getting around to it. I am posting the 4th photo in my fourth folder.

It's actually a picture I saved of some Haitian art of a waterfall. I loved looking at the art in Haiti and I did buy one piece on canvas while I was there. It really was fun getting to know the vendors a little and bartering with them. They were quite comical and very enjoyable company.

If you haven't done the 4th photo tag, I officially tag you. Leave me a comment if you decide to post the 4th photo in your fourth folder.

Limbo

No, I'm not talking about dancing under a stick...

I'm just feeling disconnected from this whole process and I've got to admit I'm not lovin' it. I was looking forward with great anticipation to maybe being in IBESR by now. Instead we've got nothin'. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Bubkis.

So if Anchise is not meant to be our daughter, who is? Where is she? What do we do next? Have you ever felt like you had more questions than answers? Lord, grant us wisdom (and a fair amount of patience).

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Thankful

Whether I was able to be her mother for just six days or if it works out to be a lifetime, I am so thankful for the time I got to spend with Anchise in Haiti. This adoption has made me a better person. My time with her made me a better person. I am thankful.

Bondye Bon Tou Tan

Lisa is selling some cool shirts to help with her upcoming mission trip to Haiti. If you're looking for a great shirt for a good cause, go give her some love and order yours today!

We'll Always Have Paris

I barely caught what they were saying on the TV, but basically I heard someone say that EVERYONE wants to go to Paris. Now I can tell you with 100% honesty that I've never had any inkling to go to Paris. I wouldn't even say it's on my top ten places I'd like to visit list. So sorry folks on TV, not EVERYONE wants to go to Paris.

One of the places I've always dreamed of going is Australia. I hope that someday I'll be able to travel there with my man. One of our other "dream" places to visit together is Atlantis. Ahhh, I can just dream of basking in the sun. Or how about Little Palm Island? Sounds peaceful to me!

So where would your dream vacation take place? Where have you been that has been completely wonderful and you would like to go back? Talk to me!

Just Couldn't Do It...

I was scheduled to have a Tastefully Simple adoption fundraiser at our home this Saturday, but I cancelled. I flopped back and forth at least a hundred times on whether or not to have it. I mean, the financial need is still there. The adoption is not over. But the thought of having to talk about it over and over again just seemed overwhelming to me. Don't get me wrong, people have been very supportive, but good intentioned questions and comments sometimes cut like a knife.

So, I bailed on the party, for now. I'm thinking the end of January may be a good time to get together after all of the holiday stuff is over. This is hard.

My Crazy Man

Mr. B says, "looks at my tricks".

Please ignore the clean towels Mr. B emptied

out of the basket and threw all over the living room.

Paint Therapy

Dawn termed my recent project "paint therapy"...and man was she right on the money. I completely needed a project to take my mind off of the adoption (or lack thereof). So Thursday night I made up my mind I was going to paint the living room and kitchen/dining room. Friday night I bought the paint. Today I got one color in the living room done. It looks really great!

The line up of colors includes earthy ocher, braided raffia, and baked bean. Yeah, baked bean isn't the most glamorous color name. I'm thinking whoever came up with that one wasn't feeling creative that day.

This post is boring me to tears...sorry.

Pray for Petionville

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things

I cannot change; courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.
--Reinhold Niebuhr

Where Do We Go From Here?

We have been asked if our adoption story is over. Let me just say NO WAY! This journey has been so amazing, painful, and beautiful all at the same time. It has been an amazing time of spiritual growth. God has called us to adoption. We believe that fully and have no intention of drawing this journey to a sad close.

With the holiday season approaching we have decided to just sit back and "be" until 2009. If, at that time, Anchise has not been returned to Three Angels we will hopefully be matched with another child. Even if we are matched with another child and Anchise is returned to the orphanage we will take her back at any time. We are already approved for two children on our homestudy and in our hearts she will ALWAYS be our daughter. We love her so much and she has been woven into our family in a mighty way.

Right now our main concern is for Anchise's safety & that her needs are met. I ask you to pray every day that she has shelter, water, food and all of the essentials. We pray and trust that God will provide for her every need.

We thank God for this trial and pray our faith will be strengthened as we place our trust in Him.

Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust him, and he will help you.

He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,

and the justice of your cause will shine
like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,

and wait patiently for him to act.

Don’t worry about evil people who prosper

or fret about their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:4-7

Waves

I am overwhelmed and incredibly thankful to everyone who has left comments, e-mailed us, and called. Your concern, love and prayers for us and our sweet girl lessens the sadness even if just for a moment. Thank you.

I am feeling an incredible loss and deep grief over the events of the past few days. Good and bad times come in waves. I will be fine one moment and then suddenly, without warning, a wave of great sadness will wash over me. How could this be? What good could possibly come from this?

The truth is we may never know what good may come from this, but We TRUST that somehow, someway these events will ultimately be used for the glory of God.

Please continue to pray for Anchise's protection. We pray and trust that God will provide for her every physical and emotional need. Please pray that our hearts will begin to heal and that each wave will be somewhat less sad than the wave before. Pray that if it is His will, that Anchise will be returned to our family. Our hope is in the Lord.

I look up to the mountains—

does my help come from there?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth!
He will not let you stumble;

the one who watches over you will not slumber.

Indeed, he who watches over

Israel never slumbers or sleeps.
The Lord himself watches over you!

The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.

The sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon at night.
The Lord keeps you from all harm

and watches over your life.

The Lord keeps watch over you

as you come and go, both now and forever.

Psalm 121

No Easy Way to Say This...

Our hearts are very heavy today as we have learned that Anchise's birthmom is unwilling to relinquish her for adoption. She did not appear for DHS while I was in Haiti and did not appear for her rescheduled appointment on the 22nd. She came to the orphanage this morning and indicated there was simply no way she was going to sign. She also told the staff that her situation has not changed in the past year, which means she is still unable to provide a home for Anchise. At this time the plan is for her to come to the orphanage to pick her up on Monday.

This news has been devastating. It seems the time we spent together just a few short weeks ago was but only a dream. We desperately need your prayers!

Please pray for Anchise's protection when she leaves the orphanage. Three Angels has been her loving home for over a year. Please pray that she will be loved and provided for in every possible way. Please pray for her mother, and that if she realizes she is unable to parent her, that she will return her to Three Angels with peace in her heart. Please pray for our family as we wait quietly to hear the Lord's plan for us. May His will be done...

My hope is in the Lord,

Who has renewed my strength,

When everything seems senseless,

My hope is still in Him

Who has made heaven and earth,

And things seen and unseen.

Whatever shade of passing day

My hope is still in Him.

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