EPHESIANS 3:20

Now all glory to God, who is able, 

through his mighty power at work within us, 

to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Giving God the glory as I lay down our son at the foot of His cross.  I know that you love our son even more than we do, Lord.  And I thank you for such a great love!  I ask you to carry him, love him, provide all his needs for him, and may you help him to attach to his nannies (so he can better attach with us).  And Lord, please orchestrate every single detail that will bring him HOME with us by end of August/early September.  Help us capture as much of his early little life as we can.  As a FAMILY!

And Heavenly Father, please work on the hearts of all the MOWCYA workers.  Burden their hearts with a burning desire to COMPLETE ALL the letters BEFORE Court Closures!!!  May you bless all of the families in our travel group with PASSING Court Dates ON the date of court!  As well as blessing the families that go before us and come after.  Help bring these children of Yours to their families SOON!!!  

We BELIEVE you for a miracle!!!!

We pray for the families awaiting Embassy Clearance, Lord.  May you clear the slate of any obstacles and help bring the families to their children so that they can bring each one of them HOME!!!!

Aaaahhhhh.......and the families awaiting referrals.  Lord, these families so desire to look into the very face(s) of their child(ren).  May you bring them closer to this with every new dawn.  Bless families with a picture and a face to match to the love that they carry, Lord.

The paperchasers.  Oh, my, how I remember the frustration and hindrances encountered in this phase.  Lord, no phase of adoption is easy.  I ask you to lift up those who are walking along the paperchase path.  May you upgird them.  Strengthen them.  Give them peace.  Remind them that you HAVE their family story already orchestrated out to the final detail.  You are walking alongside them as they take new steps closer to their child or children.

THANK YOU, Lord, for giving "Gabe" his family.  And for allowing me the privilege to participate in helping to pray him to his family.  And for giving us the blessing of loving on him on behalf of his forever family.  We pray and ask you to do the same for sweet Ben, Lord.  Sweet Ben.  Help him understand that it is okay for his sister to come home, though he has to wait a while longer.  Let that longer wait not be too long.  Nurture and strengthen that boy's heart as he waits on you.  Thank you, Lord, for healing baby Brooks!  May you continue to bring total and complete healing to his little body.

THANK YOU, LORD, that you love each and every one of us.  Adult, teen, and child.  We are all yours and you desire to bestow blessings in abundance upon each one of us!  Help all of us look to you for guidance.  Look to you for strength.  Look to you for peace.  Look to you for your will to be carried out in our lives.  Even when we may not see where you path is taking us.  Help us to walk in step with you.  Our loving Heavenly Father.  The only one who can love us with such an amazing unconditional love.

I lift up to you, not only our family, Lord, but every family ~ adoptive and/or biological.  May you protect all of us from the enemy's evil distractions and toils.  May you shower all of us with your grace, mercy, peace and above all, your LOVE.

Thank you, Lord, for all you have done for us and our son.  And for all that you are currently working on for our good.  Thank you, Jesus, for our precious precious son.  We love him so much that we give him back to you.  Use us to help bring out all that you created "K" to be.  Show us, Lord, how to nurture all that he is so that he can become all that you intend for him to be.

Amen.

STORY TIME

Okay, so there are two fabulous stories ~ MIRACLES, really! ~ that have SO INSPIRED my faith that I just HAVE to share them briefly with you!  Witness, if you will........The POWER of prayer!!!!

JACKIE AND HER CHILDREN.
Jackie is a fellow AWAA adoptive momma.  She and her husband have 3 biological children, and are adopting two children from Ethiopia (ET).  They were approved to adopt Micah, an older boy, and they have been waiting for a referral for an infant boy.  They eventually received their referral for an infant boy ~ only to have to give up that referral shortly thereafter, as the agency learned that this sweet little boy had two sibling sisters (and Jackie could not bring all three children home).

They were told to anticipate a 1-2 week wait for their referral.  EIGHT weeks later, and they still had NO REFERRAL!  During this wait God moved this couple to open their request to "either" gender.

I am HAPPY to announce that they RECENTLY learned who their referral was!  Who they had been waiting all this extra time to see!  A baby GIRL!  This little girl had just arrived to the orphanage!  You see!?!?  This family HAD to wait the extra time, because God had always planned for this family to include this precious girl.....and they had to wait for her to arrive to the orphanange!  GOD IS SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!  In fact, they are in ET right now, meeting their son and daughter!  To follow their story, click HERE.

GOD IS MOVING!  

EVEN WHEN WE CANNOT SEE HIM MOVING!

DAVIDS.
I was recently introduced to this young man.  Davids.  Just 10 days before his 16th birthday (the day an unadopted child "ages out" of the orphanage), a family backed out of adopting Davids.  This means that Davids was facing becoming a child of the streets in just a matter of days!  Hundreds of people began emailing and posting on Facebook about his dire situation.

God found Davids a FOREVER FAMILY!  In less than 24 HOURS!  Get this!  The family was already adopting from Latvia (where Davids is), and were bringing home one child.......even though they were approved for TWO CHILDREN!!!!  ALL PAPERWORK WAS IN PLACE, MAKING THEM READY TO ADOPT DAVIDS!  It was meant to be!  An amazing God story!  God didn't stop there.....all of us began contributing to an adoption fund for this family, and over $10K was raised in less than 48 HOURS!  These funds were going to help handle the one limiting factor of this adoption (finances)!  Even a member of THIRD DAY contributed to this fund!  DAVIDS HAS A FOREVER FAMILY!  You can follow their journey HERE.

GOD CARES FOR HIS CHILDREN!  

.....AND PROVIDES FOR HIS WILL TO BE DONE!

THANK YOU, LORD, for reminding me (again) how very much you love each and every one of us!  Thank you for reminding me that YOU are in control of things, even when I cannot see you moving!  For reminding me that you are orchestrating ALL details of our life!  And THANK YOU, LORD, for showing me (again) the POWER.  ABSOLUTE POWER OF PRAYER!  

Mommy and Daddy are praying for you, our precious little one(s)!

THE GIFT GIVER

Do you ever read the Proverbs 31 Ministry blog? I do every morning. It blessed me so much this morning, that I want to share the post with you...........

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The Gift Giver

By Rachel Olsen

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 (NIV)

On Christmas morning I’ll watch with joyful anticipation as my family opens the gifts that I’ve given them. I can’t wait to see their faces light up with surprised pleasure and gratefulness. In moments like these I understand why Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35, NIV).

A few years ago my daughter reached the age where she could find the hidden stash of unwrapped presents if she really tried. So I warned her that if she peeked, and I found out about it, I would return those presents to the store and she would not receive them.

Sounds a bit harsh I know, but I really wanted her to learn some important lessons: to exercise self-control and delayed gratification, and to respect the act of giving by not robbing me of the pleasure of seeing her open her presents for the first time. I wanted her to see that giving and receiving are irreversibly linked, and good for both parties involved.

It’s essential for God’s children to respect the act of giving as well as receiving – He calls us to live a life of both. I also believe it can help us better understand God’s core nature and our relationship with Him. God is a gift-giver! And He always knows the exact perfect gift to give. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17, NIV).

Let’s unwrap today some of the awesome gifts He has given us …

He’s given us physical life: “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

And eternal life: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

He’s given us family: “God sets the lonely in families …” Psalm 68:6 (NIV)

He’s given us wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (NIV)

He’s given us peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” John 14:27 (NIV)

He’s given us joy: “You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 1:6 (NIV)

He’s given us rest: “Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’” Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

He’s given us a personal counselor: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you.” John 14:16 (NIV)

He’s given us an inheritance: “…you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” Colossians 3:24 (NIV)

And He’s given us freedom: “God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Christ to be wisdom itself. He is the one who made us acceptable to God. He made us pure and holy, and he gave himself to purchase our freedom.” 1 Corinthians 1:30 (NIV)

In return for all these glorious gifts, God simply wants us to receive and respond with thankfulness and a heart that is ready to emulate His gracious nature. I can’t think of a better time than now to respond with gratefulness and enjoy the act of giving and receiving – Merry Christmas!

Dear Lord, thank You for Your graciousness towards me. I praise Your generosity! Help me to receive all You have for me in the coming year. And help me to value giving as much as I value receiving, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Isn't this a wonderful reminder?! To be THANKFUL for ALL God has already given us ~ and to ENJOY giving to others, in His love! Thank you, Lord, for gifting me this heart that gets giddy over giving to others!

Gosh, when asked what I want for Christmas this year, I just keep saying that ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS TO KNOW WHO OUR LITTLE ONE(S) ARE!!!! Lord, THANK YOU for reminding me of how gracious and giving you are to me. Daily. Even when those gifts are yet unseen by me.

Your gifts never cease to amaze me. I cannot fathom that you are about to bless us with a child or maybe even two! My mind cannot quite grasp such a GENEROUS and LOVING gift! Oh, how they are WELL WORTH waiting for!

Show me, Lord, how and where you want me to give your love. Not just this Christmastime, but every day throughout the year!

Once again, I give to you this waiting time. As we wait to hear how many children you have planned for us in this adoption, we trust in YOU. As we wait to stare into the pictures that reveal our chidrens' precious face(s), we give it all to you. Please help me to focus on all of your loving gifts we have already received, as we wait to see even more of your precious gifts to us. Our child or children.

May we see their face in your perfect timing. No sooner. No later. However, may I ask one more thing? Will you please continue to hold my heart as we wait to unwrap this gift? It is excited and FILLED with JOY..... yet aching at the same time.......................

Thank you, Lord, for this reminder of your faithfulness! AMEN.

HERE COMES THE SUN.......

Some of you know (from a past Facebook post where I asked for prayers) that my dear friend has a son who is fighting a wicked battle against cancer. This beast is a stubborn relentless bugger, and Eli is doing a stellar job of keeping up the fight. With many, many chemo treatments, this tumor has not even shrunk in the least...........UNTIL NOW!!!!! This family has gone to Seattle for specialty care and are now back in Honolulu, where Eli lives, trying other options ~ the specialist's treatments did not work. In Hawaii, the doctors have recommended radiation and other alternative treatments, and there is evidence of the tumor shrinking in size a bit. Not a ton, but this is BIG compared to other treatments! I pray this tumor and surrounding tumors continue to SHRINK!

I post this today to celebrate a small step of progress! As my friend says, it is a welcomed ray of sunshine in their dark storm. As they celebrate this little victory, and allow it to lift them up and refresh them for continued battle, I beckon each one of you to PLEASE get on your knees for Eli! This is their first ~ of many needed ~ steps toward VICTORY!

Will you PLEASE join us in praying that God will allow this ray of sunshine to BURST into the most amazing sunrise that OVERTAKES the sky with outrageous beauty? Chasing away all the dark and wind and storm! Eli is tired, but still fighting a good fight. Maril (my dear friend), is hopeful, yet tired of seeing her son suffer.

THEY ARE READY FOR A MIRACLE!!!!

I can't help but have the Beatles tune, "Here Comes the Sun" in my head! I am posting the youtube video, in case you forgot the tune. May you carry it in your heart and head, as a reminder to include Eli in your prayers. Today. And every day. Until God wins this battle for Eli!

May this be the coming of more than mere sunshine in their lives, but the coming of God's SON to bring Eli healing!

As many of us take the journey to Ethiopia to be joined with our son(s) and/or daughter(s), Maril walks this difficult journey alongside her son. May you join Jeff and me, in keep them in your prayers......

Dear Lord,

We lay this at your feet, and ask you to hold both Eli and Maril in the palm of your hand. We know that you are a loving God, and that your plans for them are good. May You continue to shower Your love on this family. May it be Your will to allow a healing miracle to take place. Today! Help the tumor and surrounding tumors to continue to shrink. Shrink. shrink. To nothing. At least shrink enough to implement whatever treatments You deam best ~ to finish this battle. Please, Lord, we believe in your healing POWER! We pray that You bring Eli to a Victorious finish! Uphold them when they feel weak. Fill them with your peace when they feel battered. Grant them Your strength and endurance to continue in this fight. Cover them with your protection, Lord. May your will be done. And may they feel your presence every step of the way, as they continue to walk this out. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN.

(scroll to bottom of blog to pause my playlist; then click play on video)