The Stork is in the Air!

Well, referrals were mailed yesterday...that much we know. We should know something tomorrow about the cut off date and maybe even have info about our daughter!!!! If we get "the call" tomorrow then we should receive a picture on Friday!!! I can't believe it! Soooo, I was sorta distracted today and took Davie to the library for storytime only to sit down, look at my feet, and realize that I had worn my bedroom slippers to the library!!!!!! Yes, I have a LOT on my mind :) Thanks for caring enough to read my ramblings. I will keep you posted!

RQ news

So...here goes the roller coaster again, but thankfully since my word from the Lord yesterday I feel much much better about how the ride turns out. The rumors say that referrals are mailed and that they go up to the 14th. So, hang on for a wild ride :)

God is Amazing

So, today, while sitting in a parking lot at a church where I am spending the night...trying to get Catherine in this school, so I have to be here all night to get a spot...anyway, I was sitting in my car doing my Bible study. During my time with the Lord my assignment was to read Isaiah 43...I am reading and not at all knowing what is coming, when low and behold I read verse 5 which says "DO NOT FEAR, I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west." Now, I am familiar with this verse, lots of folks use it for Chinese adoptions, and God used it in my last adoption with Davie Anne to speak His promise to me. This time, even though I had read the verse in other people's blogs, I had not "heard" the verse until today. Then, out of the blue, it hit me....God is promising this to ME!!! So, I am going to take this verse to heart....in my heart and allow His peace to flow through my heart and tonight I will rest in the promise my loving Heavenly brought to me today and I will wait expectantly for the fulfillment of His promise.

More Waiting....No Rumors

Well, this is a long weekend for sure. Haven't heard one drop of news since Thursday. No rumors at all. It doesn't mean we arent' in this next batch of referrals, but it certainly offers nothing to confirm that we are. So, I wait. Not well, but I wait. As I did my devotional this morning God's might and His gentleness was brought to my attention. The Lord's ways are higher than my ways for sure, so I will choose again, for the 1000th time during this journey to put my hope and trust in Him. To trust Him as the shepherd who tends His flock, gathering His lambs in His arms and gently leading the nursing ewes. That is the God that I serve. Surely He is taking care of my daughter until He allows me to go and get her. Hold tightly to our Eliana, Lord, and bring her to us in your perfect time. I will place my trust in You over and over again. You are good and all that You do is right.

The Rumor Rollercoaster

Well, today we have new rumors...up we go on this roller coaster of rumors....last week we were not getting a referral...this week we are in this batch....as my brilliant husband said "one of these rumors is true". No matter how hard I try to not get on this e-ticket ride (disney always had the best rides on the e tickets...I know this dates me), I climb aboard and dream of what it will be like to receive "the call". I climb on the coaster and off...I cannot stay off the ride...I just can't. I am surrendered though to accept whatever God has for me...whether it be this month or the next. At least we are at the point that we know for sure that if it is not this time, then it will definitely be next time and that is a comfort. Of course I am hoping that it will be this time next week that I can hear something, but if not, I will survive and wait one more month....and I will ride the coaster again and again until we receive our referral. Unless you are on the ride with me, this will make absolutely no sense...but if you are on this ride...it sure is a doozy isn't it gang??? :) So thankful for my fellow roller coaster addicts...we are sure in this together :)!

Life and Death

Today I had the priviledge of celebrating a life at the funeral of a dear friend. She was an older woman who has prayed for my family for years. On the way to the funeral I was thinking about my time this morning spent before the Lord. These two verses He gave to me "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfieth the longing soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness"Ps.107:8-9 and "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him"ICor.2:9 He always brings me comfort through His word. As I have begun to panic over whether or not we would be in this referral group, or whether or not we would receive a referral at all, due to health issues, I read these verses and confessed my fears and settled into His love. He knows what is best. He is always working on my behalf and He will satisfy my longing with good things. My dear friend, Dot, is now experiencing what eye has not seen, or ear heard, all that God has planned for us. She is home and I celebrate her homegoing. I believe that God is going to continue to amaze me through these next weeks with things I cannot imagine. He is like that if we watch for Him.....and He has my full attention, I am watching! Ps.48:1 "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. In the city of our God, His holy mountain."

I am walking away from the computer...

Ok, so this is tough, but you heard it here first....I am going to back away from the computer and live life today. I find myself glued to this thing just hoping for a scrap of good news...ugh! It is going to be a long week or so and this is NOT getting easier! I was better before I thought I might be next....Lord, help me through this.

Chinese New Year

Tonight Davie Anne and I went to the FCC Chinese New Year celebration at Ming Court. It was a lot of fun. She really enjoyed it! There was a dragon dance and indoor fire works that consited of a whole bunch of kids jumping on bubble wrap. It was ingenious! After that we went to Bath and Body Works to purchase our "nanny" gifts for China, since their end of the year sale ends tomorrow. It was very exciting to do something for our upcoming trip. Everytime I do anything proactive for our trip it is an act of faith. In some ways I do really believe that God is going to do this, then there is the other side of my emotions that is scared to death that it will never really happen....so to buy stuff for the nanny is just another act of faith in a God who truly does answer.

songs

Just looking at someone else's blog to will these hours away and heard Celine Dion's "Have you ever been in Love?" in relation to an adoption. Now I LOVE that song. Don't be surprised if you hear it here...that is if Sarah can download it for me. I am soooo incompetent :) Have a wonderful day...the rumors are beginning. It is going to be a LONG two weeks for me. The Lord is faithful and He will answer my prayers.

Note to self

Just reading info today to pass the time as I wait...and wait...and wait and saw something interesting that I want to remember for travel. Note to self "ask guides to take us to the pearl market in Guangzhou". That's it....nothing new just a note to me :)

Agency Emails

Our agency sends out these emails to all the folks that are receiving referrals within the next three months, and today we received ours. Form letter or not....man! I am excited! I gave them all our contact information just to make sure everything was in place. It is becoming real....after all these months, it may really happen soon!

dreams

Had my first "referral" dream last night. Our baby was 19mos. old and I thought, "oh that is about the age of little Sarah at church, I can do that!" I sure hope we get a referral sooooon!!!!

Just some fun family photos

In the adoption world I had something exciting happen today....our new I171-H arrived today! This is the approval from the immigration dedepartment that says we are approved by our government to adoption a Chinese orphan. YIPEE! Now all I need is a referral!!!! I soooo hope that we are next! I feel like a woman over 8months pregnant who is just ready to explode...my feet are swollen and my back is sore and my heart is so ready to love my baby. Yep, that's what I'm feeling. We have waited 15 months officially, as of yesterday, for this little one to be ours. I AM READY TO MEET HER!!! Thanks for caring :)

Past Posts . . .

1-7-07
Well, long time no blog ;) We are just returning from our family vacation in Boone, NC where we had a delightful time. Referrals came this week and by the forecast calculations we have a very good possibility of being next. While out to dinner with David at a Japanese restuarant we each received fortune cookies and I wanted to record what mine said: "you will have success at any calling you adopt". To the unsuspecting eye that would not mean much. But, for such a long time I have referred to our adopting at such a late stage in life as a "calling" and for a fortune to use a word like "adopt" did catch our attention. I am not sure that God sends us messages in fortune cookies, but i took this as a personal encouragement from my very intimate God. I certainly hope to be posting a referral and picture of our daughter very soon.

4-7-06
Just wanted to post something that happened tonight....while cleaning the kitchen I was listening to a new cd by Watermark that I purchased a couple of weeks ago. Now, I 've listened to this cd many times since I bought it, but for the first time I heard the bonus track which happens to be a song about her daughter who happens to be named "Eliana"! It is a precious song and says "Eliana, God has answered my prayers...God will conquer my fears". What is so amazing about the timing of God is that His nearness still surprises me. When I least expect it, He shows up and it is so obviously Him. When I started listening to this song I thought she said "Eliana", but I couldn't tell for sure and then I went to find the cover and try to read the lyrics...well, it is not
on there, not even a title for this track. As I read the cover of the cd and the artists thanks, it was there that I found out for sure that she was singing to her daughter, Eliana. She obviously chose the name for the same reason we did, because it means "the Lord answers". What a fun way for my God to tell me that He knows what is going on with the increasing wait and that my pain is known by Him. He is the God who sees.....how awesome is He! Just makes me weep....i think i really am His favorite :).

3-27-06
Just signed up for this...just for fun in preparation for China and Eliana Joy. Just want to see if this works...Jackie