2 out of 3...

always reminded me of that old Meatloaf song(for you young ins...I'm talking about the band...not the dish :o) But in this particular instance I'm talking about PASSPORTS! I got the call yesterday that they have Samara & Shakira's passports & are hoping to get Caleb's either today or tomorrow. Please pray that Caleb's passport will be ready so they can submit all 3 files to DHS before the end of the week. Thank you!!!

Better late than never...

I know that the movie "Fireproof" came out last fall but Randy & I just watched it for the first time last night at our Christ Care meeting. Randy & I stayed up until 1am talking about it & I am still wide awake. I plan to get the DVD & I have a feeling I will be watching it a lot.

This movie has shaken me to the core...not because we are on the verge of a divorce, although we have come painfully close to the edge a couple of times during our almost 20 years of marriage, but because it spoke to, & deeply touched many facets of my life. The first one being that I am a poor, miserable sinner, & that I have "spat" in God's face many times but He continues to love me even though I do not deserve it. The second, being convicted of how many times I have "spat" in the faces of people I love when they did not deserve it. Some of them showed me mercy & grace, forgave me, & stayed by my side while others turned away & ran. I am truly sorry for all the "face spitting" that I have ever done.

The third thing that spoke to me was that just as God loves us even when we are unlovable, we are called by God to love others when they are unlovable. Not an easy thing to do, but required just the same. Although I do not think that means we are to be a "door mat" for others, I do think that we are called to "go the extra mile" in regarding showing kindness & love to others...even "sand paper people" the ones that "rub us" the wrong way but God has placed in our lives for a time to refine us. I admit that I do very poorly in this area & am asking for God's help & strength.

The fourth one is that although I know that marriage is a covenant between my husband & God, one that is not to be broken or taken lightly, that I need to remember what was said in the movie, "You never leave your partner, especially in a fire." Although I know that, for years I have had to fight the urge I get to "run away" when things get tough in my marriage. I do not like the feeling and I am more mindful of it. I did not grow up in a house with a mother & father in a strong, long lasting marriage. I grew up with divorce. My father has been married 4 times...divorced 3 times, & one wife died. My mother has been married 3 times & divorced 3 times. I thank God for getting to see my Grandmother & Grandfather in a strong marriage for so many years. Parents are role models to their children...what kind of picture of marriage are we painting for our children?

The fifth thing that really "hit" me was the comment in the movie where Caleb told his wife that "for the past 7 years I have trampled on you with my words & my actions." I really was convicted of that. There have been many times that I have carelessly "trampled" on my husband with my words & actions...and for that I am deeply sorry & ask forgiveness from both God & my husband. I pray that God will replace my "carelessness & cruelty" with love & kindness.

And lastly, I am thinking about the waiting. Am I doing everything that I should be during the "waiting times"...when the wait is long & hard...when I am waiting for His direction...when there seems to be no answer or relief in sight? Is my waiting God pleasing? Am I doing it with purpose & a peace?




If you have not seen "Fireproof" yet, I encourage you to do so as soon as you can!

Praying for Passports!

Well, the word from Haiti yesterday is that our passports weren't ready to be picked up but they say they "should" be ready Monday. Please pray with me that our passports along with my wonderful friend Cara's, will be ready & picked up on Monday. Our files will then be submitted to DHS for the final approval. This typically takes 1-2 weeks. I am praying that it will take less than a week...you never know...it CAN happen! :o) After DHS approval then we request the visa appointment. Please pray that the visa appointment is scheduled in a very timely manner as well as going very smoothly with visa's in hand. Please also pray that when it comes time for us to fly down that we will be blessed with reasonable...preferably..."cheap" airfares. Please also pray that my children will not "freak out" as we depart Haiti & arrive in the US :o)

So while we wait for the above to happen we are busy finishing up last minute projects, packing bags for the birthmothers, ourselves & Shakira, Samara, & Caleb. The only thing we haven't done yet that really needs to be done before they come home is to get our "pyscho cat" declawed. We've never declawed any of our cats before but we don't want to take a chance with Cali as she is so unpredictable & the kids are pretty freaked out by cats at the moment.

God's living presence = our greatest joy!

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven's Armies.
I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body & soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home, & the swallow builds her nest & raises her young at a
place near your alter, O Lord of Heaven's Armies, my King & my God!
What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.
What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a
pilgmrimage to Jerusalem.
When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs.
The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.
They will continue to grow stronger, & each of them will appear before the God in Jerusalem.
O Lord God of Heaven's Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob.
O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
Show favor to the ones you have annointed.
A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else!
I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.
For the Lord God is our sun & our shield.
He gives us grace & glory.
The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.
O Lord of Heaven's Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.
Psalm 84 NLT

The footnotes to the Life Application Study Bible say the following about this psalm.84:1,4 The writer longed to get away from the bustling world to meet God inside his dwelling place, his holy Temple. We can meet God anywhere, at any time. But we know that going into a church building can help us step aside from the busy mainstream of life so we can quietly meditate & pray. We find joy & strength not only in the prayers, music, lessons, & sermons but also in fellowshiping with other believers in a special place.

84:5-7 The pilgrimage to the Temple passed through the barren Valley of Weeping. No specific valley has been identified. The "weeping" may have been a symbolic reference to the times of struggles & tears through which people must pass on their way to meet God. Growing strong in God's presence is often preceded by a journey through barren places in our lives. The person who loves to spend time with God will see his or her adversity as an opportunity to experience God's faithfulness even more deeply. If you are walking through your own Valley of Weeping today, be sure your pilgrimage leads toward God, not away from him.

84:11 God does not promise to give us everything we think is good, but he will not withhold what is permanently good. He will give us the means to walk along his paths, but we must do the walking. When we obey him, he will not hold anything back that will help us serve him.

We're................Here.................

Well, we arrived safely in Asheville, NC today! We haven't been back to visit our old stomping grounds for over 3 years & decided it was time to go back. We're staying with some very dear friends. I plan to watch a lot of basketball, read, & visit with my friends. No hiking, rock climbing, or white water rafting on this trip!

Coming up to breathe...

Although I can recall most of the what has happened in the past week, I honestly feel like I was in a "fog" through it all. As of tonight we will be home for 3 days since my Grandpa's funeral. I've cried, had strange dreams, & have tried patiently to help my 5 year old deal with all of her emotions as well.

Today I'm coming up for "air." I wish I could say that I'm just going to lounge around the house all day with my feet up but that is not the case. I am glady packing our suitcase & getting things in order as we leave tomorrow for Spring Break. A "break" that is perfect timing! I am looking forward to just hanging out & having fun for a few days.

SAD NEWS AND GLAD NEWS...

I've been MIA for the last few days because my Grandfather...who for realistic purposes is my "Dad" because my biological father was rarely in the picture when I was young & has not contacted me by any means for almost 21 years...became very sick last week. He has been living in a Veteran's Home for the past 6 months because he was getting more feeble & my 87 year old Grandmother could no longer care for him. He was admitted to the hospital a week ago for double pneumonia which I knew wasn't a good sign because although he has many health problems...his lungs have been his biggest issue for many years & he has been on oxgen 24/7 for 10 years. Anyway, Friday he turned 90 & my mom called me & said he was eating birthday cake. I didn't tell her but I immediately became concerned because he had not really eaten anything all week & had been out of it & then Friday he's all happy, talkative, & eating birthday cake...a sign to a seasoned nurse that it's the "calm before the storm." I wanted to head to MO right away but I had gotten an oil change Friday morning & they said my van was leaking antifreeze & I was told by 2 mechanics not to leave town in it without it being fixed. You guessed it...that wouldn't be until Monday. So I decided I would hang tight & wait for further updates from my mom. If necessary I would get a rental car & take off. Friday afternoon my mother called again saying that they were releasing him from the hospital back to the Veteran's Home with Hospice care.

Saturday morning she called again & said the Hospice nurse called the family & wanted to speak to them right away. That's when I decided it was time to leave. We made arrangements for a rental car & took off. On the way to MO, my mom called again & said he was in alot of pain & they were trying to get him comfortable with morphine. She said the hospice nurse said she would be surprised if he made it through the night. We arrived at the Veteran's Home at 3pm Saturday & Jesus took him home at 8:10pm that evening. The sad news is that we love him & miss him dearly but the glad news is that he's with Jesus & he's not suffering anymore!

My Grandmother, my uncle Charles, my mom, & I made the funeral arrangements on Sunday. The viewing was on Monday evening & the funeral was today. We are now back at home where I can "decompress" & truly start to grieve the loss of my "father." Prayers for strength, comfort, & peace during this time would be greatly appreciated!

Mixed along with these feelings are feelings of pure joy & excitement as we were told on Monday that we are out of MOI!!! Praise God!!! We are getting very close to bring our three Haitian beauties home! Please pray that the rest of the steps will go very quickly & smoothly...thanks!

The boy likes sunglasses!

Then...



Now...



Noah apparently has a thing for nice sunglasses. If you have any that you would like to donate to him...please send to Michelle :o)

This face...

I know you're not suppose to go by looks but common on...seriously...Does this look like the face of a criminal? I can assure you that he is not!

Please continue to pray for us as we deal with overwhelming feelings of frustration & disgust in regards to our neighbor's call to the police (which resulted in a visit by the police at 8:30am on a Saturday) on sweet kitty cat. Pray for me especially because I have all kinds of interesting thoughts floating around in my head...especially creative ways in which I can display a no tresspassing sign in our yard next to the border of our yard & their yard. Waiting for God to drop a fence out of the sky :o)

Airport pictures...

He's Home..Thank you Jesus!!!

After 3 long years & many unexpected curves in the road...Noah is finally home! Praise God!!!

We're "kind of" almost out???

We got a call today saying that our files are headed to Passports. So we're not sure if that means we're officially out of MOI or if submitting them to Passports is the last step of MOI...either way...we're moving forward!!! Get up & do the HBWD!!!
Thank you Jesus for this good news! I really wanted to hear good news this week about our files...thank you for answering my prayers Lord!

Temporary Trials...

One of my friend's sent me this devotion Friday because she knew I could use some encouragement. It's written by her uncle who is a Pastor in Florida. It's a little long but worth the read. I hope it encourages you today!

It’s quite difficult these days to begin and end the day with a smile.

Life is tough … depressing sometimes … challenging, to say the least..

The stock markets stinks. The housing market has a foul odor. The financial world is all amuck. Jobs are being lost. Houses are being foreclosed. Hours are being cut. Benefits are being trimmed. The national debt is in the trillions … rising every day. Our future and that of our children and grandchildren is being enslaved to debt. It brings agony. It brings pain. It messes with our minds. It bewilders our spirits. It causes heartache … troubled by the inability to do anything about it!

And worst of all … there seems to be no end. “Can it get any worse?” I hear it asked every day. I receive e-mails from distant friends … phone calls from members … anxious conversations in the supermarket, in the church parking lot, standing in line for the ATM. “Can it get any worse?” Probably not … we think. But then tomorrow comes and the reports are still bleak … the market still tanks … and another bailout fails.

It’s quite difficult these days to begin and end each day with a smile.

And yet … every morning my Yellow Lab, Molly, greets me with effervescent, tail-wagging joy … happy and anxious to greet the day regardless of the weather outside. Every morning as we sit for breakfast a friendly Blue Heron struts slowly across our bulkhead and dock looking for her breakfast in the shallow water. Every evening flocks of Egrets come floating in over the lake like handkerchiefs in the wind … seeking their nighttime roost in the trees that line its shore. Every afternoon Anhinga and Cormorants swim the lake ducking their heads beneath the surface in search of their supper. They all seem unconcerned … oblivious to the troubles we see and the hurts we feel.

Every day my grandchildren awaken and think of nothing but what’s for breakfast … and every night they go to bed tired from a day of school and play … thankfully unmindful, unaware, unconcerned about the worry, the danger, the problems we face as adults.

Don’t get me wrong! Molly has her troubled days too … when she is literally in the “dog house.” The wildlife around our lakeside home also have their days … when they can’t find that easy meal or their nighttime roost has already been taken or a nasty gator prowls the shore line. And my grandchildren have their days, too … when things don’t quite go their way and they get pouty and have to spend some time alone in their room … or when a neighbor kid gets a bit rough and plows over one with his bike … or when they don’t like what’s for supper and have to eat it anyway. But these concerns hardly match the intensity and magnitude of ours … after all “Nobody’s seen the troubles I’ve seen!”

It’s quite difficult these days to begin and end each day with a smile.

So what is a person to do? How is a Christian to act? What should my demeanor be? How can I keep a smile on my face?

In such times there is one certainty we would all do well to keep in mind: Life is a vapor! God’s Word often refers to the brevity of life. “You are a mist,” says James, “that appears for a little while and then vanishes” [James 4:14 ]. In essence, God is saying life is a like a puff of steam. You know the drill: take a drop of water … throw it on a hot skillet … stand back … and poof! It’s gone! That … says God … is life! It’s over in a flash!

I sometimes like to argue with God about that point. After all I am a pastor and I know about life and death. And there are times when life is certainly not much of a vapor … especially when it is tough! Days and weeks and months can drag on and on and on when life is tough. “It can last a long seventy or eighty years,” I say. To which God replies, “Let’s talk about it in a billion years.”

David has something to say about life as well. He says life is merely a breath. “The span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath” [Psalm 39:5]. Paul adds the thought that our afflictions are momentary: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” [II Corinthians 4:17]. “Momentary?” I ask God. “Why did Paul chose that word? His troubles were not here to day and gone tomorrow. They were like interminable … hardly momentary.”

I suspect God is trying to teach me a lesson. He’s trying to tell me something about the temporary nature of suffering, hardship and pain. He’s trying to encourage me through stressful, troubling times. He’s saying it might seem like a long struggle … but there is a little secret to all this … namely, that my understanding, my perception about suffering is flawed … incomplete. Troubles are temporary; they are fleeting … even vaporous. I need only hang on for a vapor’s length of time … and then I’m Home.

I’m struck by a line in the poem “The Thought of God” by Frederick William Farber (1814-1863): “Pain in itself not hard to bear, But hard to bear so long.” Whatever the circumstances of this poem … the pain of the poet is over! And from his new perspective … he understands why God used the phrase “momentary troubles.”

O Lord: I live always in pain, My life’s sad undersong,
Pain in itself not hard to bear, But hard to bear so long.
Little sometimes weighs more than much, When it has no relief,
A joyless life is worse to bear, Than one of active grief.

Hard for me to grasp … more difficult to understand … but, in truth, the Russian proverb “A day is long, but a life is short” is so very true!

I suspect I have some very long days ahead. But life is still short and it quickly passes. Best I keep in mind some of those divine, spiritual truths we pastors are prone to pass around.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also [Matthew 6:19 -21].
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged [Deuteronomy 31:8].

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [Philippians 4:6-7].

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed [II Corinthians 4:8-9].

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble [Psalm 9:9].

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us [Romans 8:35 -37].

I sense I have a long way to go in keeping up my smile. But I’m working on it. There’s a lot of confusion, incomprehension, bewilderment, uncertainty … and yes, even some anger. But God’s Word tempers all those feelings and thankfully corrals the emotions … while calming the anxiety and even encouraging a smile … if ever so slight.

May our gracious God keep your spirit focused on the awesome, eternal truth: Because he lives … we can face tomorrow!

(written by Pastor Rick)

Pets, Police, & Prayers...

Well I'm going to try to make a very long & dramatic story, short & less dramatic. The "jist" of the situation is that we basically have been harassed by our next door neighbor for several months now. We have tried very hard to be nice to them & Christ like. However, yesterday was the "straw that broke the camel's back" when they called the police on us. The police arrived in our driveway at 8:30am & the complaint from the neighbor was a bunch of lies about our cat. The police "drilled" Randy & then gave us a warning.

Their behavior has nothing to do with cats. It goes much deeper than that. I don't know if they have ever liked us but we noticed a dramatic change in their behavior toward us when they found out we were adopting from Haiti.

Please pray for this situation. Please pray for guidance & wisdom for us on how to handle it appropriately without being a "door mat." Please pray that God will provide us with the resources we need to put up a fence. Thanks!

Phoebe's last game...

Today was Phoebe's last game to cheer for the Upward basketball season. She has really enjoyed cheering. This is the first game that I brought my camera. The video clip is of the team during the "Banana,Popcorn, & Potato" cheer. It's one of the girls favorite cheers. Phoebe is in the upper right hand corner.

Are you tired for God?

Tired for God's Glory
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7

Recommended Reading
2 Corinthians 5:1-8

The book Voices of the Faithful tells of a South American pastor who bought a van to transport people to church. The van needed new tires, but the pastor had no way of paying for them. One night the van was stolen, leaving the pastor distressed, but prayerful. A few days later, police officers from a nearby town told him the van had been located and the thief caught. Arriving at the police station, the pastor was surprised to find his vehicle sporting a new set of tires, new backseats, and a radio! He claimed the van, but told the police that the tires, seats, and radio were not his. They must have been installed by the thief.

"Well, I guess that is the thief's loss and your gain," replied the police officer. Now the pastor has a good van, fully equipped, and freshly shod.

It often works that way for those who love God. He uses our trials for His glory and purpose, though at the time we may not see how it could be. That's why we walk by faith.

"His hand is never shortened, all things must serve His might; His every act is blessing, His path is purest light." Paul Gerhardt, German hymnist

From "Today's Turning Point" March 3rd by Dr. David Jeremiah

"Sonshine"

I don't know about you but during the winter months I struggle with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which I find the abbreviation very appropriate because it makes me feel "sad." I feel sad when I don't get enough light & warmth. Every once in awhile when we have a really dark & cold winter, I will go to a tanning place & use the tanning beds for 20 minutes approx. 3 days a week for a month or so. I haven't had to do that in a long time but was almost to that point this winter but I knew that I would be going to Haiti in Feb. & that I would get sun & warmth for a week straight. I must of needed it because typically when I go to Haiti I "wilt" because there's too much sun & warmth. But this time I just basked in it; kind of like a turtle laying on a log in a pond soaking in the sun's rays.

After I returned to Haiti I was sick for a couple of weeks so I am just now starting to feel like myself again. Yesterday I realized that I not only haven't felt like myself but that I also didn't even look like myself. I have been looking at myself in the mirror for the past fews days trying to figure out why I looked "different". It wasn't a good different but I couldn't figure out what "it" was. Yesterday God revealed to me that it was my countenance. That it had changed. Wow! That's what "it" was. During the two weeks of preparation before my Haiti trip, & then the week in Haiti & then the two weeks of recovering after my trip, I had not spending time "basking" in His word, love, & "Son shine." So today I am "basking" again & hopefully soon I will not only feel the difference but will see the difference as well.

Thank you...You-You!!!

She got a bracelet too but unfortunately she pulled a little too hard on it at the PAP airport & it broke. We saved the pieces so we can put it back together...just haven't done it yet :o)

Happy Half Birthday Girls!

Phoebe 5 & 1/2



Samara 4 & 1/2

Final reflections of our trip from a friend's camera...

Praying that we will have new pictures of all us at home...very soon!