Happy Birthday Jesus!

I'm so glad it's Christmas

All the tinsel and lights

And the presents are nice

But the real gift is You.

written by Carol Cymbala

Everything seemed so busy leading up to Christmas Day....searching for the perfect gifts for the special people in our lives. It gets so stressful because you really want that person to know how much you love and care about them through a gift. You really try to put so much thought into it because you can't wait to see the joy that the gift brings.

Then, suddenly, you realize that is what the Heavenly Father did. He wanted us to know that He loves us so much that He was willing to let His One and Only Son, Whom He loved, suffer and die for our sins and then raise Him from the grave so that we could have a relationship with Him. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 3:23). It was God's precious Gift to us. He couldn't wait for everyone to "see" Him whether in Bethlehem or through our own eyes of faith. He offered this Gift to us NOT BECAUSE OF HOW GOOD WE WERE but because of HOW GREAT HE IS (Ephesians 2:8-9). His desire was for us to experience the joy of receiving the Gift.

Since we have received that precious Gift into our hearts and lives, He only ask that we do everything to pass on the Gift, Jesus Christ, to those who don't know Him so they, too, can experience that same joy. God could have done it Himself but He chose us, like the shepherds "to spread the word" so that everyone could come and "see".

So many want peace in their homes, in their marriages and around the world in the Middle East and across the nations. Peace can only come through the Prince of Peace. May we do everything in and through His power by praying for opportunities to share the Gift and to support missions to reach those across the other side of the world. May we do so we the same desire, urgency and determination as we do when we are trying to give that special gift to someone special because we can't wait to "see" the joy that the Gift will bring to them.

God Of This City

You're the God of this city

You're the King of these people

You're the Lord of this nation

You Are

lyrics by Chris Tomlin

(Photo taken 10/31/2008)

I know with everything going on with the world today, I can really allow fear to creep into my mind. I can worry about what decision our leaders are going to make and what the outcome will be for our future. But I must always remember that God is our King. He is Lord of this nation. He is the God of our cities. He is the One and Only. There is none like Him nor will there ever be. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. HE IS!!!

"Sing praises to God, sing praises;

Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the King of all the earth;

Sing to him a psalm of praise.

God reigns over the nations;

God is seated on his holy throne."

Psalm 47:6-8

Give Me Your Eyes

For just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
lyrics by Brandon Heath

I have been blinded with the busyness of life and almost missed seeing the blessings of God all around me. "I was blind but now I see" and want to share with you all that God has been doing in our lives.

First of all, Joseph has been sleeping through the night! I can tell he feels more secure and so much more peaceful. He has even been holding and kissing his little bear that we gave him when we first got him. In China, I tried to give it to him and he would have nothing to do with it. Now, he sleeps with him, takes him to breakfast and plays with him. Yesterday, he even put his little bear beside him on his picnic table while he was playing with his Doodle Board. I ran and got my camera and had to take a picture of it before I just cried.

He is also wanting to do whatever his sisters can do. When the girls say their memory verse for school, I always yell in excitement and say "Great Job"! Well, Joseph wants to say his memory verse, too, in his own little way. It is hysterical watching him go on and on. When he is done, he will yell in excitement like I do. I crack up every single time.

We also went to Florida with our friends, the Beatys, and we had a wonderful time. At home, Joseph loves playing in the sand box and taking a bath so the sandy beach and the endless ocean were like a dream come true to him. If we would have let him stay all night in the sand, I know he would have....all 27.5 lbs of him!!!!!

Last night, while we were saying our prayers at bedtime, Joseph started praying.....in his own way. I wanted to cry again because even though we didn't understand what he was saying, I knew God did. I would give anything to know but if I had to guess it would be "Thank you God for my Daddy, for my Mommy, for my sisters and my little bear." :)

Lord, I Give You My Heart

I give You my soul
I live for You alone
lyrics by Darlene Zschech

On Friday, September 12th, 2008, Sami, Lili and Mali will be baptized at 7:00 p.m. at Crossroads Church at 2564 Highway 154 in Newnan, Georgia in the Worship Center. Please come join us as we celebrate and praise God for all that He has done!

Call My Name

Say it now

I want you to never doubt

The love I have for you is so alive

You just call my name

lyrics by Third Day

Today, Lili went to a friend's birthday party that had the Wizard of Oz theme. You were suppose to come dressed as your favorite character from the Wizard of Oz. Lili dressed up as Dorothy. I wanted to dress up as the Scare Crow and sing "If I only had a brain...." because Joseph is still not sleeping through the night and my brain is mush. He usually cries out about 1:00 a.m., then 2:00 a.m., then 3:00 a.m., and then 4:00 a.m. Last night, he cried out every hour after 1:00 a.m. until 6:30 a.m. I have tried for several weeks to figure out what is keeping him up in the middle of the night...... "Does his stomach hurt?" "Is he hungry?" "Did he take too long of a nap?" "Does he still need a nap?" Did he poo-poo?" "Is it a night terror?" "Is he cold?" "Is he hot?" Then after I have exhausted my brain, I can't go back to sleep. If I do, Joseph wakes me up again.

Before I got Joseph, I prayed that God would help me to know what Joseph needs. Time after time, God has answered this prayer and He has totally amazed me. One day, Joseph walked up to me and just looked at me with a painful look on his face. He couldn't lift his foot to show me that he had something on the bottom of his foot that was hurting him but I knew, immediately, what was wrong and removed it. I could go on and on about other situations. What I couldn't understand is why I could not figure the nighttime situation out. I have prayed and prayed for God to give me wisdom and for Joseph to sleep through the night but Joseph continues to wake up. This morning, I cried out to God again and ask him, "Why won't you show me what to do? I can't, physically, keep doing this." I was not really expecting an answer but, at that moment, God spoke to my heart and reminded me that Joseph just needs to know that I am there. Joseph cried out for 3 years and no one came. He just needs to know that when he cries out, you will be there. I cried because, suddenly, it made so much sense. When Joseph cries out, I go to his room and when he hears my voice or feels my presence, he, immediately, quits crying and goes back to sleep. Even though I knew that he would probably continue to wake up in the middle of the night, it took the burden off of me of trying to figure it out. The "figuring it out" is what really keeps me up and prevents me from going back to sleep. I also knew that, in time, Joseph would become more secure as he continues to see and trusts that we will be there for him.

Isn't that a perfect picture of how God treats us. When we are afraid, we can just cry out to God and He lets us know that He is there. His ears are attentive to our cry (Psalm 34:15). Even when we doubt it, He is still faithful to keep showing us, again and again, that He is with us and will NEVER leave us (Joshua 1:5).

Shine, Jesus, Shine

Lord the light of Your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness, shining

Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us

Set us free by the truth You now bring us

Shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine

lyrics by Cliff Richard

Joseph went for his physical on August 12th. Today, we got the results back from his blood work and his x-rays. The doctor said that his blood work was all fine but his x-rays showed that he had a mild case of Rickets. "Rickets is a failure of the proper development of growing bone because of a deficiency of Vitamin D due either to not enough direct sunlight or not enough intake of Vitamin D in their diet, or both. Sunlight is necessary for the formation of Vitamin D in the human body and Vitamin D is necessary to make bone in the human body." Of course, I have been giving Joseph a diet that includes lots of Vitamin D but I have also tried to give him plenty of sunlight. Most of all, I am praying that Jesus, the Great Light of the World, would continue to shine on Joseph and heal his little body. Shine, Jesus, Shine!

"Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the Light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." John 8:12 (NLT).

Let Them Be Little

How it amazes me

you're changin' with every blink.

Faster than a flower blooms,

they grow up all too soon.

So let them be little,

'Cause they're only that way for a while.

lyrics by Billy Dean

Today, my girls started school. Sami is in 2nd Grade and Mali and Lili are both in Kindergarten. The girls were really excited. I kept praying that they would not be nervous and that God would give them peace. The funny thing is that they were fine and I was the one that was so nervous. After I dropped them off, it hit me that they were growing up on me and, of course, I cried. Suddenly, I missed their laughter, their silly songs and all of their performances in the living room. I just missed them. I could tell Joseph missed them, too, and he had only been with them for 3 weeks.

As a Mom, I have tried so many times to make them be little grown ups. Now all I wanted was to let them be little and not be so grown up.

Turn It Around

You have turned my mourning to dancing

You've turned my sorrow to joy

You have turned my whole life around

And I thank You, thank You Lord

lyrics by Israel Houghton

(Our Swim Team)

The girls were really excited about the Olympics being held in China. We were able to watch the Opening Ceremony and it was totally amazing! The girls also love watching the games especially gymnastics and swimming. In fact, one night, after watching the gymnastics, they put a sign on my bedroom door labeled "Gymnastics Room". I walked in my bedroom with Joseph and they were doing head stands on the wall. Joseph wanted to be a part of the Olympic Games, too, and he tried to do a head stand. So with a little help from Baba, "the coach" (the girls called him), Joseph made a Perfect 10. Then, the next day, we were off to Grandma's Pool so that the swim team could practice their racing. :)

Look to You

As I look into the sky above
Wonder how my life has changed
Wonder how Your love, it came to me
As I look into the sky above
All my fears, so far away
All I hear is heaven calling me
So I look to You
No one else will do

lyrics by Hillsong

Joseph has really been good with the girls. Sami is even able to pick him up now, all 23 lbs. of him! They even joke back and forth with each other in their own little way. Mali keeps saying that "Joseph is doing so good in our family" and he really is. Lili keeps saying that "Joseph is better than having a dog" and is constantly petting him on the head. He "barks" back at her just to keep her in line but you can still feel the love. :)

I can't imagine our family without him and I know God couldn't either. "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!" (Psalm 139:16-17).

Great Adventure

We'll travel over, over mountains so high
We'll go through valleys below
Still through it all we'll find that
This is the greatest journey that the human heart will ever see
The love of God will take us far beyond our wildest dreams
lyrics by Steven Curtis Chapman

My girls have these mini cardboard suitcases that are filled with craft supplies in their room. Joseph has been carrying the suitcases around the house and has even put them in the girl's plastic shopping cart. The other day, he was standing at the door with his two suitcases looking packed and ready for his next adventure. Suddenly, it hit me that he thinks the shopping cart is his luggage cart and he is ready to catch his next plane. He was so cute that I was ready to give him some peanuts and a drink. Of course, only after, I directed him to his seat, made sure his hand luggage was securely stowed, his seat was in the upright position and his seat belt was securely fastened.

I Scream, You Scream

We all scream for Ice Cream!

lyrics by Johnson, Moll, King

("Tough Guy")

When we were in China, we tried several times to give ice cream to Joseph. Every time, he reacted the same way by spitting it out and giving you the expression of "Someone forgot to heat this up!". When we got home, our friend, Bridget Sands, made an Ice Cream Sandwich Cake for us. We gave Joseph a bite, fully expecting him to do the same thing as he had before. This time, he made a face but when I reached to take the bowl from him, he put his hand on it like, "Give me a second". From then on, he loved ice cream!

Last night, after eating chocolate ice cream, Chris was throwing him up in the air and Joseph was laughing so hard. Chris put him down and then I heard Chris start laughing. Joseph had picked up Lili's hat off the floor, put it on sideways and was screaming with laughter with a big ring around his mouth of chocolate ice cream. When some of the girls came running to see what was so funny, Joseph quit laughing, put his "tough guy" image back on and then threw Lili's hat on the floor. :)

If You're Happy And You Know It

then your face will surely show it!

lyrics by Alfred B. Smith

Last night, the girls came out of their room dressed up in their hats. I remembered that by nephew, Ryan, had left his hat when he came to visit so I put it on Joseph to try to take a picture. He was not too happy about the hat nor about the girls getting into his "space". Joseph started making his "noises" again for everyone to back off but, as you can see, it didn't faze Lili a bit. She just put him in a head lock and hugged him anyway.

After the picture, the girls skipped off and Joseph threw his hat onto the floor with the expression of "What have I gotten myself into?". Then he got on his John Deere Loader, which is way too big for him, and he was off to work again, Large and In Charge.

Brand New Life

The sun is shining and the grass is green.

The birds are singing in harmony.

I wake up knowing that You're here with me.

Thank-You for my brand new life!

My days are colored by a lasting hope;

Its like I'm looking through a kaleidoscope.

I see Heaven everywhere I go.

Thank-You for my brand new life!

lyrics by Rachel Lamba

As I really stop to reflect all that has happened, it overwhelms me how God orchestrated all the events to bring Joseph home and to give him a brand new life. It would melt your heart to see how Joseph looks at even the smallest things with such amazement and such joy. It would break your heart how he lives in fear that it will all be taken away.

My prayer is, each day when Joseph awakes, that the fear would subside and that his joy would overflow as God continues to "show the wonder of His great love" (Psalm 17:7).

Kiss of Heaven

My Jesus, dream-maker
My Jesus, life-giver

I´m living under the kiss of Heaven

And I´ll never ever be the same again

lyrics by Darlene Zschech

Tonight, I asked Joseph if he would give me a kiss. I really wasn't expecting one because I thought he would not understand what I was saying. To my surprise, he gave me a kiss. I decided to see if he would kiss the girls even though he has not welcomed their kisses for him. In fact, I could tell that he couldn't understand why they kept loving on him, again and again, when he would not love them back. So I took the risk and ask Joseph to kiss Sami. He went right over, without hesitation, and gave her a big kiss. Sami loved it and we all cheered! Then he kissed Chris, Mali and Lili! We all cheered again and he was so proud of himself. Sami said, "I can tell Joseph is feeling closer to us." I agreed and told her that we just need to keep loving on him.

Joseph still sets limits on how much love the girls can give him but I know that, in time, he will be able to love and receive love with his whole heart because Jesus will "bind up his broken heart" with kisses from Heaven (Isaiah 61:1).

O Lord, Our Lord How Majestic

Is Your Name in all the earth

O, Lord, we praise Your Name

O Lord, we magnify Your Name

lyrics by Acappella

When we got home, Joseph could not understand why the girls wanted to give him so much attention and also wanted to meet his every need. He would give them “noises” to make them back off and he was always skeptical of their “gifts”. It broke my heart that he could not understand a child wanting to give him things because he had been around children for three years that had nothing to share with him. It also broke Sami’s heart because she wanted to love on him so badly but he was too afraid to let her and still is. When the girls tried to play with him and his toys, he would look at me like “Are you going to do anything about this because if you’re not, I am going to have to take matters into my own hands?” Then Joseph would start bringing down the house and Lili would say ”Joseph is so loud but he is so cute!” I agreed and tried to explain to Joseph that they wanted to play with him not take his toys but he didn’t understand. I tried to explain to the girls that they just have to give Joseph’s time and keep loving on him.

It has also been hard since no one is getting any sleep. Joseph is having a hard time adjusting to the time change and I am having a hard time trying to function. In fact, last night, Chris and I were driving to my Mom’s House to eat dinner and started arguing because we were both tired and feeling a little overwhelmed. The girls wanted to listen to Praise Music and started singing while the more mature adults were arguing up front. In the middle of the argument, Chris said, “Do you hear that?” I did. It was Joseph singing along with his sisters. Even though he didn’t realize it, he was singing praises to God in his own little voice and in his own little way. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” (Psalm 8:1-2). I knew the enemy wanted to steal our joy and cause us to forget what God had done for Joseph and for our family. Through the praises of children, God had silenced the voice of the enemy and reminded us not to magnify our problems but to magnify His Name.

Every Move I Make

I make in You

You make me move, Jesus

lyrics by David Ruis

On Wednesday, July 30th, at 5:45 a.m., China Time, we started our journey back to the USA. Joseph had an upper respiratory infection so I had been giving him an antibiotic twice a day. Before we left the hotel, I asked Chris if I should give him the antibiotic on a empty stomach. Chris said he didn't know and I didn't see anything on the label that said that it had to be taken with food. After going back and forth, I decided I would go ahead and give it to him.

On the way to the airport, I was feeding Joseph and he kept making this funny face. He would close his eyes and then show his teeth after each bite. The funny face turned out not to be so funny because by the time we reached the airport, Joseph threw up his antibiotic and his entire breakfast. I told Chris that I guess Joseph answered our question about whether to take an antibiotic on empty stomach. We changed Joseph's shirt and we were off to catch our flight. I was really worried that Joseph would not be able to eat anything because of his stomach but he, immediately, bounced back and started eating again.

On the airplane, Joseph did really great and slept 10 hours. In fact, we had to wake him so that he could eat the last meal being served before we landed. As Joseph was eating, he started making the funny face again and we had to changed him into Shirt No. 2. Joseph, immediately, bounced back again and after landing, we were off to go through US Customs. We had to claim our luggage downstairs and take it with us through Customs so that they could check it out before we left the airport. Chris got a cart for our luggage and Joseph loved pushing it around. Is was funny to see how proud Joseph was of himself pushing it around with three heavy bags not realizing that Chris was pushing it behind him. I would tell Joseph how strong he was and he would just give you that grin of his. When Chris would stop pushing the cart, Joseph would go to the front of the cart to check things out since it would not move. It was really funny watching the little mechanic look things over trying to figure out the problem. Watching him made me realize that we can do everything in our power to make things move or happen but unless God is pushing the "cart", we are not going anywhere. We just spend our time being frustrated and trying to "fix" our situation not realizing that God has stopped the "cart" for reasons we cannot understand at the moment. Then in His perfect timing, we can move “mountains” and accomplish His will through His strength.

Well, we finally made it through Customs three hours later. I decided to change Joseph's diaper since he had worked up a "surprise" pushing the luggage cart. Chris was ready to go and I said it would only take a minute. Joseph gave me another "surprise" while changing his diaper and wet his shirt. I changed Joseph into Shirt No. 3 and we were off to find my poor Dad who had been circling the airport and waiting for hours to take us home to our girls.

When we, finally, made it home, my girls greeted us with kisses and a "Welcome Home" sign they had decorated with the help of Grandma. We could not stop kissing and hugging them. I could not believe how big they had gotten and they couldn't believe how small Joseph was. All I knew at that moment was, I was so glad to be home.

I Lift My Hands To The Heavens

For The Lord My God Is Here

I'll Sing With The Praises Of All Creation

You're My Everything

lyrics by Hillsong London

(Photo of Joseph weighing 9.5 kgs)

When we got to Guangzhou, Joseph had to have a physical on Saturday in order to complete the paperwork for his visa. First, they check his height, weight and temperature. When the nurse put him on the scales, it read 9.549 Kilograms!!!!!!!! In one week, he had GAINED 4 lbs!!!!! I was in shock even though I had been weighing him on the scales in the hotel in Shanghai and thought he was gaining weight each day. Then the doctor check his heart and lungs and went back to Joseph's paperwork. She kept reading it over and over again. I was really getting concerned because usually the process is done in one minute and then they bring in the next baby. We were in the room with the doctor for 10 minutes! Finally, our guide ask if there was something wrong. The doctor said that she could not find anything wrong with Joseph's heart and that everything was good now. The guide also ask if she was concerned about how little he was. She said he was fine and that he would grow with good nutrition. I was so overwhelmed with God's goodness and I still am!

Thank you so much for all your prayers for Joseph. God has been so faithful! In fact, Joseph is doing really great. He still has trouble keeping his balance and climbing steps when he walks but it could be because his shoes are way to big for him. :) Joseph loves his shoes and cries when you take them off because he wants to walk the town. He has sat long enough and he is always ready to go. Joseph is also always polite and stops and points as if asking permission if he can do something. If we say "yes", life is great but when we say "no", Joseph starts yelling and bringing down the house. When the little guy is yelling, it is almost like he is saying, "I tried to be polite but when polite didn't work, I had to get ugly." Then we come back to the room, he picks himself up, gives you his little grin and is ready to go again. I told my parents that Joseph is really funny but he can also be really stubborn. My Dad laughed and said, "He sounds like one of us."

When I lay him in the crib at night, he will reach his little hand through the bars to hold my hand to make sure that I am there. He will do this several times then he will roll over and go to sleep. He still rocks in the middle of the night but it is less frequent and less intense.

I can't thank you enough for all your prayers for Joseph. Please keep praying because God is answering and I know that even if Joseph loses his balance along the way, God will be there to take his hand and pick him up. "For I am the Lord, your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you" (Isaiah 41:13).

Rock of Ages

cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee
lyrics by Augustus M. Toplady

While you are waiting for adoption paperwork to be finalize, your guide will usually take you around the area to do shopping and see sights. We had seen most of Shanghai when we came to get Mali in 2005 so after several days of sightseeing, I ask if we could go to see Joseph's finding place. The driver had a hard time finding it because the area was being demolished and would later be replaced by government buildings. They allowed us to walk through the construction site and take some pictures with Joseph. As I write to you, I' am reminded of what one of the mothers on our trip told me today. She said, "I did a study on children who have spent several years in an orphanage. The study showed you could not spoil the child because they had so many needs that had been unmet. Each unmet need represented a "rock" so each child would leave the orphanage with a "pile of rocks". Now each time you meet a need, you are throwing one of the "rocks" out of the pile but you will never be able to get rid of all the "rocks" no matter what you do.

Now three years later, after God heard the cry of a little boy, we were standing in the same place holding our son among the rocks. I knew we would never be able to get rid of Joseph's "pile of rocks" but I also knew that the Rock of Ages could. He would not only get rid of them, He would turn them into treasures from the dark (Isaiah 45:3).

This Little Light of Mine

I'm gonna let it shine

Let it Shine, Let it Shine, Let it Shine

lyric source unknown

On the day we went to the orphanage, they brought us into a conference room to complete the adoption paperwork. While we were doing the paperwork, they brought Joseph in. We did not have a chance to get prepared to videotape our little man or to have everything at hand to meet his needs. In fact, everything happened so fast that we do not even have Joseph's Gotcha Day on video because they had Chris finishing the paperwork while I was holding Joseph trying to console him. He was crying and I started looking in my bag, frantically, to find something for Joseph. Thank goodness I had brought Cheerios because Joseph loved them and quickly quit crying. Usually, they will have you complete the paperwork and then will announce that they are bringing the child in or like Mali, they took us directly to her in her room before doing the paperwork. After Chris was finished and we had taken a few pictures, they were ready to see us go but then I ask if we could see Joseph's Room. They got really uncomfortable and decided to have a "meeting" to discuss it. Finally, they decided to let me take a picture of Joseph's bed but not of the children or anything else. I could not understand why since I had a totally different experience with Mali at the same orphanage.

As we went into the building where the children were, I knew why. The orphanage looked run down compared to when we got Mali. There was even a giant hole in one of the walls that led to the outside. All the lights were out in the whole building and there was no air conditioning in 90 Degree Weather. In fact, by the time we reached Joseph's Room, I was soaking wet. When I walked into his room, the lights were off and all the children were in saucers which explains why Joseph could not walk because he went from a crib to a stationary saucer. The orphanage workers quickly led us to Joseph's Bed where we took a few pictures. Then Chris ask if we could see Mali's old room. They got really uncomfortable again and had another "meeting" then told us it was okay. As we walked to Mali's Room, they started apologizing about how the orphanage looked and said they were building a new one in a couple of years. Even though the appearance of orphanage was dark and depressing, the most haunting thing to me was there were over 1400 children in the building but no noise. I never remember hearing any laughter or any crying just nothing. It was totally quiet. Even when we went into both Joseph and Mali's Room there was no noise. Only when Chris touched the children, did you hear laughter.

As we came out of the dark building into the light of the day, I was so thankful that we finally had Joseph but I also could not help but think of the children left behind. The China Adoption Program for Non-Special Needs Children has a waiting time that has reached almost 2 years. I complained one day to God about how does He expect me to be able to get families to want to adopt from the China Program when many families are already waiting almost 2 years for their referrals. He reminded me that the "wait" is what many children feel in the orphanage their whole life. He also reminded me that the Special Needs Program only has a wait of 4 months after your paperwork goes to China. So I'am asking families who have a desire for more children to meet the desire of a child to have a family. I'am asking those who are longing to hold a child to meet the need of a child longing to be held. I'am asking you to tell many so that we can bring many out of the darkness and into the light.

How Great Is Our God

Sing with me

How Great is our God!

Lyrics by Chris Tomlin

On Sunday, July 20th, we were able to finally hold our beautiful baby boy in our arms. When he smiles, he looks so much like Sami did when she was a baby. He is precious and he can't get enough kisses which we are happy to provide. He also cannot get enough food and has not stopped eatting since we have been here. In the middle of the night, while he is sleeping, he will hold one arm on the crib and rock his head back and forth. I' am sure that is what he did to comfort himself. It is so hard to let him do it but if you try to stop it, he wakes up and cries. I keep whispering to him, "It is okay. Mama is here" but I know, like Lili, it will take time. When I cried about it, Chris said, "You would rock, too, if you had to stay in a crib for 3 years. He has been through a lot. " He has been in the crib for most of his days because he can barely walk and has a hard time keeping his balance but just like Mali, it will take time. And in God's time, He makes everything so beautiful (Ecc 3:11).

Because He Lives

All fear is gone

Because I know

He holds the future

(photo sent by orphanage on 7/15/08)

Late Tuesday Night, I received an email from Joseph's orphanage. I was so excited because I had emailed them several times asking for a current photo and measurements of Joseph but there had been no response. In the email, they had given me his current measurements and said they would send a photo in a separate email. I thanked them and could not wait to see how much he had grown. All the measurements were in kilograms and centimeters and I was anxious to convert them to pounds and inches. I started with his weight which was 7.5 kgs and, suddenly, realized he weighed just 16.5 pounds. I ran and got his paperwork which was done in May 2007 and it showed he weighed 9 kgs or 19.8 lbs. He had lost 3 lbs!! I, literally, fell to the floor and sobbed. I kept saying, over and over again, "God, please help me" because I was so overwhelmed with fear for Joseph. The two things that came to mind were Chris said he wanted a baby and Joseph was the definitely the size of a baby. The other was a shirt that Chris had bought Joseph that read "Large and In Charge" with a bulldozer on it. I went back to the computer to convert the other measurements and saw that I had just received another email from the orphanage. It read, "We all love Guo Zhi" and included the photo of Joseph. When I opened the photo, I saw his bright eyes and his big smile. I stopped crying. I was so relieved to see that he was smiling but could not believe how small he looked at just 3 years old.

The next day, July 16th, was Chris' Birthday. Sami was so excited and wanted to decorate the whole house. She loves her Daddy and I loved watching her give everybody directions on what to do. After making him a card, she took quarters out of her Ladybug Bank and put them in the card. I knew Chris would love it! I decided to give the photo of Joseph, our little man with the big smile, to Chris as a surprise. Throughout the day, I was so worried about Joseph that I could hardly function and "The Large and In Charge" Bulldozer Shirt kept coming to my mind. I went to find the shirt and saw that Chris already packed it along with another shirt that said, "My Daddy saids I am keeper" (a fishing shirt), several different balls in all kinds of sizes, Joseph's little red Crocs and Chris' big tennis shoes in front of them. When I looked at Joseph's shoes compared to Chris' shoes, I could not help but think of how God sees us and how we see ourselves. I am focused on how small Joseph is now but God see the man who will , one day, walk in the big shoes.....A man, "Large and In Charge" for Christ.

When Chris came home from work, the girls ran to the door to wish him a "Happy Birthday"! They could not wait for him to see the decorations and open his gifts. When Chris opened my gift, I had attached a note over the frame that said "Your Son, Large and In Charge". Chris was shocked that we had gotten a picture of Joseph and loved that he was smiling. He commented about how small he was and I told him how much he weighed. Chris said, "Well, that is disturbing." Later, I motioned Chris to go to our room. The look of concern from Chris was all I needed to start crying again. I'am the one who tends to worry so if Chris is worried then I'am really worried. I started telling him about Joseph and how he had lost weight. When I stopped talking, I looked at Chris who is seriously pondering every thing I have said. Then with words of wisdom, he said, "That kid just needs an icecream cone". I was laughing so hard and crying at the same time. I just love that man!

That same day, I spoke with our pediatrician and asked him if he was concerned about Joseph. He said, "It is not unusual for a child in an orphanage to get that small and that once we brought him home, bonded with him, he would grow. It will probably take a couple of years for him to catch up but that he would catch up." He was right. I had forgotten how faithful God had been in all my girls lives because I had been so full of fear. "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done" (Psalm 40:5). At that moment, I knew I needed to quit focusing on how small Joseph was and start remembering how BIG our God is.

When Loves Takes You In

Somewhere while you're sleeping

Someone else is dreaming too

Counting down the days until

They hold you close and say I love you

lyrics by Steven Curtis Chapman

(Photo taken May 2007)

On Friday, July 18th, 2008, we leave at 9:55 a.m. from Atlanta on Delta Flight 19 and land in Shanghai at 1:35 p.m. (China Time) on Saturday, July 19th. The flight is about 15 hours and 40 minutes. I call the flight and the thought of having to leave my children for 13 days my "labor pains". :) We should get our son, Joseph, on Sunday, July 20th and the adoption will made official on Monday, July 21st when we finish the Adoption Registration and Notarization. On Friday, July 25th, we will be able to pick up Joseph's Chinese Passport and get our notarial certificates. We will then fly to Guangzhou that same evening.

While in Guangzhou, we will complete the USCIS paperwork for our Consulate Appointment. On Tuesday, July 29th, we will go to the Consulate Appointment for our Oath Swearing Ceremony and get Joseph's visa. We will be able to leave Guangzhou and return to the USA with our son and unite with our girls on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008!!!!

PLEASE be praying for Joseph and for all of us. You don't know how much your prayers and words of encouragement mean to us. We love you all so very much and feel so blessed that you will be able to journey with us as we count down the days for God to bring us to our son and hold him in our arms.

You Are So Good To Me

You heal my broken heart
You are my Father in Heaven

You are beautiful, my sweet, sweet song

lyrics by Third Day

(Photo taken May 2007)

On February 28, 2008, almost 10 months from the day we were hit by a “small bundle of rice” , a new Waiting Child List was posted and I was drawn to a 2 year old boy named Guo Zhi Zhao who was born on June 4, 2005. He would turn three in just a few months. His special need was Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia and “low growth for weight/height”. I called Chris while he was at work to find out if we could get his information. He said that he was not there to look at the information but that he did not want to pursue an older child, he really wanted a baby and, again, told me that we would not know what to do with a boy since we have three girls with tons of girl toys, clothes, etc. I said okay but, again, was so drawn to the little boy that I did not know what to do. I called Chris again and gave him the information on the list and ask him what he wanted me to do since the only child I was drawn to was Guo Zhi. He told me, “Well, I guess it does not matter that the child is older and Sami has been wanting a brother.” Even so, at one point during the paperwork, I had asked Sami if she thought that we would have a girl or a boy this time. She totally surprised me when she said, “Mom, before time began, God had this child planned for our family." I cried because she was repeating what I had told them so many times and that God used her to remind me.

Well, I requested his information and the first thing I wanted to know was the meaning of his name. Guo means “country, state, nation” and was also the first name of our oldest daughter’s, Sami, Chinese name (Guo Jia Yuan). Zhi means “The Will”. I could not believe how God was so personal in answering my prayer when I kept asking “What is your will?” and then sends us this little boy, Zhi, “The Will”. It was like God was saying in His sweet, gentle way that this is My Will. I also realized, after I requested his information, that he was born in Shanghai and was placed in the Shanghai Welfare Institute on August 26th, 2005. Mali had also been born in Shanghai and was placed in the Shanghai Welfare Institute EXACTLY two years earlier, on August 26, 2003. In fact, he was there, exactly one month, when we went to get Mali at the orphanage on September 26, 2005. They also both had heart conditions as well. Mali had a VSD (a hole in her heart) and Zhi had tachycardia. It was another confirmation from God.

The CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) was starting a new online system and would only allow 4 days for you to have the file reviewed by a specialist, get the required letter from your insurance company and make a decision. You are not allowed to make a decision unless the file has been reviewed by a doctor and you have a letter from your insurance company stating they will cover the child once they are adopted. When Chris came home from work, he saw his picture and said, “Oh, he is so cute.” He wanted me to take his information directly to our pediatrician and have it reviewed. I told him I could not drive it up there this afternoon because I was watching my friend’s kids and I would take it up tomorrow morning. He said, “I will watch them outside on the swing set. Just take it up there NOW and drop it off so he can look at it tonight!” I was totally in shock and, of course, I did it. The doctor said that he thought the tachycardia might be due to being malnourished but, of course, could not guarantee this and that his “low growth-weight/height” according to China could change totally with love and nourishment just like we had seen in Mali.

I told Chris the information from the doctor and once we received the required letter from the insurance company, he DEFINITELY wanted to pursue. I asked him what he wanted to do if the other family decided to pursue him and he said, “We take it before the agency. Let them pray about it and let God decide.” I totally agreed. I knew, at that moment, he was our son. Finally, on March 5, 2008, the agency called and said that they had prayed about their decision, over several days, and that they had chosen us as the family to pursue Guo Zhi Zhao. We were overjoyed and, on that day, Guo Zhi became Joseph Zhi. He was named after his Baba, Christopher Joseph.

Later, God did one more thing that was so personal and humorous to confirm that Zhi was our son. One of my friends, called and asked what we were going to name him. After I told her that his name was Joseph, she said that she was so surprised because she thought I would name him something that ended with an “i” like my other girls, Sami, Lili and Mali. We laughed about it and later after I hung up the phone, the Lord reminded me that his name does end in an ’I”, his middle name, Zhi. God is so good! I just love Him.

Many times, people ask me what we are going to do with a boy. Well, I just tell them the same thing that I felt God showed me. He reminded me that a lot of things my girls do, boys do. They swing, swim, ride bikes, play in the sand (we have a sandbox), go fishing (we have a small lake in our backyard), jump on the trampoline, play Wii, play chase and hide-n-seek. There is so many things that they can do together.

Just like Chris said, since we have three girls, we had nothing for a little boy….no clothes, no toys and no furniture. Well, we had a white twin bed but it looked more for a girl than a boy but I thought I could make it work. I just prayed and asked God if he would help me to find a cute chest for his clothes to go in. I could not believe it when, that same week, my sister-in-law, Brenda said that her husband, Quintin, had a client that was trying to give away boy furniture. The family did not want any money for the furniture since they had been blessed so much but only needed someone to come and pick it up that day. I called Chris to see what he would say and he was like “YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN PICK IT UP TODAY!” I am going to be honest even after God has proven, over and over again, to do more than I could ever imagine, I really expected this furniture to be beat up since it was boy furniture and that the boys had outgrown it. Well, I was so wrong. It was beautiful Broyhill furniture!!! The family gave us bunk beds, a dresser with a mirror, a shelf, a nightstand AND a chest. God did not just answer my prayer, for a chest…………thank goodness………but far exceeded anything that I could ever have imagined.

Oh, God also covered the clothes and the toys. My friend, Kathy Ragsdale, gave us some of her boy clothes and Chris came home with 4 bags of new clothes!!! He also bought toys, too, which include a Big Wheel and a John Deere Loader he can ride, cars and trucks-big and small and tools. Chris said every guy has to have tools even if they are plastic. I even went and got him a small train set. The whole room was completely full and we even had extra. God did not just give Joseph a bed but also gave us one extra since we were given bunk beds. Of course, I can’t help but think of the meaning of the name, Joseph, "May God Add Another". :)

Word of God Speak

Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God Speak
lyrics by MercyMe

In May 2007, the new China Children Waiting List came out and a little boy was on the list. I, immediately, was drawn to him and noticed that he was being reviewed by two families, the maximum number of families that can look at a child‘s file. We went on vacation for our anniversary and when we got back, I looked to see if he was “On Hold” and to my surprise he was not. In fact, both families were no longer reviewing his file. I asked Chris if he wanted to look at his file and he said, “I know where this is going and what would we do with a boy when we have three girls.” What was weird about all of this was we had just had a conversation about adoption several months ago. After watching the movie, Amazing Grace, I had told Chris that I wanted to fight for the orphans in China. Then Chris said, “Well, I think we just need to go back and adopt another child.” It was funny. I was ready to fight but I was not sure I was ready to sacrifice.

A few days passed and Chris let me request information about the little boy. I had his medical file reviewed by a specialist and all other documents required before we are allowed to make a decision. I even called the translator about his name which meant “Beautiful Standing Grain or Cereal Seedlings”. I had gotten a different translation over the Internet and asked why would they name him after Grain. He told me that the English Translation does not do any justice to the Chinese translation. The meaning of his name inspires the image of being young, vibrant, and full of life, as a fresh green shoot sprouting up from the rice paddy which will grow beautifully. I thanked him but I just could not shake the meaning of his name.

After we had meet all requirements to make a decision, I called our agency to make sure that they had every thing they needed, this is, before Chris and I had really made a decision. When I went back to look at his picture on the web site, I noticed that it said “TWO families were reviewing his file.” I was shocked because I did not want to go against another family over the child when we were not even sure if we were ready to go back at this time. I asked the agency if the family was planning on pursuing him and she said she would call us back. I spoke with Chris and we both agreed that if the family decided to pursue him that this was our answer. I had prayed that no matter what we decided that Chris and I would be in total agreement.

Finally, we received the phone call from our agency that the family WAS going to pursue the little boy. They asked if we wanted to submit a bio so they could pray about which family would be best for the child‘s needs. I spoke with Chris and, without hesitation, we both agreed that we did not need to go against the family. Again, it was so weird because I had moved forward without any thoughts on the paperwork but when it came time to make a decision we both agreed we did not need to pursue him if the other family was going to. I wanted to make sure that the family had a heart for God and the agency said they did. After that, we told her we would not move forward. Our agency asked if we would adopt another child in the future and I said “yes”.

I really thought that this was over but several weeks later, I still could not understand what that was all about. In fact, I put my head on my desk and cried one night and asked God. God reminded me about what Chris had said in China when we went to go get Mali after being away from our children almost 15 days and hearing their tiny voices over the phone, night after night, wanting to know when we are going to come home. He said, “God would have to drop a bowl of rice from heaven and hit me in the head with it before I would come back to China again. This is it.” I TOTALLY agreed. It was just too hard of a trip. God also reminded me of the meaning of the little boy‘s name, "Beautiful Standing Grain or Cereal Seedlings“. Suddenly, I realized that the boy was the "bowl of rice" or more like, the bundle of rice from heaven that God used to hit us in the head. I was devastated because I really thought we had missed God’s will. In fact, I made all efforts to move forward with the paperwork for adoption so we would be ready for whatever happened next. After having no desire to start the process a few months ago, I was compelled to move forward with the paperwork and in October 2007, our dossier went to China.

After several new China Children Waiting Lists coming out over the following months and not feeling God lead us in any direction, I was confused and thought we had missed God’s Will. I also kept asking Chris if he thought we had missed God’s will and he said “No” and sometimes, “No!!!” I know I drove Chris absolutely crazy because I continue to question everything since we had no word or direction from God. Over the next months, I prayed over and over again, “Lord, please show your will. I want to know if we missed your will. Please, God, show me your will.”

Jesus Loves The Little Children

All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
lyrics by C. Hebert Woolston

In the Spring of 2007, our family went to Florida and we brought a kite to fly on the beach with the girls. When we got on the beach, there was no wind at all to take our kite up. I told the girls to pray and ask God to send the wind so that we could fly the kite. I also prayed that God would answer their prayer so they would see what a personal and powerful God He is. After we prayed, Chris, my husband, decided to try to get it up in the air but it only stayed up when HE WAS RUNNING. After several attempts of running down the beach with a Strawberry Shortcake Kite and the girls no where in sight, Chris decided to go and join them playing in the sand. Then I decided, I was going to get the kite up in the air so I ran as hard as I could and let the string out at the same time. I thought if I got it a little higher in the air, it would finally fly. Well, after several attempts of running in the sand and having to rewind 1000 feet of string , I was exhausted. I kept praying silently that God would send the wind but NOTHING happened…no wind, no little breeze, absolutely NOTHING. Then I decided to give it to another grownup, my Mom, because, of course, only a grownup is going to be able to get this kite into the air with no wind. After several attempts and my Mom nearly passing out, we laughed and I said, “This is what you call doing it in your own strength".

Finally, Sami came over and wanted to try. I said, “Sure”, even though I thought she would never get the kite off the ground since three adults could not. I told Sami I would hold the kite and gave her the string. I let the kite go, fully expecting the kite to fall to the ground, and Sami went two steps and GOD SENT THE WIND. She literally stood in place and let the string totally out and the kite flew and flew. The verse that came to my mind was "Be STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD" (Psalm 46:10). I was AMAZED. God knew that if He sent the wind when we, the adults, were trying to fly the kite, the kids and ourselves might have forgotten our prayer and how God answered it. Basically, we would have just taken the credit because of all our "hard work".

As I stood there watching Sami fly the kite effortlessly, I was reminded how easy it is when something is done through His strength and how God used a child to show His Great Glory. Later, the girls thanked God for sending the wind and I thanked Him for showing my girls what a powerful and personal God He really is.

Jesus Loves Me! This I Know

For the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong

They are weak but He is strong

lyrics by Anna Warner

I never got to post on our blog for Mali, http://maliyue.blogspot.com/, after we got home from China. I thought I would continue where I left off on this blog.

When we got home, Mali, 2 years old at the time, adjusted like she had always been here. She got down out of my lap and began to play like she knew where everything was. She went to sleep the first night and slept through the night which is very rare because of the time change. She was the easiest of all three of my girls as far as adjusting to all the changes in her life. I was in shock to be honest. I was fully expecting it to be hard just because she was older than my other two when we got them and it took time for them to adjust when they first got home.

Well, Lili, also 2 at the time, decided she needed to take up the slack and fill in. Lili started screaming in the middle of the night not just once but several times throughout the night. Nothing could make her stop. Lili was angry that we had been gone for 15 days and then brought back a souvenir that she was not too happy about. It was fun in theory but not fun in reality. The fun was over and it was time for Mali to go….at least, out of her room. The sight of her was a constant reminder that she was not the only one in the universe nor the only one in her room. So Lili screamed. She tore up muffins to smithereens at breakfast and she did anything she could to rebel.

This went on for several days and I thought I had already reached my breaking point but I was wrong. Lili showed me that I could reach to even greater heights when she started screaming again in the middle of the night over and over again. After about the fourth time, I had had it. I was not going to have Lili run our lives. She was going to have something to cry about. As I jumped out of bed and darted toward her door, I started to burst out crying and asked God, “What do I do. I have tried everything.” I fully expected not to hear an answer right away and that would be all the silence I needed to go forward with my plan to show who really is boss but God DID whisper in my heart, “Just love her.” I thought, You have to be kidding! This can’t be God because God would know what a terror she has been acting like but I also knew it could not have been my thoughts. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). Well, I stood in the hallway because the last thing I wanted to do was love on her. Finally, I turned around and went back to my bed and Chris said, “I have been praying and I feel like God was saying that Lili just needs us to love her.” Of course, I started sobbing then I got up and went to her room. I took her out of her bed, prayed over her and sang to her. I would love to say that everything changed that night. We still struggled but over time, Lili began to realize that we loved her, that Mali did not take her place and then, eventually, she was able to love Mali.

I cry thinking that God with all his compassion and loving kindness treats us the same way. We can be angry, rebellious, turn our backs on Him when things don't turn out like we wanted them to but He is always there to pick us up out of the pit and just love on us. Even while we are screaming with our backs arched saying, "I won’t let you love me", He just holds us tight, draws us near and never lets us go.

Today, I am happy to say that Sami (7), Lili (5) and Mali (5) share a room. Sami sleeps on the top bunk of the Dollhouse Bed and Mali and Lili share a queen bed on the bottom and they love it! Sami even comes down and sleeps with them most weekends. I can truly say they love each other and share a bond like no other. Of course, they have their "moments" but don't we all. :)