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.