Good end to a good week

This morning as we hopped in the car for our morning commute, Stephen reminded me that 32 years ago he made his decision to follow Christ. I decided to honor this day by playing our favorite worship songs which resulted in both of us constantly wiping our eyes for 40 minutes. It was a good drive.

One year ago today we reluctantly and tearfully set our children down and said goodbye for a little while. As hard as it has been to be away from them, our desire was for our next reunion to be lasting and permanent. No coming and going. We knew in our case they would be too young to understand why mommy and daddy visit and leave again. We wish every day that we could go on every bonding trip offered, but we knew we would not be able to do so.  I'll never forget how we felt the days following our homecoming. We could barely function. We had projects planned for when we returned and we found ourselves staring into space feeling like we left a very big piece of ourselves in a far away land.

We decided it would be nice to eat Caribbean food for lunch today. Fried plantains and rice and beans. A little reminder of our time in Haiti.

We came home tonight with a wonderful update on the children:


Lydie:
Head: 47.5 cm
Weight: 11.6 kg
Height: 83 cm
“Lydie is a spunky girl! Her favorite word is ‘No’ and she means it. She enjoys flinging toys and shoes over the toddler wall. She continues to participate in preschool activities, and is increasing her vocabulary daily.”

Samson:
Head: 49 cm
Weight: 10.5 cm
Height: 77.5 cm
“I love my morning hug from Samson on his way back to his room from breakfast. He’s usually covered in whatever he ate, and the hug is sloopy, but I don’t mind. He’s becoming more verbal, but remains on the quieter side. Samson spent time with the mission team in February and was not afraid of them.”

A year

It was one year ago today we first laid eyes on our beautiful children. It's been an emotional day. The picture above, with Lydie in an awkward position (I didn't want to wake her as she freaked out when she was handed to me) was our first photo taken together as a family. They look so tiny. They have grown so much this past year.  By the way, I still don't know where those weird hives came from on my neck and chest.

We received word yesterday that we passed another milestone. MOI. Hallelujah!

What's next, you might ask? This week Pierre is applying for Lydie & Samson's passports. We are getting closer! Thanks for praying, friends.

Good for the heart

The past couple weeks, I've enjoyed several moments that have recharged me and made me just plain happy. The first was our day trip with our dear friends Ron and Lora to Wisconsin to meet up with fellow adopting parents Bill and Kelly. There's nothing like being with a group of people that know exactly what it's like. This table represents 7 kids from Maison.

Stephen, me, Lora, Kelly, Bill & Ron

The following Sunday we traveled down to visit Ron and Lora's church. It was a wonderful morning and we had a great time of fellowship and meeting their church friends. 

I've also discovered this little jewel: http://www.beautifullyrooted.com/ Check it out! If you want to be challenged, uplifted, encouraged by other beautiful women, it's a one-stop shop. The writings submitted are so thought-provoking and beautifully written.  

Then there's this:

 And this:

And her:

 And this:

Simple things that bring a smile to my heart. I may, just may, every once in a while whisper to those lemons to turn yellow and give them a little kiss. When they do ripen, you'll be the first to know, I promise. 

And there's nothing like vacuum therapy to cheer my heart. The week's worth of kitty fur, dust and occasional beetle sucked up into the swirling tunnel of powerful suction. Ahhh. I love cleanliness. By the way, Sir James Dyson, your vacuum rocks my socks off! Thank you.

Yesterday my joy was spending the day with some very dear friends. You know, that kind that have known you forever, I mean, literally forever. As Rachel and I sat in Fazoli's eating the most unhealthy concoction of yummy goodness, I was struck by the table nearby. A group of young girls, laughing hysterically about who knows what. Rachel and I were talking about weighty things, hard things, like the plight of orphans around the world. That kind of stuff. I found myself remembering the days of being young and oblivious, when all that mattered was boys and hair and clothes and having fun. 

Don't get me wrong, we still love to have fun. Nothing could be more fun than celebrating this little miracle!

Micah and his momma Carrie and me

Rachel and Micah

Last night I ran across this one again. Every time I do my heart leaps in thanksgiving and adoration that I belong to a God such as this:  In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26. 

I often wonder, how is He interceding on my behalf. Is He praying for our children to come home too? Or is He praying that this whole process, the adoption, the kids, don't become an idol in my life? Part of Webster's definition of idol is described as "an object of extreme devotion." My prayer first and foremost is that my focus stays on the One who deserves my full devotion. That is what is best for my heart. He will take care of the rest. 

To be like this...

I write this with some heaviness in my heart because so many of my close friends and readers have lost a parent or never had parents quite like these. I've struggled with how to write about two people that hold so much of my admiration and adoration.  Tears come to my eyes as I try to express my thoughts here.

But as I reflect on the job of parenting and who I want to be, my only logical choice is to look to them as my Godly examples.

Here's some facts I can share with you about these two:

-They are still in love with each other. They are best friends and have each other's backs.

-They have a passion for music and ministering to people through it. Recently they have started a ministry in a small community near their home which has suffered a lot in the last few years. God has blessed this tremendously and it continues to grow!

-They are prayer warriors. Dad fervently prays for each of his kids and grandkids on the way to work each morning. Mom has a spiritual gifting of prayer and I know she has been on her knees many times praying for us throughout our lives. Often when I was young I would find her in her prayer closet alone with the Lord praying for dad and us kids.

-They are two of the nicest people on the planet. They rarely have a bad word to say about anybody and they are quick to forgive.

-They love to have lots of fun! I think dad's philosophy in life is if it's not fun it's not worth doing!

-They know that they have their shortcomings and are not without fault. They are open and honest about the struggles they have faced in their lives.

Recently I received this in the mail from my dad. I don't know if I've ever actually received mail from my dad specifically, it's just not his thing. But, when I opened it, I cried. I'm not sure if he realizes it, but this has to be one of the most loving gifts I have ever received from him. He knows that life really can't be lived well without the Word of God. To know that he cares about my spiritual life and health means more than anything.

I want to be like this. Sure, they are not perfect, they would be the first to admit that, but they are a lot to live up to.

I love you mom and dad. Thank you for being...you.

Sweet Anticipation and a message to myself

You can't rush these things. You can't force a flower to bloom. You can't force paperwork to move faster.

I've experienced a lot of angst lately. I can't relax. Can't settle down. I feel like my brain is going 100 MPH. Saturday night I watched one of my all-time favorite movies--Phenomenon. When John Travolta's character experienced those moments of calm, quiet in the movie, I found myself longing for that peace. Breathe in...breathe out. Settle down Naomi.

Real, lasting peace comes from the Holy Spirit. The next morning as I stood in my kitchen, staring at my unopened Amaryllis plant, it hit me. Or should I say, the peace of God came over me. I breathed Him in. His Spirit spoke to my heart, "it's going to be okay".

I have to admit. This "step" has sort of scared me from the beginning. A year ago, as I researched the Haiti adoption process, those three little letters M-O-I kept coming up in old blogs from 2007 "stuck in MOI for X amount of months." It's so easy to get stuck focusing on Goliath and not on the One who can slay Goliath.

If you are just starting out in this process, let me lend a piece of advice. Focus on the One who called you to this and not on all the rumors and rumors of rumors that WILL come. Be sure God has called you and your spouse to this because your faith will be tested.  Surround yourself with people that you trust and give you support and pray with you. So much of my support is still Team Haiti. We celebrate each other's triumphs and pray for each other when things get hard. Our team has 43 members now and it is just an amazing group of lovely people.

It's going to be okay. Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on what God can do. He is mighty to save!

The hard and the rest

I've had several people come up to me and say, "I don't know how you do it. You seem so strong, so full of faith about all this." Oh, dear friend, I have you fooled. The latest bit of potential bad news can put my emotions into a virtual tailspin.

The thing is, I am spent..worn out..drained. This process takes its toll. It just does. Ask any family adopting from Haiti, it's hard. It will stretch you in places you never could imagine. It will test your patience to a level you never thought possible. Sometimes I'm grateful for the hard. It's shaping me. It's making me stronger. Sometimes I just want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep for a really long time. Wake me up when it's over.

For a decade I have lead worship at my church. Tonight I called my pastor and told him I need a time of refreshing, a time to get replenished. I take my responsibilities very seriously. It was not an easy call to make, but I know I need this. I know Lydie & Samson need a momma who's got her tank full.  He was so gracious to me. We shed some tears, but he understood and I'm so grateful. He left me with this: "life isn't a joyride, but it has moments of joy." I know this difficult road will lead to a joyous end of our family reunited. Oh what joy that will be!

So we enter into rest. I admit, I've bawled the entire time I've written this post. Mostly because I'm just so grateful for the goodness of God... His tender mercies and endless love for me. On our way home from work tonight I put this song on. The words and thoughts from this song have carried me through so much during the past 3 years. He makes it all worthwhile. He is good. My mom always tells me when I get down in the dumps, "fix your eyes on Jesus, Naomi." I encourage you to find a quiet place and play this song. There's a special message for you at the end.

Apparent Project Update

I wanted to take a moment to thank those of you who purchased jewelry to help the beautiful people of Haiti. I sold $1,282 worth!! Those of you who bought jewelry know how beautiful it is and so it was easy to sell. Thank you so much for taking part in such a worthy cause. The purchase of one necklace alone can feed a family for an entire week.