Monday Meditations

Hi friends! Its Monday although I do pray for all of you and our LynnMarie daily, this is the day that I share my requests and thoughts with you!

I hope you will share with me as well! I have enjoyed this Great Adventure of adoption. I really have. It has been smooth sailing and just an eye opening experience I am thankful that I have followed some of you on your journey, the ones I have met in the hospital and just this blog thing in general. I am thankful that the China adoption program has led people to bring children home from other countries. I am thankful for the support system we have in Atlanta.

What are you thankful for?

Today I am praying for LynnMarie. I am praying for the people who are caring for her. I pray she gets an extra hug today as she very well could be born. I pray for her birth mom and her circumstances. I hope that if you have your children home with you, that you will pray for those who cared for your child..

I pray for each person who touches her paperwork and that is a lot of people. I am praying for those who have tried to steal our joy. I pray that I will respond if needed in a way that is loving and respectful.

Thanks for reading!!!!!

Monday Meditations

Whats on your heart today? I am praying for my First Friday friends. Its a special family that I have not seen in a long time. This community as seen so many Chinese babies come home, we have some biological babies, domestic adoption and families being created in other countries.

I love my First Friday friends. They motivated us to apply with our agency and helped us get our paperwork in before the May 1 deadline this year. They have welcomed us and they have let me play with their children. This is so much more than an adoption support group, it's a family.

First Friday friends, I pray for all of you today. I know some of you are about to have the family you have been dreaming for. I know some of you are struggling. Some of you are still waiting. Its been awesome watching your families grow. Thanks to Susan and Dan for opening your hearts to this amazing group!

Please also pray for Sheridan. He's having his surgery today and we pray for a speedy recovery with minimal pain...

Most of you have adoption friends where you live. Let's pray for each other today.

I will not forget to pray about China.

Monday Meditations

Good morning friends! This morning, will you pray for Shelby, her family ,and all involved in her care? At 9:30. she is having her cleft palate repair. We met Shelby and her family at First Friday and they are just really special.

A lot of people are discouraged, frustrated, and losing hope. I pray that we will continue to encourage each other and use the wait to accomplish so many things. Pray for our spouses. Most of my blogging adoptive friends are female and most of us are involved in yahoo groups and stuff like that. I pray our spouses will stay encouraged and that our marriages will only get better during this time!

I am thankful that as our first year of waiting come to end , that its gone by so fast. Those of you who read this and/or have a blog have really helped our wait.
I am thankful for First Fridays and what a support system it is.
I am thankful I got to see Sheridan yesterday!
I am thankful for the children who have come home this year that I have gotten to know.
I am thankful that families saw their babies faces for the first time last week.

Monday Meditations

Monday Meditations are going to be a bit different today. My focus is not on our adoption although I am praying for LynnMarie and how we can be better parents daily.

Please join me at 2pm Atlanta time in prayer

First off, I ask you to pray for Nathan and Tricia . If you have not seen this blog around blogland or my blog, they need your prayers. I know he visits this blog, so let him know his family is being lifted up. You see, his wife delivered a sweet baby born very early and his wife is waiting a lung transplant due to her cystic fibrosis. Last night, they received word there was a match! He will update his blog with details, but this could be it. This could be a "dry run" as he calls it and may not work out, but lets pray regardless. Lets pray for Nathan and Tricia and sweet baby Gwenyth Rose and lets also pray for the donors family.

I tell you. I have never felt more encouraged than having read this blog over the last couple of months. He has shared his heart and his family with us.

One of the things we talked about in our community group is prayer this past week. Some of us quickly tell people "You're in my prayers", or "Ill be praying for you" and then send up a generic prayer at the end of the day. I am guilty of this. God loves our prayers no matter what, but how humbling is it to come to our Father in such a personal, reverant way with prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I encourage each one of you as you read this blog, to just talk to God at this moment. Lift up this family no matter what the outcome will be. Pray that they will find encouragement, hope, stamina and have a sense of peace.

This adoption thing is so much more than adoption. I have been able to listen to my God. He whispers to me at the strangest places. To Him, they are not strange. He does what He needs to do to get my attention and my heart. One of these places has been the blog world.

Please, send this to your friends. I will be spending an hour in prayer at 2pm today and will be focusing on this family.

******* the lungs are no good, the transplant will not occur. Regardless, please join me at 2pm to pray for this family?*****

To be able to talk to my creator is an amazing, beautiful gift.
Join me won't you? I dont ask for comments much, but let me know if you are praying today, won't you?
Friends, praying as a group is just too cool!

Monday Meditations and 623

I am sad. I wish I could do more. Last night I thought of the word orphan. Its a sad word. Because when I think of orphans, I think of children with no mom and dad. Children who don't get kisses and books read before bed. Children who don't get the opportunity to wake up in the middle of the night asking for water. Children who have never experienced a tickle or a belly laugh. Children who don't get cuddles. And then this face is etched in my mind. A small child with sadness and no hope and its breaks my heart. Maybe its a face I have seen from watching the World Vision and Compassion videos. I dont know. I want to hold these orphans. I want to tell them I love them and give them hugs that will last forever. I want to make sure they are fed. I do not want anyone to have the feeling of hunger or sickness. I want to give them happy memories. This is so much more than just China or Amy and Michael or LynnMarie.

623

623 children became orphans last night while we were at a concert. Every 18 seconds, a child becomes an orphan. Oh I wish we could do more. I can pray. I can sponsor. I can donate money. I can adopt. I can help change a life..Thats big. I think about the bloggers over in Uganda last week and it blows my mind the lifestyle I have and what others don't have.

I am sad. I have too much. I don't deserve this. I am always wanting more when there are some who may not even know the word want.

Today I pray that God will provide comfort to those who have no one to comfort those. I pray their basic needs will be met. I pray my heart stays like this so that I don't forget how I feel at this moment.

There are children in cribs, crying, not being held. They will continue to cry until they fall asleep. There are children who are hungry and don't have food to eat. I just can not fathom this. I have been blessed beyond measure and maybe just maybe its time to share those blessings. I am not sure why I feel this now or how I can make a difference. There are children who are in need of cuddles and hugs. I have cuddles and hugs to give. I could go on and on. I think I will post the rest of my thoughts over at my personal blog.

Please pray with me today for each child who is without a mommy and daddy today. Pray that they will soon find them. Pray that those whose hearts are being moved towards adoption will take that step of faith.

Monday Meditations

I am praying for all of you, my adopting, blogging friends. I pray that we will continue to encourage one another. I pray for those families who are grieving, that they will find peace. I am specifically praying for each one of you that visits this post regardless if it is Monday or not!!! Let me know how we can pray for you!

Monday Meditations

Good morning my friends! What have you been praying for this week? I have been reading so many blogs where families seem quite discouraged. As the wait time has increased, many of us are spend our time wondering about things.

My prayer is we stay focused and to find ways to occupy our time, to find encouragement and to encourage each other. We have been waiting close to 9 months, and we know we have a long wait ahead of us.I am so thankful for each one of you. Thanks for reading our blog and let me know if you have one that I haven't read!

I pray for the orphans around the world, the birth moms and each person who is involved in this process.

I pray for each one of you who stops by and reads our blog!

I pray for our marriages as I hear adoption can be considered a stressor! Haha!

I pray for those families who experience disappointment during this time.

I pray for our hearts, that they will stay strong. We experience so many emotions during this wonderful process!

Monday Meditations

Praises
November 2005 has been finished!
Shelby will be united with her family within the month! Yippee
Many children have come home this week!


Prayer
That the wait will not keep people from adopting from China
That will encourage others and not be discouraged over this wait
That our children will be a blessing to others
the caregivers and orphanage staff

Does anyone have anything else going on?
pray for those who coordinate the travel for adoptive families
travel mercies for those travelling now and later this month

Monday Meditations

Good morning friends! There are so many things going on. Many people are in China and many families getting ready to go to China! let me know if there is anything to add!

Praises

1. Families have met their babies this week

2.God is good and His timing is perfect

3.Friends that we have made during this journey

4.UPDATE: Shelbys family will be leaving 10/31 to bring her home. They got TA today! Yipppee!

Prayer requests

1. Shelby's familiy is getting close to welcoming her home

2.CCAA

3.Our agencies

4.That all of us will stay encouraged

5.Our family and friends

6.That people will continue to adopt both domestically and internationally

7.Our babies-that they will be a blessing to all who come in contact with them

8. Families who are home- pray for the adjustment time

On that note, our support group is this Friday! First Fridays will be meeting at 7pm at North Metro Church. Let me know if you are interested in going. Families will be there who are thinking about adopting, presently adopting and families that are already home. Its just a wonderful time!!!!! Its such a wonderful time!!!!

Monday Meditations

HI friends, please take the time to read the wonderful post from our guest blogger Tymm below. What wonderful words!


Prayers for today- what would you like to add?

1.Those who have gotten their hopes up because of rumors only to find the rumors not true
2.Pray for those paperchasing- that they will their dossier turned in
3.Our hearts- that we will remain positive and encouraged as we continue this wait
4.CCAA- I dont know what to pray for but it can't hurt to pray for the people who match us with our child
5.Pray for the families who are travelling right now
6.our agencies
7. Personal request- family member of mine who is struggling. I ask that you will pray that she has a sense of peace. Its hard to see/hear her hurting. Thank you


Praises
1)People who received their TA this week
2)Families who were reunited this week
3)the friends we have made because of this process
4)God is using this time to make us better mommies and daddies

Monday Meditations

Good morning friends!!!

Lets start with praises! Go ahead and share what you are thankful for!!!

1) First of all, CJ and Donna received LOA for Shelby. They will hopefully bring their precious girl home soon. Stop by and send them happy thoughts.

2)Many families experienced Gotcha Day this week. How awesome! I'm waiting for the Murphys first family picture..Check it out here! and here and here and here! !

Prayer Requests

1)Families travelling to China and back this week

2)Gianna. She has been home a few months and is undergoing spinal cord surgery for a tethered chord Monday morning at 8am. She is having surgery at my hospital so I will get to see them for a bit Monday night. Lift up little Gianna and her family. I know they are worried. Also pray for her sister Aria that she will find comfort in this situation

3)Pray that we all we continue to encourage one another. We all have bad days and I am thankful for those who leave positive messages on my blog. You guys rock!

4)Pray for those paperchasing that they may stay encouraged.

5) Everyone at the CCAA - this the place in China that matches us with our babies

6) our marriages and relationships with family members

Stay tuned. Next week, we will have a guest blogger at When Love Takes You In

Monday Meditations

Good morning!!!!!

Praises

1) families that received referrals
2)families that are travelling and meeting their children for the first time
3)families are still interested in international adoption. That's awesome.


Prayers

1) Shelby's family is waiting on one more piece of paper. they are ready to bring her home
2) that we will keep encouraging each other.
3) the wait- no need for words
4) recently united families will have a smooth adjustment
5)our family members and friends who have lots of questions


We have friends that made an important announcement this week that's just awesome. They have had me thinking. Although we will not be doing the same thing as them, its brought a few more emotions up. With me, you truly never know where those emotions will lead you.

Monday Meditations

Good morning friends!

This morning I praying for

1) All of us as we continue to encourage to each other.
2)Those families paperchasing and thinking about adoption in general
3)Everyone over at CCAA
4)Our marriages
5)families who are travelling now or will be soon

What's on your heart?



BTW, the family mentioned below was discharged from the hospital and are having family time in a local hotel..Yeah!

Monday Meditations

Good morning!
This morning I am thankful that the Perrys are back home and the Chapmans got a LID!!!! I am thankful that we are logged in and that I have made amazing friendships. I am thankful that the adoption process led us to a home church

Today I am praying for
1)my mouth- that I say the right words when difficult questions arise (see post below). Sometimes my brain does not think
2)the United States relationship with China
3)that everyone who comes into contact with our babies will be blessed
4)the wait (that we will get a surprise this year and the wait decreases)
5) CJ, Donna and the boys will be travelling to China this fall to bring Shelby home..Pray for safe travel and smooth adjustment


What are you praying for?

Monday Meditations

Morning everyone, from work!! Its officially Monday so I look forward to going home and having my prayer time before going to bed. Does anyone have anything specific they need prayer for?

This week,
I am praying for
Michael and Kim. They will be heading to China in a few weeks and picking up their little boy. Pray for travel mercies and a smooth adjustment for this new family! They are precious.

Friends who need to be logged in before September 1st.

Pray for more paper ready babies. Pray for a decrease in wait time. Also, pray for all of us that are waiting. Its Gods timing but it's so hard to be patient. I know that I just can not wait to get my hands on Lyn Marie (or however we spell it)

Pray for those who care for our babies. I pray that all who come in contact with our little girl will be blessed. I know God is at work right now. I love to think about that.

I am thankful for my First Friday Group. I am thankful for my Yahoo groups which are keeping me busy. I am very thankful for each one of you who has ever posted here regardless if you are adopting or not. Each one of you has been such an encouragement to Michael and I and I am loving this time in our lives, although I of course wish the wait was not so long....