Hey Folks!
Just thought I'd give you all a little status update. God DEFINITELY answers prayers! Some of you probably know that for a while we've kinda been stuck. Our paperwork hit a wall at the end of July and we weren't really able to do anything to get it moving again. Well just recently our agency was able to get a hold of our documents again and they are being processed now! There is just a little bit left to do to finalize things and then our dossier will be sent to immigration! Praise God! All the time that things were stuck and out of our control we just prayed that God would give us patience to wait on His timing, and we are still trusting that He had a reason for that delay.
Now this adoption is starting to feel real again. Now it seems closer, more imminent, more tangible. We're finding ourselves excited, anticipating, and imagining more and more. Please keep praying and praising God with us as the process continues. Phillip still isn't home, and we still don't know what his relationship with the Father is like. But as God continues to open doors, make ways, and encourage our hearts, we feel more and more confident that it truly is His will to bring Phillip HOME. Love you all!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Something tried to EAT Gonzo!
Precious Friends and Family,
Gonzo ran off AGAIN last week. This time a lot of fears were realized when he turned up missing... Nitro begged me to go out later, but I didn't think anything of it. I started to worry about the two of them when I finally went to bed. It is common for Gonzo to run off whenever he can, but Nitro usually stays within the boundaries of the invisible fence.
I called the neighbors. No, they hadn't seen the little Toto dog whose fur is like a brillo pad. Since they all know that he can run as fast as a cheetah, none were willing to be humiliated by attempting to catch the little escapee again.
At three in the morning, I awoke to the sound of Nitro barking and opened the laundry room door to find a pathetic Gonzo deposited on the back steps. He whimpered and couldn't move when I called him. He had drool on his back and his hair was matted. I went to get water and food. When I returned, I found nasty bite wounds on his neck and blood on the rug. He seemed to be paralyzed and in shock. I wept to see this little warrior in such rough shape. When I had done all that I knew how to to do treat his wounds, I went to bed, but I couldn't sleep.....
Gonzo has always believed that he is a ....BIG dog. We've never had the courage to tell him any different. As I tried to get back to sleep, all of the times that we joked about eagles circling our little cairn terrier floated around in my head. We've always said that they had no idea who they were thinking about messing with! This 6 pound powerhouse has had his way around our 100 pound golden retrievers many times and would probably ground any bird foolish enough to mistake him for a tasty tidbit. I kept replaying all of the times that we laughed as we imagined predators spitting him out because he tastes bitter and his fur is so thick and course.
He has some socially unacceptable habits as well. We've always referred to him as the dog that only our family could love. That's why many of you haven't seen him much. If we have company, he is almost guaranteed to sense the captive audience and to embarrass us with his antics. We usually coax him into the laundry room with the promise of treats until guests leave.
As my thoughts continued to swirl uncontrollably in my sleepy stupor, I thought about the drool on Gonzo's back and his pathetic posture on the back steps and wondered if Nitro had somehow rescued him from a coyote and brought him home in his mouth.
That thought made me think of our amazing GOD. Even though we may be wayward and surly and lacking in social graces, our God follows us wherever we go and loves us despite the fact that we are unlovely to ourselves and to others. He is all about bringing us to healing. He loves us stubbornly and unconditionally.
It is that confidence that motivates us to overcome every obstacle in our path as we seek to bring our wheel chair bound Phillip home. This process is refining and healing and uniting us in so many ways. Phillip is a special boy who is loved by a BIG GOD: A GOD who has orchestrated Divine appointments and circumstances in order to bring home a broken boy and bring him into his broken family (including one wounded and rescued carin terrier) in order to bring glory to our BRILLIANT GOD.
Gonzo ran off AGAIN last week. This time a lot of fears were realized when he turned up missing... Nitro begged me to go out later, but I didn't think anything of it. I started to worry about the two of them when I finally went to bed. It is common for Gonzo to run off whenever he can, but Nitro usually stays within the boundaries of the invisible fence.
I called the neighbors. No, they hadn't seen the little Toto dog whose fur is like a brillo pad. Since they all know that he can run as fast as a cheetah, none were willing to be humiliated by attempting to catch the little escapee again.
At three in the morning, I awoke to the sound of Nitro barking and opened the laundry room door to find a pathetic Gonzo deposited on the back steps. He whimpered and couldn't move when I called him. He had drool on his back and his hair was matted. I went to get water and food. When I returned, I found nasty bite wounds on his neck and blood on the rug. He seemed to be paralyzed and in shock. I wept to see this little warrior in such rough shape. When I had done all that I knew how to to do treat his wounds, I went to bed, but I couldn't sleep.....
Gonzo has always believed that he is a ....BIG dog. We've never had the courage to tell him any different. As I tried to get back to sleep, all of the times that we joked about eagles circling our little cairn terrier floated around in my head. We've always said that they had no idea who they were thinking about messing with! This 6 pound powerhouse has had his way around our 100 pound golden retrievers many times and would probably ground any bird foolish enough to mistake him for a tasty tidbit. I kept replaying all of the times that we laughed as we imagined predators spitting him out because he tastes bitter and his fur is so thick and course.
He has some socially unacceptable habits as well. We've always referred to him as the dog that only our family could love. That's why many of you haven't seen him much. If we have company, he is almost guaranteed to sense the captive audience and to embarrass us with his antics. We usually coax him into the laundry room with the promise of treats until guests leave.
As my thoughts continued to swirl uncontrollably in my sleepy stupor, I thought about the drool on Gonzo's back and his pathetic posture on the back steps and wondered if Nitro had somehow rescued him from a coyote and brought him home in his mouth.
That thought made me think of our amazing GOD. Even though we may be wayward and surly and lacking in social graces, our God follows us wherever we go and loves us despite the fact that we are unlovely to ourselves and to others. He is all about bringing us to healing. He loves us stubbornly and unconditionally.
It is that confidence that motivates us to overcome every obstacle in our path as we seek to bring our wheel chair bound Phillip home. This process is refining and healing and uniting us in so many ways. Phillip is a special boy who is loved by a BIG GOD: A GOD who has orchestrated Divine appointments and circumstances in order to bring home a broken boy and bring him into his broken family (including one wounded and rescued carin terrier) in order to bring glory to our BRILLIANT GOD.
Monday, September 12, 2011
More Phillip Pics!
Key ring Phillip!
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Thanks.
This is a blog of thanks. I haven't blogged in a long time... mostly because I like to wait until I have something ridiculously clever to share before I blog. Today I don't really have any new insight or challenge or encouragement. I just have a heart full of thanks and prayer. It's hard to really describe how thankful I am-how excited I am over what GOD is doing. You would almost literally have to be "in my shoes" to truly understand. So... for just a moment... try it. Try to imagine my thought processes and feelings as you read through the following list of things I am praising God for in regards to the adoption process and the re-shaping of my family...
1.) Phillip.
2.) The opportunity to share... as often as I can... what GOD has done, is doing, and will continue.
3.) The way that friends have blessed my family-through finances, prayer, and words of encouragement.
4.) The way that total strangers have reached out and supported my family!
5.) Pictures of Phillip posted often by Sara Zhou.
6.) Dreams of what life will be like...
7.) A friend who is always there to listen and be excited right alongside me.
8.) The HOPE God has given us... that we get to share with Phillip... soon.
9.) The way that this experience is knitting my family together.
10.) The picture of God's LOVE and GLORY (which I am still catching glimpses of) that adoption is in itself.
11.) God's provision... past and future.
12.) The opportunity to grow in dependence on God.
13.) The opportunity to see my dad soften, grow... and cry.
14.) Prayers.
The list goes on... I'm sure this won't be the last "blog of thanks."
Brit.
1.) Phillip.
2.) The opportunity to share... as often as I can... what GOD has done, is doing, and will continue.
3.) The way that friends have blessed my family-through finances, prayer, and words of encouragement.
4.) The way that total strangers have reached out and supported my family!
5.) Pictures of Phillip posted often by Sara Zhou.
6.) Dreams of what life will be like...
7.) A friend who is always there to listen and be excited right alongside me.
8.) The HOPE God has given us... that we get to share with Phillip... soon.
9.) The way that this experience is knitting my family together.
10.) The picture of God's LOVE and GLORY (which I am still catching glimpses of) that adoption is in itself.
11.) God's provision... past and future.
12.) The opportunity to grow in dependence on God.
13.) The opportunity to see my dad soften, grow... and cry.
14.) Prayers.
The list goes on... I'm sure this won't be the last "blog of thanks."
Brit.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
What a phantastic view!
This is a picture of me and some cross country teammates at the top of Black Butte Mountain near Sisters, OR. It has been so fun to share our family's adventure with my friends at Corban!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)