AMAZING weekend!

God blessed me with the opportunity to attend my first adoptive mom's conference called Created for Care (www.createdforare.org) this past weekend and WOW...what an AMAZING weekend it was!  I was surrounded by 450 other moms from around the country who have a heart for adoption, for the world, for children in need of a forever family, and most importantly, we all love Jesus!  It was an AMAZING time of worship, reflection, prayer, encouragement and sharing of stories and information.  I got LOTS of information about this new journey that our family is on as we continue waiting for our daughter Jenna to be home with us from China.

I was AMAZED by story after story of moms pouring their lives into children from every part of the world.  I was AMAZED by story after story of moms sacrificing their own wants and needs for the wants and needs of children who had never had their wants or needs met before.  I was AMAZED by story after story of moms who shared so freely about the many ups and downs that come with adoption.  I was AMAZED by the story of a beautiful, grown adoptee who so candidly shared her heart of what it feels like to be adopted.  I was AMAZED by the bond that moms immediately have when they share a heart for children without a family.   But I was especially AMAZED at how AMAZING the Lord truly is...He is good, He is love, and He is faithful!

Jenna...I cannot wait to see your face when we get your referral, I cannot wait to finish all the necessary paperwork so we can get approval to travel to China, I cannot wait to fly on a plane 20+ hours to your country, I cannot wait to meet you face-to-face and hold you in my arms, and I cannot wait to bring you home to your family that will love you forever.  But until the Lord allows all of this to happen, I am trusting Him to watch over you, because He is the God who sees you and loves you!

Jenna...as I type this late at night on January 27, 2012, I am also thinking about my mom, your Mimi that you never had the opportunity to meet this side of heaven.  A few hours from now will mark four months since she want to be with Jesus in heaven and oh, how I miss my mom.  She was the first one I told about our decision to adopt and I know she would have loved to hear all about my amazing weekend.  But as much as I miss her, I am so very thankful she is healed and whole in heaven...and my heart tells me that the Lord has shown my mom who you are and she can't wait until I get to see you, too.  So until that day comes I will continue to entrust you to my AMAZING Heavenly Father!

On a side note...our immigration approval came this weekend, too!  This is AMAZING because we were told it may take 6-8 weeks and we got it in less than 3 weeks.  So now our dossier has to be authenticated and then it will be sent to China...praise the Lord!!!

All God's Children

RED--YELLOW--BLACK--AND WHITE...

ALL ARE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT!

Shelby has always loved arts-and-crafts and some of her work simply amazes me...and today's "family portrait" was no exception.  Shelby is VERY EXCITED to have a little sister from China and cannot wait to have Jenna here with us.  I've tried to explain to her that adoption is a long process but much of this is hard for her 6-year-old mind to comprehend...and in all honesty, it is hard for my 39-year-old mind to comprehend, too.  But the good news is that there is a light at the end of this long and winding tunnel...a precious orphan from China will have a forever family and our family as we know it will be forever changed to the glory of God! 

Please continue to pray for our family as we keep waiting, planning, and praying.  As much as Jason and I and our three kiddos are excited to have a new daughter/sister, there will inevitably be a lot of changes that occur with the addition of a new child, especially one with minor special needs and from another country!  However, just as the lyrics of the children's song above says, ALL ARE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT.  ALL are deserving of a forever family.  We are blessed to be on this journey to give one little girl in China a family!

Thank you, Shelby, for sharing your love for your little sister Jenna in this beautiful work of {he}art!!!

Pieces of the Puzzle

As a young girl, I loved doing jigsaw puzzles with my Grandmother.  The challenge of finding each piece and where it fit into the overall puzzle was pure joy and, at times, pure frustration.  Yet the final outcome--a beautiful picture--was worth the time and effort, frustration and all.

I am quickly learning that the adoption process is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the final outcome--bringing our precious Jenna home from China--will be worth all the "puzzle pieces" that must be put together for that to come to pass.   

Two more pieces of the adoption puzzle were put into place this week. (Sidenote: I added our "Adoption Timeline" on the left side of my blog...the latest "puzzle pieces" are at the bottom of the timeline and will be updated as each new piece is added to the puzzle!)  Yesterday I drove to Atlanta to get my biometric fingerprinting done for the United States Center for Immigration Services (USCIS).  Then today, Jason made the same trip to Atlanta for his fingerprints to be taken.  This is the third set of fingerprints we've had to have done in this process...all part of the puzzle.  Once we get our approval from the USCIS in approximately 6-8 weeks, our dossier will be ready to send to China...and THAT is a HUGE piece of the puzzle and one to celebrate.  But for today, I am rejoicing that these two important pieces of our adoption puzzle are nicely in place.  And one day, a day that I am dreaming of, that final piece will be put into place...the day we bring our daughter, Jenna Jean, HOME!!!

Speaking of HOME...a song that I have grown to love is called "This Is Home" by Switchfoot.  It was a song in The Chronicles of Narnia movie and I have been so encouraged by it as I think about bringing our daughter HOME! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ykm1v9xbU