Looking Up!

Today has been a good day!  God has a way of bringing you just what you need even before you even know that you need it!  I have spent the last couple days crying through Mary Beth Chapman's book Choosing to See.  It is an amazing story about God's grace and faithfulness through the good and the bad!  I can't imagine the pain and the heartache that the Chapman family has gone through and pray that I never have to walk that journey of sorrow.  Their strength and resolve to cling to Christ is amazing.  One of her chapters she talks about taking a walk on the beach.  She is looking down at her feet and feeling heartbroken and confused.  She felt God tell her to look up.  As she did she realized that the clouds had cleared and God had painted a beautiful ocean scene that only the creator of the universe can create.  God was telling her to look up - to keep her eyes on Him and He would give her glimpses of His glory.  I feel like today - God has allowed me to LOOK UP and has encouraged me in unexpected ways!

This afternoon I was able to sit down at my computer and listen in on our adoption agencies monthly conference call that took place yesterday.  As I listened, I heard that there ARE children still in need of families!  There ARE children that need loving homes and Mamas and Daddies to hold them!  Even in the slow downs and quiet God is still at work!  Paperwork - Paperwork - Paperwork....this is the hold up!  I was encouraged more than I have been in a while and felt at peace that there are sweet children that God has planned for some amazing families.  I am SO excited to see how God orchestrates it all for His glory!  Keep praying for these families!  This was my first LOOKING UP of the day!  Thank you God for peace in the waiting!

I got home with my boys to greet daddy and precious Leah!  I pulled in and got the mail which I don't think we'd picked up from the post office all week!  The box was overflowing!  There was a brown manila envelope from the African Children's Choir.  I tore it open-I was excited to see what was inside because a couple weeks ago when we went to their concert we signed up to sponsor a child.  I was a little disappointed when I opened it up and found their promo magazine - the same one we got at the concert.  I flipped it open to some papers in the middle and found a letter addressed to us thanking us for sponsoring a child.  I said - out loud even - "What's with this?  Where is the cute litte picture of the kid we sponsored?"  It was said with disappointment and sadness.  No sooner than the words were out of my mouth, I moved the thank you letter and looked into a set of beautiful brown eyes!  Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked into the face of a handsome young boy who we get the privelege to sponsor and pray for!  He is 8 years old - RIGHT between my boys' ages - and he is in 1st grade - SAME as Noah!  We are encouraged to write to him and he will write back!  I am excited to watch the boys interact and take part in this amazing opportunity.  I ask that you please join us in praying for this young boy who will grow up to be an amazing man of God.  Pray that our family will be blessed through the relationship that we will be able to build with him as he and my boys grow up together!  His name is Mark and he is from Uganda!  This was my second LOOKING UP of the day!  Thank you God for your reminder that children are a blessing!

I put the mail aside and we went out to dinner as a fam before daddy had to head to work.  We had a pleasant dinner visiting and chatting about life.  As we got in the car to come home, I pulled out my phone and got on the yahoo chat group for families adopting from our agency's Ethiopian program.  As the page loaded a wide smile crossed my face and I think I even gasped a little out of surprise.  There had been a family post about receiving a referral today!  It has been so quiet lately and hardly ANY referrals have been given out!  It gets so sad waiting and watching nothing happen!  It doesn't even have to happen for me - even though I can't wait until it does!  It has been such a blessing getting to rejoice and lift up other families in their journey!  Their referral was a breath of fresh air to keep everyone holding on for a little while longer.  This was my third LOOKING UP of the day!  Thank you God for allowing us GLIMPSES of what is to come!

I will continue to do my best to LOOK UP to God for direction, for guidance, for love, for support, for protection, for comfort, for _______ (whatever else I will so desperately need Him for)!