Thursday, November 26, 2009

GOTCHA DAY!!!!!


Twelve years ago today I climbed on a bus in Changsha, China, and said to my travel mates, "Hey, guys...I was just thinking. Every morning for the last month I have looked at the picture of my daughter and said "Hang on baby, Mama's coming!" And NOW (gulp) I am!" Which instantly made 16 tense, preoccupied people laugh, and then cry! An hour later a wailing and writhing bundle of joy was placed in my arms, and my life changed instantly for the better.


Today my girl is 13 years old. How can that be? I am TELLING you, it was just yesterday she was a tiny little peanut! I am so over the top blessed with this child. Thank You, Father, for the unimaginable gift of ShaoXi. Please bless her life, keep Your hand upon it, and let her know beyond a shadow of a doubt that You love her and have a plan for her life. AMEN!!!!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Count your blessings...I promise you, you have many!
Blessings...Nancy


Thursday, November 19, 2009

Thankful Thursday

You know, it makes it easier to jump in and blog a little, when you have these "themes" for some days! SOOO...thankfulness. I'm full of it! :)

I am thankful...first and foremost, for my Lord and Saviour, Jesus! For His redemptive work in my life, and for His mercy to me, a sinner. For the Holy Spirit Who dwells within me, helping me to live this life IN HIM.

I am thankful to live in this amazing country, The United States of America. Where I can walk out of my house and go anywhere I want, and no one questions it. I can worship freely with my amazing church family anytime I wish. I am thankful for the people who KEEP this country that way...for our servicemen and women who put their lives in harms way on a daily...no, hourly...um, maybe MINUTE by MINUTE basis, so that I can keep these freedoms. I am not only thankful for those who currently serve, but for those who have served in the past, since the founding of this great land. I think of my Dad, whom I miss dearly, who led his platoon onto the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, in WWII. Of his bravery, and all those who followed him.

I am thankful for my family, but MOST especially for my precious daughter, a gift beyond measure, priceless and cherished. I often think that if I could have had free rein in China, to pick ANY child I wanted, I could NEVER have chosen as well as God did, when He gave me the gift of ShaoXi. Blessings abound!

I am thankful for every day that I wake up and LIVE my life.

Oh, I have so much more...but time flies by, and I need to get to work! A job...another thing to be thankful for!

Blessings...Nancy

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Wordless Wednesday!




Well, almost! :) Because who can resist saying...aren't they the CUTEST things? My baby nieces, Cadence Rae the cow, and Hayleigh Christina, the lamb!
Blessings...Nancy


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow!

Precious Stellan is doing GREAT! It is truly a MIRACLE. The surgery did EXACTLY what it was supposed to do! God spoke into the ears of the dr's who were about ready to give up, and they tried an unthought of procedure...and it was spot on! They got it done! He is awake, somewhat crabby, and ALIVE!!! And as far as they know, his heart is now FINE! They will do an esophegeal study tomorrow, as well as an ECHO, to make sure all is well. But they are rejoicing in Boston, let me tell ya!

AND...the Saunders heard back from a SENATOR (remember, a congressman had already said "Nope, I can't help you!") and so they continue to leave Jubilee in God's Hands, and trust in Him.
I'll keep you posted!

And my friend Wendy's little guy, Steven, who is 3, had successful lip revision surgery. He was born with cleft lip and palate, and the lip was repaired in China...but not very well, cosmetically. Soon after he came home in Spring of 2008 they had his palate repaired. Little man should be coming home this afternoon! YIPPEE, JESUS!!!

Blessings...Nancy

Monday, November 9, 2009

Stellan...and a Saunders update

There is a "button" on my sidebar, "Pray for Stellan." NEVER has he needed it more. He is at Boston Children's Hospital. Was supposed to have a risky procedure done TOMORROW, but he "crashed" last night, his heart has stopped at least once, and they are struggling to keep him alive long enough to do the procedure. Trust me, he is one of the most beautiful baby boys I have EVER laid my eyes on! Please pray for him, and his mama Jen, who is all alone in Boston. Pray for her husband, who is on his way from Minnesota. Jen is all alone. It breaks my heart.

The Saunders...what can I say? A congressman has either failed to help them, or was unwilling...not really clear about this. But it didn't work, and so...the last twitter from Linny is that they have given up; Jubilee Promise belongs to God, and they are asking Him to keep her safe. I believe they will still pursue her adoption, but only God knows if it will go through.

Blessings...Nancy

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Please, oh PLEASE, pray for the Saunders!

My precious friend Linny and her family so very much need our prayers! Long story short, they have been pursuing the adoption of a specific, precious little girl in China, already named Jubilee Promise Saunders. It has taken SOOO much longer than it should, and just an hour or two ago, they learned that somehow immigration had messed up something, and they would need to begin over again...not sure exactly how much, and what, but this little one is WAITING, and Linny and Dw and their kids are, too!

If anyone knows ANYONE in power in Colorado (where the Saunders live) that might be willing to get involved in this, please email Linny at aplacecalledsimplicity@yahoo.com and let them know! But please pray...and go to Linny's blog, if you have never been there...read about their hearts for orphans...and I don't just mean Linny and Dw's hearts...every one of their kids is invested in adopting orphans, too! aplacecalledsimplicity.blogspot.com

You really need to go back to the beginning and read the whole blog...it is WORTH reading. You will find the very heart of God revealed there. Satan is NOT happy with this family. It is amazing the blows they have taken from that Father of Lies. And yet they still hold fast to their Saviour, still hold out for the orphans, and still move ahead with the plan of God, working out through their lives. Amazing grace!

Blessings...Nancy

Home

Tonight I'm sitting here reveling in the smells of a wonderful pot roast dinner cooking in the oven, the sounds of my daughter humming in her bedroom, and the wonderful sense of "HOME." And it makes me wonder...if these truly LITTLE things can do this, what might happen if we actually caught a glimpse of our REAL home, heaven? What wondrous things might happen in our lives, in the lives of those around us, in the lives of everyone with whom we came in contact?

I am thankful today...although it is not QUITE "Thankful Thursday." 12 years ago I was flying about like a crazed thing, getting ready to head to China for the adventure of a lifetime. I didn't have a CLUE what an impact this little baby would have on my life. And isn't that much what the very first Christmas was like? No one then, even Mary or Joseph, who must have had an INKLING, had a REAL clue as to how this tiny soon-to-be born babe would turn the world upside down.

Life is full of lessons. I am thankful that I have a heart and mind open to learning them. How sad it would be to not see the beauty and the truths in the experiences we go through every single day...to see the value of them, indeed the value of each and every life. There are those who do not...who, in my opinion (and remember, we are all entitled to our opinions...and anyhow, it's MY blog!) live very sad, dark, unhappy lives...and even if they do not think they are living that NOW...they will be for sure, in eternity! And THAT breaks the heart of God.

Yikes...in the middle of that last paragraph, my daughter came in...and brought up the subject of beliefs (mind you, she is only 13!) and said that there was a "quiz" on whether you were conservative or liberal, and she "tested out" as a liberal. Which scares the pants off of her mama! YIKES!!!! Oh boy, back to parenting 101!!!

See...even with all the peace and serenity God gives us, there is always contention in the "Garden of Eden." Darn that old snake, anyhow!!!

Blessings...Nancy

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Carol

Last night we received the heartbreaking news that our precious friend Carol lost her courageous battle with cancer. She was one of the wittiest, funniest, sweetest, generous people I have ever met. I just LOVED hanging out with her, it was so much fun!!!! I can only imagine that her husband Bruce is lost right now without her by his side. I can't imagine his pain, nor that of her kids and grandkids. She was younger than me by a year or two, I think. Oh, how our family loved her! She will be so very much missed by all who knew her.





My girl doesn't know yet. She was away for the night last night, so I will have to break the news to her, a task I do not relish. This little girl (okay, not SO little anymore! But still little to ME!) had lost more people in her short life than I have in my entire life. I hate that for her. When I told her a few weeks ago that Auntie Carol's cancer had come back with a vengeance, and she only had a week or two to live, Shao cried. And in typical kid fashion (not to belittle her grief, it was VERY real!) she lifted her head, tears on her face, and said "Oh, MOMMY!!! WHO will buy me all those amazing presents? (Aunt Carol had a talent for finding the perfect gifts!) You know I love Uncle Bruce, but he gets me things like "Boys Smell Funny" ( a book/journal that she loves and uses, but still!) Kids are so funny, even in the darkest of times.





Here is a layout I did last night, and a poem I wrote. I will miss you Carol, but I will see you one day soon!





Blessings...Nancy