Friday, January 29, 2010

What I Did Today ...

Left my house @ 8:15 to drive here ....


To get these documents certified ...



So that we could go here ...



To mail this ...



To America World Adoption Agency.

In other words, our dossier (all the paperwork) is on the first leg of it's journey to Ethiopia!!!

Next big milestone will be receiving our referral ... the picture of the actual child that will become a part of our family.  Becoming more real, each day.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

What's In Your Heart?


Read a great blog this morning that asked this question ... using a necklace she received at Christmas as the starting point.  Here's the link http://mycrazyadoption.org/whats-in-my-heart-2.  Feel free to go read it.  She writes a great deal about international adoption as well.

I love the question ... especially at the beginning of the new year.  Are the things in my heart this year, the same as last?  Am I making room in my heart for the things that God wants there by clearing out the old things that should not have a place there. 

The new things that I have made room for this year .... our new child who we will hopefully meet this year. I find myself longing to see this face, hold this child, love this gift that God is bringing to our family.  The second thing that is taking up more space in my heart than ever before, is my ministry with Saint Child.  I have served this organization for almost 4 years ... and for much of that time, it was service, obligation, one more thing to do.  Don't get me wrong, I believed that what this maternity home was doing mattered.  Taking young women who have nowhere else to go ... giving them a safe place to stay, immersing them in a loving family ... giving them a chance for a fresh start in life while they are growing and giving birth to a new life ... this is big stuff, important stuff.  It's just that my heart, my emotion wasn't always in it.   It is a blessing and a curse for me to be able to separate my heart from my actions much of the time.  But when those two line up?  There is a powerful change ... in me and in those that I am privileged to serve.


What's in your heart this year?