Getting Ready for Christmas

We had so much fun decorating for Christmas! We are looking forward to a great holiday season!

Great Quote

The secret formula of the Saints: When I'm in the cellar of affliction, I look for the Lord's choicest wines.

-Samuel Rutherford (1600-1661)

(Puritan Preacher)

A quote from: The Confessions of St. Augustine

I'm currently reading The Confessions of St. Augustine as part of my daily devotions . The Modern English Version is very easy to read and offfers some deep reflections on being a sinnner, and yet being a child of God. Here is one excerpt which I found particularly moving.

"Oh that I might rest on You, Dear Lord.

Oh, that You would enter my heart and make it intoxicated, so that I might forget all woes and embrace You, my only good.

What are You to me? Take pity on me and teach me how to express it.

What am I to you that You demands my love and care enough to be angry and threaten me with grievous woes if I do not give it? It is no small woe if I do not love You."

Page 18; The Confessions of St. Augustine (Modern English Version)

I am my biggest problem

Take time to read this article entitled I Am My Biggest Problem. Its short, honest, truthful and humbling.

A Couple Great Quotes From my Book

The Bible does not just tell the story of God's work of salvation; at the same time it reveals God's character. He is its hero from beginning to end. Sometimes we miss the point by asking to quickly, 'What is this saying to me?' A good first question to ask whenever we look at a passage is, 'What does this tell me about God?' Very often the application for us will then be obvious. The Bible is, above all, a book about God. (p.65)

...But even when we do not understand God's purposes, we can be sure that they are loving ones and that they always guarantee that His will is done. (p. 64) (I need to frame this...don't I?)

Quotes from the book: God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts

No Legals Yet.

Yup...still no legals. We've been waiting 52 days, (not that I'm counting, well, actually my computer is counting) Everything is just sitting, waiting, stuck...nothing can start without them.

AGAHAGAH! I really feel like this woman right now.

What I'm reading now.

I just started reading the book entitled God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts. Here's one excerpt from the introduction of the book:

"I had already completed a theology degree at university, but it left me unable to find my way around the Bible. There had been detailed analysis of individual books and passages, but no one had shown me how they fit together. My friend however was able to travel through the Bible with apparent ease. It was as if he was using a map while I was left without any sense of direction. I asked him how he did it. He told me about a book that outlined the main elements in the story of the Bible from beginning to end.

"My aim (in writing this book) is to provide all Christians, from the new convert to the mature believer, with an overview of the whole Bible that will help them see how the different parts fit together. I want to put in my reader's hands the map that I have found so helpful. "

If you've ever wondered how the Old Testament ties into and prepares readers for the New Testament, then this is the book for you. (PS: Its an easy read too!! You could get through it in a week!)

Where are Our Legals?

Good question!! Normally, Legals take 4-6 weeks to arrive from Korea. This is packet of paperwork that contains legal documents that must be submitted with our application for Addison's Visa. Basically, nothing can happen without this paperwork. Everything is hold until we get this. Everything. So, we are currently on our 7^th week waiting for these important papers to arrive. I emailed Holt and they immediately looked into it. They do not know where they are at this point, and we were told to contact them at the end of the week in order to give them time to reach Korea. It is suspected that the Legals are taking longer because she wasn't born in Seoul. I've been told it could be 7-9 weeks as a result of the delays. AHAGAHG! Its so frustrating! Basically, everything has now been pushed back a month. I'm really tired of delays, waiting, and bumps in the road. Ug.

What Have We Been Doing The Last week?

November 6, 7, & 8th: Bowl Games all weekend

(Thats a lot of football..too much actually!!)

November 8th - Drew's 10th Birthday

His grandma gave his this hat. He wore it all morning at church, all day, and went to bed with it on. (I guess he likes it!)

November 12th - Middle School Dance
I

November 13th - Drew's Birthday Party & Sleepover

That's just a quick overview of where I've been. Oh!!! ...and I forgot to mention basketball games, practice, and my job!! Thankfully, next week will be more sane!!

Something to Look Forward to!

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Holt saying they were going to get video of Addison next time she came in for her Well Baby Check. I am so excited about this!!!! How wonderful! All seriousness set aside, I'll just be thrilled to see her little face, her chubby legs, her smile, her babbling, …her. I can't wait to see how she's changed! The only photo we have of her was when she was 6 weeks old, so she looks completely different now. We probably won't recognize her! I'm so excited! Any medical knowledge that can be gained from the video will be secondary to me falling in love with her. I doubt that's a rational approach, but right now, I simply do not care. That news was a great encouragement to me! YEAH!

Update on Addison…(here we go again)

Its ironic that I just taught a lesson over fear at Bible study Monday night and then am struggling with it the very next day. (I guess God wants me to live what I teach..amazing..I thought I had this one down?!) I got a new medical update on Addison. I thought it was odd, because we already got her well baby check for October and won't get anything again until the end of November. I opened the attachments to find that the doctor and FM were noting that "she wags her head and arms three times for 2-3 second intervals, but then stops when she is held." (What does "wag" mean anyway???) In addition, she has significant head lag still at 6 months old.

Now I realize that this could be nothing at all, but I also realize it could be something. The "little something" we noted with our first referral ended up being HUGE, even life threatening. So we've decided to ask for video of both the head lag and the "wag of the head and arms." We are also requesting an EEG be done just to rule out any seizure activity. There is a huge part of me that really doesn't think anything is wrong…after all, seizures don't stop when a child is held, but there is still some uncertainty mixed in. I believe this is just the foster mom and doctors being extra careful, which I'm thankful for. Whatever the case may be, this report is unsettling and I would, yet again, ask for your prayers. I've chosen not to worry knowing that God is gracious in all that He does, but your prayers would definitely be appreciated as we pray for this situation and in doing so, thank God for is mercy, provision, and choose to trust him, even though I feel very prone to fret.

I ended Monday night's Bible study with the following verse: "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 4:6-8. Pray that the peace of God guards our hearts and that our little girl is found to be healthy. Thanks so much. We appreciate you all.

YEAH! Some Movement!!!

Oh yes!!!! Korea has approved Addison's Emigration Permit!!!! YEAH!! We are SO delighted! This part of the process can take 2-3 months...sometimes even longer and it only took about three weeks for us to get it!! (It was approved on October 20th!) That is a complete miracle! I'm so excited to see some movement with her paperwork!!! We are still waiting on her Legals from Korea. Were hoping to get those within the next ten days so we can submit her i600 which has to be approved in order for her to get a visa!! I'm SO SO SO excited!!! God is gracious...so gracious and kind!