shedding---

Do you ever have that feeling that God is doing something in your heart? You don't know what it is exactly, but you know your heart is being changed? I'm there. I can't articulate what He is doing right now, but there is something brewing in my heart. There is a certain *discontentment*, but it is a good kind. There is some shedding of my old self, and it is a good thing. It is not a change that comes easily, but it is exciting to be being molded by God.

I just want to add that when we stepped out in faith towards adoption, I had absolutely no idea what a changed person I would become. It is exhilirating! I wouldn't trade any of this for anything!

Quirky Tag

I got tagged by my friend Trish. Here's the Rules--Link the person who tagged you.* Mention the rules in your blog.* Tell about six unspectacular quirks of yours.* Tag a new set of six following bloggers by linking them:

1. I love to play with fire. LOVE IT! Can't leave it alone. (well contained, safe fires...my insurance agent reads my blog and I don't want to cause her unnecessary stress that I'm going to burn our house down and cost her some pretty pennies due to my strange *fire player* quirk)
2. I hate doing laundry...I'll scrub toilets anyday over folding and putting away laundry.
3. I get totally grossed out at gross stories while I'm eating and can't eat the rest of my food.
4. I love sugar...love it! Pretty much any form...I'll take it. :)
5. I look through magazines, catalogs, manuals, etc. backwards.
6. I'm falling in love with my camera. seriously in love...

I'm tagging Heather. I know she's got some *serious quirks*, so this ought to be good. ;)

It just wouldn't be right if I didn't tag Betsy, Steff, Courtney (since she hasn't done it yet), Jana, and Karen too.

Tragedy for Steven Curtis Chapman's family

Oh please join me in praying for this family. Anyone associated with adoption has been touched by the Chapman's hearts for adoption. Their 5 year old daughter was struck and killed yesterday in the driveway of their home. Please read the whole story here. My heart hurts for all of them. I can not imagine their pain. Please, please join me in praying for their entire family.

Here is Steven Curtis Chapman's website.

(AP photo)

Foster Care Prayer Vigil

I just came across an event that is taking place this week nationwide. It is the First Annual Foster Care Prayer Vigil and I think it is absolutely amazing. "Many kids in foster care don't think they have a chance...let's change that."

If you have a prayer group that you are part of please consider devoting some time this week towards this prayer vigil. Please go to the link and see if there are any prayer meetings near you that you can be a part of. This is the First Annual event, maybe next year you maybe able to host one in your area.

Here is what Shohannah's Hope has to say about his event.

Shaohannah’s Hope is helping to promote the First Annual National Foster Care Prayer Vigil, along with FamilyLife’s Hope for Orphans and Focus on the Family. To be held the week of May 19-25th, 2008, the Prayer Vigil has been created to help believers gather together with others in their community and go before God on behalf of the half million children living in our nation’s foster care system. Children enter foster care due to circumstances beyond their control, including abuse, abandonment, neglect, and substance abuse on the part of their primary caretakers and are often shuffled from home to home. While some are eventually returned home and others blessed through adoption, unfortunately many fall through the cracks and languish for years in group homes, long-term foster homes, and shelters. During the vigil week, Christians will gather in churches and elsewhere across the nation in prayer for foster children, as well as their foster and adoptive families, their birth families, and their workers.

Please dedicate some time this week to join your fellow believers in prayer for the innocent children that are in our nation's foster system.

Our prayers can and will make a difference!!!

For those of you familiar with international adoption...Enjoy!

Maybe this is a good strategy for some of you ladies who are trying to convince your husbands to adopt another child. There are pregnancies that some refer to as "accidental pregnancies", how about "accidental adoptions"? The conversation might go something like this...


--Honey, sit down. I have some news for you.

--What is it?

--Well, I don't know how to say this, so I'll just come out with it. I went out to the mailbox today and ... well, we got an I-171H.

--A what?!? An I-171H? As in, we're going to have another baby?!?

--It looks that way.

--But how? We've been so careful! I put away all the blank I-600A forms. Didn't you hide our homestudy update?

--Of course I did. But don't forget, there was that one night ...

--What night? (pauses) Ohhh, that night. But it was only once. We were just messing around. I didn't print clearly. I didn't even use ink!(pauses again) But it was kind of fun.

--(giggles) It was, wasn't it? I'll never forget how cute you looked getting your fingerprints.

--So now we've got our I-171H, eh? But that doesn't always mean you'll adopt, does it? I mean, shouldn't you see the agency or something, makesure everything's okay?

--I already did.

--And?

--I'm five documents along.

--Five documents! And they're all notarized, certified and authenticated okay?

--Just great. There was one small scare when the agency couldn't see the notary's middle initial, but it showed up just fine under the magnifying glass.

--Thank God. And you, honey? Are you feeling okay?

--I'm feeling fine. As long as I know you're happy about this.

--Happy? I'm thrilled! It's always a shock at first when something like this happens, but of course I'm happy.



I got this in an email and thought it was too good not to share with you guys! ;)

Hudson is feeling better...

Thanks so much for praying! He seems to be feeling better. He is now breathing better, but still has the cough. Thank you, Thank you for your prayers!

as promised...more photos!