I can see the grin

     All week I have carried around my new verse to help my mind, Psalm 50:10, which I wrote about last time (God owns the cattle on a thousand hills). However, I added verse 12. This is God speaking "If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it."
     I LOVE THAT VERSE! It so speaks to my mindset. God has so many resources, and knowledge of our journey to go with it!
     So, my mind this past week has been covered in contentment from the Holy Spirit with that verse. Which is such a blessing.

     Friday is date day for Matt and I since Natalie and Jaydn are in school and neither of us work on Friday's. It has been a huge blessing not to have to pay a babysitter. ANYWAY, yesterday's date started with a trip to get the oil changed in both vehicles and conversation about how we really need to get the word out about finances for Maggie b/c the donations were kind of at a stand still.. Romantic huh?
     Well, while waiting, at 8:05a.m. I text a friend our newest goal of $6,500, b/c she is helping us get the word out. At 8:27 I get a text from another friend wanting info so they could make a donation.
     When we got home a couple hours later we found a PayPal donation for $7,000. $7,000! Not only had the Lord moved them to give, but it covered that goal and covered our Visas!!! I had returned home before Matt, but was on the phone with him when I saw the amount. I just kept saying "OH, my word. Oh, my word. Thank you Jesus!" I told Matt I had to get off and have a thank session with our God. I hit end and started the thanks and the tears just came."

I believe Jesus was grinning from ear to ear...in fact I am sure of it.

We received these pics this week. My mom says her pout looks like me when I was little!

God can even use cows

     I was debating whether I should blog about God using a cow for me yesterday, some might think I am a bit odd. My husband says "just simple". So, do with it as you will, but God used a cow to calm my heart.
     Yesterday my heart was low on hope in the fund raising area, on finances in general, really. We still have roughly $12,000 to raise to bring Maggie home. Then we got a letter from our mortgage company telling us they figured our escrow wrong so we can either give them almost $600 or start paying more each month on our mortgage. Then we realized that our flex spending for medical is gone until March, so all regular prescriptions come out of our pockets. Uggh. We are used to having that benefit, so that will be an adjustment.
     In comes the cows...I was watching some show which had cows in a field. One man started playing his instrument for the cows and one by one the cows came over to listen. By the time four men were playing their instruments, a whole herd of cows was mesmerized. It was hilarious!
     An hour later I was watching AFV, a tongue segment, which had cows showing their tongues. I was quite unimpressed, HOWEVER, it was at this moment, as I was changing the channel out of disgust, that God's voice spoke to my heart. "A thousand hills Shari. A thousand hills. I own the cattle on a thousand hills." It is a verse found in Psalm 50:10, which translated means, 'YOU CAN'T FATHOM THE RESOURCES I POSSESS!'

So there you have it. My heart went to bed renewed in God's knowledge of His resources.
   

The Scenario in my mind...

     Our homestudy first has to travel to DSS before meeting up with our I800A at USCIS in MO. It's been at DSS for 28 days. Four weeks.
     A friend of mine received her I800A approval after 48 days. Time is ticking...
     We had our fingerprint appointment this morning. Another step closer to approval...but not without our homestudy being matched with your I800A in MO. Still ticking...
   
     I find myself reminding Jesus of the scenario. Praying out of fear really. As if He doesn't understand time. Oh, the fear of the unknown. And the frustration of being able to do nothing about the timing of the journey.
     Our homestudy agency was able to speak with the lady looking over the homestudies at DSS. Come to find out she has been filling in for someone else so she is a little behind on the studies. My guess is she is feeling pretty overwhelmed. My thought? "Jesus, do you really think it's necessary for someone to be out of that office NOW? I mean, MY homestudy is there..."
     Then this morning while getting ready for the day, the sweet voice of Jesus spoke to me again. (He tends to do that when I am lost in the midst of myself). "Shari, how about praying for the overwhelmed lady having to fill in for someone AND work with the homestudies?"

Enough said. I am praying for her today. Trying desperately to convince myself of how much God understands that I don't.

Two questions

   I have had two questions in my brain this week. One, what does a heart do with waiting? And two, what do you write on a blog when you are just waiting? I mean, don't you have to write something that people would be interested in?
   I am a terrible "wait-er". When Matt & I run errands and he just needs to run into a store quickly, I still opt to go with him so I know WHY I am waiting for what feels like forever.
    We are just beginning to wait on our I800A approval. Some people are at 50/60 days and we are closer to 20. And already my heart is screaming for the time to MOVE.
    However, I will daily choose to take God at His word. I have to. I cling to it. Isaiah 40, says that those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength and Psalm 19 says all His ways are perfect. Which means I have to continually lay down my heart and trust that our "gotcha day" with Maggie Mei is already set. This has been Jesus' gig from the beginning. He thought this up and changed our hearts, so I have to keep the focus in the right place.
    What floors me is that Jesus knew, before we even agreed to step out in faith, that we would struggle at points through this...and He still chose to work with us.
    Hmm...guess that's the beauty of the gospel. Jesus chooses to work in me - an impatient, imperfect woman - simply because I choose to believe that God is real. He can take the mundane, everyday life, and show His absolute glory. It's a beautiful thing.
 

Five days of quiet

    This week is my final week before work. What that means is 5 days of a quiet house from 7:35a - 2:30p (other than my loud music in the background)! I am savoring every minute, as I realized the other day that next year at this time we will have a little 2 year old side-kick again!
    Even in this time I see my sweet Savior's hand. It has given me prolonged devotions, time to tidy up the house without interruptions, time to wander favorite stores by myself, and time to fill out paperwork for the Abba Fund & Show Hope!
    The Abba Fund is a foundation that gives interest free loans for qualifying adopting families. We are really hoping we qualify! Show Hope is Steven Curtis Chapman's foundation that gives grants for adopting families. I am preparing the finishing touches on both and hoping to send those out tomorrow (Wed.).
    In the background Christy Nockels is singing..."be blessed, be loved, be lifted high, be treasured here, be glorified..." Oh, how I hope that is what I am doing for Jesus in this journey!
   We have decided on Maggie's middle name - Mei (pronounced May)!
    Mei means "beautiful"; Maggie means "Pearl". So, in a round-about way, it means "beautiful pearl". We like it, but we laugh because she has an American first name, Chinese middle name, and a Dutch last name! And said together, Maggie Mei, it has a southern sound! Love it!
    Please pray for continued financial support to come in...we need $88 more for the dossier, followed up quickly with a $480 fee and then $150.
    Thank you to all who are following this journey with us! For all your prayers, financial donations, material donations and interest!! We are humbled.

Blessings, one after another...thank you Jesus!

    This week has held several blessings for us on the adoption journey! I have been in contact with two other mom's on the same journey! One leaves tomorrow for China and was willing to take our Maggie a gift! (I can't wait to do that for someone when we go!!) The other is at the same point in the journey, so there is a chance we will travel together.
    Another blessing is that our homestudy has been approved by our placing agency, so final touches are being made and it will then be sent to DSS for approval and will then meet up with our I800A! I am beyond excited to be at this point - even though it involves waiting!
    Yet another blessing is on the financial front - we have received around $2,600 within the last week! We are only $36 short of the funds needed for the dossier! And, once we have our homestudy in hand, we have grant/loan forms to go out!!
     I am humbled that so many are following our journey! We pray that God would get every bit of the glory, for it is HIM who is able to accept it and deserves it!
 

Steady Expectation

     This past week our homestudy was sent to our placing agency for approval! Along with that was a fee of $1,500, of which we were short $250. I posted on FB that we needed the funds TODAY (8/2) & we would wait and see what God did...well, THAT DAY we received $275!
     Six years ago my hubby and I started what we call the "Jehovah Jirah" list. Jehovah Jirah is a name for God which basically means "Our God will provide."
     It started as a list on our refrigerator and has now turned into a journal. In it we list every way that God provides for us, be it financial, physical, spiritual, etc. The journal is our everyday application for our faith - when we doubt God's goodness or provision for us, we can read through the journal and be reminded of His faithfulness. It has helped to build in us a STEADY EXPECTATION for God to be present.
     God changed our hearts towards a growing family, knowing He would have to supply the funds. He is growing our faith daily and I am so grateful! It's really been a crazy journey in that we receive funds for one fee, rejoice in that for that day, and get up the next day and start praying for funds for the next fee. STEADY EXPECTATION.
     Once our homestudy is approved, we get to send in the next form, with a required fee of $890...we are only $352 short!!
     Psalm 5:3 says it well..."In the morning you hear my voice; In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."