Hangin' On

We are on day 62 and no news in sight.

It is what it is and we will just keep hangin' on until we receive our LSC.

Tomorrow Ashlyn will be 22 months old...

time just keeps ticking by.

Hopefully we will have our LSC by her 23rd month.

Only time will tell.

Where We are Now

There is some good news in the China adoption community. China has sent out referrals and LOAs again! That is good news because the hold for the flu only lasted for about a week and a half, so it keeps everybody right on track. We are day 56. I saw someone get their LOA and they were on day 122! I definitely don't want to think that we are only half way through the wait. I'd much rather think that we should be receiving ours soon. There doesn't really seem to be an average so much at this point. People are receiving them anywhere from 30-100+ days. Most are at the 50 - 70 day range, I would guess. So we shall see.

Day 52.....

.....but what's the point in counting! China is on hold right now with adoptions, so the number of days is kind of thrown out the window at this point.

I did want to share something that my sweet friend, Susan, emailed me this morning. I thought that it fit perfectly with where I am right now in my relationship with God.

I must settle once and for all where my responsibility rests. God challenges me, “Who's going to run your life?” If it is I, then I must bear the responsibility; if God, He must bear the responsibility. My Bible tells me that when Jesus found me He placed me on His shoulders (Luke 15:5). Peter says, “Throw all your anxiety onto Him, for his concern is about you.: (I Peter 5:7)

I cannot have two masters; therefore, I must make a choice. If I choose God as my Master, I must relinquish all responsibility to myself. This means I cannot be perplexed about God's will for my life, for if it is His responsibility, then He must inform me, not I Him. All anxieties should cease for, if they do not, then I have assumed charge once again. For God will make clear to me at the right time what I need to know and what I need to do. All restlessness should cease, for restlessness means that I am not in control, I am not on top of things. Being “on top of things” is now God's business and not mine. Therefore I rest.

My sole responsibility is not responsibility but response. I merely look to the “hand” and the “eyes” of my Master (Psalm 123:2) and respond to His wishes. Then I hear myself saying with the psalmist, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8).


What a sweet reminder for me that all I have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

Look What Was in My Email!!!!

She has got to be one of the most beautiful baby girls I have EVER seen!!!!

Ann at Red Thread is the most amazing and patient person in the world. If you use her, do not take for granted what goes on behind the scenes. This picture and the three others that she sent are nothing but a HUGE answer to prayer! I am still shaking and doing the happy dance.

Some of you know how badly I needed this big gift.

God is so good!

Day 40 and Still Waiting

We are on day 40 of our wait for our LSC (LOA). We are anticipating that we will receive it in the next week or two. At that point we will have 9 - 12 weeks before we travel to get our little girl. So we could possibly be leaving in July! Wow! Back when we sent in our LOI we were thinking that we would be leaving in September or October. The fact that we could possibly be leaving in July sends my head spinning...but in a good way. You see, my baby's birthday is July 30th and she will be turning two!!! I have prayed from the beginning of this adoption that whatever child God gives me, please don't let me miss more than one birthday. Hopefully this is His will.

I have started working on the nursery. Taking down wall paper is easy, getting all of that glue off is another story. Thank goodness it is only one wall. So we are in full gear now to get everything done by July. I have my packing list put together. I don't think I missed anything, but if you want to help me out please feel free to.

I also received my approved addendum to our homestudy today. I'll need it if our LSC comes because I have to mail like a gazillion pieces of paper to USCIS with my I800. Yes, we are a Hague family. So, everything is ready on my end. I just need that coveted piece of paper saying that we can come and get her! Please pray it comes soon! Thank you, all of my amazing bloggy friends!

What is God Asking of You?

I have learned a lot about myself throughout this adoption process. Mostly, I have learned that I am a new person every time I follow God's lead and I am obedient to His direction. I can look back and say that I am not who I was two years ago. God has opened my heart to what my life is truly suppose to be about. My purpose for the rest of my life will be to advocate for the orphans of this world. I am at a place in my life that I love (for I have felt the Heart of God) and I never want to go back!

Music has a significant role in my life. I find that there are songs that I can sing that say exactly what I wanted to say, but I could not find the words for. This is especially true with my favorite song which is sung by Matthew West. His song seems to be coming straight from my heart. His song entitled "the Motions" is absolutely where I am living right now.

The following lyrics are words that I feel we all need to hear, but not to just listen to with our ears...listen to them with your heart.

This might hurt, it's not safe, but I know that I've gotta make a change

I don't care if I break, at least I'll be feeling something

'Cause just okay is not enough. Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

Without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking,

"What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?"

No regrets, not this time I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind

Let Your love make me whole. I think I'm finally feeling something

'Cause just okay is not enough. Help me fight through the nothingness of this life

Take me all the way.

I know I'm finally feeling something real.

Because of this adoption and because this song has pushed me to do more with my life I have had the honor of starting an orphan care ministry at my church. It is already bigger than I can believe and I just presented it a couple of weeks ago. When you let God lead, He can take off with what He has asked you to step up to the plate for. Like the song says, "This might hurt". I am so out of my box with this ministry. I really enjoyed my role of stay-at-home mom with my four kids, minding my own business, volunteering where needed. But my God said, "That's not enough." And it's truly not. We need to get to the end of our lives feeling like we have really lived life to the fullest. We can not let fear stand in our way. And we definitely can not keep saying that "I will do it after...." After may never come. What if life was to end next year, next month, next week? Most of us would live differently than we have been, and that is where we lose out. You will experience more joy if you are living life to the fullest. God will lead you, you just have to be brave enough to step out of the box with a little bit of faith. He will do the rest...I promise!

Please watch this video of Matthew West's "The Motions". I pray that it will move your heart the way that it moved mine.