Charlotte Cup Champs

It was an amazing weekend to be an Angry Bird!  Anni's PUFC U10 soccer team won 2 games on Saturday, their semi-final and Championship games on Sunday - they are Charlotte Cup Champs!
Such an amazing group of girls - it's been so much fun to see all their improvement this season!
To top the weekend off, our sweet soccer families had a little surprise for Jeff and I on Saturday as well.  During our team lunch they surprised us with a birthday cake for Jeff (his 40th is right around the corner) and lots of "we can't wait for you to come home" gifts for our Alli.  We were blown away by their thoughtfulness and the way they have embraced our family and shared in our excitement to bring Alli home.  I can't wait until the Spring season - hopefully Alli will be running around the sidelines cheering on The Angry Birds with us!
I'll leave you with a couple pictures of our Champs!

He Alone is Worthy

After spending hours over the past few days praying...
for our Pastors in Haiti, many friends who are dealing with sickness and hurting, our friends in Uganda as they struggle to understand why their daughter's Visa was denied and pray for a miracle to allow them to bring her home, for Garren as he continues to heal from a brain trauma and we ask God to allow him to swallow once again, our sweet Alli as she waits for us in The Congo - begging God to allow her abandonment decree to come through so we can move forward...
When words just won't form, when all I can do is sit in silence, here is the truth that echos in my heart -
All Power and Majesty and Glory, to You Alone, Oh God!

We pray boldly.  Not because we always understand His ways, but because we know Who He Is and He alone is worthy!

Come Boldly to the Throne of Grace

There is a family we know that has been on a journey to adopt a little girl from Uganda. They went in for their Embassy Exit Interview today and they were denied their daughter's US Visa. Here is a part of their explanation -
We were at the end of the process and it is just now that we are made aware that something at the beginning of the process was not done. Something so important that it may cost us our child. It is the type of circumstance where legality trumps the child’s welfare. Just because one document was neglected to be completed the whole case is shot.

They have been living in Uganda (with their daughter) for 2 months and are supposed to be on a plane home this weekend.  Their case is being submitted to Homeland Security to be reviewed, they were told to expect a final answer by Friday, but not to get their hopes up.  

They are praying for a miracle and we are praying and believing with them! Please join us and lift this family up.  We don't always understand God's plans, but we know He is our Everlasting, Faithful, Almighty God and He loves this family and this child. Pray that their case would be approved. Pray that this family would feel His presence.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  

Hebrews 4:16

This is my desire

So encouraged and challenged this morning.

This is my desire...
In times of joy.  In times of disappointment.  In times of waiting.
To be used by You.
(turn off my music at the bottom of the page before listening)

The Happy Day Project comes to an end

This past week has been so good for me!  It's given me the chance to be intentional about taking the focus of myself and placing it on others.  It's amazing how much happier, more content we feel when we're not caught up in being the center of the universe - when we're not concerned with whether everything is revolving around us or not.
As we head into Thanksgiving, I'm reminded how incredibly blessed I am and I am so thankful!

The Happy Day Project - Day 6

I sat at Anni's Veteran's Day Concert yesterday and listened to a gymnasium full of elementary students recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing The Star-Spangled Banner - it was truly moving.  I was seated next to a young mom who served in Iraq.  To watch her face as the students sang and honored the Veterans in attendance sent tears streaming down my face.  I thanked her for her service and she thanked me for remembering.  Freedom is not free and I'm so thankful for the men and women who have served and continue to serve our country so honorably.

Plans...

Plans are great. But missions are better. 

Missions survive when plans fail, and plans almost always fail. 

~Godin

For us, our adoption journey is a mission.   
And trust me, we've had many plans for this journey - what country we would adopt from, how old our little one would be, how quickly we would finish our paperwork, how informed we would be, how long this stage and that stage would take, how quickly we would bring our little one home.  
Every single plan we've had, has turned out looking differently than we thought it would.  Each plan has failed to turn out as expected. But our mission remains intact.   
There are so many more "plans" left in this journey.  When we'll travel, how we'll function in Congo, what our first meeting with our baby girl will be like, how quickly we'll head back home, how our family will function once we get home...the list could go on and on. I'm sure many of those "plans" will not happen as expected either. But our mission will remain strong - to put our love into action, expand our family, "parent" all our children well, and ultimately point them to their Heavenly Father.


People ask if we're discouraged that things are not going exactly as planned.  I'm not sure that discouraged is the right word.  Some days, we feel sad.  Sad, because we just long to bring our little one home.  But I think true discouragement hasn't set in because we know the One who holds this mission in His hands.  We'll hold our plans loosely and rest peacefully in knowing that when we're on a mission from God, His plans never fail!