"I'm going to teach him the reindeer Rudolph song."

Sam,
To your oldest cousin, Carson, you are known as "baby Sam."  And, it appears that Carson has big plans for  what he wants to teach his baby cousin!

He wants to teach you how to:
*run fast and turn flips
*wrestle and jump
*build blocks
*sing the ABC song and "the angry bird song" (not sure how that one goes...)

Me:  "What are you to going to say to Sam?"
Carson:  "Run, Sam!"

Me:  "Is there anything else you'll say to him?"
Carson:  "I am going to tell him Ho, Ho, Ho!"

So, sweet boy, I can't wait for you to meet the family that is anxiously awaiting your arrival and that loves you so much already! ~love you~

Thankful for Moments Like These

A great time in the homeland with the fam for Thanksgiving--here are some of the highlights.

The absolute BEST moment & it totally warms my heart!

we are thankful

We give thanks for:
*the calling that God has put on our lives and the daily opportunities we have to serve Him

*the wonderful people He's surrounded us with for the journey

*the sheer amount of incredible support that we've been given

*amazing adoption agencies that make it their mission to place children in forever families where they can experience love everyday

*a little boy on the other side of the world that we already love more than we can say!

thankful for three little turkeys

One day out from Thanksgiving, and I am thankful for three little turkeys that call me "Aunt Sarah." Carson, Annaleese, and Jase make me thankful for the job of aunt because they are three of the sweetest little people on the planet who never fail to bring a smile to your face! Of course, I can't wait for baby Jeorgia to be added to the mix in April :).

much to be thankful for

Today, I am thankful for the chance to be at home where the roads are familiar, the food is comforting and spicy, the people you bump into while in town are long time friends, and family is close by.  And, I can't wait for next year to see all of these things through the eyes of our sweet Sam!

"Thou that has given so much to me,
Give one thing more -- a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleases me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days;
But such a heart, whose pulse may be
Thy praise." George Herbert

National Adoption Day

Today is National Adoption Day for 2012.  This day's purpose is to raise awareness of the 100,000 children available for adoption here in America.

So, let's join our hearts in praying for these children (and the millions around the world).

Pray that they are loved and protected while waiting for their forever families.

Pray that they are joined with their forever families soon.

Pray that they find peace from its very Source.

And, pray with a willing heart to answer God's call to defend the cause of the fatherless.


“Adoption is a beautiful picture of redemption. It is the Gospel in my living room.” Katie Davis Kisses from Katie:  A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption

amazing encourager disguised as a rough and tough hunter

Sam,
Meet your Uncle Justin, your daddy's younger (and only) brother.  I can't wait for you to know him because there are many things that you'll love about him.
~He'll keep you laughing--usually until your side hurts--with the stories that he tells and with the way he carries on with your daddy when we're all together.
~Long before "reality t.v." made things like hunting and camo the latest fad, your Uncle Justin was hunting, wearing camo, and living like any regular 'ole Southerner.  And, he'll still be doing it after "reality t.v." moves on to something else simply because it's his way of life.
~Evident in the way he loves and cares for your Aunt Megan and Jase, his passion for all that he loves in life spills out of him and is reflected in his conversations and actions.
~The encouragement that he offers is genuine and timely, and does a heart good.  His excitement for your homecoming has filled my heart with such joy that it warms my soul and makes your daddy and me love him even more.

HAPPY, HAPPY Birthday to our Sam!!

Samuel,
Today is your first birthday!  It is a day of both joy and sadness for us.  Our hearts are heavy because we are celebrating your birthday while you are half a world away.  We would love nothing more than to have you here with us to blow out your candles and eat lots of yummy cake!
Although the sadness lingers and causes the tears come out at the drop of a hat, it is still a day of enormous joy.  We are overjoyed that God has blessed us with you and are still blown away that you are ours!!  So, on this very important day, we pray that you'll feel our love and prayers from all the way over here.  We love you more than we can put into words, and we're looking forward to the day we bring you home.  Oh, what a party that will be!!
May God bless you and keep you; may his face shine upon you and give you peace.
Love you, sweet boy!
Your Mommy and Daddy

Your birthday cake and presents from us and a sweet card from the Bradleys.

He is worthy of ALL praise and honor.

You are the God of miracles and of blessing; you are worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.  You allow us to do your work and hear us when we call.  You bless us with amazing family and friends that walk alongside us, encouraging and praying.  Your word is full of promises that never fail and that always give peace.  Like Hannah, your heard our cries.  Thank you for our sweet Sam and for the beautiful story of his journey home.  May our telling of his story bring you ALL glory and honor.  ~amen~

May he find his identity in Christ

Adoption is a beautiful gift from you, Lord, but we know that as Sam gets older, he may struggle with the fact that he's adopted.  This may cause him to wonder about who he is or where he belongs.  Instead of looking to the world around him for the answers to these questions, we pray that he looks to you, for you are the only One that can give us the answers to questions like these and the peace that our hearts seek.  We pray that he will see his adoption as a gift from you and as a part of your perfect plan for his life.  ~amen~

may he love You above all else

You are blessing us, Lord, with the opportunity to raise one of your sweet babies in the goodness and knowledge of your Word, so we ask that you give us wisdom necessary to instill in Sam your precious truths.  As we teach him, Lord, grant him understanding of your Word and character.  We pray that he will fall completely and totally in love with you as his Savior, that he he'll hide your word in his heart, and that he'll live in such a way that he points others to the cross.  May his desire be to serve you all the days of his life, and may his heart always be open to your leading. ~amen~

for Sam's arrival home

Lord, tonight we pray for Sam's arrival home.  Not only do we ask that it come quickly, but we ask that you prepare him for his arrival home.  We know there will be many things that are different than he's used to with many areas of adjustment that we could worry about--new language, new food, new routines, new family members to get to know--but we choose, instead, to leave these things in your hands and trust that you'll provide for each and every need.  Thank you, Lord, for all that you've done to bring us to this point and all that you're going to do when Sam comes home.  ~amen~

to the Author of peace and joy

Dear Lord, we pray tonight for our Sam's sweet little heart, for we know there will be grief when he has to leave his foster mom and all that is familiar.  Only you can begin to prepare him for this day--a day that may contain fear and sadness for him.  If there is fear, we ask that you replace it with your peace, and where there may be sadness, we ask that you replace it with joy.  So, prepare his heart, please Lord, to attach to ours as his parents.  You alone will be the One that we praise.  ~amen~

Sam's Birthday Week Day 1

Sam, there's something you must know about how birthdays are celebrated in our house.  Instead of celebrating for one day with a normal 'ole party, we celebrate birthdays for a whole week-known as Birthday Week.  This year, we'll celebrate your Birthday Week while you're half a world away, but that won't dampen the excitement.  We're so thankful for you and are so excited to celebrate your 1st year of life!  The distance keeps us from sending you a present for each day of Birthday Week, but it won't stop the birthday week prayers we'll be praying for you, sweet boy!

Thank you, God, for our sweet Sam and for the miracle of adoption.  You are the Giver of life and the One that knit our baby boy together.  Although we desperately want to be the ones providing for his day to day needs right now, we're trusting your plan and in your timing.  Thank you for providing him with a foster mom that cares for him so well.  Continue to provide for his care, Lord, so that he can grow into a healthy little boy.  Bless him and keep him wrapped in your arms of love.  ~amen~  

life on the road

I'm home off the road!  My time living the "rock star life" was quite the experience and so much fun.  Leaving the house in the middle of the night for bus call * going to sleep in one state and waking up three states later * walking without falling as the bus is going down the road * staying up nearly all night and sleeping during the day * laying in the bunk and being lulled to sleep by the motor's hum * eating supper at 2 am * hanging out with some cool people --all these things are part of life on the road, and I happily experienced them alongside my sweet drummer husband that patiently took the time to help me adjust to the craziness of it all.

The best part of it all though was seeing Jeremy in his element doing what he loves--playing music and doing all that goes into making that happen for each show.

Now, I need to recover some sleep before tomorrow....

Rock star life, here I come!

Saturday will find me riding on a tour bus.  Yes, you read that right--I will be trying on the rock star (or should I say rock star groupie) life for the weekend while Jeremy plays in Shreveport.  My nerdy self is terribly excited about the whole experience!

SO, tomorrow, I'll be with my awesome drummer husband headed for the Louisiana state line.  Life is good :0).

This Sunday: International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church and Orphan Sunday

"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 5:10

This Sunday, we'll sit on our comfy pews in our heated sanctuaries and worship without fear of  being persecuted for our faith.  Sadly, though, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe will not be doing the same.  They'll wait until they have the cover of darkness to meet together for worship, for their lives are at risk simply because they're believers.  I imagine that when they meet for worship, they do not spend time complaining about the service being too long or too short or about the music being too loud or the preacher taking too long.  No, I imagine that their time of worship is precious and focused on the One that they have met to worship.  So, this Sunday on the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, let's remember these fellow believers and pray for God's hand of protection and blessing to be on them.  Let's also remember when we are worshiping that HE is the only One we should focus on--not the distractions that Satan sends our way---because anything other than that isn't worship, is it?

"Religion that God accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress..." James 1:27

This Sunday is also Orphan Sunday when the church comes together with one voice and one purpose:  to pray for the millions of children around the world that are in need of forever families.  There are 147 million orphans worldwide, and an estimated 100,000 of those children are here in America!  I truly believe this breaks God's heart.  His Word is very clear on defending the cause of the fatherless and looking after the orphan.  It's easy to be overwhelmed by those numbers, but don't be--pray for how God wants to use you to reach these children and meet a need--one child, one need at a time.  Pray for these children, for their caregivers, and for the families that are stepping forward to answer the call of adoption.