Getting Close

Adoption Update:
The paperwork is coming together and so are the funds. Both are certainly answered prayers. I am waiting now on the US to issue a piece of paper that my agency will send to China so that my travel approval can be processed. It is likely that we will travel the first week of May. So, that gives me about 5 weeks to come up with $4000.

As God's word says, "The One Who called you will do it!"
I have no doubt about this and I love watching how God is working this out and whom He is choosing to step forward.

The old Suzanne would be freaking out right now, but I have grown so much this past year. I keep doing what I can and I trust God to do the rest. I'm focusing my energy on doing for others while God takes care of my needs. And you know what, it works!!

Maddie Update:
Maddie is hurting and it hurts this Mama's heart so much! She sees the specialist on the 4th and I expect to know treatment options then. We're pretty sure we know what it is (see earlier post on periodic fever syndrome), but I will feel a lot better knowing for sure that the really bad illnesses are eliminated as possibilities.

Prayers for Maddie and Noelle are much appreciated.

Wednesday Walk

I'm living in the moment, knowing God is taking care of my every need. We are not supposed to worry about what happened yesterday or what is looming in front of us. God gives us enough+ grace to get through today.

Encouragement

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible." --Matthew 19:26

This has been a long road, with many challenges. I have faltered. I have looked obstacles in the face--and sometimes with complete confusion, not understanding how they could happen; but that confusion soon turned to awe--because there was no way that could happen except through an act of God. My faith has grown--it was God's intention. My patience was stretched to the point of fraying. And I have regrouped.

Although many things look impossible right now, as I look at them through my eyes, I know that each and every call God has placed on my heart will come to fruition. I know that His promises are gold.

"Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised them." --Hebrews 6:12

So I'm keeping the faith. I'm accepting God's timing, knowing that He knows better than I do. And I will settle for nothing less than the promises of God.

Stormy Weather

We woke up this morning to more rain. Soon, though, we had hail--enough that I could make a few snowballs and toss them around. Then came tremendous winds. Actually, it's been pretty much windy since last night, but mid-morning it turned into that howling wind that chases the shadows from the house.

Maddie and I waited until afternoon, when it calmed down, to go jogging. There was a lot of debris on the ground, but we did a good job getting around it all. However, we were out only 20 minutes when the winds picked up again. We cut our jog short, but it was invigorating getting out and exercising. I'm so glad Maddie loves it. She's an excellent athlete and excels at every sport she has tried so far, but I was worried she might find jogging a little borning. Not so :)

These feet were made for running.

A Little Rain Isn't Going to Stop My Girl

I started taking Maddie jogging with me a week ago, to help manage her pain. It's working! She didn't miss a single day of school last week and had just one flare up on Wed. Otherwise, we're holding steady. And she loves it. It's raining today, but we went anyway. And, like her Mama, she loves jogging in the rain.

It also happens to be St. Patrick's Day--so Happy Day to all from all of us, including my little leprechaun--

I had to chase her down for these photos. She walked out of her classroom yesterday, all decked out in green, wearing this mask she'd made and carrying a pot of gold. The cutest leprechaun around:)

Wednesday Walk

On Sunday I wrote about how I felt God would be moving in my life in big ways over the next two weeks. Well, yesterday I received some very good news. Certainly an answered prayer. I won't write about it in detail today, because I decided I wanted to keep track of them in a single post that I will share at the end of the two weeks. It's the keeping track of the wonderful and amazing things God does for us that I'd like to talk about today. My life gets so busy I don't think I have ever stopped to fully ponder the blessings God delivers, when he delivers them. I pause and give thanks, and sometimes even that comes an hour, or even hours later. But I don't stop to enjoy them, to really appreciate them. And that's my goal. To recognize the blessings as they appear in my life, and to actively appreciate them. And so my list has started. I try to jot them down when they happen and I plan to take time with my list every night before I go to bed.

I Am Poised on the Edge of Greatness

So today's heading is somewhat humorous, but still very true.

The walk is always most difficult when God is on the threshold of promoting us. I have heard this many times, from a variety of people. I have read it in the Bible. I know it to be true and so I realized this morning that, following 8 months (and some who know me would even say years, possibly decades of challenges faced, feared and scaled) of a potted road, with sheer cliffs and darkened, hairpin turns, that I will soon step into the land of "milk and honey." That place where the promises of God are fulfilled.

When I haven't been distracted by the daunting and even taunting twisters that have come at me, I have had moments of stillness when I was awed by the movement of God in my life. I wait with anticipation, excited to see what He will do next.

Over the past few weeks the challenges have gained in momentum, have come from sources totally unexpected (the enemy is getting desperate) and I have faltered--but not for long.

The promises of God are for whomsoever will. And that's me (and you, too). He placed the promise in us, and it doesn't matter how many mistakes we have made, or how egregious we think those mistakes are--we have a forgiving God. Nor does it matter that somewhere along the way we gave up, sat down on the sidelines and watched life move along without us. Or if we gave into weaknesses. We are human. God knew all about us long before he breathed life into us. It's an amazing love, and it's for you and for me.

What long-forgotten passions lie in your heart? What call is at work right now in you? God is not One who should lie. You have promise--reach for it.

I keep feeling that in the next two weeks we will move deeper into God's abundance. So, check back here for an update--and expect to see God's Greatness at work in your lives, too.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Scott!!

We're blowing bubbles to you. Let us know when they arrive in Oregon!

Wednesday Walk

So, I have been pretty open about what a difficult walk this last year has been. I have peace in some areas (this new adoption, especially), but not so much in other areas (Maddie's illness). And that's what I'd like to talk about today. Last Thursday, I was so excited because I felt we finally had a viable diagnosis for my big girl. What I learned at the doctor's visit yesterday, is that the diagnosis is into a family of medical possibilities. On the better end of the spectrum, is a genetic condition -- for which Maddie's symptoms are a good match -- that she will grow out of around age 10. On the bad end of the spectrum are things like lupus and leukemia. As you can imagine, the past 24 hours have been challenging. We have to wait until Maddie cycles back into fever, which should be around the 25th of this month as she just cycled out Sunday, in order to have a blood test that can eliminate the bad stuff. On top of this, it's very probable that we will leave for China to complete Noelle's adoption at the end of this month.

Please hold us in your prayers.

Random Thoughts from a Wild Week

Lot's has happened this week. All of it good, so I guess I could call this post, "Counting My Blessings."

On Thursday, Ava and all the kindergarten classes from her school came to my school for Dr. Suess Day. The 8th graders read to the K's for 40 minutes. My mom was class Nana that day and she came, too. I love it when my kids come over and see Mama at work, and they love it, too. It helps them understand what I do while they're at school.

That afternoon, we finally received a very probable diagnosis on Maddie's illness. This is a tremendous relief. She cycled back into fever that night and it stayed through this morning, broken by Motrin, but we're at 99.7 right now and that's an improvement. The greatest blessing here is that she will grow out of this around age 10 -- there's an end in sight.

Friday I received an e-mail from my adoption agency.

is coming home. And sooner than I thought possible.

It looks like we will travel the first week of April, which is spring break here. This means the girls will miss less school and I can use the time to be with Noelle, in addition to whatever sick leave I can scrape together. I may have to go back to work for a month before school breaks for the summer, but this all depends on when Noelle will have her surgery.

I have yet to tell her that her Aunt's iPod and cell phone won't be coming to China with us:)

And speaking of travel, I have started getting things together. I brought the luggage down from garage storage to clean it up and started washing and packing the things we will need while in-country.

I'm hoping Noelle will take a bottle from me before naps and bedtime, as this will help with bonding and, packed with rice cereal or instant breakfast, will help increase her weight. But I am bringing sippy cups as well.

I know other blessings transpired this past week and I can't wait to see what they are. In God's timing.

China, Here We Come!

I just got an e-mail from my agency and it's possible we could leave in a month to get Noelle. Usually, they're right on with the timing.

I don't have all the funds together. But this is where God will show Himself. Again.

I was hoping for May travel, so I would have more time to get the $$ together and also so that I wouldn't have to go back to work until September. But God's plan is always better than our own. I trust in Him.

Periodic fever, Aphthous-stomatitis, Pharyngitis, Adenitis (PFAPA) Syndrome

I think we have an answer. Thank You, Lord!

Maddie has been suffering from blisters in her mouth almost constantly for 2 years now. By constant, I mean just about always having a blister, or two, or three in her mouth at all times. We have been to the peds, to a couple of specialists, tried an anti-viral medication for 8 months with not much help there. We manager her pain with Motrin, but that really only just takes the edge off. It has been a difficult two years for her. Her eyes have been blood-shot for at least the past year with no change, as well. The blisters on the inside of her mouth only, and the red eyes, led us to the allergist (today), thinking maybe she had a food allergy. We did remove and reintroduce several foods with not much luck, though--but a Mama never quits when her babe is hurting.

Unfortunately, her condition had to worsen in order to receive a diagnosis.

The fevers started the day before Thanksgiving and haven't quit. They come with a sore throat and always, a new blister(s). Her voice gets hoarse, too, to the point that it reduces her to a raspy whisper.

With these new symptoms, today's specialist was able to make a probable diagnosis--this isn't his field, but his colleague is an expert--so you know where we will be going next. I am cautiously optimistic. My little girl has been suffering too long. All her symptoms are an exact match. And the good news--this should clear up on its own after 10 years of age. Maddie will be 10 in 4 months.

This condition is considered genetic and there are various forms of the syndrome--one that strikes those from the Mediterrean, for example. One way of diagnosing it, of course, is knowing if it runs in your family. We have no biological history, so that didn't happen. Other than that, it takes genetic testing or a worsening of symptoms to arrive at a diagnosis. I'm hopin our experience will help other adoptive families.

I have been in steady prayer about this and feel that God is shedding His light on us. I am so grateful!