Adoption Decisions

Mike and I met with a representative from Children's Home Society, a local non-profit agency that facilitates adoption of infants and older children in Virginia. They're a fairly small operation - they placed only 26 children last year - but they seem very passionate about the children with whom they are entrusted. Monday night we'll meet with a rep. from Bethany Christian Adoption Services,  a national agency that serves to help Christian families adopt. Currently, we're leaning toward pursuing a domestic infant adoption, but we've just started the investigative process regarding adoption and may decide to do something entirely different. 

From what we've heard, the entire process can take up to a year (sometimes more).

Please pray for us as we try to discern God's will in this. We have so many decisions to make in this whole process, and we truly want to know what to do and when. Honestly, my greatest fear is that we would be chosen by a birth parent, only to have the adoption fall through. Given our past experiences, I'm just not sure I could handle such disappointment again.

Wrenched Heart

Today I heard that one of the brothers of our former foster son was forced to leave the home. To give back story: Mike and I cared for a 17-month-old precious boy for about 9 months a few years ago. Brandon had several half siblings from various fathers, but he was close to two brothers in particular. Around the 7 month mark, Brandon's brothers were moved to a home that was willing to adopt them. We were reassured by our social worker that there were no plans to move Brandon, and that they were proceeding with severing parental rights so the boys could be adopted. Two months after that conversation, our social worker scheduled a meeting to tell us she had changed her mind about Brandon, and she was going to move him to the other home. We were devastated, crushed, furious, confused and pierced. 

My one comfort was knowing that Brandon would be reunited with his brothers, whom he loved dearly. The rest I entrusted into God's care.

Well, turns out that Brandon's oldest brother became a wee violent with his foster mother (soon-to-be adoptive mother) and he was kicked out of the home.

There's not a single part of my heart that is happy about this. I feel grieved for the brother, whose life has now become infinitely more complicated. I feel vindicated in that perhaps the social worker may finally see that her perfect plan wasn't so fool-proof. I wonder why it all played out this way and how Brandon is coping with this sudden change to his life. And I hope even stronger that Brandon and his brothers will someday find the love and security they deserve, despite the efforts of social services.

4,000: Not Just Another Number

Dick Cheney recently gave an interview with ABC News correspondent, Martha Raddatz. She started the interview by asking what affect the 4,000 US casualties in Iraq might have on the war. He replied:

... the biggest burden is carried by President George W. Bush, who made the decision to commit US troops to war, and reminded the public that U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan volunteered for duty.

I wonder if good ole Dick knows how heartless such a comment looks in print.

Silent Speaking

Nearly 4 years ago, Mike’s father unexpectedly died from a heart attack. I remember going to eat with a friend weeks after Bert’s death, and telling the friend that I didn’t know if I could trust God anymore. He asked me what it would take for me to believe and I said, “I just want to see God. I want to see a situation so irreversible and horrible that only God can be credited with saving the person or situation. I want to see Him answer prayer or somehow prove that He cares when we cry to Him.” Recently I lamented to several folks that I still hadn’t seen or “felt” God in an undeniable way.

This past weekend I was continued my reading of Job and came across a verse that truly spoke to my heart. One young dude responds to Job’s complaints that God has falsely accused Job and is now ignoring him. The young dude says, “Why do you take Him (God) to court for not answering anything a person asks? For God speaks time and again, but a person may not notice it. In a dream, a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber on their beds, He uncovers their ears at that time …”

Could it be that God has been speaking and acting and either I’ve been oblivious or I’ve attributed His voice to someone/something else?

China May Want to Re-Translate some Signs

Hand Dance

I love it when someone finds a way to creatively perform a song. enjoy!

An Amazing Guitarist

A friend had a link to this video, and I just watched in amazement. Hope you enjoy!

Strange Rules in Western Europe

I couldn't help but comment on some new rules/laws in Western Europe that I think are very telling about the culture there.

From Amsterdam:
Dog owners angry at public sex plan

Dog owners in Amsterdam are angry after the city legalised public sex in one of the city's most famous parks. But they promised to clampdown on dog owners who let their pets walk in the park without a lead.

One dog owner protested: "As long as the park has existed, we've been allowed to let our dogs run freely. It's outrageous that we will be punished from now on but public sex won't."

And from Italy:
Court Rules Against Public Groping

In a landmark judgment with far-reaching social implications, Italy's highest appeals court has ruled it is a criminal offence for Italian men to touch their genitals in public.

The judges of the court of cassation stressed that the ban did not just apply to brazen crotch-scratching, but also to what might be termed superstitious pre-emption. Anyone who has seen a hearse go past in Italy, or been part of a discussion in which some terrible illness or disaster is mentioned, will know it is traditional for men to ward off bad luck with a quick grab at what are delicately called their "attributi".

New Website

I haven't seen any comments lately, so I have a feeling this blog dropped off the face of the web. Maybe I should contact Al Gore to fix that for me :)

Anyway, in case anyone cares I now have a family website.

You may notice the "mac" reference - yes, I have crossed to the dark side. Or, as the folks at my local mac store say, "I have seen the light."

Our new website has photos, blogs for me and my husband, info about us, etc.

So check it out if you have some spare time.

Weekend at the Beach

Mike took me to see Celtic Woman (yeah, don't laugh - this was a sacrifice for him), at Virginia Beach, so we decided to make a weekend of it. We had a great time - even if there was a tornado watch in effect for Saturday. Sunday brought amazingly beautiful weather and clear skies. The best part ... our hotel had a balcony that faced the ocean. Hmmm, I could have stayed forever.

standing on a breezy balcony

crazy surfer

drying out my clothes after we were drowned by an unexpected thunderstorm

First signs of spring

Spring won't be here for a few more weeks, but I awoke this morning to find the first signs of her impending visit.

Here are the first sprouts from some vegetable seeds I planted last week

A budding tree

Petite pinkies