Flight

18 Sep 2011 6 Comments

by Lori in Adoption, China, Prayer

Wow, I cannot believe I actually considered leaving this past Friday! So much to take care of. You would think after all this waiting that we would be ready to get right on the plane. Nope!

Right now we are planning our best strategy to fly there and back. These flights to China just don’t happen at any airport at any time. You gotta fly to the “hub” for that particular airline, then a coastal city (usually west), then China. Either the layover is too short to make the connecting flight, or way too long. So, we will probably fly out the evening before and spend the night in the “hub” city. We cannot afford a flight delay.

On the return trip, a friend advised us to spend the night in whatever city we land in America. The more I think about it, this is wise advice. Twelve hours on a plane with a 7, 2, and almost 2-year-old. Not to mention a grumpy mom and dad. Yep, showers and sleep will be the plan. So, expect us a day later. (Hopefully smelling good and in good spirits).

D made the boys some bears at Build-a-Bear. The koala is D’s. The black bear is Z’s. (Maybe he will be an Ole Miss fan?) The light brown bear is E’s.

Love to you all. We covet your prayers.

Lori

Zephaniah 3:17 For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

Packing

14 Sep 2011 10 Comments

by Lori in Adoption, China

Yes, you heard right. We are packing! Well, nothing is in suitcases yet….

That only means one thing. We have our Travel Approval!!!

In three weeks we will be on a very very very long flight to Beijing. Once we arrive in Beijing, we will have a day to tour the city and let our bodies adjust to the time change (they are 13 hours ahead). Day 4 we will fly to Zhengzhou (the capital city of Henan province where our boys live). Day 5 we will get our boys!!!!

Keep checking our blog for updates.

Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT)  ‘May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you His favor and give you His peace.’

Choice

05 Sep 2011 Leave a comment

by Lori in Prayer

Something has been on my mind and heart lately. How do I live this life in light of God’s greatness? In other word’s, is anything in my life meaningful compared to Him? Shouldn’t I sell everything and live my life telling everyone I see about Him? Is anything short of that worthless?

The short answer is, no. I have said this before. God is so patient with me. God has shown me through His Word, through other people, through songs, and through books that our life is all about choices. Small choices that may lead up to a big choice down the road.

The Bible says to pray without ceasing, to live a life of thankfulness, to teach our children about Him, to love and respect our spouse, to serve each other, and many other lessons. These are choices we make. So, when I am working on some seemingly mundane task like sweeping the floor, it does not have to be just that. It can be a blessing to my family or my coworkers and an act of worship to God. All we have is now. We may not have tomorrow. Right now I can worship.

Staying connected can be difficult. There are so many distractions. How do you stay connected?

Love, Lori

John 15:4 ESV Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19 ESV  “You shall therefore lay up these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

James 4:13-17 ESV Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” – yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is a sin.