Praying for Good News

I woke up extra early this morning. I can't imagine why :)

Hopefully today is the day we get some good news about Sweet Baby's case clearing court! I'll post as soon as I hear. 

Sunday Scripture

"In everything give thanks:

 for this is the will of God

 in Christ Jesus concerning you."

 I Thessalonians 5:18

Court Date

It's 1:15 in the morning. I am finding sleep eludes me, even after a full and fun day of Christmas celebration with the kids. December 26th is a big day for us. Right now in Ethiopia, we hope that our Sweet Baby's case is being heard in the courts. We pray that today is the day that the Ethiopian courts will officially make us her family.

Because our agency in Oregon is closed for the Christmas holidays for several more days, we will not find out if her court case passed through court successfully until some time next week. Please pray for peace of mind and peace of heart for our family during this tough time. We have so much for which to be thankful, and we will use this time of extra waiting to give thanks in everything. 

Merry Christmas from Our Family!

Friday Funnies

We were sitting at the table eating chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese for lunch, when middle son noticed a cloud in the sky outside the window. He got so tickled because...
...the cloud looked exactly like Mr. Toad's car. Mr. Toad is the crazy, wild driver in Kenneth Graham's The Wind in the Willows. Mr. Toad races about and crashes all the motor cars he owns, then he "borrows" other cars he fancies and crashes them as well. While middle son laughed about Mr. Toad's perfectly formed cloud-car in the sky, the wind suddenly shifted and caused more wild laughter at the table because....
...Mr. Toad's car was smashed to smithereens right before our eyes, right there during our lunch! He just imagined Mr. Toad flying forth from the wreckage, eager to find another vehicle to push to its limits. He was so tickled by the whole thing I had to make him stop eating so he wouldn't choke. 

This the book in which Mr. Toad lives. The Wind in the Willows has been a blast to read aloud with the kids the past few weeks. 
I just love how God keeps us involved in our learning in such an exciting way. When we read Charlotte's Web a few years ago, He sent a beautiful argiope spider to build her giant web on the outside of our bathroom window. For months, the kids were able to stand at that window and press their noses one inch away from that beautiful spider and her amazing world. We fed her grasshoppers and watched her spin and catch prey and make her egg sack. And it all happened while we were reading about Charlotte. 

Those kinds of God "bonuses" seem to be all around me, if I just remember to keep my eyes open for them.  Mr. Toad's cloud-car surely put some extra fun into our latest read. 

Gotta Love It ~ December, Down South

The Laughing Children

I Would Gather Children

~author unknown

Some would gather money

Along the path of life,

Some would gather roses,

And rest from worldly strife.

But I would gather children

From among the thorns of sin,

I would seek a wayward curl,

And an awkward, silly grin.

For money cannot enter

In that land of endless day,

And roses that are gathered

Soon will wilt along the way.

But, oh, the laughing children,

As I cross the sunset sea,

And the gates swing wide to Heaven

I can take them in with me!