My cup runneth over...

Today has been one of those days that you just go the Lord is so good and then He amazes you once more. Mother's Day is always special because my precious husband and children are so sweet and generous to me. Our news of travel this week has been made even more special on the heels of Mother's Day. I remember Mother's Day last year so vividly...It was one of the hardest. I was so ready for our adoption to move forward but we were caught in the shut downs, paperwork not arriving, passport delays, etc. I was so discouraged and sad and I could not even understand why...so much to be thankful for with two healthy beautiful children but mourning for my orphaned children I was longing to meet.

The Lord in his perfect timing gave us a precious gift this year 4 days before Mother's Day...it is time for Andrew and Kathlena to be orphans no more and come home to their family 6,000 miles from their birthplace and all they have ever known.

Here is the poem Emily wrote for me:

A Mother’s Love

A Mother’s Love,
What virtuous beauty!
Can such a love exist?
Heedlessness and true nobility,
United in wondrous ingenuity!

A Mother’s eye,
What a wonderful mystery!
Her eye of wisdom misses nothing,
Yet her loving eye is purblind,
For the objects of her love are so often unrefined.

A Mother’s Heart,
Who comprehends?
She whose love knows no bounds,
Time is irrelevant and
Space is non-existent.

Her love stretches beyond the seas,
Her voice is heard in all the nations.
Through ice and snow her love does roam,
Until, at last it finds a home.

Half a world away,
Across the Dvina river,
In the land of the Arctic sun,
Lay two little children waiting,
For their Mama and Papa to come.

They are not of her flesh; they are not of her blood,
But she loves them nonetheless.
And unto them she does proclaim:
“Though you did not grow in my tummy,
You grew in my heart just the same.”

A Mother’s love is a wonderful thing,
A gift sent straight from above.
Oft times I wonder, what was on the mind of God,
When He created a Mother’s love.

-By Emily J. Shiflet

Thank you my dear, sweet, multi-talented, Mommy's right hand, tender-hearted, precious gift of God to me, daughter-Emily.

I was also given a certificate to have Monica Scott make a scripture scroll for our home that I have been wanting. Yeah!!! Thank you, David, Emily, J.Michael, Andrew, and Kathlena. All of this was just before we left for church today.

Then, we arrive at GFBC for the last time as the 4 of us, only to return in 3 weeks as the 6 of us. David has been part of GFBC's leadership training and today David was preaching for the first time...the Lord is stretching us, challenging us, His amazing faithfulness; knowing all of these things would come to pass at the same time, He has carried us this week. My cup was running over with joy and then once again I was washed away by His goodness--At the end of the service our family was called forward, we were prayed over by our Deacon(Terry Cole) and Pastor Paul Renfro and then presented a check for $5000. Dear church, I do not have words to express how your support, encouragement, love, tears, and now this huge financial gift towards our adoption journey has touched the very depths of my soul. The Lord has drawn us in to a greater understanding of His adoption of us through this process and the kind of love you have shown us has been so humbling...absolutely amazing love. You all love these children you have never met; you wait eagerly to meet them and rejoice with us every step of the way. Thank you for your generosity and love towards all of us--you are part of this story that will be told to the generations. To God be the Glory.