WE GOT PA!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so happy to announce that today we got Pre-Approval to adopt Patrick. Our agency said that PA could take a matter of weeks. Ours took 3 days. Thank you, Jesus.

I believe this adoption journey has stretched me the most. I have truly hit a wall on the independent path I've been walking most of my life. With Maisy's adoption, I spent 2 1/2 years planning and saving money and studying going about my business. Of course, I prayed for her, and I fasted and I knew that, in His time, God would bring her home. He is not only faithful. He IS Faith. We brought Maisy home. She had surgery. It was a long, difficult, but successful process.

The journey was a little more difficult with Moxie, but not much. Moxie's adoption was so much quicker than Maisy's. My main concern was her grieving the only life she'd ever known. I remember holding her in the hotel room while singing "There's Just Something About That Name" by the Gaithers and wondering what I thought I was doing making this poor screaming baby pull away from me. I was praying out loud, "Help me Jesus. Please hold my hand." At that moment---I promise you---Moxie looked up and said, "Mama, Allo, Mama". Praise his Holy Name!!!!

While we were in China with Moxie, Satan was working overtime. We did not take a plane ride without hitting serious turbulence. I am really afraid of flying. I cried out to Jesus. While we were in Nanjing, my insulin pump quit working. Quit working as in, might as well throw it away quit working. For the rest of the trip I fought intense tiredness and Ben and I woke up every 2 hours to check my blood sugar. It took me 2 weeks to feel better once we got home. When we arrived in Guangzhou, we found that the agency representative responsible for our travel arrangements had not purchased our tickets to Shanghai for our departure from China. We used a local travel agent to get that ironed out, but not without some headache. God was there. Loving us. Allowing us to be tested. Allowing us to Stand. Stretching. Stretching. Stretching. Showing me that HIS GRACE IS ALWAYS SUFFICIENT.

So, now, my prayer is simple. God, please save my son's life. Please provide the resources to get us to China. I am powerless. I have surrendered. Jesus, please hold my hand. God has had me reach out to people that I have admired for over a year, seeking advice and prayer. I am accustom to people coming to me for prayer. I like being an intercessor. But, through Patrick's adoption process I have learned, in my heart, a lesson I have long known in my head---It is more difficult to have your feet washed than to wash the feet of others because surrender is necessary for the blessing to be complete.

I am so thankful for those women who, for me, are true Heroes of the faith, Sonia, Lorraine, Connie, Mary and others to whom I have not spoken but who have blessed me daily. I know that these sisters in Christ are lifting Patrick up every day.

For days now, the words to one of my favorite hymns has been running though my mind, even as I sleep. Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine. Oh what a foretaste of Glory divine!!! He is holding my hand. He is holding Patrick's heart. To Him be the Glory.

Please join me in praying for the orphans in Russia. Love never fails.
If you would like to post a prayer for Patrick in the comments, I would love to read them!!

Joy Unspeakable and Full of Glory,
Amy

Go, Jesus!!! It's YOUR Birthday!!!!

December seems like the busiest and shortest month of the year to me. Last December, I was telling myself, "This is the last Christmas without Moxie!" This year, it's the last Christmas without Patrick! I cannot imagine how great next Christmas will be with all my babies home and my baby boy having his first Christmas at 8 years old. It's a long time to wait, but, there is no doubt in my mind that My God, The One who redeems and restores, will give back all those missed Christmas mornings, all the hugs, kisses, and joy that the devil just thought he could steal from our son.

Abby is home from the hospital. The surgery to lower her knee caps, lengthen her tendons and straighten her toes went really well. Thank you for praying for her. The surgery was long, but thanks to the epidural, she never experienced any pain while in the hospital. Thank you, Jesus. We are praying that this surgery will allow her to be ambulatory.

Moxie just toddled in wearing her santa jammies. She hates Santa. Wants NOTHING to do with him. When we took she and Maisy to the mall to see The Jolly Old Elf, Maisy was a little worried that her name would appear on the not-so-popular naughty list. So, when Moxie screamed her head off and was less than friendly to Santa, Maisy just let her take the heat. It was great! I think Maisy was thinking, "Well, hallelujah, I look pretty good next to Moxie. Way to take one for the team, Mox!"

We had our home study visit today. I think it went well. It's just a hoop we have to jump through to bring our sweet boy home. If you haven't checked out our campaign at www.indiegogo.com please do. Fundraising is the only way we can afford to bring Patrick home quickly. We have begun applying for grants and I have requested, and to the best of my knowledge, been granted a flapjack fundraiser at our local Applebees restaurant. We are working hard to bring Patrick home.

This journey to Patrick has brought me into contact with his bed buddy's mama and his best friend's mama and so many other wonderful people! I just don't know how I got so blessed. It certainly didn't happen because I deserved it!!!

This weekend we will be making Jesus a birthday cake at Maisy's request. Initially, she told me she wanted to make Jesus a cake so that He would come to our house and eat it with us. After I explained that Jesus wouldn't be eating cake but that He is always here, she offered to eat his piece of cake for him. Maisy got saved this fall. She understands very clearly what it means to be saved and the nature and consequences of sin. She just thought Jesus might like a birthday cake. My sweet little Maisy turned 4 today!!!! I love her so much. She insisted on putting a piece of her cake in the freezer for Patrick because, "I love him" she said.

So, every day that passes is an opportunity to be blessed and to be a blessing. Go Jesus!!!! It's your birthday and I love you!!!

In HIM!
Amy

Our Miracle

I don't take the word "miracle" lightly.  Sometimes events are termed "miraculous" and they really aren't.  Let's face it, a front row parking spot at W@l-Mart is nice (and unusual for most of us), but not necessarily miraculous.  Then, there are times when I think the miraculous is overlooked and God's gift of providence is chalked up to luck. But, we, well, we have been given a miracle in the truest sense of the word.  We have been given the opportunity to bring our son home from China.  Our little Patrick, whose referral was "lost" has been "found".  We were denied the opportunity to call him our own based on the beliefs and personal feelings of one person.  We have now been given approval to adopt him.    The day after Thanksgiving (and the day before our 17th wedding anniversary) I got an e-mail from my dear friend, Sonia, who is Patrick's advocate and, truly, the hands and feet of Jesus. The e-mail said, "Sit down."  Sonia went on to explain that Patrick was ALIVE and available for adoption. I wept for joy, in disbelief and, not to my credit, in fear.  Understand that not a day has gone by since we lost his referral that I have not wondered about that precious little boy.  I have asked myself, over and over, whether I did everything in my power to bring him home along with Moxie.  I can honestly say, I did.  But, a miracle requires much more than my power could ever attain and it must happen in God's time and not my own. Ben and I talked, and talked, and talked about whether adopting Patrick was "doable".  Yes, we do still, on occasion, operate under the age-old misconception that we are, somehow, in control.  Finally, we came down to a single question---"If we do nothing, can we live with ourselves."  The answer is a simple, from the depths of our souls, trusting Jesus for all we're worth, "NO, we cannot live with ourselves if we do nothing."  Nor can I imagine standing in front of My Lord and My God, on that inevitable day, and being asked "Why did you not trust me?  You broke your own heart out of fear."  Because it is from HIM that I get the strength, the courage and the provision to bring our son home to his family. HE sets the lonely in families. I know that from the world's point of view---we are completely crazy.  After all, we just brought Moxie home.  She is fantabulouso, by the way.  So completely delicious she is like a little toddler cupcake bouncing around.  We are still paying for our travel and we haven't had the time to save up several thousand dollars for Patrick's adoption.                                                           BUT We don't operate from the world's point of view.  We are a people set apart.  Jesus expects the world to think we are crazy.  So, when that happens, as long as we are following The Lord's call for our lives, IT'S OKAY!!!!  Also, we never stopped loving Patrick.  I cannot put pics of him up right now, but trust me, HE LOOKS LIKE HE'S OURS!!!  He is radiant, the perfect picture of redemption.  I know, that I know, that I know that God has preserved and guarded Patrick for His Purpose and part of that purpose is to become Patrick Judah Root. God said "Go".  "He's yours."  One choice.  One word.  One life.  One "yes" was all it took for the Peace That Passes Understanding to settle in our hearts.  I might doubt a lot of things in this life, but this adoption and the Miracle that God worked to make it happen are certainly not two of them. There are those who may say, "What if you adopt him and he dies."  In all honesty, that is a risk we choose to take because God is leading us to take it.  We didn't make the choice with our hearts.  Our hearts would have chickened out.  We won't even talk about our brains and what those worldly things would have done.  We made the decision to bring Patrick and his little broken heart home with our faith.  And my faith says, "He does all things well."  And, "HIs grace is sufficient."  Always. Forever.  Eternally.   We have consulted the best of the best in pediatric cardiologists.  God has provided us with a local pediatric cardiologist who knows how to help Patrick.  The office administrator is a Christian.  We know Jehovah Rapha---The Great Physician---and He has always known that Patrick was ours and He knows for how long. Don't misunderstand.  I will fight to mend that little heart.  We will have surgery and doctor's appointments and more doctor's appointments.  We will give medicine and petition God on our knees.  But ultimately, God has Patrick.  I am not in control.  Never have been.  Never will be.  And am slowly coming to realize that I don't want to be.  Real peace comes in surrender. Please pray for our son.  Please pray that he will be given favor with those in authority and that his little heart, regardless of its broken state, will be healed.  Please pray for God's providence in this adoption.  It is difficult to ask for help in bringing our son home.  Not bringing him home just is not an option. Our home study will be finished this month.  Our agency fees are a little over $3,000.  We will ask that this adoption be expedited due to Patrick's severe congenital heart disease.  I will go to China alone to save money on travel.  Please pray about that. God is Good.  All the Time.  May you be granted the desires of your heart in our Lord Jesus. Merry Christmas! Amy