It's not everyday you get to meet an angel...

Michele and I count ourselves doubly blessed to know this young lady. She is the birthmother of Kari Lynne Marie. Her name is Angela Marie, and it's no coincidence that the word "angel" is in her name. Because that' exactly what she is to us...an angel. She is strong. She is brave. She is kind. She is intelligent. She is beautiful. She is unselfish. And above all, she is very, very loving. We felt it was only right that Kari Lynne shared part of her name with the person who gave her to us.

Angela, we praise God for you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you!

Today was one of the best days of my life!

Today was absolutely, unequivocably one of the best days of my life. Today was probably the 4th best day of my life.

#1-Being born again (Oct. 31, 1982).
#2-Our first kiss (at the altar) in two years (June 6, 1997).
#3-Hearing Kari's first cry as she was born (July 23, 2008).
#4-Finding out she will forever be our little girl (12 noon today).

That's right. Today we learned that Kari will be our little girl. Her birthfather did not appear at his scheduled court date, and therefore his parental rights were officially terminated. This was the last major barrier that could've prevented her from being our baby girl, and God took care of it for us. At 3 p.m. today, our amazing birthmother sacrificially surrendered her parental rights as well. This amazing act of love, which staggers me still to this very second, allows us to adopt Kari outright.

Psalm 52:9 says: "I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope for your name is good." This verse has become especially dear to us over the past few months, and today it became more real than we could ever imagine. God is so good!

I've Fallen for Another Woman

So I have to confess to my blog readers that I have fallen for another woman.

Don't worry, my wife is well aware. In fact, she's pretty excited about it too. You see, the "other woman" is my future daughter we are adopting in July.

I haven't yet blogged about this momentous event that is happening in our lives for various reasons. Lately, however, I have felt the urge to share with all of you about what God has been teaching me as my wife and I walk down this path. So, this week's focus will be on adoption.

This past weekend I got to see my baby girl, literally, via a 3D/4D ultrasound appointment. It's a moment I'll never forget. To see her tiny features - her nose, chin, chubby litte cheeks, feet, and ears - was nothing short of amazing. I may be biased, but to me, she is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. I can't wait to finally get to hold her. I find myself daydreaming about all the fun things I want to do with her - the zoo, Santa pictures, pictures with her cousins, pictures with her mom and I, dance recitals, etc. Needless to say, I'm excited.

The 3D/4D ultrasound reminded me of this verse. God doesn't need an ultrasound to see what's going on in our hearts and minds. He can read our minds just like you are reading this blog. Ultrasounds can reveal flaws in a baby's development. If they have a cleft palate, you can see it. If they have a deformed heart or spine, you can see it. As we were watching our baby girl, I was silently praying "God, please let her be whole." And she was! 10 fingers, 10 toes, perfect heart and spine, and a cute little chubby face! However, if she did have some kind of birth defect, I would still be as crazy about her as I am now. Of that I'm certain. You see, she is my baby girl. And daddies love their children no matter what.

Prior to this experience, I used to pause and ponder "How can God love me so much when I have so many spiritual deformities?" Now I understand. A Father's love transcends any and all "faults." For that, I am eternally grateful.

How about you?

There's No Place Like Home....

I got the greatest news yesterday. It was from my accountability partner, Kevin, and he was informing me that he, his wife Hope, and their son Phinehas are coming home for good.....from Uganda. Their adoption story is one of long-suffering, love, frustration, and faithfulness. I thought I'd share the timeline with you (as best I can remember):

• October 2005: Kevin and Hope file paperwork with an adoptive agency from Uganda to adopt a baby boy. They name him Phinehas. You can read about his namesake here.
• March 2006: Hope leaves for Uganda, on short notice and alone, for a court appearance to adopt Phin. Kevin was going to join her soon thereafter, but a MINOR clerical error on the part of their Ugandan attorney turned an expected 3 week visit into a 3 year ordeal. Ugandan law stipulates adoptive parents must foster for 3 years before an adoption is approved. The Little's intended to "foster" Phin in America, but the clerical error prevented that from being an option.
• May 2006: Kevin goes to Uganda to spend a few short weeks with his wife and to meet his son for the first time. They learn the basics of the Ugandan court system - a 6-week-cycle of criminal trials then civil trials. If they could not get a court date scheduled during the 6 weeks of civil trials, Hope would have to wait another 6 weeks.
• June 2006: Hope was set to appear before a judge who seemed to be very compassionate towards her situation, and who seemed ready to approve their paperwork so Hope and Phin could come home - but died literally days before their court appearance. Another 6 week set-back.
• August 2006: Kevin gets to visit again for a few weeks.
• September - November 2006: Frustrating attempts to get original "mistake" over-turned by Ugandan higher courts are not proving fruitful. Hope feels like she's getting the run-a-round.
• December 2006: Kevin gets to visit, again for just a few short weeks.
• January 2007 - March 2007: More delays as the judges are "researching" the Little's appeal.
• April 2007: After 13 months, Hope comes home without Phin for a break. Since arriving in Uganda, she has been Phin's sole care-giver without much assistance. (Yes, Hope Little is a stud!)
• June 2007: Hope returns to Uganda. The Little's apply for a visa to bring Phin back to the U.S. while they await the results of the appeal.
• August 2007: Kevin visits Hope and Phin. Amazingly enough, the U.S. embassy is proving to be a real hindrance to their quest to bring Phin home on a visa. They also get some good news - their appeal was granted! However, due to the original wording of the appeal by the presiding judge, the U.S. embassy would not grant a visa for Phin to come to the U.S. Hope and Kevin begin to contemplate getting a visa to another country and moving there together. Kevin returns for the start of the Fall semester at TU.
• October 2007: Hope returns to the states without Phin. However, she quickly has to return as Phin's caregiver needed emergency gall-bladder surgery.
• November 2007: Kevin visits briefly. They decide, for the sake of their family, it would be best for Kevin to leave his position with the campus ministry he worked for and move to Uganda until their 3-year foster period was completed (October 2008).
• January 2008: Kevin moves to Uganda.
• April 2008: In a surprising turn of events, Phin is granted a "compassionate" visa, which allows him to be brought to America. Kevin and Hope are bringing their baby boy home!

This post is long for one reason....the Little's passion and love for this little boy is long-lasting. I'm so proud of them, especially for the sacrifices they have made to bring this little child into their family. Without a doubt, Phin knows his mommy and daddy love him tremendously - and God does too.

Would you join me in praying for the Little's as they transition back to the States and that Phin would adjust well to his new country?

What God Doesn't Know....

Have you ever received a gift from someone that completely blew you away because it was so generous? I remember recieving a pretty large check from a distant relative when I graduated from high school. I was it total shock! I'd never received that large a sum of money from anyone ever! This leads me to my next point....

God doesn't know.............................................. ..how to stop giving lavishly to His children.

Here's a few examples from Scripture (you are clicking on these links aren't you?)...

• ...every spiritual blessing He could think of.
• ... grace by His infinite wisdom.
• ...the right to be called His children.
• ...the promise of more than we could ever store up.
• ...to the brim and beyond!

God can't stop giving! He's like an excited dad shopping in a toy store at Christmas for his kids. I'm not talking about merely monetary or material blessings, but everlasting spiritual blessings too.

What has He given you lately?

What God Doesn't Know...

You may think I'm crazy, or at least sacreligious, but I believe there are some things than God doesn't know. In fact, I triple-dog-dare you to prove me wrong! I have come to these conclusions after years of reading and studying Scripture. I invite you to do the same. So, if you're willing to take me up on my offer, stick with me this week and I'll show you some of the things God doesn't know.

God doesn't know.......... how to love you anymore than He already does.

God's love is...

• ...the core of His DNA.
• ...higher and deeper than we can comprehend.
• ...unconditional, despite our fickle hearts.
• ...constant.

What else could you say about God's love for you?