Ebenezer Stones

One major area of my walk with God that has been tested and stretched the last few years has been that of faith. I'm not talking about my faith in Jesus as my Savior, but the kind of faith that in the face of affliction or trials, doesn't waver or doubt. I've always seen my husband as a great man of faith. It seems to come easy for him. And it's true, it is a spiritual gift, so some seem to have stronger faith than others, but I know it's a gift that can be given in increasing measure through growth in our relationship with the Lord. And I have yearned for my faith to grow for years. So how does our faith grow? Through God giving us ample opportunities to be faithful and believe in Him. Such opportunities are rarely painless or easy. And boy has He given me a lot of opportunities in the last few years.

Perhaps the most difficult faith challenge is the one we are currently going through, but our adoption process has been one of those prime opportunities to show the genuineness of my faith. I am encouraged to see how He has changed me through my "warm up" faith challenges in the past. Losing my mom, when I was only 21 was kind of the ultimate faith challenge for me. Having came through that, by the grace of God, with my faith intact--I have more of a resolve to default to faith, rather than my former default to panic and doubt. Various trials and opportunities to believe God have only deepened my faith that He not only CAN do miracles and hears us, but that He DOES STILL do miracles and answer us. The answer I have received after months of fervent prayer has not always been the one I sought; but a few times it has not only been what I asked for, but Abundantly Beyond all that I asked or thought of.

My preferred way to pray is to journal--to God. I'm not a very articulate person but with paper in hand and a pen, my heart and mind seem to pour out more fluently. I also love letters. And seeing The Word, as God's love letter to us, I like to respond in kind. My prayer journal this last year and a half has been full of miracle type requests. I've seen Him answer in the sweetest ways concerning our adoption and I am holding on to those answered prayers as Ebenezer Stones (1 Samuel 7:12) to remind me when moments of fear and doubt creep in that, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."

We are two months in to the "court process" of our adoption journey. And to be honest, the waiting is far from painless or easy. The next update we get, could be the one that says, "F&J are legally yours!" It's kind of like the moment you anxiously await to see your baby's heart beat and all their intricate details on that ultrasound monitor. While we have already had the joy of meeting our kids, they are not yet officially "ours." I long to read those words that legally makes us the mom and dad of two more precious children. I long for the confirmation that they are indeed close to coming home. That this dream we've prayed for and longed for is going to come true.

There are so many sad adoption stories out there of lost referrals and the heart ache which comes with it. So many that can cause my mind to dwell on fears and anxiety and "what ifs". But I'm striving to hold onto those Ebenezer Stones and keep my eyes on my Great God, who can do far more abundantly beyond all that I ask or imagine (Eph.3:20). And who works all things together for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose. (Rom.8:28) Please pray with us that we'll keep this kind of faith and that it will grow ever increasingly as the days pass by. And please pray with us for the Lord to continue to do miracles in our adoption process and blow us away, once again, with His goodness. We know He has called us to this, and He who has called us is faithful to complete it. (1Thess.5:24)

Oman

We just got back from a very quick visa-run trip to Muscat, Oman. We would have loved to stay longer, but money and vacation days are all being saved for adoption needs right now. But our first experience definitely left a desire to come back soon.

Oman is much more like the US than it is like India, so not only did we enjoy getting to experience a small taste of the culture and sights, but we were able to enjoy many missed western amenities. We stayed in a guest flat, which came with a car, so we had plenty of space and freedom to explore. (Gasoline costs about $1 a gallon there too!) Next time, we'll use the car even more to our advantage to explore the wadis (mountain natural pools), sand dunes, Beduin fishing villages, and some snorkeling at remote beaches.  

We could see the beautiful blue Gulf of Oman from our guest flat and took a short ride to a beautiful (and CLEAN!) beach. We went pretty early and only managed an hour, because it is hot and humid in Oman this time of year. From walking down the stairs from the flat to the car, we were already dripping with sweat. Really, that was the only downside and it wasn't a hinderance from doing outdoor activities, except during midday. We enjoyed the drive through the city on the huge, broad, expressway from which you can see old mountainside watchtowers, forts, the Sultan's Palace and his Grand Mosque, the Opera House, and other architecturally impressive buildings. All the buildings, even the houses are impressive there. From what we learned, most families have 6-8 children and they all live together in one massive house. So it appears that everyone in Oman lives in a mansion, but really they are multi family houses. 

And of course, we greatly enjoyed the amenities of the shopping malls, especially the free AC. We ate, played, and shopped as much as we could in two days. There was a lot of hamburger and donut consumption and playground stomping to burn off the affects of the latter. 

Check out more pictures from our trip here.

Loving Rainy Season

I really think this past summer (March-May) was more mild than last year, but that's probably due to us being more acclimated to the local climate. But I still had high hopes for rainy season this year and it has not disappointed  Unlike last year, the rains came like clock work from June 1 and barely a day has gone by that it hasn't rained. In fact, we've had so much, that the northern mountainous regions are facing severe mudslides. Within a few days of the rain hitting-our dry, dusty, smoggy, city was sprouting new grass and leaves and was refreshed with a constant breeze. This sudden and drastic change made us realize just how much the hot summer days were affecting us. Rainy season is so refreshing in every possible way.

The boys are loving the fact that they can now go play outside at anytime of day since the temps are down. We've spent quite a few days playing in the rain by traversing through our housing society's garden. My little explorers love stomping in puddles, hunting for tadpoles in the newly filled pond, and trying to "float stuff" in the standing water.

Just a Kid

I love having sons. They are so funny and full of creative energy that I wish I could bottle up and instill in myself. But honestly, having two little boys, so close in age (18 months) can make me feel like the ring leader of a circus act. Or maybe my oldest is the ringleader since he loves to tell everyone what to do ( "directing" as he calls it) and I am just the clean up crew. You know the ones..the poop scoopers, animal feeders, garbage collectors, etc. Yep, "clean up crew" better defines my role in this family circus...

I've been reading a great book lately, called Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys. It's quite comical to hear strait from a male therapist's mouth (and father of sons) that neither moms nor dads understand what goes on inside a little boy's mind. They are a creator all their own and nurturing them is an art form. One I have not mastered, but am more bravely rising to the challenge lately.

A few days ago, Jackson and I were in the garden together letting him burn off some of that "creative energy" and I enjoyed a few precious moments of watching him climb a tree, stick in hand, singing the most fitting song possible. "I'm just a kid with a head full of dreams and a dream full of things to get done. All of my life it's been spinach and greens and I'm ready to have me some fun. Oh I've never captained my own pirate ship, laden with Spanish dab-loons....but hey, it ain't even noon!"