Poem

I found this poem today in a magazine, and wanted to share it with you.

Wait
by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate...
And the Master so gently said, "Wait."

"Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers. I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming Your word.

"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and You tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking; and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine...
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.

"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

"The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.

"So, be silent, My child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know Me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still...Wait."

4th Picture Blogger Tag

Rose tagged me - so here goes....here are the rules...

1.
Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.
2.
Select the 4th picture in the folder, insert it into a post.
3.
Explain the picture.
4.
Tag 4 people to do the same.
5.
NO CHEATING (cropping, editing, etc.)



This was on our first anniversary weekend at Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, WI... not a great picture, because I don't think either of us is actually in it. But it shows the indoor waterpark.

Ok, I tag Kimberly, Mandy, Sunny, and Sarah.

Baby Jesus

Joshua played Baby Jesus in a Christmas program today. He was perfect, of course. I got to play his mama, Mary. Chris did not play Joseph...in fact, 2 different guys did. They were both great, but, of course, not being Josh's father, didn't interact with him much. And it got me thinking....

God asked a lot of Mary, didn't he? What he asked of her required a lot of faith, trust, and blind obedience. But maybe he asked more of Joseph. Yes, they both faced ridicule, the shame of a child out of wedlock. They likely faced disbelief from their friends and families when they tried to explain the miracle. Joseph was there through the journey to Bethlehem, and the subsequent birth, influx of visitors, and the flight to Egypt. So what?

Well, think about it this way. As I was sitting with my son today, with him in the manger, pointing out the shepherds and kings who were bringing gifts, "Joseph" wasn't doing much. But then he wouldn't have, would he? Moms did most of the caring with babies...there wasn't much for dads to do, especially back then.

But once the baby was weaned, the mother's job was done. So what was the father's task then? To train his son as apprentice, teach him the Scriptures, and find him a wife...

Jesus spent several years with his mother as a very young child, but he reached a certain age where his earthly father took over the lion's share of his upbringing. What an enormous responsibility laid on Joseph. He had not only carried his family through shame, danger, hardship, and being away from family, he now had to train up the very Son of God.

I find it amazing that God entrusted ordinary humans with this job. If He could trust them to raise His Son, what is He looking to trust us with? Are our minds and hands open to accept his task?

Pics

Rose asked for more pictures....happy to oblige...

Thanksgiving

Joshua is the only baby on both sides of the family (not for long...congrats, Jason & Lorraine!). There was much to be thankful for this year, and his smiling, cooing, precious baby presence made the holiday so much sweeter.

Here is what I was thankful for last year....I'll see if anything has changed....

for Chris. He has been so faithful and true throughout our marriage. I've never had reason to doubt or distrust him. I've now learned what an absolutely amazing daddy he is. Seeing him interact with our son is a pleasure.
...for my family. My parents, brother, and extended family are my support and lifeline. They pray daily for us, and I know they will be richly rewarded for their investment in our lives. I'm so thankful that their hearts were open right away to Joshua. He is truly part of this family, and that means the world to me.
...great in-laws. Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better family. I appreciate their humor, commitment, and generosity. Again, they accepted Joshua with open arms and hearts, and he is so blessed to have them in his life.
...our new home. God has so richly blessed us with this beautiful house we now call home. Yes, still thankful - lots has changed in this little house - and I don't mean just the baby stuff. We're happy here and that's important.
...my friends. Those of you who are my friends, know that I don't make friends easily or quickly, and that I take friendship very seriously. Your loyalty and steadfastness have made all the difference. I have made at least 1 new, close friend and hopefully enhanced my other friendships. I hope this year to meet some new mom friends.
...my dog. She provides so much joy to us! She's also wonderful with Josh.
...my church family. They truly are like family to us. I know God has great plans for us as a body, and He is faithful! We've grown this year, and are reaching out in new and exciting ways. Praise the Lord.
...health. In spite of minor aches and pains, I thank God for his healing touch on both of us, and His protection. I'm also thankful for a healthy little boy.
...a good job. In fact, a job I love, which is so much more than I could ask for. And, in this economy, a fairly recession-proof one!
...a faithful God. Time and time again, He's proven Himself. When I've doubted, He's come through every time - not always how I think He should, but always perfectly.
Oh, my....I need Him more than ever before. How else can I be a good mom, a respectful wife, a loving daughter, a devoted friend, a wise teacher, and a sanctified Christ follower? That's a tall order, and there's no way to do it without Him.

I hope you found some things to be thankful for this year. I know that I have!

Dedication

Joshua was dedicated at church this morning. We are privileged to have a church family that has been praying for us throughout this adoption process, and to share with them the joy of dedicating our son to God this morning was a treasure. We also welcomed our extended family to see Joshua dedicated to God. All of Joshua's grandparents were there, both uncles, and 3 great-grandparents, as well as a great aunt and an honorary aunt! What a blessing to have so many there to witness our commitment to raise our son to be a Christ-follower.

We are blessed by pastoral staff at our church that we don't just consider pastors, but friends. They prayed for us and will continue to pray as we raise our son in the "training and admonition of the Lord".


We celebrated with lunch at Old Country Buffet. Joshua was wonderful, as usual. He turns 3 months old tomorrow, and we're proud to call him our son. With God's help, we hope to raise Him to love Jesus with all his heart.

Home for 1 month

Joshua has been home for one month. We think we've adjusted pretty well. In the last month, he's traveled to both Grandma and Grandpa's houses, made it through several church services, and a couple of baby showers, been to school 3 times, shopping many times, the doctor once (he got 4 shots), learned to suck his thumb, started smiling (not a lot, but occasionally we see a peek of one), and started sleeping through the night. That's quite an accomplishment for a little guy.

He's not such a little guy anymore though, he weighed 13 lbs. 9 oz at his 2 month appt, and that was 2 weeks ago!! He charms everyone he meets with his chubby cheeks and good looks, and is pretty laidback, unless he's hungry or gassy.

Today was a visit with M, Joshua's birthmom. She was glad to see him. We spent a few hours walking around the mall and talking. The best part for me was that at the end of the visit, I got to bring him home. He's ours - no going back. We have to wait for March or April to finalize the adoption, but there's no question that this little boy belongs in this family.

Over the next month, I expect even more changes. He will be dedicated at church on November 2, and get his 3 month pictures taken. He will dress as a pea pod for Halloween, and I'm sure I'll see some more smiles, and maybe even a rollover....this mama can't wait.

I go back to work on Monday. Part of me is ready, as I love my job, and the adult interaction I get there. However, I don't want to miss anything that Josh does. I'm thankful and very blessed to have wonderful daycare set up and I know he'll get great care with both his "babysitters".