Michael is growing so quickly and we are all enjoying him!

I am learning again to trust God even when I don’t understand His plan.  You would think I would have learned this by now, but I still tend to think it has to happen my way.

“Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we so not see.”

Hebrews 11:1

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,  now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2:2-3

…because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.

²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 8:14-30

Happy to announce that the papers got signed yesterday!  Now our agency has custody of Michael  until we finalize, which will probably be in July.

Continued prayers are appreciated :)

“For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” ~Psalm 100:5

Stay tuned for more pictures!

Hoping that we will have a permanent placement tomorrow

Prayers are appreciated!

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the LORD Almighty.

Zechariah 4:6

I think it is neat that the name, Michael Joseph, that his birth parents picked for him means “gift of God” because he is a gift from God to us, for as long as we get to keep him.

I love having a baby in the house.  He is so precious!

Every good and perfect gift is from above ~ James 1:17

Isaiah 9:6

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let evr’y heart prepare Him room,

And heav’n and nature sing,

And heav’n and nature sing,

And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He come to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of his righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders wonders of His love.

I am looking forward to a couple of weeks with no school, hoping to write a Bright Lights lesson, get our Christmas cards sent out, get to hang out with Spencer and Hanna more, prepare to hopefully be adding to out family in a few weeks (still waiting to see what God will do there and trusting His plan ), get my stack of letters to write finished, etc.

And friends from out of town arrive today to stay with us, so we will have a happily full house for Christmas.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

replica of St. Cecilia’s Cathedral

replica of Joslyn castle

Orange!

SMILES

How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures…

will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Praise the LORD.

Psalm 104:24, 33-35