29 weeks

These are the rose petals from the flowers the kids gave me from Mother's Day last week. They were dying so we put them to good use and the kids loved pulling the petals off the stems!

So far, 29 weeks have come and gone and we continue to wait for our referral. Every day brings a new emotion in this process whether we are waiting anxiously or patiently. The idea of a new brother and sister is somewhat fading from Isabella and Elijah's thoughts. They pray for them at every meal, during our morning prayers and at bedtime religiously, but it is almost like they are aimlessly repeating a stock prayer when it comes to their "babies in Ethiopia". Then, a couple of days ago, Isabella told me she wanted 7 children but she didn't want to adopt because it takes too long. It allowed us to talk to both of them about waiting on the Lord and how precious His plan and timing is for our lives! But, it made me sad that I had neglected to realize that even though they are so young, they are being affected by this wait as much as we are.

Some days, at random times, I can hear Isabella quietly talking to the Lord asking Him to bring home her brother and sister from Africa. The Lord is not only working on us but He is shaping our children as well by teaching them to petition Him and to "pray without ceasing". During this time of waiting on the Lord it is sometimes easy to get lost in what we want or desire instead of spending this time in constant fellowship with our Lord. He is faithful and true and He will unite are children with us at His perfect ordained time! In the meantime, I will rest in the encouragement of this passage:

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD." Lamentations 3:22-26