Happy Birthday Mama!

my dad and mom

our family stockings today

Today is my mom's birthday and in honor of that occaision and the coming Christmas season, I wanted to tell about a very special memory that is woven throughout my childhood. Christmas stockings. This is one of my very favorite parts about the Christmas tradition. My mom put alot of thought into the filling of my sister's and my stocking. There were always several small and medium sized individually wrapped presents inside it. Each Christmas morning, my sister and I would sit down with our stockings. I would open one present and then she would open one present. I always wanted good experiences to last as long as long as possible. It is a precious memory and a tradition that I wanted to continue with our children. My stocking was needlepoint. Over a couple of years, we gathered enough needlepoint stockings for each of the six of us. Thank you to my mom for making this such a special tradition in my childhood.

And, Happy Birthday!

My Baby is FOUR!

Our beautiful baby girl turned four years old yesterday! We are so blessed to have her as our daughter. During most of my pregnancy with her, we were convinced that she was a boy. And, had the baby been a little boy, we would have cherished him. But because her being a girl was so unexpected, that element of surprise is fun to reflect opon in that pregnancy. She is very independent and yet enjoys her "baby" status. She will change clothes all day long if I let her and she has VERY definite opinions about her clothes. Her nickname is now Ladybug. We love you so much, little girl! Happy, happy birthday!

The idea of simplification always holds such appeal for me, as I am sure it does to most women. I really enjoy following Joanne Heim's blog, thesimplewife.typepad.com. She recently opened up a blog conversation called "Simplify Me." Everyone's approach toward this project of simplicity is going to vary widely. But for me, any project is going to involve creating a LIST.

My Personal Goals

1. Quiet Time

2. Exercise

3. Psalm 19:14

4. Supper

5. Journal

I love a challenge like this!

There Are No Orphans of God

One year ago, on this most special day, God hand delivered Miah YiLin Burge to our arms. There are no orphans of God. During the summer of 2000, a young women concieved a child. She chose to carry this child to birth. On a specific day in 2001, the cries of an infant girl pierced the air somewhere in the city of Kunming. 365 days of tending and feeding. 365 days of words spoken. Tender moments. Fear. Unthinkable decisions. There are no orphans of God. On Saturday, April 20, 2002, a citizen found a one year old little girl in the city. This baby girl was brought under the care of the Kunming Social Welfare Institute. Medical care. Provision. There are no orphans of God. Two months later, a Chinese couple were given a 14 month old baby girl to foster. For FIVE years. Five years of touch and words. Five years of experiences. Five years of special kisses. Five years of LIFE. There are no orphans of God. Six years of life in which God was watching, moving and intervening. Monday, November 5, 2007, China officially transfered the care of this child to Ira and I. A forever family for Miah YiLin Burge. God had responded to the prayers of so many. God blessed. He is tender. He is magificent. He is Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent. There are no orphans of God. From the beginning of time God has had a plan for each person in this tapestry - Miah, Miah's birth parents, a certian citizen, Miah's foster parents, Miah's "third" parents and her siblings. Provision.

I am speechlessly blessed.

Face to the ground. Hands raised. Worship.

Beloved God.

from PSALM 139

Oh LORD, You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, O LORD, You know it all.

You have enclosed me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Even there Your hand will lead me,

And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,

And the light around me will be night,"

Even the darkness is not dark to You,

And the night is as bright as the day

Darkness and light are alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother's womb.

I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.....

God is aware of every single moment of every single day of every single person's life. God breathed the stars into exsistance. God knows the number of hairs on our head. He is watching, he is moving, he is intervening. There are no orphans of God! (If you have the volume on your computer turned off or way down, please take the time to listen to the first song on my playlist, There Are No Orphans of God by Avalon. I think you will be blessed.)

One Year Ago Today........

One year ago today, we were in flight to Hong Kong. A major step

forward in meeting our third daughter.