Almost time!

It's 9:21 P.M. We are leaving home at 1 A.M. for Greg's parents home then on to the Memphis airport. I simply can not believe the time is almost here. This past week has been such a blur, it seems very surreal to me.

Greg is doing so much better. He had a clear chest X-Ray yesterday, and the doctor was amazed at how much he'd improved. PRAYER WORKS!!! Thank you all for your prayers, and for everyone who has called and checked on our family. Andy has yet to make some change, so we will pass the unfortunate duty of checking for that on to my parents until either the penny surfaces, or until we get back from China. If he does not pass it while we are away, they will surgically remove it when we get back. Please continue to be in prayer for him, and for that penny to pass! I have developed a sinus infection, and so please be in prayer for that as well, that it will pass quickly and not get any worse!

As I sit here typing this post, Greg is recounting money and sectioning it into 1000.00 dollar piles. We have to take over 3500.00 in cash for the adoption costs. The sheer amount of that is overwhelming, and yet I find myself strangely calm. I have been through a gamut of emotions in the past week and now I am just calm. God has brought us to this point, and whatever we do has no consequence. He brought us this far, and He will continue to  carry us through this. He will be watching over our money and our luggage. He has known since the beginning all the trials we have already faced, and have yet to face. And no matter what else comes our way, He is going to hold our hands through it.

This past Sunday I was blessed enough to be able to go to church and small group. I wasn't sure if Greg would be well enough for me to leave him for that length of time, but thankful he was doing much better already by Sunday. During worship, the Holy Spirit just rained down all over me! I felt so washed in love, and just felt the presence of God. I felt off the stress and uncertainty wash away from me. As I stood there singing and praising, tears flowed down my face. The enormity of all that has been happening just washed away, it just flowed right out of my body. As Pastor T brought the message, I sat there taking in every moment of it, every scripture, every "T-isim" My hope is that we will be able to watch NorthStar online while we are in China, but with the uncertainty of whether we will be able to worship and attend a church service while we are away I just tried to take it all in. NorthStar is such a big part of our lives I will miss it so very much. NorthStar is more than just our church. It is our home, filled with our family. Our spiritual family. The people there support us, they pray for us, and they show us love. It is such a spirit filled place and since we have been there God has done so many amazing things in our lives.

Our son, Nathan has found the Lord, and accepted Christ as his Lord and Saviour. Soon after that he was also baptized. Greg had never taken the step of being baptized, and he also was baptized at NorthStar. I rededicated my life, and followed that with baptism. Greg and I both have found a calling to become members of the tech team, and have been blessed immeasurably by it. We have grown in faith as a family, and now both twins are beginning to ask about and understand the importance of accepting Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that God led us there to place the call to missions firmly into my life again, and used that to open the door to adoption for Greg. All that has happened has been according to His plan, and NorthStar has played a pivotal role in that.

So now we sit here, Greg now doing his final breathing treatment and I doing our final blog update before we land in China. Both of us running through a list of things flowing through our minds, trying to think of anything we might want or need that hasn't yet been packed. The kids patiently wait quietly working a puzzle for us to finish so that we can play a final game of bingo or Smores before we head out. The last night together as a family of five. It's just a little bittersweet. I will miss my boys so much it almost hurts to breathe as I type this. I can't wait for the chance to Tango with them from China. I know they will have a lot of fun while we are away, my parents have big things planned for them. But I also know they will miss their loves, snuggles, hugs and kisses, and tuck ins from Mom and Dad.

It is truly amazing what God can do in your life. No matter what your heart yearns for, be it a child, a mate, a friend, a sense of peace. If you are lost, lonely, confused, broken. If you think you have it all together without a care in the world. I urge you just to turn to God. Ask him to heal you, to open your heart to Him and His plan. He has great things in store for each of us. We just have to stop long enough to listen. My prayer for each of your, our friends and family, and those we've yet to meet, is that you will take the time to stop today and ask Him what He has in store for you. You might just be surprised at the answer! Good bye and God bless!

¹ The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;
² for he founded it on the seas
    and established it on the waters.

³ Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
⁴ The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god.

⁵ They will receive blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from God their Savior.
⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek your face, God of Jacob.

⁷ Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
⁸ Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty,
    the Lord mighty in battle.
⁹ Lift up your heads, you gates;
    lift them up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
¹⁰ Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord Almighty —
    he is the King of glory.

Psalm 24 NIV