Article: Functioning Community - No Greater Joy Ministries

Article: Functioning Community - No Greater Joy MinistriesLove this article. THIS is exactly what we are struggling with! And now having an adopted Chinese son, also finding community for him.

Father to the fatherless

I almost started crying on the way to church today as I thought about celebrating Father's Day. Of course I was excited to be a new mom on Mother's Day, but I think I was still in a fog having just come out of a month where everyone was extremely ill!
Anyway, but I also think it just hit me harder as thinking about God as our heavenly Father. How He is a father to the fatherless. He was there when Caleb was left by his birth mom near a children's hospital , to be found and given the medical treatment that he needed. How my husband has become a father to Caleb. How God had it planned all along. How Caleb now has the chance he might not have had to know his heavenly father. How awesome!
I also thought of those who do not know God, who do not have that relationship with Christ, the only way to the Father. How they are truely fatherless, for eternity.
What will you do about the fatherless? About the 150 million orphans in the world? About the millions that need a heavenly father even more than they need an earthly father?

A bag of chips

Well we have made it through Caleb's first surgery. It has been rough. I cannot imagine the pain he is in! Both sides of his mouth cut and raw, plus 50 stitches in the roof of his mouth. He was totally freaking out by the time I got to him in recovery. I didn't expect it to be quite so bloody, it wasn't tons, but enough. I'm sure the nurses hope I would calm him down. Its obvious that he is adopted but they didn't know I had only been his mommy for 8 weeks. He finally fell asleep on my chest while we waited a few hours for a room. It felt like having a newborn as I didn't get much sleep. But there was lots of good bonding as I held and rocked him a lot. He had to spend 2 nights in the hospital mostly for pain control and he had to be able to drink a certain amount on his own.
Being home now a couple of days it is still a bit rough. He must hurt mor ewhen he lays down as he wakes often from his nap and at night. He is not eating much and drinking a little. But he is playing and getting back to "normmal" a little bit. His dad and brother and sister are gone this weekend and although it makes for a quieter house, I'm sure he misses them. But God knew this was best, but I could have used my husband last night as he would not go to sleep and I was done! Remember I'm the one who had been in the hospital with him! But today is better.
Ok, so for the bag of chips...While Caleb was in recovery Rod and I went to the cafeteria to get something to eat. We got a sandwich and chips, Stacy's pita chips, and I got a bag of cinnamon and sugar chips for a snack later. Later on that afternoon as Caleb lay asleep on my chest, Rod had just left and we were still waiting for a room, I ate my chips. I finished and set the bag down. The date caught my eye, Sep. 20 2011. Well Sep. 20th 2010 was the day we were matched with Caleb. So even though it was just a bag of chips, it was so surreal to think back to a year ago, this journey we have been on and to now have my son asleep on my chest, who just had a desperately needed surgery. WOW! I couldn't help but wonder what his life would have been like. Not that we are some kind of heros or anything. Just trying to be good parents, raise Godly, God-fearing children, and follow after God's heart. Yes, he was an orphan, yes we did "rescue" him. But all this is to bring God glory. God has a purpose for this little boy, even his special need, even in his abandonment, to bring Him glory. God purposed all of it!

Caleb's surgery

Our appt. last Tuesday with the surgeon went great. We really like him! He would have done the surgery that day if he could have! In the U.S. a baby with a cleft palate would have had it repaired at around 1 year of age. We knew that and had hoped and prayed for surgery this summer so we can then start speech therapy. The Dr. thought he could even do the surgery that Wed. or Thurs. but he wasn't sure of his schedule and we had plans to go to the cabin in Shaver. It turns out the only thing he had available was Tues. the 7th. He said he would squeeze us in, work overtime, do whatever he had to do. WOW! Again, be careful what you pray for! Did not expect it to be this soon, but so thankful. The next phase of our journey in bringing this precious boy home. So now just trying to get things done, get ahead, get prepared. we will not find out until Mon. what time we have to be there. Kind of annoying for this planner...Caleb will have to spend at least one night in the hospital, I will stay with him. Please pray that everything goes smoothly and he won't have too much pain. I think it could be rough for a week or two.
Also another wonderful thing is happening on Tuesday. My brother-in-law and
sister-in-law will be meeting their new daughter in Russia that day. Her story is absolutely AMAZING! Check it out on themommymap.net!

She Wears Skirts-What Guys Think About Modesty

She Wears Skirts-What Guys Think About Modesty
Something I'm very passionate about!