Standing in the One Who Never Changes

We're actually here in Colombia and also as a whole family! Jesus is always faithful and He does truely delight to do good things for His children. We need never doubt His love over us or wonder if He's actually plugged in to what's going on in our lives. It has been thought of about myself that I must not have any problems in life and that my life looks easy. I bubble over with the joy of the Lord, but that is only an outflow of the grace that He's poured richly upon me in all those difficult "unknown to others" moments that He has allowed me to walk through. He is a good Papa and that means He lets me learn to crawl, toddle about on legs that at first seem rubbery. Then what if when I was ready to try running and He would get on one knee and look me in the eye and say, "Honey, I love you too much to let you learn to run, because Sweety, in learning to run you will have to learn how to get back up when you fall. And you see, honey, I don't want you to fall. You might hurt yourself." 

 Now what if instead my loving Papa bends on one knee and gathers me in His strong Papa arms and looks me lovingly in the eyes, and says, "Honey, I am so excited for you to learn to run! I am excited at all the marathons you will run and conquer in this life!" And then a soberness enters His loving sweet eyes as He adds, "Now, honey, a good runner must first learn how to get up after a fall. And trust Me as your Papa to show you how. Will you trust Me? I promise you will never fall and not be able to get up and I promise that with every lesson, You will be stronger than before!"

 Which is the better daddy?

 Someone once said, "Miriam just rolls with the punches." 

Really? That was a discredit to the absolute faithfulness of my heavenly Papa. If I "roll with the punches" than its still only because He taught me how. ;) 

But seriously every marathon winner has to train in their abilities, their agility, their endurance. It does not come without a price and without sweat, to be sure. 

 Those inner moments when life threw me a curve ball you can be sure that my sweat training of endurance were those tearstreaked ones in my prayer closet. 

And the testing of my endurance aren't just those times in the past...I still get tested, always will get tested. 

Just recently the devil tried to wreak havoc on our life and it did cause some confusion till we embraced fully and confidently our position in Christ and the devil had to leave and our joy was completely restored. But the amazing thing is, satan actually did us a great favor, we stood so completely steadfast in our Jesus that we were actually empowered by deeper growth as we allowed the cracks in our armor to be filled even more with Jesus!! 

So Satan was again reminded of his defeat, and we are stronger than ever!!

Here we stand on the brink of many changes and this morning Mike reminded me how David when he went after Goliath reckoned his victory before it even happened..as did Nemiah in Nehemiah 2:11-20, specifically verse 20. Where Nehemiah reckoned the success will be theirs. (referring to the rebuilding of the wall.)

Adoption is Jesus heart and the brink of change we stand upon, is also of Jesus. He has promised His faithfulness to many generations. And even though both the "Christian" world and the secular keeps changing, Jesus never changes. We rest in a God who never changes!!

The song link below is from a sweet friend of mine. It is very precious. Please take the time to listen to it and be blessed! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4IIW4IwEBU

Today after 2 years and 5 months, we get to be reunited with M and M!!! Thank You, Jesus!!

Today faith meets sight!!!!!

On the Brink

We stand on the brink of change yet again. Life is a mystery for sure..

This huge puzzle we find ourself daily caught up in as one beautiful piece at a time fills it's space. 

There's been soooo many times, too many that I haven't kept count of in fact, that I couldn't understand a specific puzzle piece. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't the shade I would have chosen.. It looked messed up... It appeared to fit in that space, but it didn't fit for what my heart was asking for. I glanced up in questioning gaze upon the One whom my soul loves. He smiled and assured me that indeed, yes, He was fully aware. And at the same time He knows I'm fully unaware of my complete ignorance to see the whole picture. He assures me that He loves me as no other possibly could. And He reminds me in words that I understand that He actually delights as a parent to give "good things" to His children.

Change, yes..But the changes over my relatively short lifetime have been good. Through every single change I've been drawn more to this One. And with every change that brought tensil strengthening pressures, and I yielded to His larger picture, my life has reflected Him just a tiny bit more. 

Even if it's a tiny thing as my eyes twinkling just a little. bit. more. at all His goodness. Or even those moments that my life was like a "after a rain wet world and the sun is out" and the delightful tug of a smile at the corners of my mouth, because He is so extravagantly good, and I scarce can contain it!!!

Change...those "in faith step" moments in the midst of an unknown.. And then around the very next bend...my joy unbounded flowing at the mercies of a God who would care to do great "without measure" delights for us!! 

I recently saw a quote that our faith can't grow in our comfort zone. How true is that?! I have discovered that God loves mystery! 

He is as a sweetheart lover who leads his bride (whose eyes are closed) to the edge of a sandy beach and upon opening her eyes, she gasps at the expanse of beauty of the endless mass of water and he lovingly gazes upon her and assures her that his love is as unmeasurable as the ocean. That their life together is uncharted before them as a great blue sea. "But will you risk loving forever and trusting me?"

That's my Jesus right there! And yes I trust Him. When it's feasible and when it's not. When it's mature to do so and childish as well! He is the lover of my little family's soul and He invites us as that closed eyed-bride to the waters edge, and proclaims not just a mere undying love. But a love, although He died, it did not waver. A love so strong He would fight all death and the enemy of darkness just to pursue us! A love with sweat on His brow, blood sweat that is, to rescue us because His love is so pure. Not even once tarnished. Who could not possiblely love Him in return?!

The measure of a love who can know?! Jesus, HE IS LOVE!!!

His beautiful "in love" nail-scared handprints, are all over our adoption. Change? Yes. Love enough? Yes. 

When the Father of all love looks on and smiles His propelling us forward approval, it's enough. When the ground is but a sliver to stand on, and the only thing we find ourselves standing on is Jesus, it's enough.

We are excited to finally leave in two days to go to our children and bring them to their home. 

We've prayed for these preciousness for years! Before we knew them, we prayed, because He already knew them and smuggled in our hearts that longing and urgency to pray for our little children who became alone in a world who stopped caring. Perfect Love aka Jesus, was also perfectly faithful. Faithful in preparing for our M and M's needs. He was faithful to prompt our hearts to adopt someday. We always thought it would be really little ones, and in reality when He laid it on our hearts, they were.  But the years went on and what we failed to realize was those little ones were growing up. Still waiting still possibly crying for some place to belong.  Perfect Love has been perfectly weaving our lives with these two preciousness! 

Remember those messy puzzle pieces, that I wrote about earlier…?  It was those moments through the years, that has pressed us closer to our Jesus...to seek Him. To learn from Him. To find him becoming my everything . Could it possibly be that those messy puzzle piece moments were preparing us for such a time as this? 

Because through those moments we were girded up in faith, and we needed to be prepared for this beautiful faith filled moment. 

We invite you to pray for us. 

Our God is faithful. 

And please take the time to be blessed by listening to this song. 

Our God is greater, our God is stronger. God You are higher than any other. Our God is Healer, awesome in power. Our God!!

https://youtu.be/O5d_gm9zrnY

God is our Refuge and Strength. He is our Help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. Psalm 46:1-2

Jesus said, I will always be with you. Matthew 28:20

Do not be afraid or worried because I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will hold you with my victorious right hand! Isaiah 41:10

I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans for good and not for harm, to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Our family has been so blessed by our Church family that has come around us, blessing, serving, as we prepare to leave.

Thank you to all! :)

 Even the beautiful verses above, our sweet family friend, Mrs. Sue, so lovingly looked these verses up and poured their precious truth into the hearts of our littles as she did crafts with them yesterday. :) Thank you.

Thank you so much to all our friends and family for your love on our adoption! :)

We love you all! 

And as we tell our kiddos, "Always remember that Jesus loves you more!!" ;)