PRAISE GOD From Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise HIM all creatures here below

Praise HIM above, ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Yesterday was a day of answered prayers and the doxology keeps going over and over in my head.  Whether there is good or there is bad, there is nothing left but to praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord for He is Good, His Love Endures Forever.

We went to the anatomy ultrasound for this new little life growing in our family.  I really always try to prepare myself for the worst, to trust in the Lord and praise Him and know that He will carry us through wahtever He wills for us.  Knowing a family friend who just went through carrying and delivering a baby with anancephaly, only to watch him die in their arms, made my thoughts a little more tender than usual.

But, we saw our little one and everything looked great! Everything!  The last two had enlarged cerebral spinal fluid, but this one looked fine everywhere.  And... just as I surmised.... IT'S A BOY!!!  We are thrilled and especially for Baby Peanut, who really deserves a little friend.  Thomas will always be everyone's friend, but just a special kind of a friend, so we were very thankful to the Lord!  And though, I will be happy to have another girl at some time, I would truly be thrilled to have boys for the rest of my bearing time.  We love our three little jewels and the Lord knew just the right birth order to give them to us in.

Onto the other just a miraculous, maybe more astounding news... the agency that has been helping us determine whether or not we can go forward was going to speak with Russian officials this week about our case.  My friend Deborah and I were praying that they would be surprised at what came out of their own mouths.  That they would say, "Oh... that sounds just great!" and then look behind them to see who must've said such a crazy thing.   Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes"

Many of you were praying as well, and I want you to know that your prayers matter.  There is an unseen battle that we are fighting together and you are indispensible.  We heard good news yesterday from the Russian team's initial response which was surprisingly amenable towards our case.  They need a little more information from the US Embassy about granting these children green cards and we actually may be able to move forward!  This will be a very unstable process until the boys are on the plane to America and we will keep fighting that unseen battle and need you to join with us!

"For in You the orphan finds mercy..."

Hosea 14:3b