It is so cold here this morning! It's 63 degrees. Oh my. My NYers, I see you have a snow day on Facebook, I will stop complaining because once the sun gets a bit higher. I will be just fine in a little sweater.
Ten years in Florida and 2.5 years here, I cannot handle the cold like I used to as a child!
So I am in my sweatpants, hoodie, and socks on the porch with some hot cocoa reading some Luke.
Sometimes, we need to slow down and read and think about what we read. Let God fill in between the lines with His Holy Spirit within us.
Elizabeth is pregnant with John and when she is 6 months along, Mary (relative) is told by the same angel, Gabriel, she is pregnant (with Jesus). Mary goes to stay with Rebekah for about 3 months. Mary is super young and Elizabeth is super old. At this point Joseph has a decision to make, have her stoned to death for cheating or divorce her. Even though they weren't married yet, a betrothal needed to be broken with a divorce. But God told him to do something else...marry her.
A census is called by Roman emperor, Augustus, and Mary and Joseph need to return to King David's ancient home, Bethlehem, because Joseph was a descendant.
These two have to travel 70 miles! Mary is about to pop and she has to travel 70 miles? I would have said, you go and I'll have this baby. Catch up with you later. Ain't no one going that far full-term. But God had a plan. Perfectly executed with His kids.
So they go. One would think God would pave the way and let her give birth comfortably because she has been so obedient. And let's be honest, most reactions to pregnancies in the Bible include laughter because they didn't believe it was possible. But not Mary. She pretty much said she is the Lord's servant and may this come true. I wonder what Mary was like and what her upbringing was like to be obedient and willing to face the world claiming such a crazy thing, carrying a baby conceived by the Holy Spirit. She couldn't let what the world thought of her, stop her. She was moving on with Joseph as God led this incredible journey that no one can or will ever understand enduring.
I wonder if when they had no place to go, they looked at each other like, DID WE MISS HEARING GOD? How can we give birth here in this nasty place with animals and their excrement? Lord, are you sure of this?? We have the Savior here, let's do miraculous!
All this is a sweet reminder of my life. I needed one today. Sweet of God to show me.
I have been so behind in updating you people on fully adopting the girls. Forgive me. So when I finally went to get passports and visas, I was met with an obstacle. I can't obtain them because only their father can now that mom is dead. I do have legal rights to the girls. I am their legal guardian, but I cannot take them out of the country until they are fully adopted. So I let this sit for a little while not feeling God telling me to pursue it more. I knew He was working. I was so devastated. I thought I was going to go to La Vega that day and bam! God style, passports and visas in process and fly home to NY/maybe Florida, too, for Christmas. Voila! God is good!
Didn't happen anything like that.
Instead, I find out that I am stuck here. Oh my heart cried not fair. I did as you asked, God, can't you just make this as smooth as possible! I will give you glory for everything like I always do!
So as time passed a little bit, I was looking online and read that you have to be married to adopt. Not only married, but married for 5 YEARS. Que?
Read this as: God has asked me to do the impossible. (Oh, I just welled up with tears, He just reminded me of Luke 1:37).
Other Christians, meaning well but completely discouraging me, have said things like, "You tried to do something great for these girls but really you might be harming their future. You can't take in kids before you adopt them...the law says you can't have them live with you first." Others "you want to help, but this isn't helping in the long run." Or, "Just leave the kids here and go vacation home."
No. If I leave, they are leaving with me.
Like Mary, I just have to keep walking. But walking alone. And although there is no Joseph, I whole-heartedly believe he isn't too far off. In the meantime, I say to God alone in my thoughts, You better figure all this out! We can't even do this! (Why do I allow to devil to creep in my thoughts!)
Like everything in my life, I know He will work it out without me. Thank goodness I can always lean on "I know what He said." I am just to be obedient and do what He does say to do. People want to put me in contact with this person and that person when they hear the story, I decline. Until I feel God say go, I won't try to provide for myself and the kids. Isnt it time to get married now? Find someone. Oh, the things people say. Your story isn't mine but I know people have said some crazy things to you, too. Following God makes you look foolish. Evidently waiting on God isn't acceptable... not even to Christians. I long for the day to be like, look at the ending to this, and to God will be the glory.
So, out of nowhere, a DR friend told me a judge/lawyer, not sure of story, can sign documents to allow me to fly because of the situation with dad in prison. Hopefully this week, I will go see.
You can be praying for us and this situation. The whole process takes time, but I am hopeful for the day I can bring the girls to America so you can all meet them. Until then, I thank God for Facebook. When others allow Facebook to make them jealous and envy others' lives, I love it so you can see my babies grow with me!!
Thank you for going on this journey with me...with your love, prayers, and support.
Ten years in Florida and 2.5 years here, I cannot handle the cold like I used to as a child!
So I am in my sweatpants, hoodie, and socks on the porch with some hot cocoa reading some Luke.
Sometimes, we need to slow down and read and think about what we read. Let God fill in between the lines with His Holy Spirit within us.
Elizabeth is pregnant with John and when she is 6 months along, Mary (relative) is told by the same angel, Gabriel, she is pregnant (with Jesus). Mary goes to stay with Rebekah for about 3 months. Mary is super young and Elizabeth is super old. At this point Joseph has a decision to make, have her stoned to death for cheating or divorce her. Even though they weren't married yet, a betrothal needed to be broken with a divorce. But God told him to do something else...marry her.
A census is called by Roman emperor, Augustus, and Mary and Joseph need to return to King David's ancient home, Bethlehem, because Joseph was a descendant.
These two have to travel 70 miles! Mary is about to pop and she has to travel 70 miles? I would have said, you go and I'll have this baby. Catch up with you later. Ain't no one going that far full-term. But God had a plan. Perfectly executed with His kids.
So they go. One would think God would pave the way and let her give birth comfortably because she has been so obedient. And let's be honest, most reactions to pregnancies in the Bible include laughter because they didn't believe it was possible. But not Mary. She pretty much said she is the Lord's servant and may this come true. I wonder what Mary was like and what her upbringing was like to be obedient and willing to face the world claiming such a crazy thing, carrying a baby conceived by the Holy Spirit. She couldn't let what the world thought of her, stop her. She was moving on with Joseph as God led this incredible journey that no one can or will ever understand enduring.
I wonder if when they had no place to go, they looked at each other like, DID WE MISS HEARING GOD? How can we give birth here in this nasty place with animals and their excrement? Lord, are you sure of this?? We have the Savior here, let's do miraculous!
All this is a sweet reminder of my life. I needed one today. Sweet of God to show me.
I have been so behind in updating you people on fully adopting the girls. Forgive me. So when I finally went to get passports and visas, I was met with an obstacle. I can't obtain them because only their father can now that mom is dead. I do have legal rights to the girls. I am their legal guardian, but I cannot take them out of the country until they are fully adopted. So I let this sit for a little while not feeling God telling me to pursue it more. I knew He was working. I was so devastated. I thought I was going to go to La Vega that day and bam! God style, passports and visas in process and fly home to NY/maybe Florida, too, for Christmas. Voila! God is good!
Didn't happen anything like that.
Instead, I find out that I am stuck here. Oh my heart cried not fair. I did as you asked, God, can't you just make this as smooth as possible! I will give you glory for everything like I always do!
So as time passed a little bit, I was looking online and read that you have to be married to adopt. Not only married, but married for 5 YEARS. Que?
Read this as: God has asked me to do the impossible. (Oh, I just welled up with tears, He just reminded me of Luke 1:37).
Other Christians, meaning well but completely discouraging me, have said things like, "You tried to do something great for these girls but really you might be harming their future. You can't take in kids before you adopt them...the law says you can't have them live with you first." Others "you want to help, but this isn't helping in the long run." Or, "Just leave the kids here and go vacation home."
No. If I leave, they are leaving with me.
Like Mary, I just have to keep walking. But walking alone. And although there is no Joseph, I whole-heartedly believe he isn't too far off. In the meantime, I say to God alone in my thoughts, You better figure all this out! We can't even do this! (Why do I allow to devil to creep in my thoughts!)
Like everything in my life, I know He will work it out without me. Thank goodness I can always lean on "I know what He said." I am just to be obedient and do what He does say to do. People want to put me in contact with this person and that person when they hear the story, I decline. Until I feel God say go, I won't try to provide for myself and the kids. Isnt it time to get married now? Find someone. Oh, the things people say. Your story isn't mine but I know people have said some crazy things to you, too. Following God makes you look foolish. Evidently waiting on God isn't acceptable... not even to Christians. I long for the day to be like, look at the ending to this, and to God will be the glory.
So, out of nowhere, a DR friend told me a judge/lawyer, not sure of story, can sign documents to allow me to fly because of the situation with dad in prison. Hopefully this week, I will go see.
You can be praying for us and this situation. The whole process takes time, but I am hopeful for the day I can bring the girls to America so you can all meet them. Until then, I thank God for Facebook. When others allow Facebook to make them jealous and envy others' lives, I love it so you can see my babies grow with me!!
Thank you for going on this journey with me...with your love, prayers, and support.
