Better Together!

I'm dusting off the blog today! It has been a month and a half since I last wrote! So much has been happening I haven't been able to catch my breath. The last couple of days I have tried to reflect on all that God has done. I have noticed one common theme...in every twist and turn of life, God is already there working. He already has it planned out. He is ready to work his plan in the perfect timing. He has gone before us and prepared the way. I just walk the prepared path. He has people along the way ready to bring what we need. And he prepares us to bring what others need on their journey. Honestly, it astounds me and shocks me and drives me to silence before him.

On May 31rst, in a state I have never visited, my firstborn son was married. I stole, I mean *borrowed* this picture below off his Facebook page! In it, he is 10 days married!! This amazing woman he married? I love her, I mean I really love her!! From the first time she met our family she has been a vessel of God's light. She is a healing and joyful presence in our lives. Oh, and just plain fun to be around!

Her family...they were waiting as we traveled from Maine to Alabama for the wedding, ready to help us at every turn. Honestly the whole wedding was a joyful time of great UNITY. When I became pregnant with my son, I prayed the first prayer that God would bring the perfect woman for him into his life at the right time that would love God with her whole heart and love my son. But I honestly never thought about her parents praying for my son through her whole life! They were partnering with my husband and I as we raised our son. And I was unaware of it!

There were amazing people around us during the wedding, most of them new to us. They embraced us and encouraged us and spoke words of life and joy and truth to us! I was filled up!

And I got to spend time with my two sisters and my mom, all together for the first time since my dad's funeral 10 years ago! AND see two nieces and their sweet kids! And my dear mother-in-law (picture to come as she came home with us to continue the celebration!) came all the way from California!

Bliss, people, pure bliss...

When we got home, we immediately started working on my second born son's High School Graduation. My church family was ready to help and celebrate with us!! As we set up where we were to have our celebration a quick count of chairs made us realize we would not have enough chairs!! WOOPS!! But I was humbled at the support and love God has placed around us that we actually COULD run out of chairs!!

Our son, Christian, will be headed to Cairn University in the fall to pursue a degree in History! Now we have two college students!! YIKES!!

Not long after our graduation, our younger four children had the amazing opportunity to reunite with friends they know from their life in Nicaragua! Oh my heart!!! Wild horses couldn't keep us away!! A dear friend set this up for us and took great pictures for us! 

I received such encouragement as I sat with two women who actually paved the way for our adoption of our four younger children. They went before me in every way. I also got a little back story that showed me how God was preparing our adoption with governing authorities 15 months before we made the decision to adopt!! I am preparing to start writing our adoption story. God uses this blog to send others who would like to adopt from Nicaragua and I pray this continues! 

It has been a time of celebration and rejoicing!! It has been a busy time!! But more importantly it has been a time of God reminding me the importance of *community* and how he brings us together to lock hearts and arms together to help and encourage each other! There is so much more to come, for each of us. God is already there, preparing the way. And he is here with us in the *now* as we walk the current journey!! Only Jesus can!!

"Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." ~Galatians 6:2

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." ~Isaiah 30:21