10 Year Anniversary and Wild Alaskan Adventure!

Hey, everybody! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a week. This past week, Ben and I celebrated our 10-year anniversary by going on an Alaskan adventure! Yes, I did say Alaska, that place far north that I read about in elementary school and thought I'd never go to. It just seemed so unreal that I'd ever go there! Guess I thought Eskimos lived there or something when I was seven. It's funny how I always imagined we'd celebrate ten years by going to some place like Fiji with tropical breezes, flip-flops, iced drinks with little umbrellas in them, and wide-brimmed beach hats. Alaska was a place for arctic breezes, two layers of socks and tennis shoes, hot chocolate and tea, and arctic fox earmuffs! I have a picture of me wearing these crazy earmuffs, and Ben is wearing a sheared beaver fur hat! Laugh out loud!
I will say that Alaska is the most beautiful place I've ever seen. It's so untamed and magnificent. If you are planning a trip somewhere, I highly recommend Alaska. We took a cruise from Anchorage down to Vancouver, Canada. It was very reasonable and very relaxing. I even got a stamp in my new state park passport book. Of course, there's only a blue million other parks to get stamps from! :) One down, a blue million left. What is a blue million anyway?

So, we officially celebrated ten years last Friday June 20, 2008. Ten years ago seems like a short time, but when I reflect on all of the life that has been lived in those ten years, I am truly amazed.

Our ten years have been wonderful years full of adventure and wonder, of triumphs and joys, and of struggles and heartaches. Most of all, they've been years of love and growth as a couple. In a short ten years of sharing life together, we've been through a tough season of infertility and miscarriages. Our desire to start a family has been a part of eight of our 10 years, but it doesn't define it. I trust wholeheartedly that God is working ALL things together for good and ultimately to glorify Him. This blog is about this and that and life in general, but our quest to discover the children God has for us is a central theme.

Our journey to Maia Grace in China began in 2005, and as many of you know, we're still waiting for her referral probably sometime in the fall of 2009. She'll be between six and twelve months old. Our entire journey to her is documented in our adoption website, www.journeytomaia.com, for anyone that would like to read our story. Journals pertaining to China referrals will still be posted on that site, as I want to share the full story with her someday. Our newest adventure in adoption and family adventures will be posted here.

The update on our Ava Faith adoption is that it is very uncertain, and we're having to completely trust God's sovereignty in this entire situation. We're inching forward literally one day at a time right now, and I'm planning to go to the birthmother's doctor's appointment on Monday the 30th for the 7 month ultrasound. This process is full of twists and turns that are very different from our international adoption. Every day, I have to try my hardest not to be anxious and fearful. A verse that's always been a favorite of mine in difficult decisions and situations is from the book of Joshua in chapter 1. Joshua was the dude that had to lead the people of Israel after Moses passed away! A pretty tall order, especially because the Israelites were not easy to lead!

Joshua was known for his faith and courage. As God was preparing him, He said to Joshua, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

The next part is not often quoted, but I think it's key. Joshua did not waver and say, "Lord are you sure this is a good idea? or "Lord, I'm not Moses!" No. Instead, he commanded the officers of the people, saying, "Pass through the camp, and command the people, saying, 'Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days, you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.'" Wow! What courage and faith Joshua must have had. It's tempting for me to say, "Lord, I'm not Joshua," but I feel Him calling me to prepare provisions and most importantly, to go! It's tempting to be inactive when we're waiting for something to happen, but often God works in the movement of us GOING!

So, with that said, I'm making provisions, trying not to be anxious, fearful or dismayed, and I'm going forward; sometimes, I'm crawling, and sometimes, I'm sprinting! Yesterday, my heart was downcast at some news that while we were gone, the birthparents had changed their mind and had declined the Atlanta attorney's services. Then, I found out that they had changed their mind and were continuing down the path of adoption. After this phone conversation, I got down on the floor with my face to the ground and cried out to God in my helplessness. I told Him that this was too hard, and I just didn't have any strength left to fight this battle. As I picked myself up and tried to have good courage, I was reminded later that day to ask for prayer. You see, many times, I try to muster up some strength and courage and handle things on my own. It's in my weakness, though, that His strength is made perfect. Why do I forget that? After I asked for prayer that afternoon, Ben and I were sitting on the porch that evening watching a beautiful storm come in from the West. I got up to put our dog, Bear, in, and when I got back and sat down, I suddenly felt this strange but wonderful warmth, not around me but actually inside me. I asked Ben if he felt it, and he said no. It was like a heat that I've never felt before. It only lasted for a few seconds, but I felt such a wonderful peace afterwards.

The next morning, I found out that some people had been praying for me at 8:00 p.m.and between 10 and 10:30 p.m. I must say that I am on a journey with prayer. I have always read that it's powerful, but sometimes, I don't experience that power in the timeframe I'm expecting or in the way I'm expecting, so my enthusiasm for prayer wanes. I truly believe the Holy Spirit was ministering to me while I was sitting on the porch last night, still pondering the twists and turns of this adoption. God is very aware of where I am right now and how hard this is.

So, with all this said, I know there will be rocks ahead and more twists and turns, but I'm not steering the boat! God is, and I am going to try my best to sit back and ride and trust as I'm gathering provisions and going along for the ride.

If you ever are thinking of going somewhere, I highly recommend that you visit Alaska! It was truly the most beautiful place I've ever seen, and the weather on land was actually very nice - in the 60s most days. It's truly one of the last wild frontiers. God's creation is magnificent to say the least!! I hope you enjoy the photos!