Merry Christmas

As Christmas is getting near, I find myself getting busier and busier each day. I'm so busy in fact that I haven't even had time to host my annual cookie baking day with my family. Cookie baking around our house is no minor thing, its more like an extravaganza; Flour, sugar, sprinkles everywhere and we love it! I have tried so hard to fill my life with so many things to do this holiday season so I could "forget" for a little while that Ben won't be home :-( Well so much for that because he is never far from my thoughts every second, every moment of everyday. In the process of trying to forget my troubles, I've also forgotten the most important thing of all; my precious savior. Where would I be if he hadn't come to redeem me? I think back to the Luke 2 (the Christmas story) and I think of all the people who were surrounding the area the night Christ was born. These people were desperate for a redeemer and yet they missed it! They missed it? All except for a handful of dirty shepherds, some wise men, and Mary and Joseph. Can you imagine how they felt? Delivering their precious son the savior and redeemer of the world in a dirty stable and no one seemed to care? Guess what God didn't miss it, he was right there for the whole thing!!
In church on Sunday I broke down crying during prayer time and was just begging God to hurry and bring Ben home. I actually said God you just don't understand, I hurt for him so badly. I don't understand why you won't just let us have him now we would take care of him and love him so much better. I felt a peace come over me and Gods presence so strong beside me. It was as if God sat down beside me, put his arm around me and whispered in my ear. It was amazing !!!!! This is what he said: Liberty, I don't know about hurting so badly for my son? Did you forget that I send my son for you? That I KNEW there was no way anyone could love and take care of him the way that I could? That the precious gift I send down here would be rejected? forgotten? Did YOU forget what they did to him? I was there for all of that, I had to witness it! But I love you that much!!! So Liberty, give me Ben, I know what I'm doing and I love him that much!!!!
That's my story this Christmas, a stolen intimate moment with my savior in the middle of church Sunday morning. It was one of the most precious moments of my life as I simply handed my son and heart to my savior. For the next few days before Christmas I want to be in the stable with Jesus not in the Inn missing his birth!!!
Luke 1:14
And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth

Merry Christmas and God bless.

NOC

Just wanted to take a quick moment and let you know that we received an e mail saying our NOC was completed and excepted! Woo Hoo I'm doing the happy dance! One more step completed I feel so relieved!!!


"When I was waiting quietly for the Lord, His heart was turned to me, and He gave ear to my cry." Psalms 40:1

"Waiting"

All this waiting just gets harder and harder. I want my baby!!!! I wish I could just fly to India with my hands on my hips and demand they hurry with all this paperwork!! I know I know I was told over and over that this part of the process is the hardest, but honestly I never REALIZED how much I would yearn for Ben (chirag). The holidays are fast approaching and I'm hoping to get so involved in things that I will forget for a little while. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I am really driving myself and family nuts. How in the world do you function day by day when you can think of nothing else but holding your sweet child, counting his fingers and toes, tickling a smile out of him? Goodness, I feel like all I do is whine on this blog anymore. Enough of that for now:-) I do have 3 new photo's to post today. I'm not sure who took them but Thank you Thank you Thank you from the bottom of my heart !!

New Video

This morning we received a very special gift in our e-mail box. A video of Ben (Chirag) My thanks go to Suzie and her husband for this priceless gift!!! I have been an emotional wreck these past few days, every time I see Ben's picture (and they are every where in the house) I would break down and cry. I know that this is just ridiculous because we only saw his face for the first time in early August. And I know that there are families that waited months and months before they were able to pick up their child, But I miss him! Does that sound crazy since I've never even seen him in person? I think I check my e-mail every five minutes to see if there is anymore news! Any way this video was a special treat and really lifted my spirits.

Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord! Psalms 31:24

Preparing for Fall

September has been a crazy month so far, it has marked the end the home schooling in our house for now. Our fifteen yr old daughter is attending the local public school and our son attending an online Christian school. Everything is super busy, but I'm loving it. I thought I would be sitting around the house missing home schooling, but I find I'm even busier than before. The online Christian school has been a true blessing for us, Aubrey attended last year and did so well with it that we decided to enroll Anthony. If anyone is looking for a christian alternative at home the website is www.christianlegacyacademy.com .

Our adoption process is moving along at a steady pace. We just received notice that the embassy has asked for Ben's Visa pictures and that they have been sent so article five should be right around the corner. The Courts in India usually close for most of October due to holidays so we won't see any movement for the next month. There has been a group of approvals in the last month that moved super fast so that gives me hope for when it's our turn.

I can't help but be excited for the fall weather. I love being able to walk outside and actually smell fall. I love wearing a sweater and drinking apple cider. I love visiting the apple orchards and all the harvest parties:-) What can I say but I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR.
"A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" Proverbs 15:23

"The Call"

On Friday afternoon at Five o'clock in the afternoon we received a phone call from Tami Davidson of Dillon International asking if she could talk to us about a little boy. I sputtered, I coughed, I pinched myself and then said WHAT! How? We have only been on the waiting list for two weeks. She explained that we were open to more special needs and open to a boy so we were next for this little one. To say that I was shocked is an understatement, I went about the rest of my day in a mist. But now that we have seen the face of our son, and accepted his referral my feet are coming back to the ground and I must say GOD IS AMAZING!!!

First I have to tell you that we were convinced we were getting a girl. Early on in our adoption process my mother when praying for our baby saw a flash of pink. To give you a little background my mom is often given small visions like this when she is deep in prayer, and I have never known her to be wrong. So when Tami called about a boy, I was thinking this couldn't possibly be our baby. But the more she talked the more I felt pulled to this child. I can only explain it as tingling from head to foot. I asked God to help us know if he was the right one and guess what HE DID. In his most recent picture the baby had on a pink shirt!!!!!!!!! Isn't God awesome? I am always amazed at him. So anyway we accepted the referral of little "Chirag" Our name for him will be Ben Avery McClelland.

"Magic Number"

Here it is the magic number 12! I'm so excited to finally be on the waiting list, I really thought the number would be much higher so it is a pleasant surprise! Thank you for all of your prayers, I know we have a long way to go but I'm just so happy to have finished another step.