Twenty-nine months ago today...twenty nine long but purposeful months have passed since our Dossier was logged in China's system! It's been almost two and a half years since our papers arrived in China...wow!! And it's been over three years since our journey first began to our baby girl. So how do we feel during this long wait? Peaceful. Purposeful. Patiently missing her...deeply missing her. But holding on to the hope that God knows every moment, every step, every facet of His design to bring our sweet daughter home. Our hearts ache for her...but our journey to her is completely in His hands and we know that He knows what is best. As I've said before...all the joy and love for her greatly surpasses all the waiting we must endure. It will be worth it all!
This weekend I wrote about our 29th month Log-In anniverary on my Facebook status. As usual, dear friends wrote very encouraging words which mean so much to us. One friend, an adoptive parent himself, wrote the following words that I must share with you:
"Ephesians 1: 3-5
"In the Message it partially reads- "Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son." Know, know know--He is taking great pleasure right now in planning the details!"
Thank you so much, Tim!! When we focus on the awesome wonder of God planning each detail of our journey to our JennaBeth (EmmaKate?), it makes our wait seem so much more purposeful and worthwhile. We're not simply waiting on major paperwork or a process. We are waiting for the hand of God to literally "Mastermind" this entire life-changing blessing in His own amazing, incredible, perfect and very best design. How could we want it any other way? To realize that God is bringing a precious little girl in a country halfway around the world...into our hearts, lives and home at just the right time, for all the right reasons, with every detail according to His personal specifications...is an overwhelming blessing. We're not only waiting for our daughter...we're trusting God's timing, provision, pleasure and perfection! The Creator of the Universe...is forming, leading and orchestrating our journey to another incredible gift of life for our family! That's definitely worth the wait!
Jenna Elizabeth * Lorenz...(Emma Katherine * Lorenz?), our hearts are full of love, joy, wonder, anticipation and peace as we wait for you. As much as we miss you and long for you to be home with us, we know that the Hand of God is creating you, caring for you and preparing you for your journey home with us. Rest...in His love and care. Rest in your homeland which we will always remember. Rest in our love. And rest...knowing that someday soon...we will hold you, hug you, love you and introduce you to your life with us and our loved ones. For your life, and ours, will be changed forever...and we will never be the same. Until the day we travel to meet you and bring you home...always know that you are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers. Until the details are complete and in order...we're holding you in our hearts. We're twenty-nine months closer to you, baby girl/s. Rest, baby girl/s...rest.
Cherishing each detail in God's plan...
Terri and Family
Jenna Elizabeth (aka "JennaBeth") Song Lorenz
Waiting For Our Little One To Come Home From China!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Great Friends...Great Blessings!
It continually amazes me how time passes so quickly in every area of our lives...except the wait for our precious baby girl/s. :) But I am even more amazed at the countless reminders and blessings we are shown along this journey. The past couple weeks have been no exception.
Last week I attended the Inauguration of Kentucky Christian University's fifth President. Tim and I went to school with Jeff and his wife, Debbie, so it was a joy to witness them become KCU's President and First Lady! Little did I know what other blessings that day would involve.
One of my newest friends who works there recently welcomed their baby girl home from China. Kim and her husband are incredible parents and are so proud of their beautiful daughter, Grace. I met Grace for the first time during my visit that day. My heart was so moved and encouraged as God once again reminded me that every moment we wait is indeed worthwhile! It is an amazing walk as we witness God's precise orchestration of placing wonderful adoptive parents and families in our paths to remind, encourage and strengthen us in our season of waiting. I pray that someday as we go through our lives with our JennaBeth (& EmmaKate?), we will be able to encourage other waiting parents. It is a blessing beyond words to witness others who have waited...and brought their sweet children home. All the paperwork, all the waiting, all the prayers, tears and even frustrations lead to being given the opportunity to bring home a precious, innocent miracle of life that God is placing in our hearts, our arms and our family! Wow! Seeing other families with these precious children reminds us that our family will welcome home our little girl/s someday too! And that's definitely worth the wait!
That same day, I reconnected with a college friend I had not seen for a very long time. Donna and I have shared on Facebook...but we finally got to visit face-to-face. It was great! As I later shared our adoption website address with her, Donna spoke words that I consider a true blessing. Discussing our wait, I commented that God's timing is perfect. Donna added to that by emphasizing..."God's timing isn't just good...it's PERFECT!" She was so encouraging about our family and our journey and she touched my heart deeply. Of course, we believe that God's design and plan are perfect. But to hear someone remind us that it's "better than good"...blessed us tremendously. God indeed knows the specific child He will add to our family and His design, timing and plan are definitely perfect...and we will trust Him as we continue to wait!
New friends...old friends...adoptive parents...biological parents...doctors, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists...family and strangers...God has spoken through so many precious souls to encourage us as we wait for our baby girl/s. As much as it hurts to miss our sweetie/s, our joy will far exceed this wait. And we shall not forget all the incredible blessings along the way. May the blessings in our journey be used to help someone else in their journey. Whether your journey of life includes adoption or other goals and experiences, it is always a tremendous opportunity to thank God for unexpected blessings...and to reach out to others' lives as well. Life is truly an incredible journey of blessings. May you be blessed and be a blessing more than you ever imagined!
Cherishing each opportunity....
Terri & family
Last week I attended the Inauguration of Kentucky Christian University's fifth President. Tim and I went to school with Jeff and his wife, Debbie, so it was a joy to witness them become KCU's President and First Lady! Little did I know what other blessings that day would involve.
One of my newest friends who works there recently welcomed their baby girl home from China. Kim and her husband are incredible parents and are so proud of their beautiful daughter, Grace. I met Grace for the first time during my visit that day. My heart was so moved and encouraged as God once again reminded me that every moment we wait is indeed worthwhile! It is an amazing walk as we witness God's precise orchestration of placing wonderful adoptive parents and families in our paths to remind, encourage and strengthen us in our season of waiting. I pray that someday as we go through our lives with our JennaBeth (& EmmaKate?), we will be able to encourage other waiting parents. It is a blessing beyond words to witness others who have waited...and brought their sweet children home. All the paperwork, all the waiting, all the prayers, tears and even frustrations lead to being given the opportunity to bring home a precious, innocent miracle of life that God is placing in our hearts, our arms and our family! Wow! Seeing other families with these precious children reminds us that our family will welcome home our little girl/s someday too! And that's definitely worth the wait!
That same day, I reconnected with a college friend I had not seen for a very long time. Donna and I have shared on Facebook...but we finally got to visit face-to-face. It was great! As I later shared our adoption website address with her, Donna spoke words that I consider a true blessing. Discussing our wait, I commented that God's timing is perfect. Donna added to that by emphasizing..."God's timing isn't just good...it's PERFECT!" She was so encouraging about our family and our journey and she touched my heart deeply. Of course, we believe that God's design and plan are perfect. But to hear someone remind us that it's "better than good"...blessed us tremendously. God indeed knows the specific child He will add to our family and His design, timing and plan are definitely perfect...and we will trust Him as we continue to wait!
New friends...old friends...adoptive parents...biological parents...doctors, nurses, dentists, dental hygienists...family and strangers...God has spoken through so many precious souls to encourage us as we wait for our baby girl/s. As much as it hurts to miss our sweetie/s, our joy will far exceed this wait. And we shall not forget all the incredible blessings along the way. May the blessings in our journey be used to help someone else in their journey. Whether your journey of life includes adoption or other goals and experiences, it is always a tremendous opportunity to thank God for unexpected blessings...and to reach out to others' lives as well. Life is truly an incredible journey of blessings. May you be blessed and be a blessing more than you ever imagined!
Cherishing each opportunity....
Terri & family
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