Lessons on grace....

Big Bro' C, snoozing in between his little buddies !
Mercy with her new "springtime hairdo"-decided we needed some springy colors this week!
Our silly girl enjoying a special treat Mimi brought from Dunkin Donuts last week...




And God is able to make all grace abound to you,
so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times,
you may abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Well, I have referenced this verse before and I must admit I am carrying it around in my back pocket as much as possible. My wayward heart so easily strays into anger, unbelief, discouragement etc. I can so relate with Paul when he describes in Roman 7 ...I don't do what I want to do and what I don't want to do , I do!..... I want to be a cheerfully content, purposeful Mommy and yet, so often I am impatient, grumpy or discouraged by the mountain of work that always needs to be done just to keep a home running somewhat smoothly and the endless 'opportunities' which present themselves throughout the course of a day. Though I know in my head that God's grace is sufficient and abounding, I don't live moment by moment in the wonder of that rich truth. It is humbling and yet freeing to admit this...I am so aware of my desperate need for Him to make my heart embrace this and walk in the fruit of it.
From Spurgeon's Grace Abounding in a Believer's Life I am reminded that God will give ALL manner of grace...it might be sanctifying grace, healing grace,directing grace, delivering grace...the list goes on and on because "There is grace not only in fullness but in all variety treasured up in Christ Jesus. As our needs are many, so the forms in which grace blesses us are many."
This translates in my mind to: grace to deal with sibling squabbles, grace to deal with messy pants, grace to deal with homeschool hindrances, grace to deal with clutter, grace to repent after a "mommy meltdown', grace to deal with laundry, meals , and messes~and on and on. His grace will meet me wherever I am for whatever I am facing~ So, today I am freshly aware of my need to grab ahold of...position myself at the receiving end of His pipeline of abundant grace! I am purposeful to begin most mornings crying out for this but something happens in my heart in the midst of the clamor and activity of our busy home....I often forget that encouraging word that I read in the morning, I often forget how God specifically spoke to my heart just hours earlier, I often forget that His grace is sufficient.. I often forget that 'interruptions' are not interruptions at all but opportunities designed and allowed by Him-the Master planner, to help me grow in patience and trust and to ultimately teach me that His grace is indeed sufficient in ALL things, at ALL times so that I may abound in EVERY good work! Lord, help me remember!!!

We have been inside since the snow fell on Sunday afternoon . Our backyard now looks like a slushy swamp . The littles had a great time outside romping in the storm on Sunday while I was away with the big boys for a meeting at a friend's house . The past 2 days we have not left the house but our 4 youngest have kept busy with 'cleaning' sprees (actually, they were a huge help even in the midst of the squabbles over whose turn it was to spritz the windex or territory wars over who has what section of the kitchen floor to clean... reminded me of the days when my twin brothers resorted to an imaginary line down the middle of the boat they were supposed to be cleaning/waxing!!) Mercy has been fighting some illness since yesterday afternoon when she spiked a fever of 102 degrees...no other symptoms but lethargy and just generally feeling yucky. She is definately not her normal spicy self...except for the short window of time when the Tylenol really seems to be taking effect...then she spends her time trying to convince me that she is'feeling well'.

Today while G and L played with Legos in the basement and Mercy napped, Odesco and I cuddled and read on the chair near the warm wood burning stove. He really is a snuggly little fellow and often in the mornings he will choose to look at books on our bed rather than go downstairs with the rest of the gang...when I need to go run errands while Daddy is home, he is quick now to offer hugs and kisses before I leave and he is often the first one at the door shouting,"Mommy home-yeah!!" We talked about his homecoming and what it was like...he told me that in Liberia he prayed about coming to America...I told him we prayed and prayed too and how grateful we are that God has made him our son. A sweet mommy moment!

Some other fun happenings...

* Fickle Pickle girlies: Yesterday during our cleaning spree Mercy and G were having a bit of a difficult time sharing cleaning implements and territory (okay- this is putting it mildly!). So much so that G declared she was sleeping up on the top bunk-hmph!! (they still like to share the bottom bunk)! Well, fast forward a few hours...we decided that Mercy and G should not sleep together since Mercy was sick. SO we fixed up a nice bed on the floor for Mercy (in case there was a tummy problem in the middle of the night!) and G was to sleep in the bottom bunk as usual. We explained to Mercy that the same would have happened if G was the one sick...these 2 carried on with tears and such drama...how could they possible fall asleep if they weren't together?! It was actually sweet sentiment and all day today they have been trying to convince me that Mercy is not sick. We'll see how the drama unfolds tonight :)!!
* Yesterday, I discovered a rival to the coveted 'chicky bone'....mango pits! I saw mangoes were on sale this week and stocked up on them...Mercy and Odesco were in their glory with yet another taste of Liberia...I soon discovered that I would need to keep track of who last received the prized 'seed' as they call it...they devour all the fleshy fruit around it and consider this quite the treat:) I'm thrilled that they are eating more fruits and veggies as we are slowly diminishing their meat intake. They both also like avocado and love bananas too :) I can't keep enough fruit in the house these days...a nice problem to have~

* yesterday the kids watched a Bible songs video ...they especially loved the song,"if you're happy and you know it...' but they have an interesting verse ...,"If you're happy and you know it sting your hand!" then they proceed to very energetically shake their hands so that their fingers 'snap' or 'sting'...

* During one of our early morning snuggle sessions, Odesco noticed a framed picture of Daddy from many years ago on my nightstand(probably 18 yrs ago)...he laughed as he realized ,"Daddy no sabu (bald) head!"
Addendum: At dinner tonight we were discussing possible gift ideas for Daddy's upcoming birthday...Odesco was excited to give his suggestions: a chain(necklace), ring and HAIR!! This boy was totally serious...he just cracks me up :) And if you know my hubby, a ring and a chain are just not his thing...and I rather like his sabu head just the way it is!! Hope Odesco won't be too disappointed!!

Well that's all for now...
Thanks for checking in. Slowly I feel like we are settling into a new normal for our household of 8...in just a few days I will be writing Mercy and Odesco's 3 month post-placement report to send to AOH....it is hard to believe that just 3 months ago we didn't know these 2 . What a work God has done in really such a brief time. We still have our challenging moments and days but overall I think we are all 'settling in'!!

I am so grateful for all manners of His all sufficient grace,
Mama B~

Sweet Stirrings....

Wonder girl, at it again!! Both Mercy and Odesco shock us with their brute strength!!
Tickle time with big brother,P~
Mercy is anxious to begin reading...G is 'teaching" her ~G often reads to Mercy in their bunkbed before falling asleep each nite'
More fun with the dress up bin!
Lost but now found! This is the album we sent to Liberia for Mercy to 'meet' us last April. She was supposed to return home with it but inadvertantly gave it to one of the nannies for safekeeping just prior to her departure for America. After arriving home, we questioned Mercy and she told me exactly who she had given it to and in which room it would be found. Thanks to Melodie , the album made it back to the States in Felicia's backpack and Mercy received it on Sunday....what a happy camper she was!!
Dancing around after breakfast...isn't this boy so kissable! He entertains us with his many expressions!!


Mercy giving us one of her spontaneous worship renditions~
Proud student showing Daddy all the books she has diligently completed so far :)!!
The past few days of homeschool have actually been a bit more manageable as L and Odesco have been playing together nicely ...dressups, Legos in the basement , Rescue Heroes , or light sabre battles have been keeping these little guys occupied for more than just an eyeblink! Oh the joys of homeschooling with just a little less chaos in the background :)!! Of course once they are 'done' the decibel level rises significantly but this little reprieve is such a blessing!!

Last nite' at bedtime, Odesco returned my,"I love you" with "I love you!" a spontaneous first for this little man...don't know if he actually understands, but my Mommy heart was full :)!! L and G are also showing a genuine interest in Odesco and Mercy's lives before they became a welcomed part of our family. Last nite' after I put the little boys to bed, I let them look at books ... I overheard L asking ,"Desco...do you like snakes? were there snakes in Ileria?" (no-not a typo...that L's version of Liberia!) Didn't hear Odesco's response but I smiled knowing that L was truly attempting to get to know his brother a bit more :)
After tucking the girls in, I often hear them talking...G often asks Mercy questions about Liberia, her biological family etc. Mercy enthusiastically offers all sorts of information which G reports back to me. Sometimes, it is difficult to know exactly what information is accurate/true. For any of you who have had the opportunity to get to know our little spicy girl, you know what a joker she is...she loves to tell tall tales , just for the effect. For instance, yesterday as we were finishing schoolwork, she decided to color some chickens pink. I questioned her about her unusual color choice and she boldly declared that in Liberia there were indeed pink chickens!! Well, obviously she is pulling my leg on this one but other times I am amazed at the stuff she shares and not quite sure what to make of it.

Yesterday at lunch, both she and Odesco begans talking about President Ellen Johnson...she is the current President of Liberia (also known as the "Iron Lady" as she endeavors to stamp out governmental corruption) . I was shocked that they knew her name...then she and Odesco began chanting,"No more war-we want peace!!" Next Mercy shared about a woman in her village whose hut was hit by a 'rocket'...thankfully the lady was not harmed because according to Mercy's report she was beating palm nuts to make palm butter in front of her simple dwelling. Next she shared how a close relative had to run from gunfire and was struck in the thigh with a bullet. When questioned further, she admitted that she did not personally witness these events(I'm thankful for that!!) but heard others speaking of them.
This is a sober reminder of the realities for the children of Liberia. A reminder that we will never know much of what our precious son and daughter encountered during their early years growing up in a war torn , devastated country. But it is also a hope filled reminder that our God who is a God of mercy and the Ultimate Restorer of souls, can indeed restore the hurts in Mercy and Odesco's past that we have yet to realize. I was reading in the New Testament the other day Jesus' command to"make disciples of all nations"...in my heart there was a quickening as I prayed ,"yes, Lord...make these children fervent disciples of you!!"

Okay, enough of the heavy stuff...now onto some lighthearted household happenings:
* new Liberian word...'sabu head' = bald head...a few weeks ago, M's brother and wife came for their first visit to meet our new family members. As soon as Jim walked through the door, Mercy pulled off his cap to see if he had a 'sabu head' like the rest of Daddy's brothers...so much for first impressions :)
*Odesco has taken to calling anything green and crunchy "american food"...so, every night at dinner he must eat at least 3 pieces of 'american food'...otherwise known as salad :)..his portions will be slowly increasing!! Mercy is eating good sized portions(no surprise there!) of salad now, which I am thrilled to see.
*On Saturday, at C's indoor soccer game his team was losing. Odesco asked who was winning and when I told him the status of the game he decided to 'pray'...too funny to look over on the bleacher next to me to see his little face scrunched up and his hands folded as he 'prayed' for C's team to win...a moment later, Mercy and G decided they wanted in on the action so they formed a 'prayer huddle' there in the midst of the noisy gymnasium bleachers. Never a dull moment with these 2 around :)!!
*This morning, Mercy carried a fully(heavy!) loaded laundry basket down the stairs to the washing machine in the basement on her head! (see picture above)
* After church on Sunday, I sat down with Mercy to review her album which had just been returned earlier in the day by Mama K. On the inside cover was a stain...some food had dropped on it in Liberia. Mercy rubbed her nose in it, inhaled deeply and exclaimed,"SWEET!!" and then went on to describe the incident when she dropped her beans on the book...she is so happy to have this reminder of another of her favorite Liberian dishes...time for me to hunt down another recipe!
Well that's all the news for now...I'm sure our gang will give me more to write about in the coming days !!
Thanks for checking in!
Grateful for His rich mercies and restoring love,
Mama B~

Sorrowful,yet always rejoicing..

I just saw the email this morning that little Diamond's heart gave out last night. What a hope we have as Christians to know that this little boy is now completely whole and healthy...no more suffering, no more CP, no more tears, no more waiting for a passport to get him to his forever family...he is with his eternal, forever Father. How wonderful that he had a family that considered him as their own...just like Hope Nesue, he will be grieved for because he was loved. Please keep the Barber family in your prayers as they mourn the loss of this little boy.

Patty Anglin(the founder of Acres of Hope), will bury Diamond today in Liberia before she heads home on a flight to the midwest. Sadly, she is not only grieving the loss of this special boy but her own special needs daughter died unexpectedly at home yesterday in the States. Ari was just 15 years old, adopted from India where she was rescued from the streets by Mother Teresa years ago. This little girl had quite a testimony and living faith . If you think of them, please pray for the Anglin family as well. Patty will be making the 30 hour flight home tonight. I can't even imagine the pain of being so far away during such a crisis. Here is a link about Ari, if you are interested.

http://www.foundationforlargefamilies.com/anglin.html


This quote was sent to me in an email from another friend also sad over these losses and the loss of her own sweet daughter who died in her arms in Liberia. It is very fitting and comforts my soul...

It is not hard for the Lord to turn night into day. He that sends
the clouds can as easily clear the skies. Let us be of good cheer.
It is better farther on. Let us sing Hallelujah by anticipation. --
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Rejoicing through the tears,
Mama B.

More about Diamond...

I received this email today with more details regarding Diamond's situation. Thanks for continuing to pray for this precious little boy! There is definately a glimmer of hope but he needs a miraculous touch from the Lord!
Thanks for your prayers!
Love,Mama B

So here's the story on little Diamond. He had mild cerebral palsy but was otherwise healthy
and a friend of mine just stepped up to adopt him when he suddenly got sick. Really sick.He seizured for hours and went into a coma, and it looked like he wasn't going to make it. He was taken to the same hospital where our baby Ariana died, and where Hope Nesue died on my last trip, and my heart broke as I thought of him laying there suffering. He was septic and it looked like the infection was going to overwhelm his little body, but miraculously enough, he is still alive, being fed through a tube, just came off oxygen , although still not very responsive.

Diamond update...

This was on the AOH board this evening..after seeing a picture of this little guy, my heart has been so heavy for him...

Thank-you all who are praying for Diamond. He survived another night
and is sloooowly responding. Not much but a little. His fever seems to
be down and he is coming out of the drugs that put him under. He
still needs much continued prayer for a miracle and that his body
would be restored with no adverse affects from this serious bought of
illness.

Thank you for continuing to pray. It is so easy to take for granted the sturdiness and health of Mercy and Odesco now that they are here. The reality is that life in Liberia is so difficult for the little ones...many die from totally treatable illnesses because the medication and treatments just are not available there. I read recently that Liberia has the world's highest infant mortality rate.
Please continue to pray....
Love, MamaB

Happy Hearts Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day!! L is showing off his dollar from Grandmom and Pop Pop B~
Sweet Siblings..Odesco and Mercy looking "shiny, shiny" after a good "greasing".
Snow Day!!!
Big Bro C with his heart sandwich :)
Our little cowboy...still trying to get a picture of Odesco in his attire.
Dress up time during a wonderful evening at the K's...Officer Jenkins and who knows who Odesco is supposed to be?! The Queen Bee orchestrating the Valentine's making venture~
Tuesday, while the big boys and Daddy were skiing, I kept busy with the littles. While the dynamics can be exhausting at times without the 2 big boys, some days it is nice to not have to be on top of all the homeschooling and take a day just to play and get stuff done around the house. After a somewhat lazy morning, we headed out to the library(before the weather turned for the worse) to return our bounty from 3 weeks ago and to restock! We went over all the do's and don'ts (this time I remembered to talk about the self checkout computer !) and actually did quite well. There was excited anticipation(no fear!!) for a ride on the elevator (as Mercy calls it"the thing where the floor goes up") and L and Odesco were quite the sight as they sauntered in wearing matching hand-me-down cowboy boots and cowboy/revolutionary war hats to complete the look.
When we returned home, G suddenly realized Wednesday was Valentine's Day. We don't usually make a big deal of this but she rallied the troops and before I knew what was happening, the kitchen table was filled with crayons, pink, red, and white paper, glue sticks and kiddy scissors, tape and staplers. While I was busy cooking another batch of potato green soup and a heart shaped meatloaf for today, these 4 were busy creating. They all wanted to know how to spell various relatives and friends' names. Then they all ran to the basement for gift bags where they hid their treasures until today. Guess we'll have to mail off the long distance sentiments!
As I noted earlier, I don't typically make this holiday a big deal...usually a card and maybe a special treat for the kids and a card for my hubby. I recently read something about making family memories so I decided to put a little more effort into making it special for everyone. As M said,"You are raising expectations for the future" which is true but I trust the effort will be worth it if we can create new memories together as a family.

Last night after they were all tucked in, I spruced up the table with a red tablecloth and heart paper napkins (don't you just love the $ store?!). My plan was to wake up early and make a hot breakfast for my hubby before he left for work...earlier in the day while the kids were creating, I had already prepared a double batch of whole wheat pancakes with chocolate chips for the 4 older kiddos....I feel less guilty since I added a load of flaxseed and used whole wheat- :)
I also made 2 dozen plain pancakes for our newest family members who despise chocolate!! As it turns out, they requested more potato green soup and rice for breakfast and since it was already prepared, that's what they enjoyed.
Well,this morning I overslept and due to the snowstorm Daddy spent the day working at home (in between 'interupptions' or opportunities depending on how you view it!), so in spite of my later wake time, he did get his hot breakfast...a rarity around here ! Lunch was embellished with heart shaped sandwiches...tacky but the kids seemed to really enjoy it!
In the morning, while I was getting ready for the day I could hear the 4 littles outside our bedroom door giddily waiting for me to come out so they could lavish me with their valentines...most were oddly shaped scraps of paper with scribbles but their excitement and desire to please were priceless.
They spent time outside in the snow collecting pieces of ice to "make a house". We tried to make a snowman to no avail...too icy. Oh well, maybe next storm. Mercy and Odesco's tolerance of this cold weather amazes me...only occasionally do they complain about the frigid temperatures we have been experiencing lately. Considering they probably never experienced a day under 75 degress, I find this pretty amazing :)!
Dinner was a hit...the kids enjoyed the heart shaped meatloaf and M and I enjoyed a date
to Panera bread!! What a blessing to get out together for a "real date" -our first one since the kids came home (where our primary objective was to spend time together and not run errands.) We still made a supermarket run but after we enjoyed our meal together. Our babysitter report was not without some major incidents...and she stuck around long enough for the offending parties to be spoken to by Daddy and to ask forgiveness of our longsuffering babysitter!I was just commenting to M on Sunday how things seemed to be levelling out just a bit. In the past few days however, we have had many"opportunities" ...and not just with our newest additions. It just reminds me that our hope is in the One who we trust will ultimately transform the hearts of all 6 of our blessings...we need to be faithful in "training them up in the ways of the Lord"and trust Him to bring about the harvest...
A friend emailed me this week also. She is a seasoned mom of 8 and right now has 3 older kids all walking with the Lord and 3 teens also doing well. She reminded me that though our labors at times may seem to be in vain, God is faithful...what a timely reminder as it can seem like we are taking backward steps when behaviors regress or old sin issues resurface. In reality, these are not steps backwards but rather steps propelling us/our children into the arms of our Savior as we remind them and ourselves of our desperate need for Him. There is truly no better place to be!... What good news it is that He has already paid our debt and does not repay us as our sin deserves.
What a kind and gracious Father He is and what a privilege it is to introduce these precious gifts to Him!!

Now onto some funny happenings around here:
*The other day the kids were watching the video "the Birth of Jesus"...G declared rather authoritatively that she is glad Jesus was born in a stable and that there was not room for Him in the inn because it is so much easier for her to draw a stable!
* Yesterday as I was helping Odesco get dressed, I asked where the lotion was for "greasing time". Well, we couldn't locate the lotion but Mercy knew just where the coconut oil(yes, used for cooking also) was which we use on occasion. This is solid and in a tub but when you rub your hands on it it turns to its liquid form. So there we were on the kitchen floor smearing chunks of coconut oil on Odesco(he was partially dressed!) ...Mercy then proceeded to strip down to do the same...(the children were bathed out in the open in Liberia so there is no sense of modesty-we are working on this!!)...she then reminded Odesco of the oil they did this with at AOH and how they would lick their hands as they were smearing themselves shiny...Odesco did stick a chunk in his mouth and declared,"I like it!!"
* Odesco gets in total hysterics watching "Boo-Boo" aka Curious George....I love hearing him laugh like this...for some reason, he really 'connects' with this little monkey from Africa! Part of the Valentine's surprise was the acqusition of the Curious George movie :)

Well, that's all for now...thanks for checking in again :)
Grateful that steps "backward" thrust me forward to the Savior and the cross~!
MamaB.

Please pray...

On the AOH board last night, there was an urgent request for prayer for a little Liberian boy named Diamond. He is just 2 years old, has cerebral palsy and is battling pneumonia in the hospital. They did not expect him to make it through the night but by God's grace, he is still hanging on.
Today, Donna who was our primary contact at AOH, revealed that God has put this little boy on her and her husband's heart. They have been praying about adopting him for some time and then learned of his sudden decline. These are the parents of 10 children so the fact that they are even considering adopting again is quite a miracle!
Please pray for God to miraculously rescue this little boy so that he may know the love of a family! I will keep you posted.
Praying for a miracle,
Mama B.

Days go by...

Our little boy with the shining eyes and million dollar smile!


While Odesco tries out the new drum (a present from friends) L decides to try to pound a beat on Odesco's head while he waits for his turn :)

Miss Mercy with her"natural hair"...
her scalp, my hands,and my patience
all needed a break from long hair sessions :)



















Jenkins with big sis S and Mercy

















Look at these handsome fellows!!

A picture paints a thousand words....

Recently, on the AOH yahoo group, there was a lengthy discourse among a handful of families discussing the lack of support they have had throughout their journey to adopt their precious children from Liberia.My heart aches for these families who currently are feeling very alone and unsupported as they anticipate the arrival of their new little ones.
I look around our home and see so many evidences of the love and support we have been undeservedly blessed to receive throughout our entire adoption process. It seems silly to post photos of photos, books and a freezer of food but my heart is overflowing with gratitude for the many kindnesses extended to us and I just can't help myself.
Our walls are now adorned with artwork that depicts Mercy and Odesco's heritage~ all unexpected gifts from generous family and friends. Our family library has been enriched with a selection of ethnic children's stories, our freezer is filled with meals lovingly prepared by my mom and yes, we now are the proud owners of an authentic African drum..another surprise from some very resourceful and generous friends!
Of course, I can not post a photo of the many prayers offered up on Mercy and Odesco's behalf prior to their arrival,the assistance with fundraising, the prayers we are currently benefitting from as we continue to transition, or the meals prepared by neighbors and friends which we have already enjoyed! Truly, we have been lavished by the Lord through all of you. Mercy and Odesco have been so warmly received and accepted....what a blessing it is to bring them into such a nurturing circle of support. We know that they will thrive and blossom in due time for they have been planted in such fertile soil...I am overwhelmed with gratitude.
With a grateful, overflowing heart!!
MamaB

Plentiful pictures...

We need to get this boy an authentic African drum...he spotted the ice bucket and started pounding away!
These 2 were sooo excited to hear I was going to try out the potato green soup recipe (actually used spinach instead of potato greens!) ....here they are licking the (cooled off- don't worry!) pan after I fried the onions and spinach!
Yum, Yum....they each had 3 bowls full!!
Our handsome dude wearing Pop-Pop's cap~
Desperate measures...well, at least I can finish one side of Mercy's hair-it does go a bit quicker this way :)!!
Playing"War" with Mimi~
Goofy brothers! I think Odesco looks like he is ready for the Olympic luge event !!
These 3 saw me cleaning and ran to get their aprons on so they could have a piece of the action!
Never a dull moment...these 4 decided to prepare some apples and clementines to go with dinner...they all had their hands in it-literally!
Mercy toting her baby and cargo Liberian style!
Girlies wearing their "Mommy didn't have enough time to do my hair" bandanas!
To borrow a Liberian saying, thought you might enjoy looking at our plenty, plenty pictures.
Thanks for checking in :)
Mama B~

Abounding Grace!

This morning I received a timely email from my Mom with the following.....(she had sent it also to the K's who adopted Jenkins and Felicia from AOH . Jenkins, Mercy and Odesco were escorted home together and Felicia came home a few weeks later.)

Hey Mamas & Dads: Look at the joy in these childrens' eyes now that they have a forever home!
(The first picture is of all the kids with Melodie from AOH...they went to visit Felicia in her foster home right before heading to the airport to come to the US... the other pictures are after they came home :)

The email from Mom was especially significant because today is the 2 month anniversary of the kids' arrival home. When we watched the homecoming video a few weeks ago, I was reminded of the lost, frightened looks in their eyes. Truly God has done quite a work in just 2 short months.
I can honestly say that the past 2 months have been challenging in ways that I never anticipated and yet I rejoice because God's grace has met me and every member of our family in ways I/we have never before experienced . I am reminded of one of my favorite Spurgeon quotes...
The Lord provides more than need demands. The mere crumbs from the Lord's table would suffice to feed the multitudes. The Lord does not give His Spirit by measure (John 3:34).
The more grace you can take in , the better pleased the Lord will be with you. Your capacity will fail long before the provisions end. The Lord desires you to open your mouth wide, and He will fill it (Ps. 81:10). It is easier for Him to give than for you to open your mouth. He encourages and requests you to bring large petitions with you when you come before His mercy seat. Come and receive"the things that are freely given to us of God." (from Grace Abounding in the Believer's Life-page 21)
Since we embarked on this adoption journey, I have been bringing loads of requests to His mercy seat and His grace truly has abounded. To God be the glory for the wondrous works He has done!
Just this week I have more tangible examples of God's grace at work...
* The other day I saw a major breakthrough in Mercy's heart as she wrestled with doing the right thing.Initially she went into her defiant mode then she looked at me and said, "Yes Mommy".....there was a battle raging in her little heart and she made the right choice. It was quite something to observe...I felt like I had a front row seat in watching the hand of God move upon a little girl's heart. A situation which would have taken a very loooong time to resolve a few weeks ago , resolved in minutes. Yesterday, we didn't have that same experience but , I am encouraged by what I know He is doing!!
* M and I made it out to caregroup together for the first time since the kids' arrival home. We received one phone call from our faithful babysitter and Daddy talked to the offending party. By God's grace we didn't need to come home early to take care of the situation. A stern but loving conversation with Daddy worked wonders!
* I am always surprised when Odesco responds with , "Yes Mommy!"... I have heard that quite a bit in recent days .Slowly this little man is coming on board :)
There are many more examples, I am sure but these are the ones that stick out in my mind ~
So we rejoice today as we celebrate God's hand at work .... I am so grateful for the 2 precious gifts He has added to our family . Truly it is a miracle to ponder considering how He led us to adoption in the first place, then to Liberia, then to AOH and utlimately to the 2 precious ones He had chosen for us from before the foundations of the world.

Rejoicing in His abundant grace!!!
Love,MamaB