Growing

Peter 1:6 "Be glad. There is truly wonderful joy ahead." So this verse needs to be the focus. Trust is all we have in this process so in Him we trust. After an interesting and feeling worn-out week, trying to be glad is tough. We've had some ups and downs with illness, friends struggling, and busy times. In regards to the adoption, we are almost done with our Home Study. The Home Study allows us to move onto the next step of the adoption process. Until we finish this part, we are stuck. Our only piece left in completing our Home Study, besides our adoption counselor writing it up, is our education. Each of us, the Mom and Dad, need to have 16 hours of education to better ourselves in learning and growing in the adoption. So far a great book was read "Mamalita" and a video found on youtube about adoption was viewed. Another book was read and it was not a favorite, but may be great for others who are adopting, "If You Could See Me Now". Now we believe in being educated. We actually stand behind it as we are teachers in various aspects of life so 'earning' the hours is fine. The struggle is that we want these hours so that we can complete the Home Study and that is a bad reason. I wish that we could interview children and families that have had these experiences. We know that the hours mark that we have completed the Home Study, but are we truly growing in what we are doing. Well that is up to us! So now the goals has changed - we need to grow in our education in order to grow in our process. "Be glad" that we have this opportunity to grow and have these experiences. Now we want to share some things that we are glad about... soon we will have a new baby in our family as a sibling and his wife are due any day, we both have jobs that are challenging and rewarding, all of our children know that they are loved, families surrounded us at Christmas time to celebrate and play, friends spent time together with laughter, we live in a country where we can state what we feel and pray when we want/need to, and finally we have had adoption placed on our hearts so we are in another adventure. Now looking at Peter 1:6 - seriously how can we not "Be glad".May you find joy in your day!