Letter from our Father

This weekend I went to a baby shower for a lady in our church.  The hostess gave a poem as the devotional.  It was just something she found online and printed off on some pretty paper.  The poem is a paraphrase of several verses throughout the Bible.  But they aren't just any verses, they are a dialogue of God's desire and love towards us.  Seeing his words toward us was a very touching moment for me.  We all know verses here and there.  We know the stories.  We know God loves us. But to see these bits and pieces strung together really shows the heart of God in a way that is so beautiful and overwhelming.  I want to say thank you to Ginger for sharing this with me.  It is something I am going to frame for our nursery, and will probably use for future baby gifts for friends.  Ok, ok, here's the poem, I hope it inspires you and opens your eyes in a new way.

 My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. 

Psalm 139:1 

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.

Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.

Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.

Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image.

Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being.

Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring.

Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.

Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.

Ephesians 1:4

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book.

Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live.

Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.

Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.

Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me.

John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love.

1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.

1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father.

1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.

Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.

Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.

James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.

Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love.

Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore.

Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you.

Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession.

Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul.

Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.

Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.

Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.

Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.

Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.

Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes.

Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.

Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.

John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.

John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being.

Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you.

Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.

1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love.

Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 

1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again.

Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen.

Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father.

Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is… Will you be my child?

John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.

Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad

Almighty God

Profile Done!

Time for another post.  Our lives have been so hectic!  Today, I finally mailed in our profile proof.  Our profile is a 7 page (front and back) booklet that contains our birth mother letter with pictures that let her get to see up a bit more.  I have been working on it for several months and am a little embarrassed it took so long to get done.  I had it close to be completed, but I just didn't feel content with how it turned out.  I didn't like all the pictures I had, or felt I was missing some.  I didn't like the layout, the color, felt it was too simple, etc.  I was stressing myself out about not feeling exactly right about it.  I felt like there was so much pressure to have it perfect.  I finally set it aside so I could come back to it with a fresh mind.  But then life decided to get crazy.  We then had to get ready for Gabe's move as well as having several family visits.  But now that Gabe is sipping Mai Tai's on a beach and I am sweltering in Missouri, I finally had time to sit down and finish my project.  I finished our profile, printed a proof, and mailed it to our agency for their approval and suggestions.  And I feel very comfortable with the profile I created.  It is simple like we are, nothing flashy or over the top.  I have a feeling they are going to say we don't have enough "action shots" (shots of us doing things like playing piano, playing basketball, etc. but it's not a posed picture).  But with Gabe thousand of miles away, they are going have to be ok.  I think it represents us the way we want to be presented to birth-mothers. 

Below I posted the first and last page of our profile.  I would post more, but Gabe doesn't like lots of personal information floating around (me having a blog is a big deal).  But if anyone is interested in seeing the full profile, I can email a copy in PDF form.

*first page of our profile*

Picture 2 glittery green brads on the left side binding the booklet

*last page of our profile*

Now our adoption is out of our hands.  We have done all the steps we can do for now.  It's a waiting game now.  Gabe is getting really antsy, and I'm getting anxious too.  We are so excited and ready for the next step.

Now to clear up one little thing.  Some people are wondering why I didn't go with Gabe when he left for Hawaii.  He is there to train which will be very time consuming, then deploy.  I didn't want to be stuck on an island of people I don't know, alone.  As it turns out, Gabe will be in Hawaii for a month, then will leave for a course in California, and straight on to his deployment.  So even if I was in Hawaii, he wouldn't be there.  It's also a God thing, because Gabe needs to take this course, and I'd rather him take it now than when he gets back from his deployment.  It would be hard for him to come home and adjust to life back home, then leave, then re-adjust.  And honestly, when he gets home I'm not gonna let him leave for a long time.