Phil had elbow surgery today. We've been in the hospital all day. His surgery was this morning and it took a little over 3 hours, then recovery and finally in a room this evening! It was a LONG day. He is doing good, but in a lot of pain! Morphine + some other NICE strong pain meds are helping him out and he's enjoying that IV drip... I on the other hand am a little stir crazy. I can't stop thinking about one year ago RIGHT now...
Goodness... how has it been a year already? and GOODNESS... it feels like 12 years ago! It's amazing how it feels like such a long time ago and just yesterday all in the same thought!
Today has been a good day... despite being concerned about my Phil! :) It was one of those days that I knew I was EXACTLY where I was supposed to be at the EXACT time I was supposed to be there. I. LOVE. KNOWING. THAT! It makes me smile inside and feel so humbled at the same time! I can't tell you how wonderful it really feels to share about our amazing God! I can remember a time when I was leery to share... and wondered how people would look at me, think of me, or label me... Not anymore... honestly, it gets easier EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. you share and the amazing feeling of 'knowing' you are sharing about the Lord... well, that's indescribable to me! Try it... you will not believe how wonderful it feels! As you've probably guessed I had some conversations with some people in the waiting room today. Amazing... While I was chatting with, showing love to, and getting to know COMPLETE strangers - who just 'happened' (yeah right) to be in the exact waiting room I was in today... I realized that maybe I should volunteer and just show up in hospitals. There were SO many worried people in that one large area today. It was so amazing to just begin to talk with them... and before you know it... God is opening up an amazing door to witness for him! SIMPLY amazing!
I also enjoyed today with 'just' my Phil! I'm sure he will shake his head at me and smile (maybe ;)) in a few days when he reads this, but we talked on the way to the hospital about where we were one year ago right now.
ONE year ago right now... I can tell you exactly where we were... Jan. 20, 2011 was the day we had court session number 6! It was a day of desperation for us... it was a day that we wondered if we would survive the very thing God had called us to do... It was the day BEFORE our breakthrough and man o man am I SO glad and thankful that we didn't give up... You see we were ONCE again on the BRINK of something amazing. We didn't know it, but HE knew it! Remember that this story of our journey and life is for YOU... to remind YOU tonight/today/tomorrow that you never know when YOUR miracle is 12 hours from occurring. You never know - God could be sending your miracle the very next second. If you'd like to read about where we were one year ago today... CLICK HERE.
Don't give up my precious friends! No matter what the circumstances around you look like! No matter who is believing or trusting with you! No matter how impossible it looks! No matter how you FEEL! DIG into the word... quote scriptures OUT LOUD and remind the Lord of the promises that he has promised YOU! Those scriptures in that bible are for YOU and me! You can trust him! Believe him... HE desires to see YOUR hearts desire come to pass. HE LOVES YOU and cares where you are today! In fact, I believe IF you are reading this, it was for a purpose! :) He knew you needed to read it!
Sorry... I got a little 'preachy' there! Sometimes that just happens when I start writing!
In between talking with my new friends (waiting room companions) I've had LOTS of alone time to think! Phil and I talked on the way here about the past year and we talked about IF we could go back one year in time EXACTLY - back to that court room in Kazak... would we do anything differently?! It was an eye opener for us and made us realize that we needed to live each day with NO regrets! I wish I could look back over the past year and say that I had NO regrets, but, that's not true... We do have things we'd do differently! Goodness...those first few weeks home.. (if I knew what I know now) would most definitely be differently!
So... It's actually 12:45 am here... so in Pavlador, Kazakhstan it's 12:36 pm on Jan. 21, 2012. That means that exactly ONE year ago right now we were at the apartment getting ready to go to court session number 7! It was NOT a fun time... I will never forget it. I don't think we ate anything. I think we were fairly silent and it was a pretty quite place. Phil focused on praise and worship songs on his MP3. I read, reread and quoted EVERY single scripture I could find and remember. I sat at this very laptop at the desk in that apartment and read and reread all YOUR comments and messages. Comments of love, prayers and MASSIVE concern. If you sent us a message - YOU will never know how much to encouraged us! THANK YOU! Some of you sent messages more than once... if that was you.. THANK you a million times over... and if you prayed... thank you a zillion times.
Phil is dozing in and and out of sleep... If you'd have told me where I'd be today ONE year ago right now.. I'd have laughed and said BRING it on! Now.... I'd go back there! Isn't it amazing how life works? Phil had pizza for dinner (it sounded good to him) and I asked him if it was good. He said, "It's ok, but it's NOT Classic Pizza!"
Jan. 21, 2011 - It was the day that the judge FINALLY said YES! It was not what I had anticipated.... now, don't get me wrong... it was awesome, incredible, and amazing! We were humbled, honored, and OH so so thankful! Looking back at the blog, I realize I didn't even update for weeks later... sorry about that!
I honestly got SO sick. I can't even explain how physically sick I became while we were at Krendal's celebrating that night... and it just continued to get worse and worse. I remember the flight from Pavlodar to Almaty - I stayed in the bathroom of that little plane for 80% of the flight... SO sick! It was the physical effects of fighting on so many levels for so long (I think)... and the combination of leaving F and G there. It was heartbreaking, yet ok... because we knew they were REALLY ours.
One year - 365 days ago right now... was life changing for us! We were blessed beyond our wildest imagination and didn't even really know or realize how much we were being 'saved' by two precious, tiny, underweight, miraculous twin babies! 365 days ago they were kissing a book with pictures of their Nana and sisters... TONIGHT they are snuggled up with Nana in her house- sleeping soundly! Their tummies are full, their hearts are full, and I can promise you they KNOW they are loved by their family and an amazing SAVIOR! :)
Then Jesus said,
“Did I not tell you if you believed you would see the Glory of God!”
John 11:41
Trust him... PLEASE... Trust him! It's ALL for YOU Lord... All for YOUR Glory!
I can't wait to see what the next 365 days brings! Bring it Lord! :) Phil and I laughed today and talked about where we'd be on this day next year! You just never know... but, I can promise you this - We will be attempting with EVERYTHING in us to be where he wants us to be!!! :)
.... and the journey continues!!!
1 comment:
I've just been reading over your posts from last year. We were in Kazakhstan around the same time. I traveled to Uralsk (West Kazakhstan) and arrived on November 15th. I didn't know about your struggles until now as I wasn't able to read many blogs while I was there. I'm so glad Grace and Faith are your daughters, blessing all around.
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