National "Delurking Day"!

I read on another blog that today is National "Delurking Day". What this means is that if you read blogs and you never comment, today would be a great day to leave a comment!


For those in the blog world it’s nice to know who is reading. Even more so it has been a source of encouragement to us personally as we travel along our adoption journey to know there is people out there that care and are following along. I know many of you read and don't comment. Tell me who you are, where are you from, how did you find this blog, and anything you want me to know. I would LOVE to hear from you!

1-11-11 Our 1 Year Anniversary ...SAY WHAT?

No not THAT anniversary....Nathan and I will be married 7 years come this April. Oh BLESSED month of April. It holds many meaningful things for us. But I will get back to that in a minute.

TODAY...is our 1 year anniversary our adoption journey's first step. I hesitate to say the word "began" because if you know me and you know our story, you know it REALLY all began years ago when God gave one teenage girl a dream that would SHAKE her to her CORE and change her life!

One year ago today Nathan took me out to dinner. It was a much needed date night and he took me to the spot we use to always hit before we had kiddos. I had been talking about adoption a lot that past year but the couple months leading up to that night I had felt led to pray for Nathan. I wanted him to be on the same page as me, not because I was initiating it but because his heart was prepared and touched by the Lord. So I stepped back ...and prayed. Little did I know that God had already been speaking to Nathan's heart. Only a few months later Nathan would take my hand and say " I think it's time to start looking into the adoption process".

We prayed about our direction as we had felt a strong pull twords China. Confirmation after confirmation encouraged us that , YES, this was a God placed desire. We will follow His voice faithfully. He knows where our little one is. The problem was the WAIT...or as I like to call it the wait to wait. We would have to wait tell we were 29 1/2 to even be allowed to start the paperwork side of things. I am happy to say a year later and we are just around the corner!! In April Nathan turns 29 1/2 and we will start our home study! I can't believe I can finally say THIS YEAR we will start our home study. THIS YEAR we will have our dossier logged in to China. THIS YEAR we very well may KNOW who our Selah is and from THAT POINT on it can be a matter of months before she is home! OH. WOW.

I know I am looking at this glass half full right now....remind me of this when I am in the thick of the REAL PAINFUL waiting....K?

But.... after waiting one LOOONG, emotional, trying, opposition filled yet BLESSED year, I will CELEBRATE our 1 year anniversary of our adoption journey first step!

My alabaster jar

On New Year's Eve I was spending some time reading and reflecting. Seeking God on the year to come and laying it all at His feet. I was reading Mark 14:3-6 the Story of Mary and her alabaster jar and all of a sudden I "GOT IT" and was in tears! I don't know how to explain it but I was feeling the LOVE of her worshipful act. I was "getting" why it was so important to Jesus that the story of what she had done be shared.





Please take a moment to read it here and then I will continue with my thoughts :)

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.

Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”




Mary "GOT IT"! When no one else did! She had the LORD, her God, her KING sitting before her and she took the opportunity RIGHT THEN to worship Him with everything thing that she had. Her alabaster box, worth a years wages (or what would be to us some $20,000 dollars). Maybe it was essentially her life's savings/ dowry her only security for her future. Where did she spend it??? She SPENT IT on the LORD! What she did was so WORSHIPFUL that others around her not only did not "get it" but the criticized her for it!

Oh but Jesus...and His great love not only defended her but said what she had done was BEAUTIFUL and wherever the gospel is preached, what she had done will also be told in memory of her.

Reading this,I just sat there and let this story sink IN. The tears started pouring down my face. Just thinking about the sacrifice she made. She was pouring out the deepths of her soul, her life, in an act of deep love and worship of our Lord and of course all the others could come up with a better "plan"! A better use of her money. Did they not realize WHO was with them??? Mary DID! Sure, Mary could have kept her alabaster jar and still been a Christ follower and loved the Lord dearly and one day on the other side of eternity thrown her crown at the Lord's feet in worship. BUT...she did not wait! She had her King before her and she worshiped Him with what she had. Her King was worth it NOW!

Just imagine...that fragrant perfume broken open and poured completely out over our Lord. That room must have been OVERPOWERED with it's aroma. As it seeped into his hair and skin. No doubt everyone that passed by him those last remaining days would breath in and not take notice. As Jesus was being handed over, as he was being beat and whipped. The same hair she loving drenched would be adorned with a crown of massive thorns. All the while....breathing in....that aroma...that BEAUTIFUL aroma! Oh our loved and treasured KING!

I just can't help but look at this verse differently now.

Ephesians 5:1-2
Follow God's Example, therefore as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Her offering not only prepared our Lord's body for burial but I have no doubt it left a lasting impression on the senses to those surrounding Jesus...especially at the foot of the cross. Now nearly 2000 years later we are still learning from her example of true love and worship.

So what is my alabaster jar? It is my LIFE!

Like Mary we have the same oppertunity NOW!
There are many things that can be an act of worship to God. Finally letting go of those things in our lives we hold onto and say "Not this one Lord, I got it." We hold on with clutched fists, so afraid if we let go control it will be " a waste". Oh and believe me, there just might be a few critics in your life that will say it is just that. But we have a choice...who are we going to listen to. Those that don't "get it" or the ONE invites us along for the blessing.

I look at our life and I see all the challenges we face. All the critical comments we have faced and will continue to face when it comes to adopting. Trying to save/fundraise knowing that God WILL provide... This is a complete faith walk for us. I know many people dont "get it". But this is our life, this is OUR alabaster jar. We JOYFULLY will pour it out for our Lord and worship Him NOW.