Sunday, January 31, 2010

My Cup Overflows

Today I am filled with such joy! As I look at my family, I am reminded of how unique and wonderful each of them are. I truly admire the way my hubby lives his life. In the words of Scott Page, "He has a BIG TIME wherever he goes!" I love his passion and enthusiasm; it is so contagious! My Kenzie is so diligent and responsible. She loves a tidy room - a girl after my own heart! She could run our household with no problem! Sweet Meme, she has such a tender spirit. At times I am amazed at her depth of compassion. She overflows with thoughts and emotions. Our baby girl, Rosie reminds us all of how fleeting life is. We see how quickly she is growing and changing. I want to cherish each hug and kiss; relish in each stage of life. I am so thankful for this beautiful gift of family. As I go to bed tonight, I will pray for the families in Haiti that have been separated and devastated. Please join me.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

The Road to Ethiopia

I'm not sure where to begin, so I'll start at the beginning..... Over fifteen years ago, I married my college sweetheart. We had big dreams, as most newlyweds starting out. However, our perspective on life quickly changed after a series of trials early in our marriage. We began to experience God in a deeper more intimate way. This resulted in a heart change, as well as a career change. Over the years we have been blessed with three beautiful girls. They range in age from 12 years to 16 months (and yes this was planned). They are such a joy to us! We live a full life ministering in a local church, in addition to serving in our community.

In the last few years, God has been moving in our hearts in many ways. We started asking questions like: "Do our lives truly bring glory to God? Do I love others as much as I love myself? How much of the time do I put God in a box? How can I love God more?" We began to realize that our family wasn't living as biblically as we thought we were. We had changes that needed to made! As we read scriptures and prayed, we were prompted more and more to act. We needed to love people without expecting anything in return, restructure our schedule so we could serve more, and change our spending so we could give more. This was only the first steps to a change in lifestyle.

Last Fall it all changed! I began feeling a strong push to pursue adoption. Adoption has always been on my heart and mind. Even after the birth of Rosie, I felt like our family was incomplete- there was someone missing! I felt as if the Lord had placed someone in my heart to love, pray for, and pursue. I knew there was someone out there who needed us and we needed them. Scott and I began to discuss what adoption would look like for the Page Family. The more we discussed, the more excited we became. The more we prayed, the more confirmation we received. With Scott being an only child along with having three girls of our own, the "Page" name would end with him. We were thrilled at the opportunity of having a son to carry on the "Page" name. As with all our children, we are so excited about the physical and spiritual heritage that they individually will be leaving. Our hope and desire through adoption is to bring our son home, while always having Ethiopia in our heart and minds. We would count it a privilege to love and serve the country of Ethiopia throughout the years. After all, God has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others.