Got the sweetest email of encouragement

Got this email from our agency....so sweet and thoughtful!

Dear waiting families,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you over the next few days! We wanted to send a few verses of encouragement to you. Our prayer is that while this may in some ways be a difficult time, that God would show Himself to you in mighty ways, and that your hearts would be encouraged!

Psalm 95:1-6
"O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker."

Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

Ephesians 2:4-5
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, evenwhen we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—

Blessings,
The Domestic Infant Team

A dear friend  sent this to me.....

Words from Tim Keller:

But how does God exercise this power in our lives? It is through sorrow and trouble. The stones of our life come together to form an altar because they are “cemented with tears.” It is suffering that takes the various parts of our lives and forges them into something that can praise God. Difficulty breaks our lives into pieces, just as a boulder has to be broken if it is to be the material to build a bridge, a wall, or an altar. Trials and troubles show us our insufficiency, reveal to us our weakness and sin and our need for him.

The image of the altar means a heart that is on fire with God’s praise and love. “My heart an altar and thy love the flame,” goes an old hymn. But to have the joy of knowing God’s grace and love requires the tears of a heart broken over the knowledge of its sin. “My sacrifice is…a broken and contrite spirit.” (Psalm 51:17)
The image of the altar also represents a heart dedicated—“sanctified”—offered to God in usefulness and service. But do you see that it is largely through our tears, through our difficulties, that God has shaped us into people that can be useful in his service, in ministry, and in the lives of others? It is suffering that teaches you patience, sympathy, wisdom, and how to rely on God. “We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

No Matter What sung by Kerri Roberts and some thoughts

This morning i was running some errunds and was just listening to the local christian radio station. Well, lately there have been some sweet hymns of old that have really touch and blessed me but today as i was in the car this praise song came on and i thought about the words as i listen to Kerri Roberts sing it. Here it is:I'm running back to your promises, Lord that's all I can hold on to, I gotta say this has taken me by surprise, but nothing surprises you. Before a heartache can ever touched my life, it has to go through Your hands. There's no way I can make it without Your help, I wont even try it. I know You have Your reasons for everything, so I will keep believing, whatever I might be feeling, God you are my hope, and you will be my strength,  Anything I don't have You can give it to me, but it's ok if You don't, I'm not here for those things, the touch of Your love is enough on its own, no matter what I still love You and I'm gonna need You .
No matter what I'm gonna love you, no matter what I'm gonna need you, I know You can find a way to keep me from the pain but if not , I'll trust You, no matter what, no matter what.

  I was BAWLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when this song was over...it was encouraging to me.

ALSO, i keep up with some blogs of friends of friends who are adopting and this one couple kinda had our same situation..they have kids But they kept getting calls and were not chosen over and over...well, they got chosen and she blogged that 2 weeks ago she was taking a morning shower and she said Lord, give me patience and peace...there are no possible situations, we have been waiting for several months and no calls in sight and so just help my heart." She got out of the shower and was eating breakfast when she got a call that said " you have been chosen, baby is ready to be picked up at hopsital in 2 days, get a plane ticket to TX, and he will be waiting"I do not know if that would/will happen to us but it was just an enouragement that we do not know the ways of the Lord and we just need to surrender, trust and obey.
Love
Jill :)

Updating

Just checking in and saying " Hello".  We get so many calls, emails and face to face encouragement from you all and we are soo grateful!!! :) We got a letter from our Case Worker just checking in and saying that the Bethany Office prays for us weekly. It was an encouragement to hear from her and to know that they are there for us if we need to talk, cry, or just have quetions while we wait.

September was the last known time that we were looked at and a part of me thinks that was SOOO long ago but really it has not even been 2 months. Tom and I were talking a little over a week ago and we kind of thing we were "spoiled" when we got put on the list back before the summer. Though nothing ever came of them and they did not lead to an adoption for us...we started getting possible situations almost from the start of being put on the list. So this almost 2 months is "different " for us  but  more the "norm" in  the "adoption world" is more like not hearing a peep for 4/5 months after being put on the list.  God has taught us much and is still teaching us.
So Again..thank you for your prayers! During this season of Thanksgiving, Tom and I are thankful for YOU and your prayers and concern.
Love
The Buhays :)

 

Psalm 139:13-17

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them."

No News to report.....

BUT wanted to just continue to say THANK YOU for all your prayers, , scriptures, and cards of support. Some days are easier then others but God is faithful and His mercies are new every morning! :)

Update

Hello!

Just wanted to update you all on what has been going on.  We had been looked at a little over a week ago by a birth mom and found out on Friday that she chose a different couple.  It was not what we had "hoped" to hear but know we serve a God who has our best  His is plan for our lifes and so we continue to seek, trust and obey the one who holds our lives in the palm of His hand.

Thanks for prayers and support!
Tom and Jill

Psalm 27:13-14 and tiny update

Psalm 27:13-14 I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

Hi all!

        Not much to update you on but I know that people have asked to know  how to pray....we know the agency has birthmoms interested in finding out more about adoption. So during this time we are really trying:)  to " be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."   Again, we are so thankful for your prayers, thoughts, cards, and kind words. :) It is a blessing to know we have a Father who walks with us as well as the body of Christ.

In Him,

Tom and Jill