We fly out early, early Tuesday morning. First to Vancouver, and then to Beijing.
And we've waited eagerly for this trip...
Today my my mind has been filled with "lasts." The last time we get ready for church without Bronwyn. The last time I practice violin with Kaden before we get back with his new sister. The last time I tuck my boys in and pray with them, before we bring baby B home.
I've read a lot of blogs and short stories from adoptive families. I can understand all the anticipation of the adoption, and the joy of the new bonding and even the struggle to see how this new family looks and how everyone adjusts to each other.
But I've never heard any one mention how hard it is to leave the other little ones behind.
Carson made me a "spa" today - he likes to set out my bubbling foot soak tub, paint my finger nails (blue and pink glitter striped today), and put my hair in pony tails. He massaged my arms and put on a movie for us to watch as he worked. He sprayed perfume on me as well.
Kaden said he would happily go to the dentist some time soon so he could earn an ice cream coupon and take me out to DQ. For Kaden - that's huge (going to the dentist, that is).
We played Angry Birds on my tablet, and read stories in the living room. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon and evening.
Madison and Adrian have been gone all weekend at Youth Convention, so I feel like I've already lost a few days with them before we leave.
And we leave tomorrow.
And we've waited eagerly for this trip... but the tears keep coming and I already hurt witho how much I will miss my kids.
So, besides my dislike of being in small, enclosed tincan-like spaces for hours on end, I am praying for peace in another way.
And this morning I found this awesome piece:
In Luke 11 - "If you then, though you are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?"
BUT when this similar statement of Jesus is mentioned in Matthew 7, it ends a bit differently - "If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Why does Luke 11 specifically mention the Holy Spirit? What if we weren't asking for the Holy Spirit? What if the gift we were asking for was something else? Why is this "good gift" from Luke specifically named "the Holy Spirit" in Matthew?
"The answer to this question uncovers the beauty of the Spirit of God in our lives.
Think about it this way. Maybe you are going through a struggle in your life, and you are hurting. So you go to God in prayer, and you ask him to comfort you. Do you realize what God does? He doesn't give you comfort. Instead He gives you the Holy Spirit, who is the Comforter...
Suppose another time you are making a big decision in your life, and you need help. So you ask God for help. But he doesn't answer with guidance. Instead he answers by sending the Holy Spirit, who is our Guide. God sends the Helper, who will not only tell you what decision to make but also enable you to make that decisiion.
Yet another time you need discernment, and God gives you the Spirit of Wisdom. At other times you need strength, and God gives you the Spirit of Power.
This is the great promise of God in prayer. We ask God for gifts in prayer, and he gives us the Giver. We ask God for supply, and he gives us the Source."
David Platt, in his book RADICAL. 
