A personal and political dilemma

I would like to know what all of you think.

I have thought about this for some time now, and I can't seem to come to a conclusion on what the right thing is for us to do. That being said, I don't believe that what is right for us to do would necessarily be right for you to do, if you were in the same situation. Perhaps some of you may have already done what I am about to ask. While I do believe in absolute truth, I don't think that there is necessarily a fixed answer to this question. Even so, I would value everyone's opinion.

Here goes!

When we first started this adoption process, one of my greatest fears was how in the world are we going to pay for this? Honestly, the price tag seemed way too high for us to conquer... and unfair, too. I won't go down that rabbit trail because my feelings have definitely changed, but it was how I felt in the beginning. Once we got started, though, baby step of faith after baby step of faith, God showed Himself faithful to us financially and helped us to realize that coming up with the money to adopt wasn't really about us. It was about Him!

His resources. His provision. His faithfulness. His goodness. His grace. His heart to give good gifts to us as His children. His heart to care for the orphan.

Ok. That all being said, I remember when I learned about the Adoption Tax Credit, and I realized how much of a difference it could make for us. Granted, you don't get it until after the adoption is complete, but still. It would be helpful. Then, the other week, I learned that the Adoption Tax Credit had been increased to $13,170! Wow!!! It was done in conjunction with the new Health Care Bill, which by the way, I do not like! I can only imagine what else is included in the bill. Again, I don't want to go there.

This brings me to my question: Do you think it is right for every other tax paying citizen of the United States to have to pay for our adoption? Is this a tax credit that we should take advantage of? I mean, I don't need to trust our government to provide for me. I have God to do that.

I see this tax credit as being a little bit different than say, the Cash for Clunkers program that was recently implemented in our country. While I disagree with that program, too, I see it as different. That program was a fixed amount of money to be given to the first x number of people to go through the showroom doors. Whether I got a car or you got a car, that money was going to be spent. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. This credit, though, only gets spent if someone adopts and then chooses to claim it on their tax return.

So, once again, I ask: Why should YOU pay for OUR adoption?

Shouldn't we all start trusting God to take care of our every need? Isn't that what it meant when He taught them to pray: Give us this day our DAILY bread?

Open for polite discussion! :-)

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Untitled.

Perhaps, because there are no words to explain or justify what our government did to us last night. Two words alone are sufficient for my troubled soul to grasp. I AM. The name by which He is to be remembered by all generations. Unfortunately, what we have chosen to do is pretend that He is dead and to put an unnamed marker on His grave. Oh, that this country would remember Him again. Whether they want to acknowledge Him or not, He is still in control.

***
I took a little break from blogging this last weekend. Three full days, actually. I can't believe it. I think this is my longest stretch yet. I guess, sometimes, you just need a break.

***
We took a road trip this past weekend and got to see family. Very nice. I also started reading the book I recently won. I would like to share a few things from the book a little later, but for now... suffice it to say that I read out loud to D.T. while he drove until my mouth turned dry... and I cried. I only made it through 1 1/2 chapters. I don't think that I have ever identified with any one person or process description any more in my entire life. I could have written every word myself. Very validating. I'll share more on that later.

***
I am relieved to be done with my class. Not sure how long it will take me to get bored, but I'll take it. It is nice to not have that responsibility right now. I can choose to clean or organize something if I want, or I can choose to rest or just watch television. Aaahhh.

***
We pick up our canine children after work this evening. You know, we love them a whole lot, but sometimes, it is nice to have a short break, too. I imagine it is the same way with your children? :-)

***
Diet and exercise are in order again. Actually, they never stopped being in order, but we stopped paying attention. Time to jump back on the wagon now that SPRING is here and winter is a distant memory. :-)

What is on your agenda now that SPRING is here?

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Tuesday Tidbits...

18 pages to go!!!

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Lately, it feels more like everyday tidbits, and not just Tuesday tidbits. Hmmm... my life is spinning so fast, I can't hold on!

***

I got an email from a blog reader who found me through another blog that I follow. Ha! A friend of a friend of a friend. :-) It's really cool, though. This is another waiting adoptive mom who was just looking for some encouragement, and it brings me such pleasure to be able to share my story. You know, that is one of the reasons why I started this blog in the first place. To share. To encourage. Then, in return, I am finding that I receive far more encouragement than I pass out. What a blessing to me! You know? We just need each other in this life!

***

We had another two hour delay today. My goodness, God seems to be chipping away at the Global Warming theory. ;-)

***

Can I just say that my sister and I are exactly alike! We say the same things at the same time in the same voice using exactly that same words! Oh. my. goodness. Like, you know when you make a phone call that doesn't go through properly and you hear your own voice bouncing back at you, but it sounds like it is actually her talking to you??? It is all just a little bit creepy. ;-)

***

We asked the agency that we were looking at in PA about whether or not we would have to do a new home study. The good news is that they said no. The other good news is that they said we would only have to update our home study. The bad news is that they said that PA requires new criminal background checks, including fingerprints EVERY YEAR. Um, we all know how that turned out for me before. Remember? I don't even want to go there. I'm thinking we move along to some other agencies that are not in the state of PA. I hear Florida is looking nice this time of year.

***

Goldie slept in her bed last night with her blanket. Of her own accord. Praise God! It's becoming a habit. :0)

***

So... what are some of the tidbits of your life right now? Do share!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Oy-vey! ***UPDATED***

***UPDATE***
Looks like a little time just opened up for me to work on the Florida profile. Birth mother support group was canceled because of the impending weather tomorrow. Seems like God keeps bringin' on the snow just to help me out! LOL! Disappointed a little to miss the group, yet grateful for God's creative stretching of time! :-) Oh, and that means that D.T. and I will just have to sacrifice ourselves and eat the Twinkie Tiramisu he was making. Awww, shucks! Oh, wait! I mean, Oy-vey!!! ;-)

***ORIGINAL Post below***

An exclamation of dismay or exasperation!

I found myself saying this a lot the last few days.

Sunday, after church, we went to a local grocery store to pick up a few things. We selected this particular store because they carry an item that I needed which no one else in town carries. We started in the door, and decided to work our way around.


We needed a green pepper. They did not have any. They had red, orange, and yellow peppers, but not green ones. Of course, the colored ones are more expensive.

Oy-vey!

On to the parsley. They did not have any flat Italian parsley, and the curly kind looked rather weird. Kind of feathery. Um, yeah.

Oy-vey!

We moved on to the garlic. They did not have any.

Oy-vey!

I was excited to find the item that I needed on sale. Plus, it had a $1 off, save now coupon on the package, so I really scored on that one!

Then, we decided to put the rest of the stuff in our basket back and go to good ol' W@lly World! Definitely better prices! We just couldn't justify paying $3.39 for something we could get at W@lmart for $2.50!!! Plus, we would have had to stop there anyway for the garlic.

***

31 more pages / 51 more questions to GO! I had really wanted to be done with this workbook by this past weekend. I'm pretty close, though, and it isn't due until a week from today. See? I built in a little procrastination time! Ha! :-)

***

I am starting to wonder how in the world we are going to pull this profile together for the Florida agency before the 16th. Especially since I have an intensive class all next week. I will be nonexistent for sure!

***

I washed Goldie's blanket. Now, she is back to sleeping with us every night. I guess her blanket doesn't smell enough like her anymore. How dare I wash it?!?

***

Have you heard that Social Security is now paying out more than it is taking in? Seriously??? We were supposed to have a few more decades before that happened.

***

Our Romanian friends joined us for church yesterday morning. We love their girls. The older one sat on my lap for most of the service.


The younger one sat with her father on the other side of D.T. She held on to D.T.'s finger for most of the service. Her father told her that she could come sit with me, but she said, No, I like D.T. better. Ha! I am not offended. I think she has a crush on him! :-)


Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

The Ups and Downs of Adoption

I thought about posting this yesterday, but really, I was in a very bad mood. So, I thought I'd better wait until I calmed down a little.

I mean, I guess there's nothing really horrible. It's just all the little annoyances that pile on top of all the waiting... and more waiting.

We got an email the other day telling us that our health forms expired with the adoption agency because they were older than a year. So, we made our appointment to see the doctor. We paid our copays ($40 more down the drain!) and I had another TB test with the results to be read on Monday. Unfortunately, D.T. is not so lucky with TB tests. He was exposed a long time ago (never had it) and treated when he was in the army. That means, though, he can never have a TB skin test again because it will come up positive. Instead, he has to have a chest x-ray to prove he doesn't have TB. Can you hear it? Cha-ching!

We tried to have fun, though, while we were waiting for the doctor to come back to do my skin test. By the way, did you know that only doctors or nurses are allowed to do these now? Not medical technicians anymore. It's a new law. I mean, a technician might mess it up. Don't you just LOVE new laws? They all make SO much sense, don't they? *sarcasm* We have so much to look forward to, too, with Obamacare. My doctor says there are about 2,000 pages of new laws in it that make SO much sense! I am so excited! I just can't wait!!! I love being told how to live my life! *more sarcasm* Ahem.

Wow. Maybe I am not as calmed down as I thought. It helps to get it all out on paper my blog.

We did have a little fun while waiting for the doctor to come back and do my TB skin test. Sometimes, you just have to laugh or you'll cry! Right?

Oooooh, I am not happy that I have to pay to
have another chest x-ray done!

Touchdown!???
Help me, LORD!???
I give up!???


Yep. I give up. Hey... what are those stick things
in the jar back there? Can I take two of those
and stick them up both sides of my nose?
Or do they go in your ears?

Um... that man is NOT 42 years old! Do all men act like children? ;-)

Oh, well, you've just gotta have fun!

I had a long conversation the other day with a lady I was referred to by a friend. This lady does adoption work with a lot of agencies and seems to have had a lot of success in the past. I was impressed. She knew all the right things to ask and how to answer and just all-around good information! I learned that most other agencies are NOT a lot like ours is. In a good way. Um, not that our agency is horrible. It's not. There are just a lot of... um... idiosyncrasies with the way they operate. Plus, it's been a year! Plus, we have no guarantees. So, I think it's time we branch out and expand our options. Um, if we plan on not being the age of Sarah and Abraham when we get a baby! We are going to meet her later today to brainstorm and see what else is out there. Would you pray for us, if you think of it, that God would make our directions clear, that He would give us wisdom, and that the Holy Spirit would guide us?

Thank you!

By the way, did I mention that we LOVE our doctor? We do. He was here when D.T. came to the U.S. almost 20 years ago and remembers him from way back then. He was also around and involved in my diagnosis with MS 12+ years ago. Way cool. :-)

Hey, maybe that is what D.T. was saying...

Dr. Lane ROCKS!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...

Calling all Christians!

I'm not usually one for forwards, but I received this one from my sister this morning, and I just had to share. I am so disturbed by the evil in our world, and especially our country, today.

Psalm 53:3
Every one of them has turned aside;
together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.

I pray that Christians will soon wake up, rise up and take this country back!

This is really good...

Twas the month before Christmas*

*When all through our land,*

*Not a Christian was praying*

*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*

*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their

schools not to sing,*

*About Shepherds and Wise Men

and Angels and things.*

*It might hurt people's feelings,

the teachers would say*

* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready

with cash, checks and credit*

*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*

*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*

*Something was changing,

something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*

*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging

their trees upside down*

* At Lowe's the word Christmas -

was no where to be found.*

*At K-Mart and Staples

and Penny's and Sears*

*You won't hear the word Christmas;

it won't touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*

*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden,

Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*

*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!*

*At the top of the Senate,

there arose such a clatter*

*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter*

*And we spoke not a word,

as they took away our faith*

* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas

was exchanged and discarded*

*The reason for the season,

stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break'

under your 'Dream Tree'*

*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully,

choose what you say*

*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,

not Happy Holiday !*

Please, all Christians join together and

wish everyone you meet during the

holidays a

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christ is The Reason
for the Christ-mas Season!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...


***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

Conversations in front of the bathroom mirror: Ceauşescu ~

The other day, D.T. was chatting, as he often does ;-) and he said:

You know, this is so much like communism, it isn't even funny.

Remember, he's been through this, done that.

Well, this morning, the conversation continued...

D.T.: All this stuff on the news makes me feel like singing our old communist songs... "Stima noastra si mindria, Ceauşescu Romania. Stima noastra si mindria, Ceauşescu Romania."

Wanna know what that means???

Our esteem and pride, Ceauşescu Romania. The funny thing is, no one really liked Ceauşescu. If you don't believe me, read about the demise that ultimately met him and his wife. The people of Romania just did what the government taught them to do. Like chant their support and esteem of Ceauşescu. Kind of reminds D.T. (and me) of how the man we heard about on television recently taught would be protestors how to chant "Healthcare now. Healthcare now."

No, I am not a fear monger, but this is some scary stuff.

D.T.: You know, maybe we'll be celebrating May 1st sometime soon. It's like the Romanian version of our Labor Day. Everybody celebrates working, and back then, everyone was REQUIRED to go to the parades. People carried signs with the faces of Nicolae and Elena Ceauşescu. Except most people didn't want to carry the signs because they didn't like them, so the government would pay people with a day off to do it anyway. I did it, because I wanted the day off.

Come on everybody, sing with me... Stima noastra si mindria, Ceauşescu Obama Romania America. Stima noastra si mindria, Ceauşescu Obama Romania America.

Welcome home, D.T. Welcome home to communism.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...


***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

It's hard to say "Goodbye!"

Quite a few years ago, D.T. and I traded in our family's van...


for the pretty blue car on the right, and since then, we've traded that one in, too.


I'll spare you the pictures of me sitting in the van crying. You're welcome. It's not a pretty sight. Does anyone else get attached to their cars?

Well, I am fairly certain that, by this time, our beloved van most certainly qualified to be someone's Clunker to buy them some of my hard-earned Cash. Tell me, why is it that I get to pay for someone else to get a new car that is nicer than mine??? So, in honor of this recently ended example of our government's highly successful and well-run invasion into the lives and pocketbooks of all Americans (*hear* the sarcasm!!!) I would like to share a few ponderings with you...


I wonder if you coughed and spewed and sputtered as the Sodium Silicate coursed through your ag-ed pipes. I wonder if you felt the breath being sucked from your body as your heart raced and your insides froze up. I wonder if you felt the cold, steel jaws of death as they crushed your faithful bones...

You see, it's not really about a van for me. It is more about who the van belonged to...

M.E.A.K.
1914 ~ 2002

Her blue eyes were pretty, too.

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...


***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

A letter to the President:

Mr. President,

I am hearing that some are concerned that the people showing up to the townhall meetings are not "representative" of America's feelings regarding the health care bill under consideration.

If that is so, although I do not believe that to be the case, then why don't we call for a vote of the American people as to whether or not we should pass this bill? Then, the feelings of Americans would truly be represented by the people themselves.

Thank you,

A concerned Citizen

Freedom.

Words of wisdom from a great man... this is 10 minutes long, but it is well worth your time.



Now, please, go call your congressman... 202.224.3121!

Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...


***Don't forget to pray for someone today!

URGENT!!!

Everyone, PLEASE, if you care anything at all about the future of our nation, your family, and especially, the health care of your parents or other older Americans, please call your representative and tell them to vote NO on the upcoming Obama health care bill.

The House will be voting on this bill probably early this week. So your call now is very important. The number is 202-224-3121. That is the Capitol Switchboard. Ask to speak with your Representative and you will be put through. If you don't know your Representative, give your Zip Code and they will connect you.

I just called my representative, and it took less than 2 minutes. The woman on the other end of the phone was very pleasant, and only asked for my name, address, and home phone number. Less than 2 minutes can make all the difference in the world... so, CALL!!! PLEASE!!!


Living in His JOY, HOPE, and PEACE...


***Don't forget to pray for someone today!