Monday, January 30, 2012

Revived.

Music (performed by a friend, Katie Dorband, & her amazing band mates)
Prayer (alone & with others)
Food (constant & good)
Nature (a sunrise, towering Georgia pines and a ginormous lake to walk around)
Community (old & new)
Soul Mate (my husband did all the laundry, they did NOT live on fast food, nothing was broken nor were any objects wedged into any orifices)

Sunrise from my balcony

The resort had to accommodate 400+ women; this made me laugh 

A good spot to reflect & pray

Beautiful decor

Roommates, Rwanda moms & new friends.  Please note the no make up and jammies
          Created for Care is for adoptive moms in all stages: contemplating, waiting, just home, foster-to-adopt, special needs, domestic, international, older kids.  I met women who are loving children that the world has forsaken and whose needs are much greater than my kids.  I finally, finally, found the moms that had done this before me, that could give me concrete ideas & a picture of the future.  It's such a fine line between hope and reality....
        Saturday morning, a woman by the name of Dr Susan Hillis (she works as a scientist at the CDC, (how cool is that!), gave a keynote address.  She has every right to, having bio and adopted children that are grown and have weathered some ugly times.  Dr Hillis' website is here.  I felt like I had found a fast forward button to our family down the road.  She ended her speech with a photo of she and her son at a diner on a weekly date- he's in his 20s now.  That floored me.  Her years of battling for his heart led to God's redeeming him and healing many of his behaviors.  I had the opportunity to visit with her and she prayed for me.  Sigh.
Yup, it wasn't awkward in real life.
       I also was blessed to spend face time with my friend Laurel.  I have "known" her since the winter of 2008.  She and her husband brought their son home a few months before we did and so began our online relationship.  To those who have told me that "facebook friends" aren't "real" I say, boo!  Laurel and I have chatted, IM'd, skyped, etc, etc. and this weekend were able to connect live.  So great.  Check out her non-profit, 4-More here.  
     I can't wait to grow some of the friendships, ideas, and opportunities that I found this weekend.  I also prayed Friday night that I would just be able to hear God.  And I did.  All weekend, that little voice in the cobwebs of my brain just kept whispering "He needs to be a baby."  I kept hearing it in the quiet air port and the long ride home.  My amazing Ryan always trusts my change in our plan of attack, so last night we just pretended that E was a toddler, maybe at that age when they just learn to walk and you can't really even let go of them.  We shall see where this leads the 6 of us (and my sanity) next.

3 comments:

  1. loved this!!!!! I consider if such a gift to have had time with you :)

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  2. thank you for sharing. keep working it out here - for those of us a few steps behind you! :-)

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  3. What a beautiful review!!! I can't wait to go in march!!

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