BLESSINGS

Since I haven't shared in a while I wanted to let you know some of the blessings of my life. This is a picture from earlier in the summer of Rachel, our friend Tess and me. It's from our camping trip to Big Sur. Tess has been a HUGE blessing in our lives. She just graduated college and returned back to Paso Robles for at least the next year or so. We know one another from growing up in the same church and even though she is a bit younger than me just feels sort of like family. Tess has such a great way of just coming alongside and living life with people. She likes to do the mundane things like grocery shop and wash dishes right along with me. I don't know how I would have survived a few weeks this summer without her help (particularly moving and watching an 8 year old for 4 days). Tonight when I was thinking how to summarize my summer I thought of her. What a blessing to have such a tender-hearted, growing and spunky friend who is always willing to hang out.

Another blessing has been my house. It is so fun to have a space to spread out and make into a home. It feels healing in some way, and I hope my home is becoming a place of healing for others. When I pray with Rachel at night I always pray that this is a place of healing, hospitality, good conversation, and laughter. I am a bit afraid this blessing may be turning into an idol because I find myself thinking about how to decorate sometimes during church but being domestic is just so much damn fun!

Rachel continues to be a delight. She is growing and maturing in AMAZING ways. She is doing so much better in school and daily I see breakthroughs in the ways she deals with life and emotions. Her life is very much like a hike. She keeps moving foreword even though she sometimes has rocky mountains to climb or rivers to wade through. Her interactions with her bio family have become increasingly difficult and I often feel at a loss for what to say or do in relation to them. We will be attending a memorial service for her grandfather next weekend which should be interesting. As our adoption nears closer (it should be done in November or December), I become the gate keeper of things between Rachel and her bio family. We are in the process of mediating what kind of visitation they can have once the adoption is final. It is very stressful for me. I need so much wisdom and grace. Please pray for me in this area, and for Rachel as she is trying to process this very confusing situation and the loss and grief that comes with it. Also pray that I will not operate out of fear when it comes to this situation. I know that I am not called to fear, and for that I need the Lord's peace and assurance of power.

Rachel and I decided to listen to Christmas music tonight. I am so thankful for the Lord's blessing in my life in particular and the goodness he has washed over his people through Jesus. Gloria! Gloria! Gloria, in excelsis Deo!