Some Joys!

I still have tons of adoption related thoughts swimming in my head, but although I was am still sad as I wrap my mind around those issues, I thought I would focus more on the pluses in my life today.  Mostly because I am really excited about them.

First, today was our first MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting of this year.  I am co-coordinator with another lovely lady and we have a wonderful team.  I will have to stop clapping every time we say the name of the Moppet (childcare) Coordinator, but you cannot imagine how happy that makes me.  (I have been running the Moppet program for two years in addition to Coordinating).  Anyway, I think the meeting went well.  We only have a few first time visitors, so we have room for growth, but everyone seemed to be having a good time.  There was lots of energy in the room and lots of laughter and smiles.  

The only downside is I dressed as a science geek (and forced my co-coordinator to dress as an artist) to represent this year's theme of Momology--the art and science of mothering.  Now I cannot get the tape off of my glasses (which many people actually commiserated with me for breaking) and my hair is hairspray plastered to my head.  I didn't think it mattered this morning but now I remember I do have to pick up SnapDragon from school.  Oh well.  People will definitely remember who the coordinator is when they have questions.

Secondly, I finally got my material in the mail for the Biblical Counseling course I am taking at my church.  It is a 30 hour video training with additional hours in role playing and Bible study called "Caring for People God's Way."   The first two videos last night were great and very encouraging.  The second video was on using our Spiritual gifts in ministry, and I learned my God given talent for seeing and speaking truth can be a strength in counseling.  Yes, God will need to strengthen my ability to show and express mercy and compassion, but although those aren't my strengths it doesn't mean I cannot be a good counselor.  This makes me happy because I really do have a passion for helping hurting people.  I really do see people's pain and care about it; I just need 30 hours of training on how to show them I care.

Thirdly, when we first started the adoption process our agency said they strongly recommend you do not take older children with you when you go to pick up your child in China, and they thought China might start forbidding it altogether.  At the time it was not relevant to us, because I wasn't about to take a 6 and 2 year old to china to pick up a baby.  However, our oldest son is now almost 11 and might even be 12 by the time we travel.  Given his personality and sweetness with babies, I started feeling like I really wanted to take him, but I didn't think we could.  On Saturday we asked our agency about it, and they said we could take him, and they have even seen it work very well.  When we told Huckleberry last night that he might be able to go, he was ecstatic.  I'm not sure how we'll pay for it since it could be as much as $3000 more, but I figure that is God's problem, not mine, and certainly not my son's.  I am very excited that Huckleberry may be able to have this experience.

Oh, and I almost forgot.  I got two comments on my blog yesterday!  I tell myself I am writing to process things and grow, but I really like knowing other people read what I wrote.