Storms

Our family's had a rough week. Some news and some burdens are just too heavy to bear. How often I forget that I don't have to carry those burdens alone. God is helping me to slowly give it over to Him and to trust Him. I am so thankful for the friends and family and Savior that I have.

I hope this doesn't break any copyright laws, but here's a song that has really spoken to me today.

I was sure by now, God, you would have reached down
and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say Amen and it's still raining.
As the thunder rolls, I barely hear your whisper through the rain, "I am with you"
And as your mercy falls I raise my hands, and praise the God who gives
. . . and takes away.

I'll praise you in this storm, and I will lift my hands
that you are who you are, no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried you hold in your hand, you never left my side
And though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
you heard my cry, you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on if I can't find you?
As the thunder rolls, I barely hear your whisper through the rain, "I am with you"
And as your mercy falls I raise my hands, and praise the God who gives
. . . and takes away.

I'll praise you in this storm, and I will lift my hands
that you are who you are, no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried you hold in your hand, you never left my side.
And though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm

I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

And though my heart is torn, I will praise you in this storm.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." --Lao Tzu

We have begun the journey to adoption! We just signed a contract with Living Hope Adoption Agency to adopt a child from China. No guarantees on how long it will take, but we're excited to actually be getting started! Adoption has been an almost life-long dream of mine, and we are both excited to be able to add to our family in this way. (Even Ethan asks when we're going to get his baby sister from China!) Please keep us in your prayers for all the decisions that have to be made, for finances, for things to run smoothly, and especially that God would lead us right to the little girl He has created to be part of our family. Keep checking our blog for updates on our journey!

Welcome 2008!

We ended the year with our annual New Year's Eve celebration. Heath's brothers and a few of our friends came over to ring in 2008. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

No Room in the Inn

A house full of 45 people is a little insane. But such is the norm at Stuenzi-family gatherings. We rented a beach house in Kill Devil Hills, NC, for our whole group. 3 cousins were missing, but everyone else in the family made it. As usual the week was filled with games, lots of laughter, and tons of food. (I don't think Jesse ever stopped eating except to sleep.) My cousin Justin got engaged while we were there! We also made a "grandparent interview" video, involving all the grandkids. Though we came back exhausted, it was a wonderful way to end the Christmas season. This picture is of Grandma & Grandpa, with (almost) all of their grandkids and greatgrandkids.

'Tis More Blessed to Give than to Receive

Christmas morning had a lot more "hustle and bustle" than usual. My family was all here, except Michael (who's stationed in Alaska and couldn't make it home). Carrie also brought her boyfriend Lcas. With all the commotion, Ethan and Jesse didn't even open all their presents--it was just too much for them. (So we've got a head start on next year's Christmas shopping!) =) This picture captures my favorite moment of the day . . . Ethan was thrilled to death to give Heath his present. A remote controlled airplane that he'd been keeping secret for weeks. We all had a fun morning together and then packed up and headed to North Carolina to join the rest of the Stuenzi clan.

Visit to Grandmom & Grandpop

While my family was here visiting, we all went up to Lancaster, PA, to visit Grandmom & Grandpop Taylor (my mom's parents). Our cousin Taylor was also there. We got to see their new place, videotape a "grandparent interview", and enjoy a great meal together. It was a long day, but definitely worth it.

Ethan's Debut

Ethan had two special performances this Christmas. At CBS (the Bible study we go to Thursday mornings), he got to "sing" with his class. Of course he didn't actually have any sound coming out of his mouth, but he did stand up there and look cute. Then, in our church Christmas pageant, all the 4-year old boys got to dress as shepherds and sing a few songs. Again, no actual singing took place on Ethan's part, but he did look really cute.