Happy 1st Birthday, Anderson!!!!!

Today has been quite an emotional day for us--filled with joy and sadness. A precious family from our church said their final goodbyes to their beautiful princess, Cassidy, as they celebrated her 4 years of life that ended earlier this week because of cancer. We have not had the opportunity to get to know this family as well as we would like to, but we have followed Cassidy's battle and prayed for her and her family as we saw them walk in God's grace through this struggle. Their entire family has been a light to so many as they have lived in love and shown the strength that comes only from a relationship with the God who made all of us during this extended struggle and difficult journey they have faced. It is our prayer that God will surround them with the love and peace that can only come from Him as they continue to grieve the loss of their princess, and that they would find amid the tears, a joy in the realization that Cassidy is for the first time since she was a tiny baby, completely and wholly healed. We cannot comprehend their grief or pain, but we pray to the One who knows and will give all that they need.

Today is Anderson's 1st birthday--such an occassion for joy! But because he is not with us it has a tinge of sadness, too. Everytime I look at his picture, I find myself thinking about what he is doing, imagining the sound of his laugh, and wanting to play peek-a-boo with him. We celebrated this milestone by having a small birthday party with the Grandparents and Aunt Crystal tonight, complete with chocolate birthday cake and a "1" candle that Jeff bought. We shared with our family some of the cultural and historical information about Thailand that we have learned, and I read aloud an article written in 2006 by Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman. It is one that I read just after we submitted our initial application to adopt back in 2006, and God continues to use it as an encouragement and reminder of who He is and what He is doing in our lives. It reminds me of the fact that each of us who are children of God, who have been saved by grace and welcomed into God's family through a relationship with Jesus Christ, have been adopted and welcomed as sons and daughters by our Father. His love for us is our ultimate treasure, and we have been made part of His family because of that love, not because of anything we did.

I know that our son has no idea who we are yet, and has no concept that someone could love him just because, but we do love him so much already. And I thank God that He loved me even when I had no clue that He was waiting for me with open arms.

Happy Birthday, Anderson. One day, I will sit down and tell you the story of how we celebrated and loved you before you even knew us, and I will tell you that God has done the same since before your life began.