By faith

Some of you may remember from our Christmas cards the two years we waited for Lia and we used the verse from Hebrews 11:1 which says, "What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead." (from the Living Bible)

It is by faith that we prayed for Lia's friend Hannah Hower that God would preserve her little life and He has done that. To update you on her situation, her family wrote the following on their site: "We all remain hopeful of the small improvements Hannah is making; however, even though she is making movements, opening her eyes, and such, these are not purposeful or show conscious awareness. We are so hopeful that an aware Hannah will return to us." So please continue to uphold Hannah and her parents in your thoughts and prayers as they have a long road ahead of them.

And speaking of long roads, China sent referrals today for the month of May. It looks like they only did three days of "log ins" from last month. April's referrals went through Jan. 9, 2006 and May's referrals look like they went through Jan. 12, 2006. We are logged in on Jan. 23, 2006. I am given to understand that Jan. 12th was a huge day of logins in China and that's why they only did three days this month. I'm still thinking it's most likely that we'll get our referral in July and travel the beginning of Sept. But we too need your prayers that it happens soon because all our adoption paperwork will expire AGAIN in early Nov. and we have to be home before it does or else we'll have to do it all over again for the third time! And it's a LOT of work so we don't want to have to do that. So we wait in faith for God's perfect timing on our referral.

Here are the actual lyrics to the song "By Faith" by Kim Boyce which I think are so poignant right now:

I can’t feel You movin’ inside
I don’t hear Your voice whisperin’ in the night
And I’ve never seen You with these eyes
Am I a fool, am I just a fool?

They ask how I follow what I can’t see
Why I trust in a love that my arms won’t reach
I don’t need You, don’t need You, to prove it to me
I’ll be a fool, yes I’ll be a fool

‘Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on
Holdin’ on for another day
‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith

So I cry for Your help while the world looks on
And they laugh at my hope when all hope is gone
But I’ll just keep prayin’ when answers won’t come
Am I the fool, am I just a fool

For standing alone while they mock Your name
"Well if your God is so good, tell us why all the pain?"
I’m not sure, not so sure that God is to blame
So don’t be a fool, please don’t be a fool

‘Cause blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on
Holdin’ on for another day
‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith

In a world where our questions are haunted
‘Cause life’s not as fair as we all wanted
Where the innocent die, we ask why
And still we await the reply...

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe
And blessed are the hands that keep givin’ but never receive
Blessed is the heart that gets broken but keeps holdin’ on
Holdin’ on for another day
‘Cause that’s what it means to live by faith