ipad2 Raffle

We are raffling off an iPad2 3G to help raise funds to bring home Maggie Grace.

You can have a great chance for an iPad by purchasing 1 ticket for $5 or 6 tickets for $25.

Click the Donate button to the left and complete the donation through paypal and we will register you for the appropriate amount of tickets to be drawn on Maggie's 8th birthday, September 6th.

Please pass the word along to others!

If you would like to purchase tickets directly through us, you may do that by posting a comment or email amymarnold@comcast.net

I just got you...

Something horrible happened today, and I am still in shock! I took Haddie in for her physical, and went through the normal routine of this yearly appointment...height, weight, blood pressure, the doctor sharing that their are early signs of puberty,

WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!

Serious?

I didn't know whether to laugh or throw up. Would it be possible to do both?

The poor doctor...he tried to explain that this wasn't some medical phenomenon, but to me it was the first time I felt the blow of how fast Haddie will grow up. Not that all of my children aren't growing up fast, but she just got here. We just started this mama-daughter journey together, and today I wanted to scream at someone to hit the brakes.

I had always feared, before adopting, that I would miss the "early memories" if I didn't have a child from the moment of their first breath. Since adopting, I can honestly say, I don't think about what was missed, because nothing was. Not one memory that was intended for me to share with my child, not one divinely written thing, has been, or will be missed.

Today the reality set in, this journey with my daughter is going to hit some milestones way before I am ready. I was not ready for today!

What's in a name?

I love names! I have always enjoyed the process of choosing names for our children. In the referral paperwork for the girls I would anxiously look up their Chinese names to see what they meant.

Maggie was no different. God used these names to speak CLEARLY to us as we looked to Him to answer if she was our daughter. Her first name in Chinese means CLARITY! Her last name means goddess of MERCY. For many months God has surrounded me with the message of Grace, which is closely tied to mercy, and I sensed that we would one day be "graced" with another child.

So...that explains the middle name, Grace, and Qing (Clarity), but what about Maggie?

Maggie means pearl. This scripture below sums up our heart for our precious pearl who waits in China for us...

Matthew 13:45-46

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Why China? Why a girl? Why adopt?

Questions...

I think that adoptive families often get questioned about their reasons to adopt. When I think about it, we have never had anyone question us about why we had any of our biological children, but our reasons are rooted in the same answer.

The answer is simple, God led the way. With all of our children, biological, fostered, adopted...it was never a decision that we made on our own. God ordered it all to perfection every time. It was His purpose and His plan.

Jacob...our man child. The one who arrived to make one of my biggest dreams come true, to be a mother. I was ready to be pregnant the day I got married. God put a passion inside of me to mother and He satisfied that longing with my son after just 14 months of marriage!

(Photography by divine photography)

Joel...our sweet gift. After many complications with my female parts, my doctor suggested if we wanted more children then we should try right away. I prayed that we would be able to have one more child. God chose to bless that prayer with Joel.

(Photography by divine photography)

Jack...our surprise! We really thought 2 boys would be all for us, and by some strange mystery...8 months after Joel was born, I was pregnant again. None of my pregnancies were smooth, and Jack was complicated early on. The moment I found out he was a boy, I was in the middle of a sonogram to make sure he was still alive. That nurse could have told me he had 3 heads, and I wouldn't have cared. He had a heartbeat! Thank you JESUS!

(Photography by divine photography)

Ari...our joy! God brought her to be my daughter for 18 short months. The timing made no sense to us, but God said it did. She was our attempt at a domestic adoption, but God had another plan. She paved the way to what was ahead...preparing us, yet taking a part of our heart with her.

(Photography by Alyssa Marie Photography and Design)

Libi...our heart! When God placed Libi before us we felt like our lives were over. Why would God ask us to do something so hard? We had just been through the painful loss of Ari, now He was asking us to take a severely handicapped child. We had no idea she would be the greatest blessing of so many lives.

(Photography by divine photography)

Haddie...our sunshine! She arrived in an email on my computer screen and scared the begeebiz out of me! She was 6 years old! Adopt an older child? We were considering older, but more like 4 or possibly 5, not 6! Once again, we were clueless the great happiness that would accompany this precious bundle of hope!

(Photography by divine photography)

Maggie...our gift of Grace! She grabbed us unexpectedly. Talk about questions! God, once again answered and has been gracious to allow us to have the gift of another child.

You see, none of my children came in the same way, or the same circumstances, but they were all clearly delivered by the hand of God, for purpose, to my heart, into my arms, to be my children. Who can question that?

Isaiah 45

⁹ “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
those who are nothing but potsherds
among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
‘The potter has no hands’?
¹⁰ Woe to the one who says to a father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to a mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’

¹¹ “This is what the LORD says—
the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?
¹² It is I who made the earth
and created mankind on it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
I marshaled their starry hosts.
¹³ I will raise up Cyrus^[b] in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.
He will rebuild my city
and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward,
says the LORD Almighty.”

Proudly Announcing....

MAGGIE GRACE QING ARNOLD

Are you surprised? So were we! Little Maggie was divinely dropped into our life on June 20th and over the last two weeks God has confirmed her place in our family.

We received our pre-approval

from China

on July 5th to adopt Maggie

So, it is with great JOY and EXCITEMENT we share a little about our precious little girl. She is currently 7 years old, just 8 months younger than Haddie. Maggie lives in the Dongguan City in Guangdong Province, Peoples Republic of China. She has the wonderful blessing of living with a foster family. Maggie is quiet, and shy and has two darling dimples!! She attends school and her favorite subject is English. Maggie has CP, which effects the mobility in her legs. She actually walks quite well, but will have the opportunity to further improve with medical intervention here in the States.

Some comments heard in our home over the last couple of weeks from family and friends...

"You're not getting another kid, are you?"

"Yes! Praise the Lord"

"Our house is going to be even more awesome!"

"How can we not? Why wouldn't we?"

"Are you serious?"

"She is going to sit by me in the van."

"I no like quiet." (In reference to Maggie being shy and quiet...wonder who said that?) :)

"What?!"

"I have friend all time, like Joel and and Jack."

We are all so excited to have the honor to add another member in our family!

^" Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given."

John 1:16