30 Years...

This is a video shown at the in-law's anniversary party last Friday night, April 24th, 2009.

Our Little Rocker...

Sarala's First Easter...Easter 09'

Easter 07'

Easter 08'

Easter 09'

Easter 09'


All I gotta say...look at all that hair!

Remembering...The Day...

March 9th, 2007...Sarala came to Missouri on a plane. It was a surreal experience...preparing for her arrival, getting her room ready, heading to the airport with an empty car seat, taking a little baby into our arms that only had the clothes she was wearing and a blanket, toy...wow.

The picture above is Crystal and I holding Sarala for the first time...she looks so scared. The picture below is her in her car seat...changed into her pajamas after we signed off and were able to take her home with us. What a weird thing...head to the airport with an empty car seat...come home with a baby.

Remembering...The Wait...

It seemed like time slowed way down while we waited to get everything in order so we could adopt Sarala. Paperwork, home-visits, more paperwork...the state of Missouri working with the state of California...waiting, waiting...and yes...more waiting.

The way most of it worked required us doing things according to this crazy time-line. Deadlines...things that only could happen at certain times. Fingerprints for instance...who knew that fingerprints would/could be such an issue.

I remember Crystal and I having an appointment to get fingerprints done for a background check...scheduled for a week-day afternoon, right after school in Farmington. This was during basketball season so I asked my fellow coach if he would ride the bus with my team to Perryville, which is a hour and a half bus ride one way. I remember racing over there, then racing to Perryville to coach a basketball game...then I rode it back. Wow...what craziness.

I know that we were separated from Sarala for her time in the hospital for a reason...there is no way that I would've been able to leave her if I or Crystal were able to see her. The only knowledge about her came from an occasional discussion with her medical social worker.

Then came the day that Sarala was to be released from the NICU into a high-risk medical foster home. It was early November 2006. She was going to live with a nurse until she came to Missouri...which we were at the mercy of the paperwork and Missouri.

I remember Crystal talking to the foster mom...Laura...and being able to hear Sarala "goo", giggle, and cry in the background. Very weird but it brought tears to our eyes...it was our baby girl.

Then...miss Laura did something awesome...like the neurosurgeon...she sent us a picture of Sarala:


You could see the bald spot from her surgery. She's smiling though...which is amazing considering all that she had been through up to that point. This picture...in addition to the one we received from doctor...were HUGELY encouraging to us. God was doing an amazing work...in and through Sarala. I am changed because of that time...the work...the challenge.

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
James 1:12

The work that God was doing in me was renewing this love for God that grew my faith...prayer-life. I found myself spending a lot of time in the book of James.... Sarala...she was coming to live with us soon...our baby girl.

Easter MH Worship Set

Let God Arise - Chris Tomlin
Happy Day - Tim Hughes
How Great Thou Art - rocked-out version
Jesus Messiah - Chris Tomlin
By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North
Only a God like You - Tommy Walker?

Remembering...The beginning of the Journey...

I have to admit...it is hard to see God in things...in the world. The way people think about each other...treat each other. Take this picture for instance. This is Plunder Palace. If you're familiar with the place...if you pan out from "GOD"...there's a bunch of junk...clutter...chaos. It's hard to focus on God amidst the chaos...but He's there. I love the visual...the connection to life.

Maybe it's societal, cultural...attitudes...whatever you want to call it...we don't really look for God in things. We get caught up in the clutter most of the time...I just as much as the next person. We tend to forget about God's presence...in situations...circumstances...the fact that He's really in control. Not us. Hard to admit....

Also...our perspective may cover our eyes so we only look at the world in a certain way...in a way that doesn't think or believe that God acts anymore...focused on the clutter...the peripheral...that miracles are only stories from the Bible. I had this view of things...and this is where we continue Sarala's journey.

My prayer-life...faith-life...began a journey during the time that Sarala was in the hospital that continues to this day. We were being told all of these terrible things...and...you could say they were "reality"...but at that point I decided that it wasn't a reality that "had" to be.

A question began to surface...why do we have to accept this? Why can't she get better? At that point our prayers turned towards action...pleading with God to act on Sarala's behalf...heal her.

I was soaking up everything...connecting with God like never before. My prayers...worship...reading took on new significance. I began to read into the book of James. James...after a greeting from James...starts out as below:

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
James 1:2-8

God has a way with words. He's also merciful, loving, powerful...listening...speaking. It's up to us to pursue a relationship with him. This can only occur through Jesus. What an amazing gift...grace...salvation through the blood of Jesus...bled on the cross over 2,000 years ago. This time of Easter...celebration...God is present...more present than what we think...and Jesus is alive....

Sarala is a miracle. The way God moved during her 67 days in the NICU is utterly amazing and has given Sarala a powerful testimony to God's love, action, mercy, and redemptive power.

Have a blessed Easter weekend!

Remembering...A Quick Break

Today is my first day of Spring (Easter) Break. Therefore...I'm taking a break from the blog for today anyway...to relax...recharge...enjoy the day of non-work. ;)

Remembering...Her Condition

We were blown away by what we were told about Sarala's condition. We had made the decision to go for it in a week and half's time...by Crystal's b-day...to adopt her...regardless of what we were told. It was a decision made after much prayer.... We decided to be obedient...versus "smart".

A medical social worker tried very hard to get us to change our minds. They only decided to give her care after they knew that we would adopt her...that we wanted her.

The outlook was not good. We were told things like..."vegetable"..."extensive brain damage"..."we didn't realize what we were getting ourselves into"..."we were too young"...this isn't just a little premature baby that we were thinking it would be...exact words told to Crystal "this isn't the cute little preemie baby that you're thinking this is"..."you don't live in a city"..."she'll be special needs"....

Only when we received her medical records, which are the size of a book, did we get an idea of how terrible and dire the situation was for Sarala in the beginning. I'm glad we didn't know all of the details until she was in our arms...in our home...HER home.

Here's a run-down from her medical summary:
Born 9 and 1/2 weeks early
Weighed 2 lbs 5 oz
Intraventricular hemorrhage - grade 3
Post-hemmorrhagic hydrocephalus
- These resulted in a resevior being placed in her head a couple days after birth
Drug exposed to meth, marijuana, ecstasy (Mom admitted to meth use 1-2 days before, couple times a week...used intravenously until she realized she was pregnant, then switched to smoking it)
She didn't breath for 30 seconds and was intubated
This is the beginning...first few pages.
She stayed in the NICU for 67 days.

The Neurosurgeon took time out of his own schedule and took/e-mailed us this photo not long after her first surgery. It's one of the most beautiful pictures of Sarala...though sick...broken...she was ours.



Next Post: The journey towards healing begins....

Remebering...the call...

It was my b-day...August of 06'. Man...seems so long ago. I'm going to be 29 this year...wow! Okay, back to Sarala. She was born on August 26th, 3 days before my birthday. We got a call from Crystal's mom on my birthday that informed us of another child born to Christine...Sarala's biological mother. She's had a bunch of kids...all adopted by the family. Apparently she has kids, gives them up, disappears, then reappears when another kid is born. Sarala is number 7...of the kids that lived. I believe that she birthed nine....

So...it wasn't even a thought for us at that time. The question was actually whether or not Crystal's parents were going to try and adopt Sarala...or...at that time...Tamara. For some reason I couldn't help...nor could Crystal...thinking about...hurting for this little baby out in San Fran with no one around her...no one who wanted her. The whispers from God began....

Next Post: The decision...Sarala's condition at birth...the urging of the medical social worker to change our minds...us urging them to give her care....

Remembering...Pt. 1

And when your children say to you, ‘Why are we doing this?’ tell them: ‘It’s the Passover-sacrifice to God who passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt when he hit Egypt with death but rescued us.’” The people bowed and worshiped.
Exodus 12:26-27

We've been talking about "Remembering" at church these last few weekends and it's caused some...well...remembering. ;) God has done some amazing things. It's good for us to remember and pass these on to the next generation.
The verse above...from Exodus...refers to Passover...which will explain why Passover is celebrated...remembering what God has done...passing it on to the next generation.

Take this thought...remembering...and think about what God has done in your life...God-moments. My biggest God moment has to do with the little babe in the picture above. We are at O'Charley's in STL sharing a chocolate shake. This was her first introduction to this sort of dessert found in a eatery...which means that everytime we go out to eat now...it's expected that we'll order "something" after we eat our dinner. I love it!

This week I am going to take to look back at the miracle of Sarala. My next post will begin with the events surrounding our thoughts about adopting her...we found out she was born on my birthday...made the decision by my wife's birthday.

It's Friday...

Keeping it simple and short today...here is an amazing post by a fellow blogger about...well...just read.

Simple Truth...

There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil,
but joy for those who promote peace.
Proverbs 12:20

Promoting peace.

Joy.

Promote peace = joy.

Simple.

Too often we add to the fire...get in the last word...make something worse to make us feel better, look better...we want justice...things to be made right.

Is this something we need to worry ourselves with?

Is it really worth it?

Sacrifice joy?

What's the cost?

Keep it simple...choose joy.

And yes...do you like my "Rob Bell" style post here...? ;)

Lord let our light shine...

Prechorus:
Broken but singing...our hearts keep shining... broken but singing...our hearts keep shining...

An amazing song with amazing truth...or...as in the movie "Benchwarmers"...A-Maz-Za-Zing!

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.
Luke 11:33-36