October 22, 2015

Care package #9 sent!  This one is a little bit less purely cute stuff and a tad more nerdy because I (Danniger) contributed.  I'm sure Ephraim will be adorable as a small Yoda.  Who knows - maybe we'll both be wearing our Star Wars outfits on Halloween this year when I don my Vader mask to greet trick-or-treaters.

I am super excited that we received notification of EP submission.  It feels like things are rolling now.  I am not a heavy sleeper, and by no means could you call me a night owl, but last night I stayed up until 2:15am because of the excitement.  After tossing and turning several hours until midnight I got up and did some Korea trip planning, general budgeting, and made a list of handyman activities to prepare our home.

Thank you to my wonderful godly wife - among thousands of things, I think she is totally awesome for quoting my favorite song from my favorite album.  Thank you all for your prayers, we're almost there.  God is blessing us already with joyful anticipation.  I love you Ephraim!

-Daddy

October 21, 2015

I'm shaking as I type this..........we just received EP SUBMISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our agency emailed us with the good news at 8:00 this morning!! This means that the Korean government has finally acknowledged that we exist! (Ha!) We are overjoyed!!! It's starting to feel very real....and if all goes as planned, it's looking more and more like we will have him next Spring! We're coming for you Ephraim!!! :)

Other AMAZING news.....our dear friends, Ashlee & Pat received the referral of their {{TWO}} beautiful, precious {{GIRLS}} yesterday!! Their big brown eyes just kill me!! God is so good!!!

My heart feels like it's going to explode! God is so amazing, and continues to blow me away with His unfailing love and grace. I've been listening to this song so much recently, and it is such a beautiful reminder that I, too, was once an orphan, but my Heavenly Father, in His amazing grace "chose [me] in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined [me] for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given [me] in the One He loves." (Ephesians 1:4-6) Before the creation of the world!!! He knew me. He chose me.........

"I was an orphan, lost at the fall;
Running away when I'd hear You call,
But Father, You worked Your will.

I had no righteousness of my own
I had no right to draw near Your throne,
But Father, You loved me still.

And in love, before You laid the world's foundation,
You predestined to adopt me as Your own.
You have raised me up so high above my station;
I'm a child of God by grace, and grace alone.

You left your home to seek out the lost;
You knew the great and terrible cost
But Jesus, Your face was set.

I worked my fingers down to the bone;
But nothing I did could ever atone,
But Jesus, You paid my debt.

By Your blood I have redemption and salvation.
Lord You died that I might reap what You have sown,
And You rose that I might be a new creation.
I am born again by grace, and grace alone.

I was darkness all of my life,
I never knew the day from the night,
But Spirit, You made me see.

I swore I knew the way on my own;
Head full of rocks, a heart made of stone
But Spirit, You moved in me.

And at Your touch my sleeping spirit was awakened;
On my darkened heart the light of Christ has shone.
Called into a kingdom that cannot shaken;
Heaven's citizen by grace, and grace alone.

So I'll stand in faith by grace, and grace alone
I will run the race by grace, and grace alone
I will slay my sin by grace, and grace alone
I will reach the end by grace, and grace alone!"

You can listen to it here → Grace Alone (by Kings Kaleidoscope) 

October 4, 2015

Danniger and I celebrated our 7th Wedding Anniversary today!! He mentioned that this could be the last one we spend as just the 2 of us! We spent most of the day relaxing, and enjoying this beautiful weather that God has blessed us with! It reminded me of our wedding day....70 degrees and sunny :) For those of you who don't have Facebook (or don't check it very often), I wanted to share a post that I dedicated to my groom of 7 years....with tears in my eyes, I read it aloud to him today :)

"Danniger: 7 years ago, we made a covenant before our Heavenly Father. That through the good times and through the bad: we would love, cherish, honor, and respect one another. We would forgive and show each other grace (especially when it was the hardest). We would serve each other and be patient with one another, bearing with each other's imperfections. We would put each other's needs above our own, and never do anything for selfish gain. We would be slow to speak, slow to become angry, and quick to listen. We would not be prideful, but always remain humble. We would see each other's good side, as well as bad, and continue to love, unconditionally.

Now, 7 years later, I can honestly say......we've failed miserably! But this I know: God put us together for His purpose and glory, in His perfect timing. That His will is always better than ours, and that if we continue to seek and desire Him above anything this world could offer, we will make it. Because of Jesus' life here on earth, His death, and resurrection, we are forgiven and we are REDEEMED! I will continue to strive for holiness with you, and though I know it will never happen in this lifetime, I am confident of this, "that He who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

Thank you for loving me (in all my faults and ugliness) and for displaying Christ's love to me each and every day. I will love you forever. And now as always, "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together!" (Psalm 34:3)

......I still do."

And now, we anxiously look ahead to seeing the fruit of our union......by becoming a family of 3!!

Danniger surprised me with some fall decorations for our Anniversary :)