Yesterday, today, and forever...

For behold, I am God;

and I am a God of miracles;

and I will show unto the world

that I am the same

yesterday, today, and forever;

(2 Nephi 27:23)


Filling out paperwork for the adoption process is lengthy.

In our case, it took an extra long time.

When our agency said everything would be done mid-october

BUT

then

mid-november

AND

mid-december showed up

and unfulfilled promises kept getting put off

David and I were frustrated.

I admit I was angry.

devastated.

numb.


But, my sweet husband kept reminding me that the Lord had not forgotten us.

So, you can imagine our elation on January 2nd.

Of course, all this joy was only due to the fact that our profile was


LIVE


AND


BIRTHMOTHERS COULD FIND US NOW!


Well, January 30th was an especially emotional day.


I remember .

I had been crying literally all day.

But, by the time my husband came home, I had taken some advice from a friend

and, I had started doing everything I could to


SURVIVE.


MY husband came running when I burst into tears yet again.

When he saw that the cause of the tears was


a letter from our Sweet Joanie;

we wept together.

we sat.

we prayed.

we hugged.

we kissed.


We called her.


She was a miracle from the start.

She began to share her life with us.

The miracle of her decision
has become more and more apparent to me
the more I learn about her.
Joanie is 18.
She lost her mother (who was a single mom) 5 years ago.
Her dad never chose to be in her life (man, he sure missed out)
She was bounced between aunts, uncles, and her grandmother
until she graduated high school.

Her best two friends have tried to convince her to keep this baby

They both have babies.

She is not a member of the church.

BUT, she has faith.

dedication.

and wisdom.

She was pointed to our agency
by another adoptive couple who had been placed with a baby girl.


I became filled with hope.
It was a testimony to me,
that even if it she didn't place with us,
the Lord had not forgotten us.

And, the last week in February, Sweet Joanie invited us to come meet her.


She is beautiful.





On March 1st we were given the opportunity to bear our testimonies to this
brave young woman about her decision.

That was an emotional time that I can never erase from my memory.

We know Marilyn would be proud of her brave young daughter,
and we felt it a privilege
to visit her resting place.
And pay respect to the woman who raised
brave
Joanie.




For behold, I am God;
and I am a God of miracles;
and I will show unto the world
that I am the same
yesterday, today, and forever;
(2 Nephi 27:23)


This we cannot deny.
We know it to be true.
He is living God.
He is a loving Father.
He is the same.

Yesterday, Today, and Forever.