Whew.....finally some blogging!

Whoooohooooo! Our blog is finally up and running. We have been meaning to get to this but haven't had a chance. You will probably see a lot of posts dated today since we want to catch you all up on some things going on. So you will probably think, "Wow, those Vernons need to get a life". We are just excited to fill you all in. :)

There are a lot of things going on in our lives right now, most notably our adoption of Ashenafi, and it has made us think about our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

For starters, the adoption process. This entire journey has been a roller coaster of emotions and effort but most of all an awakening in our trust and faith in God. This is one process you have absolutely no control over. All you can do is pray and pray and pray trusting the Lord is taking care of it. I wonder if this how God feels with us sometimes. The ups, the downs, the joys, and the sadness; the ebb and flow of emotions. One day He is excited the next He mourns. All He wants is for His child to be closer to Him, for His child to truly meet Him and discover the abundant love He gives. Maybe adoption was created so we have a better insight into our Creator's heart. Hmm....something to wonder about.

We have been teaching our kids catechisms and scriptures over the past couple of years, well Cale at least. So each time they memorize a certain number of catechisms or scriptures, they are given a reward for their hard work. Two weeks ago, they reached their goals so we gave them their rewards. You should have seen the look on their faces. As parents, we were so proud of their accomplishments and we're overjoyed by their excitement. I wonder if this how God feels with us sometimes. Does He get excited about our little accomplishments in life? Is He overjoyed when we do something to further His kingdom, no matter how small it is?

Isn't it cool to serve a God that is personal and relates to us in many different ways? Wow! I think God knew what He was talking about when He said He made us in His image.