The Lord IS Good

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

I don't know how else to say this.

We cannot adopt Stephen. 

It has nothing to do with us or Giving Hope, it is a situation beyond our control. 

The Lord is still Good. 

He loves Stephen with a perfect love and He has BIG plans for him that will not be changed by his circumstances.

This is a very personal matter and one that will remain in our heart. I share only to glorify the Lord. It is through the hard places we see His face. Jonah said, in chapter 2:9 : "But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, 'Salvation comes from the Lord." He said this while he was in the belly of the great fish. Sometimes we find ourselves in the belly of a fish where it is cold, it is dark, and it is lonely. But our God cares so much more for us than even the sparrows, and not one of them fall without Him knowing. He knows the plans He has for us and they are all for our good. 

Stephen still has parent's, we are still his mommy and daddy. We will continue to love and support him. But more importantly than us he has his Father God. His Father in heaven is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He will carry Him under His wing and teach Him through His Spirit. Stephen's name means crown. God changed his name to Stephen for a reason. God has crowned him with His loving-kindness and His tender mercies. What satan intended for evil God will make good. 

Please pray for us, but most of all please pray for our boy. Our sweet boy with the curly eyelashes, contagious laugh, and beautiful smile. Please pray for my arms as they ache to hold him, my lips as they ache to kiss him, and my heart as it aches with love for him.

My favorite scripture for Stephen in his language. 

Sòm 103

¹¶ Se yon sòm David. Kite m' di Seyè a mèsi! Kite m' di Seyè ki pa tankou tout moun lan mèsi ak tout nanm mwen!

    ²Wi, kite m' di Seyè a mèsi. Mwen pa dwe janm bliye tout byen li fè pou mwen.

    ³Li padonnen tout peche m' yo, li geri tout maladi m' yo.

    ⁴Li wete m' nan bouch twou a. Li beni m', li fè m' wè jan li renmen m', jan li gen pitye pou mwen.

    ⁵Li kouvri m' ak benediksyon pandan tout lavi m', li fè m' rete jenn ak tout fòs mwen, tankou malfini.

    ⁶¶ Seyè a pa nan patipri. Li rann jistis an favè tout moun k'ap sibi lenjistis.

    ⁷Li fè Moyiz konnen sa l' te gen nan tèt li, li fè pitit Izrayèl yo wè mèvèy li yo.

    ⁸Seyè a gen kè sansib, li gen bon kè. Li pa fè kòlè fasil, li p'ap janm sispann renmen nou.

    ⁹Li p'ap pase tout tan l' ap pini nou, li pa ankòlè pou lontan.

    ¹⁰Li pa aji ak nou jan nou ta merite l' la, li pa pini nou jan l' ta dwe pini nou.

    ¹¹Menm jan syèl la byen lwen anwo tè a, se konsa Seyè a renmen moun ki gen krentif pou li.

    ¹²Menm jan kote solèy leve a byen lwen ak kote solèy kouche a, se konsa li wete peche nou yo, li voye yo jete byen lwen nou.

    ¹³Menm jan yon papa sansib pou pitit li, se konsa Seyè a sansib pou moun ki gen krentif pou li.

    ¹⁴Li konnen ak kisa nou fèt, li chonje se pousyè tè nou ye.

    ¹⁵Lèzòm menm, lavi yo tankou zèb. Yo grandi, yo fleri tankou flè savann.

    ¹⁶Kou van soufle sou yo, yo disparèt. Pesonn pa rekonèt kote yo te ye a.

    ¹⁷Men renmen Bondye pou moun ki gen krentif pou li yo, se bagay ki la pou tout tan. L'ap gen pitye pou pitit pitit yo,

    ¹⁸pou moun ki kenbe pawòl yo ak li, pou moun ki chonje kòmandman li yo pou obeyi yo.

    ¹⁹¶ Seyè a mete fotèy li anwo nan syèl la, l'ap gouvènen tout bagay.

    ²⁰Nou menm zanj li yo ki vanyan, ki gen fòs, nou menm k'ap fè tou sa li mande nou fè, nou menm k'ap koute sa l'ap di nou, fè lwanj Seyè a!

    ²¹Nou tout ki fè pati lame ki nan syèl la, nou tout k'ap sèvi l', k'ap fè volonte li, di Seyè a mèsi!

    ²²Nou tout kreyati Bondye, nou tout ki toupatou kote l'ap gouvènen, di Seyè a mèsi! Wi, kite m' di Seyè a mèsi!

    

Psalm 103

Bless the LORD, O My Soul

    Of David.

   ^1 (A)Bless the LORD, O my soul,
   and all that is within me,
   bless his holy name!
^2 (B)Bless the LORD, O my soul,
   and ^(C)forget not all his benefits,
³ who ^(D)forgives all your iniquity,
   who ^(E)heals all your diseases,
⁴ who ^(F)redeems your life from the pit,
   who ^(G)crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
⁵ who ^(H)satisfies you with good
   so that your youth is renewed like ^(I)the eagle's.

   ⁶ The LORD works ^(J)righteousness
   and justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷ He made known his ^(K)ways to Moses,
   his ^(L)acts to the people of Israel.
⁸ The LORD is ^(M)merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
^9 (N)He will not always chide,
   nor will he ^(O)keep his anger forever.
¹⁰ He does not deal with us ^(P)according to our sins,
   nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹ For ^(Q)as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his ^(R)steadfast love toward ^(S)those who fear him;
¹² as far as the east is from the west,
   so far does he ^(T)remove our transgressions from us.
¹³ As ^(U)a father shows compassion to his children,
   so the LORD shows compassion ^(V)to those who fear him.
¹⁴ For he knows our frame;^[a]
   he ^(W)remembers that we are dust.

   ¹⁵ As for man, his days are like ^(X)grass;
   he flourishes like ^(Y)a flower of the field;
¹⁶ for ^(Z)the wind passes over it, and ^(AA)it is gone,
   and ^(AB)its place knows it no more.
¹⁷ But ^(AC)the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on ^(AD)those who fear him,
   and his righteousness to ^(AE)children's children,
¹⁸ to those who ^(AF)keep his covenant
   and ^(AG)remember to do his commandments.
¹⁹ The LORD has ^(AH)established his throne in the heavens,
   and his ^(AI)kingdom rules over all.

   ²⁰ Bless the LORD, O you ^(AJ)his angels,
   you ^(AK)mighty ones who ^(AL)do his word,
   obeying the voice of his word!
²¹ Bless the LORD, all his ^(AM)hosts,
   his ^(AN)ministers, who do his will!
^22 (AO)Bless the LORD, all his works,
   in all places of his dominion.
^(AP)Bless the LORD, O my soul!