The Year of the Dragon

Today is the start of the Chinese New Year celebration.  I can't help but wonder how Yi Mei is celebrating at her orphanage.  I know that the Chinese take weeks off to celebrate their New Year, attend parades and light fireworks.  The kids are given red envelopes with money, a tradition I hope to continue with Yi Mei. 

Waiting has been hard, but the new picture of Yi Mei in her bright red jacket has encouraged me.
I know it is just a matter of time now.  I love her so much already.  A friend sent me a poem which captures my my heart:

The Gift of Life

I didn't give you the gift of life, 

But in my heart I know

The love I feel is deep and real

As if it had been so.

For us to have each other

Is like a dream come true

Though I didn't give you the gift of life,

Life gave me the gift of you.

~Author Unknown

A New Year

Though I enjoy the festivities of New Year's Eve, I am very fond of  New Year's Day.  New Year's Day represents a fresh start; a blank canvas full of possiblities.  It is a day for reflection and waiting on God to reveal what He has in store for the upcoming year.  Rather than making resolutions, I prefer to envision new possibilities.  A year filled with possibilities generates hope and excitement.  Today my heart is pregnant with hope and excitement because  becoming a mother is more than just a possibility- it has become a dream fulfilled!

Courage is the word that God has gave me, as I was journaling today. The kind of courage I am referring to is more about having the confidence to act in accordance with one's beliefs rather than the courage which speaks of facing danger/pain without fear. It is the courage that inspires one to live a life without regrets.

2012 will certainly contain moments of unimaginable joy and it will contain moments where I am stretched beyond my limits.  No matter what obstacles may come my way- whether it be insurance, day care, finances and my dad's health, I want to face them all with complete confidence that my God will come through.   

Here are some quotes about living life courageously:


Each day is a new canvas to paint upon. Make sure your picture is full of life and happiness, and at the end of the day you don't look at it and wish you had painted something different.
-- Author Unknown

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.
Eleanor Roosevelt