Daniel Ausbun
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Happy Birthday Esther! (from Sherri)

5/22/2014

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Miao Yu Shen at the Dongguan Social Welfare Institute
How my heart is burdened tonight. I have been praying since our adoption began that God would grow my heart with love for Esther. Pregnancy only lasts 9 months, but adoption can take double or triple that time. In such a short time period during pregnancy you fall in love with your child, feel them move inside of you and become very protective. Adoption is so very different. Esther is literally 12 hours ahead of us in time zones. I don’t know what her schedule is, I don’t know her favorite games, foods or toys. All I know are the pictures that I am sent as I wait in this journey.

Two days ago was Esther's 2nd birthday. It will be the last day she has to celebrate her birthday without her family. We were able to send her a cake to celebrate with 10 of her friends at the orphanage and I have literally checked my e-mail every 10 minutes to see if pictures have arrived from her party. What is amazing is that God is growing my love for her in my heart even though she is not growing in my body. As the weeks will soon turn into days before we travel, it literally does not seem that I can wait another second.

We are in the final leg of our journey, and we will find out by next week (hopefully) when we can travel to China. We will at long last book place tickets and start to finalize all the little details that are coming together. I pray that God will give my heart rest from worry as He promises in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I feel burdened with concern over our new daughter’s welfare and health. What a wonderful blessing it is to know that God goes before us in all endeavors. Our family asks that you will pray for God’s provisions for our family as we are so close to becoming a family of 6!
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5 Lessons Learned in 10 Years of Marriage

5/22/2014

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Christmas 2004
Today is Sherri and I's 10 year anniversary. On May 22, 2004 we were married at Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama. The next day we left for a honeymoon to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. I was 25 she was 27.

I told our Wednesday Night Bible Study class last night (it was all men) I was writing a blog post on the lessons learned from 10 years of marriage and they said there's only one lesson, "Sherri says!"
Here are 5 lessons I've learned in 10 years:

1.) Most disagreements will be over money - specifically how much money you spend each month. We drink organic milk - it costs alot - I'm still not sold on its benefits - there's been "disagreements" over which milk to buy from Wal-Mart...I've learned its not a battle worth fighting.

2). Your spouse needs access to your email, Twitter, Facebook, text and phone records. Secrecy breeds sin. Sherri has access to every account that requires a password.

3). You both should want to attend the same church together. If you have a daily quiet time and he doesn't, if you want to attend Sunday School and she doesn't or if you want to help with VBS and he believes its too time consuming - a difference in spiritual maturity will create problems. 2 Corinthians 6:14 warns believers about this. Husband and wife must be growing in the Lord together.

4). You must define household responsibilities. I know my "jobs" at the house - vacuuming, dishes, folding laundry and the trash. If you haven't established who does what at your home - you'll begin believing your spouse is lazy.

5). Have a regular "date night" without children. If we go to a restaurant with three children - its actually more work for me than eating at home. Sherri and I go out to dinner (without children) at least monthly - these are some of our favorite times together.
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Planning for the Future (from Sherri)

5/3/2014

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When anyone is expecting a child, whether through adoption or biologically, there is always such anticipation. Getting pediatric appointments set, cribs and decorations ready, preparing siblings and also praying that God will prepare hearts for change. Daniel and I had a 4 hour travel meeting last week through our adoption agency, Lifeline Children's Services. Wow! Information overload. There are so many steps that must be taken before we can travel next month.

God reminded me this week that even amongst change and commotion He is still sovereign and in control. James 4:14-15 tells us, "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." God certainly wants us to be responsible and prepared. However, he doesn't want us to get so caught up in our tasks for the future that we forget the present.

Even in Daniel 5, God displayed how He is ultimately in control, even with an ungodly king. King Belshazzar's days were numbered by God, just as ours are today. We may make plans, make to-do lists, and make preparations, but ultimately God decides our future.

Today I find comfort that God is in control. There are so many uncertainties, but our constant strength and comfort should be in the Lord our God.

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