Oh Sweet Child O' Mine.

So guess what. Julie and I are parents. Officially.

9:49AM on Monday, November 22 - Christmas came early. We received an email from our adoption coordinator entitled "Jimmy". Upon opening the email and reading the initial text we discovered that we are officially referred a child, his name...Jimmy. A healthy and absolutely beautiful and perfect baby boy. We are smitten to say the least. The saddest part of this post is that we aren't able to share his picture with you due to a desire to protect his privacy until the adoption process is complete. You'll have to take my word for it, he is truly special.

I'm not feeling very creative tonight but trust me when I say that words cannot express the excitement that Julie and I feel. We also take great pride in realizing that very soon his past will be just that, his past. Here is Jimmy's plight as provided to us.

"At the end of August 2010 a toddler boy was found near a public water pump in Uganda. It was determined by police that this was an abandoned child. Efforts to trace this child's family have been futile. He was in turn transferred into the care of an orphanage in Kampala, Uganda and was named Jimmy. Jimmy is estimated to be between 18 months and 2 years old. He appears to be a quiet and shy little boy. He plays contently with his toys. He walks on his own. He has a sweet smile which was able to be coached out of him with some tickling."

I can't help but picture days in the very near future where smiles won't need to be coached and his eyes will shine bright as there will be no more sadness. Never again will he know neglect and no longer will he have reason to shy away. God is so merciful and we are so thankful that this day has come. He has moved in so many miraculous ways already and the story just keeps getting better. Stay tuned for additional information later in the week. Thanksgiving has a whole new meaning in the Simpson household.

Before I retire for the night I want to share with you something a great friend shared with me today that I was unaware of. As you all know Jimmy will be Malachi when he arrives stateside. The name means "God's Messenger" but was blessed to learn today it means so much more!

"In the Bible, Malachi was the last voice of God (prophet) until John the Baptist came almost 400 years later. He speaks with a powerful voice, calling for authentic faith and genuine leadership - integrity for the people of God."

That's my boy! Praise God. 

The journey continues.