Happy Life Day Muaz...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

"Happy Life Day"...a birthday greeting my dad has lovingly shared with me since I was a small child. Three endearing words he used to celebrate the day in which God breathed life into my lungs. Since the day I was born, my parents have celebrated the day of my birth with well wishes, parties & gifts.
We had the awesome priviledge of celebrating Muaz's 8th birthday with him on January 18. Although it was his 8th birthday - it was the first birthday in his entire life he has celebrated. I believe that for the past 8 years, on January 18, the Lord himself rejoiced in His creation of Muaz and celebrated the life He created in Him, but Muaz had never experienced a joyous celebration of his life by others. The effects of cultural difference and extreme poverty make it difficult to comprehend why a child's life would not be celebrated on their birthday. We thank God for the gift of Muaz and for the 8 years of his life that God protected & blessed before He led us to him. I believe that 8 years ago, when God gifted him with life, he had us in mind...'daddy had a plan' for our Muaz to celebrate his 8th birthday with us in America. Muaz had the joy of celebrating with us & his biological sister as well. She stood at his side while we sang happy birthday to him and my mind drifted to Ethiopia as the Lord prompted me to pray for mama Medina and be thankful for the gift she has given us in Muaz.