I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for another week in paradise with my dear family. We love traveling and exploring this great nation we call home. Captiva Island holds a special place in our hearts. It's where Sophia discovered her passion for animal care and desires to become a veterinarian. It's where Sophia's Princess Pendants where born. Since 2015 she has sold hundreds of necklaces and donated over $1,500.00 to orphans around the world. This year we celebrated Ansel's fifth re-birthday. Dusty and I had the honor of baptizing him in the golf during our first visit to Captiva. We are forever grateful for his employer giving us this amazing opportunity to travel and for sharing this beautiful place with our family. The memories made will be with us our whole lives. I wouldn't trade the precious moments with the four of us for anything, but that doesn't remove the longing and the sense that someone is missing. As we near the three year mark of our paperwork being in county waiting for a match (4 years since we began with our agency) I was so prayerful that we might receive good news while we were away this week. As amazing as I would have been if God moved in that way, I have to pause and remember that whenever God moves, it will be amazing! We paused a few times this week and considered how an adventure would be different if our littles were home. We prayed for God's protection over them and we praised Him for the experience we were having. A referral will come. Our little foursome will be changed. Some days will be hard and some days will be amazing. Our roller coaster ride and adventures will continue. And God will continue to be the center of all of it. On our drive home we hit two National Parks. The kids earned two more Jr. Ranger badges! From the beach to the mountains, it was like two wonderful vacations in one. You can't go wrong! At the Cumberland Gap we saw an old iron furnace. In 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker made note of a spring coming from a cave. In his journal he noted that "the spring is sufficient to turn a mill." In 1819, a blast furnace was built on the stream below the cave, now known as Gap Cave. Large, sandstone blocks were used from nearby and fire brick was used to line the inside of the furnace which was used to smelt iron. Iron ore was mined nearby, limestone was added in the process, and firewood was made into charcoal for use as fuel. Water from the stream powered large bellows and a massive hammer mill. Each day 625 bushels of charcoal (approximately 52 trees), 6 1/4 tons of iron ore, and 1,563 pounds of limestone were used to produce approximately 3 tons of iron. The furnace, which was known as Newlee's Iron Furnace, operated throughout the 1800's. A plan was conceived. A note was made. Time passed. Resources were needed. Hard work was required.
Throughout God's story, which we are a part of, He uses dreams, trials and hardship to grow us and draw us nearer to Him. The heat from the bellows and pressure from the hammers in the iron furnace took separate resources and forged them together into a much stronger and more valuable resource. We are so grateful for the hardships in our wait that have drawn us closer to God, that have shaped our hearts, that have allowed us a window into the grief and loss our littles will face. God is moving and we continue to be excited about His plan for our family. We can’t wait for the adventures that we have ahead of us as a forever family.
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AuthorMy name is Deidra Miller. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Dusty, for 17 years. We have two biological children and our family is growing again. We prayed for 2,786 days and God answered our prayers. More days (almost 4 years) have been added as we wait for God's perfect plan for our family. We can't wait to meet our beautiful twin boys! Archives
October 2022
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