No, this is not a graduation speech...but it sort of is..graduation into adulthood!

(notice the date on the picture..he has JUST turned 10 and had only been in our house a day!)

                      The past few days have been amazing to me.

After 7 LONGGGGGGGGGGG years of re-parenting this one, he is GETTING IT!!! YEP..Jason turned 17 this week and over the last few months and especially the last few days, he has had some incredible insight and wisdom(he has never been able to look beyond himself AT ALL with his developemental issues). It is like the LIGHT is turning on little by little. He is starting to see himself as a man(he never wanted to grow up) and it is showing. He has been much more respectful, more responsible and certainly more fun to be around! (Those are our 3 rules in our house that YOU'D BETTER FOLLOW!)

We had a great conversation this morning as I was taking him off to volunteer today to help people in need and I was thinking, "God, where is my kid and what did you do with him?"  What spurred a lot of this is that he and Steven sat on an Adoption panel with me and he was asked questions about his past and how he perceived being adopted. He was honest, articulate and very compassionate toward his past. He got him thinking about it and we had some very interesting discussion. I was blown out of the water with his clear, articulate thoughts and responses.

 Any parent of a special needs kid will tell you that sometimes we have to "shift" our expectations AND dreams for our kids and just "turn them all over" to God. Russ and I have grieved over what we had "hoped" would happen and just became open to what was.......these past few days, though, we have seen glimpses of what Jason is becoming and we are very pleased with it. We don't know his future and are fully aware because of his medical/mental issues that things may change tomorrow but for right now....we are soaking it up and enjoying every minute. (We will hold on to this for hope  when he has some more BP moments!!)

So, today, June 15th, we are happy and joyful that we have seen a "glimpse" of what may be coming down the road. We are grateful for prayers and all the great support that has been shown over the last 7 years for him and for us......

Thank YOU.....family, doctors, therapists, pastors, colleagues, old and new friends, adoption support groups in NY and AL, church friends, strangers, teachers, principals and many many others who have shown compassion and BELIEVED in our son! Without your support and care, where he is today would not have happened. There was a time when we feared that he might be in a mental hospital the rest of his adolescence. Now here he is...taking a turn into adulthood and seems to be headed in the right direction.

AND..most of all...thanks and praise to Jesus..who heals the broken hearted and who sustains us through very difficult times. ALL GLORY TO God Our Healer..Jehovah Rapha!

PRAY FOR JASON ON MONDAY (6/20)as he has his first job interview ever at the same place Russ is working!