Approved to Adopt & St. Jude Novena

Well, its official!  Sue, our adoption worker said that "As soon as you give us your Adoption Learning Partners Course Certificates, you will be ready to adopt." Guess what I just emailed off?!?!?!?!?  :)  The hubby and I buckled down tonight to spend three hours watching videos so we could receive our certificates and email our "proof" off to the correct authority.  Sue's words definitely got these two procrastinators in gear!  Its exciting and a little scary for this milestone to be complete.

Now I'm trying to figure out how long the waiting game will be.  I realize its all in God's hands, but I am beginning to pray for our unknown Birthmother and her decision to choose us to raise her child.  Does anyone have any good prayers for this?  It might be better than my rambling thoughts each night.  :)

Also, the feast of St. Jude Thaddeus is October 28th.  St. Jude is acknowledged to be the patron saint of forgotten causes, impossible causes and lost causes (hello ... infertility and motherhood!!!).  This novena is what I am starting tonight.  I figure the more novenas I pray, the more apt I will be to finish all nine days!  It is usually a struggle. Perhaps I could add an alarm on my phone .... but it might be confusing with my three "wake up" alarms *and* the ones for my medicine twice a day.  There aren't enough "good" ringtones to keep it all straight.  :)

                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, the feast of Blessed Pope John Paul II is this Saturday, October 22nd (thanks to Jeremiah 29:11 for the info - it's also her birthday! - how special!).  Here is a prayer for the intercession of this soon-to-be-Saint:

O Blessed Trinity,
We thank you for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your Fatherly care, the glory of the cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit, to shine through him.

Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you.

Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among your saints.  Amen.

                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~