Saturday, November 8, 2008
What A Difference A Year Makes ... Happy Gotcha Day Maggie !!
Maggie's Gotcha Day Video 2007 (click here to see the amazing first few days w/ Maggie)
First, I have to say thank you to all who have journeyed w/ me this last year ... You sent my kids presents during those tough months, you prayed for us, you encouraged me, and most of all you loved Maggie !!! Please continue to journey with us this next year as Maggie begins skull replacement surgery and her scalp extenions ...
How the Oatsvall's are hanging ??
The day Maggie walked into that room frightened and confused was the moment God transformed my heart for HIM ... This has been the most difficult and most blessed year we have ever had as a family ... This year has brought more changes in our life than we ever expected and placed us right in the center of God's will ... We are so ever thankful for the Father's provisions during this time and for His faithfulness to love us unconditionally ...
To My Hope ... My Mags
Your spirit is one of strength and survivorship ... Your smile brings us so much joy and the way you love us is so pure ... I am so proud of you for learning to love and risking your heart on us ... You have had many challenges in life and have come through them all ... I know there is more to come w/ surgery, but this time there will be a Daddy, Mommy, two brothers, and a sister to walk through the trial with you ... You will never be alone again ... The heavenly Father has placed you with us so that we could all BE STRONG together ... I love you my sweet angel girl ... When you look at me and tell me "LUFFA You Mommy," I almost can't breathe because it is as if God is speaking directly to my soul ...
And lastly to all those who financially gave to help us bring Maggie home ... There really is no words to describe how thankful we are that you heard the Father's call and answered ... She could not have come home w/ out your help !!!
TO SEE HOW MIGHTY GOD'S HAND IS READ YOUR JESUS CALLING NOV. 8TH AND THINK BACK 1 YEAR FOR ME ... I WAS DROWNING IN EMOTIONS AND HE HEARD MY CRY AND SPOKE TO ME THROUGH THIS DEVOTION !!!
Praises to the Father for this day !!!!!!!!!
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41 kind words.:
I can't believe it's been a year already. Please know that we will continue to pray for Maggie during her upcoming surgeries. Our SN children are such a gift from God.
Love ya!!
Oh, tears are flowing for God's pure love that you expressed in this post, Gwen. Happy anniversary to you and your beautiful Maggie!!
Oh, Gwen! What a beautiful post!! Thanks so much for sharing the link to the video.....I have tears in my eyes. The precious look in Maggie's eyes when she met you is just so touching!
Happy Forever Family Day!!!!
The safest that I ever felt in my life was when my Dad was teaching me to ride my bicycle and I looked back at him to see if he was still holding me and he said "don't worry, I gotcha"! I can still hear those words today as they resonate in only a memory now. Maggie is safe and secure, right where she is supposed to be.
Happy GOTCHA day Maggie! We luffa you too!
The Hood's
WOW a year! What a sweet post. Give her a kiss for me. Such an honor to know her. I know 2009 will be so physically hard for her and emotionally hard for mom and dad but God's grace will be with you all and so will all who love you.
Well:) I just watched the video...again, and, again crying here, but, I do understand why a year ago, sweet Maggie Tara Chang Oatsvall set up camp inside my heart.
Gwen, you and your beautiful daughter Maggie, on the first day you met one another, are the picture of God's Love for all of us!!! I give thanks to God for choosing the Oatsvall Team :) for His sweet baby girl...Maggie.
Love you, Maggie...Happy Gotca day, sweetie!!!!
Still praying for you, sweet friend. Please continue to do the same for us, as it's becoming more of a struggle to take care of our dad; he's still at home, but if it continues to be more of a struggle, we're gonna have to place him in a home
Ok, just watched the video; WHAT A MIRACLE YEAR IT HAS BEEN FOR YOU ALL!! Mags is truly a blessing from God..... God bless you all; and I hope one day I get to meet this precious gift (all of them, actually)
wow...so strange to think I didn't even know you a year ago...Maggie is so beautiful and so special and I"m so glad to journey with you now and watch as your family continues to grow as God calls you to adopt again....And, we'll be right there with you as she goes through surgeries...love ya, kristi
just beautiful..thanks for making my heart smile today
Happy Happy Gotcha Day to sweet angel Maggie!!!!
Oh Gwen...what a blessed year this has been....full of God's grace and His infinite love!
I will continue to pray for sweet Maggie and all of the Oatsvalls as she endures the surgeries and you all hold her close through it all.
I luffa all of you sweet Oatsvalls!!!!
oh Gwen your family will always be in my heart. You are an inspiration to all.
Sweet sweet Maggie is just beautiful. I love this post.
I can not believe it has been a year..
It seems like yesterday..
Love this post..
I have been honored to be a part of this AMAZING journey..
Hugs girly.
Love ya..
Beautiful psot sweet girl....I remember you being there like it was yesterday....I remember you calling me telling me had a daughter.....what a glorious journey....she is such a gift....love you! ;)
Love it!! What a blessing you all are to each other. I love the miracle of adoption.
oh He is good, and to Him be the glory Gweny.
A beautiful post!!!!
hugs
xxx
s
Aw man! Now I gotta go to church and sing, but I need to fix my makeup after watching that video! I knew I should have waited until I got home.
Maggie has come so far and it is apparent that your heart is so much larger than you ever imagined it could be. Only God can do such miracles with our hearts. Only God.
As a mommy to a Huaihua girl, we love your Maggie and pray that her wounds physically and emotionally will heal beyond what we imagine because again, only God.
Happy Forever Family day Gwen. I watched the video, she has come so far. Please keep us posted when Maggie has her first surgery, she'll be in our prayers.
Gail
He is so good!! God has blessed me to be able to become connected to your family. Thank you so much for letting us read and see into your world. We are all the better for it.
I will continue to pray for Maggie and your family as her surgeries come.
Happy Gotcha Day Maggie!
Oh happy Gotcha Day Maggie! So much is learned and so much growth takes place when we learn to love... Your family is so special. I can't believe a year has gone by so quickly! God Bless, Terry
Oh, Gwen... she is so precious and this pic in her tutu just melts my heart. You know how I love your little sweeting.... she has and always will have a special place in my heart..... Your words to your daughter.... remembering one year ago today... more than mere words can express....
oh, how I will continue to pray for your little one.... yes, we will pray for her and watch the hand of the Lord as He continues to move in her life.... to His glory....
Thank You Father God for our sweet, precious Maggie.....
God's healing...
love you sister,
Daleea
Watching the video and noting how far Maggie has come........the miracle that took place with the life changing love of Jesus shown through you and your precious family. What a difference a year makes. What a difference having a loving family makes! Blessings to you our precious Maggie. You are beautiful and amazing and we celebrate your Gotcha day with Joy and thanksgiving as we celebrate you joining your forever family and the gift of you. You are dearly loved sweet Maggie!
Our precious Maggie has quite the anointing on her beautiful life! Thank you Lord for placing her in the perfect family! Have a wonderful Gotcha Day anniversary!!! I love the video! Love you!
Dear Oatsvalls,
It's hard to believe a year has already passed by with Mags' addition to your family...seems like yesterday in many ways as I watched that video remembering your asking for prayer, Gwen. And now look at what God has done? He's taken this baby girl and given her a family to learn to trust and love AND begun the process for her to trust and love HIM too because of your love for her. WOW!! To see the change in her eyes and spirit is amazing. She's a beautiful gift from God to all of us and especially to you!!
Happy Gotcha Day Maggie Tara Chang Oatsvall! Your forever place in your family is secure as it is in our hearts!
With much love,
Anita and family
Where has the time gone, Gwen? Maggie looks so great! Praying for your family during Maggs upcoming surgeries. May God give you peace.
My sis and I watched Maggie's Gotcha Video and cried, of course!! I'm such a cry baby when it comes to this sweet babes being united with their families....:)
Happy, Happy Forever Family!
What a beautiful post and the picture speaks volumes.
Happy Gotcha Day Maggie!!!
Love you!
Thank you once again sweet firend for sharing these moments. It is so encouraging to those of us in the begining of our adoption journey. I know that God is good ALL the time, and this helps to remind me of that truth. Love you.
Happy Gotcha Day Oatsvalls!
What a sweet video. I can't even believe that the sad little girl in those pictures is the same Maggie we see today. God is good!
I can't believe it has been a year already! Give sweet Maggie a kiss from me! Love you guys!
What an amazing year this has been! I started following your blog while you were in China and it has been a blessing to me more often than you know.
Happy Gotcha Day, Maggie! You are a precious gift to the world!
Awww, I'm sitting here in tears. As you know, I've been out of commission for a couple months, so I'm just now trying to catch up with everybody's blogs, as well as put something on mine for the first time in 2 months.....Anyway, just want to say that we rejoice with you over all the many ways that God has surrounded you with His favor! Praises for all you Os!
Love you,
Rhonda
happy gotcha day maggie! Gwen, beautiful post.
Jill s.
ps.. we share gotcha days.. sophia was placed in my arms 4 years ago nov 8th with your cousin !
oh wow, nothing like starting the day crying like a baby! What a beautiful video! I just can't get over the transformation of this little girl. What an amazing gift from God. Thanks for sharing it.
Happy Gotcha Day, Maggie! Praying for your upcoming surgeries.
What a beautiful and touching post. We just arrived home with our 2nd daughter, Annabelle, from China last week and everything is going so well (she has adjusted beyond what I ever could have expected). This post so reminds me of our time with our 1st daughter Francesca...with her, it took a lot of time, LOVE, and patience to get her to "come around"...
Here's to Maggie!
Wow Gwen! It's been a year!!!!!
Happy, happy family day (belated) to you. You know how much I love each and every one of the Oatsvalls - you all show the rest of us how it is supposed to be done.
I feel so blessed to have met you in this life - you have changed and inspired me time and time again. (and continue to do so)
Maggie is a beautiful girl and I'm so looking forward to meeting her (next summer!?)
XO
What a beautiful post. I am having trouble typing thru the tears after watching your video. What an incredible year to witness what happens "when LOVE takes you in"! Will continue to pray for Maggie! Hope to see you soon, Kim
I can not believe that it's already been a year. It seemed like during the time after you brought Maggie home the months came so slowly. Now we are looking at the anniversary of Gotcha Day. I have to say that I have enjoyed this journey with you and your family! What a blessing you all are to this precious child, Maggie. We will continue to pray for Maggie as she starts this new journey of physical healing with her scalp. I'm so happy that God gave her to you and that her physical needs are going to be taken care of. With God's help and your obedience to follow Him, Maggie is alive today and telling you Luffa You Mommy. =) WOW! THANK YOU LORD!!
Love you guys!,
Kim Medlin
P.S. Thank you for recommending Jesus Calling, it has truely been a blessing for me and has given me strength to get through some hard time. Love you, girl!
Great post, its amazing how far they come in a year hey?
Love Jules
xx
Happy Gotcha Day, Maggie! Wow, Gwen...I just went 'back to the beginning' to read your journey to Maggie. You have all come SO FAR! God is so GOOD, and it always amazes me to look back on the journey a family takes and see how God has carried them so far! Maggie is so sweet, and clearly God has mighty plans for this sweet little Princess!
Happy, Happy, Happy Gotcha Day!! How blessed you all are to have each other.
I referred to Jesus Calling on my blog today.