Why We Call Our Blog the Miracle of More

The miracle is a beautiful image of Ephesians 3:20--more than I can ask or imagine. Every day is a miracle. Every moment is a miracle. Specifically for our family, the miracle of more is our family growing in ways I would never have imagined when we first committed to adoption 8 years ago. But, the greatest miracle is the change in ME!

If you have questions about adoption, our work in South Africa, or spina bifida, please email me at rbmattox@bellsouth.net

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

For All of Ellie's Prayer Warriors--Memorial Box Monday on Tuesday.



Our home phone and internet have been down since Sunday's lightning storm...hence Memorial Box Monday on Tuesday. I decided it was time to give our enemy another One-Two Punch...and this post is for all of you, any of you, who have ever sent a prayer up to the Father for our precious Ellie. (I might should be doing housework, but I'm about my Father's business.)

Some of your started praying soon after we first saw her face, before we had even committed to her adoption.



I still have the first copy of that photo that I ever printed. I have it in my Bible at school, where it has been since the day I fasted and prayed over her, as our family prayed over our decision to adopt her.

Many of you prayed for Ellie and her mama during our long wait for LOA. If you'd like to remember those days, or if you had never joined us, you can see how difficult those days were by clicking here.

There were still more who joined us in prayer when we were in China, who prayed for Ellie's smooth transition into our family.




I will never forget the sweet words of our friend Noah. I had asked friends to be praying for Ellie because I was worried about her riding the train all the way from Beijing to Taiyuan. When my dear Joli shared my worries with her children and they were praying for Ellie, Noah said, "We can go to China and ride the train with Ellie so she won't be scared." Oh, the faith of precious children. (You can read more about Noah here."

Then, you joined us in prayer for Ellie's surgery, some of you for 30 days prior to her surgery.



You rejoiced with us when she walked across the room for the first time. If you missed that day, you click here.

And, then there was the time following our last two visits to Shriner's...in May when I was discouraged, and two weeks ago, when Ellie was discouraged. And, when Ellie was discouraged, our hearts were heavy, because she had previously met every obstacle with the tenacity that would frighten the fiercest bull.

But, we have made marvelous progress, all a glorious display of God's mercy and grace. You have held us up when we couldn't stand alone. And, like the apostle Paul, I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

So, this song is from Ellie to you. May it encourage you as much as it encourages her mama to hear her sing it. May it inspire those who, today, may feel like giving up, to get back up again. May it encourage you remember the great work God calls us to when He calls us to intercessory prayer. May it encourage you to purchase Toby Mac's latest CD, so you can hear the song in its entirity. (Click here if you're interested.)

And, if you have EVER prayed for Ellie, I'd like to ask one more favor. Would you leave her a comment? (I've set the comments to allow for anonymous comments during this time, so you don't need a google account.) I plan to print these and put them in a book for Ellie. So, the next time she hears the enemy tell her she is different, she shouldn't get back up again, I'm going to remind her that she is surrounded by a GREAT cloud of witnesses.

To God be the Glory! (You will likely want to scroll down and pause the Play list at he the bottom of the page.)



I'm going to town later today, and I'm going to look for some praying hands to put in our Memorial Box, so Ellie can always remember she has been prayed for, she is being prayed for, and she will always be prayed for.

And, if you've never visited Linny's blog, the creator of Memorial Box Monday, I invite you to click here. You'll be gald you did.

34 comments:

Nicole said...

Praise God for all your achievements, Ellie!!!! You are an amazing young lady, and I continue to pray that the Lord will hold you close and encourage you. Smile, sweet girl, God loves you!!!!

Chelsea Gour said...

What a wonderful post! Thank you for sharing that.

Brenda P. said...

As I was reading this wonderful post I thought of our Bible School music from this year which says "I am remarkably, wonderfuly made, I am who HE says I am!" You are God's precious gift created in HIS image....wonderfully and remarkably made!

Terry said...

Blessings you are!!!

Jennifer said...

Ellie, you are a most precious little girl. God has given me the greatest blessing, meeting a perfect little angel like you! I daily look forward to seeing you walk down the hallway at BES with your BIG smile. Going to miss that when you move to MES. Keep your faith in God and know that you always have a family that loves you dearly and a God that loves you even more!!

Blacksheardad said...

Miss Ellie, I have watched you go from barely crawling to running everywhere. You can sure out run me! You will never know how much of an inspiration you have been to me, even at your very young age. There are many times that I want to give up. Things are just too hard. But in those times I can look at the picture of you that I have on my desk, remember all of the things you have been through and how strong you have been through it all. You don't let anything get in your way and even as young as you are, you know how to praise our mighty God. You are so full of life. I wish I could borrow some of it from you.
Thank you for being you and for helping me even when you don't know you are doing it. God has truly blessed you and will continue to. He has big plans for you.

Kathryn said...

Ellie,
I look forward to seeing you everytime we happen to run in the same paths. You always make me smile and I thank God that you are a reminder that we should not put limits on what He can do. You are perfect in every way and are one of His miracles. You are such a walking, talking miraculous example of our belief that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"
Thank you for blessing me with your laughter, your determination and your example of Christ's love!
Mrs. Kathryn

Musings from Kim K. said...

Ellie - you will always hold a special place in our family's heart. You are such an inspiration. God has big things planned for you and I can't wait to see what they are.

Lynn said...

Ellie... what a wonderful song!!! And personally, I wish I had some pig tails just like you so I could make them bounce around like that when I sing!!! Always remember... God has a plan for you... an AMAZING plan... one that he created just for YOU to complete... and I know that as you grow in Him, you will be up to the challenge!!! I look forward to the day that Him plan for you is complete!!! Blessings Little One....

Beckyb said...

Robbie - I have no idea why I have not put all of this together until just now - but our family requested Ellie off of the list and, obviously, were told no!! :) But I still pray for her and did not, until now, put together that this is the same little Ellie we had hoped would be ours - even though I've followed you on Facebook forever!! God is good - praying for her still - she is certainly a blessing!!!

John Rich said...

Ellie, you are a very special young lady! Your life is already having an impact. It's called people to prayer. I feel honored to be one of those who has been given the opportunity to pray for you, and I will continue to keep you in my prayers. I believe that God is going to continue to work through you in a mighty way to bring about His glory. God bless you!

Renee said...

Thank you for sharing this MBM post with us...What a beautiful girl you have...what a blessing for you...a precious gift from God!
God bless you all.

Anonymous said...

Dear sweet Ellie ~ I knew what song you would sing before I even clicked on the video clip! Your sweetness brought me to tears ... those good kind of tears! You are SO PRECIOUS and we send you special hugs from Wisconsin! All of us, Kimberly, Brian, Ben, Jake, Molly and Brynn :O) God bless you Ellie-girl xoxoxo

Anonymous said...

Ellie you are one of the sweetest, prettiest little girls I know. When you smile you light up a room and I love to keep up with your Moms post so I'll know how you are doing. You are always in my prayers and I can't wait to see what God has in store for you. I'll never forget the first time I met you at Okefenokee Swamp Park and you gave me a great big hug. You are such a sweet and loving person. I hope you stay encouraged and don't get upset about being different. Remember you are perfect in Gods eyes and mine. God Bless you Ellie.

Anonymous said...

I love ya Ellie!! You are the greatest and you know how to make others feel great. I am sooo glad to know you! Even though we have only met once I feel we known each other forever. I love talking on the phone with you as much as I can. God has great things in store for you.

Mom Of Many said...

Ellie,

We are so proud of you - you are such a brave girl - we love you all the way to the moon and back! We are praying that you will understand God loves you just the way you are...and His plan for you is ALWAYS good...ALWAYS!

For The Love of Four Chinasprouts said...

As I sit here wiping tears, I am almost speechless! I will continue to pray for Ellie. I have 5 daughters adopted from China and I remind them that only what we let get us down, can. With God, all things are possible and we don't have to let things get us down!

Julie Hoagland said...

Sweet Ellie, always remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by the King of Kings! you are a beautiful little girl....I love your sweet smile. Keep working hard...you can do it!

Blessings,
Julie Hoagland - Seattle, Washington

Sarah said...

I love the video and the song, Ellie!

Take the words of the song to heart. Sometimes we are down...but God is always there for us, to help us get back up.

Prayers, Ellie!

Anonymous said...

Ellie-
You are such a special girl! We have been so blessed to get to pray for you and to see God's hand at work in your life. We watched your video and enjoyed your song...great job! We love you and your family.

Many blessings, hugs, and lots of love,
Mrs. Kris for the Walkers (Mr. Phillip, Eli, Seth, and Riley, too!)

Anonymous said...

Ellie!

I love your song! I miss you so very much. I hope that I can see you soon! Maybe when i get to see you, you can sing that song for me? Always remember that I'll always love you! No matter what!

Love always, Your Big Brother
-Caleb

Amy said...

Ellie I hope you always remember that you can get back up again! God will always be right there with you to help you!! You are such an inspiration.

Amy, Jim, Blake, Grace, and Samuel

Anonymous said...

Ellie,

I first saw you from your video where you walked across the room for the first time. My husband and I were waiting on our first adoption of a spina bifida child at the time. It was so encouraging and a blessing to see that video, and to know the courage and triumph you had, and we hoped our girl would also have. Sending you prayers for you to continue encouraging all of us to have faith and hope.

Kelly N., Leila's mom (China Adoption Spina Bifida yahoo group)

Anonymous said...

Ellie
I count it an honor to pray for you! You are very loved by God and you are precious in his sight! My heart was sad when you were sad about your new shoes but I knew God could make you feel better so I prayed for you. Were you at the Steven Curtis Chapman concert Saturday night? Did you or your mom see a pretty Chinese teenager in an orange swimsuit wity navy blue swimshorts? She is my daughter and she is from China just like you!

Anonymous said...

Dear Ellie, I have been following your journey since the day your momma got the news about you. I don't comment on her blog, but I read it every week. You are a strong and brave girl Ellie. God has given you many gifts, including a sweet smile, a big heart and a wonderful Christian forever family. We have prayed for you during all the challenges you have faced, and rejoiced with all your victories. May you always feel the strength that comes from Heaven in every challenge you face from now on, knowing that so many others are praying for you too! We lift up your mom and family too, as they are all part of our body of Christ! Ellie, I hope that one day, you will look back at all the great and wonderful things God has done in your life and look for ways to serve Him. Blessings to you!
Melody in Michigan (formerly RI)
February Firecrackers Rock!! ;-)

whitbrianne said...

Oh, sweet Ellie bug! I love to hear you sing this song, it's such a great and powerful testimony to how God is working in your little life! You are a treasure to Jesus, more precious than gold and pearls, and God delights in you (that means you make God happy!). I pray you never forget the words to this song...I think someone needs to email this to TobyMac cause you sing it better :-) you bring true joy to everyone, even to my college friends who don't smile at anything :-) always know that you are loved and prayed for, that you are fearfully and wonderfully made! More people pray for you than you know, from Blackshear to Savannah to Colorado to Pennsylvania to Kentucky and Tennessee and all the way to China and all them places in between! That's how much you're loved, and don't you ever forget it! I am SO proud that I get to be your big sister and I love you like crazy cakes! :-)

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful, precious girl you are, Ellie. Thank you for sharing your sweet song. I can see your light shining in the video and I know God has something special planned for you. Keep on letting the world see your beautiful spirit!
Allison

Anonymous said...

Hello Ellie,

I hope you are having a good summer break. I miss seeing you everyday. You are a beautiful and precious little girl. I hope you never forget that. God made you extra special. You have been a blessing to me. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Love always,
Amanda McClellan

Anonymous said...

Ellie - All of GOD's children are different. White, brown, or orangem skin, blond hair or black, tall or short, Chinese or Indian. We are all God's children adopted through Jesus our savior. You are blesses as well as all that know you and your family.

Unknown said...

Hi, my little chunchun
You have a happy famiy and growen up to be a brave girl. It's soooooo gratful to get any update about you. I still pray for you some early morning or deep night. And please keep your cofident of GOD and be rejoice in the LORD.
We all miss you so much.

a volunteer of AH, Beijing

Goodness and Mercy Mom said...

Dear Ellie,

Thank you for your precious song. I should probably play it every morning to get my day going!

I've been praying for you for many months. It's amazing how someone so young can have such wisdom and someone so small can have such courage. It has been a blessing to watch you bloom and I know God has great things planned for your life.

Much Love,
Kathie and the Williams Family

Anonymous said...

Ellie,

You have been such an inspiration to our family. We have had the opportunity to get to know you at playdates and through your mama's e-mails and blogs. We have watched you keep making progress and keep learning new things. You continually show us how God is at work in and through your life. You are a blessing to us! Remember to let God use your life to lead others to Him!


Hugs,
The Agee's

Jennifer Dixon said...

Sweet, sassy, prissy, beautiful, precious Ellie, Psalm 139:14 says you are "fearfully and wonderfully made" which makes me think of the song "a more beautiful you" by Johnny Diaz...and you know what?? There could NEVER be a more beautiful YOU! God has great plans for your life and the Bible tell us so in Jeremiah 29:11. We are praying for you Ellie & will continue to do so. My boys will never forget you "suspending" them from school while playing teacher one afternoon in Mrs. Ferre's class!! God Bless :)

Jennifer said...

Ellie, your joy and enthusiasm for life are so beautiful and I praise God for the love, light, and laughter you have brought to your family and to everyone who knows you or even simply knows of you through the beautiful words and pictures your mother shares. As I listen to you sing TobyMac's "Get Back Up" (which happens to be my favorite song at the moment!), I am so inspired by your joy and I can feel your strength, courage, and determination. I am 25 years old and I have spina bifida too. Although we face so many battles and seemingly insurmountable odds, we may fall, but through the grace of Jesus Christ, we will indeed always get back up again! In your moments of pain and struggle, remember that God's power is made perfect in weakness. God crafted the hole in your back; He sculpted it with His very own hands, and although others may call it a "defect", it is perfect and beautiful because you were created in God's image! Ellie, God made no mistake in your creation and He made you to fulfill the purpose He has for you; you were created to further His kingdom, and although you may struggle with the enormity of the struggles that lie before you, God is with you in the heartache and you can do anything through Him. Pray, immerse yourself in God's word, listen and pay attention and He will reveal the amazing plans He has in store for you. Having spina bifida does not define you, but it is part of who you are - and who God created you to be - and I pray that you will grow to realize this and never reject that part of yourself or wish you hadn't been born with spina bifida but rather embrace and celebrate your differences as part of the unique person God has called you to be. You might walk differently, but walking and running are nothing compared to our incredible ability to soar in Christ. Jesus came into this world to heal all of us of our sin and that is the greatest gift and the most magnificent miracle, much more miraculous than if you were to run a marathon. Having spina bifida may make us different and that can be hard sometimes, but God had created us differently in order to fulfill his plans for us and I pray that you will trust in His plan with all your heart, that you won't waste time feeling sorry for yourself, and that you will know there are so many other people with spina bifida (and even many people with spina bifida who love Jesus!) who you can talk to about your struggles and challenges. Ellie, you are so loved and I am so thankful for your spirit and for the joy you have brought into my life. There are so many possibilities and opportunities that are open to you and I pray that you will realize your incredible, unique potential. As I hear stories about your enthusiasm for life, see your beautiful smile, and listen to the joy in your voice as you sing, I know that you will grow and become a strong, independent, and determined young woman. I pray that you will challenge yourself and to take risks, be independent, defy stereotypes of people with disabilities and to never let any obstacles prevent you from achieving your dreams. Don't let anyone stop you and dream BIG, because I know that God must have some truly awesome and very special plans for your life! Keep on shining.

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