After being widowed at a young age I had many prayers in my heart.
  Falling in love with Gary Black evoked even more prayers. 
  There we were, blending five children under the age of eight, with less than ideal circumstances. In fact, extremely stressful circumstances. There was a season early in our marriage were I started everyday reading EVERY single prayer in
“Power of a praying Wife” and “
Power of a Praying Parent”.
  I was desperate for every member of this family to be healed from death and divorce, and I was determined that this family would thrive, not just survive.
  One by one, over the years God answered and exceed my prayers.
  The boys and I couldn’t be closer, Gary and I grew stronger by the day, and Noah was the biggest surprise blessing of them all.
  Alexis and Gary had come to understand each other’s hearts, and a beautiful bond grew between them.
 

                                                             My little Emily however was a different story.
  I will never forget the day she realized that her birth Daddy was gone, and not coming back.
  She was not quite three years old.
  She ran into the kitchen and grabbed my leg, the look on her face was panic. “Where’s my daddy?, I can’t find my Daddy, Daddy, where are you?”
  She ran around the house, yelling this over and over.
  I tried to calm her down, but it was impossible, I fell into a ball on the floor, and cried with her.
  Something in Emma switched that day, part of her died.
  I feel like I have spent most of the last 10 years begging God to restore that “sparkle” she had before her Dad had died.
  She has struggled to allow herself to feel deeply, and guards herself carefully.
  And so her relationship with
Gary
has been one step forward, two back.
  We approached the girls about the idea of
Gary
adopting them, Alexis was ready and excited.
  Emily wasn’t sure; she loved
Gary
, but felt like she needed to hold on to her  birth Dad.
  
Gary
responded like a TRUE father.
  He told her, “I want to adopt you, because I love you, and you ARE my daughter, but I don’t have to, I will always take care of you, I will never leave you, no matter what you choose, I will always be a father to you.”…He left it at that, and was true to his word, and kept loving her.
  But I kept praying, “God, please heal Emmy’s heart, and bond it with her Dad’s”, everyday .......everynight......I prayed. 
continued tomorrow............