BACK TO WORK!!!

Well, after a long sabbatical this summer, we are back to being foster parents!  This time to a 5-yr old princess whom I shall choose to call "Sabrina".  She is the delight of our hearst, of course, and the holy terror of our lives, as to be expected with this age.  We've had little missy here for about 2 months now.  She came with some diagnoses, which didn't get sprung on me until the minute her CPS worker delivered her to our driveway, ODD and ADHD.  We've since weaned her off the ADHD meds, and we are continually working towards helping her ODD behavior become less and less.  Thank heavens for her counselor, she is a God send! 

This case is a lot different from last time, because at this age the kids wholeheartedly hate & love you, and aren't afraid of outright expressing that through their words!  They grieve MUCH more openly, which is a good thing emotionally I believe, rather than keeping it all inside.  Sabrina loves her mommy & daddy, and is supposed to transition back with dad once things are in place.  Hubby and I pray with her each evening in her bed for her family back home and for her heart to be close to theirs. 

We are working towards starting up a ministry here, along with another church, that is geared toward providing practical assistance to relative/kinship families with DCS.  We hope we can help these placements be more successful so that the children can remain as intact with their biological families as possible.  Pray for God's wisdom as this starts up, His provisions, and for those interested to have their hearts open to His leading.  This is truly where I feel the most called to serve, I just have to step out in faith and pray He will open that door if it be His will.

Ephesians 2:4-5 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—"

CHANGE, CHANGES, MORE CHANGES!

LOTS of changes this year!

Well, since I've written on my blog last lots of changes have taken place.  Our 13-yr old "Charlie" left our home, but not how we expected.  Craziness ensued, and after 6-months with our little guy, he had to leave.  He did not (& is probably not going to) go back to his family.  He was transitioned out of our home to another foster home, a month before his court date that was supposed to end in reunification w/ his bio-family.  This didn't happen & the family he is with now will probably adopt.  I cried for 3 months when he left!  We knew it wasn't a good fit for anyone, yet we were all in love w/ one another all the same.  My biggest cry fest was when I found out he wasn't going back home.  Little guy wanted his family so badly, even if it was a hard place to live.  It's just in our nature to want to be with our folks!  Fostering isn't for the faint of heart...I had no idea how hard this would be emotionally.  And as the foster mom, you take nearly 100% of the anger, outbursts, emotional pulls toward closeness & then immediate fights against your actions of love, and you watch while a child's family is coming apart at the seams & there's absolutely nothing in your control to alleviate the pain.  Not an easy place to be to put it lightly. 

We toyed with the idea of starting fertility stuff this summer, ended up deciding we were not at peace with it, and feel 100% committed to helping children in crisis instead.  I continue to pray for acceptance and faith for our journey ahead.

My friend who'd lost her baby last year I posted about is now the happy new mother of twins!  Blessings for sure!  Her older daughter is such a proud big sister, helpful, too!

My mother has moved to be closer to us & is now living just a few miles down the road.  So happy to have her here where we can spend more time together, help each other out, and I don't worry about her living alone so far away.

We're also advocating to get a new program underway in our area, Safe Families for Children...a ministry to families in crises.  Host families take in children while their parents are getting their lives back together.  A helping hand BEFORE the true crisis so that the kids might never grace the doorsteps of a foster home!  Pray for success!

So, here we go again.  We're diving into foster care head first, putting our faith in God, and trying to look at the bright side of things.  We're here to foster hope, love, and faith to these precious children of our King & also to their families.  We can bow out of this calling, as Satan would have us to do, or we can focus on what we CAN do for these kids.  Be that safe place for them to lay their heads at night, make sure they are provided for while under our roof, advocate for their educational & emotional needs, expose them to healthy relationships & friendships, pray for their families & show them unconditional love, and help these kids learn to trust & love again, while their families are putting their lives back together.  I'm here to focus on what I CAN do not what I can't.  I cannot rebuild their lives, but I serve a MIGHTY GOD who calls the impossible possible...and praise Jesus, that will forever be true :-)

Trying to figure out where to go from here.  Charlie should be transitioning back to his bio-family within a few months.  I've realized my limitations w/ straight up foster care.  I don't want to be a temporary mom, I want to be a permanent one.  I just don't know if I'll get that chance.  We've decided to go through an agency to adopt a newborn.  If it's in God's plan, He will surely bless us in that way.  If not, I'm hoping I can learn to be satisfied w/ helping children by way of respite care & church.  Pray for us, my heart breaks as I write this.  I just want to feel the love that only comes from being a mother.