Long overdue update!

So, I started this blog in order to share our journey of being foster parents to give others an idea of what a foster family looks like. I failed miserably at updating, but hopefully now that life has slowed a little I will be able to update a little more. Since my last post, God has blessed our family with a wonderful foster son! He is six, and seems to be adjusting really well to our family. We were so excited when we got "the call" and received him into our home. A couple of days into having him there, reality hit for both my husband and I. We reached a breaking point that caused us to evaluate what we were doing, and why. It was hard having another child in the house, and we weren't sure if we were up to the challenge! As we cried out to God for direction, we were comforted in knowing that he has called us to "look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world". (James 1:27). We realized we were trying to be comfortable, when in fact as Christians we are not called to live an "easy" life. A verse that helped me through this is 2 Corinthians 12:10: "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong".
So here we are, three months later, a happy family of four (and a turtle)! Our foster son is progressing in ways that we could not have even imagined and is fitting into our family. Logan just turned two and is talking up a storm! Our foster son and Logan are the best of friends, and our foster son calls Logan "his baby". We foster through an agency called Bethany Christian Services, and our social worker is excellent and has been there for us through all of our questions and concerns. We have a decent relationship with our foster son's birth parents, and have realized that praying for them and treating them with kindness and respect can go a long way. Ray and I just try and remember that this is a ministry. We are doing this to advance Christ's kingdom, and we want to minister not only to our foster son, but his parents as well. They need Christ just as much as any of us!

Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers for our family. We love the support from our family and friends!


Ways to pray for our family:

• pray for our foster son as he is awaiting answers for what will happen next in his life.
  
• pray for our family to grow in this journey and direction as far as excepting another child into our home (we have not gotten a call, but are possibly considering taking in another child)
  

2nd Home Visit is today!!!

Today is our 2nd home visit for foster care!! So far, everything has went very smoothly, and we hope it continues to do so. All of our paperwork is in except for our medical reports. We all have appointments scheduled for this week so those will be taken care of soon!As the time draws near to accept children into our family, we have been hit with a lot of emotions. Around the holidays, I started doubting if this was a good idea or not. I want what is best for our family, and I wasn't sure that a decision as big as this would be beneficial. When I started thinking through my reasons for backing out, I realized that I was being selfish, and my reasons were all about me and not about others. God doesn't call us to live a life of luxury or to take the easy road. He calls us to "GO, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" Matthew 28:19-20a. Our role as foster parents isn't just to provide a safe and nurturing environment for kids in need, but it is more importantly to share the gospel to the families we will be working with and showing them Christ, who is way more important than any earthly need or possession! The second part of this verse really comforts me when I am in doubt : "and lo, I am with you ALWAYS, even to the end of the age." Matt. 28:20b. We are not in this journey alone. Our God is always with us!
We have also been able to experience a lot of joy through what has been provided for us! All of the furniture that we need what given to us, we haven't had to pay for any of it!! God is so good, and we are thankful to serve an awesome and mighty God!!!
As we approach this time in our lives, please pray that we will remain focused on what we have been called to do! Please pray for the children entering our home that their hearts may be opened to hear and receive God's Grace!! Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers!