Foster Update

I have not been keeping up with my journey through my Bible reading. I am still reading each day, but things have been hectic. So instead of trying to catch up with where I am in my reading, I'd much rather write about what has been keeping my family so busy.... FOSTER care certification! :)

For those of you that do not know, Jacob and I decided earlier this year to become foster parents. A friend of ours is adopting and she shared her story with our small group. That opened up the topic for us, and another friend of ours had just begun the classes necessary for foster care certification. We very clearly felt that this was where the Lord was leading us. Nothing against adoption because that's our end goal, but we felt fostering would allow us to help more children.

I would love to be pregnant again. I LOVED the belly! BUT, anyone that knows us knows the problems we had with my first pregnancy. I clearly see that experience in the NICU with Alexia as a foundation for this decision to become foster parents. Why risk my health and the health of my unborn child when we can expand our family by the means of helping children that are already here, but are not getting their needs met?!

SO! This week we had our second home visit, turned in all of our paperwork, and the million copies of documents they need. I just scheduled, just as in this morning!, our home inspection from the state. They will be here a week from today to check out the house. Then we will have one more home visit from our case manager. After that it will just be a waiting game until our certification is approved and we can start accepting kids.

We are SUPER excited! We have heard all types of stories and know that this isn't going to be rainbows and ponies everyday. We will have very rough moments. I'm sure there are going to be children that come into our home that I'll want to keep forever, and letting them go back to homes we are not sure about is going to be hard. I'm also sure there will be children that come into our home that maybe won't be our favorite, but no matter what we want to keep our focus on the Lord.

Our reason for doing this always goes back to the scripture. I do want a bigger family, but I never want my desires to outweigh the call of Christ.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -James 2:27 (NIV)

I LOVE this scripture! Not only does it call us to take care of those in need, but it reminds us to keep our heads up and always turn back to Christ and his promises. We need not be dragged down by the world and the negative situations we encounter. We can always fall back into the loving arms of Christ!

Prayers go out to my friends that are either adopting or fostering to adopt! Lara and John! Amy and Seth! Julia and Kent! Know that I always have your families in my prayers. This process is living out the words of Christ! How cool is that?!