The SPOT

For those that know me, know that 2011-2012 has been a rocky road for me.  A year where I was challenged in so many ways.  I was challenged as a mom, wife, sister , daughter, and as a child of God. 

In 2011 after much prayer and thought, we were approved as foster parents.   We "requested" children b/w the ages of 2 & 5. (in our home at the time we had a 5,4,and 1.5yearold) Well we were blessed with a 1.5 year old, 8 year old, and then a 16 year old.  Not what we wanted, but God knew best!   Having two 1.5 year olds in the home, along with an 8 year old who was neglected, was definitely a challenge! There were some days that I couldn't leave my house.  Life was just too overwhelming. When I had a bad day, I didn't know how to just throw an uncooked meal together for a family of 7.  Then we got our 16 year old, and wow life with a teenager, is full of drama! 

The stress of dealing with teenage stuff, when my other kids were no where near that was an adjustment. We had already been through it kinda with our oldest,(we have a previous foster child who comes and goes fromthe house. she is 20) but some things you are never ready for.  I could see slowly, I was drifting apart from many of my dearest friends, and oh how it saddened me.  Having to care for this many kids was a never ending task. I was unable to go out like I used to, the amount of appointments I had with  all of them was tremendous.Doctor's appointments, therapy visits, family visits, we even had an attempted suicide,court dates, it is never ending.  When I did get free time I wanted a date night with my husband.  It is exhausting keeping a house clean after all these people, and the laundry is never ending, dirty toilet seats...yep gross! 

I lost a sister through all the issues of having foster children. That really hurt, and it happened once, then we tried a second time and it happened again. Lately my heart has been hurt my our now 18 year old, who just moved out and is going to do it on her own. My poor eyes just want to be done with these tears of  heartache, pain and betrayal. 

In the state of PA you are allowed to have 6 kids in your home. So, we now have room for another child. My mother says I should take a break and not take one right away. I have had alot of stress this past year and she wants me to just have a chance to breathe.  I hear her, and in some ways that sounds refreshing!  But all I can think of is I have a SPOT!!! one more SPOT in our home for a child.
I have the room to show a sweet child of God, what a loving family is like. I can show them what it feels like to not be hungry or cold, to feel the warmth of a hug, to experience unconditional love, and to introduce them to God our Savior. How can I have a SPOT in my home and not want to fill it.  I have watched 5 kids now, learn what it is like to have someone who loves them, forgives them, and pushes them to be the best they can be.  During the trials I had with my sister, I cried out to God many times asking Him to help me be a good sister, and you know what His response was?  I didn't put you on this earth to be a sister or an aunt.  You are here to be a wife and a mother! And He also said, "I never said it would be easy" WOW!  That opened my eyes in so many ways!

I can't tell you how many times people say to me, I don't know how you do it, I can't handle my two or  my three.  Well let me tell you, I can only do it because of God's grace and God's strength.  He has put me here on this earth to help these lost kids.  I am going to keep on doing, and getting as many kids as He sees fit for me to handle. Anyone that knows me, says I would never have imagined you would be doing this...LOL, I say it too!    I spoke with a mom  today who was such an encouragement, she has adopted 17 kids!   She has had  ADHD, RAD, Bipolar, Twins, Triplets, you name it, she has seen it and been through it. Praising God for her willingness to follow His plan in her life.  She shared with me alot of her story and I am so thankful for her words.  I have been feeling discouraged and overwhelmed, and the SPOT hasn't left my mind. I know I am going to fill it, we are waiting for children's bureau to call us. Will it be a boy or girl? baby or toddler? tween or teen?  Only God knows, but I KNOW He has them hand picked for us and I cannot wait!   We are waiting on them, and while we wait, there is another child, a boy(let's call him T) who is 1.5 years old in Ohio. He is the younger brother to the girls we adopted. He is going up for adoption and we are traveling there for the first meeting of all interested parties. We are praying for God's will to be done in all of this. Please pray with us!    T may be the one to feel that SPOT, but I think there is one before him, through children's bureau,  so maybe there is more than one SPOT!?!?

It is an absolutely amazing journey that we are on, one that I am so humbled to be called to do. I have seen the blessings from God as I obey His calling on my life. I am hoping to reach many more hearts here in our home. If I have withdrawn from you in any way b/c of this I am sorry.  Just know, I love you! And I love these kids God has entrusted me with! I pray that my heart will continue to be open to God's will, and that He will continue to give me His  strength and peace through this journey.

So to those of you who ask how I can even think about taking in another one...know it is b/c there is a SPOT, and I am being obedient to the One who created us, and who gave ME the SPOTS to begin with.

Gator Boys in the making

We had a two hour delay today!  It was -9 degrees out, and I guess they didnt want the kids outside waiting for the bus.  A nice low key morning, tomorrow we already have a 2 hour delay b/c of the cold.  I made GF Banana muffins,,MMMMM were they good. 

3 ripened bananas
5C oats
1.5 C sugar
2 C plain greek yogurt
3t baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Chocolate chips.
4 eggs

We all loved them and they are GOOD for you!!   They will be lunch for the kiddo's tomorrow, i think I'll skip the processed lunchables:)

So my kids have been obsessed with the show Gator Boys, it is an alligator rescue show about these people who rescue and wrestle alligators.  The kids absolutely think that they want to wrestle alligators when they grow up!   This cracks me up, one b/c ummm we are in Pennsylvania and we have no alligators and two b/c they don't even want to pick up a worm...LOL, yeah we will see...

Simple Joy

So, I just wanted to write a quick post as I sit here this morning feeling so lucky.
I woke up this morning with that little chill in the morning air, where you know it's morning and that there is snow on the ground.  A little nippy out.  I was sitting on my couch, looking into my dining room observing the kids.  The little girls were at their new little Dora table, enjoying their cheerios and eating their chocolate milk with a spoon:) (they get that from me b/c I like to add an extra scoop of nestle quik, so I have some chocolate off the bottom) The boys are at the table putting together a lego set that Bryson got for his birthday.   Fawn and her friend kendall have just come downstairs, fawn is sitting at the table watching the boys and Kendall is over hugging Faith and Emily.  She loves those little girls so much, and she is so gentle with them. 

Here I sit thinking how lucky we all are.  We are having breakfast in a warm house, playing with some of our favorite toys, and enjoying each others company. We are so blessed!  Times like these, I am just amazed at the things God has given me.  I don't deserve any of this!  These kids are truly amazing little creatures and I am beyond lucky that I get to be called "mom".

REJOICE!

Be happy because of the hope you have. Be patient when you have troubles. Pray all the time.

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

 Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times. 

Romans: 12:12  Those are three different translations, all saying the same thing:  
                                       
                                          Rejoice, be patient, and Pray
This is the first verse God gave me numerous times in 2012.  It seems so simple, yet it can be so hard to do!   I would like to look at it and tell you what it has meant to me.  Let's start with the first part;

REJOICE IN HOPE. 

 

Seems simple right, rejoice in our hope, but what is our hope? Will we always have it and how can we always rejoice about it, we are g oing to have rough times right?  Well, look what other verse HE sent me;

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

ahh, the book of James, what a great book to help us learn how to live a christian life.  I did Beth Moore's study on it, and loved it.  i am hoping to study it more in depth starting in January, time permitting & God willing.  Anyways....God has shown me that even in hard times, I should be rejoicing and praising His name for all the good He has done for me.  As I rejoice in hope, I had to figure out what my hope was.  If my hope is in the Lord, there is no other reason to not rejoice. If He is my hope, I know the plans He  has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. (jeremiah 29:11) 

Definition from Merrian Websters online dictionary.
Rejoice: to give joy to
Hope: to expect with confidence

Yes I will give Joy to God and with confidence I know HE will give me what I need when I need it.  How awesome is that? My HOPE is in Jesus Christ and what He has done for me, and what He has promised me.  Do you know anyone without hope, without the idea that there is something better out there, that it will get better?  It would be pretty dismal to have no hope, having hope in the one who made all creation, wow if He made all this, don't you think He has something good planned for us?

                              patient in tribulation

Patient:bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
Tribulation: a trying experience

First I want to look at John 16:33 ³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Romans says IN tribulation, John says you WILL have trouble. 

James 1:2 says WHEN you meet trials. 

We will all face hard times, we will be let down  by those we love, our hearts can be broken, our bodies ravaged by disease, loved ones will be taken from us, we will fail at many things, we will make mistakes and we will experience pain, & sorrow.  It is during these times that we must be patient, we should try our best to go through the hard times without complaining.  It is during these hard times that God helps us grow, helps us draw closer to Him. When life is going smoothly and everything is okay, it is so easy to think we can do this on our own,that  we don't need a savior, and easy for us to forget all Christ has done for us. During these times of trials, whether it be ourselves struggling in some way or a loved one, we must be patient with them and ourselves. Do not complain that they are not doing things the way you think they should or question God on why He is letting certain things happen.  He has a plan for us, a plan better than we could imagine, so why settle on what we think is good when His plan is Grand?   Jeremiah 29:11

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 
   
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ... Ecclesiastes 3

Those are a couple of my favorite verses in trusting God has a better plan for me.

                                  pray at all times.
pray: to make a request in a humble manner

: to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving  

 

this part is pretty easy to understand.  PRAY!!!!! ALL THE TIME!!!!!  prayer is how we are able to communicate with the Creator of the earth, the King of kings, the Lord of lords!   When we continually pray we are in constant interaction with God who can do all things.  We need Him to help us in our trials, and our temptations to forgive us when we mess up, to give us wisdom to discern His will for our lives.  We can pray to Him anywhere at anytime, He is always there to listen. I'd like to share this story with you I forget where I heard it, but I love it.

 

Imagine having a child and you sit in the living room waiting for them to come talk to you.  You have so much youwant to do for them, give them a favorite toy, hug them when they fall down, comfort them when they get bullied, you want to rejoice with them when they succeed. There you sit, waiting, hoping they will make the time for you.  a week goes by, and they see you and give you a quick wave, but walk past.  a month goes by, and they come in and sit down and talk to you for a quick second, but are too busy to have a relationship with you. Wow can you imagine how that would hurt?  We have so much to give our kids, so much to share with them.  There Christ sits, waiting for us to come to Him, to have a relationship with Him.  As much as we can give our children He can give us so much more.  All we have to do is seek Him through prayer and reading His word.  He is there for us, all we need to do is seek Him. 

This was the first verse God gave me this year.  And when I say he gave it to me, I mean He continually placed it in my life, it just kept popping up everywhere, till I got it!  LOL!  I love it when I realize He is pursuing me and asking me to come and sit with Him.   

I have been working on REJOICING through my hard times while continuing to PRAY for HIS will to be done in my life, even if it is not what I want, I am trusting HIM that through these times HE will be glorified and other will know Him and that my faith will be stronger.  To God be ALL the glory!



¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.    1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 

UMMMM, yep says pretty much the same as the romans verse....maybe He's trying to tell us something!