Ode to 27

On the eve of my 27th birthday I reflect on how much my life has changed in the past 7 years as I went from the "teen" years to being a "real adult". The year I turned 20 is also the year I "screwed my head on straight" according to my Papaw. Why? Because I met the love of  my life! Lance has definitely made the past 7 years of my life amazing! (Technically we met in March of that year.)

The verse comes to mind from Proverbs 22:6

"Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it."

I'm in no way OLD! I'm only pushing 30 and 30 is NO LONGER "old"! (I don't even think 50 is old anymore!)

 I am celebrating the fact that I have grown in the past 7 years, all thanks to the christian raising from my parents & the love of a husband I never thought was possible.

In this year I am excited, because I am healthier than I have been in the past 7 years, in love more than I could ever imagine, and grasping the understanding that it's not my will, but HIS.

So, here's to 27. May it be a great year and bring many new opportunities!

(My cake that my love made last year) 

Meet Joseph: Foster Dad

Tonight as I read from the devotional I recently started I was shown a new side to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I never thought of it in this way, but it is amazing!

Take a moment to read Matthew 1: 20-24.

In these verses it tells how the angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary as his wife. The angel also told him how Jesus would be born and was conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Think about it... Joseph had not even taken Mary to be his wife and she was already "with child". He was taking on the role of loving, caring for, and helping to raise some one else's child, and God's child at that. I have never looked at Joseph in this way. Tonight I gained an even greater respect for the man Joseph chose to become. He did not have to take Mary as his wife. He chose to take a step of faith and follow God's plan. He chose to step outside of his cultural/religious norms.

In the devotional it quoted a foster dad stating that in four years he had seen 7 children come in and out of his home. He had taken the time to care for them and love them while they were in their care. He wondered if he had made a positive impact on their life, what they were doing, and what they would become. I wonder what Joseph was thinking as he saw Jesus dying on the cross? He had taken 33 years of his life and called himself Jesus' earthly father. He cared for someone else's child.

How many men are willing to do that? I'm not bragging on my husband (although in my eyes he is the best), but I am honored to be blessed with him in my life.


Just a midnight snack to chew on! I had to type it while it was fresh on the mind.

 Roasting marshmallows for s'mores

 Taking the training wheels off



I love him! 

(I am following a devo plan "Fostering Hope" from www.fosteringhopeproject.org)

Tied Off

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. (Hebrews 13:2 NKJV)


There are days when I wonder where is God leading us next. And just like a child I also ask "Why?" Over a month ago we allowed a stranger, an angel into our home. We have shown her love and planted a seed which we may never see the fruits until our meeting place in heaven.

This angel is still here with us, but we don't know how much longer. There's a term Lance uses on the boat: "Tied off". This usually happens when they have come upon bad weather or rough winds. They have to shove into the nearest bank and wait it out. During this time him and I get to talk more often than other times, because, well, basically he's bored. Lol.

This thought came to me today. Maybe God gives us times in our lives to "tie off" to the nearest tree trunk or piling. During this time we should take the opportunity of being "bored" to talk to our heavenly father more frequently. I stumbled across this verse in Hebrews (see above) as I started a new devotional today focused towards foster care. I know I didn't stumble across it accidentally, but am "tied off" to it for the next 31 days. God continuously reveals and reminds me of why Lance and I are called to be foyer parents. I just need to take the time to listen.

12:52 P.M., May 29, 2012

It was at 12:52 P.M. on May 29, 2012 that we received a call and found out we were certified as foster parents!

I give praise to our heavenly Father! I praise Him, because He changed our hearts and in turn our prayers changed. I praise Him, because he has opened doors when we thought doors would never open. I praise Him, because He has chosen us for a child at an appointed time we do not yet know. I praise Him, because He knows the plans and they are not of evil, but of HOPE!

I am thankful for our family and friends who have been with us through this journey and will continue to walk the miles with us.

My heart is overfilled with joy!

I get to be a momma :)

Exciting things are already taking place... some we know, some we don't know. Please keep in mind that I will only be able to share certain information due to the confidentiality of the children who will come in our home. Please continue to pray for us and for the children. We want to give them a chance when they have no chance. We want to give them hope when they have lost all hope.

"Then Hannah prayed and said: "My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high..."

 (1 Samuel 2:1a)  

It takes a village...

I am a very lucky woman... I have several women in my life who have helped to raise and continue to influence me. First and foremost, I begin with my own mother, Momma a.k.a. Ma. God knew what He was doing when He brought me into her life as her first born child. (Yes, I am bragging about myself!) He gave her the opportunity to raise a girl into a young woman and He chose the BEST role model. She is the most kind hearted, loving, selfless, Christ loving woman I know.

"Momma and Me at my shower in Flowood"



" Momma fixing my hair for my wedding"



 "Memaw, Me, and Momma (Circa '96)"

Second, there was my Memaw (my mother's mother). I was so blessed to be called her granddaughter (and her only granddaughter for 21 years!). She gave everything she could for her children, her grandchildren, and even those she did not know. She set the bar high for all of her "girls". She even told my momma, in what happened to be the last year of her life, that I had become like one of her daughters. That is as close as you can get to your grandmother, in my eyes anyways. I spent many, many nights on the phone outside my dorm room at NSU planning for my future. Everytime we ended the phone call she would say "Well, I guess we have it figured out now". I could always call her and she was always there, unless of course she had "some interest in this movie" on Lifetime. :)

"Memaw and Me:September 2007"



Third, there are my aunts, Stephanie and Sharon. They gave me many fond memories growing up and have always supported me in everything I do. I can always count on them to have my back! And I always thought it was so cool to hear the cashiers say "Is she your daughter? She looks just like you!"

 "Stephanie (+Preslee), Me, and Sharon (a.k.a. Sissy): September 2007"

(They hosted one of my wedding showers)

There have been and continue to be other women in my life as well. I could not be more blessed to say that I have been reared in a Christian home and surrounded by Christian women. My prayer is that I can one day be the mother example that my mother and these women were for me!

Love you all!

Happy Mothers Day to ALL the mothers in my life!



The Power of Prayer

I am witness to the power of prayers. I have to say the most influential body of believers were those at FBC Gueydan. That group of believers BELIEVED in some prayer. I saw the affect of their faith. I have seen my own momma healed by prayers and I have seen families changed by prayers.

As I reflect over the past 2 years of our marriage I can see how prayer has helped us to grow. At first our prayer was to be blessed with our own biological children. Now our prayer is to be blessed with the opportunity to have children in our home. Some, no, most people don't understand our prayer and that's OK. Something I don't share with many people is that according to the fertility specialist invitro is our closest step to biological children. I am not completly comfortable with this idea, so it's one reason we haven't taken that route. I know my God is greater than any doctor and can perform miracles, but I also know he prepares us for things we do not know.. just like he did the Israelites. I just know that I don't want to miss his blessings, no matter what form they come to us in.

I think the knowing we wanted "noise" in our home happened when we hosted the Junior High girls for a D-NOW weekend. We had SO much fun with them in our home! After the fumes of the hairspray, the smell perfume, and they actually left our house we missed them. (I know, who misses teen girls in their home?) I think it was just the fact of having "noise" in our home, besides the 2 of us. Don't get me wrong we are enough for each other,but it was nice having others to share with.

Lance and I are truly blessed in more ways than we ever thought imaginable. This is one of the main reasons we feel lead to be foster parents. There are many children out there who are dealt a bad hand in life based on other peoples choices. We want to be the safe haven for them. We want to show them and share with them the love of Christ. Yes, we hope to adopt in the process... but as a co-teacher described a foster home she once knew... we hope to be a home with a revolving door.

The power of prayer can bring people a long way. Prayer is our way of communicating with the Most High. When we pray we need to remember that it is communication... as I tell my students: communication takes place when one person listens and one person talks and then the roles are turned. Sometimes I think we confuse communication with us being the only ones to talk and God to be the only one to listen. He speaks... we need to take the time to listen.

Cold Water and Microwaves

Good news from far away is like cold water to the thirsty

 Proverbs 25:25

We received a little note from our worker, Ms. B a couple of weeks ago:

We were told that everything was in place... well, that was not the case. As of today, we now have all paper work turned in! She was suppose to staff with her supervisor this morning and then turn it in to the state office for certification. From people I have talked with, once our home study goes to the state it shouldn't be long.

However; God speaks in a still, small voice... He is continuously reminding me in His word that it's all about His timing. AMEN! There is a child out there just for us and I don't want to miss that blessing. So my prayer is that everything works in accordance to His timing.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us and continues to support us! We love you all and are blessed to have you as family and friends.

From Our Daily Bread today...

"Maybe we need to be reminded that some things take time-God's time. ... During that time He prepared them (Israelites), taught them, and challenged them. (Ex. 13-17-18)."

"In our microwave world, we want everything done instantaneously. But sometimes that's not God's plan. Let's seek God's help and learn to accept His timing." 

What's in a name?

Juliet:

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

This quote came to me today as family members were discussing why they chose baby names for their children/future children. Where do names come from? Family names, biblical names, favorite actor/actress...

I have names picked out and they are the hope I cling to...  Only God knows our future and what will happen; God knows the children who will be placed in our home as their forever home. These children may not have been born in my womb, but they were definitely born into my heart. God has placed a special longing in my heart to be a mother to child. The most amazing thing is that God has a plan for that child and He is going to allow Lance and I to raise it in His ways.

By any other name the child will still be ours. Even if it's a name another family picked out, that child will still be ours. That child will still "smell as sweet" to our family, because the Lord gives his people a promise.

 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart;"

Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV)

Accepting His Will...

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,

Plans of peace and not of evil,

 plans to give you a future and a hope.  

Jeremiah 29:11 

Over the past 2+ years Lance and I have been trying to have children. We have prayed, cried, been to doctors, talked, been angered, confused, shocked, frustrated, excited, hopeful.

And she was bitter in soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 1 Samuel 1:10

 Now we have chosen to accept God's will for our life together. It's not that we have not been seeking His will the past 2+ years, but we hoped that we would have children of our own. Many peope would say and have said "Just give it time", "It will happen when you're not thinking about it". At first I was bitter towards those words... what did people know they have children of their own. Now, I see they were trying in their own way to help with words of kindness. No one meant any harm by their words. I appreciate all the words and I appreciate all the prayers. Lance and I have great family (relatives, close friends, and church family) who have been there for us and we are grateful. Now we are starting a new chapter in our life... in our journey...

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galations 4:4-5

We have chosen to become foster parents. We are excited about this new chapter in our journey. I have to say God has a timing for everything, because we are able to take the certification classes with my parents. It helps having support in the classes when Lance is not able to make it due to work. I am learning many things in these classes. The best thing is that my eyes are being open to a whole new world.

This is to mainly inform our church family and close friends we will be fostering. These children will become a constance in our life... which includes all of you!

Right now I can see that God is going to use us through many children to come. I can also see that I have allowed God to change my attitude, because I started focusing on Him and not our problem. Once I saw that God is able to work through us in more ways than we can imagine, then I became ready for Him to use me.

 pray without ceasing      

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray for us that we will make good decisions in this journey.

Pray that we will set the example of God's love for the children who come into our home.

Pray for the children who will become a part of our lives, whether it's for a day, week, month, year, or the rest of their lives.

Pray God sends us the child/children who will find their forever home with us through adoption.

Thank you for all the prayers the past 2+ years. Even though you may not have known exactly what you were praying for thank you for praying!

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.   

Ephesians 5:1-2

Spring Break... ReRe...Uncle Lance... and a new ride

This week was Spring Break for me @ FCCS... We had a wonderful time together. Lance was home which made this extra special, because usually he isn't home on my breaks. We went to MS Sunday. My sis-in-law and nephew were there visiting our family. We kept our nephew until today. Being "Re-Re" and Uncle Lance is fun and adventurous. We took him to the Jackson Zoo with Preslee and Riley on Monday. It turned out colder than we hoped. On Tuesday we brought him home with us. I think he had a good time.... good enough for a 2 year old anyways. He got to wear pull-ups and watch "Woo-y" (Toy Story) as much as he wanted. WE have a difficult time making him "stay potty trained" while he is with us... It's so much easier for us and since we lack experience in that department I think we have a pass on this one... LOL. 


Pics from the Zoo! 

Riding the Train!! Woo Woo! (Uncle Lance, Bren, and Re-Re) 

They wanted to go under the rope and pet the ducks

He wanted to pet the snake :/

Playing in the bubble! 

Bren and Re-Re

On Tuesday we also bought a new car! Lance traded in his truck to get me a Red Chevy Traverse... I love love love it! So now maybe God will bless us with children to fill this vehicle! We have decided we would like to adopt, but not sure where to begin. We are continuing to see His will.... 

Today we had an early morning... 3 AM! I think this old gal is not able to handle this like she use to... but I'll do anything for my love. We left early this morning to first take Lance to Old River (in the middle of nowhere) to catch the boat. He was on the boat by 6:00 this morning. Bren and I headed for Baton Rouge for him to return home to his momma who dearly missed him! We stopped somewhere called Pablo's Cafe in New Roads for breakfast. We had pancakes and bacon.... I'm sure the waitress was thinking "What in the world is this woman doing out with a baby @ 6:30 in the AM?" Then we started on the road again. We made it to his daycare and momma met us there! He was somewhat confused... He did not want to see Re-Re leave, but he was happy to see momma, too! I headed back home and made it home by 11:30. I started a load of laundry and let Stormie out... then it was time to catch some zzzzzz's! I slept from noon to 4... this was not intended, but like I said this old gal can't hang anymore... 

Tomorrow I will end my Spring Break catching up on lesson plans, my school work, and house work.... Only 8 weeks of school left! 

In my Memaw's words...

My birthday before my Memaw went to be with Jesus in heaven she sent me a card. The outside of the card simply stated "It's all about the journey". I liked this card. So I held on to it... like I do many of my birthday cards. This card holds more meaning today, because it was in a sense her last words of wisdom to me. 


I received this card on my 22nd birthday in January of 2008. She passed in February of 2008. It's amazing how a simple card can leave such an impression on my heart. In the past three years I have remembered these words in my heart and in my mind when I am faced with difficult situations. 


At this time we are seeking God's will in our life and I think about my "Memaw's words".