Delightful

One of my favorite verses is

"Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." 

{Psalm 37:4}

So often I only focus or meditate on the last past of that verse "and He shall give you the desires of your heart" and neglect to understand the first part of it. The past couple of days I have been trying to understand what it means to "delight yourself in the Lord." 

Another blogger stated it as being immersed in His word, finding the blessings around you, praising God for your current blessings, and seeking God daily.(I'm sorry, I don't remember where I found this blogger.)

 Then, I started to find verses talking about singing praises to God and being joyful in Him. This confirmed for me that in order to be delightful in the Lord, I need to focus on the blessings He has already given me. So, this is what I found in my studying... The more I focus on God the more I will be in His will; when I am in His will then His desires will be my desires. Then, I will receive His blessings. BECAUSE even when we have it all planned out on our calendars, God's calendar is BIGGER and BETTER. :)

THEN I came across this verse in 2 Samuel...

It says that God delighted in me! When I read this I realized that my sovereign, omnipotent, awesome, God of the universe chose to delight in a man who was in His will. Even more amazing that God's grace covers us in love and He delights in His people. IF God can delight in me, then surely I can find time to delight in Him.   

(Just a personal reflection I wanted to share) 

Change of course

The funny thing about a journey is that no matter how well planned or organized the trip, sometimes a detour or change of course takes place.

Lance and I have been discussing our options the past couple of months. Our heart is still open to adoption, but we also have the desire to be parents to biological child/children. Since this desire is so great and we haven't exhausted all efforts with the specialist; we have decided to suspend our home from foster care for a little while and pursue seeing the fertility doctor once again.

I write this post to ask for prayers as we go through this process. We don't know what will occur or what will come from these doctor visits.

Living in a Shoe

A month ago I decided to do respite for two brothers; 7 and 5 years old. Whew! That's about all I can say. A friend at church even brought to mind the nursery rhyme:

"There was an old lady who lived in a shoe,

She had so many children she didn't know what to do."

That's what I felt like for 7 days. Don't get me wrong, I brought it upon myself by not saying no. However, I learned two things: 1. I can do it (for a week at least). 2. God is my rock! Lance happened to be working that week, so it was me and God (just like that Josh Turner song).

Now we are back down to 2. And I know a little more of what to do. We have been busy these past two months. I just felt the need to post since November is Adoption Awareness month.

I don't want to go into detail for the privacy of the twins, but please pray for them. Their life has been an emotional roller-coaster for the past month and a half. It not only affects their well being, but other aspects of their lives.

Here are a few pictures of our fall fun (that we manage to squeeze in)!

 Pumpkin Patch games

 Carving Pumpkins

 One for a ninja and one for a gypsy

It's a God thing!

God knows what He's doing (duh!). I just had to "say that out loud".

Three weeks ago our first placement went home to her momma. I just have to keep telling myself that God knows what He's doing. (See I even typed it 2 x's.) Within a week of her leaving we received a call for twins. How overjoyed I was in that phone call!

The reason for my joy:

This summer the twins came to stay with us for a week. At the end of the week we were easily attached. We assured them they would always have a home with us. I continued to pray for them and think about them. Now here they are again.

It's a God thing for sure!

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;

Let them ever shout for joy,

because you defend them;

Let those also who love Your name

Be joyful in You.

Psalm 5:11



I am enjoying being a foster parent more than imaginable. The blessings God has bestowed upon Lance and I are eminent. Both of us have been able to testify of His greatness and the need for foster care. If anything comes of our experience it will be to spread the word of the need to provide a safe and loving home for children who have lost everything.

Here is the website for information for fostering in Louisiana:

http://www.dss.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&pid=120

There are other ways to help children in foster care:

Be a CASA!
http://louisianacasa.org/
 

I want my Issac not an Ishmael

As I was listening to 88.7 FM The Cross a week or so ago I happened to listen during the talk show "It's a Mom Thing". They were sharing the adoption story of a widow. I am not sure how she became a widow, because I  started listening during the middle part of the story. However, she did end up adopting. I loved her story, because she did not have a desire to adopt. Her answer to people was "God hasn't spoken to me about adoption." When people did not understand this response she would tell them, "I want an Issac not an Ishmael."

My heart beamed when she said that! That is exactly how I feel, but I did not know how to put it into words. I can promise you Lance and I want a child of our own more than words can express. However, we know in our hearts that God has a special child for us, just like He did for Abraham and Sarah. In the mean time we are excited to receive the blessings each child brings into our home.

Blessings we have received:

1. We have been able to touch the life of a child who was born 2 months to the date before we were even married.

2. We have been able to touch the life of twins who were born before Lance and I even knew each other existed on this earth.

3. We are learning how to see life through different eyes.

4. We have met some wonderful people through the foster care  system that maybe we would have never crossed paths.

5. We are able to experience parenthood in  unique manner.

Oh! And the lady did end up adopting. Her story was amazing! Readers' Digest Version:

Her and a friend were talking about a possible adoption situation. That night she dreamed that she met someone at a gas station and picked up a curly head boy. A few days later she had a lady come to her front door asking for help. The widow helped the lady and then the lady told her she wanted her (the widow) to adopt her child. They met at a GAS STATION and the BOY had CURLY HAIR. (chill bumps!) God's power is amazing!

And. Then. There. Were. THREE!

When I saw Ms. C's number pop up on my caller ID yesterday my heart fluttered. She's the one who called us about our first placement, so I hoped she was calling for another placement. She asked how things were going and if I had a moment to talk.

First let me explain the word respite. Respite is when a person who is a foster parent needs a break from their current children. They may have planned a vacation or special trip in which they were not expecting a couple of extra people joining them. They may also need time to just take a break.

So, in saying that we are going to provide respite next week (Monday through Sunday) for some fellow foster parents. We will have two extra children with us next week. We are EXCITED! We will have even more fun, because they are twins! I have always heard that twins are fun.

"Pretty in Pink" in pretty excited as well. She told Mr. Lance, after our trip to Aunt Betty's with all the cousins, that we needed to "get more kids". So, she will have her chance for a week.

God continues to bless us. I am overfilled with joy that we are getting to meet so many children through this opportunity and journey!

He gives the childless woman a household,

{making her}the joyful mother of children.

Hallelujah!

Psalm 113:9 (HCSB) 





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)