This time of year seems as good as any to resurrect the blog. (Happy Spring!) I've been debating and wanting to do so for a while. However, I have just had so much going on that I'm doing great to get through most days with my mind in tact. So, why now? Well, my last posts were pre-wedding... and well, I married a rather private individual. You can probably count his social media posts per year on one hand. So, it is easy to see he doesn't have much need to share... I'm the sharer... um, probably more of an oversharer. Over the last couple of years, I've been getting used to that, among the other aspects of married life, and, well, I didn't feel the need to share! You might get some tidbits from time to time, but out of respect of my amazing life partner, you are going to get my point of view and things that mostly just pertain to me.
So, back to the quest, why now? We are getting ready to jump down the rabbit hole of foster/resource parenting. We have been working to establish an orphan care ministry with our church for almost a year. Throughout this time, I've found so many people who are interested in foster care, but for whatever reason believe now isn't the time or are too afraid of the unknown to give it a shot. Plus, some of you are just curious! We want to bring you on this journey; we want to share our struggles and our successes. Plus, we need the prayer and support. So, jump down the rabbit hole with us and experience the awesomeness that God has laid before us.
A few things before I sign-off. A few rules, if I may. There are a few things you can expect NOT to read or hear about on this journey.
1. The children have a right to privacy. As much as we would love to for them to be, these children are not legally ours. Their parents have rights, rights to their story. If their parents have already lost those rights, then the great state of Mississippi has those rights. You won't be reading the details of their life, their pain, or their struggles. If we get the privilege of adopting any of these children, you still won't see their story, until and unless they feel led to share it. Please respect their privacy.
2. If you see us in the grocery store, church, etc, we won't and can't share their issues with you. These children deserve whatever semblance of a normal life we can provide, and for some, that includes the chance to escape their past. Please don't ask... see rule #1. Exception, if you are in some way responsible for this child, (ex. teacher, babysitter) and their past or issues may affect how you should care for them, we can provide some insight into their behavior, what to expect, or how to react if something unusual happens. Thank you for your sensitivity in these matters.
3. Pictures... again see rule #1. We aren't able to share pictures of the child as they aren't ours and could pose potential risk to the child. If you are a part of our lives, this also applies to you. They are not allowed to post or be on any kind of social media. If you have children or are around young people these days, you realize how challenging this will be. Please help us protect these children.
So, what can you expect to read...
Well, more about us, our struggles, how this is affecting us, our marriage, and our daily lives. I hope I haven't scared you away, and I hope that rabbit hole is still looking pretty good from your angle. I have one last thing to ask. If you are seriously considering or terrified of foster care, please seek out more information. There are a lot of similar blogs, articles, and books out there on the topic. Don't just take my word or opinions as fact. Please seek out the answers. God has something He wants to show you. Be open to the exploring the rabbit hole with Him. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
See ya next time!
Showing posts with label answered prayers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label answered prayers. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Answered Prayers & Living in God's Will
The most obvious/consuming/amazing/etc. thing in my life at the moment, I'M GETTING MARRIED! In less than 60 days, I will become wife to the man God fashioned for me, and I for him. When I think of answered prayers, it is very easy to come up with things to be thankful for, chief of those, my fiancé. However, it doesn't stop there. Mere weeks after I said YES, I had a job laid out in front of me, a dream job I thought I wouldn't be able to consider for a few years. God's timing? I believe so. Within a month of engagement, we had the basic and big wedding details planned, reserved, and ordered, a feat thought impossible by some for a wedding only 5 months away. Again, the Lord is wonderful and works in surprising ways. During this time, my robotics coaching came to a close, science fair wrapped up, and my job got a little quieter, with the exception of state testing looming in the future. All of these deadlines and craziness I have been able to put behind me thanks to the Lord's guidance and an understanding fiancé and family.
Most recently, my life has been crazy with the afore mentioned state testing and trying to get my house ready to sell so that I can move this summer. If packing up my life isn't enough crazy, try adding a classroom to that mix! On top of all this, I still feel God's presence and hand in my life. For the last couple of weeks, my house has been on the market. Every week, just when I'm about to get discouraged that the house hasn't been snatched up yet, the Lord sends something or someone to put me at ease. While it is still early for my house to actually sell, we have had many showings, and when there happens to be a lapse of time between the showings, I get a call from my realtor with great feedback. We have had some talk about buying the house, but it mostly has been talk and nothing put in writing as there have been a few hiccups on the buyers' part. Today, just as I get home and can feel the discouragement after not hearing back form the last showing yet, a neighbor who is renting stops by and asks about the house! It seems like just when Satan or discouragement starts to move in, the Lord sends me a little message through the people around me.
Much like when I lived the single life, God found ways to keep me going, engaged, and involved in His ministry and His will. Living in His will, I found myself content and at peace with my life, even though I felt like the Lord had planned a different future for me, a future with a life partner to serve alongside. Despite my feelings about my future, the Lord clearly directed me to a church and community with few people my age to fellowship with. Over the course of my last 8 years of service, there have been many times where I felt discouraged, especially when I came to finding someone to share my life with. As I've mentioned before, the people with whom I served, my family, and friends were all invaluable when it came to surviving this time of singleness and still feel like I wasn't just waiting for the next phase of my life to begin. While this period of singleness is over for me and I will begin the next phase of my life, the changes and life experiences will be valued and treasured. These experiences help make me the person I am today and gave been invaluable in my ministry and service so far. While it is easy to dislike the trial or phase of life we are in, or wish for something completely different, there is a reason for this season, and it may pass. However always remember our Lord and master encourager will always be present to help us through, in His timing, perfect as it is.
Most recently, my life has been crazy with the afore mentioned state testing and trying to get my house ready to sell so that I can move this summer. If packing up my life isn't enough crazy, try adding a classroom to that mix! On top of all this, I still feel God's presence and hand in my life. For the last couple of weeks, my house has been on the market. Every week, just when I'm about to get discouraged that the house hasn't been snatched up yet, the Lord sends something or someone to put me at ease. While it is still early for my house to actually sell, we have had many showings, and when there happens to be a lapse of time between the showings, I get a call from my realtor with great feedback. We have had some talk about buying the house, but it mostly has been talk and nothing put in writing as there have been a few hiccups on the buyers' part. Today, just as I get home and can feel the discouragement after not hearing back form the last showing yet, a neighbor who is renting stops by and asks about the house! It seems like just when Satan or discouragement starts to move in, the Lord sends me a little message through the people around me.
Much like when I lived the single life, God found ways to keep me going, engaged, and involved in His ministry and His will. Living in His will, I found myself content and at peace with my life, even though I felt like the Lord had planned a different future for me, a future with a life partner to serve alongside. Despite my feelings about my future, the Lord clearly directed me to a church and community with few people my age to fellowship with. Over the course of my last 8 years of service, there have been many times where I felt discouraged, especially when I came to finding someone to share my life with. As I've mentioned before, the people with whom I served, my family, and friends were all invaluable when it came to surviving this time of singleness and still feel like I wasn't just waiting for the next phase of my life to begin. While this period of singleness is over for me and I will begin the next phase of my life, the changes and life experiences will be valued and treasured. These experiences help make me the person I am today and gave been invaluable in my ministry and service so far. While it is easy to dislike the trial or phase of life we are in, or wish for something completely different, there is a reason for this season, and it may pass. However always remember our Lord and master encourager will always be present to help us through, in His timing, perfect as it is.
Kristy
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