November 16

Our case worker called me yesterday to let me know that we are officially licensed for foster care!

I was quite surprised since we still have to install our Egress Window (which is slated to be worked on the week after Thanksgiving). She, however, told us if we signed a waiver that stated we would agree to not use the basement as living quarters with a foster child that she could open our home for care.

We signed.

And now we wait.

I have neglected blogging for awhile simply because it seems too overwhelming to sit and actually journal (I don't do very well in maintaining my own journal!) so I've decided not so much to go back and try to update but just carry on from here.

In my bible study time we are studying Acts. There are many good lessons to pull from but one thing that has stuck out to me is that Christians are not called to a life of ease.

Consider the early church -individuals who were lucky to only be shunned for their beliefs and more often were beaten or killed because they dared to believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be; the first missionaries -who walked for hundreds of miles to spread the gospel in some cases it was not accepted, they were laughed at (in good cases) and beaten (in not so good cases) yet they kept spewing Jesus because...oddly enough...they believed him to be who he claimed to be too. Consider those I have heard about, read about who believed Jesus' claims to the point that they spent all their lives attempting to align their way of life to mirror that of the one they serve. I see a very disturbing similarity... they lived hard lives.

So these observations beg me to ask myself- do I believe Jesus' claims? Do I believe him to be the Son of God, the perfect provider of salvation, the Word made flesh, the only Way, the only Truth and the only one Life?

If I do then am I willing to embrace a hard life in a culture that screams for us to treat ourselves because "you're worth it"?

I am challenged also by the fact that my actions pour out of the well of my beliefs. (This is something we've discussed recently in the Young Marrieds class at church. ) Similar to the idea that how I spend my money is what I value... how I spend my time, the words I use, the shows I watch, the music I listen to, what I view online... all of that and more are indicators of how much I reverence Jesus as God. Convicting to me at least...

So... all that to say... this fostering journey has me both excited and terrified. I am very aware (although naive at this point) of the sheer ugliness of the fostering system. It is both triumphant and tragic. We are going to need you to be praying for us - for a listening ear in tune with the Holy Spirit (because I have no idea how I'm going to say "No, we don't want THAT child" !! yikes). Please pray for increased unity in our marriage- we are already experiencing it but we haven't even started yet so please pray for that. Pray for our kids- that we will love on any child we have in our home and that we will be willing to grieve as a family when/if a child leaves our home. We were talking with the boys last night and said "This is not an easy way to live. But we love Jesus more than we love ourselves so this is what we are going to do together....".

Thanks for your partnership in prayer. I'm reminded too that the prayerless life is a powerless one and we need all the power your prayers afford us!