Category Archives: foster parenting

Preparation and provision

blessings, foster parenting June 4, 2016 Leave a comment

I continue to be amazed at God’s provision.  I’ve been witnessing it for years now but He never fails to provide.  Financially, spiritually, relationally.

In April, when we began to take foster parenting classes, Chris and I felt the spiritual attacks. The direct and indirect disapproval of loved ones hurt. Realizing that it is a spiritual battle we’re fighting doesn’t make it any less painful.

God has provided reassurance and peace as only He can. Our marriage is growing stronger and we are realizing the increased amount of faith this ministry will take.

As I’ve made preparations to have an infant/toddler in the house again, God has also provided in practical ways. We’ve been given almost all of the big items and I’ve found great deals at yard sales.

There is no rational reason why our family should be doing this. Taking in another child. Except that there is every reason. No child asks to be torn from all they’ve known and loved and placed with strangers. No infant should be without a momma to hold her close and pray over her little soul as she’s rocked to sleep.

But for the grace of God, there go I. I could have been the one addicted during pregnancy. I could have been the one single, no way to feed my children, no more willpower or strength left to protect them. I could have been the one who lost my temper.

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”     Romans 3:23

 

An interview (about foster care) with Theodore

foster parenting, priorities, Theodore May 11, 2016 Leave a comment

Theodore is our little early bird. It doesn’t matter that he’s 8 years old, 99% of the time he is the first one awake and out of his room. As soon as he’s up he comes and finds me and starts asking for food. This is something that hasn’t really changed in the past 8 years. First he was screaming to be nursed and now he’s screaming for breakfast. This morning, I woke up when Chris went fishing (4:30 am…). Since I was already awake for three hours when he got up, I decided to go ahead and let him fix his own breakfast and I joined him with my coffee and eggs.

We’ve been talking a lot in our home about becoming a foster family. We’re listening to a foster parenting podcast in the van as we travel about, we’re discussing it as we rearrange Katie’s room or when the sitter comes so we can go to our foster parenting classes. This morning I took a chance to ask Theodore what he thought of all this, one on one. He tends to be a pessimistic little fellow, so I wasn’t sure how this conversation would go.

Me: “So what do you think about us becoming a foster family?”

Theodore: “Do we have to do a foster parenting podcast?”

Me: (giggling) “No, we don’t have to start our own podcast.”

Theodore: “Well, you need to get a girl Katie’s age because a baby would be too much work.”

Me: “We will probably get someone younger, who isn’t in school yet. Would it be ok to have more work? Isn’t that what God calls us to do?  Doesn’t He call us to serve?”

Theodore: “I guess. That’d be OK. I mean, I’m not changing any diapers. You’d have to do that. But I know  where the crib would go. On that wall, in Katie’s room, so when the baby cried it would wake us all up.”

Me: “When you were a baby and you cried, Foster and Katie never woke up. Usually only the mommy wakes up.”

Theodore: “Well.” (pauses to think) “I guess it will be good. Until she gets bigger and then I’d have to wait longer to pick.” (Referring to picking a television show, which we do youngest to oldest.)

Me: “Do you know why kids are in foster care? Do you know what God says about orphans? Do you know what an orphan is?”

Theodore: “No.”

Me: “Kids are in foster care because their mommies and daddies did not take care of them or protect them the way they should be cared for or protected. An orphan is someone who’s mommy and daddy have died, but most kids in foster care still have parents that are alive.”

Theodore: “So we would help take care of that kind of kid?”

Me: “Yes.”

Theodore: “We should do that then.”

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