How many kids do you have? Are you done having babies?

I felt that I needed to share this today.
This other mom's post reminded and convicted me that 1) God has a different plan for each of us, 2) there is a God-ordained reason why each of our families and each of our stories are different, and 3) that we should encourage and celebrate these differences, instead of acting as if we are in constant competition with one another.

And as for the size of your family, it is really is up to you, your husband (if applicable), and God.

For quite a few years, I thought that God was only going to give us one child. Even though my season of miscarriages happened over 7 years ago, I still remember the sting when people would ask "So, how many kids do you have?" or "How many would you like to have?"

Over the past 13 years, beginning with our engagement, Mike and I have spent many hours talking and dreaming and imagining and preparing for what we thought our family might be like. We've been through tough times and have had to make some difficult decisions as to whether or not we should limit our family size. Through an unexpected and high-risk pregnancy, secondary infertility, several back-to-back miscarriages, a baby in ICU, 2 kids under 2, losing a dear friend to SIDs and another friend to stillbirth, and now foster parenting, we seem to have run the gamut of issues faced during the "early family" years.

In this stage of our lives, some people wonder why we have more than 2 or 3 children, and some people seem to expect us to keep adding to our family indefinitely. Either way, I hope that we would not be judged about our family's size, and I would hope that no one else feels judged by their family size either.

We are not in competition with each other. Instead, we need to live in community, with compassion.

Here's the heart of the matter, an excerpt from the original post, and it is exactly what I needed to hear today:

"And so the question for me... and for you, is this:

Can we lay it at the altar?  Can we trust in the outcome being glorious no matter what? Can we relinquish control?

Can we walk into the next season with thanksgiving for the baby years? Can we be content in today?

Because if that is what God is asking, go in obedience. And go in grace."

Here's the link to the full article: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2014/11/done-having-babies.html

Six months ago...

Six months ago today, a little person unexpectedly came into our lives, leaving a big mark on our home and in our hearts forever.

We are so glad that we've gotten to know her, and have had the privilege to love and care for her.

And yesterday I realized that we no longer think of or refer to her as "foster child"....
we just think of her as part of the family.

It's been a little over a year since we received our foster parenting license. We've had 3 respite cases come our way and one long-term placement. I am so glad that we listened to God's calling, took the leap of faith and did this crazy thing called foster care.

We could have easily missed this opportunity. I could have ignored the tugging in my heart, the dreams and specific things that God put on my mind and brought into my life. I could have given up on the whole idea of adoption when Mike said "no" in 2007, in 2008, and again in 2011. We could have stayed in our smaller home, could have remained comfortable with three children, could have been complacent and apathetic. We could have left it up to someone else, expected that someone else was going to take care of local foster kids, not us. We could have given up the first or second time we were bumped out of training classes, two years ago.

But we didn't.... -I- didn't!
I didn't give up. I kept praying and searching.
We were obedient in this calling.

And we pushed on, even though at times it has been difficult, unconventional, inconvenient, even heart-wrenching. Foster parenting certainly has its rewards and challenges. It has stretched and grown each of us in different ways, enlarged our hearts for foster kids and orphans, and grown our family closer as a whole.

I am so glad we said "yes".
And now I am waiting in expectant hope for whatever comes next.

Granny the Prayer Warrior

My Granny just called me to talk about my brother's salvation and where he will spend eternity. Now, the fact that she was on the phone after 7pm is a very rare occurrence; usually she is in bed by then.
Two weeks ago when she and my grandpa found out where Andrew was staying and what he was up to, they met with him "for lunch." At first I thought it was nice that they were being so loving and supportive of him. But after talking with her again, I discovered that they really wanted to make sure that his heart was right with God, that he was spiritually saved, that he knew where he was going when he died.
Now wait: Don't get me wrong. I have the same spiritual beliefs that my grandparents do, and I am glad that they are so open about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, I have been praying like crazy, especially during these last few months, that each of my siblings will come to realize how much they need God in their lives. But the way that Granny is going about this seems a little odd. She hasn't told anyone except me that she is meeting with my brother tomorrow. It's almost as if she's treating this "meeting" as her own personal secret mission. I'm afraid that she comes on too strong. I hope she understands that she alone is not responsible for whether or not Andrew has a change of heart. And I also hope she takes into consideration that he might not be very receptive at this point in his life.
She said she hopes that this meeting tomorrow will be an "enlightening" experience for both of them. I think that her heart is in the right place... Im just not convinced that she will come across in the best possible way (especially if she uses phrases like "blessed salvation" and "eternal damnation"!). I am praying that God gives her the right words to say, and that Andrew won't be dismissive or rude when he hears her message.

My brothers need so many prayers right now.
They both have proven really good at making one terrible decision after another.
They have each strayed away from their faith and their Christian upbringing, and it is just so sad to see all the pain and grief that they are putting my parents through (not to mention the rest of our family). They don't feel guilty for making these poor choices, and they cannot understand that the things they do affect so many more people other than just themselves. They act like they are invincible, untouchable, immature little kids. I dont know what I can do for them, other than pray.