Moved by generosity

Earlier this week, I actually wrote several posts on our story coming to Texas, but something happened today that I just couldn't resist sharing.

As I announced in my first post, we are on the journey becoming a foster to adopt family. We have been working on our 40 hours of classes in July. It's made for a chaotic schedule and was only something we could accomplish by all the generous friends and church family who have been providing childcare twice a week for our children, supporting us through prayer, encouraging words, etc.

Adopting from the foster care system is "virtually" free but there are many misc costs you encounter along the way. FBI fingerprinting at $100, fire extinguishers $100, medical lockboxes, crib, dresser, car seat (if you don't have those), small CPR costs, city permits and inspections, and other home changes.

We needed to get Cora a twin bed and dresser to free up the crib and her current dresser before home study, which is just around the corner. We just couldn't justify buying new right now with so much going on. I searched online garage sale sites for weeks to no avail. I went to 5 thrift and consignment stores today and came home frustrated and discouraged.

Immediately after returning home, I got a text from my friend Tara who said she found a beautiful bed that a lady hadn't even officially posted yet and I was second "in line." The lady in front of me passed and now the bed was mine! It was just the kind I had wanted! But I still needed a dresser and this bed was cream-- a little difficult to match.

Suddenly, I remembered I had seen a white or cream dresser last week on Varage Sale and had even inquired about it, but Ben said to wait for a matching set. I scrolled to find the post again and my mouth dropped. The dresser was in the exact same set as the bed I was buying! Same design, same color, and brand. Unbelievable, right? Two pieces of furniture from different people that matched. Plus, the set is still available on the furniture store's website so we can likely purchase our next daughter a matching bed later.

Ben and I set out tonight on our date to retrieve the items (yep, we have pretty exciting date nights picking up stuff I've bought online!! He loves me!). On the way, I got a text from the lady selling the bed saying God had told her she was to just give me the bed. She knew it was for my biological daughter but I had mentioned we needed it ASAP to have the crib available for fostering. She absolutely insisted on not taking anything. This lady said she had just read an article yesterday about partnering with people who are fostering or adopting.  Since her family cannot make that commitment, she wanted to help us. When we picked it up, she told me how she had been meaning to sell this bed for weeks and had never gotten around to it. Then today, she just happened to post a comment to someone looking for a twin bed. She said she believed this entire thing- especially us finding the matching piece somewhere else- was a total "God thing." We have no doubt.

I'm just blown away that God would be so faithful to provide these things we need at just the right time. He even went the extra mile on the details. It's another small but constant reminder that God is over this situation. We are praying for our child or children who will come through our home or come to live forever. Will you join us?

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Matthew 6:30

Resurrection: 6 Years Later

With the encouragement and prodding of some great friends, I've decided to start blogging (again). Not even knowing where to start, I sat down this afternoon to pick a blog site and begin writing and then realized I started a blog 6 years ago when my oldest was just a baby! Well...

Obviously I didn't stick with it for long and I can't even make any guarantees now, but I am going to be posting for a little while. Why? Because, well, a lot has happened in the past 6 years. I feel led to share some of our experiences and how God has been and is currently working through them. Maybe my story will have no similarities to yours at all. But maybe, just maybe, you resonate with some part of our journey and if my testimony could encourage just one person to remain joyful/know they're not alone/be hopeful etc., it would be worth it.



So, who am I--now?

I'm a wife. I'm a daughter. I'm a sister (and half-sister and step-sister). I'm a mother to 3 young children. I'm a former public school teacher which will forever be in my heart. I'm currently a homeschool mom.

I'm a stay at home mom. I'm a teacher trainer. I'm a part-time pastor and work for our church from home. I'm a small group leader.

I have endured repeated illnesses and recurrent miscarriages. I live with several types of PI, or Primary Immunodeficiency, which is a chronic and life-long condition. One of my children also has a type of PI. I am becoming a foster mom. Our heart's desire is to give a child in the foster care system a forever home and we are currently in the process of becoming a licensed foster to adopt family.



At times, all of these pieces of my life have seemed to overtake my "identity." And true, they're all important pieces of my life--whether good or bad. But are these aspects really who I am?

God says I'm a lot more than any of these things or even the sum of these things. My true identity is found in Him alone. A lot more on this later.

In the next post, I'll start where every good story (okay or even every mediocre story) begins... at the beginning.