We got a call from our coordinator and she told us we are officially licensed!!! Now we are waiting for the call.
God has really been laying the child(ren) on my heart over the last month. Everytime I pass by the room these children will sleep in I stop, put my hands on their beds, and pray for their safety, for our equipping, and that nothing will stop the ones He has planned for us to end up in our home. I am in tears everytime I think of these children being hurt or neglected. I am in tears everytime I think of them not being here with us. It is strange that they are not ours; to desire children who aren't ours to fill this house. It is a strange place emotionally to be completely sold out and prepared to parent children who belong to someone else. It is strange to be anxious to meet strangers who will only be in our lives for a season. This goes against every human desire I have-to attach, to own, to be secure and stable. In fact I told Jeff this week, let's just have a baby. He said let's wait 6 months and see how this foster thing goes. I knew he was right, is right. I just feel a part of our family is not here, is missing and I pray that we find the missing piece(s) sooner rather than later.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
It is finished
I e-mailed our licensing coordinator and found out not only had my fingerprints come back (clean...no warrants out for my arrest!), but our packet has been sent to the state for approval! How exciting!
Now we wait to be officially licensed, which should take less than a week. They may have some questions or need some clarifications, but our coordinator feels our packet is very thorough.
I am anxious to see what God has for us, for our family, for the children and families He puts in our paths.
Now we wait to be officially licensed, which should take less than a week. They may have some questions or need some clarifications, but our coordinator feels our packet is very thorough.
I am anxious to see what God has for us, for our family, for the children and families He puts in our paths.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
So Frustrating
We have been waiting over two weeks to schedule our fire inspection. This is the last thing to check off our list. Our coordinator has only to add the date we (hopefully) pass this inspection and to come out and take pictures of our house and we will be sent off for approval! She has called and faxed multiple times, we have called, and Jeff even called the Mayor (we live in a small town) to get some answers. So far no one will call us back!! We will be leaving on Sunday for most of the week and I would love not to have this hanging over our heads. I understand if it takes weeks before he could fit us in, but just to schedule? Luckily, I am not alone in this. My anxiousness is not reality. I am reminding myself that God is not blind to our situation, nor the children who will come into our home. I am reassuring myself that He even takes notice of the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30) how much more does He notice a child in need of a safe home?! The reality is He has it all under control.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
It's Not All About Me????
When we started this journey we thought, based on what we read on the internet, it would take about 6-9 months to be licensed. I thought that would be perfect, Big Sister would be starting school full time and Bubba would be used to preschool. We would probably have the entire summer to be foot loose and fancy free before we would get a foster child. I didn't want to lug around an infant at the beach or worse yet(gasp!) be stuck at home! I wanted one last summer of freedom to enjoy my two. Well, God started working on me. He told me how selfish! Reminded me that the world doesn't revolve around me. He saved me from this, He saved me from myself! When I called to sign up for classes, normally ten weeks long, we learned the next class available only lasted 3.5 weeks. Well, that was not on MY time table at all. After our initial home visit, our licensing coordinator told us she thought we would be licensed by the beginning of April. Even then, I was shocked.
Then, about two weeks ago we got an e-mail from our coordinator informing us there was a 4 year old girl and a 2 year old boy (our desire was 2 years old or younger and only 1) who were needing to move foster homes in about two weeks, where we interested? I talked to Jeff and we said let's find out more. Placement called and gave me what information they could, since we are not licensed yet they couldn't tell us everything. It seems as though the girl and the foster mom hadn't bonded well, if at all. So we prayed and felt God saying, this is why I've called you to this. Not because you can do it (we would have a 2, 3, 4 and 5 year old), but because I CAN. I can love these children through you. We called placement back a few hours later and told them we would love to have them. I went out and bought Easter baskets, new sheets for the toddler bed, and put on hold the new crib and infant car seat. I was completely overwhelmed at the thought of it, but excited to see why God had rushed our process. To think He orchestrated it all so these two children could join our family for a season...what a God! How much He loves us all.
Well, the next afternoon we got a call letting us know the foster mom had changed her mind. She realized another move would be traumatic for the children. We were disappointed, but felt at peace because we knew we had said, "Yes," in obedience to God. The placement person also told me they had a 2 year old and an 8 month old that they needed placed that same day, but had no families to take them. We aren't licensed yet or they would be sleeping upstairs right now!
All of this to say, I think I have it figured out. I thought I could beat the system into getting what I envision our foster children to look like, what issues they would have, and when they would come. I thought I had dealt with myself, but I keep creeping back up!! I know everyday I have to be on my knees in prayer and filling myself up with God's word in order to fulfill this calling. I have to pour out myself and continually be filled up with the Holy Spirit in order to love and serve these children and my own family. I am so excited, nervous, and freaked out to see what God has in store for our family. I am fearful, in a good and bad way, of what refining will come from this journey. But isn't that what God wants...He wants to change us, He wants to use us, He wants us to be dependent on Him. So scary, but so thankful for a God that wants all of that and so much more for us. He is the best Daddy!
Then, about two weeks ago we got an e-mail from our coordinator informing us there was a 4 year old girl and a 2 year old boy (our desire was 2 years old or younger and only 1) who were needing to move foster homes in about two weeks, where we interested? I talked to Jeff and we said let's find out more. Placement called and gave me what information they could, since we are not licensed yet they couldn't tell us everything. It seems as though the girl and the foster mom hadn't bonded well, if at all. So we prayed and felt God saying, this is why I've called you to this. Not because you can do it (we would have a 2, 3, 4 and 5 year old), but because I CAN. I can love these children through you. We called placement back a few hours later and told them we would love to have them. I went out and bought Easter baskets, new sheets for the toddler bed, and put on hold the new crib and infant car seat. I was completely overwhelmed at the thought of it, but excited to see why God had rushed our process. To think He orchestrated it all so these two children could join our family for a season...what a God! How much He loves us all.
Well, the next afternoon we got a call letting us know the foster mom had changed her mind. She realized another move would be traumatic for the children. We were disappointed, but felt at peace because we knew we had said, "Yes," in obedience to God. The placement person also told me they had a 2 year old and an 8 month old that they needed placed that same day, but had no families to take them. We aren't licensed yet or they would be sleeping upstairs right now!
All of this to say, I think I have it figured out. I thought I could beat the system into getting what I envision our foster children to look like, what issues they would have, and when they would come. I thought I had dealt with myself, but I keep creeping back up!! I know everyday I have to be on my knees in prayer and filling myself up with God's word in order to fulfill this calling. I have to pour out myself and continually be filled up with the Holy Spirit in order to love and serve these children and my own family. I am so excited, nervous, and freaked out to see what God has in store for our family. I am fearful, in a good and bad way, of what refining will come from this journey. But isn't that what God wants...He wants to change us, He wants to use us, He wants us to be dependent on Him. So scary, but so thankful for a God that wants all of that and so much more for us. He is the best Daddy!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Here we go
This is to chronicle our journey into fostering. We are in the process of being licensed for two children ages two and under. This is the our timeline:
Summer of 2010: God begins to throw foster care and adoption in Joy's face. She begins to pray about this and continues seeking scriptures. She is convicted about doing something for the fatherless. Jeff is being convicted too, but in more of a broad scope. We begin to plan a mission trip to Guatemala. Unfortunately, at this time Guatemala adoptions are closed to U.S. citizens. God is doing a lot in our hearts towards loving and serving people.
August of 2010: Joy emails Florida Baptist Children's Home for more information. She gets the vague framework of what it takes to become a foster parent.
Fall of 2010: We pray for guidance, for our desires to be God's desires, and to be on the "same page" to what we believe that is.
November of 2010: Joy asks Jeff to pray about becoming foster parents while he goes hunting in Illinois for a week.
December 18, 2010: We agree to get more information about becoming licensed foster parents, and to attend MAPP classes.
January of 2010: We register to take MAPP classes through Families First Network (FFN). This is the entity that the Department of Children and Families has sub-contracted out to handle foster care.
February 6, 2011-March 1, 2011: We attend MAPP classes every Tuesday and Thursday night from 6:00-9:00. We fill out tons of paperwork, obtain records, send off refrences, etc.
March 11, 2011: We had our first home visit. Our license coordinator interviewed each of us for about an hour, spoke with our children, and went over what paperwork we still needed.
March 22, 2011: Home inspection by the health department.
April 1, 2011: Fire Inspection completed by Chief Fire Inspector.
April 13, 2011: Final home visit.
April 14, 2011: Joy has to have her fingerprints re-done.
April 19, 2011: Found out fingerprints came back and our packet has been sent to the state for approval.
Summer of 2010: God begins to throw foster care and adoption in Joy's face. She begins to pray about this and continues seeking scriptures. She is convicted about doing something for the fatherless. Jeff is being convicted too, but in more of a broad scope. We begin to plan a mission trip to Guatemala. Unfortunately, at this time Guatemala adoptions are closed to U.S. citizens. God is doing a lot in our hearts towards loving and serving people.
August of 2010: Joy emails Florida Baptist Children's Home for more information. She gets the vague framework of what it takes to become a foster parent.
Fall of 2010: We pray for guidance, for our desires to be God's desires, and to be on the "same page" to what we believe that is.
November of 2010: Joy asks Jeff to pray about becoming foster parents while he goes hunting in Illinois for a week.
December 18, 2010: We agree to get more information about becoming licensed foster parents, and to attend MAPP classes.
January of 2010: We register to take MAPP classes through Families First Network (FFN). This is the entity that the Department of Children and Families has sub-contracted out to handle foster care.
February 6, 2011-March 1, 2011: We attend MAPP classes every Tuesday and Thursday night from 6:00-9:00. We fill out tons of paperwork, obtain records, send off refrences, etc.
March 11, 2011: We had our first home visit. Our license coordinator interviewed each of us for about an hour, spoke with our children, and went over what paperwork we still needed.
March 22, 2011: Home inspection by the health department.
April 1, 2011: Fire Inspection completed by Chief Fire Inspector.
April 13, 2011: Final home visit.
April 14, 2011: Joy has to have her fingerprints re-done.
April 19, 2011: Found out fingerprints came back and our packet has been sent to the state for approval.
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