DOING vs WAITING

Picture with me if you will a man named Doing, and a man name Waiting. 

Doing.  Doing sees the needs around him and knows that he will simply do what he can do.  It may not be much, may not seem like much, but he knows that it is better to give what you can, or do what you can do than to do nothing.  He knows that smiling at a stranger, being kind to the rude, or offering a helping hand, giving someone one dollar, even if they need $1,000, because he had a dollar...He knows that doing something is better than doing nothing.  He is aware of what goes on around him, and wants to do what he can when opportunity arises.  He gives out of what he has, even if it isn't much.

Waiting.  Waiting always considers his own needs first.  Waiting never has enough.  He never has enough money or time.  He can't stop to listen to someone hurting because he is busily heading somewhere else.  He doesn't have a dollar to spare because he is saving his money for something else.  He doesn't have extra food because "what if" his paycheck isn't as big next week and he needs the stash of yummies in the pantry...He can't let someone who needs a roof use his spare room because someone in his family "might" be coming to stay sometime this year, and "what if" it's at that same time???  He worries, he saves to the extreme, and makes sure he takes care of #1 first.

A sweet woman spoke at an Upwards Basketball game this year.  She used Isaiah 58 as her text.  And what stuck with me was a simple truth.  The time is now.  If you have a penny, give a penny.  Your penny matters.  If you have a loaf of bread, give a loaf of bread.  You bread counts.  She was saying so many of us keep waiting until this bill is paid off, or we save this much, or after this event or that birth, finish school..etc etc... The point is is that there are endless things and circumstances.  She was referring to fostering kids.  Her point was that we can all think of 100 reason to wait, or why the time isn't right.  She was saying that if we do that, there will never be a good, or right time.  I also thought her speech applied to any deed or opportunity that arises.  

How about just make available who we are right now, 

and what we have right now?  

Delightful Fruity Goodness

well, WELL, well~!
I cannot believe I haven't blogged here since December~!  Well I can if you consider the fact that our household increased again:)  And then b-day's, Holiday's, out of town guests....I guess I can believe it:)

Well TODAY

I 

AM 

here

to tell you that 

LOVE NEVER never NEVER fails.

That smile you give when someone looks sad.  Or you are kind when someone is not.

Those things are ALWAYS something because

LOVE

NEVER

FAILS

GOD

IS 

LOVE

AND HE

NEVER

EVER

FAILS

Today I will tell a very shortened version of a girl dear to our heart named Tee.  That's what we'll call her.  She would just die if she knew I named her that. HA:)! January 2011, Tee was placed in our lives.  We loved her.  We helped her.  We visited her.  We took her shopping.  We spoiled her as much as we could.  We almost became her foster parents!  But God had another plan.  (Josh spent a small FORTUNE on her!:) )

For some time we thought we might have some regrets...definitely some lessons learned. One thing we knew is that we followed God, and without doubt HE lead the way.  Sometimes it felt like it was for nothing, but we knew God had a plan, even if we never got to see exactly what.  

We were out of touch with her for a time in 2011 and then toward then end of the year we got back in touch again.  She thought she had burned bridges with us.  And we said NO WAY!  We loved you girl.  Just how you are and were.  She started hanging out again, going to church etc.  Of course some out to eats and shopping:)  Then one beautiful baptism Sunday, she feels God tugging at her heart, and GETS BAPTIZED in front of the whole church.   After that the changes she started making in her life were astounding.  God showed up big time in her circumstances!  

In January she got an amazing opportunity to go away to school.  So we had her over for a special dinner.  We all shared our special memories of her, and we all prayed over her.  At the end of dinner she told us that for a long time she struggled with believing God.  She said all the people she had met that professed to be Christians were pretty miserable.  She said in meeting us it was different.  We were happy.  And it stood out to her.  We were so humbled.  

So all that to say.  For a time we could have thought that love failed.  BUT love never fails.  We were so privileged to see FRUIT!  But even when you don't, you can walk by faith saying 

LOVE NEVER FAILS.

The Popcorn Theory

It's been a few days since posting.  My family and I have enjoyed a wonderful Christmas...or a few Christmas's:), with family.

I happened to pick up a book called, "In a Heartbeat", by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy.  It is so perfect for exactly what I have been talking about.  The 'Popcorn Theory', is Sean Tuohy's theory in this book.  Have you all seen 'The Blind Side'?   'The Blind Side' is about Sean and Leigh Anne's life, and this book is the story told from their perspective.

Inside the book is dedicated to:  "All the children fighting to survive in the invisible cracks in our society, we see you."

THE POPCORN THEORY

"You can't help everyone.  But you can try to help the hot ones that pop up in front of your face."

So this thought is something I'm going to propose.  So if something, for instance this blog, pops up in front of your face, what can you do?

Well let's keep things simple here.  I'm going to recommend taking a moment to pray.  Pray for these kids.  Pray for the foster and birth family's.  Then ask God Himself if He wants you to do anything more right now.  He will open your heart or open doors if you are to do anything more.  But prayer IS doing something.  So thank you for praying.  Thank you soooo  much for praying.  By praying you are helping open doors for these kids.  You might even be causing one of these hot kernels to pop up in front of the right face:)

Missy's Poem (14 year old foster child)

Eyes ~ Ears ~ Hearts

Eye that can't see, Ears that can't hear, Hearts that are stomped on and broke to peaces. You can help one without love.

Life, Help, Hurt.

You hear all the kid out ther that are gettin abuse or have been abused.   All the kids that were aborted or gaven up or are looked in there rooms and are or were beat.

The eyes:  I can't see my future i am all alown been bet to the end and now i am hurting.  All i see is that the end of life is soon dont know what to do.

The nose:  All I can smell is the fear.  What is happening what what are they doing.  Are they going to take me away.  Will i be alive to say good by momy and daddy.

The mouth:  I cant speak i have been hurt to much.  All i can say in my mind is when will the end.  When will I find a friend like me and who will stay with me to the end.

The throwt:  Now matter what I still can breath I am alive thank God to the end.

My heart:  I am pumpin still alive.  All that has been done is scared me.  All you do is crush me till the end.

Arms:  They are bruised and cut.  Not all can see some have faded away.

Legs:  Hardly can walk away looked behined the closed doors i am traped thill I am set free.

Thanks Missy for the peak into a child's brokenness.  I left it as she wrote it.  Pray for her.   She hopes to reunite with family still, and there is still time for that.  God has brought some healing into their lives and she might get the ultimate dream of a foster kid.  

Please pray for these kids.  Right now the Lord has given us such an opportunity having contact with these kids.  I'm just posting everything I can find out.  So I don't know.  I don't have a lot of answers.  I'm just praying and asking God to use this opportunity for something.  So maybe God will lay these things on your hearts too.  To pray, to act, to know something, to share information you have...

The Strangest Behaviors...

Calling all prayer warriors!!

Have you all seen 'Horton Hears A Who'?  Imagine the scene toward the end when the son of Mr. Mayor Who, I'm really bad at remembering names and scenes in movies...sorry, had that gadget that made the final noise go up and out of Whoville so the jungle could hear the Whos....before they got dropped into the boiling goo because of the kangaroo...

Ya, that scene.  I always picture prayer acting like that.  When people, kids and adults alike, are so thick and hard, prayer is the only thing that can finally blast through and make hope and love heard.

So let's talk hard stuff for a minute.  One of the reasons people don't want to foster and be involved.  Plain and simple.  It's hard.  It's overwhelming.  Some really ugly behaviors happen.  Peeing on the floor. Not eating.  Overeating.  Picking paint off walls.  Biting.  Obscenities.  Manic.  Depressed.  Manipulative.  Foul language.  Mean.  Breaking things.  This is some of the ugly.  Sometimes when kids get to this point...they are so hard that all the love and niceness isn't enough.   Can you even imagine living like this?

I know people who have foster kids like this.  This is the tough of the tough.  They need prayer so badly.  So today I'm asking anyone who reads this to take a quick minute and lift up these kids.  These foster parents.  Please pray for them.  Let's be a united voice like the Who's pounding on the windows of heaven interceding on behalf of these people and kids.

8 Year old boy

I wish so much that I could put a face and name with the stories I know or have been given.  Even since starting this people are contacting me with stories.  This is a big problem in our society.  I'm praying God will open people's hearts and minds to pray, and help in any way they can.

Today, a sweet little 8 year old boy....we'll call Bill.  That is not his name!  Not even close!  But he reminds me a little of Bill Cosby.  He's just silly like that.  So that's what I'll call him.  He has been to our house.  I have been around him quite a bit.  I don't even know all the details of his story, but i know the basic outline.  And believe me, it's enough to break your heart.

Sweet Bill was adopted from Haiti by a couple in Cali when he was about 9 months old.  In the toddler years, I'm not sure why, but they decided they didn't want him anymore.  (Let's not judge here.  Who knows what was going on...)  But that does leave poor Bill once again alone.  No one to trust.  So into the system he goes.  Then another young couple who were not able to have kids adopt him.   A little while later they get pregnant.  And a little while after that, pregnant again.  Guess what?  Once again poor little Bill gets given up.  Back into the system he goes.  Now having lived in an orphanage in Haiti, to 2 fAiLeD adoptions...to a good foster home right now.  But it is not permanent.  Do you think he would believe it even if it was?  

Bill came over and played with Hudson last Friday night for a few hours.  They were dressed as Superman, The Hulk, Bumblebee, and then Batman.  Every time I turned around there was another superhero standing there.  They had a blast.  I pray the love of God touched his heart and soul.  Hudson prays for him every single night without prompting.

"Bill" and Hudson picking a toy at Target:)

Bottom line.  Please pray.  Pray for these children.  I'm trying to follow the example of my 6 year old.  You just ask God.  You just tell him about it.  

CaN't KeEp QuIeT ~ Visiting Prison~

Wow, writing two days in a row!  


So yesterday I spent 2 hours in prison visiting someone.  Someone who has come to know the Lord.  Someone who has fought the path of addiction, drugs, and losing it all.  Someone who lost all FOUR of her children.  It was quite an experience.  Just on the front of, wow, this place actually exists.  And look at all these women, and children.  For the most part it was a very sad scene.  The person i visited with actually had hope.  Honestly, thinking back on it, I feel a little nausea.  It's a really sad place.  Surreal...When we first got there Josh accidentally dropped us at Maximum Security and it was the guard tower guy radioing down to the lower guy who quickly wanted to know what we were doing:)  OOPS:)  Wrong building!


That's where some foster kids go see their parents.


So the promised list!!  Depending on how involved you want to be....but #1 is the most coveted


1.  The BIG KAHUNA ~ PRAY ~ PRAY ~ PRAY!!!  Support the kids, foster parents, and birth family of these kids in PRAYER!!!  They need it soo much!
2.  Be supportive.  If you know someone doing foster care, encourage them.
3. Encourage the foster kids. 
4.  Offer rides.  If you have a driver's license and insurance and don't mind someone snapping a picture of it, you could offer to help with rides to appointments.  Foster kids usually have multiple appointments outside of school every week.
5.  Help foster parents get some time out.
6.  Build relationships with foster kids.  Mentor, do coffee, hang out, ice cream...shopping, etc.  Or have them over to play with your own kids.
7.  Get licensed for respite care.  That's when you watch someone's foster kids for a weekend or some type of overnight.
8.  Take the plunge and get licensed.  

God is faithful to nudge the heart, and show you the level of involvement.    

I pray this encourages the nudged, even to a step of faith!!

  And thanks the helpful and encouraging.  

Thanks for opening your heart and mind to these kids. 

 Pray life, hope, love, and peace over them.

Romans 15:13

May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may OVERFLOW with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Overflow some of that hope onto some people today!!