Ready or Not! Here we go!

Last September our church did a Bible study series called “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman. This was the first Bible study that Chad and I have done together. It challenged us to look into our lives. It begged the question…”are you a true follower of Jesus? Or just a fan?”

After weeks of soul searching, daily challenges, bible diving, and a ton of prayer… we were changed. Chad and I realized that we were simply fans of Jesus …and that was no longer acceptable…we wanted to be followers. Every. Single. Day.

This is the story that stepped on our toes and opened our eyes:

A family was preparing to go on vacation for a month. They hired a sweet, young couple to house sit for them while they were away. The family created a journal for the young couple with directions on how to care for things while they were gone. The journal included directions on how to feed and tend to the animals. It asked them to get the mail and water the flowers. It told them which day was trash day and which bills to send off. The couple was excited and ready for their job to begin.

 A month went by and the family returned from vacation. As they pulled up to the house they noticed that the mail was pouring out of the mailbox, the flowers were dead and the animals were starved. The house was dark because the power had been disconnected.  The young couple rushed out to meet the family with HUGE smiles! They were excited!  They told the family of all that they had done with the journal. They memorized every line. They had friends over to talk about the journal. The couple even highlighted the important parts. They were certain that they had done a wonderful job and awaited their pay.

The family was infuriated and sent the couple away with nothing…..

 

You  see friends…Chad and I are that sweet, young couple….

We go to church, we tithe, and we even participate in a mission project or two. These are all good things ….however we only do these things when it is convenient. We do not listen for His direction for our lives. We are not obedient. We are fans!

We have not allowed our life to be interrupted.

Until now….

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “ Matthew 16: 24-25

 Chad and I are seeking the Lord in a way that we never imagined. In our journey to become followers He has changed our lives. We are no longer content with the way things used to be…we are ready to be used by Him!

So…After many months of calling us in a way that only God can do…we have begun a journey that we NEVER imagined to be on.

We are on our way to becoming Foster Parents!

YIKES!!!!! Saying it out loud is even scary for me! Talk about a life interrupted…….

How we got to this point is a whole new blog in itself!!!!! But feel free to ask me anytime…I love talking about how our God works! But please make no mistake…This is something that Chad and I could not do without Gods calling and direction. It is such a personal decision that it is difficult and scary for me to share.

We started this journey in November. We have completed 2 months of training and mounds of paperwork. We have passed drug screens, back ground checks, and we are awaiting our final medical evaluations and the paperwork will be complete! Then the home studies begin!

We have kept this to ourselves for quite a while. We wanted to make sure that this is the direction God was leading our family. We were not ready to hear outside opinions and wanted to listen for only God’s voice!

However, we have come a long way and we are ready! Well…actually I don’t ever think we can be totally ready … but we are 50% prepared and 100% prayed up!!!!!

In reality, I started this whole blogging thing because I wanted to track our Foster journey. I want to remember how and why we started this and to be able to look back on all that God has done! Even if we never have one foster child in our home…I never want to forget how He changed a heart like mine!

I want Eva and Colt to be able to see how God has moved in our family so that they can trust Him with theirs!

Will you pray with us on this journey? Oh how we need them!

“Jesus never said it would be easy, but He said it would be worth it!” Matthew 7: 13-14      

Dreaming of a house full of crazy,

Erin

 

**our specific prayer need this week is for us to get all of our paper work complete! **

 

Letter to heaven, Volume 1

Dear Mom,

Your little boy is getting married! The Lord heard your prayer. He answered.

That blond haired little boy…the one who gave you all of that grey hair… found his girl.

I remember all of those nights we used to lay in your bed talking about Eric. You would tell me your worries and we would laugh about something he did or something he said. The conversation always would turn to the topic of his wife. We would imagine her! We would describe what she needed to be like and wonder when she would appear. You heart’s desire was always for him to be happy. I can’t count the times you would ask… “Do you think Eric is happy?” You always wanted to reach that place deep down in his heart and make sure that happiness lived there.

I kind of always assumed that I was your favorite child! The bond that a mother and daughter share is truly indescribable. But then I had Colt…and I realized that Eric held a place in your heart that I never knew about. That boy was your baby! No one could make you laugh the way Eric could! He made your eyes dance!

I wonder if Eric knows how much you prayed over his life.  I wonder if his wife will ever understand how many prayers you and daddy lifted up for her.

God’s timing is perfect! But I can’t help but think that you had some sit downs with Jesus as soon as you arrived in heaven. Because only a few short months after He called you home…he met her!

Mom, let me introduce you to Taylor!

She is MORE than we ever thought she would be. She is kind. She is smart. She is beautiful!

She is assertive but gentle. She is outgoing and accepting. She is quirky and loves to laugh. She is sweet and loving to Dad! Eva and Colt adore her…and so do I!

But more importantly…she adores your son. She LOVES him, she cares for his every need, and she encourages him.

And guess what else mom? She loves Jesus too!

I no longer worry about him like I used to. I can see the happiness radiating from his face in a way that I never have before! It is truly a site to see!

You and Dad did a great job. I am seeing a man unfold before my eyes …the man that God designed Eric to be! His life and the future he has with Taylor are the fruits of your labor. You did good mama! You don’t have to worry anymore! Now you can rest!

I love you always,

Erin

 

Mansfield Elementary vs. The Theme School

Kindergarten. 

My baby is fast approaching Kindergarten.

 I won’t get bogged down in the emotions of “where did the time go?” and “she is growing up so fast! “ At least not for now... I will save that post for August!  Because for now…right this minute.. there are some choices to make … BIG ones that will affect her for years to come.

Where do we send Eva Lareen to school?

We have AMAZING options! Yes! That alone is a blessing. We can choose to send her to the Newton County Theme School (a charter school in our area that emphasizes parental involvement) or Mansfield Elementary.

Each of these schools has excellent records and astounding reputations. When I say astounding reputations, I mean that I have spoken with AT LEAST 10 sets of parents from each school… and they have PASSION for their school.  It is unbelievably cool how these mothers get involved in the lives of their children and how much they jump into their school environments. I must be surrounded by some pretty AMAZING people because the media teaches us that parental involvement is a dying entity in our school system. Well, I am here to tell you that this is not always the case …because these mama’s are HOT and on FIRE with passion about the schools their babies attend. So HOT, in fact, that when we do choose which school Eva will attend I might have to go into hiding for a while and stay off of facebook. Because these Mama’s will come after me!

I am totally kidding… but I want to drive home the point that we have 2 great options… that not a lot of people have…and I am grateful.

The Newton County Theme School is relatively new to our county. It is a charter school that prides itself on academics, parental involvement, and much more.  All Newton county children who wish to attend must apply and be chosen through a lottery style drawing. We have applied and the drawing is held THIS FIRDAY…March 8^th!

Mansfield Elementary is the school we are zoned to attend. It has been around forever, has a small town family environment, and I have heard that the parental involvement is like none other in the county.

I have prayed over our decision for many months. I have researched, discussed, listened, and agonized over a choice. A choice that is simply not mine to make!

Eva was given to us on October 2^nd, 2007. Chad and I are entrusted with her care by her Creator. He loves her more than we ever could. Her little blond hairs are all numbered. Her future is His memory. Her life is already written. She is His!

 

He is in control …not this Mama!

This is a problem! I have always loved having control. I always think that I know best…even when the outcome of my choices prove otherwise. God has been working on this area of my life for a while. Surrender is something that does not come easy for me. I say that I trust the Lord…but do I really?

This kindergarten journey has taught me so much about myself. Lesson’s that I did not plan to learn.

For the first time I have chosen to give Eva over to Him. 100%! I choose to trust Him with her. I will not fret if she does not get chosen for the Theme School. In fact, I cannot wait until March 8^th because I am excited to see the path He has chosen for her.  

You see… this is more than meets the eye. It is not about which school is best. It is not about who has the highest test scores or the smallest class sizes. It is not about where her friends will attend. It is always about Jesus.

I like the way that sounds, don’t you?

It is ALL about Jesus!

Let me explain:

 It is about who she will meet along the way.

Who will Eva meet that will LOVE and Encourage her? What teacher will He put in her path that will ignite a fire for her future? What experience is she supposed to endure to further His kingdom? Who will sharpen her spiritual gifts? What child needs to hear about the love of Jesus in a way that only Eva can share? What lives will be changed?

These are the things that matter. These are the things with eternal significance.

So, on Friday…I will march into the BOE office and watch them draw names for the upcoming kindergarten class for the Theme school. While I am there, I will be watching God in action. My prayer will be answered...her path will be chosen... and I will REJOICE!

Many of the Mothers will be upset if their children do not get in…and my heart will break for them. But I pray that God will comfort them as He has done for me. He promises that He will. I will pray that they can release their babies into His hands and Trust!

When I gave Eva over to Him…it took the pressure off of me…what an amazing feeling.

I love this verse:

"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s." 2 Chronicles 20:15

Give it all to Him!

Kindergarten…Here we come!

And as Eva would say…”Let’s HIT the road and TEAR it up!”

 

Where does the time go?

1st day preK