The Boy(s) are Back

Finally, an update to our foster story.  Things have been pretty crazy around here for many different reasons (sickness, schedules, weather, etc.).  I have missed blogging and am making a goal to blog at least 3 times per week if not more, if my schedule allows it.  Lately, the weather has kept me from blogging until I found out about Live Writer and now I can write without being online and post later, yeah!

I’m not going to go into any details because I don’t quite have this confidentiality thing down.  For the related posts to this story see HERE and HERE.  Basically, we have one of the boys back and we should be getting the other brother sometime this week.  It was a long drawn out process and lots of prayer and faith.  We are believing that God will get us through this and that He will do a work in the boys’ lives.

Our hope is to be able to care for these boys while they wait for reunification with their family.  It has only been about 4 days now and we have already had several trials.  We knew it would be difficult because of the behavior problems.  Like I said, we are walking in faith and believing that God will do a work.  I’m sure we’ll have more trials to overcome when we add in the other brother, but God can do anything and He will get us through this.

It was God who broke my heart over the situation with these boys and I know we can trust Him to carry us through it.  I appreciate those of you who have communicated with me that you are keeping us in your prayers.  It means a lot to us.

What challenges have you faced lately, and have you remembered to trust God to get you through them?

2011 Flood in Southern Illinois

Lots of bad weather lately down in our neck of the woods.  My internet has been off more than on.  It is actually off right now and I am able to write this and hopefully post later.  All of the above photos are in areas that should NOT have any water!  The lower right one is some flooded farmland and the others are from the highway where the water has threatened to close (and some are actually already closed) our roads.  

The road we live on has an East and West and the West end has been closed for almost a week now.  We are currently getting more rain and there are areas south of us that have had to evacuate their towns.  It is very sad.

There is a lot of sandbagging going on in our area.  Many volunteers have stepped up to help out their neighbors.  Below is a picture of the Army Corps of Engineers who have been transporting sand bags in needed areas.

There was also an onslaught of of tornados in the southern states of Alabama and five other surrounding states.  The reports I heard were about 160 tornados in about 1 week and over 300 deaths.  Our prayers go out to all the individuals and families devastated by these storms.

Testing of my Faith

² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:2-8 NIV

Testing of my faith produces perseverance . . . ?  Yes, I believe it does.  Mature and complete, lacking nothing. . . sounds good to me.  When I grow up. . .   are we there yet Lord?  Lacking wisdom, just ask?  I'm asking Lord.  Really need some wisdom.  I will believe and NOT doubt!  I will NOT be double-minded.  I refuse to be unstable.

Several posts back, I believe it was March 20, I mentioned I would follow up on some developments.  Well, those developments had to do with the foster children.  It has been a roller coaster ride that is not yet over.  The boys have some behavioral issues and it had gotten so bad that weekend that we had to call in some outside help and ended up having the boys moved out of our home.  I was very sad and distraught over the incident and actually made an appeal to my husband to give the boys another chance.  He agreed, but when I called the agency back, they were not in agreement.  We felt it was a lesson learned in many respects and thought we would just move on.

Here we are several weeks later and the agency calls us back and says they have not been able to find a placement for the boys.  They are still in emergency care and are in need of a home.  They have asked if we would consider taking them back.  It has been a hard decision.  We have sought our Lord in the matter to do what is in His will.  I will need to call them tomorrow to give our answer.

I will plan to follow this post up with an update.  I will plan to be more regular in my posts.  I will choose to do what is right, not necessarily what I "feel" like doing or not doing.

May you have a blessed day.  What has the Lord called you to do today?

Photo courtesy darktaco at stockxchng