An update on a prayer request

A few weeks ago, I posted a vague message on facebook, asking friends and family to pray for us as we sought God's guidance in making a big decision.

As most family and friends know, we started the process to be foster parents about a year and a half ago. It was long, tedious and involved. We completed it and are officially certified. The agency we work with used to solely be a christian adoption agency and they are very new to foster care. As such, there has been very little activity for placement, compared to the onslaught we were expecting. And since we do have our two young daughters to consider, we've had some limitations on cases we were willing to take on. As a result, we haven't been matched yet.

In the meantime, I reached out to our caseworker about something God had put on my heart. Given my background, I've always had a heart for teen/young mothers. Having been the product of one, and having experienced it myself, I know the kind of information, or lack there of, that is out there. I know the stigma, I know the loneliness, I know the struggles. I was blessed beyond measure in having Jon for a partner. Our relationship certainly endured its own set of challenges and setbacks, but he was a devoted father and took up arms with me from the very first. Most girls in my situation don't have that. Many don't have any support system at all. I believe that God has shaped me and grown me the way that He has to be able to relate with and help these young women. That's where my heart is. He has given me some ideas, some images of how that may take form, but I don't know how it will begin or where it will go.

Anyway, as He continued to nudge my soul about this, I finally reached out and contacted our caseworker, asking what pregnancy care services they provide and if there is any need for what I have to offer:  mentoring, possibly a stable home to get them on their feet. I was not expecting the enthusiasm I received.We talked at length about ideas and questions. I was told that there wasn't a great need, but that there had been times in the past where someone could have used what I wanted to provide. Right now, we would be prepared to take on one that was the right fit, so that was fine with us; we would wait on God's timing.

Several weeks later, I got a call that they had a potential match. We were kind of in shock. The way the conversation had gone, we were prepared to wait months, maybe even years. Jon and I talked about it and we prayed about it. We got as much information as we could and set up a meeting to meet with our caseworker and hammer out the details of how it would work. We reached out to friends and family for prayer. And we waited.

We met with our caseworker first, and talked over details for a long time. At the end of the meeting, we agreed to meet with this young woman over the next week and move forward. She had been staying at a maternity home ( I didn't know such things existed) and it was an emotional struggle for her. Things were moving fast; all we could do was pray and trust God.

A few days later, I got a call that she had left the maternity home and was en route to her native state. We certainly weren't expecting that any more than we had been expecting the initial call. But I wasn't discouraged; I understood.

So that is the result of the specific situation I asked for prayers on. If/when we get another call, you can probably expect a similar vague prayer request. On the whole, I'm happy with how things went. I'm glad we got more information on how we may go about this in the future and I'm happy with how we handled our concerns and uncertainties by leaning heavily on God. I trust His judgment in the outcome. I don't know all the ways He is going to use this very brief experience, but I do know one thing that has come from it: when I first heard about her and that she was staying in a maternity home, I started looking these places up. Lo' and behold, there was one actually within walking distance of where we used to live, and so only about 5 minutes away from where we are now, and it is a picture-match of one of the images God put on my heart. I couldn't believe it. What I want to do someday, what I want to create, already exists and it's in my backyard. I got so excited. And then I found out that they have a need for mentors. *cue explosions of insensibility going off in my spirit* As He so regularly does, God left me speechless. And with energy and excitement humming through my veins.

My loose plan is to spend the summer devoted to my girls, since I've wanted it so badly for so long and only got it one year, when Lily was 1. But when they go back to school in the Fall, and my mornings/afternoons are pretty wide open, I will be researching/pursuing this, God willing. I don't know how He is going to use me, only that He will and I'm so excited to start.

Thank you for your prayers!

Why I Got a Degree That I Have No Immediate Plans to Use

Lately, gatherings with family and friends have brought about a question on my current studies and if I'm job searching. The short answer is that I graduated and no, I'm not job hunting.

The slightly longer explanation is that this was a back up plan, I did it for my family and myself, but unless circumstances force my hand, it's not really what I want for myself, day in, day out.

As that has gotten more bewildered looks and, "what?" or "um, *awkward chuckle* okay," responses, here is the more in depth explanation for inquiring minds:

As with most choices, my reasons for going to school to be an EFDA (Expanded Functions Dental Assistant, for those in the know, or rather, not) just 6 months on the heels of earning my Associate's Degree in science was layered.

I was getting a little bored being at home so much after steadily working about 30+ hours a week since my early teen years, and going to school full time for the last three years. I had gotten used to that pace and after one semester off (winter no less), with no one to keep me company but my four cats, I started to get restless. I could think of no job opportunities that appealed to me, in healthcare, secretary work, or even getting a cashiering job at a place I liked. And I had no interests in growing my degree into a Bachelor's just because I could. Up until then, thanks to grants, I actually got paid to go to school. But as I couldn't acquire a Bachelor's at my local community college, I'd have to transfer to a university and pay them. Unless something I was passsionate about required it, I wasn't going to throw my money and time away.

So after praying about it, a family member introduced me to the idea of working at a dental office. I did some research into positions and schooling and got hooked up with a shadowing opportunity to ask questions and see what typical days were like. I was interested and, unlike most other aspects of healthcare, could stomach the invasiveness. Being an expanded functions dental assistant, comparable to a nurse in my book, was a stable position with good income and fairly normal hours. So I picked a school, enrolled and started classes a few weeks later.

A lot transpired over the course of the year and I definitely learned a lot. In the end, I'm happy I stuck it out when I wanted to throw in the towel. I'm happy to have earned a diploma for something that I feel like I could support my family on if ever called to. But unless it was absolutely necessary, the dental field is not an environment that I would choose to place myself in longterm. Just like in medicine, this branch of doctors has reputations too, which I've witnessed the truth of firsthand. Though I would survive, with my personality type, I don't believe I would thrive.

Fortunately, after all of our sacrifice and hardwork, our family situation is not one that I need to work anymore. And though I'm American, I don't subscribe to the American ideals that define people and their worth by their careers, their rung on corporate ladders, their titles and their income. Being a teen mother, I had an insecurity about education, and as a result I worked my butt off earning my AS and now my dental assisting and xray certificates. But I feel like I've proved enough to myself and the world in general. I am not a statistic. I'm comfortable with myself, my abilities, and my choices.

I'm still waiting for God to reveal His plans for me. He has given me a glimpse of some opportunities that are not at all commonplace, but are formed for my heart. I hope they become a reality. I work hard to make myself spiritually and physically ready to answer His call whenever it comes, but I will likely always be a work in progress. And I try to keep my eyes open in the meantime for things He wants me to respond to. I have a few hobbies that bring in a small contribution to our family, but nothing that I would use to define myself the way our culture does with careers. Right now, the biggest resource I have to give is time, which is a nice change after all these years. I hope to be able to support my husband in different paths he pursues. I still take classes part time because I love to learn and because it costs me nothing and defers my student loans. But mainly, I spend my time pouring into people and supporting our family by being a stay at home mom. I don't expect it will be permanent, just like I don't expect whatever interests, hobbies or projects I take on later to be permanent. I'm okay with that. In fact, I welcome it. I've always loved change and new challenges. And I'm learning to embrace whatever season of life I'm in, be it calm or chaotic.

Our home story: the beginning (Part 2)

Boy did I end on a cliffhanger. I've thought about this post many times over the last 4 months ( I cannot believe it's been that long). But I wanted to do it justice, so it kept getting tucked away for later. I'm sorry for the suspense, and I hope you'll accept lots of details and maybe even a few pictures as an apology.

When we last spoke on this subject, we had done the best we could and placed our future firmly in God's hands, resolving to embrace the outcome, whatever it may be. What happened next... was overwhelming.

We expected to hear by Tuesday night, but just a couple of hours after writing that post, we got a call from our realtor. She said, "I heard back from the sellers. They've picked you." I was dumbstruck. She continued with, "You will never believe this, but one of the other offers was for the same amount. And they picked you." I think that's when the tears started. I still can't believe it. Apparently a couple of the factors that went into the decision was our handmoney amount (we just wrote a check for what our realtor suggested, there was nothing else to it) and the type of loan we were going for (also by suggestion). We could plainly see that this blessing was not of our doing, but a gift from God. Naturally I jumped around a lot, crying and laughing and dancing and rejoicing. Jon called all of our family and friends, beaming as he told people, "So, uh, we got the house." My friend Shelby started screaming when I told her. That was pretty awesome. We spent the next few days in a blissful haze. We felt God's hands all over this and I was just floored. It was super intense and wonderful and I was too emotional to write about it.

Our house!

After that, we flew into a frenzy. We spent the next 6 weeks scheduling inspections, meeting with our mortgage rep, getting appraisals, meeting with electricians, picking paint colors, filling out paperwork and packing like crazy.

Our girls running around the backyard during one of our frequent visits to the house. Notice the mini vineyard to the left. I cannot wait for Spring!

After closing, we spent the next week frantically getting move in ready: removing asbestos, getting the carpets removed or cleaned, painting, moving, more electrical work and closing up the apartment.

last remnants in the living room

goodbye kitchen

last load of stuff before closing up the apt

Since November 1st, we've spent the last two months de-wallpapering, painting, unpacking, cleaning, building furniture, moving in new furniture, shopping for and hooking up appliances, fixing wall cracks, and adjusting to life in our new home. It has been insane, but the good kind.

Celebrating our first night at our new house with Lucianos pizza. All you can really see of the house is the er,  'charming' wall colors. The mint green of the entry way and lavender of the dining room and living room were the first things to go. Unfortunately, that bold basket-of-fruit wallpaper in the kitchen is going to be with us for a while.

Add to that the fact that we had been planning a family vacation to Florida and Disney for the last 4 years, to take place the first two weeks of December. It was awesome and crazy.

playing in the waves at clearwater beach

view as we were leaving the magic kingdom. I love that you can see the Walt & Mickey statue in the corner too. we had a blast!

Now it is January 1st and we are feeling fairly well settled in. There are still plenty of boxes, but they are in the right rooms and will be okay for now. We got the girls successfully transferred to their new school (though with our vacation and then school break, they've only been there for 4 days) and they return tomorrow. We feel so blessed every single day. This house is perfect for us. It is everything I didn't even know I wanted. We have plenty of space, we love the layout. I always wanted a fireplace, and now we have seven. Yes, you read that right. Seven. It's God's number for perfection and completion right?! We have an amazing view from our bedroom, which we fall asleep to and wake to every day.

view from our bed. we actually got to watch the fireworks from home last night, too.

Someone asked Jon if it was weird adjusting to owning our home, if it felt like 'ours' yet. He said, "Nope, it's not weird at all. It felt right from the very beginning." Which is definitely saying something considering that we were sleeping on the couch for the first month, until we got our bedroom floor and walls done! We have plenty of home projects to keep us busy for many years to come and we're actually excited about it! Thank you so very much to all of our friends and family who have been praying for us every step of the way. We are so blessed and so, so grateful.