They Wait Wednesday

This week, I am featuring a handsome boy by the name of Will. He is 14 and you can read more about him here. The TARE website has been redone and there is less information than before, but you can get a glimpse into Will to see if he would be a fit for your family. His profile says he likes to attend church!

If you are interested in Will, please fill out the form at the top of his page on TARE. If you don't receive a response in a week or so, let me know and I will see if I can track down his worker and get more information. These kiddos need a home and to quote Karyn Purvis, "no child has been hurt to the point they can't be made whole!" And if adoption isn't something you feel called to do, would you pray for Will and his family...pray that God would get them together quickly! Let me know if I can help!

Being a Bulldog

There is a woman I greatly admire who told me one morning at coffee that she saw me as a bulldog - when I get a hold of something, I latch on and don't let go. She meant it in a good way....meaning when a fight comes along for my family or my faith, I don't give up. The funny part is when she told me that, I felt much more like a weenie dog! I had lost all desire to "fight" and all faith that fighting would even get me anywhere but worn out.

Funny the things God uses to bring you out of pits! Those words that she probably didn't think mattered much have played over and over again in my head as I have clawed my way out of the pit I was in! If someone who doesn't even know me that well can see the fighter in me, then why would I lay down and let the enemy have me, my future and most importantly, my family?! This bulldog had let her guard down and was snoozing with the drool coming out her jowls while the enemy was having a field day with my family! And that's all it takes....just falling asleep. Satan doesn't have to actively pursue us or get in our business. If we fall asleep on our watch, especially us women who are charged with keeping our home and building up our husbands, then satan just sits back and watches as we and our families destroy ourselves.

We are by nature sinful (Psalm 51:5, 58:3; Ephesians 2:3). If left to our natural desires, we will destroy ourselves, and so will our husbands, and so will our children. God has reminded me of this so many times over the past few weeks! He has shown me again and again the fight that is ensuing for my family. I can't make the decisions for my children or my husband, but I CAN war for them! I can get on my knees and pray that God would protect them, that He would remove temptations, that He would strengthen their faith, etc, etc before they even get out of bed in the morning. And when I don't do that, I have fallen asleep on my watch!

Well, this bulldog has woken up, shaken off the drool and latched on to the things trying to destroy my family! And I'm not only latched on, I'm shaking my head! When I finally let go of these things, they are going to know not to mess with me or my family again! This bulldog is back on guard and no one goes down on my watch! Come on all you moms and wives! Get your bulldog on! Latch on and shake with me! Together we will take back what is already ours!

They Wait Wednesday

As you know if you are a blog follower, God has turned our hearts to home! I am passionate about finding homes for the children who wait in our foster system simply because they do not have a family who has stepped up to adopt them. This is a travesty! John and I visited a local emergency shelter this time last year, and I was forever changed. The need was overwhelming and right in my own back yard. We changed the direction of not only our own personal lives, but the agenda of Addy's Hope as well. We do not have our CPS contract with Addy's Hope yet, but that doesn't mean I can't start advocating for these children! It only takes thinking of where my Paizley would be had we not found her on TARE to know that these children need exposure to families who might hear God's call to rescue an orphan! And 8 months in, I can say that it is both the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done to take in a teenager! So every Wednesday, I will feature a new child or sibling group that is ready to be adopted..simply waiting for a family. Not everyone is called to adopt, but everyone can stop and say a prayer for these children and for the family that God has already ordained for them. Please pray that their family finds them quickly and that they are surrounded with an amazing foster family and people who love them in the mean time. A good foster family is vital for these children and their upcoming adoption.....we can testify to that from our own experience! These children are relinquished and legally ready for immediate adoption. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FOSTER TO ADOPT THESE CHILDREN.

This Wednesday's sibling group has a special place in our hearts! You can read about them here.

When we started the foster licensing process a little over two years ago now, I found this group (at that time it was a group of 6 as the two older brothers were still part of the group). We pursued the adoption of the group of 6 for several months. We even had contractors coming out to see if we could add on to our house to have plenty of room! But God shut the doors. A couple months ago I was browsing the TARE website and saw they had put them back on the photo listing without the two oldest brothers! You can read their profile and tell that they are really great kids! If you don't think they are for you, then please pray for them and their family and that they would be united very soon! You can ask for more information on the website. If you don't get a response, let me know and I will be happy to pursue the information for you through the social workers! Together, we can empty the foster system of waiting children...one child at a time!

Show me Your glory!

I recently found this song by my new favorite group, Jesus Culture. It describes perfectly my prayer right now! As I walk out of the dark place I have been in for the past few months, I am simply begging God to show Himself to me more each day. Is this a sign of spiritual immaturity, lack of faith or weakness that I need to see God tangibly right now to strengthen me for the battle? Possibly...and probably yes! But I figure even if that's so, I'm in good company! Just like the song I linked talks about, Moses asked to see God's glory (Exodus 33:18). Thomas asked to put his hand in the scars of Jesus hands and side in order to believe (John 20). Gideon questioned God and asked where the miracles were his fathers had spoken of when God commanded him to fight (Judges 6). He threw the fleece out and asked God to work a miracle in order to believe Him and move forward in his obedience. If these men who in the case of Moses and Thomas had literally sat face to face with God need in times of darkness or struggles to ask to see God's glory, I think there is no shame in asking the same for myself!

God's heart is for me to pursue Him. I'm not sitting around waiting on "the miracle" with an attitude of rebellion. I'm not saying if He doesn't do _______(whatever you might put in the blank), I'm not going to believe. I am walking in faith (what little it may be right now) as I wait. I'm asking Him to increase my faith and help me in my unbelief by showing me His power and His greatness. I am asking Him to reaffirm His love for me so I know without a shadow of a doubt that He is pleased in the direction I am headed and I am walking in His power and protection on the path I am on. And I'm asking that my eyes be open to "the little things" He does daily that I miss if I'm not tuned into His workings!

The thing God has showed me in the four weeks that I have been back in the saddle, truly pursuing Him, is that there is a fierce battle! I think we in the Christian realm throw that around a lot..we're in battle. But one night when I was crying out to God, I was reading Daniel 10 where Daniel is crying out to God also and an angel appears and tells Daniel that he started coming to him the first day Daniel sought God, but the Prince of Persia kept him tied up in battle until day 21 when he was finally able to appear to Daniel. I felt a quickening in my spirit that the exact type of thing was happening for me and my family and that I should be praying as one doing battle. I don't even pretend to understand all that just that one scripture means as far as life and Spiritual warfare! But I do know I got on my knees and prayed like I have never prayed before...and suddenly a peace that can't be questioned fell over me. But here is the deal...that battle happens all day every day! That prayer released God's plan for that moment, but I can't stop there. I have to do that kind of battle, on my knees, every day!

Over the past few weeks, I have become so much more aware of the battle. Truly aware that there is an enemy who is against God's plan for me, my husband and my children. There is an enemy who seeks to devour us..he comes with the only intent to steal, kill and destroy. And sadly, without knowing it, or sometimes even just because I believe the lie that I'm too weary...even with knowing it I help him!

So I am asking God to show me His glory. Like Gideon, I am asking God to show up for the battle in a way I can "see" Him! I need to know now more than ever that He is powerful enough to fight this enemy I am up against. I need to know He "has my back" as I walk into the things that I believe He is calling me to....because without Him, NONE of them will work! And I know that my biggest job as wife and mother is to pray for my husband and my children. To go to battle for them daily in order for the plans of the enemy to be thwarted and the plan of God to be brought into being on earth as it is in heaven! I don't take battle lightly anymore! I have on my full armor...and my armor that seems to not fit, I'm asking God to repair and replace so that I can move forward! He knows my heart anyway, no use trying to fake it with God! If I lack faith, I might as well confess it and ask Him for more...He is after all the Author and Perfector of my faith. If I lack belief, I might as well tell Him as Thomas did that I need to see with my "eyes" in order to believe.

I believe in miracles. I believe He still wants to perform miracles, and I believe He does perform miracles. Be looking for a post in the days, weeks, months to come....I'll report back because I believe God will be faithful to answer the prayers I am asking to see Him....tangibly see Him and His glory and His power!

Introducing: Madison Kate Petree

Deuteronomy 10:18 He executes justice for the orphan....

I am pleased to introduce to you Madison Kate Petree, otherwise known in Blog land as "Baby Girl"! We finalized her adoption yesterday. We are now officially a family of nine! Wow! That's crazy! I loved how our attorney put it yesterday, "Today, are you simply doing by law what has already been done in your hearts?" Yes we are!

The Petrees: Paizley (holding Journey), Ava, Toben, Noah, me, John (holding Madison) and Callie. The look on the judge's face is priceless...especially considering his remarks when our attorney asked me how many adopted and how many birthed children we had. When it hit him what that total number was, he looked up from the papers and said, "Do we have a psychological evaluation in here?" That got a laugh from the whole court room!

This is my dear friend, Liz, with her daughter Brittany. They exemplify what a support group looks like to foster parents! She doesn't wait for me to ask, she just calls and says, "I'm bringing dinner over tonight" after reading my facebook post and knowing I had a stressful day. Or being one of the first people to get "papered" so that she could watch our foster babies when we needed to go to a doctor appointment, court or just a date! She has kept Madison numerous days just so I could have time to work on the things God has laid on my heart! She is truly a gift from the Lord as are so many others who He has sent to walk this journey with us! We are so greatful!

This is the Buckner gang who made it all happen! Missy, our CPS adoption worker is on the far right. She has been amazing also! We have been blessed with people in our corner who will work for children. I have had my frustrations through this process, but over all, we have been blessed with only a few minor road bumps! Hard to believe that this journey started just 18 months ago! What a difference a year and a half can make in a life...in my life! Looking forward to what the next year and a half will bring!

Sermons From a 19 Month Old

I love when God uses little moments with my children to teach me! I had just changed Baby Girl's diaper and was playing with her on her floor. We were exchanging hugs and she ran to the other side of the room. I threw my arms open, and she ran as fast as she could back to me and jumped in my arms. We repeated this over and over. As I was watching her I felt God impress on me, "You are just like her". I watched her as she ran back across the room, then I noticed that when she turned back around to face me, she didn't take off running for my arms until she saw that they were open, ready for her. Then she ran with all her might as if something was after her yet smiling from ear to ear as she did it!

As I sat and watched that same event over and over, I knew what God was telling me. I want so badly to run into his open arms. But like Baby Girl, I hesitate. I don't have a visible God sitting on the floor for me to physically run into his physical arms. I have to do it by faith. I have to believe by faith that His arms are open and ready for me to take that leap. That when I run with all my might to Him, He is going to be there with open arms ready to hold me and to heal any wound I acquired on my trip across the room to get to His open arms. That's hard for me these days. Past wounds and disappointments keep me from believing His arms are open. I know He was trying to tell me that just like I am sitting there waiting for her to run to me, so He is for me! And that the same joy and laughter I have when Baby Girl nearly knocks me over when she throws her arms around my neck is the same joy He has when I do the same with Him!

So today, I'm taking that as a love letter from God and I'm choosing to believe He will catch me and hold me close....and I'm running with all my might into His open arms!