Timing - Part Two

The Other One and his first Christmas present.

So since graduating, my dear, sweet and smart husband has been looking for a teaching job to open up. Many interviews and disappointments later, he decided to leave it to the Lord and His timing. It's been agonizing for him. He feels compelled to teach and he feels gifted in such a way (he is a very good teacher). It made me sad to see such a wonderful gift go unused and to see him discouraged. So, in the meantime, he has taken several tutoring students in our home to keep his skills up and hone them - it also helped make ends meet since Another One was born. A Facebook message two weeks ago, a job application and resume' submitted, and two interviews later - he now has a teaching position! You may wonder how that fits with Part One of my story. Without giving too much detail for security, his job will be working with at-risk teens in the state care system. BAM. There is the exact place the Lord was nudging us towards. Exactly.

I wish I could say I'd be fostering, but lets face it. It's crazy here. I really do want to get involved and my hope is that I can find a way to help out once he gets acquainted in his school. I have a heart for children who have no loving family. I have a few strikes against me for fostering anyway: taking kids to work. While it is safe, I can't always completely supervise my kids from my office - I have to trust they are staying out of trouble within earshot. I can do that better with the children I have reared on my own and understand their temperaments, not so much with others - even children I know well. You are not allowed to home-school foster children. I'm afraid this might cause a chasm with a foster child and it may look preferential.

I really want to. Our life is full of crazies right now though. I look forward to the possibility some day.


In HIS timing.

Timing - Part One

The baby's first Christmas Present. <3

When we were house searching, we found a house we loved that had the numbers 624. It had a nice ring to it, we were under contract and we really wanted this home. A few things fell through, some hearts were broken and we were not able to buy at that particular time. A year or so later, we found ourselves looking again. We found a nice little home with the numbers 824. Although, I really liked that one, there was something *just barely* off. I wasn't sure what it was and I couldn't quite explain to the realtor why I didn't want that particular one (boy was she frustrated with me!). Though, I knew it was so, very close to what we wanted. We finally found one just the very next street over. It had the same numbers - 824. I knew it was exactly the right one.

I tell that story because we've been on somewhat of a pinpointing-where-we-need-to-be-journey over the past year and a half or so.

I recently read a book called Wait No More: One Family's Amazing Adoption Story. I received it from here. I am a fan on Facebook and they asked people who were bloggers to read this book and do a little review. The story is about a couple and their not so perfect journey to adopting 4 children. The author is very bleeding heart and blunt about the trials she had. The struggles, the pain, the frustration and anxiety were very difficult for her and she is very honest to share them. So often, when we see or hear of adoptive families, a sunshine rosy picture is painted of how lovely adoption is. I understand it very much can be, but it is a process - sometimes an ugly process to begin with. Before I read this book, the Lord had already placed on our hearts a desire to be involved with foster/waiting to adopt children (that's part of the reason I chose to respond to the invitation to blog this book). That's really a scary thing to be placed on your heart. I had been shoving it out of my mind and wondering exactly how it would actually work with an already full-to-the-brim house - not to mention how it would affect my husband and children. This has been going on for several years. I just couldn't see this happening when I speak so harshly to my own children a lot of the time (I am working on it) and keeping a job and all the tasks I have on my hands. After reading this book, it really helped me to consider what my role in helping would be. I have a friend who does some filing and office work at a nearby children's home. I asked her if I could volunteer but she told me there just wasn't an opportunity. I felt pretty discouraged. I figured if I waited around, the Lord would show us His timing and plans and we could pinpoint that perfect place we needed to be.

Stay Tuned

This last week

• 2 Chiropractor appointments
• 2 stomach viruses (middle of the night)
  
• 5 colds
• 1 injured tooth
• subsequently, 1 emergency dentist appointment
• another regular dentist appointment
• 22 snack bags for teacher and co-workers
• 2 boxes of candy canes
• 1 dining set
• 8 loads of laundry - ish
• 1 dinner for a friend with a new baby
  
• 1 shower with water cut off halfway through
  
• another shower due to stomach viruses
• 1 last day of classes
• 8 tutoring sessions
• 1 work party
  
• 2 job interviews
• one dead battery
• 1 dad visiting
• 2 trips to the grocery store
• 10 loads of dishes
• 1 broken dishwasher
• 1 soccer party
• 3 advent candle lightings in church
  
• 65 Christmas cards stamped and addressed
  
• 1 youth Christmas party which requires a dress
• 2 muddy dogs
  
• 1 mother who is ready for Christmas break
  

That is all. Well, I am sure I forgot something...

Calling

He was made to do this. So cute!