Happy News!

My friend P, and her foster daughter V, had a play date with her former foster son LM, on Monday! (Got that?) His mom agreed to meet them, so they could spend some time together.

P reports that LM is growing, looks great, and even calls her P now, instead of Momma. (I am sure that was a little confusing with Momma and Mommy being different people) LM's mom seems to be doing all that she is supposed to be doing, and we are very happy about that.

The other good news for them is that P will have a weekend visitation at her house with LM this weekend! She misses him terribly, so this will really mean a lot to her!

Re-post

I am re-posting this, because my friend P. will be sending LM to his forever home on Friday. I was able to help her inventory & pack his things, and finish his 'life book' this weekend. It is going to be so hard to let him go....please pray for all of them!

When loving someone breaks your heart...

I have a friend that I love very much. We have been friends since we were teenagers; she was my Maid of Honor. She is one of those people that has ventured out and done things that many of us would not try. She has been a nanny, a teacher in Seattle, a certified EMT, and many more things. In the past year, she has become a foster mom to a little boy in need of love. In January 2008, two days after he was born, she picked him up from the hospital, as his mother returned to serve a prison sentence. My friend had no idea what was before her, but she did it with God’s love.

The challenges of being a single mother are many and varied. My friend is a teacher, so she had to find child care right away. God blessed her with a Christian lady who took the little boy into her home. She had to find special doctors that attend to foster children. She had to get all of the products needed for an infant, including a crib, car seat, diapers, wipes, sleepers, and all of the clothing. God blessed her again with many gifts and donations from others. Sleepless nights, baby bottles, dirty diapers--her entire life was changed by this little angel she brought in to her home and her heart.

As the days, weeks, and months passed by, she loved him unconditionally, spoke to him softly, kissed his little head, laughed, cried, and watched as he began passing the milestones that infants go through. She fed him, bathed him, dressed him, and took him to church. She brought him by from time to time to introduce him to friends and family. We all fell in love with him as well. Some challenging health issues arose, and she lovingly tended to him, trying to keep him as healthy as he could be. His sweet little personality began to shine, and the two of them enjoyed as much time together as possible.

While imprisoned, the birth mother decided she wanted to retain custody when she got out. Communication and visitation began with her extended family until she was released. Through the case worker, my friend was updated on all that the mother would need to do if she really did want custody. It was a long list, to be obtained in sequential steps. We began to pray that the mother would either complete everything and stay clean, or make the bad choices before she was given custody of her son.

The year continued and he cut teeth, began to crawl, walk and run! The health challenges continued, but my friend made sure he had proper medical care, therapy, medicine, and plenty of love. By Christmas, she had celebrated every holiday in the year with him, and began to realize that there might only be a few more in the future. At the end of January, she celebrated his one year birthday with him! She could reflect on all of the ups, downs, and craziness of the year they had shared. She loved him with all of her heart, and sadly, she would soon have to give him up.

The over night visitations every weekend have begun. She can no longer be in denial that it will happen. It is breaking her heart! As a mom and her friend, it is breaking my heart too! God has given her such a special gift to love children that need love in a crisis. That love will attach him to her forever, even if they never see each other again. It is up to the birth mom to tell him about his first year, and I wonder what she will tell him? Will she explain that she made a big mistake and had to go away for awhile, so my friend took him in and cared for him? Will she even talk about my friend? My prayer is that somewhere in her heart, she will realize just how special my friend is, and that she has bestowed a priceless gift on both of them. I also pray that the birth mom will share updates with my friend as he grows, so that big hole in her heart does not hurt quite as much.

Some people might ask if the pain is worth it? My friend and I would say, "Absolutely." We can say that because we know that we are to share the love that God has given us for others. In this case, the journey of love matters more than the eventual ending.

Thought for the day: "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me." Mark 9:37

I'm choosing joy!

I titled my last post, "Life changes...", due to the experiences I was having at the time. This week has been full of changes, disappointments and sorrow for me. It is time to acknowledge them, and let them go.

The week brought the news of two deaths, of people I cared about-- Bobbie and Estella. Both died from cancer. Both had battled it before. Both were women. Both were married. Both had a child/children. Both had family and friends that loved them. Both were friends I tried to encourage during their battles. I don't think either one of them were ever on television. I don't know if they could sing or dance. I am confident that they were not monetarily wealthy.

Through the week, three celebrities died as well---Ed McMahan, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. I 'knew' them only from watching television. All three were popular while I was growing up. All three had been wealthy during their careers. All three had family and friends that loved them.

Of these five people, I only know that one of them was a Christian, and had claimed Jesus as their Savior. That means that I will only see one of them in Heaven for sure; the others, I don't know. I started thinking of all the people that died this week throughout our world. How many of them knew Jesus as Lord? Although the true sorrow I feel is for the two ladies I knew personally, shouldn't my sorrow include those others whose eternity is questionable? I believe so.

My prayer is that God opens my heart and my eyes to see those that need His love. I am also praying that He would give me a boldness to speak about Him, without appearing 'pushy'. My story, my testimony, is an awesome example of how the Lord protects, directs, heals, and loves without condition! Let me be the one to share that, and see a new light in someone's eyes.

Next thing to acknowledge and leave behind...I have done a lot of complaining this week about the weather. It is HOT and HUMID in Texas and along with my own hot flashes, I am pretty miserable. I did not choose to be happy and content that I have a house with air conditioning, and my job is indoors. Instead, I complained. I don't have to like it; it just is. I will really try to think before I complain about it. I will think on positive thoughts. I will not let it make me grouchy and antisocial. JOY is joy, no matter what the weather holds!

I mentioned in the previous post that my friend P. took in a 4 year old little girl to foster. Along with L.M., she had her hands full. It became apparent that she can only foster one child at a time right now, and will be letting M. go to another foster home on Monday. I met 4 year old M. last night when they came to town. She is a beautiful little girl, who is very confused and needs full attention from someone. I pray that her new family will learn to communicate with her and adore her, because she has so much potential. Foster parents have a special gift from God; I am thankful that P. has shared her experience with me!

The week ahead will be busy, as K. starts Band Camp to prepare for the 4th of July parade, I will be working at the library, and who knows what else we will find to do! I am going to CHOOSE to be happy and full of joy!!!!

Thought for the day:

1 Peter 1:8 (New American Standard Bible)

⁸and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

Life changes

My friend Estella passed away this morning. Please remember her husband Andy and young son Jake during this difficult time. This especially hurts me because she died from complications with cancer....nasty, dirty, disgusting cancer. We had lunch a few months ago and she was a vibrant, happy lady with a great outlook on life. From what I have read on her blog, she suffered so very much these last few months. She suffers no more. If you would like to read about her, go here http://www.estellacrider.blogspot.com/

My friend P. did take in the 4 year old little girl, but will be letting her go in a few days. She recognized that she was not the right one for her, and that she only needs one child at a time to foster. However long M. stays, she will be blessed by P. and L.M. We are praying for just the right family to take her in now.

On a happier note, I still love my job at the library! I just enjoy it so much. God has really blessed me with it.

Thanks for checking in...blessings!

A willing heart...

My friend P. who is a foster mom to L.M., the 17 month old little boy we love so much, is welcoming a four year old little girl into her home tomorrow! She has very little information on her, so there is just a little feeling of apprehension as the day approaches. We are both anxious to see how L.M. will react to another person taking part of his 'spot light' with Momma! hee hee

So please, say prayers for P. and the children she has been given the privilege of caring for in her home!

Time To Reset The Clock

So what does it mean to 'reset your clock'? According to my doctor, that is what I have to do for myself. Over the weekend, I slept 16 hours straight from Saturday to Sunday. Then, with the help of a sleeping pill, I slept another 8 hours Sunday night. The result Monday morning? I still felt worn out and yucky! Just by coincidence, I was to see my doctor Monday. I have had several little 'issues' arise since I saw her in January.

We discussed several things, but the most important for now is to 'reset my internal clock.' To do that, I am to take a sleeping pill every night for the next three weeks! We shall see how that works. Then, I am to try to wean off them to see if I am 'reset' or not. LOL

The next three weeks are FULL of activities, so I am sure I will be glad when it is bed time anyway! In case you don't hear from me for a bit, this is what I'm doing: having my brother & sister-in-law over tonight for dinner; taking my Spanish final (!) on Thursday; working on decorating for Floor Show; setting up for Floor Show; practicing for Floor Show every night next week, and then Floor Show next weekend!

Floor Show is a 70+ year tradition at our high school. It combines the band and the flashes (the drill team) doing all sorts of songs & dances. When I was in it, many moons ago, the band played all of the songs for the dances. Now, they play a few, and the flashes dance to recorded music. I really like that because the band can concentrate on their own music more. The new band and flash members and officers are 'presented' to the audience during a fancy presentation ceremony. Keegan will be presented for new band member and leadership team for next year. There will be many photo ops, so look for them in the weeks ahead.

After FS, all of the end of the year activities will take place, and the school year will wrap up quickly. Of course, that means we will head into a busy summer, but that is ok! Keegan has a few extra band camps to attend for the leadership team, plus the band camps for the high school. I am not taking any formal classes this summer, but I am going to continue online practice for my Spanish class. I am also considering whether or not I should read a very in depth book and write an essay about it for a scholarship. I don't know if my brain can handle it or not. So, we'll see.

Other news: Ricky got the card about his next diamond for his award ring...yes, the one that was stolen in January! I told him he should see if they will just send him the diamond. He earned it, he should get it!

The baby kitties were out walking with their momma yesterday. They are so cute, I could watch them for hours!

My friend that works for a metroplex school district has an unexpected week off due to the 'swine flu'. Her school has not been directly affected, but either way, she gets a paid holiday and doesn't have to make it up at the end of the year! Enjoy it, my friend!!!

Little LM has been having more visits with his bio-mom. She seems to be taking the steps necessary to get custody of him in the future. Keep praying that she does everything she is supposed to, and that LM will have a safe and loving home to go to when she is able to care for him full time. Also remember P. in your prayers; she is letting go a little at a time, but it is still very difficult. (See 'When loving someone breaks your heart' post for more details)

In case you heard about the flooding, tornado warnings and heavy winds, we are ok. We did have a tornado warning Saturday afternoon, but it ended up going more south of us (actually closer to where Ricky was working Saturday!) Minor flooding here in our town and a few trees & limbs down. A city close by had damage, including some very large trees that fell onto houses! Ah, spring time in Texas...

Thought for today:

Genesis 9:12-14 (New King James Version)

¹² And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: ¹³ I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. ¹⁴ It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;...

Seasons of Life

I was going to post last night when I received some great news! I waited, and now I have bad news too. First the bad: Jakie Mosley, wife of my former pastor Dr. Marvin J. Mosley, passed away this morning. She has been ill for a long time, and the last few weeks have been especially rough. They have a special needs son named Kim, and a daughter named Rae who is my friend as well. They all have touched my heart-- Bro. Mosley was the pastor that baptized me. Please add this family to your prayers. It is never easy to lose someone you love, even when you know you will see them again in Heaven.

Now the good news! My friend P. who is the foster mommy to L.M. (remember them? If not, read "When loving someone breaks your heart.") has been anticipating having to turn him over to his bio mom since the end of January. L.M. has had visitations with her regularly, and she has been working to get him full time. Due to many circumstances, she has come to the realization that he is better off with P. for now, but wants to continue visitations and bonding, to eventually take him later. We are ecstatic! Although it just prolongs that eventual loss, P. will have even more time to enjoy that little boy and help him as he learns and grows into a two year old! Thank you, Lord.

So, I face two opposing emotions; that of sadness for my friends, and that of pure joy for another friend!


What do you see in the picture above? A brown leaf... The shell of a pecan... Dead grass? They are all there, but lets think in terms of seasons and life. To me, this represents the winter of our lives--The end of the year, the time when things seem to die and we throw away our broken pieces, broken dreams, sad things.


This is the picture I intended to take today. I call them our 'pre-bluebonnets', they look similar to our Texas Bluebonnets, but grow several weeks before. It signals that Spring is on its way. So, in terms of seasons and life, to me, it represents the spring of our life. Spring is full of new beginnings, fresh starts, sunny days, warm, happy times.

That was a nice picture. But, did you look closely at it? Did you see what is lurking among the flowers? It is a bit hard to see,.... but it is a bee! (That rhyme was not intentional!)


Since we are discussing symbolism, I view that bee as being like God. Working among us (the flowers), to bring new life (pollination) to others! I wish I had captured the bee in the first photo; I am sure it was hovering near by, as God is so close to us during the 'winter' of our lives as well.

Ok, so what does all this mean? Referring to my earlier comment: "So, I face two opposing emotions; that of sadness for my friends, and that of pure joy for another friend!" Because I know God, and trust Him with all of the seasons of my life, I can handle the opposing emotions at the same time. He is here to console and comfort; He is also here to observe our joy and happiness! May you recognize that God is with you at every time in your life!

Ecclesiastes 3 (New International Version)

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

When loving someone breaks your heart...

I have a friend that I love very much. We have been friends since we were teenagers; she was my Maid of Honor. She is one of those people that has ventured out and done things that many of us would not try. She has been a nanny, a teacher in Seattle, a certified EMT, and many more things. In the past year, she has become a foster mom to a little boy in need of love. In January 2008, two days after he was born, she picked him up from the hospital, as his mother returned to serve a prison sentence. My friend had no idea what was before her, but she did it with God’s love.

The challenges of being a single mother are many and varied. My friend is a teacher, so she had to find child care right away. God blessed her with a Christian lady who took the little boy into her home. She had to find special doctors that attend to foster children. She had to get all of the products needed for an infant, including a crib, car seat, diapers, wipes, sleepers, and all of the clothing. God blessed her again with many gifts and donations from others. Sleepless nights, baby bottles, dirty diapers--her entire life was changed by this little angel she brought in to her home and her heart.

As the days, weeks, and months passed by, she loved him unconditionally, spoke to him softly, kissed his little head, laughed, cried, and watched as he began passing the milestones that infants go through. She fed him, bathed him, dressed him, and took him to church. She brought him by from time to time to introduce him to friends and family. We all fell in love with him as well. Some challenging health issues arose, and she lovingly tended to him, trying to keep him as healthy as he could be. His sweet little personality began to shine, and the two of them enjoyed as much time together as possible.

While imprisoned, the birth mother decided she wanted to retain custody when she got out. Communication and visitation began with her extended family until she was released. Through the case worker, my friend was updated on all that the mother would need to do if she really did want custody. It was a long list, to be obtained in sequential steps. We began to pray that the mother would either complete everything and stay clean, or make the bad choices before she was given custody of her son.

The year continued and he cut teeth, began to crawl, walk and run! The health challenges continued, but my friend made sure he had proper medical care, therapy, medicine, and plenty of love. By Christmas, she had celebrated every holiday in the year with him, and began to realize that there might only be a few more in the future. At the end of January, she celebrated his one year birthday with him! She could reflect on all of the ups, downs, and craziness of the year they had shared. She loved him with all of her heart, and sadly, she would soon have to give him up.

The over night visitations every weekend have begun. She can no longer be in denial that it will happen. It is breaking her heart! As a mom and her friend, it is breaking my heart too! God has given her such a special gift to love children that need love in a crisis. That love will attach him to her forever, even if they never see each other again. It is up to the birth mom to tell him about his first year, and I wonder what she will tell him? Will she explain that she made a big mistake and had to go away for awhile, so my friend took him in and cared for him? Will she even talk about my friend? My prayer is that somewhere in her heart, she will realize just how special my friend is, and that she has bestowed a priceless gift on both of them. I also pray that the birth mom will share updates with my friend as he grows, so that big hole in her heart does not hurt quite as much.

Some people might ask if the pain is worth it? My friend and I would say, "Absolutely." We can say that because we know that we are to share the love that God has given us for others. In this case, the journey of love matters more than the eventual ending.

Thought for the day: "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me." Mark 9:37