That's what we started calling them - "God-incidences" - when the Lord started speaking to us about Foster/Adopting. They were consistent in our lives starting in January of 2013 all the way through June - too regular and too direct to be coincidences, so we knew the Lord was speaking to us and guiding us in a new and fresh way. Some of them were crazy, some of them were just plain funny - and as we wait for May to approach, I want to share some of them with you!
One of the first big ones was on a date night. I had coffee that Friday morning with a friend. She and her husband have two kids of their own, and they were in the process of adopting their first daughter out of the foster system - it was the first time I was really able to talk to someone walking ahead of us in this journey, and it was so helpful! I got a lot of questions answered, saw how big the binder really is (This binder is huge! Serenity gives it to families who foster, and it has all the rules and regulations of fostering.), and got to hear first-hand from her how much this choice is a ministry to the kids and their families. So good!
That same Friday night, Dan and I went to Lucille's BBQ for date night. A yummy splurge for us! We sit down, and Dan says, "So? Tell me all about it! What did she say?" I tell him everything, and we start to discuss what it would look like if we were to foster/adopt. Looking back, we actually decided some big things that night during that conversation:
- We would want two sibling boys: The state is in desperate need to place siblings together. We want an even number of kids. We still have a desire on our hearts to have sons. With a family of ALL girls (no seriously - ALL girls. I am one of 6 girl cousins, who have 7 daughters total among us. My grandmother just had her 15th girl in a row last year! On Dan's side, again, 7 girls. Wouldn't it just be cruel to bring ONE boy - the youngest - into these two families? If we are going to bring a boy into this family, at least two will have each other in the craziness!), and we just had peace about this decision.
- We would want the kids to be around the same age as our girls: Keep Kate the oldest if we could, but they would all be in the same stages and grades and schools together. Because we both work full time, we didn't feel right about taking on a baby (which most likely would be a high-needs baby at that).
- Full disclosure: We didn't feel called or equipped to take on physically or mentally handicapped kids. There are people who are so good at and passionate about these kids, and the Lord bless them! With two of our own, and me being a working mom, this was something we didn't feel called to.
- We are open to any and all ethnicities.
Looking back, we didn't really know what a big step in the process we had made that night, but as time went on, these decisions were solidified strongly. SO...we finished dinner, and decided to leave the conversation behind us and go enjoy a movie.
There wasn't much playing that night, so we decided to go see "Identity Theft" with Jason Bateman. We were hesitant because of the rating, but were up for a good laugh. (For the record, it was one of those oh-so-funny, redeeming movies that absolutely didn't need to be rated R. It was a few words and one awkward scene away from being a great movie...) Now forgive me (spoiler alert!) for ruining the movie for you, but the entire thing builds up to this pivotal scene of dialogue about why the main character is the way she is, and why she's such a lonely, miserable wreck. She is finally honest for the first time in the film, and her answer is, "Well it started when my mom abandoned me in the hospital. I spent my childhood shuffled through the foster system, and when I was 18 I was on my own and had nobody. I've never had anybody."
Wait a minute. Hold the phone. This whole movie is a redemptive story about a lonely foster child who comes to finally have a family and people who care about her, and love and accept her in spite of her faults or her past? WHAT??
Dan and I leave the theater during the credits, and whisper, "Did that just happen? Is God speaking to us through movies now?" We just chuckled the entire ride home. If that wasn't a confirmation after the conversation we just had, we didn't know what was!
Does God speak through movies? He's the author of the whole universe, and everything He makes and does is trying to tell us how much He loves us! I think the question isn't "does God speak to us through movies", I think the statement is that God is always speaking to our hearts. The question is, how often are we listening? This process has caused Dan and I to listen to the Lord in a new and unique way. The message wasn't what we were expecting. (In fact, the question we were asking Him at the beginning of last year was, "How and where will the Lord put us back into formal church ministry after taking a hiatus to have two little ones?") His answer was surprising - we aren't going back into formal church ministry - we are going to expand our family for His glory and to expand His kingdom!
Here's to the adventure that is obeying that call. :)
Sunday, January 26, 2014
The "God-incidences"
Posted by Klappyanne at 5:27 PM 0 comments
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Our New Adventure -
Last time I updated this blog, Kate was turning 2. She's now 3 1/2!! Chloe turned 2 at Thanksgiving, and the Lord has asked us to turn aside and take a different direction with our family. So...we're back to blogging! :)
As most of you know, Dan and I are in the process of becoming foster parents through Serenity Infant Care Homes in Covina. As we get closer to finishing the certification process, both of us have felt a need to start asking for prayer from you - our family and friends. So here's my attempt to start blogging again, using this platform to share our story and prayer requests with all of you! We would greatly appreciate your prayers on behalf of our family! Thanks for all the love and support we've received from so many of you so far!
And now for some details:
- As of now, the plan is to be placed in early May. I (Kristi) plan on taking a month off to bond with the boys after APU's graduation - this is a slow time for our office and a good time for me to take off. Then when Dan is off for his summer break, he will be home with the kids for June and July. Would you pray this timing works out and we can use the summer wisely to get our family adjusted? Pray for good, quality time together, getting to know each other and learn how to be the best family unit we can be.
- Yes, we've told the girls, and so far Kate is (mostly) excited to get some brothers. :) Kate can articulate that the spare bedroom will be the "boy's room" and that it will be fun to have more kids around. Would you pray for our girl's hearts? Would you pray they would be open to this big change, and see the Lord work in all of us as we obey Him?
- Yes, we are fostering first...we won't know for a good long while if adoption is a possibility with our first placement. There is a good chance we won't be able to adopt our first placement...that's just the way the foster system works. (If you want to know more about the process, we would LOVE to share that with you sometime! But it is a lot of information, so I'm not going to share it here.) But would you pray for those two little boys? Would you pray the Lord would protect them from trauma? Would you pray for their little hearts and minds? Would you pray their transition into our home (whether they want it or not) to be a smooth one and a happy one? Would you pray they are open to Jesus' love?
- And for now, my last prayer request is one we've had for several months now - simply, that Dan and I would get good sleep. Our girls (for numerous, varying reasons) have not been sleeping well the last few months. They slept so well as babies, and neither Dan or I function well with little sleep. This lack of sleep has a way of discouraging us and making us think we surely are not capable of taking on more kids. Would you pray not only for more sleep, but for clear thinking for us when we are tired? OF COURSE we can't take on more kids! (Well, not in our own strength...) Of course we are going to have to rely on God's grace every single day of this process! That just gets harder to do when we are so tired.
Dan and I are going to both try to keep this blog up in order to share our journey with you - thank you in advance for your prayers - they are the most powerful support you could give our family this year! Until the next update, what leaps of faith is Jesus asking you to take today?
Posted by Klappyanne at 2:54 PM 0 comments
Monday, May 21, 2012
Katelyn Joy at 2 Years Old -
Posted by Klappyanne at 9:18 PM 2 comments
Friday, April 6, 2012
Side Effects
This has been the most difficult round so far, very hard physically. I'm sitting here typing very carefully because of the pain in my fingernails. They are bruised and starting to lift off. My blood levels have dropped too low and I am being scheduled for a blood transfusion. The nurse is going to call the hospital this morning and try and schedule me for a match this morning and have it done tomorrow. I am very disappointed because the kids are coming to do Easter tomorrow but good that they will be here to help. It is a 4-6 hour process. I was told from the beginning this could happen but I guess the fact I only have one treatment left I thought I could get by without this. Well I guess the reality of not a perfect world in chemo is reality for me today :) I will re-post if the schedule changes.
Posted by Klappyanne at 7:26 AM 0 comments
Round Seven Side Effects
Well this round proved to be my hardest yet. I'm sitting here typing in pain because my fingernails are bruised and starting to lift off. I went yesterday to get my blood levels checked and they have dropped too low. I'm having trouble breathing and my heart starts racing if I do anything active. So I am being scheduled for a blood transfusion. I was told from the beginning that this could happen. I guess I was hoping since I only have one more treatment left that I would get through without it. It takes 4-6 hours and will be done as an outpatient at Menifee Hospital. The plan is to go this morning to get blood typed they will order the blood and schedule for tomorrow. The nurse is suppose to call first thing this morning to confirm the schedule. The kids are suppose to come and do Easter tomorrow so I'm disappointed this is interfering but also good that they will be here to help me too. Anne made it home from Russia and stopped by for a visit last night. Good to see and hear how God worked but she is still very jet lagged and tired. I will re-post if the schedule ends up different.
Posted by Klappyanne at 7:11 AM 0 comments
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The Cost of Discipleship -
I read the book for Baloian's class back in college, and I highly recommend it. (He IS German, though, and the entire book is made up of VERY long sentences.) But it was a great reminder that the Grace we depend on did not come at a cheap price - and our response to God cannot be cheap, either.
This story of God's that I live in - it's a BIG story. It's a story that calls us to a higher purpose. A call that can only be understood when looking through an eternal lens. A story that includes the whole world, and every creature on it. A story of love and sacrifice. (I know it's no surprise to you who know me well that I'm a hopeless romantic, and a sweeping epic gets me every time!) I truly believe my heart longs for epic stories because that's exactly what Christ has called us to - an epic story.
I heard something this morning that broke my heart. I guess our missions committee at church has decided that trips to Mexico are out of the question because of safety concerns. This issue is close to my heart because I have been to Mexico many times, and I thoroughly believe in the purpose and calling of Mexico Outreach at APU. In fact, this summer, Dan and I will take Kate and head down to Ensenada to be the Camp Deans of Summer 1 Camp for Mexico Outreach. (Shameless plug: Are you an APU Alum? Wanna be on Team Barnabas with us?? Call me!)
Take Kate, you say? Are we crazy? Probably. But that's exactly the point. I think Jesus calls us to crazy. He does not call us to cozy. Or normal. Or safe. There's nothing safe about Jesus. I can't imagine the disciples felt safe when a mob ran them out of town because the crazy guy in the graveyard was acting normal. I can't imagine they felt safe when the church leaders were huddling in the corner trying to plan their demise. We know Peter didn't feel safe once Christ was arrested - he didn't even stick around. Paul's life? I could go on and on - have you read the end of Acts? Nothing safe about it.
"Is he safe?" "No, he's not safe. But he's good."
What caused Paul to sing praises while stuck in a prison? (That he got thrown into because it wasn't safe to preach the gospel in that area.) I'd like to think that Paul knew the risk was worth it. Something else I learned from that class in college - Faith IS Risk. Risking something means you have to have a whole lot of trust. If we don't obey Jesus because it's too risky, it means we don't trust Him to be in control. Do we trust that the Lord is in control in the midst of chaos?
(Insert something about Egypt today...)
Okay, I think I need to get off my soapbox now...this has so many implications. The point can be applied to so many facets of our lives, I could type for hours on the subject! But I am still brokenhearted that a bunch of very well-intended Christians sat around a table recently and decided that our people's safety was more important than the message of the gospel being proclaimed to another people group who are in great need. And for that, I am sad.
I am also very excited to go to Mexico in June. I feel so privileged for the opportunity! Dan and I can't wait to use our gifts in that setting, serving young people willing to take the risk of coming to Mexico for the Gospel! And if something, heaven forbid, were to happen to us on our 10 minute drive through the "unsafe" part of town, I will sing praises to my Savior Who will still be in control. Can I get an Amen?? :)
Posted by Klappyanne at 2:56 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
I'm really thankful for my new housecleaning product...
Let me preface this blog by saying that I think I am ridiculously blessed. When I talk about my struggles to keep the house clean, I know full well I am lucky to have a very nice house to keep clean. Sometimes I just can't believe how many in the world don't even have a third of what I have, and I feel kinda petty spending a whole blog talking about a house cleaning appliance. BUT it IS pretty cool, so I thought I would share it with you all...
A large portion of our house floor consists of white tiles. That show everything. And I mean everything. The dirty floor is also enhanced by our two pets. Our routine has been to clean the tile floor this way: Sweep. Vacuum up the leftovers. Swiffer the floor - using 3 swiffer pads per cleaning. Nurse a very sore lower back. Repeat every few weeks...because it hurts the back too much to do it more often than that.
AND THEN DAN BOUGHT THIS.
I used it for the first time today, and I do believe my floors will be much cleaner from now on!! It's SOOO cool! It vacuums and then steam cleans the floor! No chemicals, no replacement pads to buy all the time, a really tall handle, no need to scrub really hard, no need to wait for the floor to dry, and no sore back after!!
So you just fill the thing with water, and it steam cleans the floor through a pad that - get this - when you're done with, you just throw it in the washer! I thought the steam worked really well and loosened everything off the floor. If something didn't come off the first sweep over, I just held the steam over the spot for a few seconds, and poof - all gone! I could see the streak of steam on the floor as it cleaned - and it was super easy.
Dan said he paid too much for it, but we both decided you can't put a price on no back pain and a clean floor for a rug rat who is very, very close to crawling!
If you have a hard floor, or back problems, or a baby, or just want house cleaning to be easier - I would highly encourage the investment!
Happy cleaning!
Posted by Klappyanne at 6:15 PM 0 comments
