We passed the TEST!

Tuesday we had our second meeting with our caseworker. Seems to surreal to be saying that. Caseworker? We're starting the foster care process. God has been laying it on my heart for over a year now. He later spoke to Adam. :) When the caseworker from the county first came to my MOPS group last year, I so badly wanted to "sign up" but the timing wasn't right. My son was a wee babe and I was going through postpartem depression, but didn't realize it yet.

Over the past year, God has spoken to me, through His Word, through video clips, conversations with other parents, and through my love for children. Everytime I've tried to give up on this dream, everytime satan whispered a lie to me about my parenting skills or something else, the Lord has reminded me, that I am supposed to do this. I can't ignore the call He has on my life.

So fastforward to May 2011, we went to the Mansfield Growers Market and saw the local agency Concern had a booth and were giving information about becoming a foster parent. May 31st we went to an informational meeting at the Concern office. June we started our paperwork and July our caseworker came to our house to meet with us and give us more paperwork. On Tuesday she came to do our home study. We passed the test! It wasn't as hard as I thought. In the process, I was able to "summer" clean the house. It feels good to be able to have a deeply cleaned house, at least some of the rooms got the DEEP clean. I still have more to do, but it's very rewarding.

She's coming again today, to start our training. I'm so grateful that she's able to come here and do this with us. They are wonderful to work with parents who want to open their home to others. I want to share God's wonderful, amazing love, that He's given to me, with sweet little babes. If it's the child is a fit with our family, we may be adding to our numbers. No longer the Barnes Family Five, but of SIX?? We will see.

God has been pacing me, one step at a time. I have not given too much thought to the END of the process. I am more concerned with the beginning, thank you Jesus, and of welcoming a hurting child into our home and loving that little one and showing my children what God ultimately did for us: He loved us unconditionally and called us His own. Adopted us into His family. Called us His children. What amazing Love is this!!