God Has Answered

Today is my second anniversary as a foster mom. So far I have not been showered with balloons or congratulatory cards. Honestly, I didn't notice the significance of the date until someone asked me yesterday how long I had been a foster parent, but since I have now made the connection I will choose to celebrate the milestone after all. Perhaps a venti latte is in my future.  Even Minecraft can't occupy my girls long enough for me share everything I have learned in the past two years, but I would like to share some practical, easy "hacks" I am currently implementing to improve my nurturing skills. Parenting kids from hard places is different than parenting healthy, typically developing kids who have always had reliable caregivers. My bio girls have faired fine with what I have learned is my dismissive parenting, because I have consistently shown up and provided care, my presence, and my affection. If I happen to be one of those moms that tells her child to ...

If Attention Deficit Disorder had been a common diagnosis during my childhood, I might have qualified. While I have never been hyperactive like my friends with ADHD, I have some classic ADD symptoms. As a kid, I would frequently look up in class and realize I had no idea what the teacher was talking about because I had been immersed for who knows how long in my daydream scenario sparked by her comment on a topic that had long since been left behind. I was an incredibly slow reader because a character in a book could raise a multitude of questions in my mind that simply had to be answered before I could continue reading. My fellow drivers may find this disconcerting, but sometimes I still experience this phenomenon while driving. I set out on my journey and multitask by thinking through a situation as I drive. When I arrive at my destination, I have no idea how I actually got there. I just hope that while my autopilot kicked in to allow my mind to solve the world's problems...

When Matt and I were dating, I casually made the comment one evening that if he wanted a big family like his own (he's the oldest of five), then we probably weren't the right match. I have one sister, and at the time, I considered two to be the perfect number of children for any family. Since I knew everything in my twenties, no one would have been able to convince me otherwise. Matt sweetly responded that two kids sounded good to him. Today, as five precious little girls get into my mini-van in the school car line, I wonder what God thought then. Did He laugh at my small dreams or just shake His head at my ignorance?  Fifteen years ago, if you had told us that God would take us on a roller coaster adventure of infertility, ministry, and parenthood that would ultimately lead to a home filled with five little ladies between the ages of five and nine, I don't know if we would have laughed or cried. However, here we sit, a year into our foster parenting adventure the bi...

 Receiving helpful criticism from Mrs. Ditty I am by nature a critical person. Add to that being an all-knowing, confident oldest child and studying to be a therapist in college where I honed my observation and analytical skills, and you have a world class critic. I can tell you what's wrong with any person, situation, or system. In this society where everyone has an opinion and thanks to social media platforms everyone has a voice, we have come to believe that everyone has a right to criticize. Now, the truth is that everyone can criticize openly and freely, but the question is, should we. Criticism is a tricky thing. I have benefited from helpful criticism that was intended for my good and growth, that was delivered carefully and deliberately by people who had earned a place of respect in my life, people who had spent infinitely more time delivering encouragement and affirmation. This kind of criticism when given and received well can be invaluable, and I am grateful for th...

If you give a preschooler a small group leader, she might start crying for her mom until she realizes that she is safe and loved. Then she will probably ask for a hug and a baby doll to hold.  If you give her a baby doll, she will probably start playing and practicing the love and nurturing she is receiving. She will see generosity and learn about sharing. Then she will probably ask her small group leader to sit and play with her.  If her small group leader sits and plays with her, she will learn that she is valuable and welcome in her church family. She will learn to love the Church. All that playing and fun will make her hungry, and then she will probably ask for a snack.  If you give her a snack of goldfish, she will ask for water to wash them down, and if you give her water to go with her snack, she will learn that her needs will be met when she goes to her small group. Her hands and mouth will be busy, so she will probably ask for a story to pass the time....

Moms all over the nation love WinShape Camps for Communities. I am one of those moms. Five years ago as the mom of two preschoolers, I began volunteering at the Madison, AL WinShape Camp. My oldest daughter spent the next four years waiting anxiously to participate in camp herself. Last summer her chance finally arrived. My little “jellyfish” (her Team Time name) truly did have the summer of a lifetime, and I went from being a community leader who loved WinShape to a mom who loves this opportunity for my daughter. Here are the top five reasons I think moms love WinShape. #5 Say “No” to Boredom By the end of the summer, the kids are wrinkly from all the time spent at the pool, their Netflix ques are exhausted, and you are weary from all those trips to the park. The kids need to change things up a bit and so does Mom! There is no time for boredom at WinShape. Each moment of your child’s day is thoughtfully designed to give them new, fun, and exciting experiences. “I’m bor...

One month ago today, we welcomed two new beauties into our home and family through foster care. Going from a mom of two to the mom of four overnight pretty much rocked my world. There have been lots of changes I expected, but one change that I had not expected was my sudden reluctance to leave home. In all honesty, I became afraid of taking all four kids places with me. The grocery store, restaurants, and even church became places that produced anxiety as I tried to figure out how to manage the bickering, disobedience, requests, and wandering of four little people all at once outside of the safe confines of our home.   On Sunday, Matt and I decided to take the day off from our regular responsibilities. We had the opportunity to go to Tennessee and celebrate my nephew's decision to follow Christ in baptism, and we took it, even made a full day of it. All six of us worshiped together, celebrated together, and then ventured out to the zoo to have fun together. Admittedly, I w...