Many of us are figuring out what to do with the lots of time we suddenly have home with our kiddos. Let's pool our ideas!
A Simple Process For Creating Family Values
Defining core values is a powerful process that results in a kind of "true north" for your family. It forms a lens through which your family can make big decisions and provides a framework for dialogue.
Why You Should Define Your Family Values
As a parent myself, I often wonder what my kids will think of my influence on their childhood. What will be the themes and takeaways? Which of my oft-repeated sayings will leave their mark and shape their future the most? What am I unintentionally communicating?
What It Actually Looks Like to Help the Hurting
So that you don't think you're missing something if you are trying to walk this path and it's messy... Here's what it sometimes looks like to help the hurting.
When You've Chosen to Say Goodbye
You might wonder - was it really love? Maybe it felt like more of a constant stretching of yourself and less of a warm and fuzzy feeling. Was it love to keep trying when things were already looking pretty bad? Was it love to say yes when it ended up not being a forever yes? Was it love growing a child's attachment to a person who didn't/couldn't stay?
That's YOUR Thing
When did caring for the “least of these” become a pet thing, reserved for only a handful of those who are most passionate?
From the Archives #1: Hard days and big questions
This first set of “from the archives” posts features some of our rawest posts. We discuss foster care with our oldest biological child, consider the little joys in the midst of the pain, and try to (inadequately) answer some hard questions that we often come across.
Justice is Never Done
Our efforts will always be insufficient. We grow tired working for small wins: fighting to set the captives free, to father the fatherless, to care for foreigners, and to love the poor. Yet the next day there will be more captives, more orphans, more widows, more refugees, more suffering, more war, more death, and more destruction.
Learning My Triggers
It took me a lot longer than it should have to realize that bodily fluids are a trigger for me. I thought, "It's a reasonable thing to be upset about the mess I'm now dealing with; therefore, my response to these things is also reasonable." I didn't listen to my shaking hands, my racing heart, or my swirling thoughts.
Foster Care and My Forever Kids
We interview our oldest son at age 6 about his experiences as a big brother through biology and foster care!
Planting Marigolds
So often we don't get to see what was at work on the most discouraging of days. We don't get to see how God will use our sacrifices for our good and the good of those around us. Don’t miss the little glimpses.
A Moment for the Hellos
Goodbyes are painful, whether we spend months preparing for them or get a phone call that they're happening in an hour. Goodbyes are one of the first things people think about when they hear "foster family", and their impact lasts a long time, so we've talked about them a lot.
Questions Without Answers
It’s a harmless question, but we are never sure how to answer...
What number child is this for you?
I feel like saying “two” doesn’t accurately describe our family and it definitely short-changes the impact those babies had on our family.
He Went Home Today...
Over a year and a half in our home comes to an end.
There is a young boy without his younger brother to follow him around. There is a dad without his youngest wrestling partner. There is a mother without her baby.