I just managed to add a button to my blog from a source that was incorrect! But with a little research and using someone else's html code with my changes made, I fixed the problem and now I have a beautiful "Drawn from Water" button on my blog!
Drawn from Water is very near and dear to my heart. It is an orphanage in Africa that rescues "Mingi" children who are marked to die because of tribal superstition. Our church started this orphanage to rescue the children and find adoptive homes for these kids who would not have survived otherwise. The picture you see is of the first child rescued, who has now been legally adopted by a wonderful family in our church. They are heading to Africa in a few weeks to meet her and bring her home. Please take a minute to read the blog. I'm pretty sure that this is one of God's favorite ministries on earth right now. ;)
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
And Now About School
This should be a shorter blog. We're applying to send our kids to a charter school called "The John Adams Academy." It's a school that's being started by a previous home school family who has the vision to raise up "servant leaders" in the next generation. They use a classical approach to education with an emphasis on teaching critical thinking. We have never found an opportunity for the kids better than home schooling. But this could be one. I never planned on stopping home school. I love schooling the kids, even after the hard days. I love having them home and would miss them if they were gone for the day. But this school could offer them some learning opportunities that I can't give them here. And in addition, the morals they will be taught there are in line with the morals we are teaching them here. So the school will actually be reinforcing the character training we work on at home. At this point, they have 500 plus applicants with only 400 spots open. So they are going to be doing a lottery for the spots in the school. We'll see what happens. But this could really change the way life goes around here!
Promise of Laughter
I mentioned in a previous blog that the Lord has called the baby that is coming "laughter." You can read that here: http://thestroupsgrowingfamily.blogspot.com/2009/09/laughter.html
Since then, almost anytime I've been prayed over the last nine months that word has been repeated. The Lord is bringing laughter and joy with the birth of this baby. I'm all for that! Life is intense and hard! Raising children is hard and often not fun. I really need the joy of the Lord every day or I get pulled under the challenges of the day. I have not even come close to walking in the joy of the Lord during my day. So this promise has me excited because I know that the Lord is doing a work in me and in my family. And when it is His work (not mine) and His promise, I know it won't return void. But He is faithful to complete the work He has started.
Along that strain, I may or may not have mentioned that about a year and a half ago, the Lord challenged us to trust Him with the size of our family. So we stopped using birth control. This has been a huge challenge to me as far as trusting the Lord and surrendering control to Him. I was SURE I would be pregnant by the time Aaron was nine months old. But he was actually 14 months when I got pregnant with this baby. In addition, the way the Lord has surrounded this pregnancy with prophetic promises, including one before I ever knew I was pregnant, has helped my weak heart to trust and know that this child is just as planned as all of our other children, who we planned ourselves. God is so good to us.
Our new baby's name is Sarina Karen. Finally, another girl! Sarina means "princess who laughs." Karen is Matthew's mother's name. She died in 1995 and we have been waiting for eleven years to pass on her name! Karen means "pure." I find it very cool that our baby is "pure laughter."
Since then, almost anytime I've been prayed over the last nine months that word has been repeated. The Lord is bringing laughter and joy with the birth of this baby. I'm all for that! Life is intense and hard! Raising children is hard and often not fun. I really need the joy of the Lord every day or I get pulled under the challenges of the day. I have not even come close to walking in the joy of the Lord during my day. So this promise has me excited because I know that the Lord is doing a work in me and in my family. And when it is His work (not mine) and His promise, I know it won't return void. But He is faithful to complete the work He has started.
Along that strain, I may or may not have mentioned that about a year and a half ago, the Lord challenged us to trust Him with the size of our family. So we stopped using birth control. This has been a huge challenge to me as far as trusting the Lord and surrendering control to Him. I was SURE I would be pregnant by the time Aaron was nine months old. But he was actually 14 months when I got pregnant with this baby. In addition, the way the Lord has surrounded this pregnancy with prophetic promises, including one before I ever knew I was pregnant, has helped my weak heart to trust and know that this child is just as planned as all of our other children, who we planned ourselves. God is so good to us.
Our new baby's name is Sarina Karen. Finally, another girl! Sarina means "princess who laughs." Karen is Matthew's mother's name. She died in 1995 and we have been waiting for eleven years to pass on her name! Karen means "pure." I find it very cool that our baby is "pure laughter."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Catching Up
It's been pointed out to me that I haven't blogged since October and people want to know what's happening in my life. So, I'm going to post two or three to catch people up over the next few days.
I thought I would start with our fostering/adoption situation. Joshua did go back to his first foster home last November. I heard that he adjusted really well back into the home. But I have not heard anything since then. That's kind of the way it goes with fostering. So, I just pray for him and his parents and hope that they are ok.
After Joshua left, I told Matthew that I felt like we had gotten an "F" on fostering. It was very challenging trying to teach him how to behave when he had very little discipline up to that point in his life. I was amazed at how adept he was at manipulation at such a young age. And he seemed to know exactly how to push my buttons. It took a few months after he left before I didn't feel anything except a sense of relief that he was gone. Now, as Aaron is approaching two and reminding me of Joshua all the time, I do have fond memories of him. And I wish I could go back and love him better.
Since that time, we have been looking for open and closed doors as to whether or not we're to foster. Given the fact that we're expecting - I'm due in three weeks - Koinonia put us on an unofficial break. In addition, we just found out that the state of California has passed a law that a foster home cannot have more than a total of six children in the home. This was actually a policy at Koinonia already. But they may have made an exception for us. But now that this law has passed, I think the door is closing. The law only applies to state foster homes at this point. But there are plans to expand it to private foster agencies in the future. So, at this point, we may be done with fostering.
I have wondered why God would have us go through this process just to foster one child for three months. But we can't know all of His purposes. I don't know what God's plan for us in the future is regarding fostering and adopting. But I am very sure that He will be faithful to lead us every step along the way.
Next blog...the new baby!
I thought I would start with our fostering/adoption situation. Joshua did go back to his first foster home last November. I heard that he adjusted really well back into the home. But I have not heard anything since then. That's kind of the way it goes with fostering. So, I just pray for him and his parents and hope that they are ok.
After Joshua left, I told Matthew that I felt like we had gotten an "F" on fostering. It was very challenging trying to teach him how to behave when he had very little discipline up to that point in his life. I was amazed at how adept he was at manipulation at such a young age. And he seemed to know exactly how to push my buttons. It took a few months after he left before I didn't feel anything except a sense of relief that he was gone. Now, as Aaron is approaching two and reminding me of Joshua all the time, I do have fond memories of him. And I wish I could go back and love him better.
Since that time, we have been looking for open and closed doors as to whether or not we're to foster. Given the fact that we're expecting - I'm due in three weeks - Koinonia put us on an unofficial break. In addition, we just found out that the state of California has passed a law that a foster home cannot have more than a total of six children in the home. This was actually a policy at Koinonia already. But they may have made an exception for us. But now that this law has passed, I think the door is closing. The law only applies to state foster homes at this point. But there are plans to expand it to private foster agencies in the future. So, at this point, we may be done with fostering.
I have wondered why God would have us go through this process just to foster one child for three months. But we can't know all of His purposes. I don't know what God's plan for us in the future is regarding fostering and adopting. But I am very sure that He will be faithful to lead us every step along the way.
Next blog...the new baby!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Coming Changes
We found out yesterday that Joshua will be moving foster homes on Wednesday, November 4th, which is in a week. I am really excited about this move, because it will really move him toward reunification with his parents. He is also going back to his first foster home, where he was already really attached to his foster mom there. Things seem to be falling into place!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Latest Update
I've been wanting to blog lately, but haven't felt ready to sit down and commit words to paper, so the speak, until tonight. We've all been doing well, although I'm dealing with pregnancy sickness. But my family is wonderful and they take up for me in many areas. I am so grateful for my husband and my kids. I feel like a queen with them.
Joshua has continued to meld into our family more and more. I've noticed that he listens to and obeys Matthew much quicker and better than he does me, so he must be feeling like one of the kids, since that's pretty much status quo around here. Why is that??? Don't answer.
Anyway...Joshua. We just found out that he will probably be leaving us in the next couple of weeks. His case is being moved to another county. We have known of this possibility for a few weeks. But it's official now. There is a court date on Tuesday that should give us a more solid idea on the time frame. But it's almost a sure thing. It's very interesting, because we have not felt like Joshua is supposed to stay in our family. We're more of a temporary stop for him. But if his case had stayed in Placer County, there could have been a greater chance that he would not go back to his parents. His social worker here really would like to see him stay with us. She sees a secure and stable future for him in our family. So, we've been praying and praying that God's will would be done with this. And I think part of that plan is for the case to move to a county that will be more open to reunification with his parents. As a result, I'm really excited about this move, for Joshua and his parents.
I have actually had the opportunity to get to know his parents more over the last couple of months. They talk with him on the phone a couple times a week. And I have been with them at a some doctor appointments. Their love, adoration really, for Joshua is very evident. They have been devastated by this separation. His dad, especially, is feeling it. He told me that having Joshua taken is the worst pain he has ever experienced. Their whole goal in life right now is to get Joshua back. The really great thing is that they are also going after God and his way. I am very hopeful that they can make it. I pray fervently, for Joshua's sake as well as their own, that they will succeed. They also have another little boy on the way. I so desire to see this family reunited and fulfilling their destiny together. Please pray for them, when you think of us. They have not had many cheerleaders behind them. But I know that if they cling to God with everything they have, they can go forward and never go back.
Of course, the next question is, what's next for the Stroups? Well, aside from having a new baby due in June and all the general craziness that makes up our lives. But in the adoption arena, what's coming for us? Well...I actually got to speak to the head of adoption at Koinonia tonight. He just so happens to attend my church AND I just so happened to see him for the first time in months there tonight. :) He told me that he had a 1/2 hour conversation with our social worker just this week. And he also spoke with the director of the local Koinonia office in Loomis. They are all very enthusiastic about finding us an adoptive placement. I had been worried that we would be disqualified because I'm pregnant. As you might recall, Koinonia has a six kids per household policy. And the new baby makes six. But we don't technically have six yet. So the door is still open. I had started to think that maybe we had done all this just for Joshua and his parents. And that would have been fine. But it's cool to think that God may have one or two for us that need a forever family. I'm excited to see who else God brings into our family.
I cannot say that fostering is easy. I have been very stretched and challenged by many things in the last few months, like learning to parent a child who does not have the foundation that I'm used to giving my kids, learning to parent in a way that I am not accustomed to, learning to love a child that is not my own, and most of all, learning that I really, really cannot raise these kids, any kids, on my own. I desperately need the Lord to meet me in this. And I really need my husband, family and friends. I tend to be pretty self-sufficient, and proud of it. But that is not God's way. So he is using this experience to teach me weakness. Or, more acurately, to show me the weakness that was already there. I think God is a pretty cool guy.
Joshua has continued to meld into our family more and more. I've noticed that he listens to and obeys Matthew much quicker and better than he does me, so he must be feeling like one of the kids, since that's pretty much status quo around here. Why is that??? Don't answer.
Anyway...Joshua. We just found out that he will probably be leaving us in the next couple of weeks. His case is being moved to another county. We have known of this possibility for a few weeks. But it's official now. There is a court date on Tuesday that should give us a more solid idea on the time frame. But it's almost a sure thing. It's very interesting, because we have not felt like Joshua is supposed to stay in our family. We're more of a temporary stop for him. But if his case had stayed in Placer County, there could have been a greater chance that he would not go back to his parents. His social worker here really would like to see him stay with us. She sees a secure and stable future for him in our family. So, we've been praying and praying that God's will would be done with this. And I think part of that plan is for the case to move to a county that will be more open to reunification with his parents. As a result, I'm really excited about this move, for Joshua and his parents.
I have actually had the opportunity to get to know his parents more over the last couple of months. They talk with him on the phone a couple times a week. And I have been with them at a some doctor appointments. Their love, adoration really, for Joshua is very evident. They have been devastated by this separation. His dad, especially, is feeling it. He told me that having Joshua taken is the worst pain he has ever experienced. Their whole goal in life right now is to get Joshua back. The really great thing is that they are also going after God and his way. I am very hopeful that they can make it. I pray fervently, for Joshua's sake as well as their own, that they will succeed. They also have another little boy on the way. I so desire to see this family reunited and fulfilling their destiny together. Please pray for them, when you think of us. They have not had many cheerleaders behind them. But I know that if they cling to God with everything they have, they can go forward and never go back.
Of course, the next question is, what's next for the Stroups? Well, aside from having a new baby due in June and all the general craziness that makes up our lives. But in the adoption arena, what's coming for us? Well...I actually got to speak to the head of adoption at Koinonia tonight. He just so happens to attend my church AND I just so happened to see him for the first time in months there tonight. :) He told me that he had a 1/2 hour conversation with our social worker just this week. And he also spoke with the director of the local Koinonia office in Loomis. They are all very enthusiastic about finding us an adoptive placement. I had been worried that we would be disqualified because I'm pregnant. As you might recall, Koinonia has a six kids per household policy. And the new baby makes six. But we don't technically have six yet. So the door is still open. I had started to think that maybe we had done all this just for Joshua and his parents. And that would have been fine. But it's cool to think that God may have one or two for us that need a forever family. I'm excited to see who else God brings into our family.
I cannot say that fostering is easy. I have been very stretched and challenged by many things in the last few months, like learning to parent a child who does not have the foundation that I'm used to giving my kids, learning to parent in a way that I am not accustomed to, learning to love a child that is not my own, and most of all, learning that I really, really cannot raise these kids, any kids, on my own. I desperately need the Lord to meet me in this. And I really need my husband, family and friends. I tend to be pretty self-sufficient, and proud of it. But that is not God's way. So he is using this experience to teach me weakness. Or, more acurately, to show me the weakness that was already there. I think God is a pretty cool guy.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
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