Will this Roller Coaster Ever Stop?

So the past 2 months (and really the past couple of years) have really been a roller coaster of emotions and events. Some of you know all the details, some of you know a few of the details, and some of you know barely anything at all. How much you know is not that important, it is just important to us that you keep us and our family in your prayers. I just wanted to share a song that has become important to me and that I have been singing over and over the past several weeks. Its by Mikeschair called "Let the waters rise". I hope it will bless you too!

Don't know where to begin
It's like my world's caving in
And i try but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?

Sometimes its so hard to pray
When you feel so far away
but I'm willing to go where You want me to
God I trust You

There's a raging sea right in front of me
Wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise if You want them to
I will follow You, I will follow You

I will swim in the deep
'cause You'll be next to me
Your in the eye of the storm
and the calm of the sea
You're never out of reach

God You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You've been faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand

There's a raging sea right in front of me
Wants to pull me in, bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise if You want them to
I will follow You, I will follow You

God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding onto you
God Your love is enough
I will follow You, I will follow you!!!

Regardless of how Bobby and I have felt and will feel, we know that Our God is Mighty to Save and He never changes. Our purpose here is to live to glorify Him and we are living examples of striving to do this even though we daily fail.

If we happen to come to your mind, we only ask that you lift us up to the Father. This journey that we are on has turned out to look different than we ever expected, but God is still God, He is still on His throne, and He is ALWAYS in control!

~Julie

We are getting closer...

Ok, I know, its been like a month since we updated this thing, but we really had nothing to update. We really are getting very close to being licensed. Our homestudy is complete and has been submitted for final review. I am anticipating this will be in the next week or so. After we are licensed, it will just be a matter of waiting for a child to be placed with us. It could be the day after we are licensed, or it could be 3 months from now, we just have to leave that up to God and His perfect timing.

Our Sunday School class has started studying James. We are just going through it chapter by chapter. Let me just say, the first chapter always kicks me in the rear. (Especially the first 3-4 verses.) I always try and be aware that my hard times can and will be used for Gods glory, but most of the time I choose not to be joyful at the time. Why is that so hard? I tend to find myself mad at God and then frustrated with myself for being mad at God. Eventually I get around to understanding that God is strengthening my faith and growing my endurance, but why does it take so long for me to get there?

God,
Help me to trust you fully. Thank you for the trials that You bring forth in my life. I know and trust that You are using them for Your glory. Be with the child/children that You are going to bring into our lives. Help them to be safe and to know that they are loved by You and by us.
Julie

Charting A New Course

This past weekend, we went to an Foster Care/Adoption expo put together by Child Protective Services to check out their process. In short, it went really well.

I was a little nervous about going through CPS because of our experience in Oklahoma's DHS (their CPS counterpart). I was also reluctant about getting involved with a state agency that has radically different values than us. God alleviated all of those concerns.

It turns out that there are several agencies that have access to children in CPS custody. CPS kind of outsources some of the work load of foster and adoption placements. We found an agency called Covenant Kids that we really like. They are a Christian agency whose statement of faith is solid, whose training is biblically based, and whose attitude toward foster care and adoption is much bigger than just getting kids out of a shelter.

Julie already knew some of that information, but I didn't. I am really excited about this new direction that it appears God is taking us. Please be praying for us. We definitely do not want to go down a road that isn't meant for us. We will be going to their training sessions to get a better grasp on who they are. We'll let you know how it goes.