Out of the Blue..............

We had life by the horns, I was very thankful to God for moving and using us as a vessel.  We were homeschooling our oldest daughters and I was amazed that I could be such a positive influence in their learning how to read and write.  I was doing home preschool with Michael and Megan.  We all were growing and I had my hands full with the babies.  God gave me much wisdom in structure and balance that year.  I grew so much in my role as a "home manager".  Life was very rich in the sense that I felt very confident in my purpose here on earth. I have grown to believe the time we spend beside our kids, and when we choose to walk next to them in life, instead of pushing them onto someone else, we experience the most blessing.  The blessing of our children is what we make of it.  We also were realizing that God was growing our hearts in an extra sensitive way towards the foster care system.  We knew we wanted to take in more children down the road. 

  

We have our children in two bedrooms in our three bedroom home and realized the space would be needed to move on.  We prayed and looked at many options to pursue the purpose of our ministry , we didn't have much in the way of money to purchase property in our area at the "going rate".  A  land lot down the road from us came up on the market, but was far more then we could afford.  We would drive by and comment on potential for someone to build a home there if they "had money".  We waited and prayed with a number in mind as to what we could afford for a property .  Right before Christmas, the owner of the lot, down the road made contact with my husband and wanted to meet up and show him "that property".  After   conversation with the owner, who was a christian, he felt God wanted him to offer the property at a price we could afford.  We were to give him an offer and we could have the land for that price.  Oh, how God works in amazing ways in His Time!  To me that was one of the best presents I could have asked for.  Presently we have paid off the land and are planning to build another home within the next two years.  This home will offer the opportunity to take in more children if God wills.  Also the kids will have six acres to roam on and enjoy!

The joy and gratitude was there.  I was loving being a mom to six kids.  The days were busy yet rewarding, bedtime by 8pm.  Tea and rest time with my husband until our bedtime.  The morning started with the quiet time of Michael and I getting into the word(bible) while we drank our coffee.......Balance and Peace.

Again, the phone rang, May 12 2011, "Krista pray." Nathaniel's brother was born that morning at 1lb, he was being treated at the NICU.  His survival did not look good.  The complications were endless.  Would we take any consideration into kinship care?  That month was filled with drama and uncertain times, doubt, and misdirection.  Bottom line was, someone needed to go to the NICU and bond with this wee little baby as he fought for his life.  

One obstacle for Mike and I was, we had to apply for a waiver because our home housed six children under the age of 18 and you can not have more without special permission at a state level.  We waited for news on the waiver hoping we would not be denied. We took the risk to go and hold the baby. We had wonderful friends and an awesome babysitter who stepped in at night to sit at the house with the other kids while they were sleeping, and we traveled to the hospital to hold and bond with the baby.  

The balance in our home flew out the window for the time, but God was and continues to be gracious to us, as we brought "Baby James" into our home in July 2011 at a remarkable 4lbs.  James had a heart monitor the first six weeks.  Many doctors appointments have proved he is a miracle to be alive without any major complications. Today James weighs 15lbs and is the most happy, joyful, content child a mommy of seven could ask for!

              God Is So Good!

James 1:27 Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.  (NIV)