Sunday, December 16, 2012

Foster Parents

 Peter and I with our wonderful teachers--Dawn Glavin (orange) and Jenn Smith (purple)
"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart….a door was opened unto me of the Lord….Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ." 2 Corinthians chapter 2

After years of waiting we were finally able to see "
the door". On Monday night (Dec 3rd) Peter and I received our certificate to become foster (hoping to adopt) parents. Despite us both having fevers of 102 we were still able to smile. one more med paperwork class, a few weeks for them to process all the paperwork, and we should have 2 more little ones running around.





We are so grateful to Heavenly Father for His "mysterious", but beautiful ways of bringing about miracles in our lives. We are grateful to have two more angels join our home. All the sadness of loss and waiting is swallowed up in the love of the Savior which is filling our hearts our hearts for the children we have not yet met.





And I am grateful to see just how amazing my two little sons are--so brave and full of love. Everytime I warn them of some difficulty that may come as we foster (extreme behavior problems, loving the kids and then having to return them to their bio. families, affects of abuse etc.), they are still so willing to do whatever needs to be done. Their hearts are so full of love and they are the best brothers on the planet to share that love with others who so desperatly need it. I feel honored to be their mother, and so honored to become the mother (for however long or short that time may be) to two more amazing, strong and brave young ones who already know so much or heartache. I am truely blessed to be around such wonderful souls and to learn from them the things of Heaven.








I was listening to this talk from confence and I knew it was a message from Hevaenly Father that applied to our family (present and soon coming) as we all go through a difficult process.





Where Is the Pavilion?



Although His time is not always our time, we can be sure that the Lord keeps His promises. For any of you who now feel that He is hard to reach, I testify that the day will come that we all will see Him face to face. Just as there is nothing now to obscure His view of us, there will be nothing to obscure our view of Him. We will all stand before Him, in person. Like my granddaughter, we want to see Jesus Christ now, but our certain reunion with Him at the judgment bar will be more pleasing if we first do the things that make Him as familiar to us as we are to Him. As we serve Him, we become like Him, and we feel closer to Him as we approach that day when nothing will hide our view.
The movement toward God can be ongoing. “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,”7 the Savior teaches. And then He tells us how:
“For I was an hungered  and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered  and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
“When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
“Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”8
As we do what He would have us do for His Father’s children, the Lord considers it kindness to Him, and we will feel closer to Him as we feel His love and His approval. In time we will become like Him and will think of the Judgment Day with happy anticipation.
The pavilion that seems to be hiding you from God may be fear of man rather than this desire to serve others. The Savior’s only motivation was to help people. Many of you, as I have, have felt fear in approaching someone you have offended or who has hurt you. And yet I have seen the Lord melt hearts time after time, including my own. And so I challenge you to go for the Lord to someone, despite any fear you may have, to extend love and forgiveness. I promise you that as you do, you will feel the love of the Savior for that person and His love for you, and it will not seem to come from a great distance. 

3 comments:

Rachel Oswald said...

Your family is amazing. I shared your story and that scripture at our last presidency meeting and everyone was really touched. Love you!

Unknown said...

You are amazing! And good luck! Do you know how old the kids you get will be?

Melissa said...

You guys are amazing, and I'm so excited for you to get two little kids!!