Enlarge your tent!

Today or possibly tomorrow we're supposed to be getting our third foster child, which will bring us to a total of 6 children in our home. I opened up my devotional this morning and it was entitled, "Enlarge Your Tent!" I was cracking up, because it just shows how God has a sense of humor. Come on God, how much more can we enlarge this tent?! Back when we got our first foster daughter a couple months ago, I posted a status update on Facebook about how we are DEFINITELY maxed out with 4 kids in our home. God really enjoys using my own plans and words to prove me wrong. For example, I had planned on fostering a newborn baby boy. God had planned for me to foster a 10 month old baby girl, followed by a 4 year old little girl a month later. lol I truly am glad that God doesn't let me know these things in advance because I would have really been freaking out.

Life is pretty great over here. The more we say, "Yes" to God, the more we are blessed and I don't mean with material things. Since getting Miss A, all the kids have been sleeping much better. With 5 children, Seth and I are consistently getting 7 hours or more of sleep a night. Granted we get woken up about 3 times by different children, but I'm pretty happy with the overall outcome. I have more joy and patience as a mother. I am more intentional with my parenting, trying to make the most of every opportunity to disciple them or love them. I am learning to be more relaxed in my "crunchiness" because there are just some things that are impossible right now, cloth diapering being one of them. We have also embraced paper plates because they have enabled me to only wash one load of dishes a day as opposed to two. This is pretty big for me! I hate doing dishes, but most importantly, I get to spend more time with the kids as opposed to cleaning.

The relationship that has developed between Miss A and Maggie is amazing. They are inseparable during the day and I even find them sleeping next to each other at night now. My heart breaks a little thinking about the possibility of her leaving someday and what that would do to Maggie, but God reminds me that HE is in control and that worrying about "What ifs" is nothing but insulting to Him. As we prepare to embrace another child and change their life, please keep our family in your prayers for continued guidance and providence. From my devotional this morning...

"You live your life with the expectancy that Christ will fill you with His power in the days to come and will “stretch” you to do things in His service that you have never done before."

Can I get an "Amen?" :) 

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