The Cutest Dorm Room EVER!

This past weekend was extremely busy - my youngest daughter moved into her dorm room at UTSA.  Being the stylish girl that she is and us being thrifty, this was a fun project for us to do together.  I actually waited until move in weekend to build the kitchen cart because we weren't 100% sure how much room we had to work with - a word of advice for those of you preparing to send your kids to school, take good measurements and photos of the dorm room during visits to college.  Here are some photos and info - let me know if you would like additional info.

• The shutters were given to us by a friend who found them in her attic, but I've seen these at the Habitat for Humanity resale store.  I gave them a quick, thin coat in this fun color!
• I made the shade and pillows with fabric purchased from JoAnn's.  The shade is a simple lined panel with Jute twine used to tie up/down.  It is attached using a tension rod on top.
• The cart near the bed is from Ikea.
• The chevron wool rug is from Wisteria 
• I made the Vintage Step Stool from plans from my FAVORITE blogger, Ana White!
• I made a simple bedskirt using plain white cotton fabric at JoAnn's/  I attached it under the frame of the bed using command strip hooks and a 1/4" medal rod from Home Depot using to feed the drape on.
• The basket with blankets is from World Market.
• Bedding is from Target.
• "S" letter is from Memorial Antiques & Interiors.
• Trashcan from Bed Bath & Beyond.

 

• I made this kitchen cart to better utilize the space we had to work with.  I wanted to give her plenty of storage to house her appliances and food.  I made a beginner's mistake (I should know better by now!!) and did not leave enough room to put the microwave on the shelf, which is why it's all the way on top.  That's ok - she'll probably use her toaster oven more, anyway!  Anyone with basic building skills can do this - just make sure you draw it out and MEASURE TWICE!!!  I added casters to make moving easier - with all the traffic on move in day, they were life savers!!!
• The scripture artwork was ordered online by my daughter, but I didn't want her to put it on the wall & not be able to keep it.  I cut a piece of 1/4" plywood to size, painted, and made a simple frame.

  

This tv/dvd/wii stand was a super fast project to fit in a little corner at the end of her bed.  I used 1x4's for the legs and 1x12 for the shelves.  A cross bar on the bottom facing the wall gave it more stability, but to ensure it didn't accidentally get knocked over I put a heavy duty Command Strip on the top shelf against the wall.  Notice there is PLENTY of space below for the hamper!

 

•  I built this narrow shelf for the bathroom to give the girls plenty of storage space. The shelf is 5' tall using leftover scraps of 3/4" plywood for the shelves and I ripped down some 2x4's into 1.25" square boards to use for the frame and trim.  (you can use 2x2's, but the ones I found at the local Home Depot are in such rough shape, I thought it would be easier to rip down my own)  
• The shower curtain was made using fabric bought at JoAnn's.
• I made a Mason Jar Storage area to mount on the wall - using an old piece of teardrop siding for a rustic look!   

 

• The entry way has this artwork my daughter bought on her first trip to Africa 2 years ago & I mounted it on a simple frame.
• The closet area is open, so we used a shower tension rod and purchased some ready made drapes with grommets to keep things neat!

This was a super fun project & made my daughter so happy, so now she can focus on her studies!  I know she'll think about me every time she comes home to her new "home".  

Saturday Market!

I participated as a vendor in a Saturday Outdoor Market Day at Cru Home and really enjoyed making some new items!  I would also like to add that sales from the Saturday Markets will benefit my daughter's upcoming mission trip to Uganda.

My lovely helper and daughter, Sarah manning the table

"Queen Size" Doll Bed.  $75

Rustic Simple Nativity (measures 4" tall)  $5

A variety of handmade goodies!

Africa (Heart in Uganda) Ornaments.  $10

Small X Bench. $75

Bigger Kid Picnic Table.  $100

Notepads with elastic crayon holder.  $5

Doll Bed with Ruffled Cover.  w/this style bedding $75

Vintage Play Cabinet (33.5" high)  $100

Rolled Magazine Heart with Painted Frame.  $30

Library Console Table (39" wide x 33" tall)  $150

Wreath made with Bible pages.  $100

Rustic Large Bench.  $100

Preschool Picnic Table.  $75

Numbered Cubbies.  $25

Step Stool (stained, then painted black and distressed)  $40

Step Stool (steps stained, rest painted then glazed)  $40

I am currently in the process of updating my current inventory and prices, so if you have a question regarding a specific item or a custom order, please let me know!

My $30 Closet Makeover

Here's a great way to get some extra storage out of a standard 75" wide closet. Items purchased were:

1. 1 - 4x8 sheet of cabinet-grade plywood (about $26)
2. 2- closet rod hangers (about $2 ea)

Items I had/re-used are:

1. 75" shelf that went across entire closet
2. metal rods (extended long enough to cut into 2-40" long pieces and one 16" piece).
3. paint

I got the plywood at Home Depot and had them rip 2-15.5" boards, leaving one 17" board which was used for the shelves. The 15.5" boards were cut to 80" tall and the 17" board was used to make 6- 15.5" shelves (the leftover 3" piece was used for the toe kick). After the pieces were cut, they were sanded, primed & painted before assembly. (I used a Kreg Jig to join using pocket hole screws) The bookcase was then assembled leaving about 12" between shelves with no top shelf (a scrap 1x3 was used for the board on the top to attach to the wall). The bookshelf was then anchored in the closet leaving 40" on the left and about 16" on the right (only one rod on this side - for hanging dresses).

The 75" original shelf was used across the top, also re-using the cleats used on the side walls to rest the board on. I gained a little rod space - going from 75" to 96" total, but gained 102" of shelf space on the bookshelf!

Thing 1 and Thing 2

It's been several months since my last post. Almost 6 months to be exact. It was shortly after "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" were placed in our home. At the time, the boys were 2 and 4. I can say without a doubt that they have come a long way since then.

You see, we decided to continue to foster after our last placement returned home in June last year, but because of the emotional drain of having a teenage foster daughter, we decided to foster younger children thinking since they come with "less baggage", it would be easier. I guess we were wrong. Not easier - just different. The first few months were the toughest. We had even reached a point when we called the agency asking them to find another foster family to transfer them to - it was hard on everyone and we were always tired, fighting and yelling. At the very least, I knew the boys deserved to be somewhere where they could experience real love. We asked the agency to be on the lookout, letting them know we were ready but we would wait until the right family came around. We then decided to really pray about it. We realized that the problem wasn't them, it was US! We had the wrong attitude and expectation about the boys. Of COURSE they were going to be wild, disobedient and obstinate. They were not taught any better their entire lives! Now they were in a home and all of their needs were suddenly met and we expected too much too soon. Once we adjusted our expectations guess what? Our attitudes changed and we allowed ourselves to actually enjoy them. God is so good- I thought I was already a patient person, but I needed more! They still need alot more training to get where they should be (with speech, school, behavior), but that task seems much more realistic now.

One thing we have come to the conclusion is we will probably not continue to foster children this young. I believe it would be in the best interest of them and us to be with a family who can focus all of their time and attention since that age is so demanding. We have had to put many things on hold with our own kids because of the boys and I'm ready to be involved with activities that my kids can participate in.

We don't know for sure yet, but it looks like the boys may be available for adoption later this year, unless their parents can get their act together (but things don't look good for them). We have met a young couple who desire to adopt and they will be babysitting the boys next week during Spring Break. This will be a much needed time of rest for our family and a great opportunity to see if the boys will be a good fit for this young, energetic family.

As all of this unfolds, God is putting yet another burden on our hearts. I can't wait to see how He uses us in those He's recently put into our lives and hearts. More to come later...

I LOVE Craigslist!

We moved into our "new" home a few months ago and are slowly replacing the items we sold or gave away before moving to Rio Bend. One large purchase we needed was a washer and dryer. Actually, I did purchase a set right after we moved since those appliances can be catagorized as a "necessity", so I found an older, used set on Craigslist for $150. It wasn't the prettiest to look at, but they seemed to work fine. My biggest problem was that our laundry room is so small there was really no room for a hamper or much else, in order to keep the door closed, so after using them for a few months, I was able to turn around and re-sell them on Craigslist for what I got them for. We were without a washer/dryer for a few weeks while I searched for a stackable gas unit in our price range. Having the washer/dryer out also gave me the opportunity to re-paint the laundry room which was greatly needed. Ironically, the night I was re-painting was the night we received a call to see if we would accept placement of our 2 foster sons, ages 2 and 4. That's another post for another time...

I was determined to find a washer/dryer last weekend if that's all I accomplished, so I checked out Craigslist and a few used appliance stores and other than one non-responsive listing, I found a listing advertising a 2 family garage sale and it listed a stackable washer/dryer. No price, pictures or phone numbers, just an address and time....so I headed out not really sure what to expect. At that point I was willing to take an electric, but was really hoping for gas. I got to the garage sale and there is was, in the corner with a $100 sign on it. I asked if it was gas or electric, and the young man said he wasn't sure, and that it was in the house when they recently purchased it, and since they didn't need it, they were selling it. I quickly paid for it and called Jeff so he can borrow a truck to pick it up later. After a good cleaning I was SOOOO happy to realize this was a like-new GAS unit that retails for about $1300 at Sears!

After finding deals like this, who would pay retail for any large purchases like this? We're trying hard to completely get out of debt and live within our means - we truly believe that debt is a burden and distracts us from doing the things we should be doing. I love listening to Dave Ramsey and we are even attending his live event in January! If you've never listened to Dave Ramsey, find out what time/station his show airs by visiting his website at www.daveramsey.com.

Moving!

It's been a while, I know...I just wanted to give details on what's going on in the Cokenour household. We've been living at Rio Bend since July last year, and have come to realize clearly that although God called us to become foster parents, it does not necessarily only have to be at Rio Bend. Without getting into too many details, we are not in agreement with some recent decisions here, so it's time for us to dust off our sandals and move on!

I thought we were in a recession! There are not too many houses available (in our desired areas and price ranges, anyway). We were originally going to rent, but rents are EXHORBENT right now, so we decided to buy. Thanks to Uncle Obama (as my husband calls him) we are eligible for an $8k stimulus if we purchase a home, so that decision became a no-brainer! We actually came across some foreclosures that I was interested in, but you're required to pay cash because no one will lend you any money with the condition they're in.

We have been concentrating on the Sugar Land area since that's what we are familiar with and we love it. Jeff just started a new job at the VA in the medical center area, so it was also important to find something that would give him a better commute.

We currently have an option on a house that is within walking distance to my brother and sister in law - we're excited about being able to spend more time with them.

We will continue to foster, Lord willing... Our current foster daughter may be going back home soon, so if she does, we'll accept another placement - maybe even being open to younger kids this time. Teenagers can wear you out, whether they're your own or not, so we may take a break from adding teens to our household.

I'm excited about the new house so I can finally start doing some projects that I've been wanting to do for a while. My family will not know what to think when I actually start making drapes for OUR OWN HOME.

I will keep this updated once we close and with any fun projects that come up!

drained

Yesterday we had to do one of the hardest things we've ever had to do - admit a child to a psychiatric hospital. We knew he had problems to start with, why else would he be in foster care, right?

It's hard to understand how a child who can be so happy and obedient one moment can lose total control of his ability to reason the next. I can't stop wondering what we could/should have done differently, but the bottom line is some children, in and out of foster care are emotionally and mentally disturbed. We really had no choice when our family's safety (and his) was threatened.

I have alot of things going through my mind, but mostly (1) It was presumptuous of us to believe we could help him in such a short period of time and (2) what hope is there for people like this? During the admission process, there was an older gentleman admitting his 29 year old son as well. He commented that his son was about the same age as our foster son when he was first admitted.

I'm emotionally drained right now and feel defeated. I'm sad for what we had to do and for any scars we added to his heart.

In Memory of Grandma Helen

Helen Augusta Gunn was my husband, Jeff's maternal Grandmother. She passed away this past Sunday, February 1st, 2009. She just turned 95 years old in October.

Grandma Helen came to live with us in 1998 (about 11 years ago) after she fell and shattered her ankle and was unable to live on her own. Until that time, Jeff's sister, Helen, and his mom, Karen, who lived nearby in California helped her by checking in on her, taking her shopping, etc... Since she needed so much assistance we decided to move her in with us so we could take care of her, and since we only had two kids at the time and a 4 bedroom home, it was something we needed to do.

Having Grandma live with us was such a good experience for our family. It taught us patience, respect and the kids learned to put other people before themselves. Grandma didn't have much, but she was content with her life. Jeff has many fond memories of her growing up because she was always there, sometimes living with them, but always nearby.

Grandma was able to watch our children grow up - Andrew was born about a year after she moved in with us and in her early stages of dementia, she thought he was her baby. Those were such sweet moments because he deveopled a close bond with her as well. The kids loved to hang out in her room with her to snuggle or just watch cartoons and they could always count on her sneaking them a cookie or two.

We'll miss Grandma Helen and cherish our sweet memories of her!

Patiently Waiting...

It's been a while since I've posted, so I thought I'd give a quick update. Things are busy as usual in our household. Amy is now 16, getting ready to apply for her first job today (as a Book Shelver at the library - perfect for her!), Sarah just turned 13 and Andrew is 9. We currently still have only 1 foster child - a 13 year old girl, she and Sarah are friends (most days, anyway) and I LOVE the way God uses our ENTIRE family to impact her life. I can't imagine doing this any other way!

We got a call last week asking if we would take an 8 year old boy and we accepted immediately. Andrew's been asking for a brother for a very long time (especially when his sisters have lots of friends over). We have not heard back from CPS who will be the ones transporting him to our home, so we wait patiently. You never know how quickly the placement process will work. We once accepted placement of another foster daughter on a Wednesday and she did not come until the following Wednesday. We have a neighbor who said yes to a 6-week old baby and an hour later she came! This poses a little issue with being prepared. You never know what they will come with. Will they have enough clothes? Will they fit? Are they appropriate (both modest and weather)? *****UPDATE: Our foster son will be here tomorrow, 1/22! *****

The biggest issue with being prepared is what will they be like? When Andrew was begging me to please call and ask again for a brother, I reminded him that if he gets one that he may not be exactly what he's hoping for. I asked Andrew to think about a kid in his class who is always getting into trouble, failing his classes and isn't liked by most of the kids because he's a bully and told him that THAT would most likely be what his new brother would be like. I asked him if he still wanted a brother like that, and he said yes! He said that God can use him to be a good example and we agreed that we'd all be angy if we weren't getting the love and care that we needed. I want to encourage all of you to reach out to someone you may not know well, but is a little unlovable. You never know - they may be in desperate need of a friend.

I'd love to share more about our foster kids, but we must respect their privacy. If you would like to be included on prayer requests and updates for our family, please let me know!

'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:40

Back to One

Today was a roller coaster of a day - we started out with two foster daughters, and are now down to one. We had a 15 year old girl placed in our home about 3 weeks ago. She was a joy! Very quiet, responsible and well-behaved. She was in foster care for different reasons than most kids - sorry I have to be vague, but we need to respect their privacy as much as possible, which is why I post so few details. You see, this sweet girl has a 5 month old baby and CPS has been trying hard to get them placed in the same home since she came into care a month ago. So, while I'm sad that this sweet girl is no longer in our home, I KNOW God used us to plant some seeds and I'll see her again. Best of all, she's back with her baby now which is all she's wanted from day one. I have to give her CPS caseworker credit for working so hard to get this done before Christmas - most other government employees would avoid any extra work they can before a long break.

I agree with Jen that being a foster parent is hard - I have had so many physically, emotionally draining days I too question myself some days as to how long I can endure this, then God gives me a glimpse of how He is using us in their lives. We are all growing through this - and consider these trials PURE JOY. (James 1)

Cruisin'

Well, Jeff and I are back from our cruise where we celebrated our 20th Anniversary. We went on Carnival's Ecstasy and really enjoyed ourselves.

The main thing we kept hearing about was THE FOOD on cruises. Jeff & I enjoy high-quality food, and we were definitely NOT disappointed. You get to choose between eating at self-serve buffets to quality restaurants where you are seated and served your choice of appetizers and entrees' or room service if you preferred. Here's what I had for my entrees' each night:

• Night 1 - Flounder (Jeff had Duck)


• Night 2 - Lobster & Shrimp


• Night 3 - Chateau Briand


• Night 4 - Turkey


• Night 5 - Salmon (Jeff had Lamb)

Keep in mind that this is just the entree' and you usually had about 5 to choose from. They were totally okay with choosing more than one appetizer, so in addition to this you had a delicious appetizer (or two) as well! The yummiest thing was the Chocolate Melting Cake and I plan on finding a recipe to try out soon! For breakfast we had DELICIOUS Eggs Benedict.

There was quite a bit of entertainment to choose from - shows, dancing, casino, music, tea time and seminars like ice sculpting and scrapbooking. Our first stop was in Cozumel which was lots of fun. The excursions were cancelled because of high winds and choppy waters, but we found a small beach and were able to relax and go snorkling. I wasn't as impressed with our second port stop in Progreso, so "next time" we will probably take the 4 day cruise with only the stop in Cozumel.

Our main goal on this cruise was to REST, and unfortunately, that goal was not met. Our room was an interior room, meaning it was located on the interior part of the ship vs. a room with a window. There were loud banging noises intermittently on one of the walls and the crew was unable to pinpoint where it was coming from. It didn't help that every time we called them it stopped, so they never got to hear it themselves. Needless to say, we didn't get a great night's sleep while away. They were very gracious and gave us an onboard credit for our purchases while on the cruise, so I was grateful for that. I also need to mention that photographs are a BIG source of revenue on these boats - they're always taking your picture and also provide various stations with a variety of backdrops and each night they post these pictures for you to review and purchase if you desire. The photo above was my disembarkment at Cozumel and I have more to come!

If you're thinking of a fun getaway with your honey, I would highly recommend a cruise. It took me a little while to get over the gaudy casino-like feel to the ship, but I enjoyed the quality time I was able to spend with Jeff. It was nice to stop everything and intentionally invest in our marriage. I feel so blessed to have a husband like Jeff!

I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready!

Okay - I'm SO ready to go on Saturday! Jeff and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary and are going on a 5 day cruise to Mexico. This is a trip we planned since early this year, before fostering and before my broken ankle. I'm not looking forward to it so much for the entertainment aspect of it, but for the rest. I'm tired. Emotionally, I need a break and time to pray and meditate on how to best impact our foster daughter's life. I have a few books I'm bringing with me that may help with practical advice.

I'm glad Jeff and I will have this chance to spend time together without the distractions of work, school, kids and all the noise that goes along with that. This has been a hard semester on us - Jeff is finishing up his last semester at UH taking classes every M-Th evening in addition to teaching. That leaves me to be the one juggling the kids' needs and schedules - and that's in addition to working full time. We have prayed about and decided that at the first of the year, I will change my employment status with Apartment Life back to part time (after being full time for 2 years). I can't wait to be able to have more time to invest in my family's life and am looking forward to spending more time with friends that I feel like I've put on hold for the past 2 years. This change is an answer to prayer! Who knows - I may even find time to sew some drapes for our own home next year!

gas

I couldn't believe it when I was filling up at Sam's yesterday and noticed the price of gas - $1.84! I just read that oil is now under $60 a barrel, so hopefully that will stay level for a while so we can enjoy these prices for a little while longer. I remember only a few years ago people were freaking out because it was going over for $40 a barrel. I found this chart that shows how sharply the cost of oil had jumped in the past year:



This chart shows average gas prices since 1976

It will be interesting to see what happens next - any thoughts?

Can You Do This?

I didn't know too much about being a foster parent until about a year ago - that's when some friends of ours were going through the process and I was so burdened to be a part of this incredible ministry that we decided to begin the process to be approved Respite Foster Parents. Basically, if you are a foster parent and you need someone to watch your foster children for more than 72 hours, they need to go through the training and licensing process just like a foster parent. We wanted to be able to help out our foster parent friends in any way we can, then God orchestrated things where we were able to become foster parents ourselves, so here we are!

I'm wondering how many of you out there are wondering if this is something you should pursue? What better way to find out than to start out by providing respite care for another foster family. In case you didn't know, the state does provide a daily stipend to foster parents to reimburse you for costs associated with caring for a foster child. Any (good) parent knows that it costs $$ to raise a child, so that should remove the financial burden from your decision. Room may be another factor, but as long as the child has a minimum of 40 square feet in their bedroom designated for them, that should not be a problem, either.

I think most people's resistance comes from the inconvenience this will cause them and their families. Sure, you will have to deal with many new responsibilities such as: enrolling a new child in school, maintaining communication with their teachers, helping with report cards, feeding, clothing, transporting to family visits, doctor and dentist visits, etc... and sometimes you are also challenged and have to deal with detentions, them missing the bus, ISS (in school suspensions) and jealous biological children. So, sure, this does put a strain on my "free" time, but it's also fulfilling when you are making a visible difference in the life of a young person. Most importantly, God is using us to make an ETERNAL difference in their lives as well.

The foster care system is filled with too many low-income, unemployed, uneducated, unmarried or non-believing foster parents, so these precious children are usually going from one poverty situation to another. It's time for more working middle-class couples to step up and help change these children's lives, whether it's by fostering, providing respite care or by becoming a child advocate. There are alot of Child Placement Agencies out there to choose from, or you can go directly through CPS. We use Arrow Child & Family Ministries and have been pleased. Please email me if you'd like more information or if you want to visit our neighborhood to see if this is for you.

Teenage Moments

As we approach the end of two full weeks of becoming foster parents, I can honestly say that the "honeymoon" is over. We've had a few trying days where our parenting skills were challenged. Sunday was especially difficult because they seem to have been challenged by all 4 children in our household! As I sought the Lord's guidance in how to respond to our foster daughter's attitude, it was clear to me that it should not be any different than how I would respond to my own children's words or actions.

The night ended better than I could have hoped - we talked, prayed together and she apologized. God is so good!

On a side note, we got another call today for a possible placement of 2 more children (2 of a sibling group of 4). We're only licensed to have 3 foster kids in our home, so it breaks my heart that they'd be separated, but I guess keeping 2 together is better than splitting up all 4.

Family!

Well, yesterday we officially became foster parents! We received into our care a beautiful, vibrant 13 year old girl; who after spending some time with our family asked if it was okay to call me "mommy" and Jeff "daddy" (as long as her real mom didn't hear her because that would hurt her feelings). She is looking forward to being reunited with her family, but we are unsure when that would be, so we promised to love and care for her as if she's our own until that happens. The kids are excited about their new sister.

We were warned by other parents about the "honeymoon period" most foster parents go through with new placements, but I'm sure things will fine. The Lord brought us where we are right now and will protect our family. The sad thing in all of this is that she's been in other foster homes where she said she didn't feel loved. How can you commit to do something like care for children and not show love?

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;
but the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13

destruction

Thankfully, our neighborhood was spared - we didn't even lose power for very long and sustained very minor damage, but as we drove through other parts of town we quickly realized what a big difference living only 10 miles East made! These pictures were taken in our old neighborhood, where we lived only 2 months ago. They are still without power.
We are so grateful and continue to pray for those who were affected by Ike!

preparedness

Here we go again! As we prepare for and wait for Ike's arrival, it brings to mind those who choose not to prepare. I don't go overboard, but just prepare in case the stores will be closed for a few days or if we have additional guests who need a place to stay. Those who do nothing to prepare end up not only putting a needless burden on others, but miss out on the peace and security of being safe and keeping your family safe.

Thinking about this brought the "parable of the virgins" found in Matthew 25:1-12 to mind:

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not."

As I continued researching this parable, I found a summary that says it perfectly:

The thing to note here is that they all had the lamp (the Word), but it is only those (the wise) who had the oil that were allowed into the marriage. What is the oil ? The Bible says," Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."(He 1:9). This "oil of gladness" is what seperates the virgins in the above parable. It is only in the utter abandonment to the love of God that one truly becomes "the Bride of Christ". And this in turn brings on the "oil of gladness". The above parable shows that even though some people have the Bible and read it, that they are missing it's most important value by not having that intimate, personal and total relationship with the Lord.

So what I'm trying to say is while being prepared for a storm is good and wise; are you prepared for death? Do you have the "oil of gladness" - a personal, real, relationship with Christ Jesus?

Stay safe.

Randomness

I was asked to share 6 random things by Christina and to tag 6 others. I doubt 6 people read this (I would know you do if you commented every once in a while), but here goes:

Here are the tagging rules:
Post the rules on your blog
Write 6 random things about yourself
Tag 6 people at the end of your post
If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

1. I've never been much of a "reader", but I've been deliberate lately to try to change that. It takes me forever to finish a book, so I usually keep my latest book in my purse so I can read a little at a time (I'm currently reading The Shack). I also love books on tape. My favorite way to stay informed is to read online newspapers and listen to talk radio.
2. I have some spelling and grammatical pet peeves. It annoys me when people use the word "anyways" and misuse "your" and "you're".
3. I'm an introvert and get really nervous when any attention is put on me. I even took 4 years of drama in high school to help me come out of my shell. It didn't work. :)
4. I used to be extremely obsessed with having things done a certain way, such as the way I would fold and hang my towels, but then I had kids and got over it. Life is too short to lose sleep because there are dirty dishes in the sink.
5. I don't understand why so people love Obama SO MUCH. I don't pretend to know everything about him, but such a fundamental issue like allowing partial birth abortions is big enough for me to not want to vote for him. I take everything the candidates say with a grain of salt - they're applying for a job, after all, and will tell you what you want to hear. Judge them by their past actions and experience.
6. I don't "forward" emails and I have "broken" more than one chain letter/email in my life, so I don't plan on tagging anyone. Sorry, Christina!

I'd love to hear from some of you! Have a happy day!

Time to Step Up!

During our training today our case worker told us of a story of a nine year old girl who was in the foster care system, and while in care, her biological mom died in a fire (she was running a meth lab in her home). The case worker took the girl to the funeral, where there was a chapel FULL of relatives there who were mourning the loss of the girl's mom. Can you imagine having a large "family" like that but still no one is willing to take you in - talk about rejection. First by her mom who neglected her child which caused her removal in the first place, then by family not willing to step up. Some even had the nerve to ask the girl for her contact information so they could "keep in touch". (the girl ended up "aging out" of the system when she turned 18)

The segment we were studying was on Separation, Loss & Grief. One thing I've heard over and over is no matter what a child has been through, they almost NEVER speak about their parents in a negative way and will defend them no matter what. Regardless of the circumstances, removal from their home is a tramatic experience for most kids.

I'm struggling right now with judging people who would do this to a child, but that's another fight. Our fight right now is to help save some of these kids.