A Change of Pace

As of June 14, 2013 I will no longer be employed by Guilford County Schools. I am going to be staying home. I will be mom, volunteer at school and church, and whatever else this new path leads me down. I am excited about the change and nervous at the same time. It is going to be challenging to live on such a tight budget but I know we can do it. I am taking a huge leap of faith and trusting God to meet our needs as He hasn't let us down in the past.

Choosing to Believe

          I have begun a study on Jonah: Navigating Life's Interruptions by Priscilla Shirer and it is absolutely wonderful. Of course, I know the Sunday School version of Jonah and the big fish but delving deep into the story of who Jonah was and who God changed Jonah by allowing an interruption to become a divine intervention in his life is a whole different story. After reading today the study asked of the readers to write in the margins something we depend on God for in our lives. My answer was that I am totally dependent on him to meet my needs for finances, help me in raising my girls and making decisions that impact our family.
          Before praying I decided to listen to my new Phillips Craig & Dean CD "Breathe In". The song "I Choose to Believe" is on this CD and I had never heard it before today. But when it played my dining room/living area became a praise and worship ground for Christ as well as an altar of prayer. Here are the lyrics but I encourage you to seek out the song for yourself to hear them sing it so you can worship too.

Verse 1 
Didn't take long for my whole world to change
One phone call now life will never be the same
It's like I'm watching my whole world go dark
Nothing makes much sense but still with all my heart

Chorus
I choose to believe
And never give up hope
God is good 
He's in control
I'll keep the faith, and trust in His ways
And even when His face is hard to see
I choose to believe

Verse 2
It's easy to believe when everything goes our way
But we're all gonna go through fires that test our faith
Life hurts so much that we can hardly breathe
We're begging to know why? But it's such a mystery

Chorus

Even when my world is shaken
even when my heart is breakin'
Even when it seems He's takin' so long

Chorus 

      As verse 2 began I found myself on my knees before God thanking him for being there the past two years and not giving up on me when I was frustrated and giving up because things weren't and hadn't gone my way. My faith had been tested in a way I never imagined it could be and I thanked him for pulling me out of the pit of fire and back into the safety of His arms. Truth is He never promised me a life without trouble and pain so it shouldn't have been a shock that life can and does hurt so bad that it takes your breath away. I will never have my answer to the question of why. After a lot of praying I found that God met me right in my kitchen today. I hope you can join me and emphatically say, "I Choose to Believe", if not then consider finding out how loving my God is and make the choice to follow Him today.
       

Not Immune

So it seems you can avoid catching a cold and other winter illnesses but you can't be immune to the side effects of medicines. Monday Kyleigh was added to the family diagnosis of mood disorder and given the drug Abilify but for her it is a little strong so we have to make sure she eats first otherwise she vomits badly. In addition, at the same exact time Kaitlyn begins an out of the blue fever and sore throat and is being tested for strept. It has definitely been a week here in the Foster household. But I can't complain because we have avoided the FLU and I praise GOD for that. I also am thankful that I AM NOT sick and I continue to pray it stays that way.

Thanks and keep us in your prayers.
Crystal