The Promise of Possiblity

November 29, 2012 · By · Leave a Comment

Last week I had the great privledge of hosting thanksgiving for my sister and her family. Just one small problem – all of the chairs that went with my table were broken. Like broken to the point that we were always holding our breath wondering if they would last one more meal. It was like playing Russian roulette with dinner.

So the week before thanksgiving, I set out on a mission to find a new table and chairs. One that I could welcome people to my table. To feed them, to love them, to share the love of Christ with them.

The first little resale shop I went into had this beautiful table at it.

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And now, I have a beautiful, sturdy table to welcome friends and family around. To linger around. To laugh around.

And then, the same day, I recived a box of wonderful suprises from Dayspring, as part of their Inspired Deals program.

What a wonderful day, first a new table, and then my new beautiful table was draped in a beautiful cloth, bearing all the names of our Savior.

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Putting this beautiful runner on my table felt like putting the full armor of God onto my house. With Christ’s name laid bear on my table, all the conversations would be of him.

Along with the table runner, also came these perfect candle holders.

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and this advent calendar.

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Thank you Dayspring for the beautiful gift!

Filed Under: Christmas, Family, home, Uncategorized · Tagged: , ,

New Chapter, Same Story

May 15, 2012 · By · 4 Comments

Well, life without kids isn’t quite as bad as I expected it to be. I have my moments of lonelyness, and my heart breaks everyday that I have empty beds in my house. But that’s not what this post is about.

This past weekend we wrote a new chapter in our story.

We took a road trip home to my parent house for some R&R. I needed to be hugged and loved on by my mother.

I drank beer and giggled with girlfriends. I walked dogs with my sister. I played with a sassy two year old. I needed that.

I garage saled and let joe haggle. We bought my mom a small desk for mothers day. Joe bought a unicycle. He needed that (not.)

I shopped and made potato salad. I ate my favorite meal. I drank beer in a bar with my mom. I laughed until I thought my belly was going to bust open. I needed that.

I sat next to my daddy in church. I cried when my husband kissed my head and said happy mothers day. I ate breakfast with the whole family, and dared each other to take syrup shooters like Super Troopers. I bought my mommy an umbrella for her patio table. She needed that.

I took a nap and went flower shopping. I ate a brat and that delish potato salad. I sat beside a fire and I’m pretty sure burned off my face. I watched Dixie play with my sisters dog Bob. She needed that.

This weekend I found a girl I used to be. She is a girl who lives inside of me who needs her momma and deeply longs for her sisters. And sometimes I push her deep down, telling myself that all I need is Joe.

This weekend God wrote a new chapter in my story. It was one about family, love, and home. And now I am home re-reading the story in memories. And planning a return trip sooner rather than later. Because I need that.

Filed Under: Dixie, Family, Foster Care, garden, God, jennifer, Joe, life between kids · Tagged: , , , , , ,

Isn’t it ironic?

May 1, 2012 · By · 7 Comments

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Today is the first of May.

May is Foster Care awareness month.

And it’s ironic.

Because today my home is empty.

Yesterday we watched as our three beautiful foster kiddos were reunited with their mother. We completed the process. We came full circle.

And today we woke up and our house was empty.

It’s ironic, because today is foster care awareness month. I have been thinking about what I could write this month to move your hearts so that you would also foster or support foster care.

And it is ironic because today I turned down a placement.

That’s right, 26 hours after we found ourselves just two again, we were asked to take in 4.

4!

I laughed when she told me it was 4.

And then I said no. I haven’t even cleaned anything since the others left. I have so much organizing again. And my heart needs time to heal.

I told her if she went through the whole list and was still without a home, to call me back as a last resort. Then I told God that I would take them if he wanted me to. That if she called back, I would say yes.

But here is the point- yesterday we sent 3 home, and today we were asked to take in 4. These kids are 4 of the 408,000 in the US.

There are always going to be kids who need homes.

This month I am going to do a lot of blogging about foster care – our experience over the last couple of years as we decided to become foster parents to today’s call. I hope you will ask questions and have a little bit better understanding of foster care before the month is up. Please comment (they are fixed!) or email me at mrs.seger@gmail.com or look afterthechapel up on Facebook, twitter or pinterest.

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Filed Under: Foster Care, God, home, jennifer, Joe, Love · Tagged: , , ,

Mother to Many

May 31, 2011 · By · 2 Comments

Today is May 31st, and probably about time for me to put together my foster care awarness blog.  Right now as I type, I have a little girl standing on the air vent feeling the cool air conditioning coming up through her toes.  I can hear blocks crashing from the back room and words that belong to little mans own secret language gurgling out of his mouth.  Neither of these kids belong to me.  Neither of them look like me.  Neither of them call me mommy.  But I am.

I am what you call a mother to many.  I am  a mother to those whos mothers forgot what a  blessing it is to be a mother.  And I am a mother to those whos mothers can’t take care of them right now.  And I am a mother to those who are battling a war inside themselves.

I kiss boo boos.  I wipe tears.  I change diapers.  I wash little tiny blue jeans.  I wipe noses.  I pour juice.  I giggle and sing the veggie tales song.  I pretend to talk on the phone.

But at the end of the day, I have no idea if i will ever see my kids play t-ball, graduate from highschool, or get married.  I know there will be a time when I will wonder who they have grown into.  I will wonder if they remember me.

It sounds sad, but it isn’t to me.

Why do it?  Becuase I am called.

Not like I got a call from DCS asking me to take some kids in.  I was called by God.  God said be a foster parent.  Take care of children.  And I listened.  And I did what he asked.

Why?  I have no idea why he called me. But he says in Psalm 113 He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children.  Here I am, with children, in my home.

And it is hard.  I am totally in love with the two little ones who sleep under my roof every night.  If you knew them you would know why.  They are great.  They are well behaved (most of the time) they are loving, smart, caring wonderful children.

And here is the question I ask myself most of all:  If they weren’t here, where would they be?  Joseph and I learned in March that we are the only open foster home in our county.  I don’t know if this is still true, but it is shocking to me.  Where would they be without us?

I would love to write more about our foster care journey, but I am busy.  I am busy being a mom.  And there is a little fact about the fact that I can’t talk about their case, so I don’t talk about it at all.  I am terrified about saying something I shouldn’t.

So I will end with this  - right now someone is in the other room screaming because I enacted the no whining rule.  He is mad at me.  And she is showing me a puzzle that she just finished by her self.  So like being a mother to your own children, foster care is a mixed bag.  There is good and there is bad.  But at the end of the day, when I check on the two sleeping beauties in the kids room, I am making a difference, and giving a family a chance.

Think about it.  And if you have any questions, please contact me.  I know I am new at this, but I would love to help you find answers.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Family, Foster Care, God, Love · Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Homeownership

January 23, 2011 · By · 2 Comments

I am not a very exciting person this week I guess. I couldn’t think of anything to say all week, so I will give a small recap of my weekend, because I’m sure you are sitting around your house wondering what I have been up to…..

Friday night we went out for dinner with Joe’s mother Susan and Steve. I tried alligator tail…funny is the only way I can describe it. We finished off the night with my personal fave…DQ. So yummy!!!

Saturday I decided to go with Joe to wrestling Conference. It was exciting and we won!!! Good day of sitting on a bleacher. Then we left and headed to Evansville to buy supplies for the Mat Club (I’m their leader) and to see a movie – newest Narnia one Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It was really great and we talked about it all the way home.

Today after Church I had big hopes of getting a lot done, but it never quite works out that way does it?? I cleaned up the kitchen and then had to go to the bathroom and noticed that the bathroom sink was running slow, so I put some baking soda and vinegar down the drain and put the kettle on to boil to pour down the drain to wash it out. While I waited, I rearranged the pantry (yes Praise God it is almost done- pictures to come soon!) and got about half way through that when I found some old oranges so I decided to put them down the garbage disposal – they make it smell good – so I cut them up. Then the kettle rang, so I went and dumped it down the bathroom sink and it wasn’t any better. Joseph got home to find me trying to take the s-trap apart because I was sure it was clogged. So he took it apart and we had a mess in there so I worked on the pantry a bit and walked past the sink at one point and saw the oranges so I put a chunk down the disposal and the power to half my kitchen shut off. Joseph left the sink half together in the bathroom and went to flip the breaker. I looked under the kitchen sink and found water pouring out of the disposal. So then Joseph took that apart. So picture it – canned goods everywhere, half of the guts of the sink in the bathroom missing and Joseph tearing out the kitchen sink while I’m in the cupboard next to him with paper towel trying to clean up the water.

Today we learned the joy of homeownership.

One other random thing: our furnace isn’t working right. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. But that’s not the point – my point here is I have actually been cold this winter – something I haven’t experienced since before fertility drugs. I am so thankful for being returned to my love of layers of clothing and Snuggly blankets!!!!

(ps – I just typed this whole thing on my phone. Leave a message and tell me how you think I did.)

Oh I almost forgot! THEN we watched the Packers beat the Bears!!! Great way to end a crazy day!!

Filed Under: home, Joe, Love · Tagged: , ,