Our license is about to be put on hold...

In my mind, we should have 3 (more) little girls living in our house right now. Our current foster license expires Monday, and we should have had our renewed, amended license next Tuesday at the latest. From what we were told, renewal packets should be sent to foster families approximately 90 days prior to their license expiration. We were supposed to have the paperwork returned to our agency 60 days prior to expiration, in order for our family specialist to process our renewal packet and have it submitted to OLCR (the Office of Licensing, Certification, and Regulation) 30 days prior to expiration. We received our package in July, and returned it to our agency the first week in August. To our frustration, our family specialist did not have our package completed in time.  In fact, it was just submitted last Friday. Also to our frustration, she was unaware that our new addition needed to be inspected by OLCR (she came out and inspected it herself). So on Monday OLCR requested more information (an inspection) before they could process our renewal. Of course, they couldn't just schedule one; our agent had to fill out an inspection request form online. And now we're waiting for a phone call to schedule our inspection. And often these inspections are scheduled a week or two out. And (did I say this already?) our license expires Monday.

When we were first licensed, we were the first home study our family specialist had ever conducted. We gave him a break, and were understanding (although antsy) as we waited for our license. This time we're a little more frustrated. This is a simple procedure. It should not be this complicated, right? We decided to look into switching agencies, as we had heard during our initial training that this was possible. We have interacted with another Christian agency in our state, and we have had good impressions of the agency and its officers. So I called the other agency yesterday to inquire about the transfer process. To my chagrin I was informed that they do not accept transfers. Door closed. So we decided to ride it out for another year. If we have more issues in the coming year, we are going to talk to the director of our agency and possibly ask to be assigned a different family specialist.

I know that all things work in God's timing, not in my own. In the right time, we will be licensed for our 3 girls, and at the right time, He will bring the right girls into our house. I have to believe that they just aren't ready to come to us yet. So we wait. Again. In the mean time, I appreciate your prayers as we prepare to {re}open our home.

A New Arrival!

Miss P joined our family in the wee hours of Sept. 11th, 2011. She just turned 3, and is very... spirited! We had planned on restricting our license to five- to ten-year-olds beginning next month. Apparently God had other plans.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8,9

The noise level in our house just doubled with her addition, and I am going to have to keep much more focus on the kiddos. I am learning to value people more than possessions-as Miss P just poured her milk ALL OVER my sofa- and exercising my patience. I appreciate all prayers on our behalf- especially that we would show His love in the midst of our exhaustion, frustration, and chaos.