Beginning my "Mommy for now" journey (long first post sorry)
Welcome...
This first post will be me introducing myself, talking about my new journey, this new blog adventure, as well and the meaning behind the blog name.
Ok first let me tell you a little bit about me; my name is Courtnie. I am a 34 year old single woman who loves Jesus, her church community (Solace Church), her big family, her pup (Duke), and kids! I. LOVE. KIDS. God has blessed me with a really big heart and lots of love for little ones. I have worked and ran a preschool, I am the oldest of 8 kids in my family and care for friends children whenever I am given the opportunity to do so.
For a while now foster parenting and adoption has always been something that has been on my heart. Just the idea of being able to live out a radical gospel and a grace filled love towards hurting children makes my heart explode! If even for a little while (during my time of being "mommy for now") I am given the opportunity to speak truth and love over them I long to make that a reality.
HOWEVER, I always thought I would have to wait until I was married and had a family of my own or if not a family of my own at least a husband. But friends google can be informative and sometimes even beneficial! I began to research it and it didn't take long to find out I was wrong as soon as you go to a Children's Division website it list the requirements and would you believe that being married or having your own kids wasn't a requirement? Guys?!? I can still love littles and foster littles and not be married or ever had kids of my own! WHAT?!? Ladies if you are reading this and are currently single and wanting to share your love with littles and you are believing that lie that I was STOP! You can and you should!
So once I discovered this I was so excited but then overwhelmed because I had no idea where to start! So I started asking questions, seeking out friends I knew who currently were fostering or had fostered to see if they could give me advice or point me in the right direction. Most of them were out of state so they have different agencies and divisions but were still able to give good advice. I submitted my interest email straight to the state and within a couple weeks I had an application in my mailbox. Meanwhile I had found out there are usually a couple ways to go about getting licensed and one of those ways can be working through an agency I was too impatient and dropped off my application with the state and then 20 minutes later Missouri Baptist Children's Home called me back and I visited with them on the phone for about 30 mins and knew that I would benefit from having the support of a private Christian agency in my corner through this process and I am SO thankful I opted for working with them over straight with the state (more on that later)!
Now about this blog, if you know me at all you know that I am terrible at blogging. I haven't been good at blogging since Xanga I have had several blogs (even an awesome designed one, thanks Lindsy!) in the past and haven't kept up with them. I hope this time will be different and the only way I think that it maybe different is I have a focused subject for this blog. I want to be able to come here and share with friends and family about my journey through this process and hopefully encourage others and find encouragement from others here. I also hope to have this be a place where I can leave my thoughts and look back later at them. So here's hoping!
Now the name; as I am going through the process I am trying to read and learn as much as I can before I have hurting littles living under my roof, I have found some great resources and I am sure I will share those as I go on this blog. But one book I am reading is called Parenting the Hurt Child by Gregory Keck and Regina Kupecky. They have a chapter on nurturing and since that is the first of our competencies we strive for with the kiddos this struck a chord with me. They mentioned that nurturing doesn't have to be an all out vacation or celebration but just simple things such as sprinkling cinnamon on applesauce for a special treat! I know fostering isn't going to be easy but loving kids and going the extra mile to make them feel loved is second nature for me. I long to sprinkle a little cinnamon on their applesauce as I with God's help and grace pick up the pieces of their broken heart and help them put it back together...
After this post I will be posting about my training process which for me is 10 weeks long (currently 5 weeks into training).
I am so thankful that you took the time to read this and I hope that you will continue to join me on my journey as I embark on what I view to be one of the most exciting times in my life!
With much love,
Courtnie soon to be "mommy for now"
This first post will be me introducing myself, talking about my new journey, this new blog adventure, as well and the meaning behind the blog name.
Ok first let me tell you a little bit about me; my name is Courtnie. I am a 34 year old single woman who loves Jesus, her church community (Solace Church), her big family, her pup (Duke), and kids! I. LOVE. KIDS. God has blessed me with a really big heart and lots of love for little ones. I have worked and ran a preschool, I am the oldest of 8 kids in my family and care for friends children whenever I am given the opportunity to do so.
For a while now foster parenting and adoption has always been something that has been on my heart. Just the idea of being able to live out a radical gospel and a grace filled love towards hurting children makes my heart explode! If even for a little while (during my time of being "mommy for now") I am given the opportunity to speak truth and love over them I long to make that a reality.
HOWEVER, I always thought I would have to wait until I was married and had a family of my own or if not a family of my own at least a husband. But friends google can be informative and sometimes even beneficial! I began to research it and it didn't take long to find out I was wrong as soon as you go to a Children's Division website it list the requirements and would you believe that being married or having your own kids wasn't a requirement? Guys?!? I can still love littles and foster littles and not be married or ever had kids of my own! WHAT?!? Ladies if you are reading this and are currently single and wanting to share your love with littles and you are believing that lie that I was STOP! You can and you should!
So once I discovered this I was so excited but then overwhelmed because I had no idea where to start! So I started asking questions, seeking out friends I knew who currently were fostering or had fostered to see if they could give me advice or point me in the right direction. Most of them were out of state so they have different agencies and divisions but were still able to give good advice. I submitted my interest email straight to the state and within a couple weeks I had an application in my mailbox. Meanwhile I had found out there are usually a couple ways to go about getting licensed and one of those ways can be working through an agency I was too impatient and dropped off my application with the state and then 20 minutes later Missouri Baptist Children's Home called me back and I visited with them on the phone for about 30 mins and knew that I would benefit from having the support of a private Christian agency in my corner through this process and I am SO thankful I opted for working with them over straight with the state (more on that later)!
Now about this blog, if you know me at all you know that I am terrible at blogging. I haven't been good at blogging since Xanga I have had several blogs (even an awesome designed one, thanks Lindsy!) in the past and haven't kept up with them. I hope this time will be different and the only way I think that it maybe different is I have a focused subject for this blog. I want to be able to come here and share with friends and family about my journey through this process and hopefully encourage others and find encouragement from others here. I also hope to have this be a place where I can leave my thoughts and look back later at them. So here's hoping!
Now the name; as I am going through the process I am trying to read and learn as much as I can before I have hurting littles living under my roof, I have found some great resources and I am sure I will share those as I go on this blog. But one book I am reading is called Parenting the Hurt Child by Gregory Keck and Regina Kupecky. They have a chapter on nurturing and since that is the first of our competencies we strive for with the kiddos this struck a chord with me. They mentioned that nurturing doesn't have to be an all out vacation or celebration but just simple things such as sprinkling cinnamon on applesauce for a special treat! I know fostering isn't going to be easy but loving kids and going the extra mile to make them feel loved is second nature for me. I long to sprinkle a little cinnamon on their applesauce as I with God's help and grace pick up the pieces of their broken heart and help them put it back together...
After this post I will be posting about my training process which for me is 10 weeks long (currently 5 weeks into training).
I am so thankful that you took the time to read this and I hope that you will continue to join me on my journey as I embark on what I view to be one of the most exciting times in my life!
With much love,
Courtnie soon to be "mommy for now"
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