The Making of M.O.M.

Update:

Well, clearly God has a sense of humor. Yesterday Baby Girl's social worker called me to fill me in on some information. She told me that she thought today would be a breeze, the birth mom wouldn't show up and that everything was checked and double checked by her and the DSS attorney.

Well....clearly not. I love how we always try to think that we (humans) have it SO under control and then God assertively reminds us that HE is the One who oversees all things.

Today, Baby Girl's case was called, we moved to the front and we waited for about 10 minutes for the judge to read through the history of the case. Just 20 minutes earlier the judge had dismissed Baby Girl's birth mom's attorney because we had thought that his duties had been fulfilled. Turns out, they had not been. SO, all of that to say, her case has been continued until July 23rd. Most likely, our good friends the Hauts will be in court with us on that day as well and I just love that God always places our court hearings on the same day as theirs...what a nifty guy God is (can I call God nifty?).

So although we were surprised by this change in plans, I know that all of this is no surprise to Him. He knew every court date and continuation before Baby Girl was ever conceived. I know that He already knows His plans, and I rest in that knowledge.

Thank you for your prayers today, I certainly felt them as I felt much more peace than I have in the past.

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Original Post:

We head off to court in just a few minutes for Baby Girl's Termination of Parental Rights hearing. We are praying for a swift hearing with no hang ups. If you feel led, please pray with us. I will update when I can this afternoon.

Thanks!

**Be sure to check out Luke's post below this one. It's a good one.**

I don't really have a specific idea for this post, but I felt like blogging because the thoughts in my head have begun to overtake my interactions with my kids. For example, the big kids were "helping" me clean our bathroom this afternoon, and I was thinking about other things, you know, besides the 15 pounds of hair we were wiping off the vanity. (I know that if I had piled up all that hair it would have probably looked like a miniature yorkie terrier, in desperate need of grooming.)

Anyway, Elizabeth asked me something about fixing a broken bangle bracelet she'd found, and my response to her was so baffling that she set down her paper towel, looked at me and then left the room.

My mind is going in a thousand different directions (did I say that already?). Luke and I are praying about some directions that we hope to lead our family. Some of it could be major, some of it is nothing much to talk about, yet all of it seems to be zipping around my mind like a washing machine stuck on the spin cycle. I'm anxious about a few of the things, but the vast majority of it just entertains me to the point that, over the last few days, I've said outloud, "Ha! God, you are really gonna have to work a lot of stuff out if you expect all these things to play out and make sense."

Yes, I know He can, but I can't imagine how and I'm eager to see it all come to fruition. One of the things that I am mulling and thinking through is Thursday. On Thursday we return to court for (hopefully) Baby Girl's final TPR (Termination of Parental Rights) hearing. At that time, our prayer is that the TPR will be completed. But, that's not the end of this waiting game. After the judge orders the TPR to take place, then the DSS attorney has to draft the petition and get it to the judge. Then, the judge has to review it and sign it. Some social workers have said that all of this drafting and signature seeking has the potential to take up to SIX WEEKS. Still, I have heard of other cases (from Aaron's former social worker) that have still not been signed by a judge and the TPR hearing was in 2007. Yes, that's right, 2 years and counting for a judge's signature.

Once the judge signs the TPR petition, then the birth mother has 30 days to appeal. If she chooses to appeal, then it would go to the state Supreme court in Raleigh (I think). Honestly, I'm trying not to think about all the complications that could arise and just focus on what I know to be true.

That is: God clearly orchestrated Baby Girl's presence in our home. He holds her future in the palm of His majestic hand, and He knows every step of this process, none of it will take Him by surprise. Plus, our social worker continues to tell us that she's never seen a family get licensed, placements and potential adoptions so quickly, EVER. (And, I just smile.)

Add that to my thoughts of homeschooling, home management, money management and the general revelations that God presents to me in my quiet time and, well, it's a a lot of thinking.

So, I know this is a bunch of nothing. I know this is a post of rambled words. I know that I should not worry about any of it. But it is, I have and I do. So there you go.