We are so excited that you have decided to look into the life of the Normal Beaty Bunch. We hope that these words will encourage you to fall passionately in love with Jesus and follow him with your whole life and heart!
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Showing posts with label orphan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orphan. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

* * * * S*H*A*T*T*E*R*E*D * * * * *

Posted in ,,,,,, | 7:47 PM | by SuperMomma

After school is hard work.  Anyone with kiddos knows that transitioning home from school can really mess with the best!! Today was no exception....

But let me back up first.  Before 8 am I got a message from a friend:


Wow - TRUE religion - is caring for orphans ... (and even those orphans who've been adopted!!) 


Today was a busy day for us... a couple of meetings and then paperwork on top of that... so I said:
(I'm learning to ask for help!  This took me about 10 minutes to ask!)
and she said ... 


WOW!  What a servant's heart!  Thank  you Jesus!  Today is going to be a GREAT day!

I went on about my day - showered, fixed hair (even looked cute!), wore a new shirt, got some paperwork done.  I was feeling pretty good about myself!

Our afternoon meeting was .... interesting.  Concerned friends, checking in on us to make sure we are doing OK.  "Your kids are a handful, they are getting worse. They are struggling, and life is going to get harder and harder for you two.  More than just surviving, we want you to thrive.  What can we do to make sure you're thriving?"  They didn't have the answers, because there are NOT any easy answers, but they care - and they showed that!

Hurry home - kids get off of bus soon - then CHAOS begins!  Titus first, then Noah, then Samuel.  It was rough.  Titus was crabby, Noah was angry. Samuel ... just meltdown material! 

Daddy did an EXCELLENT job of calming Samuel (for the time being) and Noah and Titus went outside to play. 

Our supper arrived, and I talk with my friend... THANKS so much for making our day just a little bit easier.  


Now - we have a LOT of windows in our front room - which is really good to be able to keep an eye on our boys in the back yard.
BANG! BANG! BANG!  Noah has a rock and he's hitting the window.  

I quickly say Good Bye to Jena, and Andrew and I corral Noah and try to figure out what's going on.  Maybe it was a rough day at school. Maybe his clothes don't feel right.  Who knows, but we have to stop the banging. 

Noah stops, and runs inside.   Andrew looks at me, I look at him. We sigh.  Survive...We just need to survive.....

CRACK!!!

WHAT was that NOISE?  
WHOA...the window SHATTERED!!

...survive....just survive...
forget trying to THRIVE









Noah had his meltdown.  Cam came to help

(although the screaming was loud and he hid his head in the pillows!)



Eventually, Noah calmed down and went to sit on the picnic bench and look at the window.


Noah sat on the picnic bench...and tried to process what happened. He doesn't know why he hit the window, he doesn't want to talk about it....


And then, the moment God spoke ... 


"Karen.  His life is shattered.  He's a mess. All of the kids ... they are all shattered.  They are not getting better.  

Karen.  I love Noah more than you do. I love all the kids more than you do. More than you can ever dream or  imagine.


Karen. I called you to this.  Don't just survive. THRIVE!"


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Monday, January 24, 2011

Sometimes God confuses me...

Posted in ,,, | 10:09 AM | by SuperMomma

...but I'm sure I never confuse God!

I read Pastor Brian Bill's sermon from yesterday at Pontiac Bible church and have become more confused as I've meditated on James 1:26-27: “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”


Why does God lump together - caring for Orphans - and keeping your tongue under control?  What do the two have to do with each other?


I like the part about caring for orphans....taking care of kids...I can do that.  I don't like the fact that God says if I can't keep my mouth from saying mean things.... then my religion might be worthless!  WHAT?  (better stop whining....)


OK - I understand that it's important to watch what I say - to be careful when I'm angry and not 'spout off' - but WHY lump that together with caring for orphans?


I'm so confused!!!

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Sunday, August 29, 2010

"What is WRONG with you guys?"

Posted in , | 8:44 PM | by SuperMomma

This wasn't the first time I'd been asked that question. Many people, over the course of the last 20+ years, have asked us that question.


Like the time we donated our mowing van to a mission's organization. "Don't you know you could SELL the van, and get some extra money? What is WRONG with you guys?"

Or the time we bought a car at the dealers, and told the salesman: "Call this man, and tell him there's a car here for him." "WHAT? That's a lot of money! Why would you do that? What is WRONG with you guys?"

This is one of my favorites: The time we let a lady and her two kids move into our home, for 5 months, after her house burned down. "Let her stay in a hotel! What is WRONG with you guys?"

And then there was the time I was pregnant with #3: "You're pregnant? Why!? You have a boy and a girl - why would you want any more? What is WRONG with you guys?"

But, my all time favorite, just happened this last month. We were talking with our caseworker, discussing the potential adoption of our 2 year old and his younger brother. Then, in the middle of our discussion, she said - "What is WRONG with you guys?"

"What do you mean?" I ask....

"You know - the other boys!"

Oh no! She found out! There are a 4 and 6 year old sibling group of boys, needing a home. God has been laying them on our hearts.

I stutter "...Well... you know we want to fill in the gap between Elizabeth and Samuel...."

again... "What is WRONG with you guys?"

and again....I stutter... "...Well..."

I failed. So many answers I could have said. So many, but I chickened out. I was scared. Scared that my God given convictions would cause her to say no to us adopting more kids. I hid, unconvinced that God could 'override' the decision of this caseworker.

As a family, we've talked about how life will be different if these boys come live with us. What will we need to change, what will stay the same. I told the kids that our caseworker wants to know "What is WRONG with us?". We laughed, and joked around. After the joking stopped, the boys said, "Mom, it's simple. Tell her that God said to take care of orphans. We don't tell God no."

Wow! The faith and understanding of a child (or teenager - as this case is!) That is simple. "We don't tell God no." I knew that. I try to live that out. I fail. But - my heart's desire (usually) is to obey God. It's that simple.

God arranged another conversation with my caseworker. Again - she said "What is WRONG with you guys?".

I was ready. Deep breath!

"Ya know - I asked my kids how they'd answer that question - and without blinking an eye - they said "God says take care of orphans. We don't tell God no."

She said, "Karen. Those boys would do great with you and Andrew. I will support this adoption."

Then she smiled. "You know. You are CRAZY. That's what's wrong with you."

Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment.

The boys are spending Labor Day weekend with us.

Crazy, Isn't it?

2 comments

Saturday, March 6, 2010

The time has come!

Posted in ,, | 10:47 PM | by SuperMomma

It's time for the Normal Beatys to begin a blog and document the journey of life! So - here we go! If you know anything about us, you'll know that this post really describes who we are!

What’s an orphan?

Recently, we were talking with a friend about our youngest foster son. We explained that we were so happy that we belonged to a church that cares for orphans. We knew that people will be there to help us with things that we need.

Our friend was taken back that this little boy in foster care would be called an orphan since we know who his mother is and we’re doing testing on several men to determine who his father is. However, we explained that since his biological parents were unable to take care of him properly, he does indeed fit into the Biblical definition of being fatherless.

He’s just another one of around 500,000 US foster children looking for a permanent home.

Want to help children in either temporary or permanent crises? Let us know! We’d LOVE to talk with you about how you can help the orphans in the American foster care system. We’d love to come and talk to you, a group of friends in your home, or even for your church or other organization about how people can truly make a HUGE difference in the lives of children.

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