February 2013

February started like most other months...BSF, small group, school, etc. Then we attended church on February 10th and our lives might never be the same! It was on this Sunday that we heard a presentation from the C.A.L.L. (Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime) and Jeff and I  knew we were being called to join this organization.

What does that mean you might ask.  Here is a synopsis from their website:

Mobilizing the Christian community to provide a future
and a hope to children in Arkansas foster care.

There are about 3,500 children in the Arkansas State Foster Care System at any given time. These children come into state custody through no fault of their own - it is because of abuse, neglect, or some other safety concern in the home. For instance, there are about 7,000 children in foster care in Arkansas within a year, and there are only about 1,100 foster families available to care for those children! Plus, there are over 500 children available for adoption through foster care in our state. It's a crisis shortage!

It's time for the Body of Christ to step up and meet the needs of these children in our own neighborhoods. We are asking you, if you are called, to care for one of these precious children through foster care, adoption, respite care, or volunteering in some way.

Jeff and I have known for a long time that we wanted to be foster parents but always pictured teenagers in our home. Due to the age of our own kids, we felt it best not to do this until they were at least teenagers and maybe older. On this Sunday though, God made it clear to both of us that we were more then capable of taking in babies and toddlers NOW!

Now what? Well, we have six months of training, home visits, background checks, etc before our house will be opened. At any point in the process, DHS could find us or our home unacceptable for fostering and that is as far as it will go. We have no idea if six months from now it will be life as usual or if we will be welcoming new children into our home.

Suffice it to say, we need your prayers. We need strength, stamina, and health for our whole family in the coming months. We need wisdom and guidance in knowing the right kind of child that would fit into our family. DHS and DCFS need wisdom to place the children in the correct home. The CALL needs wisdom to train us properly and in a God centered manner.

In other Rice Home News, I attended a Bible Study Fellowship Leaders Retreat in Memphis. It was an intense weekend of Bible training and challenges to eradicate Biblical Poverty/Illiteracy. Our nation is in a sad state where people no longer read, own, or are taught even the simplest of Bible stories. There is an entire generation that have never attended church, feel as if God is irrelevant to their lives, and are bringing their children up in the same manner. We need to be on our knees for our nation and teaching our children, grandchildren, neighbors, etc the truth of God and His Word.

The following week we headed to Illinois to stay at Jeff's brother's house while we attended a doctors appointment for Jeff in St. Louis. It was a very productive trip despite being caught in a horrible snowstorm. The doctor had some new treatment options for Jeff that are neither invasive nor dangerous AND we got to spend a fun filled weekend with family. Thad ended up with strep throat but quickly bounced back once given antibiotics.

We were also able to spend time with Leigh Ann's side of the family several times during the month. We are eagerly awaiting the birth of Amos and Meredith's baby girl any day now.

The month ended with my attendance at the kick off of Women Run Arkansas Fort Smith. This is the start of the free 10 week running clinic. I am hoping that my heel does well enough to allow me to participate the whole 10 weeks!

Other then that, nothing much is going on in our lives!

I hope that you, like us, are able to praise God for his wonderful provision of his Son, Jesus Christ. I also hope this spurs you on to spend time daily in God's word and with him in prayer. Nothing else matters!

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