China's behind me...what's ahead?

Hello, blog.  It's been awhile.

It's hard to believe I've been back in the States for 5 months.  So much has happened....and yet I feel like so little has happened.  Part of me misses the adventure of everyday life, but most of me enjoys the simplicity of running to the post office and leaving without shedding a single tear, reading every ingredient in everything in my grocery cart just because I can, and driving.  Ohhhhhh, the freedom of driving.

So now that China's behind me, I've been spending a great deal of time praying about what's ahead of me.

When I named this blog just before moving to China, it was my hope that Jesus would enable me to love in such a way during my time overseas that ripples would be created, even in just one life, that would reach out and shine Light into the hearts of others. I can't say whether or not that was accomplished, but what I can say is that China created ripples in me... The scary part is that ripples are impossible to control once they're in motion.

This blog has become a collection of memories that I truly cherish.  I'm not really one to journal -- I have about a hundred barely-started journals scattered throughout my house -- so I really prefer to record my experiences here.  It's harder to misplace the internet than a notebook, after all.

I feel like I'm rambling. So. What's ahead...ripples...recording experiences.

Before I get into what's ahead, here's some backstory.

So apparently foster care is what's next for me. I'm not sure what it will look like, whether I will only do respite care or if I will foster full-time, but I've started the classes and endless paperwork. I have beds and a car seat.  I'm now CPR certified and have answered all kinds of awkward, personal questions. I'm figuring out how to kid-proof my kidless home.  I'm terrified, overwhelmed, hopeful, and excited to see what God is going to do with this unexpected season of my life! I am incredibly ill-equipped, but our God is able to accomplish amazing things through even the most broken vessels.

The reason I'm sharing this in a somewhat public place is for this reason:  When I took to the internet to find support/encouragement/advice about being a single foster parent, there was next to nothing.  So I am BY NO MEANS an expert, and quite frankly, I'm really afraid that I'm going to crash and burn and it will all be documented on the internet FOREVER, but if I at least share what I'm learning as I'm learning it, maybe someone else who is considering walking this single-parent-by-choice road and is thinking, "Am I crazy?!?" will discover that yes, you are in fact crazy, but you are not alone.

So there it is.  Life after China.