PRIDE #4 is History!

We completed PRIDE #4, "Pre-Service" training yesterday. ALL DAY yesterday :) Basically they walked us through our foster agreements. Then we learned about abuse... Shaken Baby Syndrome, SIDS, Sexual Abuse, etc. Needless to say it was not fun stuff.

An estimated 80% of children in foster care have been sexually abused. I am still trying to wrap my mind around that unspeakable horror.

As I have said in past posts, we have met many amazing people so far along the journey. Another couple, Martin and Holly, have been in all our PRIDE classes so far. They are a young couple who've been married one year longer than us. Yesterday Holly and Martin pulled Greg and I aside and wanted to share a dream Holly had about us. I know many people scoff at the importance/significance of dreams but I can show you many times God used dreams or visions to make Himself heard in the Bible. Anyway, in Holly's dream Greg was jumping up and down like a kid (nothing new there) and I was sitting calmly at a table concentrating on something. She said when she woke up she began to ask God to reveal any importance from this dream to her. Holly said that she began to feel that she was supposed to share with us that we are matched perfectly and that our personalities and parenting styles would compliment each other. I was very impressed that she would share and really felt like it was more confirmation from the Holy Spirit. Since we have been so stressed lately it was very encouraging to hear the Lord speaking to us through someone.

I took Friday off with no trouble, my Boss never mentioned it again. I finished a research paper. If anyone wants to proof read it for me let me know! Today and most of tomorrow I will finish studying for my grammar test. If you guys could pray for me at 3 PM I would really appreciate and covet those prayers!

I am beginning to think that the stress of "becoming" a parent pales in comparison of grammar exams.... :)

OH! We found out another cool piece of info: caucasian children 6 and older, Minority children 2 and older, and Special Needs children are eligible to receive monthly support, continued Medicaid coverage AND free college tuition through a Texas state college AFTER their adoption is finalized. This is supposed to be an incentive to help adopt out hard age groups. Although my first instinct was that we shouldn't "sponge" off the system... I began to realize that any money we might receive could help supplement our income while I was in school, and anything else could be saved for the kids' college needs: books, dorms, etc. Or help pay for private school if I decide to keep working. Not to mention that Medicaid would cover expensive essentials like braces... either way, we're paying for it out of our tax dollars. If the state is going to give this money away, we are going to accept it to help our kids get a top notch education.

I'm going to study now. I'm glad this will all be over Wednesday. I'm already beginning to slip into "I don't care" mode!