It's been 5 days with CJ in our home. Here some initial thoughts about how it's going.

• There is nothing easy about foster parenting! Finding answers to any of our questions requires going through a number of case workers who claim that they'll need "to get back with you on that."
• Kids are basically the same whether they are 3, 7 or 9. Although their issues (like selfishness or anger) might show up in various forms, they are still the same issues. CJ struggles with controlling himself - the same thing we've been working with my 3 year old on ("don't hit; use your hands to be kind") and my 7 year old ("don't throw something when you get mad; use your words to explain how you feel").
• The foster care system is a crazy system. You just don't have many answers at the beginning. CJ could be with us for a few weeks or it could be a few months. We're not sure where he will be going when he leaves our house or who will have custody of him (there is a mom, a dad, and a grandma in the picture), which makes it hard to prepare him for what comes next.
  
• Foster parenting is hard! Adding another child to any home changes the family dynamics and everyone has to adjust to "the new normal." The last 5 days have been days of adjustment for all of us. It feels like all the plates were tossed in the air in our juggling act and we have to learn how to juggle and spin them again - trying to find steps that work for all 5 of us, that meet the needs all of us have and are at least somewhat normal or natural to us. It's been hard... though the days are getting slightly easier as we settle into some routines and learn more about life together.
  
• God is faithful! I truly believe that God has met us at our point of need this week. We have needed added strength for this task. He has faithfully provided. We have needed extra measures of patience and wisdom. We have asked these of Him and He has faithfully provided. Foster parenting has put me in a place of desperation for the Lord... and that's a good place to be!