As you read this we challenge you to ask God right now, "What can I do to help those who are in need?" What has God put in your hands to help others?
My wife & I recently visited our new 10-year-old foster child. She will join our family on Tuesday. We had to visit two separate times because we had two other foster siblings in our home for the weekend & one of us had to be present with the children in our home.
When we began our foster care journey, it was not intended to only be a ministry for Natalie & I but for the McDermott Family as a whole. This means that it is a ministry for our own children as well. It is a ministry where our children can learn to be the influencers with our guidance, learn to share their things & space, & develop their own social & ministry skills. We believe in doing so their lives will be blessed. We see the child in scripture that shared his lunch of 5 loaves & 2 fish was empowered to feed 5,000 people & is a history maker to this day.
John 6:9-11
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
Aaliyah was not able to visit our new foster child with Natalie or I but by her “own admission” created these picture collages for the child to have so she could feel welcome & wanted. When we presented them, the little girl said she wanted to cry.
When we began our foster care journey, it was not intended to only be a ministry for Natalie & I but for the McDermott Family as a whole. This means that it is a ministry for our own children as well. It is a ministry where our children can learn to be the influencers with our guidance, learn to share their things & space, & develop their own social & ministry skills. We believe in doing so their lives will be blessed. We see the child in scripture that shared his lunch of 5 loaves & 2 fish was empowered to feed 5,000 people & is a history maker to this day.
John 6:9-11
9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
Aaliyah was not able to visit our new foster child with Natalie or I but by her “own admission” created these picture collages for the child to have so she could feel welcome & wanted. When we presented them, the little girl said she wanted to cry.
I am so proud of my kids & especially proud of Aaliyah for being the HCIC :) LOL, that is short for Head Child In Charge. Due to our family having three young children of our own, we have been very selective in who and how we bring children into our family through foster care. The agency we are working with has been excellent in honoring our wishes.
We have a family & child leadership structure & strategy in place to ensure what we are doing is beneficial for all the children in the household. At the end of a foster care season our goal is for everyone (our children & foster children) to have elevated in their own lives in some form or fashion.
We do not cultivate our family or provide foster care out of a mindset of fear but of influence. The little girl we will be getting on Tuesday told me her favorite movie was Freddy Kruger & started to sing the song with the melody..
"1,2 Freddy’s Coming For You
3,4 Better Lock Your Door
5,6 Better Stay Up Late"
I stopped her and said “Hold on, hold on, hold on. Your saying it wrong (with a smile :) LOL). It is
5, 6 Grab Your Crucifix
7,8 Better Stay Up Late
9,10 Never Sleep Again”
She looked at me stunned as well as her therapist, care taker, & her case worker. I told her I watched all the Freddy movies growing up but in my house today, we don’t watch scary movies because we don’t let fear come into our home. She said that was okay & she also liked to watch Barbie (LOL). I told her "We will be watching Barbie not Freddy & that Barbie would probably win in a fight against Freddy anyways, I know some pretty strong women. :) LOL."
After we all left the room, her therapist and case worker told me that they were BLOWN AWAY by me & asked, “WHAT DO YOU DO???” I asked them why they were asking. They told me “WE ARE JUST BLOWN AWAY AT HOW YOU HANDLED THIS LITTLE GIRL. WE ARE FLOORED. WE WERE BOTH LIKE, LETS JUST SHUT UP, SIT BACK, AND WATCH HIM.” I told them that I have master’s degree in counseling, I am also a Doctor of Ministry, & worked with young people for almost 20-years.
I am not saying this to brag or cause attention to me but to highlight the point that it does feel good when you use skills you have invested years of time and lots of money into & it works. I would like to give a shout out to Regent University Graduate School of Psychology and Counseling and Oral Roberts University Doctoral Program of Ministry. I subconsciously went into my training & experience. Apparently it could be seen & was a huge win in that room for this little girl & a win for the case worker & therapist to witness. It is times like this that make all the grind, studying, & money paid out worth it.
Our community, circle of friends, & family have jumped at the opportunity to help this little girl. Within hours of hearing about our new foster child, people are dropping off clothes, cash, love, and support. It takes a village and we thank everyone.
Today we had a table of 10 for lunch, which 5 were children who either lost both their parents due to death or their parents cannot be involved in their lives for one reason or another. Their vote was to eat McDonalds. You will find in foster care that McDonalds seems to be the #1 Restaurant of choice simply because it is consistent, it is made to be a happy place, and they can have a Happy Meal. What all of these kids are really looking & hoping for is some level consistency & happiness in their lives. A Happy Meal at McDonalds gives them this consistency & happiness for a moment. Money can buy a Happy Meal or a happening that makes one happy for a moment but what these children really need is the Joy of the Lord.
I am not fan of McDonalds’ food, but I am a fan of McDonalds. I saw a news highlight on Fox News or CNN & it talked about the pliability of McDonalds & how McDonalds is for everyone. That news clip totally changed my perspective of the restaurant because it was true.
There are very few restaurants where a homeless person, children, working professional, college student, & a CEO can sit right next to each other, eat the same food, get a coffee refill on a cup someone gave them, surf the internet, & play on a playground all at the sometime & it feels right. Like today, a homeless lady who was sitting in McDonalds saw me drop $10. She picked it up & gave it to me, so I just let her keep it. She was super thankful & appreciative.
Thank you for taking time to read this. We pray God's favor & blessing upon you & your loved ones. If you read this please pause for a moment to pray for my family, my children, & the children we foster. THANK YOU.
We have a family & child leadership structure & strategy in place to ensure what we are doing is beneficial for all the children in the household. At the end of a foster care season our goal is for everyone (our children & foster children) to have elevated in their own lives in some form or fashion.
We do not cultivate our family or provide foster care out of a mindset of fear but of influence. The little girl we will be getting on Tuesday told me her favorite movie was Freddy Kruger & started to sing the song with the melody..
"1,2 Freddy’s Coming For You
3,4 Better Lock Your Door
5,6 Better Stay Up Late"
I stopped her and said “Hold on, hold on, hold on. Your saying it wrong (with a smile :) LOL). It is
5, 6 Grab Your Crucifix
7,8 Better Stay Up Late
9,10 Never Sleep Again”
She looked at me stunned as well as her therapist, care taker, & her case worker. I told her I watched all the Freddy movies growing up but in my house today, we don’t watch scary movies because we don’t let fear come into our home. She said that was okay & she also liked to watch Barbie (LOL). I told her "We will be watching Barbie not Freddy & that Barbie would probably win in a fight against Freddy anyways, I know some pretty strong women. :) LOL."
After we all left the room, her therapist and case worker told me that they were BLOWN AWAY by me & asked, “WHAT DO YOU DO???” I asked them why they were asking. They told me “WE ARE JUST BLOWN AWAY AT HOW YOU HANDLED THIS LITTLE GIRL. WE ARE FLOORED. WE WERE BOTH LIKE, LETS JUST SHUT UP, SIT BACK, AND WATCH HIM.” I told them that I have master’s degree in counseling, I am also a Doctor of Ministry, & worked with young people for almost 20-years.
I am not saying this to brag or cause attention to me but to highlight the point that it does feel good when you use skills you have invested years of time and lots of money into & it works. I would like to give a shout out to Regent University Graduate School of Psychology and Counseling and Oral Roberts University Doctoral Program of Ministry. I subconsciously went into my training & experience. Apparently it could be seen & was a huge win in that room for this little girl & a win for the case worker & therapist to witness. It is times like this that make all the grind, studying, & money paid out worth it.
Our community, circle of friends, & family have jumped at the opportunity to help this little girl. Within hours of hearing about our new foster child, people are dropping off clothes, cash, love, and support. It takes a village and we thank everyone.
Today we had a table of 10 for lunch, which 5 were children who either lost both their parents due to death or their parents cannot be involved in their lives for one reason or another. Their vote was to eat McDonalds. You will find in foster care that McDonalds seems to be the #1 Restaurant of choice simply because it is consistent, it is made to be a happy place, and they can have a Happy Meal. What all of these kids are really looking & hoping for is some level consistency & happiness in their lives. A Happy Meal at McDonalds gives them this consistency & happiness for a moment. Money can buy a Happy Meal or a happening that makes one happy for a moment but what these children really need is the Joy of the Lord.
I am not fan of McDonalds’ food, but I am a fan of McDonalds. I saw a news highlight on Fox News or CNN & it talked about the pliability of McDonalds & how McDonalds is for everyone. That news clip totally changed my perspective of the restaurant because it was true.
There are very few restaurants where a homeless person, children, working professional, college student, & a CEO can sit right next to each other, eat the same food, get a coffee refill on a cup someone gave them, surf the internet, & play on a playground all at the sometime & it feels right. Like today, a homeless lady who was sitting in McDonalds saw me drop $10. She picked it up & gave it to me, so I just let her keep it. She was super thankful & appreciative.
Thank you for taking time to read this. We pray God's favor & blessing upon you & your loved ones. If you read this please pause for a moment to pray for my family, my children, & the children we foster. THANK YOU.