Our Home Study

In just a few hours a lady is coming to our house to conduct a "Home Study."  It is protocol for adoption and foster care.  First Mindy and I had to fill out a ton of papers.  We had to write, individually, about each one of our kids strengths, weaknesses, and personalities.  Then we had to fill out papers on our growing up, our parents, our families, and our own personalities and parenting styles.  We also had to write, individually, about our marriage.  Now this lady will come to our house for a few hours and interview Mindy, me, and the kids.

We have placed ourselves out in the open in hopes of adopting a child.  We have opened our lives, thoughts, problems, hopes, fears, and weaknesses.  The home study agency will then use this time of meeting with us to see if our written word matches up with our actions.  You could say that they aren't taking us at our word, but they are coming to see if we walk the talk (or in this case - live like the words we wrote).  (I wonder if this is what internet dating feels like :) !

So will our actions meet up with our words?  They should.  I am not worried about it.  Mindy and I try very hard to be honest.  We are honest with each other.  We are honest with our kids.  We are honest with ourselves.  We are also trying to be our best.  We try to do things right.  We try to be the best parents that we can be.  We try to have the best marriage we can have.

James chapter 2 says:

What good is it, my brothers if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?

Someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."  Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

It's a hard thing when someone's words and actions don't match up.  We all hate it.  I try hard not be that guy.  James says that if you have faith in God your life should look like it.  Anyone should be able to see that you have faith in God simply by how you live your life.

If you are a Christian, does your life look a lot different than a non-christian?  How?

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