For the past 72 hours we have had two foster kids staying in our home. Ben and I became licensed foster parents over a year ago but this was our first placement and we were excited and nervous to welcome in 2 month old Conner and 2 year old James. Those of you who know that our son, Reagan, is currently 9 months old are probably thinking we were crazy to accept this placement, but through a series of circumstances that had occurred prior to the phone call, we felt God had prepared our home and our hearts to say yes and so we accepted.

I think we knew from the moment we arrived home that we were in over our heads. Thankfully my parents were able to help us out for the first couple of hours as we got acquainted with the two little guys but as we were giving baths and bottles and changing diapers and floating from one crying child to the next I had a sinking feeling in my gut that we had made the wrong decision. One of the main goals of fostering children is to keep them alive and I realized that even to accomplish this basic task we may need reinforcements. To make a long story short, we all survived with the help of some very kind friends and learned a few things about God and faith and family along the way. Here are some thoughts I have in the aftermath of the past few days.

One of the best ways to build a muscle in your body is to work that muscle to the point of failure. I learned this truth in my high school weight lifting class (the only P.E. elective that fit into my schedule) Until this moment I have never equated that with faith but I think the two may have some similarities. This weekend we were obedient to what we felt God leading us to do even though it turned out we did not have the resources to fully accomplish the task we set out to do. Because of that “failure” however, we were able to see the Body of Christ function as it was designed to do! We needed a mattress, clothing and diapers for the 2 year old and within the hour a friend from our small group (who happens to be a neighbor) provided us with those items…she already had them and was eager to share. While Ben was at work I needed an extra set of hands and 2 of our friends graciously gave up a few hours of their time to help me juggle the kiddos. Another day two girls from church (whom I had never met) who were homeschooled came over for a few hours during the day just to serve the Lord by helping me out! My sister-in-law lent us a car seat. My mother cooked us a meal. Numerous people prayed specifically for our situation and offered to provide extra sheets, clothes, food etc. These gifts may have seemed small to the people who gave them but to Ben and I they were huge! We were so blessed to feel the Church rallying around us and because of each person’s contribution we were able to accomplish the service the Lord asked us to do. The Lord was true to His promise to not give us more than we could bear and He used other believers to provide what we lacked.

At first I felt foolish and humiliated to have to ask for help. I felt that others would be annoyed that we were dragging them into a situation that we should have known was to big for us to handle. I imagined people judging us for not using our common sense. In hindsight, however, I see that common sense should be reserved for common things and uncommon sense should be used when dealing with a holy God who is by definition – Uncommon.
Obviously we should not set out to do foolish things and call them faith. But if God is calling you to do something then obedience is always the best option, whether you look foolish or not. 1 Corinthians 1:18 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Also, while these boys were a handful, they were sweet children whom the Lord loves and it was a great honor to be the hands and feet of Christ in their lives. How many times have I read passages in the Bible that tell me to look after orphans or to feed the hungry and I have closed my Bible and done nothing to obey those commands? The needs in the world are great, but I am beginning to believe that if every Christian was obedient to whatever God asked us to do each day then we would get a glimpse of heaven on earth. God won’t ask every believer to foster a child but He has something for each of us to do for His kingdom. Sometimes He will ask us to give of our surplus and other times from our poverty. Sometimes it will be easy and other times we will be poured out entirely. Either way we are giving our resources to an Uncommon God who has uncommon plans at work and it is so exciting to be part of a family who holds their resources loosely and allows God to move those resources from house to house as He meets needs and builds His Church. This was a group effort and I am blessed and humbled to have witnessed the Bride of Christ looking as she ought – quite beautiful.

Acts 4:32-35
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

Guess How Much I Love You

Little Nutbrown Hare who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears.

He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening.

"Guess how much I love you", he said.

"Oh, I don't think I could guess that," said Big Nutbrown Hare.

"This much," said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go.

Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. "But I love you this much," he said. Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Little Nutbrown Hare.

"I love you as high as I can reach," said Big Nutbrown Hare. That is very high, though Little Nutbrown Hare. I wish I had arms like that....


I was reading this story to my son, Reagan, the other night and I was struck by the fact that even though this is not a spiritual book, the text echoed my thoughts towards God.  Even after we become "new creations" we still fall short quite often but on my best days I can say to God with a clear conscience, "I love you as high as I can reach."     I am so grateful that He is pleased by our best efforts and even more grateful that He can always reach farther.


Psalm 103:8-14


8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

Hello Friends, I'm sorry I have neglected you for several months:)  I have been spending much of my time indulging in the roles of wife and mommy but now that we are all sleeping through the night I am ready to wear a few more hats again.

I wanted to briefly share what God is currently doing in my heart and some of the thoughts I have been thinking as of late.  I am re-reading the book "In His Steps"  by Charles Sheldon and have been very challenged and convicted to lead a life of more radical obedience.  I don't know why I should consider a more complete obedience to Christ to be radical since that is in fact what the Bible teaches, but it is one thing to say you are a disciple and  a very different thing to actually ask "What would Jesus do in this situation?" and then do it!

I cannot help but think that many of the social problems and human suffering that exist could be remedied if every Christian, instead of relying on government or someone else to lend a hand, simply followed Christ's example and served sacrificially.  Sacrificially is the hard part.  I struggle to recall very many times when I have given in a way that actually cost me something, but if I am unwilling to do as Jesus did then I am not a disciple.  That's hard to swallow.  Here is an excerpt from my prayer journal...

Oct. 18th - "I am reading "In His Steps" and I am very moved by the obvious but seemingly extreme notion of actually trying to do as Jesus would do in my daily life.  I find that I am resistant to giving up comfort, but more than that, my greatest adversary in doing what I feel the Lord would do is FEAR.  I am afraid of what it might cost me.  I am afraid that it may lead to uncomfortable or even dangerous situations.  But I can not escape the conviction that it is so obviously the right and only thing to do.  I am not sure what Jesus would do in every area of my life yet, but from what I know of His character I believe I know some of what He would do in my place, and even those small changes would greatly affect my routine."

When we get serious about being disciples it can be overwhelming to think of all that needs to change.  I am comforted by something I read in "My Utmost for His Highest" in which Oswald Chambers encourages us to do "the thing which lies nearest."  Take the first step.  Obey in the one thing the Lord is directing you to do this very minute.  Every journey begins with a step in the right direction.  I think this "extreme obedience", otherwise known as discipleship, will look different for each one of us.  I don't mind telling you that for me, my first step of obedience was to take some time off of T.V.  The T.V. lies to me all day long and I start to believe it and God has been asking me to stop watching it for awhile and I have finally turned it off. (I am not saying this is what everyone should do or that I won't watch T.V. ever again)

Here is another entry from my journal:

"We just cancelled our cable and are preparing to sell one T.V.  We have barely dipped our feet into the waters of suffering and self-sacrifice and yet my heart is racing because it is a step in a bold new obedience and it costs me something and I am glad."

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24

Hey friends, I am a mommy! My son Reagan was born on April 16th at 8:31am. He weighed in at 7lbs 8 ounces and measured 21 inches long. We spent 10 days in the NICU due to some complications with his delivery and his heart rate/breathing etc. but we are now back at home and doing well. Thank you for your prayers and support!


betsy
 

It is starting to feel like spring in Indianapolis! We are extra excited as we have been eagerly awaiting several big arrivals this season.

Baby James!

Our son, Reagan William, will be joining our family in just a couple of weeks (or days)! We are ready for our lives to change forever and will be sure to post some pics of the newest addition to the band:)

New Album!

We are also happy to announce that we have a new album available for download! In January we performed at a church in Galax, VA and our friend Chris Gennette, who is a fabulous sound engineer, was kind enough to record the entire concert. We think you will enjoy hearing the stories behind the songs, some new original tunes, and a lot of saxophone. click here to view

We are so grateful to Chris Gennette for helping us bring you some new music! If you are in need of a great engineer, a place to record, or a consultant for your sound equipment install please contact Chris at chris@ijamusa.com He is willing to travel.

Free Downloads!

Don't have any spare change? No problem. Check out the two free singles currently available for download here.

We hope you have a fabulous Spring!

So my brother likes pumpkin pie now. Every year around the holidays my family gives him a hard time about this because for the first half of his life he hated pumpkin pie. Perhaps we don’t like the idea of having someone else to share the pie with, or perhaps we are simply resistant to the idea that someone could do a 180 degree change about such an important aspect of the holidays. Either way, every time he serves himself a piece of that delicious goodness he gets an earful about it.

Last night, however, I was thinking about our desires to change and our resistance to anyone around us changing and I have decided that I will support my brother’s shift of taste for the sole reason that I support the notion that people can change.

We all want to change, don’t we? There are things we do that we would rather not, and things we don’t that we wish we would, so we find ourselves in a constant uphill battle to be different. Being creatures who exert so much energy trying to change, isn’t it strange that we resist changes in those closest to us? It’s as if we are subconsciously concerned that if mom, or our good friend or co-worker changes (even for the better) their transformation will somewhat negatively affect our lives or force us to change.

Another theory I have for this “resistance” is this: When we are operating out of our old nature then we try to bring everyone down with us. I don’t think any of us would come right out and say that, but listen to the way it plays out in regular conversations…My husband, annoyed with my anxiety about a certain topic may brush me off by saying “Well, you’re scared of everything!” But this is an old truth not a current truth. I used to struggle with anxiety a great deal but over the past few years the Lord has been doing a work in my life and I have become a more peaceful person. Or if my frugal husband chastises me for wasting food I may give a snippy remark like, “you waste time and that’s even worse!” But again, this is not a current truth. My wonderful husband has been really working on his time management skills lately. He’s been making lists and working a lot of hours and helping out around the house, but in one small statement I have boxed him in to the person he used to be. It’s as if we say to each other, “Even though you've been working really hard to be different, my perception of you will never change.” Ouch! Isn’t that one of the meanest things we can say to someone we love? We must allow each other to grow.

We are not the people we once were. If we are in Christ we are new creations. Listen to the hope in 2 Corinthians 4:16: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

Change, in many ways, scares us. We like to know what to expect when we walk into a situation or when we spend time with a friend or family member. I think it would be most biblical, however, to expect our Christian loved ones to be slightly different every time we see them. We should all be slightly renewed, shouldn’t we? So let’s use our words to affirm and celebrate the positive changes we see in each other “and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
– Hebrews 10:24

Revelation 21:5 “And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”

Our God is making all things new and that includes you, friend! We do not have to be who we’ve been. Each day we are given the opportunity to be new and as 2011 rolls in that is certainly something to celebrate! Pumpkin pie anyone?

Happy New You!

Hello friends, as 2010 starts to wind down we thought we would update you on a few big arrivals we'll be expecting in 2011!

New Baby!
I am happy to announce that I am 14 weeks pregnant with our first child! Ben and I are thrilled to be parents and are eagerly awaiting the baby's arrival in early May! Unfortunately I have been pretty sick for the past couple of months but we are continuously thanking the Lord for blessing us with the great honor of a child. So far things are going well but we would certainly appreciate your prayers for a healthy baby and mom :)

Ben and I are also just about to be licensed as foster parents. We began the process about 6 months ago and could be receiving a call any day now about children who are in need of a safe home. We are prayerfully considering adopting one or two or three children through the foster care system so it's possible that we may have several children in 2011! Are we crazy?!? Perhaps. We are open to what the Lord has for us and would appreciate prayers for discernment as we move forward.


Free EP
The Lord has given me several songs specifically for those people who are mourning the loss of a loved one. Lord willing we will be recording those in the next few weeks and making them available for free download on our website. www.betsywalker.com I believe God has annointed these songs and wants to use them to bring healing, specifically to those who have lost a child. Watch for those to be available soon.

We have slowed down a little in the last year or two but continue to perform around the country and would love to visit your area and sing a few songs. Please keep us in mind for your upcoming events!

Many blessings on you and yours!

betsy

Isn't it wonderful to know that the only thing we truly need can never be taken from us?

There are many things I want.  Some things I desire desperately but when I'm being completely honest there is only one thing I need and that is Jesus Christ our Lord.

And there is deep peace in knowing that I will never be without Him.  I can't lose Him in a recession or an accident or a bad decision.  I can't misplace Him, can't shake Him, can't lose Him to illness or famine or shifting shadows.  I am my Beloved's and He is mine.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 38-39

Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.

In times of joy we praise you for your goodness
In times of sorrow we praise you for your grace
In times of plenty we praise you for your provision
In times of need we praise you for your sufficiency
In times of gain we praise you for your generosity
In times of loss we praise you for your peace
So whether you give or take away
Whether there is feasting or famine
Whether in laughter or though tears
We have reason to praise.

Psalm 103
 1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
       all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
       and forget not all his benefits-

What's the point of being sorry? So many people walk around feeling sorry about this and that and I want to scream "don't be sorry, be different!" "I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with you when you were a kid." "I'm sorry I'm late." "I'm sorry I hurt you." "I'm sorry I never learned to play the piano." Don't be sorry, be different.

Isn't repentance the whole point of remorse? That built in force that compels us to turn - to change directions? Then why is it that so many people who long to write a better story continue shuffling in the same direction like lunatics - going through the same motions and desperately praying for different results?

A couple of months ago I read Donald Miller's book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" and it was a very timely read. My husband of three years and I have been trying to write the next chapter in our story but have felt stuck. We've the got the education, the house, the dog and now we're trying for kids but so far having a baby hasn't turned out to be as easy as all those teenagers make it look. We were in the middle of grieving a miscarriage and preparing for an upcoming surgery when I stumbled upon this book in my small town library.

Whenever something unexpected and challenging interrupts my life my mom reminds me that boring lives make boring stories and somehow that perspective brings out the fighter in me. Somehow I start to envision my life as a movie with an excellent sound track and a great cloud of witnesses routing for me to overcome.

"A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" reminded me that it's possible to change. It's possible to envision your life a different way; it's possible to write a different and better story. And you don’t have to just sit around on the couch dreaming about this “better story” you can get out there and live it!

I realized that I was at a sort of cross roads. When I look back on 2010 and all of the heartache and unexpected challenges will I say "and that's when I became a hoarder" or "that's when I started over-eating" or "that was the year I stopped believing God"? Or will I look back on these painful events and say "that was the year God gave me new dreams"?

I choose new dreams. So we are getting ready to embark on an adventure! We're in the process of becoming foster parents and are honored and amazed that God would open our hearts and our home to hurting children. We never dreamt that this would be part of our story but we’re excited to turn the page.

It's possible to be different. It's possible to change your life, your goals, your mind; and I can't help but wonder if this change is the moral of the story that God is writing. I get the sense that He is mostly interested in character development and with His help I am writing a better story, or perhaps more truly, a better story is writing me.

Psalm 139:16 - All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.