AnthonyFosterPhD

I wrote this last year as I was anticipating becoming a father for the first time...                        You were born in the fields of the fatherless Cut down at the root and left there alone. Jesus came as a friend to the fatherless Picked you up and brought you home. Life is hard in the fields of the fatherless For its   wounds cause the spirit to groan Jesus comes as the friend to the fatherless He knows the plans he has for His own Now our friend,   faithful friend of the fatherless Walks the ground where so many seeds were sown And the cut off the cast out the distressed Are gathered up to be never disowned So child come in from the fields of the fatherless Enter in to be nurtured and known You’ve been called and chosen for blessedness For in this new work, God’s glory is shown. June 24, 2011 Anthony Foster

Hide us in your Holiness Lord Hide us in your holiness Like a pillar of cloud envelop us And Hide us in your holiness Hide us in your Holiness Lord Hide us in your holiness Like a pillar of fire consume us, Lord And Hide us in your holiness… Your holy mountain we would climb But we’re out of synch and out of time Cause the mountain was leveled at your cross Now you’ve redefined all gain and  loss The mountain was cast into the sea Now the most Holy place is in you and in me And we live in His presence by His sacrifice Freely and fully because we are In Christ… Hide us in your Holiness Lord Hide us in your holiness Like a pillar of cloud envelop us And Hide us in your holiness Hide us in your Holiness Lord Hide us in your holiness Like a pillar of fire consume us, Lord And Hide us in your holiness… Our eyes are unveiled  with passion ablaze Our rags  all exchanged for garments of praise We are His chosen treasures-the apple of His eye Steal our hearts, steel...

You know the drill. Drop an egg from a second story level in a contraption you design to protect it from breaking. Here is our daughter's entry, which was a total success! It weighed in under 150 grams total weight (200 was the limit) You had to be able to see the egg, and other restrictions applied to keep students from googling the most common solutions. You usually don't see this problem until later grades, but we had it in the gifted and talented class at grade 3.

Here's a pic from Mercy Hill joint worship where our missional communities came together- I had the joy of leading worship not only with my daughter participating, but my brother Neil backed me up on guitar... we've led worship together before but not recently...cooler still, the cross on the wall in the background and the communion table were fashioned years ago by my Dad when he was a deacon at the host church. Sweet.

Crystal blue, crystal blue Are the precious pools I gaze into To see reflected in their glance The soul of a child who longs to dance. And when I look I think I see Glistening hope looking back at me A spark of courage flashing bright Shining with crystal blazing light. But what’s behind those crystal eyes- Behind this heart that God made wise? I pray I might have strength to dare To hope to see Christ’s healing there! Crystal blue, crystal blue These eyes that hold me in their view What mysteries beyond them lie? For I have never seen them cry. They speak to me of bravery And compassion rises up in me They seem to seek to trust e’re long To find a refuge and a home. Crystal blue, crystal clue Eyes of this child show me what is true So the lines of your Spirit we can read And we can learn to meet your need. Anthony Foster June 15, 2011

I have just been perusing an old blog written by an amazing family that was used of God to protect and guard our daughter when she was at a critical point on her journey to our forever family. They could not legally mention her name, but the Lord led me to their site anyway. I don't know if they will ever know the miraculous story of our daughter and how it got so much worse before it got so much better. I do know that Jesus knows and knows perfectly how many prayers were instigated during this long process and how perfectly He had it all planned, firstly to His Glory and secondly for our good both individually and as a forever family.It amazes me that as they were praying on their blog for our daughter, I can now document the steps that God was moving us through as we were navigating the "system" ourselves in pursuit of adoption as an "adopt only" family. And it turns me to jelly. I am undone.

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or efainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For hthe Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, jin which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to kthe Father of spirits land live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, mthat we may ...