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3 Ways to Fight for Your Marriage When You’re Tempted to Throw in the Towel

"People were placing bets at our wedding. Nobody thought we had a chance."

How to Deal With a Lying Husband and Get a Better Marriage

"I can still remember vividly the look on my husband’s face as regretful tears fell and he lay broken before me."

One Year After “I Do,” Husband Realizes Why Marriage Isn’t for Him

They met when they were 15 and were best friends for 10 years—but after being married just 1 year, the truth hit him HARD.

“I Received a Call. ‘We Have a 14-Year-Old Boy Who Needs a Home.’ I Was Like ‘NO Way'”: Single Mom Becomes Foster Parent to Help Families Battling Addiction

brothers sitting outside
Courtesy of Mandi Booker

Fostering is something that I had thought about for years. I always knew there were kids out there going through really hard times, and I just wanted to help somehow. I knew what my boys and I had experienced, and I thought that maybe we could help others overcome their circumstances as well. I was a single mom of two boys, doing it 100% on my own. Why in the world would I even consider being a foster parent? It wouldn’t only affect me, so I had to make sure it was right. We talked about it a lot and I told them what we might experience if we went down this road. Lord bless them, their hearts are so big and they were 100% on board. Our entire world would be turned upside down and completely changed. I prayed hard and often, and I just kept feeling a tug to jump in. My family thought I was crazy.

I went to an informational meeting in October 2018 and started training in November 2018. I officially became a licensed foster parent in February 2019. I was so scared. The idea of fostering was no longer just an idea…it was becoming a reality. The first call I got sent my heart racing. How would I make a decision? What questions should I ask to help me make that decision? What if it doesn’t work out and I become just another person who let these kids down? I was overwhelmed. I started second guessing myself. I started letting those thoughts of being unworthy or not good enough take over my mind and my heart. But in March 2019, we went from a family of three, to a family of five, overnight. I went from having two boys to having four. This was our very first placement, as well as theirs. Neither of us knew what to expect from each other. They were scared. I was scared. But the first night went well.

Courtesy of Mandi Booker
Courtesy of Mandi Booker

3 Ways to Fight for Your Marriage When You’re Tempted to Throw in the Towel

"People were placing bets at our wedding. Nobody thought we had a chance."

How to Deal With a Lying Husband and Get a Better Marriage

"I can still remember vividly the look on my husband’s face as regretful tears fell and he lay broken before me."

One Year After “I Do,” Husband Realizes Why Marriage Isn’t for Him

They met when they were 15 and were best friends for 10 years—but after being married just 1 year, the truth hit him HARD.