Handpicked: An Inspiring Story of How a Little Girl Found a Place to Call Home

"Handpicked" is a culmination of my life, as well as the story of many foster children, that I have had the privilege to work with and educate throughout my professional career in education. There are so many children who feel lost, hopeless, and that they do not have a purpose. It is teachers like two of my own, Mrs. Hilda Kiser and Mrs. Susan Elmore, who taught me first and second grade at Bethware Elementary School, that make a difference in the lives of children and I'm forever grateful that God allowed me to use my story and my path to help hundreds of foster children as an educator. I want EVERY child to know they are perfect, God has a purpose for them, and I want to encourage all children to find purpose through their pain and their own individual stories. We are all "Handpicked" by God and I hope this story can deliver that message so that each little boy and little girl will always remember God has a plan for their life and Grandpa Bill's quote,"Wanna hear a joke? Tell God what your plans are!" May we all find our purpose on this 'journey of life" and utilize our stories as a way to change the perception and reality of foster care and adoption so that every child finds a place to call home.