Full House, Full Heart

Lisa Holmes has been opening her home to children in need for nearly twenty years.  As both a foster and adoptive parent, she’s has had an incredible impact on those children who have been blessed to be a member of her family, whether it’s temporarily or permanently.   And by adding them to her family, she’s been tremendously blessed in return.

Lisa recently adopted her sixth child through Lutheran Services of Georgia.  In October she welcomed 13-year-old Taemar into her ever growing family. 

 “Adopting is my way of giving back.  God has been good to my family,” says Lisa. 

In addition to her five adopted children, Lisa has two children by birth.  Taemar’s new forever family consists of his mom Lisa and his brothers Coy (26), Daniel (18) and Bradley (17), and his sisters Leah (32), Aaliyaha (13), Rebecca (25) and Samantha (20).

Lisa’s passion for helping children started when her oldest daughter Leah was in second grade.  Leah would often bring kids home with her to play.  Occasionally these children would have problems at home or be dealing with bullying at school.  Lisa would take the time to go to the school and advocate for them.

She loved helping these children, and she wanted to take it a step further and begin fostering.   Once she began fostering, she saw how kids could benefit from the stability that a permanent home provided.

“I heard stories about kids moving from foster home to foster home, and I didn’t want that for my kids,” says Lisa.  “Kids need permanent homes, so they can be the person God intended them to be.  This can’t happen if they don’t have a stable home.”

Lisa began the process to start fostering while she was living in Kansas.  She took the classes necessary to become a foster parent, but her work schedule forced her to put the dream on hold.   At one point, Lisa ended up in the hospital.  She went in for surgery and had to extend her stay when she became sick.  As she lay in the hospital bed unsure of her future, Lisa made a bargain with God that if she made it out of there, she would start fostering.  Soon after, her fever diminished and she was released from the hospital.

Soon after, she moved to Georgia. 

“After I got out, I looked up LSG in the yellow pages, and the rest is history,” says Lisa.

With seven children, life can be hectic and challenging at times.  While some of Lisa’s children entered foster care with physical and emotional issues, she knows that these are the kids who really benefit from the love and stability that a permanent home offers.

“It’s not easy, but it’s worth it,” says Lisa. “Adopting has been a blessing to me; it’s taught me a lot.  God is not partial – and it taught me to be impartial.”

Lisa says that fostering and adopting has taught her unconditional love.  Despite the difficulties, “the love they give you is worth it,” says Lisa.

Lisa encourages those who are consider adopting a foster child to take the leap.

“We have room in our house.  As long as you have room, you should adopt.  First you start with the room in your heart and then make room in your home,” says Lisa.