It Has Been Way Too Long!

YES! I AM BACK AGAIN…

I have taken a break from my Blog for way too long. How dare life get so chaotically busy that it takes me away from something that I am so passionate about. YOU!

I am ready to share once again! I have been using Facebook as a ministry for several years. I have tried my best to write things on that platform that speak truth, encourages others to love like Jesus and promotes serving others. That is what my intentions were when I started writing on this blog/website. I have decided to once again make this a place for me to let go of what is on my heart and let God touch whomever It can. I want the work that God has done in my life and what he inspires me to share, to somehow make a difference in others.

What good is it to have God work within us, if we are not willing to share the work he has done” ~SW

Truth, Love and Service. Those three things mean so much to me. They are who I am and It is the reason I started highlighting some tid bits of my life on this website several years ago. I have shared about being a Parent, Adoptive Parent, Foster Parent, Mimi, and the Wife of a Care Pastor. I am also the only Daughter to wonderful parents and a Sister to three brothers. All of those things have given me great fulfillment, but no title compares to being a Child of the Most High. It gives me abundant joy to share the little things in life that are of great importance to God.

Each of our stories are unique, significant and worth sharing. I am always learning to embrace mine just a little bit more. I am forever thankful that Gods plan for each of us is much greater than we can imagine for ourselves.

On no particular schedule, I am looking forward to sharing more about all the good, the bad, and the ugly that makes my life come together as something so beautiful. Each one of our lives is something that is imperfectly perfect to God. I hope to encourage you to look at your own story and only see the beautiful, as Christ does.

Also, I am hoping you choose to share this website/blog with others who may need to learn to embrace their story just a bit more, as well.

Live by Truth

Love Like Jesus

Serve People 

Here’s to new things….

Pink Lipstick

Ok, Here it goes….the story behind the updated FaceBook profile pic!

I’ve been In the dumps emotionally. Spiritually, Is the only way I’ve maintained for the last few months. But it’s doing its toll now…physically.

Thanks be to Jesus for his strength to persevere through rough patches in life. Those days of uncertainty and of pain.

The emotional toll that grief takes on a person is hard, to say the least. Its sneakiness comes like a lion’s roar in my mind, at moments that I don’t expect. I’m a fixer, and I can’t fix the feelings my self or my family members are pressing on through.

Losing my Momma2, has made me think of all the special things I’ve missed over the years, with my own parents. (living states away) Coming to the terms, that those are moments, I can’t get back, took me deeper in grief for the loss of my Mother in Law. I am forever grateful for the moments and the relationship we had. We had a very special bond. Both of us vowed in our hearts, and spoke to each other, about loving her baby till each of our last breaths. She did just that…and I will do my part as well.

I keep physically busy when I’m emotionally drained. Yes, I’ve been too busy. Then I slowly start to shut doors to people in my heart, to resist any more pain. (I’ve recognized this is where I am now) I tend to fold up my emotions like a fitted bed sheet and tuck them away in a drawer, that’s already way too full.

In recognizing there’s no more room to tuck away my emotions, I started the process of decluttering. I began with my mind.

I know who I am In Christ and what my purpose is!! I have been reminded over and over again in my life, that at the lowest of times, the strength I have within me, is because of that knowledge.

Looking cute has been the least of my worries. (when you are in a rut no one sees you anyway, right?) So, yesterday I had a very subtle moment, that became profound for me.

I had a focus and a plan…

It was a pink lipstick kinda day!

It was a day that I made the decision to Be brave, Be bold, and continue to shine bright.

I’m a work in progress, just like you. We all have our moments that seem

blurry. We all need to continue to strive for our moments of clarity. God’s word and his promises are what have always given me the focus and the desire to move again.

There is NO stopping allowed here!

So yesterday, I breathed in and out…and I wore pink lipstick around my house.

Foster Care Awareness Month

May is Foster Care Awareness Month!

foster-care-words

This video shows so much. It makes my heart hurt and stirs so many emotions in me every single time I watch it. 

Please take the time to watch this video by clicking here -REMOVED-  There are other videos in this series on YouTube. You’ll need a tissue for all of them!

To the Children in care…you deserve a voice, you deserve love, you need roots and you need a family! There is hope! You are Worthy!

To other Foster Parents…it’s the toughest job you’ll ever love! All of God’s children are worth all of our efforts ❤️ 

Thank you so much for making a difference one child at a time!

family love quotes and sayings Awesome I love my family so much quotes Pinterest Gallery

Reckless Love

Devotion written by me for Women’s group #1

God’s love is Reckless for us!  

Cory Asbury wrote the song “Reckless Love” as an incredible anthem that marvels at the depth of God’s love for us.  In explaining the meaning behind the song, Cory says, “When he uses the phrase, ‘the reckless love of God,’ he is not saying that God Himself is reckless. He is however, saying that the Way He loves us, in many regards, is quite reckless. His love bankrupted heaven for us. His love doesn’t consider Himself first. His love isn’t selfish or self-serving. He doesn’t wonder what He’s going to gain or lose by putting Himself out there. He simply gives Himself away on the off-chance that one of us might look back at Him and offer ourselves in return. 

The recklessness of His love is seen most clearly in this  – He gets Himself hurt over and over and over again. (Because our sin pains His heart)  Yet, He continues to open up and Loves us, no matter what. We as Christians all struggle with this. We have a hard time loving those who hurt us. We often run away from hurt instead of recklessly loving the person who has hurt us. Or we choose not to show love to someone who sees things differently than us.  Is it because chasing after someone to love takes time, energy and can cause more hurt in the process? Probably, but Our God does it anyways!  

His love saw us when we disliked/hated the things of God and when we chose our own ways over His. And with knowing that…God still said, ‘I don’t care if it kills me. I’m laying my heart on the line.”

And guess what?  He will do it again and again! He sees our worth for what it really is. He doesn’t hold onto our actions or the pain that we have caused him in our sins.  He let’s go of all of those things and chases after us.  No matter what, He won’t stop loving Us!

It’s a whole lot easier to “just Love” someone than it is to be “recklessly IN love” with them. As Christians we love with caution. Although, when we pray, we can ask God to change our hearts to love like He does. If we really strive to love recklessly, we would become more like him. We tend to love with conditions. We give consequences to people who hurt us, and we even withhold our love from people, instead of giving it freely.  It has become the norm to love “cautiously” instead of “recklessly.”  God doesn’t ever hold back His love for us. He tears down walls, moves mountains and chases after us at times. More often than not, we don’t even pursue people, let alone chase after those we are called to love.  (people in our family, our friends, our neighbors, orphans, widows and those who seem unloving) We rarely go the extra mile, seek out people that are different than ourselves, or even pray for particular mountains to be moved, so that we can love others with a reckless love.

Parents, just think about it….we would kick some booty for our kids!  We would chase down the enemy and crush everything we could, just to show our love to and for our children.  We have more of a “reckless love” comparison when we think of how we love our children.  But Oh how overwhelming is His love in comparison to how we will ever be capable of loving our children!

His love for us is too much for us to ever comprehend….

Ohhhh if we could Love like that! We should all strive to love people recklessly! People who have hurt us, people who are different than us, and even people who have ran from us or turned their backs on us. Everyone deserves Christs love.  May we have the same grace as God, when we have the opportunity to show His love to others.    

Let the words to this song penetrate into your heart                                                               Click this link and listen to the song  – RECKLESS LOVE -Cory Asbury

  • How can YOU try to love differently?
  • Is there a person/situation in your life that is in serious need of some “Reckless Love”  the kind that won’t give up or turn away…no matter what?

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for the Reckless Love that you have for us. Thank you for loving us despite our failures and our sins. Thank you for your sweet grace, in all of the times that we should have loved someone differently and were unlovable are selves.  I pray that you show us your ways. Teach us to also love recklessly.  Help us to love all people that you place in our lives.  Mold our hearts, enhance our passion, and make clear our pursuits, as we grow in your love for others.  Let people experience and get to know you through the Love that we show them.  Help us to have mercy and grace in the midst of hurts. Give us persistence and strength, that we may not give up easily, on people who need your love.  Use us and show us that through you….We too have the ability to Love Recklessly!

In your name, Amen

Dreams Come True!

Book Released Today

It’s in my hands now!!!! It’s for real! 

Book Photo

My story can be found  in the section “Blessings in the Midst of Chaos”  (pages 277-294) And my quote was chosen for the back of the book!  Wow! Someone pinch me!  God’s timing is just soooo good!  I’d love to say what an awesome job all of the Authors did, but i know first hand, God was all over them while they were writing.  So all of the acknowledgements go to our Lord and Savior!  

The Editor has changed all of the children(s) names for privacy reasons.

Thank you to Katherine Piper for having a dream to make a difference and allowing the Lord to use her in such an endeavor. It was tedious and i know it had to be a bit crazy communicating with so many different authors from around the world.  She showed such grace as she allowed God to guide her every decision making step along the way.  She has already made a difference!  (To all of us Authors as well)  With this book to encourage adoptive families,  she’ll continue to make a difference for many years to come.  I’ll forever be grateful for her obedience to carry out her vision and for approaching me to share our story.     

Also, a huge thank you to all of my family who helped encourage me to “go for it” when the opportunity to share our 3 adoption stories was presented. I am honored (with 27 other Christian Authors) to be able to encourage Women on their adoption journey’s. May God receive all the glory he deserves, for orchestrating such a beautiful arrangement of heartfelt love and faith shared within the books pages. It is all of our prayer to help fund forever homes for children for many years to come.  And we will, as copies of this book are sold…

Hope for the Adoption Journey is now available on Amazon!

Get your copy here: Hope for the Adoption Story -Amazon Prime

All proceeds from the book go towards helping other families adopt through the Show Hope organization.

Visit Show Hope Organization here

The Following is from the Show Hope website:

This movement began in 2003, when Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman founded Show Hope after having their own eyes and hearts opened to the global orphan crisis.

Since then, Show Hope has worked to holistically approach orphan care, helping children in four key areas:

  • Adoption Aid
  • Care Centers
  • Pre+Post Adoption Support
  • Student Initiatives

Through Adoption Aid grants, Show Hope has helped more than 6,000 children from more than 60 countries, including the U.S. More than 2,500 waiting children with acute medical and special needs have received loving care through Show Hope’s Care Centers in China. Show Hope’s partnership with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU and Empowered to Connect has helped bring hope and healing to children around the world with encouraging, research based teaching in Pre+Post Adoption Support. And Show Hope prepares for the future with our Student Initiatives by educating and empowering the next generation of leaders to effectively care and make a difference in the lives of waiting children.

Book to be Released Soon!

28 True Post-Adoption Stories to Comfort and Encourage

Hope for the Adoption Journey, compiled by Katherine Piper, features the heartrending stories of twenty-eight women from very different circumstances who have personal experience with adopting and fostering children, both domestic and international, of various ages and backgrounds, with a wide range of needs—and who have endured to share their joy.

Are you a mother facing the chaos of adoption in your family?

Do you feel alone and overwhelmed with the struggle of adoption?

Or are you considering adoption and wondering if you can do it?

  
“Adoption can make your heart ache and your head spin, and it can turn things in your family upside down for a while. But the blessings do outweigh the chaos, and every struggle and disappointment too. Remember, you are not alone in this endeavor. There are many others who have been or are in the trenches with you. And God will never leave your side…
Love fiercely as He loves you.”
—Mother of adopted & foster children
(Susan Woodward)

All profits will be used to help prospective adoptive parents bring their children home.

Will be available on Amazon and Kindle, August 2018.

Book