Not Alone

This morning as I was reading the Bible these verses stuck out to me.

“I thank God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6

It made me so grateful for all the people God has placed in my life at this time! I am so thankful for the team God has given us for Salt Church! I am blessed by all of my home school mom friends that serve the Lord as they teach their children! I am excited about all the new ministry ladies I am meeting and connecting with!

I know I need these ladies in my life. I need people to encourage me when I feel weak. To pray with me when I have to make the second trip to the ER in a week. (Everyone is fine now.) I need to hear their stories and know that they struggle like I do.

I know that there is no way that I could sustain this church plant adventure with out knowing there are others partnering with me across the country. At times you can feel like you're all alone. You feel lost in this church pioneering venture. It's difficult to navigate the uncharted waters.

I find such comfort in the words of the verse "..pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel.."  I am in partnership with the body of Christ. I am not alone in this adventure!

It is such a blessing to have church planters across the country as a part of that support! Last spring I was a part of a VCG (Virtual Community Group) through Leading and Loving It . This fall I am blessed to lead a new community of planters' wives with them. It so so amazing to share with others that are going through the same things you are going through.

I know that God has a plan for my church! I know that He will see it through. (Now if only I could remember that in the midst of the zeros in my checking account and the car troubles.) Paul says "be confident of this, that he who began a good work...will carry it on to completion"! Sometimes it's hard to be confident but I must trust in my calling! He who has called me will carry me through!

Lessons on Worry

The past few weeks have been quite hard financially for this little church planting family! I had become quite worried about how we going to afford to live. My cupboards are getting very bare! I was concerned and started to think about job possibilities. This church planting business is hard stuff, especially on your finances! However; hard things are worth doing!

God spoke to me today through my kids devotional. I honestly wanted to skip it today because I just wanted to get their school work finished so I could move on to other pressing household issues. (Not to mention, this homeschooling mama is ready for summer!) We opened up their Keys for Kids book and it was based on Luke 12:22-31. My heart was opened as my sweet Liam began reading...

"Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens; They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." Luke 12:22-31

There is something so eye opening about hearing God's word read by your child. Through his voice God was speaking to me so clearly! He knows that we need food. He knows that I am stressed! I need to turn it over to him and seek his kingdom first! He will provide if I serve his kingdom! Then, God gave me an opportunity....

There is a man that frequently comes by our house looking for the my husband. He found out he was a pastor about a year ago. He comes by to ask for prayer and to talk things out, but mostly for financial help. We're not always able to give him money, but we usually send him with some food. Today he knocked on my door. In the past, I haven't opened if my husband wasn't home. I opened it today and just that was a blessing to him. He said it made him feel human. So many people, including myself, have ignored his knocking. He needed $12.86 to finish paying for his son's graduation clothes. I told him things were so tight right now. I said my pantry is just about bare and I don't think I really have anything. God spoke to my heart and I told him to wait. I told him I would go check and see if I had any cash (I thought I had maybe $4). I went to my wallet and I had $13 to give him! I told him God was looking out for both of us today! I prayed that God would multiply both of our finances. I shared the about devotional with him.

In providing for that man I was being God's hands and doing the work of his kingdom! God provides. Later today we checked our bank and someone had donated $400 into our account! God is faithful!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" Philippians 4:6

God hears our prayers and worries. My boys and I now know what to do when we are worried. Thank God for what we do have, voice our worries and fears to God, then let go and let him take it! He wants what's best and he will see us through!

Gluesticks: PVC Framed Canopy Bed

Gluesticks: PVC Framed Canopy Bed:  While browsing Toys R Us & Babies R Us last weekend, we came across a cute Tinkerbell canopy bed that Kaylee just loved. She already had a ...

Church Planting Whirlwind

Well, it's been too long since I wrote. My life has been in the whirlwind of church planting! What an adventure we are going to have with Salt Church!

I never realized all the legal stuff you have to deal with. We have been getting insurance, filling for non-profit status, incorporating, waiting on approval from the Assemblies of God -which we just recieved (our church fellowship), and so much more! We are learning so much!

We have started having our core team meetings for Salt in our living room (which means a lot more cleaning!).  It has been going well and by the grace of God our team has been growing. We are still awaiting God to send us a childrens' director and someone with pastoral experience!

I have been learning to stretch our dollars even more! I am already an extreme couponer wanna be, but now it is a necessity. I have learned to be much more creative with our meals. We have been eating a lot more soups because of their meat stretching abilities!

We are about to enter into the adventure of fundraising! In our fellowship, there is a 30,000 dollar matching grant that we could desperately use to make this church a success! We are in the midst of building a website, writing support letters, and planning fundraisers! God has blessed us with many talented people around us that have been helping us pull everything together.

All this, plus homeschooling my children, makes for little time to myself! I have not had time to blog. I hope to get to it more often!

Adoption Navigation

I have recently seen and heard a lot about how opening adoption helps everyone.  I am so mixed about this.  I am trying to see the benefits in our situation and right now I just can't.  I need to protect my daughter.  How would it benefit her to have a birth mom in her life that refuses to call her by her given name, who goes around bad mouthing us, who has not learned from her mistakes and is continuing and get worse in her behavior. 

I try to see things from the birth mother's perspective.  I do feel bad for her.  I can only imagine the turmoil she must be going through; however, does that mean that I should put my daughter at risk because of it? No!

I have people ask me all the time if I have heard from the birth family.  Part of me just wants to forget there was a birth family.  Don't get me wrong, I will be forever grateful that the birth mother chose Rob and I to raise this amazing girl, I am just not wanting it to be a daily part of my life.

I am trying to learn how to navigate this role of adoptive mother.  There is no book that can help me through my specific adoption.  Every adoption is so different and mine is certainly out of the ordinary.  I am caught between more of a familial type adoption and a semi-open.  We knew the birth mother for 5 years before she blessed us with this baby.  It has made things extremely hard.  We didn't go through an adoption agency.  We did have a social worker and a lawyer, but in a way we were left to our own devices.  There were so many times I called my social worker, I know I drove her crazy, because I just had no idea what I was getting into.  I wish there was some textbook on how to deal with it.  I know that is nearly impossible due to every story being unique. 

I thought it would all end once the adoption was final.  It has helped a lot, but there are still so many emotional struggles!  I just hope and pray that one day I can find a way to explain everything to Katrina in a way that makes sense to her and in a way that she feels completely secure.

Thanks for listening!

Another Family in Need!

I just found out about a family that is trying to adopt 2 boys from Eastern Europe that have special needs. I don't know them personally, but I have friends in North Carolina that do.  They said that they are an amazing family that loves God and these boys!  Please help them bring their boys home! I know now how much every penny counts. I really hope you can give to them, or at least pass the info along.

Check out their blog: http://www.findingourlittleone.blogspot.com/

I cried reading their blog.  It will touch your heart!

The Adoption is Final

Well after seven months (eight if you include the one since we found out we were adopting her) has passed and she is finally all ours!  We left at 6am Thursday morning to travel to Tavares for her court.  The process was much less emotional than I thought it would be.  We were sitting in the Judge's chambers and it was just our attorney asking us simple things like "Has she been in your custody since Oct. 12, 2010? Is your marriage stable?" etc. The most emotional part was when we read our statements on why we want to adopt her.  (I'll post mine at the end.) At the end, our attorney asked "Judge, do you agree that the child should be placed in the permanent custody of Rob and Lisa and shall be hereby known as Katrina Ellise?" He said "OK".  The Judge was nice and spent quite some time small talking afterwards with my husband.  I am so relieved to have it past us, but I thought there would be more ceremony to it! 

On Thursday night, the first night she was officially ours, she kept us up all night, just like a newborn.  I don't know what was the matter, the hotel I guess- although we've been away from home before, but she cried most of the night.  She spent the night in our bed, mostly not sleeping.  How ironic that she would act like a newborn that night!  She has been fine since. 

It is so nice to have this all completed!  No more lawyers, or social workers.  At least not until or unless we do this again.  I'm not ready for it anytime soon, but if God opened another door...

My court statement

From the moment Katrina’s birth mom told me she was pregnant I knew I would have a hand in her life.  When I was there to witness her birth and held her to feed from her birth mother for the first time and felt her little jaw move, I knew I would be a part of her life.  When her birth mother called me to pick Katrina up from day care and take her to a hospital due to a high fever and I rocked her and calmed her I knew there was a special bond with her.  I never once dreamed I would be her mom! It seems God had it all in His plan from the beginning.  I am so blessed to not only have two boys by birth, but to be chosen to be Katrina’s mom. 

I have loved Katrina since before I ever knew she would be mine.  It has been such a joy to see her transform from a scared and angry baby to a sweet, secure, and joyful toddler.  She amazes me every day!

Becoming Katrina’s mom has not only made me fall in love with her, but it has made me love our family even more.  Seeing my boys love her and take care of her has brought me so much pride and happiness.  It makes me love my husband more to see him cherish our little girl.

I can not imagine life without our little girl.  She is our princess.  I am so excited to see the amazing plans God has for her.  I am so blessed to be chosen to be her mother!