Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Frame to share at local church
Frame will be sharing at Christ Community Evangelical Free Church in Savannah, Ohio on Sunday, March 22, 2015. We will be sharing during the adult Sunday school time and some during the worship service.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Freedom from strongholds
Good morning! I've been needing to post a blog again so with a snow day today, here goes.
I love how the Lord loves us. He loves us not if we do certain works for Him but because He created us and loves us. Growing up in church and accepting Jesus as my Savior at a young age has been a blessing. I've heard Bible story after Bible story repeated time upon time and have heard more times than I can count Jesus loves me said. So thankful for that. Recently though while reading a book called, Gospel by JD Greear, recommended by one of my dearest friends, my eyes and heart were set free from a bondage I didn't realize I still was having at 35 years of life, especially after being saved at a young age and growing up in church with loving, godly parents.
The part that God used in the book to speak to my heart was this:
"In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less."
You might be thinking to yourself well if you got saved young and grew up in church you should've already knew that. Well I knew it in my head but apparently not in my heart like I should've. As God spoke freedom to my heart it was like a brick lifted from my chest. A stronghold had been demolished. I grew up wanting to please everyone for the most part. Being a people pleaser isn't all bad but letting it control you is. Pleasing man over God is never acceptable. Feeling many times I never measured up or would be good enough at whatever I was doing. Sometimes this would not be a struggle at all and other times it would slap me right in the face being a stronghold in my life. In Christ that stronghold is gone. My loving Savior reassured my heart that when God looks at me He looks at me through the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Once again I had known this before but man did it ever sink in during this time with the Lord. Times I would feel guilty if I didn't spend enough time in the Word or prayer or do this good thing or that good thing and my Savior lovingly reassured me," Monica I love you! Not what you do but you! I love you if you spend time in My Word. I love you if you pray to Me. I love you if you serve at the church. BUT, I also love you when you didn't spend time in the Word with Me that day, or you didn't talk to Me as much as I would've liked you too and if you feel overwhelmed at times serving, I still love you! " Wow! What freedom. My perspective has changed and I have a peace in my heart that words alone cannot fully express how I feel. Freedom to raise my hands in church and worship a loving Savior even if I've had a bad week and my character hasn't reflected Christ much, because worshipping isn't about me, it's about Him. Freedom to start over each day, each moment and enjoy spending time with Jesus, not because I should because that's what Christians should do, but because I get to do it. So thankful that God continues to mold and shape my heart to look more and more like Jesus.
I love how the Lord loves us. He loves us not if we do certain works for Him but because He created us and loves us. Growing up in church and accepting Jesus as my Savior at a young age has been a blessing. I've heard Bible story after Bible story repeated time upon time and have heard more times than I can count Jesus loves me said. So thankful for that. Recently though while reading a book called, Gospel by JD Greear, recommended by one of my dearest friends, my eyes and heart were set free from a bondage I didn't realize I still was having at 35 years of life, especially after being saved at a young age and growing up in church with loving, godly parents.
The part that God used in the book to speak to my heart was this:
"In Christ, there is nothing I can do that would make You love me more, and nothing I have done that makes You love me less."
You might be thinking to yourself well if you got saved young and grew up in church you should've already knew that. Well I knew it in my head but apparently not in my heart like I should've. As God spoke freedom to my heart it was like a brick lifted from my chest. A stronghold had been demolished. I grew up wanting to please everyone for the most part. Being a people pleaser isn't all bad but letting it control you is. Pleasing man over God is never acceptable. Feeling many times I never measured up or would be good enough at whatever I was doing. Sometimes this would not be a struggle at all and other times it would slap me right in the face being a stronghold in my life. In Christ that stronghold is gone. My loving Savior reassured my heart that when God looks at me He looks at me through the righteousness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Once again I had known this before but man did it ever sink in during this time with the Lord. Times I would feel guilty if I didn't spend enough time in the Word or prayer or do this good thing or that good thing and my Savior lovingly reassured me," Monica I love you! Not what you do but you! I love you if you spend time in My Word. I love you if you pray to Me. I love you if you serve at the church. BUT, I also love you when you didn't spend time in the Word with Me that day, or you didn't talk to Me as much as I would've liked you too and if you feel overwhelmed at times serving, I still love you! " Wow! What freedom. My perspective has changed and I have a peace in my heart that words alone cannot fully express how I feel. Freedom to raise my hands in church and worship a loving Savior even if I've had a bad week and my character hasn't reflected Christ much, because worshipping isn't about me, it's about Him. Freedom to start over each day, each moment and enjoy spending time with Jesus, not because I should because that's what Christians should do, but because I get to do it. So thankful that God continues to mold and shape my heart to look more and more like Jesus.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Adoption Essay written by my daughter
An amazing adoption essay writing by my daughter its very touching its a must read
https://docs.google.com/a/crestviewschools.net/document/d/1Kjr2ALbyVW0ax6PLpspWIagSAf1O50u1x96TpKa8n4I/edit#
https://docs.google.com/a/crestviewschools.net/document/d/1Kjr2ALbyVW0ax6PLpspWIagSAf1O50u1x96TpKa8n4I/edit#
Friday, October 31, 2014
Orphan Sunday-November 2, 2014
This coming up Sunday, November 2nd is Orphan Sunday. Our family gets the privilege of sharing at our local church about orphan care and our passion for defending the "least of these." While doing some research this week I came across a poem that is fitting for this Sunday I wanted to share. Also please check out the short video clip we shared from Francis Chan about Orphan Sunday. Powerful!
Poem by wefostercare
Please don't call me a foster child. I'm someone's son, granddaughter, nephew, great-grandson, sister, god-son. I'm an athlete, a piano player, an artist. I'm an honor-roll student. I'm a child of God. And I happen to be in foster care. Words are powerful-choose them wisely.
Poem by wefostercare
Please don't call me a foster child. I'm someone's son, granddaughter, nephew, great-grandson, sister, god-son. I'm an athlete, a piano player, an artist. I'm an honor-roll student. I'm a child of God. And I happen to be in foster care. Words are powerful-choose them wisely.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Excited for Saturday-Zombie Frenzy!!!!!!!
Excited for this Saturday! Frame will be out at the Ashland County Fairgrounds for the Zombie Frenzy 5K run to raise funds for local adoptions. The race starts at 10am. Come on out and stop by our table. We will have our brochures, ministry cards and CANDY! The weather is suppose to be beautiful. Hope to see many of you there.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
The affects of fostering and adopting on our children
I read an interesting blog the other day from an adoptive dad that keeps tugging at my heart strings. The blog talked about the affects of having foster children in your home on your biological children. As you can imagine this is something we have heard about for years. Some people mean well when they share their opinions with you about how they feel what you're doing will affect your children while others come across rude and hurtful. I really believe deep down most people don't mean to come across hurtful, they're just uneducated about the subject. That is why I have been feeling led to share about our own family's experience.
With being foster/adoptive parents for 6+ years and having around 30+ children come and go through our home you can imagine we have experienced a lot of different situations and met a lot of people along the way. Yes some situations were harder to go through than others but I wouldn't change anything. At the time I may have felt differently but looking back now I realize if I changed anything our family may have missed out on something the Lord was trying to teach us or to use our family to reach others for Him.
My honest opinion is our children are far better off from having foster children come and live in our home than if we would've chose not to. Have our children been excited about every child coming, or when the children they have grown to love and bond with leave? Absolutely not! Our children have real feelings just like my husband and I do. We are big on family meetings and we take their feelings in consideration about fostering and adopting. They know the final decision falls on their father and I but we value their opinions. This ministry is a family ministry so we want them to feel a part of it as well.
What is awesome to see from a parental perspective is when new children come to our home seeing our children welcome them with open arms even if they don't quite understand what's going on with the situation. They don't overwhelm the new children but they let them settle in and are there for them as they feel ready. Our children are great about sharing whatever they have to help welcome the new child or children in and make them feel a part of our family. One big thing our children share is my husband and I. We try to make sure we spend quality time with everyone but sometimes when hurt children come to our home they need a little extra tender, loving care for awhile. Our children are great about sharing us so we can share the love of Jesus with these new kiddos. Sometimes though the new children can relate better to one of our children than to my husband or I so our kids will spend time talking with them or helping them with whatever they're going through. This is a blessing because it gives our children an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these hurt children.
So yes I realize our children have went through some hard times with us fostering and adopting. I remember when they cried tear after tear because someone they had grown to love had to leave our home. I remember when I had to break up a fight or argument between some of them. I remember when our younger children learned life lessons from when some of the older kids that came to live with us messed up. But, I also remember seeing the kids playing out in the snow together building a snowman. I remember when our adoptive daughter learned how to read a recipe and bake something. I remember seeing the kids play together and laugh together and become friends and sisters and brothers. Not by blood but by love. So even though our children have experienced pain along this journey it has not been in vain. The pain has pointed them to the One who can heal their broken hearts, restore relationships and change lives for eternity, JESUS CHRIST! My desire as a mother is that my children love and want Jesus above everything else in their life. So as much as it hurts me to see them hurt at times, if this temporary pain makes them more like Jesus than it is well worth it.
With being foster/adoptive parents for 6+ years and having around 30+ children come and go through our home you can imagine we have experienced a lot of different situations and met a lot of people along the way. Yes some situations were harder to go through than others but I wouldn't change anything. At the time I may have felt differently but looking back now I realize if I changed anything our family may have missed out on something the Lord was trying to teach us or to use our family to reach others for Him.
My honest opinion is our children are far better off from having foster children come and live in our home than if we would've chose not to. Have our children been excited about every child coming, or when the children they have grown to love and bond with leave? Absolutely not! Our children have real feelings just like my husband and I do. We are big on family meetings and we take their feelings in consideration about fostering and adopting. They know the final decision falls on their father and I but we value their opinions. This ministry is a family ministry so we want them to feel a part of it as well.
What is awesome to see from a parental perspective is when new children come to our home seeing our children welcome them with open arms even if they don't quite understand what's going on with the situation. They don't overwhelm the new children but they let them settle in and are there for them as they feel ready. Our children are great about sharing whatever they have to help welcome the new child or children in and make them feel a part of our family. One big thing our children share is my husband and I. We try to make sure we spend quality time with everyone but sometimes when hurt children come to our home they need a little extra tender, loving care for awhile. Our children are great about sharing us so we can share the love of Jesus with these new kiddos. Sometimes though the new children can relate better to one of our children than to my husband or I so our kids will spend time talking with them or helping them with whatever they're going through. This is a blessing because it gives our children an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these hurt children.
So yes I realize our children have went through some hard times with us fostering and adopting. I remember when they cried tear after tear because someone they had grown to love had to leave our home. I remember when I had to break up a fight or argument between some of them. I remember when our younger children learned life lessons from when some of the older kids that came to live with us messed up. But, I also remember seeing the kids playing out in the snow together building a snowman. I remember when our adoptive daughter learned how to read a recipe and bake something. I remember seeing the kids play together and laugh together and become friends and sisters and brothers. Not by blood but by love. So even though our children have experienced pain along this journey it has not been in vain. The pain has pointed them to the One who can heal their broken hearts, restore relationships and change lives for eternity, JESUS CHRIST! My desire as a mother is that my children love and want Jesus above everything else in their life. So as much as it hurts me to see them hurt at times, if this temporary pain makes them more like Jesus than it is well worth it.
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