Noises-An act of worship!

What do you define as a joyful noise? Birds chirping, children laughing, waves coming to the shore. Perhaps the voice of a loved one on the other end of your phone. Now what do you define as noise less joyful? Sirens blaring, people fighting, fingernails on a chalkboard. Perhaps the sound of something that repeats itself over & over again causing an annoyance. It's interesting how some noises can be joyful to one person & yet with that same noise it can be an annoyance to another. For instance hearing the sound of children laughing may be medicine to the soul for one person and grief to the heart for another who may have lost a child or aches for a child. Also how the sound of waves coming to shore can be relaxing to one person and scary to someone else who may have a fear of water. A lot of how we react to certain noises can be based off of our previous experiences in life.

This past week a lesson in how a noise is defined was different for people in our family. Our new little guy that has been living with us for less than a month struggles with being able to read well. I've noticed when we're at church and the worship songs are on the screen up front I will hear him make noises to go along with the songs, but it doesn't sound like he is singing the actual words. In the van the other night as our family was coming home from dinner our new little guy was trying to sing along to the song on the radio with "his noises." One of our other children at first thought he was messing around and just making annoying noises. It dawned on me that he was trying to sing the song with the way he knew how to sing it. If you don't know the words, then make up a tune or noise to go along with it anyways. Our other child was quick to understand and didn't say anything to him. God brought to my mind the verse from Psalm 100:1(KJV) Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. This got me thinking that even though we may not understand what our new little guy is singing when he worships in church, God does! God hears the sounds that come from his heart and I truly believe it is a beautiful act of worship unto the Lord. Makes me stop and examine my own heart and the noises that come forth from it. Are "my noises" a beautiful act of worship unto the Lord or am I more concerned with what others think of "my noises." Dear Jesus, may they be a beautiful act of worship unto You!!!!!!!

Enough "manna" for the day!

This past week and a half has been overwhelming to say the least. It started last week with a phone call from our local child protective services(cps) about a child that needed a home. Everytime I get this call my heart is filled with mixed emotions. I'm excited to be able to help another child and then the reality sets in that our family dynamics are changing again and I honestly feel like vomiting. This is where I should trust the saying, "don't trust your feelings," comes into place. Our feelings seem to be all over the place where God's Word is firm and steadfast and something we can put our trust in. It doesn't waver back and forth like our feelings do. The first week was filled with getting to know each other and appointment after appointment. This second week we're trying to get into a routine with school. Some days have been more successful than others, but that's a typical part of this journey. My heart was starting to feel quite overwhelmed. Not with his behaviors but more with the responsiblity of what parenting his heart looked like. I too needed to get back into a routine. I guess we're all creatures of habit to some degree. I know from experience that my greatest source of strength is when I spend quality one on one time with the Lord. He helps me put things into perspective that I cannot do on my own. His Word is a boost to my soul & time spent chatting with Him is a much needed counseling session. Yesterday as I continued to struggle with getting back into some kind of "normal" routine the Lord brought just what I needed. Enough "manna" for my day. I love how He showed His faithfulness to the Israelites years ago when they were wondering in the wilderness, and I love how He continues to show that same faithfulness now to my heart today. Manna that He brought to my heart yesterday looked a little different than the manna the Israelites partook of. My manna consisted of encouragment from a friend with a song that the Lord had laid on her heart to share with me. Wow! Did the tears start to fall and I could instantly start to feel healing start to happen in my overwhelmed heart. I do believe this song will be "my song" to cling to along this journey. Later that evening a text came through from another friend who felt led to bring a meal for a family today. What? Another outpouring of love and this time in the form of allowing me to relax from a labor. Perfect timing too as Thursday evenings Nick & I have been teaching a training to foster, adoptive & kinship caregivers. Now I can focus on preparing for class and spending time with my kids after school without trying to figure out what's for dinner or taking the time to cook it. I am astounded time after time how the Lord loves His children, and how He uses different people to love on His children as well. It's amazing how a song & a meal can be just what my heart needed for the day and even more amazing that God knew I needed that and sent "manna" to encourage my weary soul.

Great start to Empowered to Connect class!!!

Last evening we had a great start to our Empowered to Connect, the connect course, classes that help bring healing to our kiddos that come from hard places. We loved serving the couples that attended & look forward to continuing to grow together in these weeks to come. It so amazes me how God uses ordinary people like us to help further His Kingdom. So thankful!!! God is so good!!!!!!! We will be offering this class again in the fall. It is a 9 week course that is life changing! We also are implementing these principles each month at our support meetings for foster, adopt & kinship families.We usually cover 1-2 principles each month depending on time. We meet the 3rd Tuesday of every month at Bethel Baptist Church in Savannah from 6:30-8:30pm. We would love to have you come!!!

Jesus is Christmas!!!

Two more days & we will set the day aside to gather with family & friends & celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!!! My daughter made the cupcakes today for Jesus' birthday & we've been busy cooking & baking & preparing gifts to share with those we love. As I type this blog I sit in front of a stained glass nativity scene my parents gave us & the beauty of it helps keep my heart focused on what really matters this Christmas season. Of course I love to watch Christmas movies(Mickey's Christmas Carol especially), bake cookies(frosted cut outs), shop for others, attend family gatherings, etc... but in the quiet moments when the world slows down & God reminds my heart that even if I didn't have any of those previous things I mentioned Christmas would still be Christmas. Jesus is Christmas & since I have a personal relationship with Him, I have Christmas!!!

I was reading in a book called, "Crazy Love," by Francis Chan today & there was a section where he wrote about a family that went around on Christmas morning sharing hot pancakes & coffee with the homeless in their community, and how their three children look forward to this every year. Another section he shared one of my favorite verses: Matthew 25:40 "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." It's beautiful how those two sections go hand in hand together. So this Christmas season as we enjoy precious time with our loved ones & fill our stomach's with yummy food, may we be sensitive to remember that there are others in our community that may be less fortunate than we are. May we be willing to share a smile, give a blanket, serve a meal or open our home to "one of the least of these." In doing so I believe we're ultimately sharing Christmas(JESUS) with them.

Empowered to Connect training classes starting SOON!

We will be teaching a training from Empowered to Connect, called the connect course, starting January 5th, 2017. We will meet on Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at Bethel Baptist Church in Savannah. This training is open to foster, adoptive & kinship families. The training is a nine week course based on the work of the late Dr. Karyn Purvis & Empowered to Connect. We will meet together 2 hours each week & you will have approximately 2 hours of homework as well to complete each week. Believe us the time spent in and out of class is well worth it. This training has been life changing in our home. It helps us to better understand & serve our children that come from hard places. It has also been beneficial with our biological children as well. There is a cost involved & materials need to be ordered soon so please contact us if you're interested in attending the training. We would love to see you there!

Orphan Sunday-November 13th, 2016

Sunday, November 13th is Orphan Sunday. We encourage you to get involved with Orphan Sunday with your local church in some way. There is free printable materials on orphansunday.org you can download & print off to share with others. There is also a video you can play during your service. Bringing awareness about orphan care is very near & dear to the heart of God. James 1:27 says  "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." If orphan care is important to God, it should be important to us. Please take time on Sunday, November 13th to share with your church & others about Orphan Sunday & pray for the orphans around the world, including the ones in your own neighborhood. Everyone can get involved in some way. What will you do to reach out to the "least of these?" Feel free to contact us with any questions or ideas you have to get involved in orphan care. Also please feel free to share with us what your church is doing for orphan Sunday this year. Together, we can make a difference!!!

    

The GRACE Factor

The Grace Factor... This has been something the Lord has been shaping & molding my heart on more & more the older I get & the more time I spend with Him. In a world with so many rules, grace often gets overlooked. There's rules in society, in our homes, in our schools, in our churches, etc... and a lot of those rules are important, even necessary to keep everyone safe. There's also a lot of rules that we like to make up to have control or authority over someone else in a way that is not helpful, or necessary. A power struggle. A battle that may not be worth fighting but we fight it anyways because we're more concerned with winning every battle than winning the war. I speak from experience, not judgment. But if we put our focus on always winning every battle & not the heart of that person, we've failed them. The perfect example of Someone who does the "Grace Factor" right is God! It amazes me how He can create the entire world in less than a week(7th day rested), including the sun, moon, stars, oceans, humans, etc.. but yet He is interested in what goes on in my everyday life. He relentlessly pursues my heart, even when I reject Him. He looks at winning the war in my heart, over beating me down over every little battle I mess up on. His example to me has opened a door of grace for me to be able to show that same love to my children & any children that come to live in our home. To be honest I haven't always done the best at this when some of their behavior's went against what I thought they should look like. I too, am a work in progress. But more & more God beckons on the door of my heart to show grace. Even though there are still some rules that need to stay in place & be enforced, grace should still always come out on top. Even if my child is being unruly. Even if someone frustrates me. Even if I know what they're doing is wrong. Grace still always needs to come out on top. That doesn't mean there is no discipline or admonishment, but it does mean that while disciplining or admonishing we're looking at the heart of that person & are more concerned with their heart, over us winning the battle.

"Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;

Grace, grace, God's grace,

Grace that is greater than all our sin!"

(lyrics from the hymn "Grace Greater than Our Sin," by Julia H. Johnston)