A Fresh Start - Faith, Family, Friends, Adoption, and All Things Pro-Life
May 25, 2016So here we go! We begin a new chapter! (BTW…..this will be a little long)
This launch has been one that I have agonized over! Seriously, it’s pretty sickening how much anxiety I have had over the new website and now launching the new blog! I want more than anything to bring glory to God in everything that I do, and I’m a little bit of a perfectionist, that is information for those that don’t know this about me. About 15 months ago I sat on a journey that I feel I have definitely felt the laboring pains. Our website was on such an old format and desperately needed updating. Our blog went without any attention for more than a year because of constant technical difficulties, not to mention the 500+ spam emails I would get a day, who wants that?!. I even started a personal blog with many articles that I had in progress because of things the Lord would lay upon my heart and would not complete, it just didn’t feel right separating myself from the ministry that I have been called to. Let’s be real, my life and ministry are so tightly knitted together and for goodness sakes, I need as much simplicity in my overly busy life!
So what to expect…..the title says it all and here is a taste of what is to come! So join me with your favorite cup of tea or coffee, because if you know me at all, you know I always have one or the other in my hand! Just an FYI…..I am sipping on a wonderful aroma of coffee and Irish Cream creamer……I know you can just smell it! Yummy!
FAITH: Nothing is more important to me than my faith. It is what guides my life, my family, and my ministry. In Hebrews 11, Paul gives us a picture of great men of God who displayed what it means to live out your faith in action. Hebrews 11 says “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” But then calls out these patriarchs and starts each one off with “By faith”, how I want that to be the mark of my life!
In my ministry I think what faith an adoptive family has to come to ABBA Adoption and trust that this is where the Lord has lead them to grow their family through adoption. I often can be heard saying to any family or group that adoption is “A walk of faith”. An adoptive couple walks trusting in the Lord’s plan without having the tangible laid before them, with many unknowns they will have to embrace.
I also think of a birth mother. The faith she has to have to be courageous and not only choose life for her baby, but make an adoption life plan where she is trusting in a family to provide all the things she can’t, for whatever reason at this time in her life.
FAMILY: What a gift from the Lord! My family consist of myself, my husband Chris, seven children we have been blessed with along with a wonderful son-in-law and two beautiful grandchildren. Four of our children came into our life through adoption! What an extra special gift they are!
In the world we live in, families are facing overwhelming battles. For an adoptive couple, family plays a big role in being supportive of this journey. Having a family that bathes that couple in prayer is vital, but it doesn’t stop there! We will address at a later time the importance of that on-going support between husband and wife as well as extended family that is necessary in life and in adoption particularly.
For a birth mom family matters can be extremely complicated and broken. Often times my staff and I become that source of support to her. My heart often breaks over the breakdown of the family structure and how this is generational and how this affects the lives of these ladies.
FRIENDS: One thing that I am known for is my “get-togethers”. I love being surrounded by my family and friends. They are the life-blood of prayer and community for me.
Friendships play a huge support role for adoptive families and birth moms. We need to make it a point to build healthy friendship communities around us. Investing in each other’s life is such a blessing!
ADOPTION and PRO-LIFE: In my own personal life, I know what it means to be adopted. I had a wonderful earthly father who adopted me and took me as his own! It is a special gift! It is something I am extremely grateful for, although I can say with absolute certainty, I probably have not always displayed my gratefulness, you know, because the teen years do happen!.
My greatest adoption happened when my heavenly father adopted me into His family when I put my faith and trust in Him. Many of you may know my life and ministry scripture which ABBA Adoption was birth from, Romans 8:15-17 states “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
As stated before, my husband Chris and I have been blessed with four children through adoption. We know firsthand the gifts that have been given to us and yet we also know the ups and downs that can arise.
For a woman that is faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an adoption life plan is an important consideration and can be a huge blessing in her life, an adoptive couple’s life, but most importantly the life of a child. Let me be very clear where I stand, a woman, no matter her background, situation, or circumstances is a HERO! Any woman that is faced with an unplanned pregnancy and has the courage to choose life for her unborn baby is highly rated in my books! The pressures of the world makes it far too easy to end the life of that child, but when she can step outside of her own desires and put that child first and then place that baby into the arms of a family and trust them to give that baby love, security, safety and a chance at a better life than she is presently capable of, it calls for a celebration and a giving of thanks to the Lord every time, because it is truly a miracle right before our eyes………THE MIRACLE OF ADOPTION!
As I wrap this up, and you know…..my coffee cup is empty, I ask that you be in prayer for me. Please let me know what you want to hear from me on. We will cover all topics! Pray that I will honor God with my words and by that He will be able to work in the lives we come into contact with on a daily basis. Pray for my staff. Pray that we are always intentional to share the love of Christ with all those we come into contact with.
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