Here We Go!

Do you ever feel like God is up to something BIG in your life, like He has you standing right on the brink of something that will take your breath away? I have felt that a few times in my life and now here I am again. How do I know that “feeling”? First comes the restlessness, that stirring that makes me question where I’m at and what I’m doing. Next, God begins to plant tiny little seeds of passion in my heart. These passions start as little thoughts, little nudges, little wishes. And then, I wait…wait for God to grow those tiny seeds and illuminate the path He has for me.
I wanted to start blogging now so that I can keep track of what God’s up to. Not just the BIG things, but also the little things that happen each day that make our family interesting and real and yes, a little bit crazy!
Let me start by telling you a little about myself. I’m a Christ-follower, wife, mom and Children’s Ministry Director. I work so hard at trying to live my life in that order, but I’ll admit that it’s a daily challenge and a continual matter of prayer. The above mentioned roles take up most of my time, which means I’m not a grocery guru, expert seamstress or exercise fanatic. If there is someone out there who has figured out how to “be it all” – I seriously would love to hear from you!
I’m married to my high school sweetheart – we’ve been married for 18 years. We are the poster couple for “opposites attract”! People always told me that being married to Jeff would keep my life exciting – they had no idea! One thing I love most about my husband is that he is always the 1st to apologize – he’d rather be reconciled, than right – I love that so much!
We have 3 daughters. Abbi is 14, Averi is 12 and Anni is 8. We have 1 girl at each school right now – high school, middle school and elementary school – I think that’s a fun fact! I love being a mom. Our girls are sweet, fun and growing in their faith – I couldn’t ask for anything more. We, of course, have our moments and there are definitely times when I feel like a complete failure as a mom, but I claim Philippians 1:6 for each one of them - “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.”
I am the Children’s Ministry Director at Southbrook Church in Weddington, NC. Remember how I said earlier that I’ve had this “feeling” a few other times before. Well one of those other times landed me smack dab in the middle of my current ministry and trust me when I say it has definitely taken my breath away! This has been a calling that has stretched me in incredible ways! It’s painful, exciting, rewarding and draining all at the same time. I love the people I’ve had the opportunity to grow with! I love the kids I see each week! I love the parents who trust us with their most precious children! I carry out my calling for an audience of One and I am constantly listening to hear His voice.
Now let me tell you about those little seeds that have been recently planted deep in my heart… a few years ago, Jeff came to me with the idea of adoption. We started with the process, but kept running into roadblocks. We decided that God definitely was calling us to adopt, but we were going to have to wait on Him for the timing. A few months ago, God made it clear that very soon He would grow our family through adoption. As I’ve learned more about adoption, visited adoption sites and blogs of families that have adopted or are in the process, God has planted yet another seed in my heart. My heart breaks that there are children all over the world who will never know what it’s like to be loved by a family. They will go day after day without having even their most basic needs met. I don’t know what this seed will look like when it is full grown, but I do know that God is opening my heart and mind to children all over the world who long to be loved. I know God’s heart breaks for these little ones and I know that in some way, someday, He will use our family to reach out - to be His hands and His feet!
I’m so excited to share this journey with you!
So hold on…Here we go!
P.S. I promise that not all my posts will be this wordy!