- A Word About Open Adoption - Our Story So Far
When I first thought about adopting a child and God put that desire into my heart, because honestly God has to open your heart to this kind of task, I initially wanted absolutely no contact with the birth parents. My husband and I prayed about this and felt led to start the process of adopting from the Philippines. Part of my heart motivation of adopting from overseas was the bonus of no contact
- When He Won't Lead
I am saddened these days by women who are in marriages where their husbands will not lead. It is occurring all around us. I can only guess the deep rooted reason for this is due to the fall of man in the garden. In the garden the couple was free. Completely free with one another even in their nakedness. Can you imagine being completely free? I mean really take a moment to imagine the garden,
- Do Your Children Fear Punishment?
Let me ask you a question:
Are you more apt to get angry with your child when she spills red nail polish if
it is on white carpet or on an old towel?
What is the difference? Why is one harder to stomach than the other?
I have been pondering things like this in my own heart. I have noticed that if my child does something that is wrong, (mostly as an accident) I respond based on how I feel.
- Mothering with Disability - A God Centered View
First forgive me because this blog looks like all I do is book reviews. I have a bad habit of taking on lots of books at one time then of course reviews have to post...However mainly I want this to be a place of encouragement in Christ. I want it to be a salve to a wounded heart or soul. I want it to encourage you to look to Christ. Keep your gaze upon His beauty regardless of what is warring
- Drug addiction, Birth and Beyond
I love someone dearly who was born addicted to drugs. It wasn't their fault, they could not help what their mother did while they were being formed. Yet people like my friend live among us everyday. We cannot always tell who they are because we do not know their past histories yet they are probably functioning differently on some level.
This particular person is causing great pain in my life
- Some Lessons from Job on Worship
Picture from google image search wikimedia.commons.org
When you are down and out what is your response? Where do you look for hope?
One response from one man that was filled with faith really astonishes me. I think it is something we can surely learn from. It is the inspired word of God. It was spoken by an unlikely source. However, God knew. God
- One Year with Dakota - Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday to my precious little man! It has been an entire year now that we have been blessed with knowing you. I can hardly believe it. Time has gone by so fast and I have seen you grow in so many needed ways. This past year of all of our lives has been about you. Growing you in God, growing you in health, growing you in mind. You have come a long way in a year.
I remember when you would
- Top Ten Read Posts of 2012 at Refresh My Soul
This was such a fun look back at 2012. Though incredibly hard, God has been there all along. We have seen him us the weak in strong ways, been humbled, and in awe of His mighty grace and mercy.
Here are the top ten:
1- Hope for Christians Struggling with Depression
This vulnerable post has really surprised me. It is by far the top post this year. It saddens my heart that many out there are
- Looking for Someone to Blame After the Horrific Elementary School Shootings
Immediately after sin entered the world we see Adam then Eve blame others instead of taking responsibility for their sins against God. Blame is part of our sin nature as human beings. We want to know why. We want justice. Then we operate in fear. We become self-righteous and forget to see our own sin.
This is not okay. There are simply some things we will never understand or know the answers.
- A Tantrumed Heart - Lessons from My Three Year Old
My three year old son is throwing a long tantrum. Too long for my taste really. He is choosing to sit in his sinful choices rather than obey my voice. He has consequences and a light pointing him in the proper direction to lead him out of his mess however he chooses tantrum. It breaks my heavy heart. How much I want him to chose the right way! How much I want to alleviate the sabotage he is
- Hope for Christians Struggling with Depression
It comes on you like a blanket, it drapes its darkness and lies over you. Sometimes you feel like you cannot breathe. Other times you feel so heavy it is hard to move. It sneaks up unexpectedly. It is not fair, it is hard and hurts like nothing else. It is called depression.
The darkness of depression is so scary because it seems hopeless. You think you will not find hope again, you desire
- Helping Others is not Easy but Necessary - Living Love
Picture taken from Rock the Capital.
If you saw a kid homeless on the street, would you just walk on by or would you have a desire to rescue him from that life?
If he didn't have parents would you give him a home?
I hope your answer is yes that you would do everything in your power to help otherwise I would question your humanness.
Now what if he did have parents? Yet what if the
- Continual Grief with Glimpses of Joy in Autism
I was at a conference listening to Nancy Guthrie speak, she is well known for her work on Grief Share. She was speaking about points of processing through grief. Grief Share is really help for the grieving process in the death of a loved one. However, I knew since I lived in a state of continual grief it would be helpful. And it was.
However, there is something permanent about death. It is
- The Grace of Lyme Disease
The most beautiful gift God has given me came in the form of Lyme disease. I know that statement is strange, but it is true. I am thankful for my husband and my children. I am thankful for my parents. I am thankful for so many blessings He has poured forth upon me and my life but something had to change.
I was so very self-focused. Whatever I did I slapped God onto it but He was not the
- When You Have Two Moms
This journey has been the most difficult yet most rewarding of my life. Life with little guy is truly an adventure. He is such a joy! Children are gifts, a heritage from the Lord! Yet why do we treat them differently? Why do we not give them the two parent home (one male and one female) that they deserve? They need this environment of love and respect that only a stable home can bring.
Marriage
- Three Months with Little Man
I can hardly believe it has been three months since we have been given custody of our little man. It seems like time has flown by. I am amazed at what has come from this process. First I cannot begin to describe how much I love this kid! He is my very own and rightly so because I am his guardian, his protector as he is in this limbo stage of life. Until permanency is established our role is to
- Heart of the Matter Live Interview Blog Talk Radio
Listen to internet radio with Heart of the Matter Live on Blog Talk Radio
- Lessons Learned from the Fire
Simplify.One of the main things I have learned in this time away from our home is that I have way too many things. I have all I need here at this hotel room and I am not missing anything at our home. What does this mean for us? A major purge is coming! I will probably try to have a garage sale just to try to make a little money to help with our expenses through this ordeal and trial but the rest
- When You Get Serious About Following Him in Everything Warfare is Sure
"Pure and genuine
religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and
widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." ~James 1:27
Once you really follow hard after God you step into some serious warfare. Ever since January 26th, when we received custody of little man, we have been through the most serious trials of our lives thus far! It does not really
- The House Fire of 2012
What a birthday for Tony! Today a fear became a reality when we experienced a very real life threatening event. It is one of those things that you never think will happen to you. Then when it does you are overly thankful that you have insurance.
I am so thankful because my husband was home with us today. He has been having some severe eye allergy issues. He thought he may have had pink eye so
- Your Son is so....
I never imagined how difficult this journey of receiving full custody would be for us! I absolutely love this kid and do consider him my son, however, I know he is not fully. The situation of legal custody is very serious by Tennessee law, we have all rights of having this child as our son. We are also responsible for meeting all of his needs. Also, the law states that it will be difficult for
- A New Messy Joy Filled World
Today I was excited to call my friend and tell her I had found shampoo that repels lice. It is a preventative to lice. I also found a spray as well that you can spray in your hair as an added precaution. These are the things that make me excited these days. These are the things I knew nothing about a couple of months ago.
When you enter into ministry reaching out to the oppressed, it is not
- The Emotional Roller Coaster of Sin in Families
The basic institution of the family is falling apart. Everyone suffers for it. I am especially saddened because I am seeing it more and more within my peer group. As I look around there are people my parents age taking full time care of their grandchildren. This should not be! Parents need to step up and be what God calls them to be.
Because of this we see the number of at risk kids rising, we
- In a Month Your Life Can Drastically Change - Meeting Little Man
One month ago today we met our little man for the first time. When my friend Kara asked me to find families for these boys my heart was struck. I knew it was something we had to consider or pray about. It was so strange because a month prior to this she asked me if we would consider it and I said, "There is no way, I am sick with Lyme now and cannot even think about this."
This time however I
- Adoption - Not Completely
This journey is so incredibly hard. I am hearing and seeing things about life that this precious baby boy has been through and it is emotionally unbearable. I cannot put this suffering in another box like I could all the cases I had in social work. This is more real because I am making it part of my home. I cannot just get up and leave work. It is now a part of my 24/7 life. Emotionally this is
Tony is a Systems and Operations Manager ( for a local University). He is the technical mind, by God's gifting, behind this website design. He has his Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and MBA. Tony came to know Jesus in 1999 after living a life for several years of serving Him but realizing he didn't really know the One he was serving. He prayed to receive Christ and his life has changed ever since. Tony is a Bible teacher and leader in the Christian community. Tony enjoys gaming and web design.