Hidden Treasures

Talent for Treasures

2012-04-07T13:52:00.009-07:00

http://www.amandasmithphotos.com/

Sweet friends!! Here is your opportunity to partner with us and help bring home our two precious children from Uganda AND receive photographs of your family!!

AND guess what else?!

( The first ten people will receive 50% off session price!!)

So hurry and reserve your spot!!!

Oh how I can't wait to capture sweet memories for your family!!

Amanda:-)

Where He leads, I will follow!!

2012-04-01T18:36:00.009-07:00

Three weeks ago I launched...

www.brokenwithinministries.blogspot.com

And I have spent the last two years praying, preparing and healing before the time arrived for this special ministry to be birthed. And in those two years Me and Jesus worked closely together as He poured into me His message for these young girls and He began to reveal to me what He wanted this ministry to look like and what it was called to accomplish.

It was to start with the Facebook Group: This is where girls could come together and friendships would be born. It would be a place of learning, healing and encouragement. It would also be a place for their voice to be heard and valued.

Then He began to reveal the Local Outreach: This was the Life Hurts God Heals Groups. This is an 8 step recovery program providing life-long tools for students with pain and addiction (Depression, abusive relationships, cutting, eating disorders etc.) His plan is to start these groups in youth centers, group homes, detention centers etc.

And the biggest vision that God revealed for this ministry was the

You are More Tour: This will be a conference type event with various speakers focusing on each of the TRUE topics ( Beauty, Worth, Identity, Purpose and Purity), Drama Skits, Fashion Show and a Concert( Praying for Tenth Avenue North!~With God ALL things are possible right??;-) His plan is to launch this into malls all over America and meet young girls where they already are!;-)

And honestly these were the only visions God had revealed to me for BWM and I was ok with that!;-)

What I didn't know was God had another BIG plan for this ministry and would reveal it to me at the Created for Care Adoption Retreat!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a HUGE heart for orphans and missions and would love nothing more than to pack up my family and move to Africa to be full time missionaries( just waiting on God to convince my husband) ;-)

And so I went humbly before the Lord and cried out... Lord, I am surrounded by all these amazing ministries that are serving orphans but I just don't feel called to start another ministry but I really don't see how BWM fits in here...I then heard Him whisper..."Amanda, there are teenage girls in the world who need to hear this message. They need someone to teach them about their TRUE: Beauty. Worth, Identity, Purpose and Plan. This ministry DOES have a place there, will you follow me?"

Yes Lord!! You bet I will!!!;-) After I got home I sent a email to one of the ministries that I felt drawn to the entire weekend and told her about BWM and just asked for her advice and prayers.

But what I got in response ROCKED MY WORLD! She replied back saying that she really felt like this ministry fit a need in the facilities they went into, since most of them were teenage girls!! We then ended up chatting on the phone about the ministry and it was then God began to reveal his other BIG plan for this ministry!

MISSIONS!!!: And His first stop is UGANDA!! His plan is for me to partner with this ministry and take BWM into these facilities as early as Jan 2013!! So 8 months from now!!! Eeeeek!!!:-)

WOW!! God's plans are ALWAYS BIGGER than I could ever imagined! And to think I just launched this ministry THREE weeks ago! ha!;-)

And now sweet friends, I need your prayers!!

Please Please

* Pray for God to give me His vision of what He wants the material and time spent in the facilities in Uganda to look like.

* Pray that once I submit my plans they are approved by the board of this ministry and the Uganda government.

* Pray that God will form a BWM mission team

* Pray for God to provide the resources needed for this trip

* Pray for Him to give me His wisdom, clarity, discernment and love throughout the planning of this trip and that I will humbly submit to His plans.

* Pray that God would continue to open doors in various countries for us to take the message of BWM.

* Pray for me and my family as we endure fiery darts from the enemy as we step up to take BWM into the world!!

Oh sweet friends you are such treasures to me and I could not do this without your support, encouragement and most of all your PRAYERS!! So from the bottom of my heart...

THANK YOU!!!

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward- to Jesus. I 'm off and running and I'm not turning back." Philippians 3:12-14

LETS DO THIS!!!!!

Date with God...

2012-03-26T19:45:00.011-07:00

This retreat was created for moms who have been called to Adopt, Are in the process of Adoption or have already adopted…So I went into this weekend thinking ok, I am going to learn how to be a Adoptive mom and how to best take care of the children God places in our family. And I did learn A LOT about adoption. Things I am still processing and I am sure will be future blog posts;-)...But what I wanted to share with you is what God really had in mind when He called me to this retreat…

And my prayer is that His presence is so powerfully felt through this post that you too are drawn in to be apart of this incredible experience...

When I walked into this lodge, the presence of God was so powerfully felt, I knew that there was more to this weekend than just to learn about Adoption...And so I followed Him...

I followed Him into worship and watched as all 450 women around me disappeared and it was just my Jesus and Me... And I worshiped my King from a place of raw intimate love, a love that I never really experience before. It came from a place in my heart that was so raw, so vulnerable, and so broken. But that had been hidden and locked away... And as I allowed Him access to those places of my heart, He poured out His love upon my soul in such overwhelming amounts that it literally took my breath away...

I followed Him into the conversations of the moms around me, and watched how He hand picked every single woman I would come in contact with to inspire, challenge, encourage and comfort me.

I followed Him as we walked around this amazing lake together and He spoke to me throughout nature. Reminding me of who He was and how creative He is and how much He cares about each and every detail of His Creations...

I followed Him in so many ways over the course of this weekend, but there is one time, that I didn't follow Him, but instead He waited for me to arrive...

There was this special event called a "Date with God" and you signed up for your special time and then show up for your "date"...And so I eagerly went not knowing what to expect...

And I will never forget what I experienced as I walked into that room... There He stood waiting anxiously for me to arrive...My Beautiful King...And He took me by my arm and escorted me into His presence and His love...

He first led me to the painting station and He asked me to paint the image that He sees when He looks at me, I painted a sun and a bride dressed in white...He then lead me to the station where there was tons of pillows and I just crawled up in His lap and just rested...I allowed Him for the first time in a long time to hold me, rock me, comfort me, sing over me, caress my hair and wipe away my tears. In that moment there was no agenda, no responsibilities. All my other titles disappeared and I was just His child and He was my Daddy. He began to show me that He brought me to this retreat to uncover all those locked away hurts...The hurts of isolation, abandonment, anger, bitterness, fear and neglect...And that He wasn't uncovering all this to bring about more pain, but to remind me what it felt like to be an orphan child in desperate need of someone to Adopt me...

And He was my daddy who loved me so much that He went to the gates of Hell to bring me into His family not because of what I could do for Him but because of this incredible love He has for me and couldn't fathom the thought of ever living without me...

He IS my Beautiful King, My Daddy, and the Father to the Fatherless, and oh how I love Him so...

* Sweet friends, PLEASE don't skip over listening to this song! It is so beautiful, so intimate, so powerful, And I promise, you don't want to miss it!*

Our FIRST Adoption Fundraiser/ Giveaway!!!

2012-03-10T15:05:00.003-08:00

Calling all Mommas, Grandmas and Aunties!!! (Pssst... This is your chance to be the FAVE auntie!) hehe!

We are launching our first ADOPTION FUNDRAISER/GIVEAWAY!!!

And we are doing it AMERICAN GIRL STYLE!

Whaat?! Yep you heard me right!! The WINNER of the drawing will win an American Girl Doll of their choice!

So what are the details you ask? Well here ya go!!

$10 donation = 1 entry

$20 donation = 2 entries

$30 donation = 3 entries

The contest will run from March 10th, 2012- April 10th, 2012( midnight)

And the WINNER will be Announced on April 11th, 2012!!

ENTER HERE!!:

*( Make sure you leave a note stating "American Girl Fundraiser" with your donation so that your entry can be counted!!)

Thank you so much for rallying with us to help bring our babies home from Uganda! We appreciate each and every one of you SO VERY MUCH!!!

Amanda

* If you haven't read our Adoption Story you can here!:
http://look4hiddentreasures.blogspot.com/2012/02/faith-obediencesacrifice.html

We will NOT give Up!!

2012-03-03T19:46:00.002-08:00

"There's a raging sea right in front of me, wants to pull me in and bring me to my knees"- I have been working on our Adoption Home Study Paperwork and I seen the "fees due now" and "please describe your house situation" sections, I felt this wave of fear and doubt come over me and began to hear the taunts of the enemy whispering...( Give up already, this is never going to happen)

But even though our hearts may be weary and our faith tested, We will NOT give up! "He was there for me then, He will be there for me now, He was faithful before, He WILL be faithful again! So let the waters rise, We will follow HIM!!

Faith. Obedience.Sacrifice

2012-02-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

Jan 1st 2009 God called our family to Adoption and with that calling He made us a promise…And a RADICAL promise at that..And you can read our story here:

http://look4hiddentreasures.blogspot.com/2009/01/hidden-treasures.html

T.H.R.E.E. years ago… That is a looong time to wait for something that your heart so desperately desires. The longing for my babies to join our family is almost unbearable. Every time I look up in the rear view mirror and see my four children laughing and playing and I realize that their giggles and smiles are still missing from that reflection....My heart aches...

My heart aches to know them, hold them, rock them, kiss their sweet foreheads and boo boos on their knees. To build forts, play in the dirt, have tea parties and watch them walk around in my shoes. To teach them about Jesus and watch their stories unfold… To snuggle under the covers and watch movies till we fall asleep…Oh how my heart so desperately aches to hear them call me MOM…

And that ache got the best of us this past August, And we decided that maybe God needed our help with this “plan”…And so we stepped out with our own agenda and went into a contract on a home, WE were going to make this plan happen for ourselves… And it didn’t take long for God to begin to speak to our hearts and remind us of HIS promise to provide and take care of ALL of our needs..

We were reminded NUMEROUS times of the story of Abraham and Sarah, when God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and well neither of them could see how that could ever happen, and so they decided it was best if they “helped” God’s plan along and they set out with their agenda to make God’s plan happen…And we all know it doesn’t go well after that

God used that story to show us, that yes we had a choice to make, we could choose to do this our own way and make things happen for ourselves and through that disobedience we would very well miss Him do something amazing in our lives and the lives of others..

And so it was decision time….

And we choose Obedience

A week before our closing date we walked away from the deal…We called up our realtor and told him this story..He thought we had lost our mind… As do a lot of people with whom we have shared this with….We have become accustomed to being laughed at and ridiculed when we choose to share it..It is a pretty crazy promise! Buts its GOD’S promise and I have seen Him move in my family’s lives in ways that never cease to take our breath away and we have choose to trust Him even when its crazy...

Because this God whom me and my family choose to trust is the SAME God who:

· SPOKE the earth and the heavens into existence
· Called Noah to build an ark to save him and his family from a flood( even though it had never even rained before!)
· Parted the Red Sea( He parted an OCEAN!)
· Birthed His Son through a Virgin
· Lived on this earth as a HUMAN
· Raised the Dead
· Healed the Sick
· Fed the Poor
AND
· Died for OUR sins, so that we could be with Him forever

THIS is the GOD me and my family choose to follow and place our trust in even when my patience grows thin and the ache becomes unbearable..

There is also another part of this story that God began to reveal to me just recently. We have been waiting for three years for God to move and provide so that we could finally step out and begin the adoption process. And this past weekend God allowed my paths to cross with a very special woman and her words pierced through my soul as if Jesus Himself spoke them.

“ Amanda, What if God is waiting for you to release something from your hand? What if He is calling you to really step out in faith and trust Him first?” I just sat there, trying to process what she just said. All this time we have been saying that we have been called to adopt but that we were waiting on God to provide before we could step out in this calling. But in that moment I realized we have this all backwards!

On the way home, her words just kept replaying over and over and I just began pouring out my heart out to God “This just doesn't make sense! There is just no way our home study will be approved right now, Our house is just too small!” And then a guy came on the radio and began to tell the story of Abraham and Issac and how God called him to take Issac and sacrifice him as an offering...And Abraham obeyed without any questions and BEFORE God provided another sacrifice in place of Issac. He trusted God even when things didn't make sense, when he didn’t have all the answers or resources. All he had was his faith in a promise that God had made to him and he clung to it with everything he had! And just as Abraham’s sacrifice left his hand, God in all His faithfulness showed up and provided just what he needed in that moment!

I realized that even though we have said that we have been called to adopt, we really haven’t even started the journey, because in order to do that you have to step out in faith and GO even when things don’t make sense, when all the resources aren’t there yet. To just let go and really trust!! And just like Abraham we too are clinging to the promise that once our sacrifice leaves our hands, then the beauty of God's faithfulness will find us in the exact moment that we need it!!

And so with indescrible excitment, I announce to you my sweet family and friends that we have finally given God all of it...Our Faith, Obedience and our Sacrifice...And our journey has finally begun!! We are now one step closer to our babies in Uganda!!:-)

" Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see"
Hebrews : 11:1

Me and my family will continue to trust Him with our lives and the plans He has for us and oh how we look forward to that precious moment when our faith becomes sight and I will reach down and hold my precious babies faces in my hands and say “This is what your DADDY did for YOU because He wanted you to have a home and a family!!” And Oh what a GLORIOUS day that will be!!

Redeemed. Restored. Remade.

2011-10-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

As I celebrated my 30th birthday, God took me on a journey back through my twenties and just how much of a blessing it is to be in this new season of my life!

And it started with being...

REDEEMED:

God redeemed so much of the mess I made out of my twenties. Satan knew I had a tremendous calling on my life to minister to so many and so he stopped at nothing to destroy it. From numerous affairs, eating disorders, bitterness, depression, anxiety and anger. Much of my twenties were spent as the prodigal child. Running from the God who loved me and finding pleasure in my own selfish desires. But God never gave up on me, He ALWAYS knew where to find me and pursued me with an everlasting love and heard my cry and pulled me up out of that slimy pit and gave my feet a firm place to stand!

Now that I was out of the pit it was time to be...

RESTORED:

And praise His name I am out and the pit is no longer my home! But the gunk from the pit, still covered me from head to toe and it was going to take some time to remove it, just as it takes months even years to restore an old car to its original state, so was the same with me. And so I began the long process of Restoration:

· 1.) Make a strategy of how to do it and how to start. Always have a plan before you start. * God had a strategy alright! HIS WORD and He wooed me back into His love letter and showed me His AMAZING plan for my life!

2. Start with the engine. Try to remove most parts and replace them with little parts. Keep as many parts of the engine as possible. Devote a day or two of cleaning the engine.
* God started with my engine..My heart, He began to remove what didn't need to be there anymore( the rust of bitterness and anger and the dents of loneliness, depression, anxiety) and even though the sanding and hammering was painful at times it was worth it as He began to replace those defects with Himself(Love,Joy,Peace,Long suffering,Kindness,Goodness,Faithfulness,Gentleness,Self-control)

Until I was….

REMADE:

3.Give style to your car. Get inside, clean it out, try a new radio, steering wheel, and maybe even clutch or transmission if you need.

· God gave me a radio alright! He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. He has remade me and my life in SO many ways I don’t even know where to begin! Am I perfect? Hardly! But the one who IS perfect dwells inside me and that gives me a promise until the day when I will be completely REMADE into the image of Christ. And until then, my life will forever be dedicated to the lover of my soul and the amazing calling He has placed on my life so that many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him!

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus Philippians 3:13–14

And with that I say HELLO 30s!! Its gonna one AWESOME ride with the Lord!!

"Portable Brain"

2011-09-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

If you are like me then your life is a collection of crazy blessed chaos and its hard to find time to "think" let alone process those thoughts! And I kept getting lost in doing what needed to be done, that when God would speak to my heart about an idea for homeschooling, emails, ministry, writing etc. I would make sure to make a mental note to remember to get to it and then realize a few days later that I had forgot what I was suppose to do! Uggh! Anyone else??...

I also began to realize that the closer I get to 30( which is only 12 days, 288 hours, 17280 minutes and 1036800 seconds away) But hey who's counting?!;-) That my brain just isn't retaining info like it used to..Gotta love aging!;-)

I was going to bed with my mind racing with thoughts, ideas, plans, etc and finding it hard to fall asleep!...Oh how I needed a "dumping" place for all these thoughts!

And this is when my "Portable Brain" was invented...

* Sketch Book: Of course I decorated the cover! Because well my portable brain has to reflect the real one, and the real one surely isn't boring!...I gotta AMEN to that from the hubby! hehe;-)

* Tabs: Which so far are labeled with the different categories Homeschooling, Adoption, Writing, Ministries)

* Post it Notes: When the Lord brings a thought, idea etc to my mind, I can write it down on a post it note, so I won't forget!

Ahhhhhhhhhh, Its in the little things that true blessings are found!! And I swear I heard a THANK YOU from my "real" brain..hehe!;-)

Marathon in the Kitchen;-)

2011-09-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

I completed my first marathon today! It wasn't your typical running marathon though( even though the way my feet and back ache it sure feels like it ha!)

I completed my first KITCHEN MARATHON...

And the Menu includes:

Breakfast:

* Chocolate Chip Pancakes

* French Toast Sticks

* Apple Coffee Cake

* Cinamon Raisin Muffins

* Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

* Oatmeal Bake

Lunch:

* Pizza Snackers

* Italian Chicken Strips

* Make-Ahead Sandwiches

* Italian Chicken Roll-Ups

* Cheesey Crisps

*Pizza Meat Loaf Cups

Dinner:

* Double Meatloaf

* Turkey Meatball Soup

* Southwestern Casserole

* Slow-Cooked Chunky Chili

* Veggie Lasagna

* Breaded Chicken Patties

* Sloppy Joes

Oh and can't forget the Oatmeal Cookies!:-)

And it only took me 8 hours to complete it all!;-)

I wanted to make 2 weeks worth of food( breakfasts, lunches and dinners) first, because I knew that is about all my freezer could hold!;-)

I found a awesome cookbook called Taste of Home Freezer Pleasers:

And it is AWESOME because almost all of the recipes are double! So I was cranking out two meals per recipe! THATS how I got finished in 8 hours;-) AND I had a few recipes going at the same time..It was pure craziness but SOOOO WORTH IT!!!:-)

Hands on Bible Review!:)

2010-07-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

I am SO stoked to be asked by Tyndale House to review the new Hands on Bible, as we are definitely a hands on learning family and I just knew my kids would LOVE it and boy was I right! The minute we received it in the mail, they were eagerly flipping through it with excitement!:) We started using the Daily Reading Plan( found on their AMAZING website) for our morning Bible Lesson and I LOVED how it teaches kids how to find passages in the Bible and makes learning the Bible fun for them, my kiddos had a blast looking up the verses I was teaching and reading the interesting facts that went with them!!:)

We then used it that night for our Family Devotion Time and once again used the AMAZING website for ideas! Our lesson was based on Genesis 9:8-17 which talks about how the rainbow was and is-God's sign of the covenant He made with all life on earth. And so we made Rainbow Raindrop Promises to God to help us remember that God keeps His promises and to ask Him to help us keep ours:) We had SO much fun doing these and the hands on approach through this Bible ROCKS:)!!

I love how this hands on approach makes the Bible come alive for not only my children but also myself! I even want to use this Bible for my own personal devotion time!;) I can't recommend this bible enough, it is such a BLESSING and we are SO excited to have it in our lives now!!:)

Be sure to check out the website(http://www.myhandsonbible.com/) which is jam packed with Reading Plans, Family Devotions, Songs and a Parents Forum! LOVE it!

Product Info:

List Price: 19.99
ISBN: 978-1-4143-3769-2
Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
Binding: Softcover
Release: July 2010

List Price: 24.99
ISBN: 978-1-4143-3768-5
Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
Binding: Hardcover
Release: July 2010

Mirror Mirror

2010-06-04T05:17:00.000-07:00

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

It seems all to often the mirror's image is what we allow to define us as women. We wake up every morning and allow our days to be set by who the mirror tells us we are. We twist and turn, inspecting every inch and crevice of our bodies, examining it through a magnifying glass we created on our own. I carried that magnifying glass all to often in my life and I am still at times tempted to take it out. I bought into the lie that physical beauty is what determines your worth. That what the mirror portrayed of me was more important than anything else. And because of that I struggled many years with a distorted body image that led to countless years of eating disorders and depression over trying to keep the taunting voices happy. It was a long exhausting road and it got me nowhere..But then I realized that's the trap satan doesn't want you to figure out, you believe that if you get to a certain number, then you will finally be happy and will finally have the worth you have been seeking. But the the vicious cycle continues..Because as long as you are placing your worth in anything other than Jesus, then it will never be enough. Jesus didn't create us to allow things such as that to define our worth..He knew they would fade..But what about the beauty that truly radiates, the beauty that shines from within?

I have met many people in my life that were physically gorgeous, but all to often I would realize that something was missing, I was constantly looking for that inner beauty, something that kept me captivated. And all to often I just couldn't find it..why?.. Because inner beauty isn't the same as that which lies on the outside..Physical beauty can't go inward, but inner beauty..Christ's beauty can radiate from the inside out..What Christ puts on the inside of a woman desiring to be made whole in Him, radiates outward and she becomes a image of TRUE beauty. She becomes the COMPLETE package..When we begin to realize our worth is in Him and learn to accept the woman He created us to be, we realize that it doesn't matter if we can do sit ups, run a mile or fit in those skinny jeans;) We begin to see that those things don't define us anymore nor do they own us..

It is certainly not wrong to want to be physically fit, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and should be treated as such, and I for one love being physically active and enjoy keeping my body in shape.. But the Lord began teaching me, it all lies in our focus..If we choose to focus all our energy on the physical then that's what we will have to settle for..an empty shell..But if we begin to focus on the inner part of ourselves and allow God to teach us who He says we are and allow Him to clothe us His heavenly garments, that's when the complete transformation takes place.. When the real beauty will radiate! That's when you are able to lift your head up and walk confidence because you know that no matter what may linger on the outside..You are confident in WHO lingers on the inside and well that kind of beauty girlfriend is the REAL thing and it just doesn't get any better than that!:)

I want you to take some time and answer these questions..

Does your focus on your appearance take your eyes off the Lord?

Are you more focused on your weight, clothes, or makeup than you are on God?

If you answered yes.. Spend time with God and ask Him to allow you to look in His mirror and see the beauty He sees in you and wants to do through you..You might just be surprised at what you see;)

Music always plays a big part in the way the Lord speaks to me and as I was writing this the Lord laid this song on my heart and it goes perfect with this message and I wanted to share..

Something Heavenly...

2010-03-08T09:15:00.000-08:00

For a long time I have known God was calling me to something huge, something beyond myself, and I knew it had to do with telling my story. When I applied for the BLAST mentorship program with Shannon Ethridge, I had no idea that I would be chosen to embark on such an incredible journey. But indeed the time has come and so I take a hold of my Jesus’ hand and follow Him... While waiting for this program to start, God began revealing some things to me, and well honestly it wasn’t really what I was expecting...He gently took my face in His hands and whispered to my heart

“Its time my child that you get to the nitty gritty, you have to lay everything out table, it’s has to be all or nothing.” I sat in silence after I heard those words come from the heart and core of my Heavenly Daddy. Because you see I knew what they meant...I knew this journey wasn’t going to be an easy one, and well I have a feeling it’s going to hurt for awhile. He began to show me that it was time to go back…back down memory lane...it was time to sift, dig, uncover, and process things that I have endured but more importantly it was time that I heal from them. That in order to effectively be the writer, speaker and Life Coach that He created me to be, I had to allow Him to take me through the walls of my heart that I for so long guarded as “off limits” to everyone including… Him... The dark secrets my of heart’s chambers, once hidden and buried from life’s past...were now going to be exposed...I was sure they were safe there..I am a new person now...I am not her anymore...Is this really necessary? Do I really have to go back? And I heard Him say...

“Yes child...there is no other way... What you see now is only just the beginning...You think you are not her anymore...but apart of you still clings to her because its all you have ever known, all you have given yourself permission to be, and what you have allowed others make you believe you deserve. She indeed will always be a part of you, but in order to move on into the future I have planned for you, you have to understand who she was and how she made you into who you are today even through the grief, shame and guilt...Its time you take a hold of that inner child, teenager, and wounded woman and allow her to teach you things about yourself that only she can.”…

So here I sit, one hand griping the phone receiver, one about to dial the numbers, I take a deep breath and make the call to Restoration Place Ministries and allow the journey of counseling begin, it’s not going to be easy, in fact I am pretty sure this will be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but God has made it clear it is necessary in this process, in my healing, in my transformation…This has proved to be much more than just a writing/speaking program, it has become the beginning of a something beautiful, and one day all of heaven will watch in excitment.. as I walk out on that ledge and lift my head high with confidence, spread my wings of beauty as I watch the chains of my past crumble to the ground and for the first time I will be able to shout with joy..I am FREE!!

” But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

This song has never touched my life and heart as much as it does right now, and through the chaos of emotions I choose to surrender because I know that my Daddy is up to something oh so Heavenly!!

I surrender All...

2009-10-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

My mind drifts to the hymn when I hear those words, I am sure many of us have sung it but I wonder how many of us have sung it and actually stopped to realize the words that were actually being spoken from our lips and what exactly was taking place once those lyrics reached God’s heart, does He in return look back at us and say are you really surrendering all? …I am sure this goes for all of us. There is always some part of our lives that we just can’t give it all to God and trust Him to have control of it. But what I felt the need to talk about in this entry is..Children..The average family in America today has a family consisting of 4 to 5 members and that’s including the parents. Now most of you would say 3 kids that’s enough for 2 parents to handle who needs anymore..I have three kids and for awhile I couldn’t have agreed with you more..There was a time that I would hear others reply ahh we have enough children we are done..Or people using contraceptives to make sure they don’t become pregnant..

And honestly I never thought twice about the comments or decisions. That was until God began to give me His heart on this…and honestly now when I heart those comments I cringe, because its almost as if we have placed ourselves in a position to say ok God I trust you with everything but the kid part...that part I get to choose and call the shots ok? Do we seriously think that flies in heaven? Does God really look down and say with a smile oh ok I didn’t really need that part of your life anyway.. When God asks us to surrender all..I am going to take a leap here and say I think He means ALL.. ..I know I can already hear the reasons of why this part of our lives just has to be off limits to the surrendering part..Trust me I get it..As a woman we desire “me” time whether that be hanging out with a girlfriend for coffee, a new outfit or a hobby that we really enjoying doing..And of course we can’t forget our desire to keep up our womanly figures;)..We don’t want to sacrifice “our” time. I totally hear you ladies, and when God began calling my heart on this, trust me He heard a few whines or two..Or three ha;) But I knew without a doubt what He was speaking to my heart was the truth and I had to make a choice to listen and obey and to decide to follow Him or the voices of the world on this.

The voices of the world have made us believe that children are a curse and the more you have the worse things will be, you’ll never be able to take care of them (how many times have we said oh we just can’t “afford” another child) As Christians I believe we are doing God an injustice and totally disobeying Him when we buy into that lie. We are staring God in the face and saying I don’t want anymore children because you know I just don’t trust that you will provide for their needs…hmm that makes it sting when we hear it that way huh? So what exactly does God say about this? In Genesis 9:7 “As for you be fruitful and multiply, populate the earth abundantly and multiply in it.” Psalm 127:3-5 “ Behold children are a gift of the Lord , the fruit of the womb is a reward like arrows in the head of a warrior , so are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man, whose quiver is full of them, they will not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate”…God chooses to reward us with children..Not curse us..So why don’t we accept it that way?

Take a breath this is gonna hurt….But maybe because we live in a selfish society were its all about us and “our” time and meeting “our” needs? We think our standards are God standards, that to answer this call our lives then we have to have tons of money...did we forget who Jesus parents were? That we have to provide them with a huge house.umm did we forget where Jesus was born and where He slept? That children just cost to much( clothes, toys, extracurricular activities etc)But is it really the children who cost too much or is it us the parents who have bought into this false image of what a family really looks like..Jesus didn’t come to give us the American dream..He came to give us Life..And to help us build a legacy and I believe that starts through our children..And if we all really took the time to simplify our lives and allow God to teach us how to raise our children we would began to realize that they really are a reward and a blessing. I think of the TLC family the Duggars when I see a family who has answered this call on their lives..Isn’t it amazing how so many of us will tune into their show watch it and then turn it off and never for a second think that God is calling us to make the same commitment to Him??..They are no different than the next family who steps up and takes a step of faith and says God I commit to you how many children we are to have, God didn’t just call the Duggars folks..He has called all of us who belong to Him to commit this part of our lives to Him..God desires to find faithful people of this day. And when He does there is no stopping His hand upon their lives!..But it requires us taking that first step of faith and trusting God with the rest….”Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1

As for me and my family we will serve the Lord and we choose to commit and surrender this part of our lives to Him..anyone else ready to join us and choose to do the same?:)

Here I am Lord..SEND ME!!!

2009-07-11T20:00:00.001-07:00

THE PROBLEM:

WHY ITS IMPORTANT:

What GOD thinks about orphans:

God calls us to be instruments of justice for orphans...

Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor. (Zechariah 7:9b-10b)

God calls us to love and to care for orphans...

Learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:17)

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. (James 1:27)

When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. (Deuteronomy 24:21)

God blesses those who are obedient to care for the needs of orphans...

When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (Deuteronomy 24:19)

For when the ear heard, it called me blessed, and when the eye saw, it gave witness of me, because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the orphan who had no helper. The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me, and I made the widow's heart sing for joy. (Job 29:11-13)

THE PLAN OF ACTION:

God has placed a piece of Uganda in my heart and I long for there with everything inside me, I don't just want to go, I HAVE to go or this aching in my heart will surely consume me!! The Lord has opened that door for me to travel to Uganda this fall (Sept 26th -October 5th 09)with an AMAZING organization that has a heart to reclaim hope for orphans... Carolines Promise (http://www.carolinespromise4u.org/index.htm) We will be ministering to the orphans and widows there through various resources (including food, children's activities, medical assistance etc)

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?

*Prayers!!
Not only for me but for the many orphans and widows not just in Uganda but all over the world! God moves when His children PRAY!!

* Become a child sponsor, you can make a HUGE difference the life of a child by becoming a sponsor..visit these websites for more information

http://www.hopechest.org/

http://www.compassion.com/default.htm

* Partner with me financially as I take my step into the mission field of Uganda!!

Click the button below to donate towards my trip to Uganda!! Your donations are so greatly appreciated and May the Lord Bless you as you give!!

Sweet Reunion...

2009-07-06T17:32:00.000-07:00

I experienced the worst feeling in my life tonight as I frantically paced through the isles of Wal-Mart in search of my daughter Morgan, she had been just one aisle away and now she was nowhere to be found, I felt the anxiety coming over my body as every horrific senearo possible raced through my mind. I kept pleading oh God please don’t let this be happening, please bring her back to me! Through panic and tears I pleaded with someone to please help me find my little girl! I could hear Code Adam alarming over the intercom and realized this was really happening to me, it suddenly became personal, how many times do we hear that a child is missing and dismiss it because its not our child? I could feel my body becoming weak and things around me were getting blurry as my body was going into shock at the thought that my baby was gone. This just can’t be happening..Please God I pleaded again…And I heard the most precious words I could ever hear..We found her!! My heart leaped and when my eyes met hers I just ran..Ran as fast as I could to her..I have never been so excited and relieved to see my daughter than I was in that moment. The expression on her face was one of confusion..You see Morgan didn’t even realize she was lost. I had told her to get her brother a toy to ease his tantrums which was one aisle over in the baby dept..But in Morgan’s mind she thought I meant in the toy dept on the other side of the store!..So all along Morgan thought she was right where she was suppose to be, that was until an employee approached her and asked if she was lost..Morgan replied umm I don’t think so..After telling the lady what her name was, the lady oh yes her mother is looking for you!..Through this ordeal I could hear my Heavenly Father speaking to my heart. Through the frantic search for her I could hear God whispering this is how I feel..This is my heart to those that are mine, that are wandering and lost, the way you feel right is now is how I feel towards them. I search frantically for them, I leave everything to search for them to seek them out,and the horrible images that you seen, I see too..I see what they will endure if I can't bring them back to Me.... and when the moment comes that my eyes meet there’s, I run to them just as you ran to her. They are out there just as she was, not even realizing they are lost, thinking they are right where they are suppose to be..That is until someone approaches them and lets them know indeed their Daddy has been searching for them! And as followers of Jesus we are that someone..We need to take the time to ask the simple words..Are you lost? And then assure them that yes indeed your Daddy is looking for you and oh what a sweet and precious reunion it will be!!

HIS Church..

2009-07-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

As Christians what do we normally do on Sundays? Most of us would answer we “go” to church right? And when we arrive we put our children in Sunday school and we listen to sermons that teach us what we should be doing as His children. Then most of us leave and say wow that was a good message and some of us may even think about it for awhile before the distraction of what’s for lunch enters our minds and we are back entertaining thoughts that center only around us. Is this what Jesus meant for His church? Does anyone else other than me think we are missing the point? Missing what Jesus meant when He called us to be His church? Did he mean for it to become a building where His children come and keep the pews warm? Where we listen to message after message and hear what Jesus is telling us to do but never actually going and doing what Jesus told us to do? Do we believe that church is a place you go? Or did Jesus mean for it to be who we are as His children? Aren’t we as followers of Jesus the church? Isn’t Jesus coming back for His bride? Those that have accepted Him into their heart and are saved. He doesn’t give us names of buildings he’s coming back for..No He says His church..His followers..

So what then does that mean for those of us that follow Him? We are following Jesus to become more like the image of Jesus to the world right? So then how do we do that? Do we just keep the church full of Pharisees and keep out the tax collectors? Read Matthew 25:31-46..In this Jesus is saying you want to find me and be my church then go serve and love the “tax collectors” if your wondering who exactly who would be the tax collectors of our day? They are the outcasts, the ones you wouldn’t dare think of letting in “your” church buildings...The strippers, homosexuals, drug addicts, homeless people, alcoholics, convicts and the list continues. What kind of “church would that be right, if we dared let a stripper dressed in her attire sit in one of our pews, that’s just not right!..Or is it? Isn’t that what Jesus commands us to do? Since when do we make the rules? Why do we think we can make a list of rules about who gets to come in our “buildings”? When Jesus said you are my church, isn’t our “bodies” the temple of the Holy Spirit which means the Holy Spirit lives in us not in a building..So for that stripper to see Jesus, folks she is going to have to see it in the church..And that means in US..And that means we are going to have to take it outside the comfort of our buildings and go find them..Jesus did..He met the woman at the well, He didn’t wait for her to come meet Him in a building somewhere..He went to her..He sought her out..

Did He snarl His nose up at how she was dressed or slam her for her reputation? Nope he simply asked her for a drink of water and then talked to her; he made conversation with her..He met her right where she was. He went straight for her heart and it change her life..So then as followers of Jesus..His church..Aren’t we commanded to do the same? Instead of sitting in our nice comfortable churches..Hearing sermon after sermon, attending bible study after bible study...When will it finally hit you that Jesus said GO be the church? That those that Jesus commands us to reach are out there on the outside waiting and not seated in your pews because we as the church have made them believe they aren’t worthy to come inside? How many more bible studies do you need before you realize that Jesus is saying pick up your cross and FOLLOW me. Follow Him into the streets where strippers are, follow Him into the woods where homeless people sleep, follow Him into the prisons where convicts wait, follow Him into a orphanage where orphans cry, follow Him into foreign countries to preach His gospel, follow Him wherever He leads because that is BEING His church.

Will it get uncomfortable, you better believe it..But when did this become about our comfort? When did following Jesus become about us? Its not about us folks, it’s about God, everything we do with our lives should be to glorify Him and Him alone. Does that mean I am saying you should stop going to church building, No..But I am saying that I think we need to take a long hard look at what exactly that means and ask God to reveal to us if we are simply wasting our lives by only “going” to church and never actually “being” the church. We need to realize that as a follower of Jesus, we are indeed His church and that means we should be carrying that always to a lost and dying world, that it means not just getting up on a Sunday morning to rush to church and on the way you pass by a homeless person on the side of the road and yet you failed to stop because you were in a hurry to “get” to church instead of actually “being” the church ..And in doing so you missed the one you were in such a hurry to learn about, love, serve, and see……….JESUS

Is it Worth It??............

2009-07-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Is the question I heard on the other end of the receiver as I was telling my mom about my mission trip to Uganda in September. It burned through my heart like fire..How could she ask me that? Does she not understand why I am going? Has she not seen what goes on there? It saddens my soul to know that so many go on about there daily lives unaffected by a hurting world around us and I too admit I was once one of those people, I was oblivious to the fact that I had so much and took so many things for granted, I too was a spoiled American. We so often forget that even the poorest American is considered “spoiled” in many parts of the world. And then I began to pray, I began to ask God to give me a heart like His, I wanted to see people the way He sees them, I wanted to care about the things He cared about, and He answered that prayer and my life will never be the same..

I can’t eat a meal or feed my children without seeing images and hearing cries of starving children in this world. I can't play with my children without thinking about the lonely orphans wishing they too had a family, I can’t lie in bed at night without images of a homeless people filling my mind wishing they too had a place to lay their head. I can’t buy a stick of gum without thinking to myself is it worth it? Is it worth it to waste this money on gum while a child somewhere hasn’t eaten for days? I am haunted by these images and so many more everyday, every second of my life, because I prayed to have a heart and eyes like my Daddy. There are times I wish I could just have my old eyes and heart back..But the other part of me knows it’s needed..Jesus didn’t want to go to the cross, He cried out in the Garden ..Father is their another way? He knew what was ahead of Him..The pain, the torment, but I think the hardest for Him was to know He was about to see the images and feel the pain in his heart..Images of our sin flashed before His eyes..And He saw what would become of us if He didn’t go through with the cross..And with a heavy heart He went.Through the mocking He heard..Is it worth it?...Is this beating worth it? Is this pain worth it? Through the spit and laughter..maybe just for a moment He did wonder and turned His head toward heaven and asked…Father is this worth it? And then His eyes met the ones who would choose Him ..And from the core of His being He whispered…Yes they are more than worth it…

And now He is asking us the same question..Are the orphans worth it? Are the homeless worth it ? Poverty and places like Uganda exist because God is waiting for His children to listen to His call to GO and be His hands, feet, heart, mouth, arms..His Body to a lost and dying world…I am aware of the things that could happen to me when I travel to Uganda..I learned a long time ago that to Live is to Live for Christ and to die is gain because I get to spend eternity with Christ..Either way I win;) Its in the orphans, the widows, the homeless, and the outcast that Jesus said, you want to find me?.. then come to me here..This is where I will be…waiting for you...I have looked into the eyes of an orphan and it was there that I seen the face Jesus and I can say with everything in me that IT IS WORTH IT!.......

" I am with you always" Matthew 28:20

2009-06-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Morgan's softball coach at their end of the season pool party, Morgan hugged him and this is the image that was left!! How awesome is that?!?! Jesus wanted some pool time fun too!! hehe;) this seriously made me cry!! and I hope it blesses you as well!!:)

Switching Gears;)

2009-04-29T09:17:00.001-07:00

Take a hold of my hand as I lead you with me into the Fields of the Fatherless, hold on tight as my adventure with the Lord, isn’t one that is for the faint at heart, nope buckle your seatbelts kids, this is gonna be a wild ride! My journey starts back in September when I came across the Caroline’s Promise website, the overwhelming burning in my heart let me know I needed to contact her, little did I know what God had up His sleeve..Meeting Lisa was lifechanging, she had this passion for orphans that I had never seen before, and it was through her that God began to speak to my own heart, about His burden for the fatherless and asked me to join with Him in this journey. My first step in that journey was the Survivor Guatemala contest that Wbfj hosted, I prayed and allowed God to write my story, because honestly I had no idea what to write, this was God’s idea afterall;) And then I find out that I have made it to the top ten! My reply to God was ummmm ok God now what? Are you really going to send me on a mission trip? Seriously though…Me? Lol And in that still small voice of the Lord, I heard child do you trust me? And so my journey continued..

I didn’t win the contest but what God opened my eyes to through this contest, still blows me away..I wanted to know more about orphans and prayed that God would give me His heart and burden for them..and what He said to my heart forever opened my eyes..He said Amanda I can’t give you my heart and burden for them..because if I did it would overwhelm and consume you. I will give you just what you need to fulfill the purpose I have placed on your life.. And so He has…I have been disturbed by the Lord on this issue and my life will never be the same, My normal day to day activities are forever filled with images of those that have no home, no family, no HOPE…I have stared into the eyes of orphans, and what stared back at me will haunt me for the rest of my life. They are empty vessels where no joy, peace, or love reside there..just a cold empty shell, they have guarded their hearts from loving because it just hurts to much to feel…Can you hear their cries? Screams? Can you feel their loneliness? Abandonment? Pain? As Christians we don’t have to choice whether we hear the cry of the orphans. "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27 God isn’t saying if you feel like hearing the cries of fatherless then you have the option to join with Him to take care of them, no He commands us as His children, those that bear His name to take care of those that are so close to His heart, He wants to give us His ears to hear their cries and His heart to feel their pain and through that He wants to use us to go bodly into the fields of the fatherless to bring them hope..His hope..hope that will forever change their lives..and yours..if you allow it..

I have fell before the throne of my King, and cried out to Him, telling him to send me wherever, that I was ready to go..and that leads me back to Guatemala..I continued on that journey because I felt that is where the Lord was leading..that is until last weekend..On April 24th I received a email from Lisa, stating that I needed half of my money for the trip by that Sunday, I was devastated as I surely thought the money was coming in, and I sent a message back to her asking her to pray because I wasn’t sure what God was doing..I crawled up in the lap of my Heavenly Father, asking why this wasn’t working out..I thought I was suppose to go..and through His warm embrace He whispered..my child its only Friday..Sunday is Coming;)…Oh how I was about to find out just what God meant through that simple yet powerful statement! On my way to my mission trip meeting Saturday evening, I prayed that God would show me if I was to continue on the journey to Guatemala or if wanted me to go somewhere else and that I surrendered my will to Him, that I didn’t want to go on any mission trip, I wanted to go where God was leading...And as I sat in that meeting, I felt so disconnected from the group..like I was there but I really wasn’t..and as they were all talking about their ideas..I had nothing to give..My heart cried out to God, where is my place here? Why do you need me in Guatemala? And I began to feel the lord closing the door to Guatemala and it broke my heart..I left there a mess and cried all the way home, I just couldn’t understand why all this was happening and what all of it meant.

It was then that God began to remind me of something I had read in the book called “Strength of Mercy” where the Lord sends this couple on an amazing journey into the fields of the fatherless where they find their baby girl..At first though He sends them a picture of one child and uses that child to prepare there hearts, to open their eyes and to allow them to learn to trust Him with their plans and to direct their steps, and when He closes that door on them adopting that child, He whispers to their soul, you can’t dwell on this, because I have showed you this child to prepare your heart for another one. And I felt the Lord reminding me of this and giving me peace, that Guatemala was my”first baby” It was what He used to open my eyes and light the fire inside for orphans..I sent Lisa a email explaining how I was feeling and how I felt the Lord was closing the door to Guatemala to open a new door…. Africa..And I just wanted her to pray that God would give me something to confirm it and give me peace..After I sent the email..I opened up my daily devotion that sits on my desk and God could'nt have spoken anymore clearly to my heart, so clear that it nearly knocked me out of my chair! This is what I read “ Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past. See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland” Isaiah 43:19 WOW Loud and clear the Lord was saying Amanda I know you are disappointed and heartbroken that I have shut the door to Guatemala but you can’t dwell on the past, because I am doing a new thing Africa! It has already sprung up in your heart, can’t you already see it?? And I am already there paving a way in the desert and wasteland!! Just as the Lord had spoke to that couple in the book, He was speaking to me now! Ahhh when God speaks He speaks!;)

I have known for awhile that the Lord was going to send me to Africa..The Lord is pulling my heart towards there and it grows more unbearable as everyday passes, so much so that if the Lord were to say Amanda, pack up everything and move your family to Africa to be full time missionaries there we would and not look back! Just hearing the name Africa, my heart leaps and overflows with burden. Its not just that I want to go to Africa, its that I have to go or the fire inside my heart and soul for Africa will consume me. There is hidden treasures in Africa that the Lord is calling me there to find, and I am not sure if Africa needs me so much as I believe the Lord is calling me there because I need Africa. I received a email back from Lisa that Sunday night and she replied that she too felt the Lord was shutting the door to Guatemala, and let me know that Caroline’s Promise was going to Uganda….but that they were'nt planning there first mission trip there till the fall of 2010..I admit I was bummed as I am ready to go now..but surrendered my will once again to the Lord, and said if that’s when you want me to go then I will wait Lord..I submit to your plans. "We can gather our thoughts, but the LORD gives the right answer. People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives. Commit your work to the LORD, and then your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:1-3, "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" Proverbs 16:9 I knew my plans what my plans were and I knew my motives were right in wanting to go on a mission trip..but until they were lined up with the Lords plan, I didn't want any part of it..

I was willing to wait and laid my hearts desire at His feet and asked ok Lord whats next.. And the Lord once again answered;)…I had a few weeks earlier requested a packet about starting a girls GEMS group, and well the packet had arrived in my mailbox..and what I found when I opened it, drew me to my knees! Tucked inside the folder just beaming at me, was a little African orphan girl..and James 1:27 written across the top and on the back in big bold letters was The call to Africa, there is so much waiting to be done! As I am reading the flyer..I noticed that they were building a school there for these orphans..and the name of it is The Esther school..ok your wondering whats the big deal? Well let me tell you;)…That very morning I felt intrigued to read the whole book of Esther as God has revealed to me that I resemble her..so off I went into the incredible journey of Esther and what an awesome book that is! And here I was reading the flyer that came out of the blue and clearly the school of Esther was staring back at me! And confirming in my soul that My God was up to something HUGE!

And so now my journey begins towards Africa..do I know exactly when I will be going? Nope..Do I know what exactly what I will be doing when I get there? Nope..But one thing I know for certain..My God is directing my steps and is there making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland..And I trust Him with everything I have.. and know that God is the one that has taken me on this journey into the fields of the fatherless and I fall before the King, surrendering my all and give Him my life to use however He wants. And as my friend reminded me yesterday in Philippians that Jesus was able to sleep during a storm because He had the perfect peace that His father was in control..I too can walk boldly in my calling even in the uncertain times because I know who is in control..He won’t guide me or lead me anywhere that He is'nt already there For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11...And so once again I crawl up in my Heavenly Daddy's lap and ask Him ..whats next daddy? And He whispered… my child..hold on and hold on tight..its gonna be a wild ride!!;)

Lapbooks;)

2009-04-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

Me and the girls are having so much fun creating Lapbooks to go along with what we are learning and we just wanted to share with all our family and friends!;) The first one is our Lapbook to celebrate Earth Day;)

These two are Subtraction Facts and Phonic Rules!;)

Morgan is currently reading American Girl Josefina and we are going to do a Lapbook on her once she is finished!!;) Also we are so excited that God has led us back to My Father's World Curriculum and we will be starting the 3rd grade Adventures program the end of this summer and we are thrilled there are so many Lapbooks to make to go along with our lessons! So many fun things in store for us in our journey of Homeschooling with the Lord and we can't wait to share them with you all!!;)We hope you enjoy the pictures!! If you are interested in making your own Lapbooks you can find many resources here: http://www.homeschoolshare.com/Lapbooks_at_HSS.php and feel free to contact me with any questions!! May the Lord Bless You!!

Amanda;)

IT CAME IT CAME!!

2009-03-10T12:56:00.001-07:00

The blessing me and my kiddos have been waiting for finally arrived on our doorstep yesterday!! We were stoked!! And what a blessing it has already been! After much frustration over sight words and how they are simply a ridiculous way to teach children how to read..yes I am officially a sight word Nazi! ask anyone they will confirm it! ha ha;) I prayed and asked God to rewire my daughters brain, I seriously believe that sight words caused some if not all of her reading difficulties, and so I prayed that God would heal her from this and give me something that I could use to teach her PURE phonics(I say pure because this program was the only one I found on the market that does not include some type of sight words in with the phonics, I simply wanted a true phonetic program, because ALL words can be sounded out!!) and I wanted my daughter to learn how to really read and not memorize! And God so delivered! I came across ABC the Key while searching online for a phonics program and I knew it was the answer to my prayer, so I prayed about the purchase since it was a big one and I felt God nudge my heart to purchase it;) And what a true blessing it has been! We have only had this program in our home for a day and Maddie is learning all of her sounds, Even little Mason can tell you the sound A makes! he he;) Morgan is learning so much and she is having so many light bulb moments!;) and best of all she is learning how to read!! and really read! She looked at me and said mom this makes sense now, I understand how to sound out the words I don't know and I don't have to guess what it is! woohooo!!! I looked back at her with tears in my eyes and said yes love that's reading!! I am so grateful to the Lord for this blessing and just had to post about it!!;)

Here is some pics of my little ones enjoying their skittle dogs that came with the program;) The company was nice enough to send me two free extra dogs since I have three kiddos and they wanted them all to have one to teach;) and they have so enjoyed them! We so LOVE ABC the Key!!;)

Mason didn't get to be in the pic this time as he was enjoying his much needed nap;) he he;)

If you are interested in learning more about the program ABC the Key you can visit the website here;)

http://www.abcthekey.com/

Adventure in Homeschooling;)

2009-03-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

I knew God was laying homeschooling on my heart again and so I pulled my daughter out of the Arts School she was attending mid year to homeschool her again, I admit I was nervous about the transition but when God calls He equips! And we are having so much fun and learning so much! I wouldn't trade it for anything! Homeschooling is such an incredible adventure and I am so blessed to ride it with the Lord and my children!;)

I wanted to allow our family and friends a peek into our world of homeschooling! We are having a BLAST!;)

My chefs;)

Homeschool Skateboarding;)

Maddie practicing her letters;)

Morgan and her Playdough creations;)

I will be updating and adding more pics, as we have lots of field trips planned! so keep your eye out for them!;)

I wanted to end this post with a cute video made by a homeschool mom that made me giggle!;) I will survive!!;) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!;)

*MAKE SURE TO MUTE THE MUSIC AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE SO YOU CAN HEAR THE VIDEO;)*

May we choose to Love..

2009-01-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

(Scroll to the bottom of my page first and mute the music so you can hear the video)

My sister showed this video to me and what an impact it had on my heart. It has always broken my heart how we as “followers of Christ” all to often choose to hate instead of love. We are called to love like Jesus and treat those as He would treat them. It is not our job to fix anyone, we are lead them to Jesus place their hands in His and allow Him to do the rest. My mind drifts to the story of the Forgiven Woman in Romans 8:31(” But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin.")

But how often do we think we have the right to point fingers? To give them the impression that God hates them..what if that was true? What if God hated those that did something outside of His word? Then friend that means there would be no hope for mankind, none us would be able to come to the Lord, we all have done things that are wrong, God said so Himself in His word, Romans 3:23 (“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” ) Sin is the same no matter what kind it is, and there is only one sin that will separate us from God and that is not accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, anything else in our lives that we are struggling or dealing with is not outside the grace of God.

Jesus came to die for the sinner, John 3:16 (" For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but recieve everlasting life") Jesus came to die for us all, so may we all see others through the eyes of Jesus and reach out with His heart and show others compassion and grace, so that God has the freedom to open the door to thier hearts to reveal who He truly is to them..

Hidden Treasures;)

2009-01-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

God has been laying adoption on my heart for quite sometime, I remember attending the Steven Curtis Chapman Christmas Tour Concert and listening to him talk about adoption and once he began to sing the song “All I want for Christmas is a family” I was moved to tears and I knew that someday my family will welcome a child or children into our home in the form of adoption. And then after the Survivor Guatemala contest God opened my eyes on a whole new level to the orphans of this world.. God has been speaking to more adamantly lately about adopting. Let me back up so you will understand why I feel this way. I heard a story recently from Lisa Kertchal from Proverbs 31 Ministries and she spoke about how she went to this church and heard these orphan boys from Liberia sing and God spoke to her heart that two of those boys were hers and how God chased her until she finally surrendered and embraced Gods heart on adoption and became the mother of those two boys, and after this program was over the radio announcer mentioned that the Daraja Children’s Choir from Africa was coming to my area, and I heard God whisper to my heart I want you to go to this, I have something for you…

I was so eager to go so I decided to pack up the kids and drive alone in the rain, at NIGHT. Which if you know me this was not the best decision, I have absolutely no sense of direction and I am blind as a bat at night..So needless to say I got lost and panicked! Lol I called my husband crying and begging for him to help me as I could sense the panic coming over me as I was scared to death that I would never find my way home..He assured me that it would be fine and THEN..I hit a patch of water that made the car hydroplane and yep that did it..I could feel my body get cold and my lips and hands go numb and everything was getting very white, I was about to have a panic attack on I-85 in the pouring rain at night with three kids in the car! I told my husband I had to go and threw the phone down and I praise God my two youngest children were asleep but my oldest daughter Morgan proved to be a mighty prayer warrior that night as she prayed for us to find our way back home and that the anxiety that was overtaking mommy would be broken and my baby girl prayed to her Jesus so hard that night and God so listened to my baby girls prayers and answered them, because we did find our way home safe and sound;)

I was so bummed that I didn’t get to see this choir that I so felt like God wanted me to see..And then I went on the website and seen that they were performing at a church an hour and half away from my house on a Saturday night and I told my husband that we were going..I didn’t care how far away it was and that I didn’t understand completely why we were going but God wants us there and so he agreed we packed up the kids and traveled an hour and half to witness nothing short of a miracle;) All the way there I just had butterflies, you know the kind you get when you about to see your child be born? Yep that’s the same ones I was having…I was overwhelmed with this feeling and had no idea what God was up to..We arrived at this Baptist church and walked in and sat among many waiting patiently to see these children sing..And then I heard the sweetest sound of these amazing children chanting in their own language..my eyes filled up with tears as these children walked up on stage and to watch them sing praises to God with such joy and love even through unimaginable circumstances they have endured just crushed me with humility. I could feel the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart throughout the program. He whispered to my soul you will adopt two children from Africa..

My husband though was not so sure on the way there..He enjoys his life of simplicity and wasn’t too comfortable with the idea that God could be calling us to adopt an African child..So I prayed God please call his heart..Make him see with your eyes tonight..And I remember looking over at him many times throughout the program and just seeing the love in his eyes for those children and knew that God was at work! After the program was over..My husband looks at me and with tears in his eyes and says I believe we are going to adopt from Africa! Umm yea I stood there with the deer in the headlights look for what felt like eternity and kept looking at this man wondering what he done with my husband! lol still in shock I put the childrens coats on and we walked to the car..Once inside the chaos of the car.. I have three small children and it’s late and they are tired, hungry and well just kids haha..And in the midst of it my husband says to me…are you going back in? flustered I reply for what?

He says I am not sure but I feel like God is telling me to tell you to go back in..So I sigh and say ok I need to use the bathroom anyway lol..So I grabbed the girls and we rush back inside the crowd and make our way into the restroom and while I am waiting on my children to finish..I make a plea to God..I said God please show me why we are here and what it is we are supposed to do..Please God do something..And then we walk out to wash our hands and I turn around from drying the girl’s hands and there she stands leaning against the sink..Just gazing at me..My heart leaped..And I didn’t know what to do! One minute I was praying for God to do something and in a matter of seconds my prayer was answered! And in a still small voice I heard “speak to her” Fumbling with my words I managed to get out a Hi...Her eyes just lit up with joy and was then nudged to give her a hug and told her she done a great job and this little precious child just snuggled herself into me and in the most precious voice I have ever heard said “thank you”..

My heart was racing as I introduced her to my girls and she just smiled and just kept looking at us with this look I can’t even begin to describe, it was as if she was speaking with her heart asking me to take her home..I couldn’t believe what was happening but I so knew God was up to something!!..I then told her to have a wonderful night and then she smiled and said byee. I couldn’t make it back to the car fast enough! I told my husband what happened and he just looked at me with amazement in his eyes..We were both blown away at what we just witnessed..And we both prayed God if this is your will for us then make it clearly known..Like He hadn’t already, but you know us humans we just have to be SURE haha..And so God continued to speak, on the way home we heard a song on the radio and in the middle of the song the same sweet childrens choir we just witnessed began to once again pour out their hearts and my eyes once again filled with tears and the ride home was that of a quiet one as neither me nor my husband really knew what to say. At church the next morning I was asked to step in to serve with the two year old children, I normally teach the 4 year olds but went eagerly to minister to these little ones and as the class began the teacher began to read the children a story about Africa! Oh trust me God was so not done there hehe! I then went into service with my husband and during meet and greet me and my husband turned around to come face to face with a couple from Africa and who possessed the same accent as those amazing children we had seen the night before!

And so we went humbly to the throne of God and said ok Lord, we accept your call of adoption in our lives but we cried out to God that we don’t have the resources to make this happen, our house is just too small, our car won't hold anymore children and the income my husband makes is just enough to support our family of 5… How can this work? Where is the house, the car, the money going to come from to fulfill this purpose?? But I heard God whisper to my heart..just trust me child..trust me….

We have wanted to buy a house for awhile now, but every time we have tried , God in some way has continued to shut the door and made it clear that He has a different plan for us... And my husband God bless him, kept making the comment that God was going to give us a house..And my response was always YEA RIGHT lol UNTIL…

Thanksgiving day I was going to drop off a Photo Cd for one of the ministers of my church, I had done his gorgeous families pictures and wanted them to have it in time to make their Christmas cards, so I let her know that I would be there..and she gave me the directions, and on my way I went..as I reach the house development I was shocked these houses were huge! I had no idea they lived there and honestly my flesh was a little irritated..and I was like is this where our tithe money goes? Yea I know I thought it lol..little did I know what God was about to do for my heart..I walked up and knocked on the door and she answered and we began talking and I mentioned how gorgeous her house was..and tears began to fill her eyes..and she said Amanda God did this..she began to tell me that her husband’s parents gave them this house for free, that there was no way they could afford to live there, that she never in a million years dreamed she would ever live in a house like that, but that God always provides..I then heard God whisper..Amanda what I have done for them, I can do for you..do you trust me? It took everything I had not to bust out crying right there on her doorstep..I held them back until I got in the car! It was then that I said ok God I trust you! I don’t know how you are going to give us a house but I believe you! I know that you will provide for what we need!

..I kept thinking about the idea..and kept replying back that’s just crazy..there is no way you can just give house!! Why would you do that??? And then He gave me a glimpse....

I could hear their laughter, I could hear their feet running through the hallways, I could see the excitement in their eyes , I could feel the warmth of their hugs, and I heard them call me MOM.. I could see the day that I could hold their sweet faces in my hand and say God gave us this house for you so you could have a home and a family…

God has put such a passion and desire in my heart for the orphans of this world, that I have spent endless nights watching adoption you tube videos and flipping through endless pictures of orphan children, I have cried myself to sleep thinking of all these children around the world with no one to tell them goodnight, I love you, no one to hold them, rock them, kiss them, just be their mom, my heart aches and I have given my heart and my dreams to God, I want my motherhood story to be one that reaches to the ends of the earth and brings as many orphans children into our care as God sees fit! What an incredible feeling it is to know that the same feeling I got when I was expecting my biological children I am feeling now , its as if I waiting for those special children that God created just for me and my family to love, cherish and to raise in His word are out their somewhere and I can’t wait for the day I can finally meet them and bring them home!!

God wants to do an incredible work through us and I truly believe He is going to give every resource we need!I will admit though I hadn't told a lot of people about our decision to adopt and even less people about God’s crazy idea that He was going to give us a house but the people I did tell..Wasn't as encouraging as I would have hoped they would be..and well it discouraged me..and my heart was hurting and I began to second guess what I had thought God was calling me and my husband to do..UNTIL... and God nudged me to read it a friend's of mines blog and as I scrolled down there it was..The entry titled " "What God can do with a dream in 5 years" The words just spoke so deeply to my heart and soul..and then I got to the song.." Never Give Up" and it felt as though God himself was singing those words to my heart and I was moved into a blubbery mess of tears…I know there is a call inside my heart and I know that my family has been called to adopt, and I know and believe that God will provide us with all the resources to make it happen, even the crazy idea of Him giving us a house!! Is it still crazy out of this world idea?? Yes!! lol but then again I belong to a Out of this world God! And if it all made sense it wouldn't take faith to believe it right? So my family is clinging to the scripture " Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for the proof of what is not seen" Hebrews 11:1 And I boldly say let the journey of Adoption begin!;)
　

I believe that we all have hidden treasures tucked away inside us waiting to be discovered...its that treasure that sets your heart on fire, that passion that will consume you until you step out on it..My treasure is to reclaim hope for orphans of this world, to use my gifts and talents to change but a small portion of the world..

Whats your hidden treasure? what is it that sets your heart on fire? Its time to fall before our King and ask Him how He can use YOU to change the world...

Amanda

Resolutions to Promises....

2008-12-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know every new year people make out this list of resolutions, yes I am guilty party myself..but this year I wanted to do some research into the word "resolution" what excatly does this word mean? and here is what i found...."A resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned"............. how ironic that the name means basically failure and dissapointment no wonder none of us can keep them! So this got me thinkin..maybe instead of calling these our New Years Resoulutions..we should change the name..to hmm Promises..go with me for a sec;)..how many of you have made a resolution to someone? some maybe..but how many of us have made promises to someone? and when we say "I promise..." we usually do everything we can to keep our word..right? what if someone else promises something, we expect that promise right? excatly..now your getting my point..its all in the matter of what words are chosen and what kind of commitment is behind that word..when we say resolution i am thinkin most of our commitment following that is empty, but when we change the word to promises..I do believe I see some heads lifted and confidence regained:)..now why is that you ask? why does the word "promises" touch our hearts the way it does? Friend believe it or not you were created with that word tucked away in your heart...God put that in you...because it is apart of Himself..God has promised us so much..and when God promises something He can't break that promise its just not in the character of God...so what does that mean..it means you too have that same character tucked away in your heart somewhere..some of us have discovered it..and for others it may be one of those hidden treasures you have yet to discover;) So what is it that God has promised us? Here is but a small portion of what God promises for His children..

Promises To Remember When We Are Afraid:
Genesis 28:15 - "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Deuteronomy 31:8 - "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Psalm 50:15 - "and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Luke 21:17-18 - "All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish."
James 4:8 - "Come near to God and he will come near to you."

Promises To Remember When We Make Decisions:
Psalm 32:8 - "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
John 8:12 - "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 14:26 - "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
Promises To Remember When We Have Done Something Wrong:
Matthew 6:14-15 - "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Promises To Remember When We Are Having A Bad Day:
Jeremiah 29:11 - "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Luke 6:35 - "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 10:28 - "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."
John 14:3 - "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
John 20:29 - "Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"
Romans 10:9 - "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

Promises To Remember When We Need Something:
Luke 12:31 - "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."
John 14:14 - "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
1 John 5:14-15 - "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-- whatever we ask-- we know that we have what we asked of him."
Promises To Remember When We Are Being Tempted To Do Wrong:
1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
2 Thessalonians 3:3 - "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."

So I ask you this New Years, Instead of setting yourself up for dissapointment with resolutions..pray about what God has placed in your heart..what promises has He promised for you? they are in there..waiting..for you to discover them and allow God to fullfill them;)