Adoption

2,000 Words Podcast

2,000 Words Podcast

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When April McKinney first emailed asking me to be on her show, I was in Dallas, TX with two of my dear friends Caroline and Lauren. I skimmed through the email and read names like Lisa Bevere, Mo Isom, Kim Walker Smith, Katie Davis Majors, and Missy Robertson, I was certain she emailed the wrong girl. 

I keep giving Him my weak “yes,” and He keeps blowing my mind. He brought me into a season of learning what it means to rest, to strive to enter into rest, at the beginning of the year. And I keep seeing Him produce the most amazing fruit in a season of my life where I have stay tucked away in the secret place with Him. The most beautiful “work” that has been produced in this season has felt nothing like work, it’s felt like love. Just growing in love with Him. If you want your business to explode, or your ministry to grow, or your family to flourish, fall in love with Him in the secret place. Make resting in His presence everyday a priority. 

Find a Mrs. Janice

Find a Mrs. Janice

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We knew we could never do this parenting thing alone. 

We weren’t even home from the hospital with her and the people we did life with had already decorated our house. That doesn’t even take into consideration the family and friends who rallied around us, helped us complete paperwork, donated garage sale items, and wrapped around us as we journeyed through adoption to bring her home. The hundreds of strangers who bought a piece of jewelry from my shop or the random checks or cash we would find in our mailbox as we waited for her. 

I’m so thankful we’ve never had to do life without community. I can’t imagine what it would look like. I’m just pretty certain it’s something I would never want to do. It’s a risk, letting people in, it is. Opening your front door with dirty dishes still in the sink and sticky kitchen floors, it can be a little nerve wracking. But opening your heart up, letting them walk through that kind of mess is much scarier. But, oh the beauty we’ve found in community over the years. It’s been so worth the risk.

Wash Day (And our favorite EVER products!)

Wash Day (And our favorite EVER products!)

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If you’ve been around here for some time, you’ve probably been on the journey with me of learning how to care for Selah’s hair and skin. It’s definitely an area I am always growing in, but man, I’ve learned so much along the way! 

Last week, a childhood friend sent a desperate text, “Hair help please!” She had just gotten a new foster placement and this sweet girl was in desperate need of hair care. I’m so glad I’m finally in a place where I can help! I actually know how to help! So she came over and I washed and styled sweet girl’s hair and it was my honor to love on her and her foster mama in that way. 

I realized that many of you who have babies born from your heart might need the same help, so I’m going to take you step by step throughout our wash day. I’ll show you exactly what to do, and tell you all about these amazing products we’ve been using lately.

Infertility Gave Me You

Infertility Gave Me You

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Our stories, they both started with brokenness. 

Mine looked like month after month, year after year of negative pregnancy tests. It’s all I ever wanted to be, a mama. So when doctors and my flat belly told me it wouldn’t happen, it was a deep pain, probably the deepest of my life. It wasn’t suppose to be this way. My body is designed to conceive and carry babies. 

I don’t like to think of your story as painful. It tears my heart in half to think of you being in pain. But the truth is, in a perfect world, before the fall, God intended mommies to carry their babies. Your birth mama, she loved you so deep, she knew she couldn’t give you what you needed. So she made a brave choice, and chose life for you, a life she couldn’t give.

You’re Not Going Backwards, Just Higher

You’re Not Going Backwards, Just Higher

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I glanced down at my shoes when the conversation changed to pregnancy.

I reached over and wrapped my arm around Selah, hugging the very manifestation to a promise. Reminding myself of His faithfulness once before through her story, choosing hope. Again. Knowing that He is man true to His word, what He has promised He will do. That one day, it will be me sharing about a miracle pregnancy.

Baby showers still sting. Really bad. And that annoys me.

Because so much healing has happened in my heart. All of these years have passed, us still waiting on this miracle, and my heart looks very different from when we began this journey. I know Him more than I ever have before. He is more to me the Gift, the promise, the blessing, than ever. It’s Him I want.