Birthday/Going Away Shindig

These people in these photos and some that are not in these photos are the ones I miss dearly.  These lovely people became our family.  These are not all of the photos from that night but we had a great time fellowshiping and loving on each other before Sean and I left.

I hope to share more about each of these families who have impacted our life and I can't wait to see them again.

I'm so thankful for Angela and her husband, Jim, for letting us always party at their home.  They have an amazing home and peace permeates it.

the best group photo we could get :)

My dear sister, Ana, & her little one, Micaela

We love this family! 

Global Esther's Ministries family. This group right here.. I will always be thankful for them.  They have helped mold me, they invested in our marriage, & I will never forget that.  God has brought this family to us forever.

The Dropbox Film

Last night I went to see the movie, The Dropbox Film.  I went with a lovely lady from church who has adopted children.  She knows mine and Sean's heart for adoption and I knew this would be good for us to go see together.

This movie, literally wrecked me.  My heart is so full with happiness and brokenness.  This man, Pastor Lee, has literally laid his life down to care for these children he has adopted and for the ones that come in daily through the baby box.  Yes, babies come almost daily to this man's home.

I did not realize how bad it is for women who are unwed to get pregnant, especially minors.  Most babies that get put in the baby box have mothers who are TEENAGE GIRLS and cannot take care of them alone.  Their families will not help raise the child; it's either abort the child or abandoning the child on the streets of Seoul.  Most babies have been abandoned on the streets and this pastor has provided an option to give them up so these babies can be adopted.  It is a great thing that this man is doing.  There is some controversy over this baby box, which I do understand why, however, I believe this is a great alternative to bring Life in this world.

Pastor Lee says every child that comes into the home has a purpose.  Most of the babies he has adopted have special needs and have to be cared for.  He prays over child and thanks God for saving their life.  Seriously, how amazing is this?!

We need to wake up.  Our society needs to be willing to be transparent and open their homes to these children who have been abandoned by their families.  Now is the time to take care of the orphans and the widows (James 1:27).  We can no longer wait for someone else to take care of it.  It's our time to get over ourselves.  It's time to give our time with a servant's heart.  

One of my favorite things about this movie is how the director of the file, Brian Ivie, found his identity in Christ.  It was an amazing gift of how God orchestrated this.  I have posted the link to his interview of how this film came together.  

Brian Ivie's Story


I have more things to say regarding this but I don't have the words yet to write down at this moment.  I can't wait for this film to be out in stores and share it everyone I know.

The staff at Light did a three week fast of your choice.  Our pastors and majority of us did the Daniel Fast.  It was mine & Sean's first time to do it.  We really enjoyed the fast because we are trying to start living healthy and eliminating the foods we do not need.  My main struggle that I had with the food part was not eating chicken.  If you know me, you know how much I love chicken and how much I eat chicken on a regularly basis.  Sean also struggled not having meat towards the end.  Even though the fast is over, we plan on to continue to keep the foods we have been eating in our meal plan.  We have completely eliminated sodas from our choice of drinks.  I am still working on less coffee intake.  It's a work in progress :)

This fast has been helping us realize what we need to do spiritually.  For one, we both have forsaken our First Love and we starting to make Him the true center of our relationship.  This has been a little hard for us because we have had little time to devote to us and our devotion time.  We were so busy during our fast with things in our lives and it hasn't really slowed down.  So we are learning to balance this.  It is an adjustment that we must make but I am so excited to make this adjustment for us and our relationship with our Father.

One thing that has really stuck out to me towards the end of our fast is how I have become completely drunk and consumed in this world.  I have been consumed with others (which isn't bad) and I have been selfish.  It amazes me how I see things and let it consume me.  It may be because I am still trying to adjust to the life here.  I am not sure but I do know that it has taken me a while to get used to life down here.  I love it down here but it is hard when it is your first time to ever 'move' away from home.  Sean has been so great to me.. listening to me when I get home sick and when I reminisce.  He truly is an amazing husband.
 So with all that being said, I have started to really reading the Word daily again.  Right now it's been my daily devo's on my phone and I am thankful for them.  One thing God has really laid on my heart was becoming sober again,  here is a passage:

But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine:  that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;  the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things—  that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,  to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
          Titus 2:1-5


I love this passage because it reminds me of part of my purpose here on earth.  We are here to stand out of the crowd by the way we live.  I have let myself forget my purpose but now that it is a new season for Sean & I, we are not letting this season go to waste.  We are so excited for God is doing in our lives right now.  We are excited to see the things come to pass that have been promised to us.  We are excited to be serving together as one for our King. 

Wednesday wisdom

You have a purpose. You were put on this earth to do something great. You were created with value. God cherishes you. Being created delights God. He loves when you take one glance at Him. He delights in you. He LOVES you! 

Now, all you have to do is believe it.

our purpose

Since Sean and I have been in Florida, something amazing has been happening at our church.

Our church holds monthly meetings called Holy Ghost Meetings.  We moved down here just in time for the September meetings.  Since that week, we have had more prayer meetings that been spontaneous.  It's been pretty amazing.  I have had to adjust to these spontaneous meetings because I have not done this since college.  It's been a little hard but very good!  Sean was able to jump right in. 

The Lord has been breaking strongholds off people and this church.  The church building, itself, has gone through many struggles.  From what I have been told, Light is the fourth church to use the building.  So you can imagine all the things that have happened there.  The building is in need of a bunch of upgrades; I mean a bunch!!  We are working little by little to get it there but this facility is very large so it will take some time. 

As we were praying last week the Lord revealed something great to me.  Due to the history of the church building, there have been spiritual walls built up.  God revealed to me that these are "Walls of Jericho" and that he has called people to come to tear them down.  Then I was given Isaiah 61 to read to help me to adjust to life here in FL.  I started to read Isaiah 61 and God revealed to me the purpose of why we are here.  Sean and I are here to help rebuild this church physically and as we help build physically, God will restore it spiritually.  Most people on staff at this church are not originally from Fort Myers (including our pastor) and that confirmed it more for me.  We are here to tear down the "Walls of Jericho."  We are all here to help rebuild this church and call forth life and love into this church.  We have all taken a leap of faith & obeyed God to move here to do His Will.  We will not stop praying for this movement.  Restoration is coming to the hearts of His people here.  Great things are about to happen here in this church and in this city. 

They will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.

Strangers will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

And you will be called priests of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

(Isaiah 61: 4-6)

I am so encouraged by this!  It has taken me a little longer to get adjusted than Sean.  I have not started work yet so I have been at home this whole month and not explored my surroundings.  I'm going a little crazy!  This passage really confirmed what I am supposed to do here.  (I've a little lost on my position).  I know, now, that I may not have a 'title' at the church but I know that I am to help where ever it is needed until more people come to take on their roll at the church.  I believe this church will be full of workers and givers.

So, I encourage you now to read this chapter in Isaiah and see if God reveals anything to you.  The Lord will let you know where you belong in your church.  I encourage you to keep moving if you have obstacles facing you within your church.  The Lord knows your heart and will guide you where you are to go.