Tag: hope

Adoption, Family

Anticipation

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jamaica mapIn a month from now our family will be traveling to Jamaica.  Jamaica, a country that used to bring warm sun and beautiful beaches to my mind, is now a country where my son lives.  I have to sit here and soak on that sentence for a while.  We are hoping to take in a few days of beautiful beaches on this trip but our main purpose is to connect with Stephen.  My stomach does a lot of swirling when I think of this meeting.  Ty and I met Stephen last July and he found his way into our hearts with his genuine sweetness and smile.  But then he was just a sweet boy with big dreams and little hope in my heart; today he is MINE in my heart.

These last days my mind has been doing a lot of thinking about this crazy amazing journey we are on and the faith that it takes each day to live it and I have found myself in awe of my husband, Brad.  Brad has never met Stephen; he has not been to Jamaica except for a ½ day excursion when we were on a cruise.  This wonderful husband of mine is going to Jamaica to meet his son all based on my words about him.  Yes, God has confirmed in his heart that this adoption is what we are to do, but without any connection to this twelve year old boy.   I have asked myself would I be as open to this if I had not made this connection?  God is weaving an amazing story so I won’t stay stuck on that question too long but I do know that this whole adventure is building my faith deeper than I could have imagined.

I have learned that Stephen knows that there is a family that wants to adopt him.  I’m sure he doesn’t remember us from last July because the orphanage has a lot of people coming to hang out with the kids.  I have talked to Stephen several times on the phone but that is all he has to go on.  What is going through this twelve year old boy’s mind?  Is he excited, nervous, afraid, and hopeful????  He probably is all of the above.  How do you approach a boy this age and convey the love you have for him without overwhelming him?  There will be a lot of prayers for direction in this next month.  My prayer is that the knowledge that Stephen knows now will prepare his heart for our first meeting as a family.

Stephen has made his way deep into my heart.  My love for him is indescribable, it is a love that can’t compare to anything else because I know that this love is being built and bonded by my Heavenly Father.  The joy I see in Bryson, Ty and Kaden’s eyes when we talk about Stephen is another sign of that God love that is building.  So we wait….. we wait another 30 + days to make that physical connection; and then we will wait again for the time that the permanent reunion can happen.  Through this journey so far I am amazed at how the power of God is shaking, rattling and rolling my heart and mind and forming me into this new person that knows it is truly 100% about God and HIS plan for me and WOW it is a beautiful and scary thing.

Encouragement, Special Needs

What is your View?

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bigstock-Magnifying-Glass-144651351Several years ago when Bryson was a part of the Baugo Challenger Baseball team out of Elkhart, they had the privilege to attend the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA to participate in a game against another Challenger team from Louisiana.  The Friday night before the game, both teams were invited to a welcome party hosted by local businesses in Williamsport.  Our team had arrived before the team from Louisiana and we had gotten our food and set down under the big white tent to eat.  I was sitting beside Bryson and soon the other team arrived and the players were approaching the tent.  I saw Bryson watching them as they came closer.  He watched and then turned to me and said “mom the other team is handicapped!”  Wow, how do you answer that one?  I quickly responded with “yes they are.”  But my mind started spinning.  Doesn’t Bryson realize that he is handicapped too?  Doesn’t he realize that the team he plays for is different than “normal” little league teams?  I had to sit and process this exchange later in the weekend and I realized that in a lot of ways this response was ok.  Bryson’s view of himself was not about his handicaps but his view was outward and all of the opportunities he had been given.

Bryson has always lived life in view of what he CAN do and has not become discouraged by what he CAN’T do.  I need to view life like that too.

As a mother of a special needs kid, I see special needs kids everywhere, I see their mothers everywhere, because that is my view.

I am a mother of boys.  So I see boys and their mothers everywhere as they interact, discipline and love on, because that is my view.

When I hear that someone has lost their father, I mourn with them, because I have lost mine, because that is my view.

When I see or hear another woman struggling with low self esteem, fear, weight issues, pride.  I can relate because I have seen from that view.

But how exactly am I looking through that view?  Am I seeing the negative side and the hardships that they are going through?  Yes, I need to see this side, but really I need to see it as an opportunity to offer help, encouragement and hope.

I need to take the handicaps of my life and use them to be the catalyst to help others deal, cope and overcome their handicaps.  I need to VIEW life through God’s lenses and how HE can use all things for GOOD.  God desires for us to be vessels of His love to others around us.  WE need to be givers of life and hope.  When we sit too long and wallow in our handicaps we can become lost in them and no longer be able to see others that are handicapped too.  We need to be a community who views each other as we are, broken and sinful, but not willing to stay there.  We recognize it, join up as a team and play together in the spirit of love because that is truly is the view that God desires for His children.

Life Coaching

Something New

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It has been a long time since I wrote but even though I wasn’t writing here I was still writing words, just at another place.  I have spend the last 3 months taking online classes at Light University to be a Christian Life Coach.  What a great experience.  I was very nervous when I started because I had not applied my brain to school work in over 20 years. It was challenging and encouraging with so much information.  I am taking 2 months off over the summer and then want to take a few more electives this fall.

So what is a Christian Life Coach?  My definition is a Christian Life Coach helps someone  get a better understanding of who they are and the call that God has for their life. This is someone who is looking for accountability and support. Someone who has passions, dreams and goals for the future but is in need of tools and guidance to achieve them or is just STUCK.  A life coach provides these tools and resources and holds them accountable.  A Christian life coach can apply biblical principles and listen for the voice of God for direction and clarity. 

The last class I took was called Hope Coaching.  The emphasis was how to walk along side someone who is dealing with tough circumstances in life.  It was very encouraging to me as I was able to apply it to my own life and some of the difficult things I have walked through in the past and currently experiencing.

To get my certification I need one year of experience with coaching activities.  I am just in the starting stages and getting together my resources and tools. My goal is to start working with some clients in the next few months.

If you are interested in learning more about life coaching, please email me at plett.five@gmail.com or leave me a comment.  I am so excited to see how God is going to work in and through me in this new venture.

Uncategorized

Well with my soul

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I attended a funeral this weekend of a family friend.  She was a beautiful woman who had an incredible love for her Lord, family and everyone she met.  She was only 59 years old and many of us question why someone who was such a lover of people and a generous person was taken so soon.   The funeral was one of the most beautiful that I have attended.  We sang worship songs on healing and hope.  The last song we sang was “It is Well with my Soul”  As I sang the lyrics and thought about my father’s passing and her passing,  I had to think if I really believed the words I was singing. 

  1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll;
    Whatever my lot,Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.

    • Refrain:
      It is well, with my soul,
      It is well, it is well, with my soul.
  2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
    Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
    And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
  3. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
    My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
    Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
  4. And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
    The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.

Sorrows like sea billows roll;  Whatever my lot;  Satan should buffet; Though trials should come

Those are some pretty strong words, can I really say “it is well with my soul”

My desire is that I can cling to the words of the song that say “Let this blest assurance control, That Christ has regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul”  He died for me and He has it in His control, I might not understand but I need to rest on that truth so I can say “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL”