How amazing is God...???

It's really a rhytorical question, but just when you think it's time to give up something God says, no hang in there, I still need you to do this.

I've had a little ministry at my church for single moms. It started about 1.5 years ago after a mission trip I took to Africa.

A little background on why I wanted to start this ministry.

I'm a single mom and I had been attending my church for a couple of years when I decided I wanted to go on a mission trip. I heard God speak to me LOUD and CLEAR that I was to be a missionary, so of course I assumed that I needed to go to Africa or somewhere. That's where the mercy of God begins :)

So one of my daugthers and I decide we're going to go on a mission trip to Africa to visit orphanages. After being there a couple of days we set off in a 3 hours trip to another orphanage and I was riding in one van and my daughter in another. There were a few of us in our van, including the mission trip leader and one of the pastors from the local church we were visiting.

The pastor (very sweet African man) asked our mission leader, a single woman of about 40, what was the primary difference between the US and Africa and her response was....hold on to your hats...Single moms were the downfall of the entire US, that was her answer. Divorce that forced moms to raise their kids alone. I was dumbfounded by this response, as you can imagine. Not only did this response come from a "leading" member of my church, but it came from a woman who was going to be adopting a child and yes, that would make her a single mom!!!

So of course my immediate reaction was to get mad. I don't know if knew I heard the conversation, they were in the front and I was in the back of the van. I looked out the window and started praying to God. When we got to our hotel I got out of the van and of course my daughter saw immediately that I was upset and asked me what was wrong. I told her once we got into our room and she was so sweet and said that it was wrong what she said and that I was a great mom.

In light of this I was all but ready to quit Christianity, quit my church, yell & scream, etc. But when I got back from Africa and was able to calm down and talk with a few Christian friends about this, I quickly decided to start a Single Moms ministry at my church and do something to help suppor the single moms and by doing so hopefully help my church to understand the needs and situations surrounding being a single mom.

Bringing us to today :) I have been thinking about letting go of the bible study part of the ministry because I didn't see it reaching very many women, so of course, as soon as I start having these thoughts God sends more single moms my way - AMAZING!!!

God is SO GREAT!!! Thanks for listening :)

March Cards for Single Moms

Here are my cards for March...I'm so far behind on posting...but wanted to share.

February Cards for Single Moms at Church

Bad blogger...Here are copies of the cards I sent out to all my church and non-church friends! Most of them I cased from other amazing stampers, sorry I didn't keep track of who...

Cards for a cause

God has sooooo blessed me with the desire (and some skill) to do crafts. I have been spending WAY too much money on crafts of late. I have been sending out cards to my friends and the single moms at my church since last spring.

I also love to knit and have TONS of yarn and recently found a cause to send my little baby hats to. The charity is called Save the Children and the project that I have chosen to participate in is called Knit one Save One, check it out here.

I have chosen to other charities to donate cards and other papercrafting supplies.

The first one is called Cards 4 Kids and you can see more information about it here. I am sending 36 valentine cards for the kids to share.

The second cause is for the Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation. Here's some more information about it.

Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation. From their website:
Quote:
Our focus is preventionPatrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation is a unique, Christian, residential child-care ministry for boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 17. Our purpose is to offer a haven for children from turbulent domestic situations. We focus on prevention, and reach out to disadvantaged children before they are scarred by neglect or abuse. We subscribe to the old adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and focus our resources on reaching children in the early stages of dysfunction, before the ill-effects of their troubled home-life can leave an indelible mark on their young lives. It is our mission to provide them with a high quality substitute home that meets their needs and is consistent with Christian values.Providing a family structureOur children reside in cottages under the care of an experienced married couple who are dedicated to providing a nurturing, structured family environment. By modeling a Christian family lifestyle, our program teaches interpersonal skills, moral values, work ethics and citizenship. Children are required to attend regular church services, go to public schools, and are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of social and family activities. The children receive regular counseling, and a "plan of care" is developed to address their specific needs. Each child's progress is monitored and the plan of care is updated biannually. Family counseling is also available for parents and guardians.For many of these children, Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation becomes the home they never had. Here is where they receive the patience they've never known, their first praise for a job well-done, and their first realization that their future can be better than the past.

Remember ALL our gifts/talents are from God and we should use them for his glory. That means using them to spread God's word.

God is faithful. I am blessed.

Boot camp after a week...

Well, I did survive bootcamp! And boy do I love it!!! Yes, I'm a little sore (a lot)!!! I finally got on the scales yesterday and reality hit. I have gained 20 pounds in the last 3 months - OUCH!

I feel a lot better now that I am working out everyday. I think it will help to improve my overall outlook on life. I've been a little down lately, no good reason, just 'cause.

Last week my goal was to start working you - Done!
This week my goal is to drink all my water and NOT eat after 7pm - so far I'm doing pretty good on this one, need to get drinking more water though...

I also started a BSF study last week. Here's a link to BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) for more information.

We are studying the books of Moses. This week we are starting Leviticus, lots of rules :)

I'll check back in on bootcamp next week, wish me luck!