The Call

I have had people ask me, "what do you do?'  I tell them.  Then they ask, "how did you get involved in that ministry?"  So I thought I would just share our story of how we found ourselves at Watersprings Ranch!

In 2006 I was directing a preschool out of our church and Max was managing a local grocery store.  Hunter was in Jr. High.  When Hunter was about 4 years old Max and I decided to try to have another baby.  I had some health issues that prevented me from getting pregnant so we tried fertility drugs.  We went through a couple of rounds without success.  I always knew that we would have more kids but I was very frustrated with my body and it's refusal to cooperate!  We just continued on with life enjoying Hunter along the way but still longing for more children.  Max and I had talked off and on about adoption but we couldn't afford all the cost.  We tried to do foster care but we were unable to do that either.  So, in 2006 a friend of mine from out of town called me to tell me she knew of a woman who was pregnant and not able to keep the baby.  She wanted to find a family for her unborn child.  I immediately said YES!  Max said NO!  After a LOT of prayer We agreed to move forward with bringing this baby into our family.  We planned and prepared for the addition to our family.  We prayed for our baby and for the mother who was carrying her.  During a VBS at our church my friend had to deliver the heartbreaking news to me that the mother of "our" child had aborted the baby!  I do not even have words to describe what I was feeling.  I felt like someone had punched me in the gut!!!  I found an empty room, sat in the floor and just cried. 

Very soon after that (within the week), someone told me about Watersprings Ranch.  We knew very little about the Ranch.  We knew some of the kids because they had attended our church over the years.  I told Max that I thought this was a ministry that we were being called into.  He did NOT agree!  After a LOT of prayer we visited the Ranch.  As we drove onto the property there was a peace that came over me and I knew that God had called us here and He would speak to Max.  He did changed Max's heart and by July 2006 we had given away almost ALL of our belongings and moved to the Ranch with our boys!  We went from a family of 3 to a family of 11 overnight!!!  And we LOVED it!!!! 

So we live in a boy's home that houses up to 8 boys at a time.  Watersprings has 2 boys homes and 2 girls homes.  I am going to post a link to Watersprings Ranch at the end of this post and I encourage you to check it out!!!  It is an amazing ministry and we are so blessed to be a part of what God is doing here to break cycles of abuse and bringing these children into a relationship with Christ!!! 

So, that is the story of out journey to Watersprings Ranch =)  I am not allowed to post photos of the kids, but there are photos on the website. 

I have to add this about the events that occurred during our journey here:  I do NOT believe it was God's Will for that unborn baby, that He created, to be killed!  There are lessons to be learned, and there was growth because of what happened, but it was NOT God's plan!  I do not blame God for it, I thank Him for loving us through it =) 

Please visit the website and if you have any questions please feel free to send them to me!

http://watersprings.com/index.htm

Prayer, Power and Authority

These three words really say it all.  It is hard to use one without the others.  When we pray, we don't just ask God for stuff, we praise Him and command things, in HIS NAME!  By using our authority we are proving who God is!  You wouldn't call things out in His Name if you didn't expect Him to do it, would you?  I think a lot of times we get weak in prayer.  I know for me, there have been many times when I have allowed the enemy to sway me into thinking that there are things that God may not "want" to do, so I leave it alone. 

I'm going to tell you a story:  Several years ago, along with some of my coworkers, I went to a training class a couple of hours away.  The weather was really bad and it rained on us the whole trip.  As we got a few miles from our destination we came up on a really bad wreck.  All we could  tell was that it involved a small truck and a semi.  The little truck looked pretty bad and we could also tell that it had just happened because there were no emergency vehicles there yet, but we could see them coming.  There were people around the scene.  I was driving and I  turned to my friend and said pray for those people!  She immediately began to pray and we all joined in agreement with her. 

We went on to our training but I just could not get that off my mind.  My mother lives about 5 miles from where all this had occurred so I called her during one of our breaks and asked her if there was anything on the news about this wreck.  She said she had not heard about it but that she was working later that night and if she found out anything she would call me.  My mother is a nurse at a hospital.  My friends and I talked about it off and on but I just had a stirring in my spirit that would not let up!  I needed to know what happened to those people!

We finished up our day of training a drove back home.  Later that night my mother called me and said, "You are not going to believe this..."  The driver of that car was taken to the hospital and was MY MOMS PATIENT!!!  The emergency people and doctors said they could not understand how she made it out of that wreck as well off as she did!  There was also a child in the backseat that was perfectly fine!!!  As soon as I got off the phone I began to thank God!  He not only heard our prayers and answered them, He saw fit to make sure I KNEW He had taken care of them!  Because He is concerned about the matters of my heart.  I also got this vision in my spirit of Satan pulling on that lady (trying to take her), but because we claimed OUR AUTHORITY through prayer, she was saved!  It was like we said, "No, No, Satan, you will NOT get this one!"  NOT ON OUR WATCH!!!!!  He HAD to let her go because IN THE NAME OF JESUS WE CLAIMED HER!!! 

Many times I sense in my spirit to pray for someone and I go back to that day and that wreck.  I may be in town running errands and get a tug in my gut to drive by my son's school and just plead the blood over the school.  I will drive all around the outside of the school and just call for protection over the kids and teachers and workers.  There have been times that I feel impressed to pray specifically for "anyone who walks onto the property."  I KNOW that those prayers have stopped the plan of the enemy!  See, we don't have to wait for something to happen to pray.  We can actually pray and prevent things!  (Psalm 91)

By renewing our minds (ALL THE TIME), we become sensitive to the things that go on in the spirit realm and adjust ourselves accordingly.  This used to all sound way out there to me!  It not only is confirmed in
God's Word, but I have experienced it FIRST HAND and I have been convinced of it's reality! 

I know there are those who will say things like, what if it was God's Will for this or that to happen?  That is why renewing our minds is SO IMPORTANT!  When we know the nature of Daddy God and we know His Word, then we know how to pray!  John 10:10 tells us that it is the enemy (Satan) who comes to kill, steal, and destroy....to take us out!  But God comes to GIVE LIFE!  Give ABUNDANT life!  So I know that The Life Giver did not try to take the lady in that wreck!  It was the LIFE THIEF!  Satan!  And we have authority over that! 

Bad things happen; Satan wins a few small battles, but THE VICTORY is CHRIST!!!  It was not God's Will for me to be raped.  It IS His Will for me to live a life of VICTORY!  The enemy has won many small battles in my life but the Victory covers them all.  God took what the enemy did to me and bound him up for it!  That is how I am able to live a life of JOY, PEACE, FREEDOM, and LOVE!!!!!!  And that my friends is why am so passionate about this message of knowing Who we belong to!  I am a precious child of Daddy God and I will NOT be made to feel any less!


Be blessed today and be aware of things going on around you.  Be aware of the things going on within you.  Pay attention to those "gut checks", when you feel deep in your gut that you need to be alert, and take action! 

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

Monday Madness

OK, so last Monday I made a vow to not speak ill of Mondays!  Guess what???  Today it is raining, AGAIN, I have a sick child who I have been up with most of the night, AND I do not have any MILK!  I drink milk everyday and I ran out of milk this weekend.  No milk for 2 days!!!  I broke down and ate a pancake just to spite the evil forces that are coming against me today!  hahaha
For those of you who do not know me well, I have a strange addiction to pancakes!  I tried to "kick the habit" but have since fallen off the wagon!  haha 

Let me just say now that because of lack of sleep, I will not be held responsible for anything I ramble about today =)  This morning as I was cleaning and disinfecting EVERY SQUARE INCH that my sick one had touched, walked on, sat on, BREATHED on........!  I noticed that my Lysol was coming out white!  I just sprayed more and continued to clean when I noticed I was spraying PLEDGE!  So I am happy to report that there is no dust on the toilet, sink, floor, basically  ANYWHERE in the bathroom!  You may be thinking....did you not SMELL the pledge?!  Well, I had this virus last week and will NOT get it again, so I was holding my breath as I sprayed the Lysol/Pledge!  haha

I am hoping to hear from the publisher today sometime.  I sent in all my adjustments and am so ready to sign off on the book to go to print.  In the meantime I will just continue to engulf my house with Lysol and prayer!!!

In other news, that really has no significance to anyone but me!  hahaha  I am up for a hair makeover!  I have been trying to grow my hair out some and since I have had it dark for some time now, I'm ready for a lighter color and highlights!  Maybe a cut.  Still thinking on that one.  I am longing for what I like to refer to as, my "summer hair"!  I think that blonde with a bit of darker undertones is by far my favorite "natural color" of my hair =)

Well, I'm off now to go call down all sickness in my house!  I am praying for each of you to be blessed to day!  For the love of God The Father to overflow in your life!  I also want to express again just how blessed I am by the love and support I have received through this blog!  I only hope that I encourage you half as much as you encourage me everyday!  I get so excited when I sign on and see another "follower" has been added =)  I love the emails and messages!  I have even gained some amazing "friends" on my facebook page!!!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  God is SO GOOD =) 


BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

Excerpt From Book

Today I am posting another excerpt from my book (soon to be released!).  In this chapter I recall the day I was called to the Hospital (as a volunteer for DVP).  The lady I write about has since become a very special friend and she has written a book about her experience.  He story is of amazing strength and power to regain her worth.  *A must read!  The title is "This Woman's Worth:  Reclaiming Life after Trauma"  by: Pam White

Be encouraged today that Daddy God is working even when we do not see it with our natural eyes!  That which the enemy intends to destroy God The Father can restore to fullness!!!

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!

It was a beautiful spring day in May. A storm had come through a few days before and uprooted a pecan tree beside our house, and it landed in our home! We had to go stay with Max’s grandmother until our house could be repaired. I had just left work and stopped by the house to grab some more clothes for Max, Hunter, and me. I was in a hurry and packed a bag quickly and was heading out the front door when the phone rang. I almost just kept going because everyone who knew us knew that we were not staying at the house. But I answered the phone, and it was the Rape Crisis Hotline. I was not on call, so this caught me off guard. The lady said that she needed me to go to the hospital to meet a rape victim. First of all, I had only taken one phone call to listen to a lady on the other end talk about being attacked by her husband. I had not made any hospital visits. In our training, we were told that there would be a supervisor to go with us on the first few visits to guide us in how to handle ourselves. I informed the lady from the hotline that I was very new and had not even been on a hospital call before, AND I wasn’t even on call this day! She said that she had made several phone calls and I was the ONLY one she could get a hold of! I was very nervous, but at the same time I knew what it was like to be sitting at that hospital with no one there with me! I said I would be on my way. When I got in the car I called my friend and told her what was going on and that I was really nervous. She prayed with me on the phone, and I felt a peace come over me that told me that I was right where I was supposed to be, doing just what I was supposed to be doing. I felt completely led by the Lord. But I was still nervous!

When I got to the hospital, I had no idea where to go or what to do. I walked in and told the lady at the desk all the information I had been given. I was told to go to the hospital to meet a woman named Pam who had been raped, stabbed, and beaten. I was so not prepared for what I saw when they took me into that room! The first thing I noticed was that she had bruises on her toes!! She had wounds from head to toe! Then I looked up and saw two familiar faces. Two of the other ladies in the room were parents of kids that attended the child care center where I worked. I soon found out this was their sister! I told Pam that I was very sorry and would be praying for her and for her family. I also told her to call me if she needed me for anything. I spoke briefly with her sisters, who were very upset. I assured them I would do whatever I could

to help them. I told Pam that I had experienced being attacked myself, and that if she needed to talk, I would be there for her. I left the hospital, but I could not get Pam off my mind. She was the reason I was doing this work. I knew that my calling for this time was to minister to her and share with her the healing that would come from our Creator. I felt almost immediately that all that soul-wrenching writing that was my journal was for her! I do not believe that God chose for either of us to be raped. That only happened because of the evil in this world and the free will of people who had opened themselves to the evil one. But God knows all things past, present, and future, and He prepared a supernatural work through me that would change her!

I love when God takes what the enemy intended to destroy us with and turns it for good to glorify himself! He is not only our strength but our Healer!

I kept up with Pam through her sisters and a few weeks later, I told one of her sisters about my journal and that I felt led to share it with Pam. She thought it was a great idea. She said Pam had refused to talk about her attack with any of them. I gave her the journal to take to Pam. Pam kept it for a while. I was quite nervous the whole time she had it. I prayed for God to use it to heal her and comfort her. Finally after a few weeks, I got the journal back and Pam had written this note to me:

Dear Teena,

Thank you so much for sharing your journal. At first I thought it would be too hard to read, but I found much comfort in knowing you have experienced and understand a lot of what I feel. Your journal, and you, will be so much help to others. I have felt very alone and did not want my family and friends to experience my pain. I know that many women have suffered this same fate. I hope that I can be like you and continue to get stronger. I’m trusting God to get us past this and to a better place.

Thank you for your support!

The Power of Encouragement

Wowsers!!!  I have to tell ya, when I started this blog I had no idea what to expect, but the response has been amazing!!!  My email and Facebook message box has never seen this much action!  By the way, if you are not already my "friend" on Facebook, I would love for you to connect with me there =) 

I have been privileged to read stories of women who have struggled with some of the issues I have blogged about and it inspires me to see that so many are breaking free!  The overall response has been nothing but encouragement!  From people I have know my entire life, to strangers and all those in between!  I started thinking about just how important encouragement is. 

The Bible says in 1 Thess.  5:22,  Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.   There are many verses in the Bible where God encourages others, and we are called to do as He did!  I'm going to be completely honest and tell you that with each word of encouragement I receive I can physically feel a change in my spirit!  It feels stronger and more confident.  Encouragement feeds our inner man and makes us stronger for the task at hand! 

I remember back years ago when I was first invited to give my testimony at a Ladies Retreat.  I was scared to death!  I thought I was going to throw up or pass out, it was really bad.  I went outside by myself and tried to talk to God, but I didn't even know what to say.  A friend found me and gave me a rock that she had found.  She had put a verse on the rock.  She encouraged me to press on and  tell my story to help all those ladies that were there.  I collected myself and went inside, spoke in front of those ladies and I had that rock in my hand the whole time!!!  I dare to say that has been 10 years ago (maybe longer) and I STILL have that rock!  I always have in either in my purse or in my car or maybe sitting on my bathroom counter!  ENCOURAGEMENT is a very powerful gift that we ALL have!

(My rock of encouragement!)

We all benefit from an encouraging word.  The story that I am sharing with the world is so personal and I have to be honest and tell you that it is not always easy but God makes it possible =)  And He places people around us and uses them as His vessels.  Let me tell ya, I have some beautiful vessels in my life!  Those vessels keep it real and keep me going with their words of love, support and instruction! 

I'm trying not to make my blogs so long that it takes forever to read!  My husband asked me last night if it was hard for me to come up with something to blog about each day!!!!  Hahahah, I told him it was taking everything in me not to blog 10 times a day!  I just have SO MUCH inside of me and I find it difficult at times to just pace myself!  hahaha  So with that, I will end for now.  Please know that while I may not know who you are I am praying ENCOURAGEMENT over each person that happens to read these words!  God is so good and He is faithful to hear and deliver!  Encourage someone today....you may just find that it bounces off of them and smacks you right in the face =)

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!