Well...

Well...I have been pretty absent for the past week or so. As you know by now we have a foster child in our home right now and that keeps us pretty busy most of the day! I just don't have time to update 3 blogs :-)

I have another blog that is secured that I am spending most of my time updating. It's just where we are right now. I may stop by here later on as life finds its new rhythm. But, for now...I'm neck deep in boy toys and playing outside, homeschoolin', visitations, and speaking at retreats...and lovin' every minute of it all!

So, if you want to take a new journey along with us...you gotta let me know. I'd love to send you an invitation to it...so either leave me a comment in the box with your email (I won't publish the comment when it comes to me for moderation) or you can email me at frances@desertflowerministries.com.

Thrive my sweet friends in whatever the Lord has called you to...enjoy the ride!

Thanks!

Thanks for all the texts and emails encouraging us on this new adventure. I have begun a private blog for those that would like to journey with us. You will have to email me at frances@desertflowerministries.com for entrance and web address for this blog. I hope to "meet" you there!

I will still keep up this blog...doing more of the same kind of thing. I will also include some pictures (not of faces) of our journey...but without much commentary. The new blog will include all that. Love to you all...


***Important reminder for blog comments below***

Quick reminder...

Because we are keeping names and situations confidential from all of cyberspace...if you know us in real life and know our precious new friends...please remeber not to use any names in your comments. I want to be able to post your comments...but can't if there are any names in them. I so appreciate any encouragement you share and want others to be blessed by it as well:-)

Our New Normal...

Our Newest Member...

As of this afternoon, we are officially foster parents! We were in the midst of doing respite for another foster mom, when we got the call for our first foster child. He is almost 3 years old and right now he is in the hospital. We went down to meet him this afternoon and we don't know yet when he will be discharged. Pray for this little fella and his health, loss of family, transition into our home, and for his family. We pray that God will unite this family again soon, if that be His will!

Respite...

We are keeping a 9 month little one for another foster mom until tomorrow. Precious...

Hope for the Hungry Update!

Well, yesterday was AMAZING! We loaded up and headed to the church around 9am and were joined by lots of precious Noonday folks who were going to be a part of this ministry. The truck arrived and the training began! Our folks were registering people, handing out food boxes, taking pictures, greeting, signing our guests in, and "shadowing" counselors. It was awesome to see our faith family loving others and loving each other!

It was our first day and since we didn't get our promotion sign until Monday afternoon...we only had 2 days promotion. Even with that we were able to serve around 25 families from our community AND...

10 people prayed to receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior!!

Four of those 10 people where Spanish speakers...and the Lord allowed one of our deacons from Cuba to share with those precious people and they were able to understand and accept Jesus as their Savior!!

The great thing is that all of these people are in our community and we are able to follow up with them. We can check in and make sure they understand what comes next, answer any questions, encourage them to find a faith family, and begin to disciple them. Also, we got the prayer requests, those who are not attending church anywhere...and our Lifegroups are following up with all of them!!

I already got 4 contacts for women who accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior whom I will contact personally!! It's so exciting to see lives changed...theirs and ours!

We have a wonderful prayer team that lifts us up...and we would covet your prayers also. If you know of anyone that is in need of food, love, and prayer...and JESUS...please let them know that they can stop by our church on the first Wednesday of every month and Hope for the Hungry will be there...and so will we.

Our prayer is that the BREAD OF LIFE will be glorified in every single moment of this ministry. Won't you join us in that prayer? If you have any other questions feel free to leave a comment...

There's Hope for the Hungry!

Today, our church will host our first There's Hope for the Hungry ministry!! Several months ago, a man in our church asked Jay to go with him to see this amazing ministry at a local church. Jay went and when he came home, he told me that no matter what it took or how much it cost, our family would be a part of bringing this ministry to Noonday and our community. Well, about a week or two later the entire staff went to see There's Hope for the Hungry in action and THEY felt the same way too!

Last Sunday, my husband preached an amazing sermon on Fields of the Fatherless...why we should care about the poor, the fatherless, and the lost. It was hard...but true. Then, we had the pleasure of having Michael Brown who is one of the directors of There's Hope for the Hungry come and speak to us. He showed the following video. It tells all about the ministry here in Georgia...and gives a real view of why they exist in a way much better than I could ever do justice here myself.

Please go to this link and watch the video North American Mission Board did on their ministry:

There's Hope for the Hungry Video

Here is the sermon Jay preached and the testimony by Michael Brown at that service:

Fields of the Fatherless

After our church heard the sermon, watched that video, and heard Michael Brown speak...the Holy Spirit broke loose and people were lining up to partner in any way possible to love those in our community and share the GOSPEL with them.

I have been in church most of my life...and travel to churches all over...and truthfully I have only seen the Spirit move in a handful of times the way He moved in our church that morning. People received Christ as their Savior, rededicated their lives, lined up to volunteer, gave money, prayed at the altar...it was amazingly POWERFUL. I cried and laughed so hard...all at the same time!

What encouraged me the most is that our church was responding to taking the GOSPEL to those who are hurting, hungry, fatherless, poor, widowed, and lost!! That's what opened the door and ushered in the unmistakable move of the Spirit. And...it is continuing!! This Sunday was amazing as well!!

So, today begins our partnership with There's Hope for the Hungry. I can't wait to get up there tomorrow morning and be a part of this! The exciting thing for me? I get to serve the poor and the lost alongside my husband and children...God is just SO good!!! Another amazing part of this ministry is that our church will do the follow up on the people that come. They are in our own community and since they register and we have a record of them...we get the honor of touching them, praying for them, sharing Christ with them, disciplining them, and loving them!!

 I LOVE IT!!