LOVE POURED OUT!!

When you've done something 4 years in a row you might think it could get just a little "been-there-done-that-ish"--right? 
Not even close! Hope at Home 2014 was just what God told us it would be--above and beyond. I know a lot of you reading this were not able to be with us, but those of us that were there felt, once again, the love of God for us and for our children.
We hope that through our Blog, Facebook Page, Pinterest and Twitter that we are able to share this love so needed by us all--for His love is 
effective 
powerful 
practical 
healing
enduring
and GOOD! 

Enjoy these photos from our dear friend Ruth and her team, along with some comments from parents who attended. And while you are at it, mark your calendars for Hope at Home 2015, September 25-26!!
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Beth and Susan--cofounders of Hope at Home

THANK YOU....THANK YOU!!!!! We thank you all for touching us, loving us, and allowing God to so freely speak through you. We hope to see you at Hope at Home 2015!! Thank you for your faithfulness. I was very encouraged and blessed.

"Getting Real" Parent Panel

My husband and I left the conference feeling refreshed and renewed. The conference was wonderful. We came back excited and expecting God to move in a miraculous way for the well-being of our girls. We are so thankful for all the speakers. God used all of them to speak to us in unique ways.  

Our breakout for fathers is always a favorite. 

First of all, I just want to say thank you for your obedience to the Lord in what He has called you to take part in with Hope at Home.  The very things I was struggling with were touched on this past weekend...so THANK YOU for listening to His voice.  We truly had a wonderful weekend and were very pleased with how well things were prepared for us and how welcomed we felt by everyone.  Again, thank you SO much for everything.  I know hours of preparation goes in to something like this past weekend, so praying for rest for you and the others who made it happen! 

Our Hope at Home After Party with International Deserts and Live Jazz--so fun!

I will recommend this to ALL my foster friends, as it is so not typical of what we get in the form of training.  For most other training we feel as if we are just "doing our time" and there is nothing new.  But with this one, it is the hope that all foster families need, the only hope that will help in raising/fostering these little ones, the hope of Jesus!   

The opportunity to pray together is priceless. We love standing in faith with you, trusting God together for His kingdom to come in our families. 

What I want to say, is thank you! Thank you for making the entire conference about Jesus! Thank you for encouragement and refreshment in the Lord, thank you for including the guys who are often left out, thank you for the section on marriage and thank you so much for the prayer room! I love prayer and that part was very, very special to me! I loved the pastor's message too....there wasn't actually anything I didn't like!

Scott Means' message was just what our marriages needed! 

HOPE AT HOME 2014 BREAKOUTS

It is hard to describe how exciting and humbling it is for us to prepare and share these breakout sessions for Hope at Home 2014 September 26-27. We are full of anticipation and hope for our time together with you all. There is still time for you to register-- come on and join us for this weekend of refreshing, equipping and HOPE for adoptive, foster and waiting parents. 

Breakout Session I:

1. Fathering: Bringing Peace, Order and Life Into Our Homes 

In this breakout for dads, we'll discuss the awesome role we have as fathers to bring peace, stability, order and life to our homes. We'll address practical issues, sharing systems that have been helpful in bringing freedom to our wives and children. We'll talk about the power to define that we have as fathers, and how we can instill in our children their true identity by hearing from the Lord for each child and speaking words of life over them.  Stephen Templeton and Greg Haswell

2. Letting God, Letting Go

The process of bringing our children to a point of spiritual, emotional, and economic maturity and independence is difficult in the best of situations. It is often even more difficult with adopted children. Rather than letting go and letting God, we will look at the hope brought by letting God and then letting go. Susan and Brian Hillis

3. Called and Qualified

What a gift from God it is to be called mother/mom/mama. Answering this call brings much joy, satisfaction, challenge, and at times deep heartache. Many mothers find themselves facing an identity crisis. As lives are poured out for the sake of our children, questions such as Who am I? Am I qualified for this? How do others do it? arise in our hearts. 

In this breakout for mothers, we will take a look at some of the answers to these questions from heaven's perspective. Michelle Haswell

Breakout Session II:

1. Keeping the Connection: Parenting in Grace

How do we create, maintain, and deepen our parent/child love connection, and at the same time provide the much-needed structure of discipline? We'll talk about some practical parenting tools and concepts that free us to be grace-filled and forward-looking parents. Beth Templeton

2. Banishing Fear--Beginning the Journey of Fearless Parenting in God's Love

This session will look at the nature of fear and anxiety and the biblical possibility of gaining freedom in Christ from fear and anxiety.  We will discuss some practical ways to identify fear and anxiety as well as turning effects of fear and anxiety into acts of worship. We will also offer a time of Questions and Answers. Dr. Terry Mitchell

3. Nurturing Your Child's Spirit 

This breakout will offer practical ideas and teaching on helping your child enjoy their relationship with our Heavenly Father. As children encounter the love of God, they are released from the orphan spirit and discover their true identity as sons and daughters. Jenni Means

OUR FAVORITE SPEAKERS!

Feeling we need to share this one again! 

We have a very special guest who has committed to join us for this year's Hope at Home gathering. We've been in communication with him all year, and even enjoyed some face-to-face meetings with him and our team. We are so excited! You are not going to want to miss this! His heart for adoptive, foster and waiting mothers and fathers is the driving force behind all that we do at Hope at Home. We've heard what he has to say about us parents and our families--his words never fail to direct, strengthen, encourage and help parents in their adoption and fostering stories. He's asked us if it is alright if He brings his son along, as well as his friend, who is well-known all over the world for his work amongst believers. That was an easy decision for our team-- YES! 
These guys are a amazing together. It has been inspiring for our Hope at Home team to watch how they work together as a unit. There is such a refreshing and powerful oneness in all that they do.
So let me tell you a bit about our main speaker's friend first. As the planners of the event, we love that he comes ahead of time to prepare the way and then stays afterwards to finish the work he started. He's been known to actually come into your home and work alongside you as you parent your children. His help and wisdom is priceless. There have been times where he has contacted us about a matter regarding our adoptions or parenting, and he has always been spot-on! If you haven't already met him at other events, you are going to love him! 

And the son... oh my! Seriously, we've never met a kinder person. He is so generous. So gracious. If you needed a shirt, he'd give you the one on his back. He wouldn't hesitate to lay down his life for a friend. It's strange to say, but in our experience he seems to always have the right solution to our parenting concerns, and whenever he speaks it's like this unexplainable peace comes over those who listen. He's never arrogant about it, as some speakers might be, but he really does seem to have the answer to everything; it's like he IS the answer.

And then there's the dad, our main speaker... well, like I said, you seriously do not want to miss this. When he's come to other events we've been to he seems to be so happy; we've heard it said of him that he is always in a good mood. And it blesses us greatly that he seems to be genuinely excited to bring in other speakers to partner with him. He's already been communicating to our team about who amongst us he wants to speak alongside him. It's super-humbling for all of us, and a bit scary for some, but it's so hard to say "no" to him once you've gotten to know him. It's like he knows how it's all going to turn out and is ALWAYS assuring us that he'll be right there to cover any blunders on our part. 

If that is not enough, wait til you hear this--they've all three agreed to meet with each one of you personally. I know, crazy right?! How could that even be possible? If I hadn't seen it before at our previous Hope at Home events, I would be doubtful myself. But sure enough, somehow he pulls it off. Our suggestion to you is to plan on meeting with all three; you may have some questions or areas of interest you want to address with each one. Some of us have learned how wonderful it is just to hang out and enjoy the privilege of having one-on-one time with speakers of this caliber. 

Oh yes, one more thing... they are trained in healing of all sorts, both physical and emotional, so if you have a healing need be sure to look for them. They've been training some of our folks here at Northlands to be physician's assistants over the past few years, so we are pretty excited to be able to participate. It is so touching that all three seem to care so very deeply about each and every one of our children-- adopted, biological and foster. It's almost like they love them more than we, their parents, do. Really! I can't explain it, I'm just telling it like it is.

This is all to say--we are so filled with hope for Hope at Home 2014 And our hearts are full with anticipation to spend September 26-27 with you here in Atlanta, Georgia, along with our awesome God--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To take advantage of the early bird registration rate and to read more details REGISTER NOW. (It also helps us a lot in our planning:~)

To keep up with Hope at Home 2014 news and to enjoy ongoing encouragement and help, Find us on FACEBOOK. 

TODAY IS THE DAY!

Just a quick post today to remind you that today is the day to register for Hope at Home 2014 if you would like to have your name go in the drawing for this beautiful necklace from Pure Gratitude. 

Actually I have to recommend this jewelry to you regardless. Some of my favorite jewelry comes from Michelle, founder of Pure Gratitude.

But, if you are planning to register anyway, as we SO hope you will, you might as well have a chance for this necklace, right?!

As much as Susan and I, and our Hope at Home Team, love this blog, our Facebook Page, Twitter (@hope_at_home_), and Pinterest, what we would love far more is to spend a few days with you in person. 

There is just nothing to replace spending time together.

So, if our posts are an encouragement to you as you parent your children, then consider coming to Hope at Home 2014.

Love to you all, and each of your treasures!

Beth, Susan, and The Hope at Home Team

MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE

From Susan:

We hear it everywhere...."Make the invisible visible." 

Like in this moving UNICEF clip with Liam Neeson...

JUSTICE: Make the invisible visible

And we all in our deepest of hearts agree--that such violence against children cannot be hidden; it must be made visible. 
It must be exposed, and perpetrators must come to justice. We are grateful for organizations like the International Justice Mission which do just this. Make the invisible visible - by bringing JUSTICE. 

Yet, when I saw this clip, I thought about much more than justice. I thought about the faces of many of the children we know and love, who have experienced precisely these types of heartbreaking injustices; and we want so much more for them than to make the invisible visible by reigning in justice. 

LOVE: Make the invisible visible

Rather than stopping with #ENDviolence, we aspire to #REPLACEviolence! 

It is the kind of thing our friend Jedd Medefind, from Christian Alliance for Orphans, speaks about with elegant simplicity when he describes what God the Father did when He adopted us into His own family. God was making His invisible love visible through His Son, who is described as the "visible image of the invisible God." (Colossians 1:15)
  

OUR PART: Make the invisible visible

All this means what we see as mundane is actually monumental.
We, too, like our Lord, get to particpate with eloquent simplicity in making the invisible love of God visible to our children, and many others.
  
So, we are writing the next chapters of the #REPLACEviolence story.  

As summer with all its delights and demands approaches, I want to remind YOU what you are really doing.
You get to make the invisible visible through 
meals cooked 
trash emptied 
play supervised 
sunblock applied 
adventures dared 
conflicts resolved 
swim practice attended 
stories read 
apologies proffered 

So, Lord, this summer, we ask for eyes that see, feet that walk, hands that act, and hearts that delight in these daily invitations to make eternal contributions to REPLACING VIOLENCE WITH LOVE!  We want to copy You.

It is our call.
It is our privelege,
It is our passion.

Amen and amen.
  

HOPE AT HOME 2014:  Make the invisible visible 

So, let us close with one more thing. As those who spent many years constantly, endlessly, and exhaustedly giving out unmerited favor and nurture to needy children, we remember wishing there was someone who felt like it was their job to pour out the heavenly Father's love, tangibly, on US! 

We often walked on the edge of burnout!  

So, the goal of our pastors, elders, adoptive parents and volunteers is simply to lavish the Father's love on dear parents like YOU, who are always giving out. We believe that God will so Refresh and Renew and Restore you at our annual Hope at Home conference in September, that you will return home transformed anew by the Lord's personal and specific love, precisely for you and for each member of your family. 

It is what happens every year!  

Registration is open, so feel free sign up any time!

We love you!

Susan, Brian, Beth, Stephen, and all those who will be serving you at Hope at Home 2014!!

HOPE AT HOME 2014: TO GO BEYOND

We love this time of year because for us it is all about preparing to see you in September for our annual Hope at Home conference for adoptive and foster parents. This on-line relationship is all well and good, but there is nothing like spending time together, is there? 

For those of you who have never been, you might like to read what other mothers and fathers have to say about their experience. 

It is our desire at Hope at Home 2014 to Go Beyond:

• to go beyond the giving and receiving of information and great parenting strategies, although lots of giving a receiving will be going on for sure--stay tuned for speakers and topics!
• to go beyond the fellowship and comfort of being with other parents who totally "get" what we are doing and experiencing, although we will certainly have some wonderful times together, enjoying old friends and making new ones. (You won't want to miss our H@H Dessert Party with live jazz!)
• to go beyond the delight and refreshing of time away from the daily ins and outs of family life, although we will surely love that.

Hope at Home 2014 is about trusting God to Go Beyond....

• to receive revelation from our Father God about our children and to know them as He knows them so that we can parent them according to the way they should go
• to enjoy the wonderful fellowship not only with each other, but with our Father God who loves us each as His very own beloved sons and daughters
• to experience the refreshing that lasts way beyond a weekend away as the Holy Spirit pours life into dry places, understanding into places of confusion, and hope into impossible situations. 

So our dear friends, we invite you to join us September 26-27. We so long to see you in person and enjoy a time of going beyond! We are trusting God for ripple effects to reverberate into our children's lives, and even into generations to come. 

He is that good, you know! 

So, to encourage you to register early (since that really does help us in our planning!) we have a really great give away raffle for those of you who register by June 26. Our friend Michelle Harpur from Pure Gratitude has donated a unique necklace for Hope at Home parents. 
We'll announce the winner June 26, but I may have to buy one of these for myself anyway!

If you've come in years past you know that we have a team of faith filled people who will be praying for you and any requests you share with us in our registration questionnaire--and you don't have to win a raffle for that prize! And the earlier you register, the more weeks you'll have knowing that someone is praying for you and your family. Now that's what I call a win/win situation!

Let your adoptive, foster and waiting parent friends know. See you in September! 

 To register and for conference details, click HERE.