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!!
ou

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. 

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!!

OUTPOURING OF LOVE

There is not much that makes our Hope at Home heart more happy than to be a part of Father God's sustaining and powerful love being poured out on His children. 

That same healing and rescuing love that you and I are so aware of for our children is the love that Father God has for each one of us mothers and fathers--His sons and daughters.

Enjoy these testimonies of our Faithful Father from Hope at Home 2013.


Thank you! It was truly such a blessed weekend. I know it was God's appointment for this time in our lives. Going into it, I knew it would be good, but I had no idea the depth of encouragement and blessing we would receive. May the Lord return to you in multitude of favor for all that you poured out. God bless you and all those who gave so much.

So very thankful to have been able to attend this powerful, life changing conference! We felt God's healing and hope filled presence from the moment we walked in the doors and we have returned home with our "buckets" FULL!  Thank you so much for giving of your time and gifts to pour into those that so needed a time set apart for encouragement and equipping!

I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the hard work you did in organizing the Hope at Home Conference.  It was amazing!   Even more than that, thank you so much for working it out so that we could get a partial scholarship.  That helped so much and we are deeply grateful.  We look forward to learning more from the ministry and Hope at Home. You all are doing wonderful things and we are so excited to know more about you vision/mission.  Thank you!

Thank you so much for all your help!  You and Hope at Home are a Godsend!

Just wanted to thank you and the Hope at Home team for a wonderful conference. We sincerely appreciated all of the invaluable teaching and fellowship. Everything was so special and I know it will make a difference in our home!

God brought us there.  If we hadn't heard Greg's talk Friday, I don't know how much more we could have taken in our current case.  We were completely fried.
God used you all to help us persevere a while longer.  We love our baby dearly and are praying for that audacious answer that she will be our forever daughter.

I’m really glad we got to come to the conference. It was awesome.  I felt so inspired and convicted about many things.  The set-up was great, with the “stations” out front.  All around, a fantastic job.Thank you for your amazing ministry to adopted children and their families. And we are all His adopted children. The conference was more than we could have ever hoped. It has helped to begin to reorient what has been tilted in our family's world. Love and Thanks and Blessings !

I have definitely been refreshed and recharged and encouraged. Best seminar for me yet! Thank you!

We were so touched this weekend by the power of the Holy Spirit and the loving hands and hearts of saints that gave of themselves to teach and encourage. What a wonderful weekend it was! It was MORE than worth the trip, MORE than worth the effort made to get there, MORE than we could have hoped to come away with. The treasures were laid out - and we received them. We are deeply humbled and grateful to participate. We came home refreshed and ready to keep making steps with a richer understanding that we have been raised and fed so that we may raise and feed. Praise the Lord for His goodness and kindness.

We were in a very dry place when we arrived. We are leaving filled up and very thankful.

This has been very encouraging. We are not alone!

We were here one year ago and the things we heard and learned last year stuck with us this entire year and the blessings it has shown our family are amazing. 

I came here with an empty, bone dry bucket and very little emotional strength. I am leaving here encouraged, refreshed and renewed.

The Lord encouraged me to allow him to parent me so I can better parent my children.

God reiterated so many things in my heart. I am beloved. I’m a child of God. As it pertains to ministry, He placed undeniable signs and connections in my path that confirmed I am moving in the right direction.

He told me he was proud of me an that he loved me. To sing boldly and dance. I really needed to hear those things and it truly ministered to my heart.

After journaling my  wife and I went to dinner and compared what we had written. Both of us had received a word speaking of our intrinsic value and beauty in the eyes of God Both of us receiving this and the way that we received intermeshed was very affirming. 

FOOD FOR LIFE. STRENGTH FOR LIFE

From Susan:

You Are Welcome!

We are starting already to anticipate the blessings sure to come of the week end many of us will enjoy together at the third Hope at Home Conference, September 27-28.  Our Hope at Home Team is so looking forward to giving a smile and love and a warm hug to everyone who walks through our doors! We are excited at the wide variety of walks of life that you will represent…adoptive parents, foster parents, waiting parents, friends and others called to encourage those who are caring for the children of the world – those children who are so loved by their heavenly Father.

Signing Up!

So, we want to describe what you will be signing up for, with the hopes that you will join us! You will be signing up for sharing a week end with others who have felt a call to give and receive God’s love for God’s children. You will be signing up to be welcomed with loving arms by others who share your call, passion, hopes, dreams, struggles, testimonies, prayers, and joys. You, who spend your lives caring for others, will be signing up to be cared for yourselves, in a way that will equip you to return home and be strengthened to enjoy and care for your children.  

Food for Life, Strength for Life

Our time together at Hope at Hope 2013 reminds me of a familiar picture we have all seen. It is the simple sketch of the man with a fishing pole, with the caption,“Give a man a fish and you feed him today; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”  

I would love to have a picture that says, instead, 

Hold that hand and you strengthen that person for today; place their hand in God’s, and you strengthen them for a lifetime!  

It is what I think of when I read I Samuel 23:16. Jonathan first helps place David’s hand in God’s, “Jonathan rose and went to David and strengthened his hand in God.” 

Then, 7 chapters and many challenges later, David is equipped to access the needed strength for the life that lay before him, on his own:  “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” (I Sam 30:6).  

Growing in Love

And the simple truth is that we expect that together we will grow in the height, depth, length and breadth of the love of Christ for us, in a way that directly influences our ability to love our children well, not so much in response to how well they love or appreciate or please us, but rather in response to how well our Father has lavished His own love upon us and upon them! 

We go forth to Rest in Lavish Love. With Real Families, Real Help, Real Hope!

We can’t wait to see you!

Register For Hope at Home 2013 Now!

HOPE AT HOME 2013, SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS

from Beth:

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 2013! And our hearts are full with anticipation to spend September 27-28 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 2013 news and to enjoy ongoing encouragement and help, Find us on FACEBOOK. 

AFTER ADOPTION: HOPE AT HOME

 Click HERE for details and to Register for HOPE AT HOME 2012 Conference for Adoptive and Foster Parents!

From Susan Hillis:

Susan and Brian in the early days 
of their adoption journey

I was desperate. Fifteen years ago I was desperate to find someone who had walked through years of parenting children who were deeply scarred by their painful past. I'm talking about children who have been seriously abused in some of the worst imaginable ways.  I wanted to find several experienced believing parents who could speak to what helped them as parents to walk their children forward into healing and wholeness, after the adoption was final. Isn't it ironic that we describe our adoptions as 'final' when in fact they are only beginning? I certainly felt like a beginner, navigating relatively unchartered territory without help from others who had learned invaluable lessons from years of real experience with real children in real families. So, now, with our ten kids ages 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 23, 25, 26, and 27 years old, I finally have a little time to think about how I may be able to share with you, dear reader, what I was desperate for those many years ago. I would love to hear back whether any of you find you connect with these ideas!!!!!

Are You Crazy?

So my first lesson is this:  don't be crazy.  In other words, don't depend on your own efforts to become an expert in painful pasts and positive parenting to bring healing and wholeness.  Oh, instincts and positive parenting are good, but they are secondary, not primary.  What is primary is receiving from the Lord's life in and with and through us, what we need daily, that daily bread, to love the children with whom we are entrusted.  As we read in the Message translation,

"Something crazy has happened...Let me put this question to you:  How did your new life [as an adoptive family] begin?  Was it by working your heads off to please God?  Or was in by responding to God's Message to you?  Are you going to continue this craziness?  For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God.  If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?....Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, His Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust  him to do them in you?...anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure [aside:  I have tried this and it doesn't work!]...The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him.  Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you."  (Gal 3:1-6).  

In other words, it's not my job to fix them;  it is simply my job to trust in the Lord's love and wisdom and revelation in and through me and Brian, and many others in our church and school communities, to give our children what God intends to give them through us.  This is unspeakably freeing, as I do not take responsibilities of heavy burdens on my shoulders that are not mine to carry.  I stop being crazy.  I stop thinking that I can learn how to lift a crushing load off of an injured heart single-handedly, by studying how it's done!  Oh, I'm all for studying and learning, but my primary hope is not in my becoming proficient.

Primary and Secondary

What is primary, I have learned, is my own vital personal walk with the Lord.  Out of that intimacy between the two of us, I receive the help and hope and acceptance and forgiveness and wisdom I need for His call on my life.  It is as though He is often rechanneling my thinking (Rom 12:1), when I find myself discouraged and disappointed.  Rather than dwelling on the afflictions, we can chose to dwell on the testimonies of what is good and true and worthy of praise (Phil 4:6-9).  In this regard, I am so touched by Psalm 119 in the ESV -- there are 20 verses that describe "testimonies" and only 5 that describe "afflictions." [Because I love math I just have to point out that this is 4 to 1 odds!! and because I love the Scriptures I have to dare you to count for yourself and to meditate on these verses!]  

From this I see that the testimonies, in our Lord, are intended to outnumber our afflictions.

 I think of testimonies as fresh applications of eternal truths regarding the character of God in the life of the believer today.  And we all know all too well that afflictions are serious and often seemingly insurmountable personal problems. Generally speaking, I have found over the years that when my walk with the Lord is primary, and my focus on learning all I can about excellent parenting is secondary, it is much more natural for me to love my children who are in hard places with freedom and hope, rather than to worry over them with fear and despair. When fear and despair are bigger in my experience, it is then that I call in my soul-tender friends to pray and help.

Hope at Home

I will close this post by passing along the news that

registration is now open for the Hope at Home 2012 Conference 

which will take place the week end of my birthday (how cool is that!), October 5-6, at Northlands Church, Atlanta, GA. Click on the link for more information and to register. Check out our speakers and breakouts-- we are so excited about what God is putting together for us all! 

If you find yourself connecting at all with what is written in this post, then that conference may be a place you can find the refreshment and encouragement to continue forward in great hope for the family in which the Lord has placed you as a leader, to parent them in His love and His strength and His wisdom and His revelation. I cannot begin to tell you the freedom I have found as I have let go of many burdens that were just crazy for me to be carrying!  

May the Lord bless you and your family, and may you find today that your testimonies outnumber your afflictions!

HOPE AT HOME 2012-- SAVE THE DATE!

Save the Date!!!

for

Hope at Home 2012

October 5-6

Atlanta, GA

We are absolutely overflowing with excitement as we plan to see you all here in Atlanta for our annual conference for Adoptive and Foster Parents, and those who love these families.

Hope at Home 2012 will be a time of refreshing, growing, and connecting for fathers and mothers-- a time full of worship, teaching, prayer ministry, and the love of Father God.

---------Take a moment and watch the video above on your right----------

We have some wonderful things planned already for you! A special lunch for single mothers, and one for pastors and church leaders. And we're working on a post meeting event Friday night with live music and the best gourmet coffee and dessert. Since we'll have already made plans to have our children taken care of, we figured we might as well have some fun!

We are prayerfully dedicated to help you encounter the Father's heart for your family-- for yourself and for each one of your children (those in your home now and those waiting to come home)

as you partner with God to transform orphans into Sons and Daughters. 

Find us on Facebook and stay tuned to this blog in order to get more details about registration.

And tell your friends! 

And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.

    And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of [buildings that have laid waste for] many generations; and you shall be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

Isaiah 58:11-12

SHAMELESS PERSISTENCE

Would you like to hear some of the wonderful sessions from our HOPE AT HOME 2011 Conference? Click HERE to listen. We will be posting more of the breakout sessions later in the month. 

We are pleased to share some thoughts from Tara Dunn, who along with her husband attended HOPE AT HOME 2011. Tara is an associate director at the University of Georgia Wesley Foundation.  She and her husband, John, have a son, Jace Kenesa, who is currently in Ethiopia. They are praying for the clearance needed to bring him home very soon! To watch this beautiful story of bringing a son home follow them on their blog.


Never with Passivity

There is a phrase we often use in the church when we pray that I have come to cringe when I hear: “…if it’s Your will, Lord.” Now I know what you’re thinking: “What’s wrong with that?! Shouldn’t we pray with humility and desire God’s will alone?” And the answer is yes. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He taught them to ask for the Father’s will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. And yet, Jesus never taught His disciples—or us—to pray with passivity and a lack of faith; sadly, this is so often what this phrase becomes an expression of instead of a genuine longing for God’s will. There is always a delicate balance in surrendering our will and praying with great faith and boldness. Throughout our adoption journey, I have often struggled to find that balance. I long to trust His timing and believe that He is fighting for us more than we could ask or imagine, but I so often use this truth as an excuse to pray wimpy prayers when I know God is calling me to move mountains. 

Shameless Audacity

The Lord really shook me awake to this truth when I attended an adoption conference last month called Hope at Home. My husband and I had been expecting to pass court that week (meaning that our son would officially become a Dunn), but we were informed the day before the conference that the judge was traveling and would not be returning for three more weeks. Our hearts were completely crushed; we had already been waiting nearly two months for the judge to return. During the conference, one of the speakers, Greg Haswell, spoke from Luke 11 and encouraged us all to pray with “shameless audacity” for our children:

…teaching [his disciples] more about prayer, he used this story: ‘Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, “A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.” And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, “Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.” But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened." (Luke 11:5-9)

Throughout the entire sermon, the Lord was saying to me, “Wake up! Ask Me
boldly for things, and I will do more than you could ask or imagine!”

A Fire in Our Prayers

We had been praying for nearly two months for the judge’s return, but God used that conference to ignite a fire in our prayers. We prayed with shameless persistence, and sure enough, the judge returned just four days later and signed our adoption decree. So do I place my faith in the outcome? Absolutely not. My faith rests in the person of Jesus. But I know that my son coming home (and healing, wholeness, forgiveness, salvation, breakthrough) are His will and that I can pray with shameless audacity by His grace. Thank You, Lord!