We are excited to announce our adoption of Ryland James, as of February 19th, he is officially a member of the family. In honor of our celebration, I will be sharing our journey in to fostering and adopting in a few short posts. Fostering is near to our hearts and our prayer is that God would open yours, too, to see what he has in store for your family and maybe our journey would be some encouragement to get you started. (You can find part one here.)

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We enjoyed our new little family, as we went from three to four, adding a boy to the mix. Jude was born December 2013 and we adjusted and enjoyed the craziness of caring for two littles. 

We attended a friend's wedding in October 2014 in Reno. While we were in the area, we visited with friends we had been blessed to walk with through their journey of fostering to adopt. Our friend is a pastor and we stayed for service. It was Orphan Sunday. Tears ran down my cheeks as I listened. My heart continuing to break for the children. For the child God had for us. I have never cried so much in a service. Or knew without a doubt that we had to start the certification process again. There was a child waiting for us.

We contacted our agency and got started filling out packets of paperwork and all the fun things you do to get ready. We were thankful that some of our past interviews were kept, which sped up the process and we knew what to expect this time.

We had planned to go through months, if not years, of court dates and visits and prayers for families and reunifications and everything else that a typical foster to adopt process takes in order to end up in adoption. Everything we had heard and seen others walk through its doors. 

We had prepared ourselves as best as we could, while we installed new locks on the cabinets and spent hours in more trainings (I have to add, these trainings were AMAZING and every parent should take them; not to mention yummy food is provided) and rearranged our home to accommodate another little person and completed the check list of county regulations. We were wet behind the ears with our official, newly certified home.

A whole two days passed between being certified to receiving our first call for a baby. We were out of state. The logistics did not work. Another week. We received a call for an emergency placement. We said yes to the sweetest seven month old baby boy for eight nights.

It was during those eight nights that I found myself asking what we were doing. What we were doing opening our home and interrupting our schedules to cater to strangers. What we were doing bringing social workers in to our home on a regular basis and welcoming the uncontrollable. And what if what we were doing was going to wreck our children and their childhood. It was a wake up to the reality of what God had for our family.

We were not meant to live cookie cutter lives or be so set on our own pursuits that we miss out on those around us. Being in community, having friendships and loving others allows for interruptions to be turned in to opportunities.

For us, this was our opportunity to be interrupted with phone calls for children and for self centered prayers to be turned to those in the system, those who needed Jesus. This was our entry in to deeper gospel living and receiving more than we had to give to those God placed in our care.

Receiving the blessing to care for those who cannot care for themselves and be reminded of how rich God has made us, not in material form, but in Spirit. In his love and compassion and this was our opportunity to overflow, despite the exposure of opening up our home and our hearts. 

We were ready, as we could be, for the next call. 

We are excited to announce our adoption of Ryland James, as of February 19th, he is officially a member of the family. In honor of our celebration, I will be sharing our journey in to fostering and adopting in a few short posts. Fostering is near to our hearts and our prayer is that God would open yours, too, to see what he has in store for your family and maybe our journey would be some encouragement to get you started.

My husband and I had talked about the possibility of adopting for a while and while reading through the book of James, God spoke to us about what pure religion was to him - caring for orphans (James 1:27) and that was what he called us to do. 

When our daughter was about a year old, we started talking more seriously. One night, I Googled adoption. Distant children from around the globe covered the screen. As I starred at the faces and prayed and cried, God whispered about the children here in our community. I opened a new browser and the name of a foster agency I heard once came up in the searches. This was it.

Going to the park in the mornings was a routine for my daughter and me. 

The next morning we found ourselves there with another little girl and her grandma. As conversation progressed, her twenty plus years of being a foster mom surfaced, along with adopting and her children's adjustment and all things related. As she spoke, I could not help but laugh as God showed me glimpses in to his plan and confirmation of becoming a foster parent.

We signed up for an orientation with the agency and continued on to the trainings and background checks and moving to a bigger home to make room for more family members in the process. In April of 2013, one interview away from finishing our home study and officially being certified, we found out we were expecting.

When our social worker came to finish the final interview, we told him the news. His blank face starred back at us, asking if we were doing anything to prevent it or if miscarriages were possible and went on to say we could not do the interview. Instead, we had to send a letter to the agency to put our file on hold, if we planned on being certified when the baby was six months.

We had just finished a few weeks of praying and fasting and seeking God for direction for the coming years, when we found out about the pregnancy. We knew it was God's plan but it was also disheartening. All of the time and hoops we had jumped through seemed a little pointless, as we would have to do it all over again, if or when we decided to.

The following month, I sat reading a magazine that happened to have an article about adoption. About someone's adoption story. They, too, had issues and the process took a lot longer than planned but on the very day they signed their last paper, their baby was born. As I read, God whispered, your baby is not born yet. And that was the answer. I did not completely grasp what it meant but I knew he had plans and I knew we would be starting the process again, eventually.  

The topic of hearing God and following the Holy Spirit has been surfacing around me. It has made me question how many people have yet to experience the voice of God, especially those who are in the church now, as well as those yet to set their hope in Jesus. I have been praying about what do to with this knowledge to bring about the awareness and beautiful intimacy that hearing God has on us and God lead me to some wonderful ladies I met through the Allume Conference, who are brave and bold and willing to share their story of how they have come to hear the voice of God through this series. It is not a list of "how tos" or of verses on hearing God or things of the sort. Just an honest, open discussion of the telling of their story. Of their journey to the place where God's voice is the one they listen to. You can find the entire series here. 

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For the last year and a half I have been reading the Bible, studying, and listening to sermons by various Pastors. I've learned that God does speak to me when I take time to be alone with Him and listen for His response. In 2014 when I first started spending time alone with God, I dedicated a specific room as my secret place where I could have quiet undisturbed time with God.

The Bible instructs us to seek God in secret; Psalms 91:1  "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty". NKJ 

Matthew 6:4 says, "But you, when you pray go into your room, and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly". NKJ

I prayed asking God to bless me with the ability to hear His voice, as I wanted to take my relationship to another level of closeness, and deeper understanding of Him and His Word. Soon after, I started being awakened around 3 am in the morning for many months (I still get awakened, but not as often). I hear my name being called. I literally hear an audible and very distinct voice. I receive messages and specific words and told to write them down. I am very prayerful, asking the Lord their meaning. 

I look forward to spending time with God in my secret place. I sing, read my Bible, and pray. I then lay quietly and listen as my Father speaks to me through the Holy Spirit, writing down all He has to say to me. My relationship has gone to another level with God. I hear from Him each time I seek Him and listen for His response.  I have learned that God speaks to me in many ways through the Holy Spirit, family, friends, Pastors and songs. 

Sue is a wife and mother of seven children (all adults) and has always had a heart to seek and follow God. She enjoys biking, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with her family, especially her precious Grandchildren!

The topic of hearing God and following the Holy Spirit has been surfacing around me. It has made me question how many people have yet to experience the voice of God, especially those who are in the church now, as well as those yet to set their hope in Jesus. I have been praying about what do to with this knowledge to bring about the awareness and beautiful intimacy that hearing God has on us and God lead me to some wonderful ladies I met through the Allume Conference, who are brave and bold and willing to share their story of how they have come to hear the voice of God through this series. It is not a list of "how tos" or of verses on hearing God or things of the sort. Just an honest, open discussion of the telling of their story. Of their journey to the place where God's voice is the one they listen to. You can find the entire series here. 

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Hearing and Recognizing the VOICE of God in My Life.

In James 3:14-18 we read:

14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Just in the simple matter of being asked to guest post here was a case of hearing the voice of God.

Tiffany sent me an email on December 1st asking for me to guest post about this subject. I remember reading it and then flagging it in my email thinking I would get back to it later.

I forgot about it.

Completely.

I sat cleaning out my inbox and ran across it again.

On February 9th.

I quickly emailed Tiffany and asked if it was too late to submit a post and she replied graciously with an extended invite.

That reply was on February 10th.

I had no idea what I was going to write.

However, that evening as I sat in our Wednesday night Bible Study, though what was being taught was completely on a different subject, the Holy Spirit quietly whispered, "that thing I showed you in James a few days ago, THAT is what you are to share in that post on Tiffany's blog."

On February 2nd, I had one of those times in my morning devotions that I knew it was all God and I was just writing what was coming to mind. Wisdom that was not coming from within me. The Holy Spirit revealing the meaning behind the words as I read them, an understanding and application of the passage, so much clarity and I couldn't write them down fast enough.

Ever have a time like that?

It's like an "ah-ha" moment that you KNOW didn't come from your own brain.

I remember writing it all down and then sitting back and going, "Wow, God. What is this for? What am I to do with this?" Though much of it was gently correcting me spiritually (I had a bad attitude about something) but it is also a good lesson to pass on.

Certainly we all deal with this, it isn't just me.

So, back to James chapter 3.

Here is what God gave me.

Let's start with verses 14-16.

When my thoughts are critical and judgmental and hypocritical, they are not from the Lord, they are not Holy Spirit led. They have not "descended from above." They also tend to be loud and consuming thoughts.

Then in verses 17-18, God describes that which has "descended from above" as "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." When I am listening and the still small voice of the Holy Spirit is truly speaking, then those thoughts are pure and peaceable, gentle and "easy to be entreated," full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Not sure what "easy to be entreated" means? According to Noah Webster's 1828, my second favorite book ever, "entreated" means:

Prevailed on by urgent solicitation; consenting to grant what is desired.

It is easy to consent to. It is not asking the impossible. God does not ask the impossible of us and he gives us the ability to do what He asks of us.

They are thoughts that in the end will lead to peace, they are merciful thoughts and thoughts that will produce "good fruits" and "righteous fruits," if they are applied.

They also do not contain the sins of partiality and hypocrisy. Also these thoughts are usually corrective thoughts, correcting my own behavior or attitude.

The Bible refers to the voice of God as "a still small voice" in 1 Kings 19:12. It is a quiet whisper. He whispers it and then leaves you with it to ponder.

It is NOT a loud and condemning thought that puts itself on repeat in your head, that wears you down, and piles on the guilt, making you miserable.

What a blessing that God, through the Holy Spirit living within us as Christians, is so loving and gentle with us. He teaches us in gentle ways much like I imagine how Jesus took little children on his knee and spoke lovingly to them. I don't think he grabbed them forcefully, got in their face, and yelled at them.

Is God whispering something to you today?

Be still and quiet and listen because he will not yell at you above the noise in your life. 

That is simply not his way.

Sharon writes about her hike through life at her blog Hiking Toward Home. She enjoys sharing what her Trail Guide teaches her along the trail toward her home in Heaven while capturing the view in pixels, paint and pencils. As wife to the love of her life, whom she met in a college photography darkroom and home educating mom to four fabulous kids, her trek often feels more like a marathon sprint up a mountain than a leisurely hike. Her writing has been featured at (in)courage and in Holly Gerth's book You Were Made For A God-Sized Dream. Hike along with her through Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. 

The topic of hearing God and following the Holy Spirit has been surfacing around me. It has made me question how many people have yet to experience the voice of God, especially those who are in the church now, as well as those yet to set their hope in Jesus. I have been praying about what do to with this knowledge to bring about the awareness and beautiful intimacy that hearing God has on us and God lead me to some wonderful ladies I met through the Allume Conference, who are brave and bold and willing to share their story of how they have come to hear the voice of God through this series. It is not a list of "how tos" or of verses on hearing God or things of the sort. Just an honest, open discussion of the telling of their story. Of their journey to the place where God's voice is the one they listen to. You can find the entire series here. 

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Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes! 1 Samuel 12:16


It is hard for me to stand still, sit still, or just be still. I am one of those people that tend to have two speeds: energizer bunny or asleep. It’s as if I have a battery and I just keep going until my battery dies. Not only do I physically have trouble being still, but my mind has the same problem.

When I ask someone what they are thinking and they say “nothing” I have a hard time believing that…because my mind is never off. I am constantly thinking…whether I mean to or not. You should hear some of the story lines that run through my mind. I am sure there is a blockbuster hit somewhere in there.


But, seriously, I think and think and think. Sometimes it is worry, but most often it is just wondering. Especially when I am waiting on the Lord.


What will things look like in the future?


Am I prepared?


Will I be content?


Am I following God’s call?


And then I read 1 Samuel 12:16, and I am reminded to be still. That the Lord is doing a great thing. That this great thing will happen before my eyes. I am reminded that I need to quiet my mind and my heart and just listen to the Lord. I have to block out everything else going on outside of me and inside of me, and focus on the one who made me and has the perfect plan for my life. Even when I want to move ahead of Him, I know that this would be outside of His will. And the best and safest place to be is at the center of His will…so why should I stray? Why should I move ahead of Him? Why shouldn’t I stand still and see the great thing the Lord is doing right before my eyes?


It’s so tough, but I strive to make this time of listening a priority. Instead of turning immediately to my phone first thing in the morning, my goal is to turn to God’s word. Instead of flipping on the t.v. before bed, my goal is to turn to God in prayer. Throughout the day when I am wondering and worrying, instead of texting a friend, my goal is to seek the Savior. It’s taking these small moments throughout my day when I wake up, before a meal, as I lay down for bed, and many times in-between, to turn to the great counselor for guidance. These are the times to stand still.


Listen, the words of 1 Samuel 12:16 was not written to me or about me, but I believe it applies to me. And I believe it applies to all of us at varying times in our lives. As I am waiting on the Lord to move in different areas of my life, I want to just be still and trust Him, knowing that He has a great thing waiting for me, and it will happen before my very eyes. I need only stand still.

The topic of hearing God and following the Holy Spirit has been surfacing around me. It has made me question how many people have yet to experience the voice of God, especially those who are in the church now, as well as those yet to set their hope in Jesus. I have been praying about what do to with this knowledge to bring about the awareness and beautiful intimacy that hearing God has on us and God lead me to some wonderful ladies I met through the Allume Conference, who are brave and bold and willing to share their story of how they have come to hear the voice of God through this series. It is not a list of "how tos" or of verses on hearing God or things of the sort. Just an honest, open discussion of the telling of their story. Of their journey to the place where God's voice is the one they listen to. You can find the entire series here. 

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As I sat outside of my workplace weeping in my car, I heard God say to me:

"You've been living with a thorn in your side, and it has kept you from truly living. I'm going to remove it, and it will set you free to live a life of joy."

Nothing about that morning had been extraordinary other than the fact that I had gotten to work 10 minutes early (which was a feat for me). With time to spare, I thought I’d have a little Jesus time before I started my shift. Over the past few months, I’d been exhaustingly busy as a newlywed in a new city. So moments spent with God were far and few in between.

A CD with the song “How He Loves” by David Crowder Band serenaded me as I began to pray in my car.

“Jesus, I’m sorry it’s been so long…”

“Stop. It’s okay.”

“Really, I…”

“Stop. I love you, and I’ve missed you. You don’t need to say anything. Let me speak.”

And so I did. All of a sudden, he showed up. He filled me all the joy I'd experienced in my marriage and reminded me that that was a gift from him. I was so overwhelmed with His love, I could practically feel him saying "Jeana, I love you so much! This is a blessing from me.” His love was like a hurricane, as the song says.

Then he showed me my hurt from the past and present. My anxieties that left me cynical and paralyzed with fear. My tears of joy turned into tears of hurt, like Jesus was lifting up a bandage on a wound I've tried to hide. And he spoke very clearly into my spirit, promising to remove the thorn and bring restoration into my life.

All I offered Jesus was 10 minutes. In return, He spoke healing into my heart that has forever changed me.

Over the next few months, I entered a season of rest and healing. My mornings began with a coffee date with my Creator. Just me and him. Just my bible and some worship music. His Word became alive in my life, speaking loud and clear into my soul. Whether it was 10 minutes or 2 hours, I remembered that I needed to let my Jesus speak to me, no matter how long it took.

And really, it’s been like any other friendship. The more time I’ve spent with Him, the more I’ve enjoyed His company. I was shy at first; at least compared to how much of my life I offer Him now. As I’ve learned to sit in His presence, He’s walked me through tears of joy and pain and healing. I’ve learned to discern the sound of His voice, and now I recognize it throughout my days, guiding me. It’s the voice that comforts me as if a hand is intertwined in mine.

Learning to listen to my Jesus in solitude has brought more than just healing into my life. It has taught me how to live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, releasing me from many fears that I’ve struggled with for so long. He’s removed my crippling thorns and sins, making me whole.

Giving time is a form of worship. So when we offer our own to listen to Jesus, we allow Him to keep His promises to us, like the ones found in Psalm 23:2-3:

[The Shepherd] makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

Tuning our spirits to hear Jesus allows us to do what we were made to do: to live in freedom through fellowship with our Creator as He restores and reconciles us to Him.

Jeana is a dreamer, an artist, and a writer. (She makes a living doing two of those things.) Jesus has healed her fragile heart, and He's the reason she’s able to live a life full of joy and wonder. When she isn’t painting, baking, or glued to her laptop, she is outside soaking up the sun and traveling to new places with her wonderful husband. You can find her blog at tolivedelightfully.com.

The topic of hearing God and following the Holy Spirit has been surfacing around me. It has made me question how many people have yet to experience the voice of God, especially those who are in the church now, as well as those yet to set their hope in Jesus. I have been praying about what do to with this knowledge to bring about the awareness and beautiful intimacy that hearing God has on us and God lead me to some wonderful ladies I met through the Allume Conference, who are brave and bold and willing to share their story of how they have come to hear the voice of God through this series. It is not a list of "how tos" or of verses on hearing God or things of the sort. Just an honest, open discussion of the telling of their story. Of their journey to the place where God's voice is the one they listen to. You can find the entire series here. 

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I was around age fourteen when I can first remember knowing God was speaking to me. I attended a small church with a very close-knit youth group. Several of the kids were struggling with knowing their salvation was real, and it caused me to have doubts. I finally sat down with my Bible and so, "OK God, I need your help with this. I know what I believe, and I don’t want to struggle with this anymore."

I opened my Bible and read Mark 9:29. A man has brought his son to Jesus to be healed. The man asks Jesus to have compassion and help the boy if he is able. In verse 23, Jesus responds, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes." And then, in verse 24, the man responds, "I believe; help my unbelief!"

"I believe; help my unbelief!"

I felt just like this father. I knew I believed, but the doubts of others had caused me to question myself. That day, I gained such a strong assurance and knew I never needed to question the sincerity of my faith again.

For me, hearing the voice of God has always come through my involvement with Scripture. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

I have absolutely found this to be true. God has provided His timeless Word to speak to us. The Holy Spirit identifies how it needs to affect our lives. At times, I personally identify with characters in the Bible. Their struggles reflect mine, and I gain a better understanding through their experiences. Other times, a verse may strike me in completely unexpected ways, leading me to examine how I behave or think and fostering within me a desire to change in ways that I know are inspired by God.

I have always struggled with making Bible-reading a daily habit, but as I have committed more of my time to it, I am amazed at how it has affected my life and how the words have truly come alive. The Bible provides endless conversation with God, because even when I read the same passage twice, I can feel led to identify different personal applications. While the Truth never changes, my understanding can certainly grow.

I am so grateful that God did not leave us to figure out the path of faith all by ourselves. His Word guides us and the Holy Spirit directs our understanding so that we can have a close relationship with God.

Stephanie is a wife and stepmama of two. The goal of her blog is to
encourage women as they seek to grow in their faith while balancing the struggles of home, life, family, work, and the myriad of demands of our time and attention. She and her family live in North Carolina and enjoy all the state has to offer from the mountains to the beach.You can find her on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.