The Pink Ladies

WELCOME TO THE "PINK LADIES"

The Pink Ladies are other Pink mamas that have inspired me and I hope will inspire you.  This to be a place where our fellow sisters can just sit back and read something that will really encourage, challenge & help them. We are all in different seasons in our lives and I think we ALL have something we can share and help others with. 

Pink Mama Out!

DECEMBER 2012

Welcome Janet Campen to the " Pink Ladies"!

Janet Campen is the mother of a teenager and a 2^nd grade Diva.  She is the wife to the most amazing gift God has given her. She is a former preschool ministry director to a ministry of over 600!  She currently works as a recruiter for a specialty retailer.

What can I possibly say about the most special, bestest, incredible friend a girl could have?  God brought Janet into my life and it has never been the same.  She is truly the most special woman in my life!  She is sharing a bit of what makes her so awesome!  I hope you DANCE!

Just Dance

By: Janet Campen

Recently I was on the hunt for a spectacular deal on the new Just Dance 4 for the Wii, luckily I have the most amazing best friend in the world who found a deal $10 cheaper than she paid for it. (Thank you, Sandy) On my way home that evening, I had my Diva daughter in the car and we were listening to a sampling of all the songs on Just Dance 4. We were car dancing, to every tune and were just laughing and singing out loud. When we arrived home, she and my husband started to work on the train around the Christmas tree. As usual, we had music playing in the background and they suddenly broke into a sweet dance to Michael Buble and I captured that precious moment on film. I just love how the train tracks are off to the side and the moment was not on assembling a track but a dance between a father and his daughter. Nothing else was important.

I realized in that moment, some of the most joyful times in my life revolve around a dance. Dancing with my best friend at her 40^th birthday party to Young MC’s, Bust a Move or dancing with my father at my wedding, remember the time I danced when I was 14 in Universal Studios to the point that I attracted a crowd, taking Salsa Classes with my sweet husband or dancing in church with preschoolers to the Hokey Pokey. The list can go on and on and on. 

King David, the one who was after God’s own heart. Who blew it so many times but always turned back to God the father. King David danced spontaneous in the streets when the Ark was returned to the city, an intimate moment of worship. David was joyous and no one was going to rob him of it. He was dancing in celebration before our Father with joy. Is it possible to really dance and not be joyous? I don’t think so.

Recently a Pink Lady was struggling and frustrated and I told her go home, turn up the radio and just dance. Dance like David, without consideration of who is looking or what you look like. Find joy and celebration in the dance. Ecclesiastes 3:4-5 A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.

This season my hope is that we stop and dance. Find and seek joy through dance and give thanks to God for the music and the gift of Christmas, the birth of our Savior. 
For one day this girl will dance with her heavenly Father in heaven and so that I don’t stumble; I will practice here and dance in joyful celebration with all who will dance with me.

“Take these shackles off my feet so I can dance, I just want to Praise You." - Mary Mary

NOVEMBER 2012

Welcome Evelyn Torres to the " Pink Ladies"!
Evelyn is married to the man of her dreams & God’s perfect match for her for the past 19+ years.  She is the mother of 2 beautiful daughters and two angels in heaven.
Melanie (16), we call her “the fashionista”, because she loves all things having to do with fashion, hairstyling, make up, and accessorizing. Her favorite place to be is“Student Ministry.”  Amaly (12), is our “little artist” full of spunk, energy and creativity.  Currently, she is a stay at home mom (living out her dream), she worked for 14 years in the law firm industry, went back to school and became a licensed Registered Nurse, worked in kids ministry for almost a year and has been volunteering at church for 15+ years.   She loves to volunteer, serve God, attend bible studies and fellowship with godly gals! Also, she is a Leadership Volunteer for her Middle School Student ministry. Her favorite thing to do is travel!
Evelyn is one of those special ladies that come into your life just when you needed her.  She has become a terrific friend and sister in Christ.  She always has a smile on her face and has the biggest servant's heart I know.  Her girls and her husband are just wonderful!  I hope you take a moment and read her story.  It is heartbreaking, but in the midst of it all, God was there.   

 
 

An Answered Prayer in the Midst of Heartache

By: Evelyn Torres

Early 1997, as a result of an invitation to a Christian church service, I accepted Christ as my personal Lord & Savior. This was the beginning of my life long walk with the Lord.

From that moment, I was on fire for Him and completely consumed with wanting to know God more intimately. I spent hours simply reading His word, attending mid-week services, bible studies, & church on Sunday. I went from being completely de-churched, in the world and doing life my way, to completely living for Him.

Now, more than anything, I wanted my husband, to come to know The Lord the way I did. But, he was not having it. He was confused by the changes in me. I think he even thought at one point, that I had completely lost my mind or had joined some type of cult. Seriously, every attempt I made at sharing the gospel with my husband turned him further away. My approach was a complete turn off to him.

When you love someone as much as I love my husband, you just don't give up. I wanted him to come to know Christ, so I did what any godly woman in love would do, I prayed for his salvation. I continued to attend church with my then 1 year old baby girl without him for almost 2 years.

October 1998, we were pregnant and expecting our second child. Only, we would come to find out a few months later that we were expecting twins. We were shocked, yet thrilled to be expecting not one, but two identical baby girls. The dreaming began from the moment we knew we were expecting. We were now filled with double the hope and soon we were planning, preparing and envisioning our future with our beautiful growing family.

Five months into our twin pregnancy, our world would be shaken. My water broke on  3/4/99, I was now in pre-term labor and the lives of our babies were in imminent danger. Our hopes and dreams only hanging on by my faith and a hope filled heart.

We rushed to the hospital only to receive grim news and no real hope from any of our doctors that our babies stood a chance. We were actually advised to simply terminate the pregnancy, since the end result would likely be the same and I was still young and could have more children.  Basically, play God to avoid further and prolonged suffering.

I was a Woman of Faith, my God was GREATER and He could delay their birth and allow them to continue to grow in my womb and develop until they were viable if it was His will. We only needed a few weeks. I would choose to believe that my God would save them despite the odds. I was ready to fight for their lives.

God had a plan. Soon, we were surrounded by all my godly church friends, my pastor and family. All of them, supporting, loving and praying for our twins. My pastors and church friends would visit daily during my week stay at the hospital. Meals were being provided for the family and their love was just overflowing in abundance. It wasn't long before my husband noticed something really special in my Christian friends, a light that shone so bright within them. His heart was being touched in the midst of our pain and during such a difficult time, God surrounded us with His love using His children.

Sunday morning, my husband would have to leave my bedside to go home and shower. It was hard for him to do. He was always there, day after day. If ever he left, he’d always return quickly, but not this morning. When he finally arrived back, he leaned over to my bedside and whispered in my ear. He told me that as he was driving back to the hospital, he felt a tap on his shoulder and suddenly knew he should go to church. He then commenced by telling me that-he had just given his heart to The Lord. That morning, he responded to the altar call during church service. My husband received Salvation that very day! I could hardly believe my ears, I'd been praying for 2 years and suddenly God had used this day, during this trial, to open and touch his heart and nonetheless, answer my prayer.

It was that very day that I began to pray a very different prayer. Instead of praying, "Lord, whatever it takes please save my babies”, I began to pray, "Lord, I trust in you, let your will be done, not mine."

Only 4 days after their daddy gave his heart to Jesus, our babies went home to be with The Lord. But only after, we saw them be born and were able to hold them in our arms till they peacefully drifted into eternity with God. Their passing caused our hearts great pain. But, knowing that their lives had had purpose, God's divine purpose, brought us great peace. God used them to fulfill His perfect plan, His will was finally done.

Three months later, God blessed our family once again with a precious baby girl. We named her Amaly Marie after her twin sisters.

Today, nearly 13 years later, our entire household has received God’s Salvation. Together we continue to serve, praise and love the Lord our God with all of our hearts.

Trust God, He can use even your greatest trials and suffering for good and ultimately for His glory.

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”.

In memory of Amanda Marie & Alyssa Marie 3-11-99. Forever you will live in our hearts.

OCTOBER 2012

Welcome Lisa Shaw to the " Pink Ladies"!
 Lisa Shaw will tell you that she knows without Jesus she'd be a hot mess! His love is the story of her life. She's blessed to be wife to her best friend and ministry partner Peter Shaw, mother to two adult children, mother in law to one. She's a bible teacher, speaker, pastor, author and radio host. Her ministry for almost 15 years now has been to help people to see themselves through God's eyes and then, dare to believe it and live it fully!

Website:  Lisa Shaw Ministries: www.lisashawcares.com 

Blog:  You Are His: www.lisashawshares.com  

    FaceBook: You Are Beautiful In God's Eyes: http://www.facebook.com/YouAreBeautifulInGodsEyes?ref=ts

I just recently had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Lisa at a Praise & Coffee Event down here in South Florida.  Talk about a friendly face!  Ms. Lisa just exuded such a beautiful spirit!  I knew I just had to ask her to be a PinkMama!  I know you will feel "beautiful" after reading her blog post. 

  

Beautiful in His Eyes

By: Lisa Shaw

With tears in her eyes, she approached me to sign my book which she had just purchased.  I smiled and reached for her hand. The book could wait, because I could see that her heart was tender.  She said, “Lisa, thank you so much for all you shared. I have been a Christian for over ten years and have never felt beautiful in God’s eyes or anyone else’s eyes until today…I felt like you spoke my story”  She poured out her heart and I listened attentively as the tears flowed down her cheeks. When she paused, I wrapped my arms around her, drew her close and whispered into her ear, “how great is the love of the Father so lavished upon you that you are called a child of God and that is exactly what you are (Reference 1 John 3:1), and you are beautiful in His eyes because you are His.” I felt the tension loosen in her body as she gave in to the hug. With her face buried on my blouse, she wept. I wept with her but not for the pain she had no doubt walked through in her life, but rather I wept because that day healing had begun in her heart as her mind was beginning to be transformed through God’s truth.  What had once negatively defined her was being broken.

What is defining you? Is it past pain, negative thoughts, television commercials and magazines that tell you what you should look like or how you should behave as a woman?  Please don’t allow anything to define you other than God’s Word. Dig deep into His Word and find out what God sees when He looks at you and then dare to believe it! You are bright, brilliant and beautiful because you are His. 

You are needed on this earth for this time.  Your voice and experiences are needed. You have the incredible opportunity and privilege to be God’s heart and hands on the earth. Yes, you are significant.  God does not define us by our past behavior, looks, performance, social status, education levels or our accomplishments.  When He looks at you He sees His child, precious in His sight. You are a woman of value and purpose. God is not looking for you to jump through hoops to perform for Him. You have His unconditional love. Now the question is what are you going to do with this awesome truth, the truth that you are beautiful in God’s eyes?

May I challenge you to look in the mirror right now and say it, “I am beautiful in God’s eyes and I dare to believe it! I dare to believe Him!” Then, thank Him.  You are His workmanship. His hand writing is on your life. Even that which has been hurtful to you, God will turn it to good in your life. Trust in Him. Trust His love and purpose for your life.

 I’m praying for you even now.

 

SEPTEMBER 2012

Welcome Keisha Sepulveda to the " Pink Ladies"!
 Keisha is a dedicated single mom with 2 wonderful children.  Her 9 year old daughter is a loving hot mess and her 10 month old son can do no wrong.  She has been in the finance industry for 12 years.  She is a born leader.  She love sports, she wakes up to SportsCenter and sleeps to SportsCenter.  She is a dorky, word challenged, Harry Potter lover, Star Wars Connoisseur, Twilight midnight movie goer, who has the Hunger Games whistle as her text message ring tone. And who thinks that 50 Shades of Gray was horrible!  Her favorite book will always be Wicked, by Jerry Maguire.  She is just a nerd!

My crazy Keisha!  We all have that one friend that you can call up to make you laugh and get in trouble with, Keisha is that friend to me!  She has gone through a great ordeal but has, like a beautiful Phoenix, risen above the ashes.  Take a moment and read her story of trial and trust in God.

From the Ashes

By: Keisha Sepulveda

To begin, I was truly that believer in love. The one who secretly cried watching the Notebook or saved fortune cookie fortunes that were sappy and unrealistic. I truly believed that my marriage was perfect and I was finally happy.  My husband was my life, anything and everything I did was for him. Dinner was on the table every night, I packed lunch for him everyday, I made sure to pour out my love and affection on every phone call.  I really tried to be the person he wanted me to be.  I acted the way he wanted, looked the way he wanted and was the role model "stepford" wife.  But in one day my life took a dramatic change! Let me set up the back story.

My husband took a promotion at work a couple of months ago, he became the night shift supervisor.  I was so proud of the great man he was becoming.  But then, the changes started to happen.  The first night I could remember was him not coming home after work, he said he was working late and when I called his phone, he ignored my phone calls. Several missed calls later, he answered the phone at 4:15 AM in the morning and said, he was just having a "couple" of drinks with friends.  Well, that night became frequent and I was becoming all to familiar with it.  But how could I be upset? I mean, supervisor, money maker, amazing husband, so I overlooked it.  However, after repeated missed calls from me, he changed his phone to no answer, then the complete deception and untrustworthy behavior continued.  I went from loving wife to psycho is about 5 seconds flat.  His drinking got worse and the lies got bigger and before you know it, in front of my very eyes, my marriage was crumbling.

 I remember the nights, we fought so badly that we woke our children out of bed. I didn't know what kind of drunk he would be, it could be nice-"I love you" drunk or horrible, angry, "I hate you" drunk.  However, nothing would set me up for the night I saw a text from his female co-worker asking him some incredibly inappropriate things and when they were going to meet up again.  Well, it was official, my entire world was over, I felt pathetic, weak and in denial.  Like most women, I convinced myself I had to stay for the children.

As time went on, the drinking got worse and the fighting was uncontrollable.  I started to leave the house at 2:00-3:00 in the morning, because I was scared of the fighting.  I still was selfish, thinking about the fake world I set up for myself.  But nothing would prepare me for the day that broke my heart, after a night of heavy drinking, he came home, didn't want to argue and instead slapped me across my face in front of our 9 year old daughter.  He called me some choice words and went to the room to sleep off his drunkenness.  I will never forget the hurt look in my daughters eyes, her world was now over as well.  That same day, she told me, "mommy, you told me to never let a man hit me, why is it ok for you to be hit?".  Try explaining that you were scared and pathetic to your daughter who looked up to you for guidance.

That same week, my husband was battling some serious demons. I prayed to God, is this the life you had for me?  The next morning, my husband didn't come home and when he did, he said that he wanted to end his life because I was making his miserable!  Really?  Really? After all I did, after all I sacrificed, after all I lied to protect you?  You're going to blame me for your issues?  You selfish creature!  That day, I thanked God for empowering me.  I went to work, dropped the kids off at daycare and called my sister in Christ, JC (she will remain nameless), I cried and told her that I was torn, I wasn't sure what to do, but finally I had a calmness in my heart that wasn't there before.  She told me to come over to her home and we can talk about it.  That was the best decision I made. I went to her home that night, I packed a weekend bag for the kids and myself and we were gone.  JC and her husband model that great relationship, based on communication, love, faith, hope and understanding.  I know it sounds like a Hallmark card but it was real.  I had made my decision, for the love of my children but most importantly the love of my God, I had to leave. That Sunday, I packed 8 boxes of all my stuff and my children's possessions. I left my furniture, my children's things, most of my life, I  dropped the keys on the table and never looked back.  On that Monday, I resigned from my job of 4 years, took my kids out of summer camp and I knew I had a decision to make, either I was going to allow this to crush me or I was going to be the mother my children needed me to be.

I called some of my friends up north and decided to start a new life. I was going to leave everything I knew and start fresh.  So, I moved to Kentucky.  Now let me tell you how God works!  In the matter of weeks, I was offered a higher paying job in Kentucky, I placed an offer on a house, my children are going to the best schools in the state and I am having the best time of my life with my children.

I am proud of who I see when I look in the mirror now, a good mother and someone who has a lot to offer.  I will never look back.  What happened to the husband you ask? He is still drinking and battling his demons. Do I cry?  Do I hurt?  Yes!  But I know that God loves me more than that life.

To all the women out there in similar situations, my advice to you is to never lose who you are, never be someone you're not to please a man and never change God's plan for your life.  Always be a mother before a wife and no matter what the outcome be strong in His name. Always talk to a sister in Christ, if you don't have one, get one!  They are those spiritual women who God puts in your life to make it better, I owe JC my heart, she did more for me than any sister should.  I love my life now and I can't wait to see what God has in store for me next.  I leave you with this scripture that keeps me going. 

Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, Lord my God. Psalm 86:11

SUMMER 2012

Welcome Ansley Summerville to the " Pink Ladies"!
Ansley was born and raised in the south moving five times before relocating to Florida with her family in 2005. She now continues her travels with the love of her life as an Air Force wife, currently stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is a Pink Loving, Scentsy Selling, Bow Making mommy to their five month old God given Miracle Adaleigh Raine.  She aspires to encourage and bring hope to other young women struggling with infertility. She considers the Lord, her Husband and daughter to be her light in this world and her reason for waking up every morning. You can read more of her story on her blog:

http://diaper-dreams.blogspot.com/

My beautiful Ansley has always had a special place in my heart, though she is young, she is incredibly smart and full of wisdom. She is a  great inspiration and role model for all the young wives and mamas out there. Though I miss her like crazy since she is in New Mexico with her cutie-patootie air force hubby we keep in touch via text, email, facebook, etc.  I know her story will resonate with many of my pink mamas, so sit back and Choose JOY!

Choose Joy

By: Ansley Summerville

My inspiration for this blog comes from my mom, someone I look up to that is always smiling, laughing or helping someone in need. My mom posted something on Facebook one day that has stuck with me for a long time. It was simple and to the point. “Choose Joy today”. That phrase has kept me going for over the last year and a half, because I was doing just the opposite. I was in a very dark place in my life. I found myself as a young, seemingly healthy 22 year old married woman struggling with my worst nightmare… INFERTILITY.

 For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a mom and at that point in my life I could not understand why God was keeping this dream from me. My sister seemed to get pregnant just by blinking and in my eyes everyone in the world was pregnant except for me. I was searching everywhere for answers as to why I could not carry a full term pregnancy. I was battling demons in my life telling me I was useless as a woman if I could not provide my husband with a biological child. I felt broken and empty. I found myself at rock bottom and feeling hopeless. It was then that I turned to the one person I knew would never forsake me. I dove into scripture and read anything and everything I could on trusting the Lord. One of the scriptures I read was Proverbs 3: 5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” That scripture gave me hope, and it was at THAT moment I decided to choose JOY. I decided to trust in the one person in my life that has never let me down. I decided that ultimately I knew the LORD would give me my heart’s desires and I began believing in that.  I sit here today as something I always dreamed of being: a joyful mother of a beautiful 5 month old little girl named Adaleigh Raine.

 I remember sitting in her room rocking her days after she was born, thanking God for what he has done in my life and praying that when she looked at me she would see joy in my life. I want to be a positive role model for her. I want her to talk about me and remember me as always having a smile on my face, speaking kindly to and about others and choosing to be joyful.  In the NIV translation the word JOY is mentioned 244 times, yet often we choose to dwell on the negative. So today I challenge you to choose joy in whatever it is in your life. I leave you with this verse. Psalm 5:11 “But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you.”

Adaleigh Raine Summerville

MAY 2012
Welcome Mercy Viana Schlapp to the " Pink Ladies"!
Mercy Viana Schlapp is a mother of five daughters, writer, political commentator, media consultant and co-founder of Cove Strategies.  She lives in Alexandria, Virginia and is a parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.  She is also a life-long friend of Sandy Hall.
You can follow Mercy on:
Twitter:  @mvschlapp
Facebook:  Mercedes Schlapp
www.covestrategies.com

I have had the pleasure of knowing Mercy since High School.  She has always been such a great inspiration of a godly woman who can do it all!  I am so very proud of her every time I see her on TV debating with political folks that are twice her age and yet she is always so well spoken and professional.  Though I miss her greatly, as she is in Virginia, I know that in two minutes we'd be able to catch up on our lives and be those silly high school girls giggling again over these crazy times.  Enjoy her wisdom.

What verse did he learn?

By: Mercy Viana Schlapp

A mother was excited to tell the priest that her teenage son had shown interest in learning biblical verses.  The priest asked her “Well, what verse did he learn?”  She responded, “Father, my son came into the kitchen and asked ‘do you have anything here to eat?’ That’s Luke 24!”  The priest smiled and said, “It’s a start.”

As moms, we are constantly hoping that our children grow to be happy and successful, but more importantly we need to help them grow in wisdom and full of Christ in their hearts.   In Proverbs 24:14,  “know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”  Who knew that wisdom was like a box of chocolates for our children’s souls, which will help navigate their lives, especially during rocky times.

We also know that the key to true joy and peace comes from knowing and loving the Lord, but sometimes we are so busy schlepping our children from one activity to the next or helping them with homework that we forget to remind them of what is important: spending time with Christ daily.  God gave us these children so that we are able to teach them about the greatness of God, which needs to be our top priority.  I know that I can quickly forget when I’m preparing dinner for my big family or driving around all day.  I am constantly trying to slow down and ask myself what I have done today to help my children get to heaven?

Mastering the piano or tae-kwon-do is great, but most importantly is that our children know and love God above all things.  We need to remind them that God has a plan for their lives, and they need to listen to Him in their heart so that they can grow to become stewards of their faith.  By living through Christ, we can bring hope to others and help change our crumbling society.

 As the mother in the story shared her enthusiasm about her son, we too need to show our excitement about God with our children even when we are tired.  By saying a simple daily prayer, reading scripture or even having conversations about Christ, we are giving our children the greatest gift:  a closeness to our Lord, which will help them to cope with life’s daily struggles as they grow up.  God wants us to start today!

APRIL 2012
Welcome Gina Fernandez to the " Pink Ladies"!
Gina Fernandez is a wife to her best friend and soul mate for 23 years. She is a homeschooling mother of two amazing young ladies, 15 and 13 years old. She currently holds the position as Board Member to her local support group, Broward Homeschool Parent Support Group. When she's not chauffeuring her girls to and from classes and extra curricular activities, you can find her on her porch with a cup of espresso reading one of her favorite books. Aside from reading, she love to travel, crochet, cross-stitch, scrapbook, and build puzzles with her family.
You can find out more about Gina at:
http://www.simplyginafernandez.blogspot.com/

Gina is one of the coolest chicks I know!  Not only is she a great mom, but a good friend also.  She has the patience of a saint, I know this first-hand because she taught me how to crochet!  Enjoy her journey!

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

By: Gina Fernandez

For homeschoolers, every May marks the end of the school year. For me, it is a time to begin planning for the upcoming school year. With this comes our annual homeschool convention in Orlando, Florida. A time for moms to get inspired and be reminded of the reasons we chose to homeschool our children. Thousands of current homeschooling families and future homeschoolers will spend three days browsing aisle-after-aisle of hundreds of different curriculum options. The possibilities are quite honestly, overwhelming. Parents will also have the pleasure of being motivated by some of the most gifted speakers in the homeschooling forum. For some, this is a time of great confusion, “Where do we begin?” “How do we get started?” “How will I know if I’m doing the right thing for my child?” “What about socialization?” “Where will they make friends?” These are just a few of the questions you hear uttered throughout the exhibit hall.

Four years ago, on a whim, we decided to take a trip to Orlando to check out the convention after a friend had recommended we go. I remember standing at the entrance to the exhibit hall with my family and thinking, Oh my gosh, what am I getting myself into? I don’t have the experience to do this. I don’t even know where to begin.

We began perusing the aisles and collecting whatever information we thought might be helpful in making our decision easier. We returned home still unsure if this was the course we wanted to take.

It’s funny how God works, the last thing I would have dreamed was that I would be leaving my job of 15 years as a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Dispatcher to homeschool my girls. The Lord began placing more and more homeschooling families in our path. He moved my daughter to a dance studio that we never imagined she would have attended and in doing so, we met the Morels, Lisa and Julio. I will forever be grateful to Lisa. She answered my rookie questions time and again. She opened her home to me, so that I would see what a typical day in the life of a homeschooler looked like. After seeing the love, respect and bond this family had for each other, I was sold. She ministered to me in ways, to this day, she probably doesn’t even know. The impact she had on me was so profound.  Every time I asked, “But how do I know if I’m doing the right thing?” “What if I ruin their education?” She would remind me of a verse that became close to my heart

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

-Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Lisa would say, “Gina, if you obey and live by this verse, everything else will fall into place.” She was right. I was determined to teach my girls to love their Lord in every area of their lives. I based my choice of curriculum on the following verse:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of Praise, think about these things.”    

–Philippians 4:8

We began our first year of homeschooling in 2008 and have loved every minute of it. We have grown closer to each other and have grown deeper spiritually as a family.

As time continued, I began getting more and more involved with our local homeschool support group (Broward Homeschool Parent Support Group) partially as a way to get my children involved in activities with other homeschoolers and because I was so scared of the myth that as homeschoolers they could become unsociable and have no friends. My gasoline bill and the mileage on my vehicle will prove these statements to be a myth. Haha!

God quickly put me in a position as a member of the Board of Directors where I am now able to help families struggling with the decision to take that leap of faith and begin doing what God has called them to do. I also pray that I might be a “Lisa” in someone else’s life. I pray that God will equip me with the ability to ease others into knowing that they can homeschool their children. My prayer is that God would grant me wisdom, so that I may educate other parents in knowing that they can obtain an incredible education for their children outside the traditional classroom environment.  I wish to ease their anxiety by reminding them “with God all things are possible.”

MARCH 2012
Please help me welcome Mandi O'Rourke to the " Pink Ladies"!
Mandi O'Rourke is a wife to her very own American hero, a mother to two precious boys ages 5 and 4 and a Speech-Language Pathologist to patients she believes God places in her path. She is a member of Freedom Life Church in Natchitoches, Louisiana where she is the Nursery Coordinator and serves as a teacher to their 3-4 year olds.  She blogs for her women’s ministry, Freedom Chicks, under the direction of her Pastors.
https://www.facebook.com/messages/743500619#!/pages/Freedom-Chicks/351724204853405

Mandi is married to my hubby's cousin and though we have never met in person, I feel that I know Mandi and her boys, her heart shines through her emails and posts.  I thank God everyday for the technology He allows to be created that we can keep in touch at all times with family all over the world!


Hungry?  Pass the Preserves

By: Mandi O'Rourke

The word “preserve” is used throughout the Bible and in various contexts. It is used to convey a wonderful promise in Psalm 121:7 where it says, “The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore”.  How comforting and exciting to read about how the Lord will preserve us, especially when we see the definition of “preserve” as follows:

1. to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction; protect  2. to keep alive, intact, or free from decay; maintain.  3. to prepare for future use 4. to keep up and reserve for personal or special use.

Wow! God desires to preserve us, not only to protect us and to maintain us, but to prepare us for a special use in the future!

Think of the process of preserving fruit. Before the process of preserving can even begin, the mason jars that will hold the fruit preserves must be cured through a rigorous process so that they are indeed pure, clean, and prepared in advance to hold the fruit that is to later fill them. With the jars prepared to be filled, the fruit must then be preserved, which requires a great deal of time, effort, commitment, desire, and hunger. It is a labor of love completed so that the fruit can be shared with others, not reserved only for one’s own self. The preserves do no good sitting on a shelf; they are intended to be opened freely and shared generously for enjoyment and nourishment.

Now, think of a mounted fish on a wall. It is the type of preserved item that REMAINS preserved. It offers nothing except to take up space on a wall. It is often immovable from its position for fear of breakage and resulting imperfection. There was certainly an investment of time, effort, and commitment to create such a beautiful piece, as well as a desire to have it in one’s possession. But the end result is intended, at best, to hang on a wall in one spot, to be displayed and discussed, all the while collecting dust, remaining rigid, breakable…preserved.

God preserves us in order to protect us, to maintain us, and to prepare us for a future use. He does not desire for us to remain in a preserved state, like the fish mount, immovable and rigid, fearing the reality of our imperfections. Rather, He preserves us so that by the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we are moved to open our hearts freely, generously sharing with others what He has preserved within us. He wants to preserve us to be used again and again for His Glory. 

 

Like the mason jars that have to be cured for use prior to being filled with fruit, God washes us clean, cures us to be pure, preparing our vessels to be filled with fruits of the Spirit. We must dedicate time and effort to reading the Word, praying, being hungry for spiritual nourishment. We must remain committed, desiring to grow deeper into knowing and understanding our God and His ways, and in turn developing fruits of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control-Galatians 5:22-23) are to be what we operate from. All that we say, do and think should flow from those fruits. Galatians 5:25 says, “If we LIVE in the Spirit, let us also WALK in the Spirit”. We should not get comfortable just living in the Spirit and risk becoming stagnant and preserved, but instead we should purposely walk in the Spirit, carrying those preserved fruits within us wherever we go, ready to share them so that others too can be nourished by the goodness of our God!

 

“Hungry? Pass the Preserves!!!”

Let us Pray…

Dear God, I am hungry for You and Your Word! I want to grow closer and closer to You. Thank you for cleansing me, purifying me so that I am a clean vessel to hold the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Help me to continue to develop those fruits so that I am pleasing to You. Preserve them within me so that I can openly and freely share them with others, nourishing their lives. I do not want to be a spiritual wall mount, collecting dust, rigid and breakable; I want to fully pursue You and be used by You according to Your will and plan for my life. I love you! In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

FEBRUARY 2012

I am thrilled to welcome Roslyn Rice to the "Pink Lady" family!   
Roslyn Rice is the co-author of the blog, Double Portion Inspiration with her twin sister.  The mission and purpose that God has placed in her heart is to inspire the world.  Roslyn is a graduate of the University of Florida.  She is a mother of two boys and spends her time in a mall (she works for Fossil, Inc.) and on a baseball field.  She has been married to her soul mate for over 16 years.  Roslyn is passionate about being a leader.  She is currently one of the leaders in the women's ministry for her local church.  She enjoys writing, blogging and all things girlie, like shoes and handbags. She has a deep and abiding love in Jesus Christ.  You can follow her on twitter @doubleportionin or visit her blog:  http://doubleportioninspiration.blogspot.com/

I have known Rosyln since we met at our "Parents of Preschoolers" small group, our older kids are now in Middle School! Her message this month is so timely, who hasn't loved the stories that began, "Once Upon a Time..."  Enjoy her wisdom and insight.

Once Upon A Time…

By: Roslyn Rice

Don't you just love reading books that open with those four words?  When I was a child, I would love to read princess fairy tales.  I believed those tales.  As I read them I felt as if I was carried away into another place.  Reading has the fantastic ability to transport you into a world that is problem and stress free.  But reality sets in and you realize as you grow older that most of those stories had NO truth in them.  Sometimes those fables allow us to see the world differently. As a little girl those books can influence or shape our imaginations, dreams and thoughts. 

Our world continues to fill our mind with deception played out in Hollywood behind the big screen.  We start looking to the world to define the love that we should see in our homes.  Magazines, radio, tv, and friends begin to influence the way we make decisions regarding love.  For example, we might search for love to be defined by a wonderful spouse, 2.5 kids and a cute little dog running around in our yards.  But again our reality sets in as soon as we give birth to those 2.5 kids.  They are not as glamorous as we were led to believe.  We are spending late nights up trying to console these precious blessings.  We walk around with many bodily fluids on our clothes, a house not clean, baby crying or throwing a tantrum, and dinner not made.  We then wonder how our life could be so different from the one we've seen portrayed in books and movies.

Thankfully, we are mothers that love God. We don't have to define our love like the world.  February is a wonderful month to ponder the greatness of agape love.  God loves us, not in a human way but in an infinite and perfect way.  We can trust God's love despite the love that might have been on display in our homes as we were growing up.  We don't have to rely on our feelings for God's love to reign and be evident in our hearts.  The scripture clearly tell us that God loves us and CHOSE us to be without fault in His eyes (Ephesians 1:4 NLT). 

Those precious children that God placed in our lives deserve to have a mother who has fully accepted His love.  We often say with our lips, "Yes Jesus loves me."  But do we really believe the words of that childhood song?  Are you dealing with a bit of doubt because circumstances in your life have NOT turned out in a fairy tale ending?  In those moments, when you are afraid or feel that God is being silent, remind yourself that He loves you.  Speak those words out loud when the baby is screaming and you are overwhelmed by your schedule and life.  Trust me, God hears you and He loves you. 

Nothing you can do can add or take away from His love for you.  His unconditional and infinite love is perfect.  Cupid might need a romantic love but God offers us His agape love.

Today's Prayer:  God thank you for the wonderful blessings you have placed in my life.  Today, I accept the free gift of your love.  I pray you remove all doubt from my heart.  There are places where I am wounded and need your love to heal my hurt.  I don't want to be ruled by emotions.  Your word says you love me and that is what I dare to believe and speak in my home.  In Jesus' name Amen.

JANUARY 2012

It is my pleasure to welcome our first official "Pink Lady" to my blog!

Welcome Melissa Mashburn.
Melissa is a woman who is passionately pursuing God every day by taking her everyday, ordinary life and placing it as her offering to Him. She is a writer, speaker, mom, Pastor’s wife, and trained communitcator through CLASSeminars. With her extensive background in women’s and kid’s ministry Melissa has a passion to lead women to “keep it real” in their lives and ministries. Melissa is married to Matt, her best friend, for 18 years and the proud mama to two teenage boys, Nick & Bailey. When she is not running around wearing the many hats that God has given her, she likes to sit in her favorite comfy chair in their quiet room and relax with a great book and a giant cup of coffee. You can find her online; Twitter, Facebook, or on her blog, Mel’s World with Melissa Mashburn.
Melissa has been an inspiration to me and other mamas.  Take a few moments, relax and read about Setting the TherMOMeter for the Home.

Setting the TherMOMeter for the Home

By: Melissa Mashburn

In the early years of my marriage and as a young mom, I had no idea that my mood would set the thermometer for the whole house. If I was cranky and miserable I did not seem to notice that it bled over and made everyone else cranky and miserable. How could my bad mood make everyone else cranky? Don’t they know I am the one who should be cranky…not them?

If mama was cranky, then the whole house was cranky. If mama was happy, then the whole house was happy. Wait a minute. How did that happen? One minute everyone is happy, then the next everyone is sassy and frustrated. Could it be me?

I am sad to say that for far too many years, I let the thermometer go untouched and the roller coaster ride of moods became the temperature for the whole house. I am not even sure when this great big light bulb moment happened, but I distinctly remember that “I” was the one making it hot or cold in my house. Hum. Maybe there was something to this mom’s attitude, good or bad, directly affects the whole family.

My boys were probably around four and six when I decided to test this theory out. No matter how I “felt” that day I would take a few notes and see how quickly my attitude spilled out over in how the kids were behaving. Let’s just say it only took me a couple times testing this theory out before I one hundred percent believed it to be true.

Why hadn’t I ever noticed this before?
Oh yeah…I was too worried about me to see the big picture. However, not any longer. I decided at that moment to make a more conscious effort to ensure a good transition for my family as they came back home from school or work. After many years of trial and error, I finally started to find a system that worked for us.

I have picked my boys up from school for their entire school lives. They are almost sixteen and eighteen now (where did the time go?) and if I knew then just how important this is, then I could have saved my family a whole mess of frustration.

Now, when I pick them up (from school, sports, or other extra curricular activites) I do a few specific things to help them transition from the big scary world to our safe, warm and comfortable home. Moms, our homes are meant to be a haven, a safe place, a refuge for our families and it is up to us, as the moms, to make sure we are setting the thermometer for our homes.

I want my kids to want to come home. I want them to know this is the one place where they can let their guard down and be loved for who they are. They are up against so many temptations and anxiety at school…home should be the place where they can take a deep breath and rest in the security of your family.

When I pick up my boys, I end my phone calls. When they get in the car, I want them to know they are the most important thing for me right at that very moment. Are there times when I have to take a call or cannot get off a call…yes, but they are very rare the times when I just will not talk on the phone while they are in the car.

When the kids get in the car, I make sure to have classical music playing and the a/c on so the car is nice and cool. Chances are they have been standing in car line sweating. I want them to have a nice cool breeze on their face and nice relaxing music playing. No words, just instruments…and softly in the background. It is not the main thing; it is just there to simply provide them a calming atmosphere.

For us, the car ride home is our time to chat.

How was school?
Did anything exciting happen that day?
 What was the best part of the day?
What was the worst part of the day?

Our car ride is only eight minutes, but in those eight minutes we have discussed some big topics and spoke very candidly. They want to talk; they also want to make sure they are being heard.

At home, it is snack time, a little down time, then chores. Always is. Always will be. My kids know what to expect and in their worlds where everything is constantly changing, having a routine makes a big difference.

Funny thing is…I do the same thing when my husband gets home. He does not want to be overwhelmed with nagging and problems the second he walks in the door. He wants us to notice that he is home and he wants to make sure that everyone is doing well.

At this point, the temperature is already set. The time between the kids and I walking in and my husband in really decides how the rest of the night will be at the house.

Moms…this is where we can really make a difference. When we stop and check the thermometer of our house, then we can change the temperature…do we want to be all cranky and fired up, cold and indifferent, or just right…warm, relaxing, inviting and loving?

Today you and I can make that temperature change in our family…but the choice is yours…hot, cold or just right…you are the thermometer of your home.

  APRIL