Ministry

Don’t Confuse Your Path With Your Destination

/ Susan Woodward / 8 Comments

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Every one of us will encounter storms on our journey.  Let’s face it, not one of us is exempt from them. It’s a part of growing. It’s a part of parenting. It’s a part of building our faith. Storms can mold our character; teach us about love, mercy and His amazing grace….they are a part of life. We can face storms on our path at any time as we move towards our destination. We may walk through some dark and gloomy days, wake to hurts and losses wishing they’d have disappeared over night, and stomp our way through some very difficult times.

But the Lord says this….

Deuteronomy 31:8   The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Sometimes we get off the path while we are facing a storm. We lose focus on the sunshine that is promised to come again. We need to remember we are never alone. The Lord is with you and has already gone ahead of you.  He already knows the outcome and has a perfect plan. The sun will shine again.  Keep your head up.  Keep pushing through the rain.  Trust His plan even when all you see is dark clouds.  Have faith that your destination will soon be glorious.

After the storm…..the outcome may be all that you have hoped for, everything that you have pushed forward towards, and way more than you could have ever imagined.  Allow the Lord to work on your behalf as you seek Him…even in the midst of your storm…seek him with all your heart!

The Lord also says this….

Jeremiah 29:11-13  For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Facing a storm?  Or in a storm right now?  Or do you have a testimony where the Lord has calmed your storm, brought the sunshine back into your life, and or set your path straight again?

You may be a glimmer of sunshine to someone else.  Share your story.  It’s been given to you for a reason.  Let God use the path you’ve walked to share HOPE with others.  

Mission Impossible? No Way!

/ Susan Woodward / 4 Comments

I am so honored to have my son as a guest on my blog!!! He has a huge heart for people and missions and he serves the Lord that he loves. He needs help in going to Nicaragua. We know God will move in the hearts of His people and make a way. He always does. The Lord  gives us the desires of our hearts and I am so thankful for a son that has a heart for reaching others and furthering His Kingdom. If you would also like to make a difference in the lives of the people in Nicaragua….You can! There are two ways YOU can serve with this Mission.

  1. Give if you are able to financially help (here)
  2. Pray for the Team that will be going.

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From the Heart of my Son Wes

Thanks Mom for letting me put this out there.

To those who are reading this blog. Here’s the scoop.

The opportunity for me to go to the nation of Nicaragua presented itself to me and I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go.  I have always had a heart for kids and missions.  While the Team is there we will be doing hands on ministry in the streets and reaching out to the communities. We will be serving so many young and old that need to know Jesus. This is an awesome opportunity for me. Not only to serve others, but for my faith to grow as well.

This will not be my first mission trip. I am extremely excited and praying God uses me greatly.  The missions on our agenda will be difficult, but there’s no doubt the rewards will be great. We hope and pray to see many lives changed for eternity!

Prayers are needed for both me and the team above all else. If you are able and can help me in raising the funds to go, it would be a huge blessing to me. I am currently 1/3 of the way there in my fund raising with a deadline fast approaching. If there should be any funds exceeding my goal, they will be directly applied towards this mission.

Click here :  Nicaragua Mission Trip

Thanks in advanced for all the support and prayers. Maybe Mom will let me update all of you on the awesomeness of this mission when I return.

Destine to reach my goal,

Wes Woodward
WES

We Have Gotcha…and We Will Never Let You Go!

/ Susan Woodward / 12 Comments

Happy Gotcha Day!!

We Have Gotcha and We Will Never Let You Go!

You didn’t grow under my heart. You grew in it!

(A letter I wrote but never mailed to her biological mother) 

Dear Bio mom,

She was your child first…and we are sorry that you were unable to care for her. We really are.  I know that you love her.  There is no possible way that you couldn’t. She is amazing!  She is one of our greatest joys!  The Love you had for her just wasn’t enough. It didn’t keep her safe, nurture her and provide for her needs.

She has your eyes and your nose.  She does some things just like her siblings.  And her dance moves are especially like her oldest sister.  We will always remember the love and time spent with all three of your girls in our home.  It was hard because the visitations became damaging, caused confusing and went on way too long…

Your oldest daughter really wanted to be with you.  It was so strange the devotion and obligation she had towards you. (You, the one who hurt her) Separation and attachment disorders are so crazy.  She didn’t even know how to attach to anyone but you, because of it.  So, when the courts ruled, we really struggled with the decision they made for us to transition her back to you. Nineteen months in our home and then it was like a bomb went off in our hearts…And you got another chance to parent.  Not all five of your children…but just one.  And the struggle was and is…still real for you.   

Your actions and your choices, completely rocked their entire worlds.  They were so innocent…so young…so helpless.  It was scary for them. What were you thinking when you left them hungry, dirty and in danger?  Who did you think would keep them safe when you left them in vehicles and motels alone?  Or in stranger’s homes?  You made them learn to fend for themselves.  They all knew many survival techniques when they were removed.  They had no choice but to learn on their own…how to survive…while you lived.  So selfishly. 

She was sickly and confused then.  She has struggled in so many ways since we opened our home and heart to her EIGHT years ago.  She was a frail and extremely tiny 18 months old. You had rocked her world…over and over again.

We rocked her world too!  Every night…before bed…for over two years…as we held her and sat with her into the night. We rocked her. We comforted her. We stayed awake through the tremors and the sleepless nights. We put her back in her bed over and over again…and avoided stepping on her wherever she lay in the night. We still have “all night drifting parties” often.  I wonder, will she ever sleep well? But I know by God’s grace she will… 

We wished we could have kept some of the doors open with you. But we knew what was best for her, and this just wasn’t an option. We were open to keeping connections with her other 3 siblings. They make her light up when she sees them. It make our hearts happy too.  After all, it isn’t their fault they were separated.  They did nothing to deserve what they received.  We may live forever having to change that thought process in her mind.  But we will do whatever it takes!  

We were never here to take her away from you. We were a part of a system to help you get yourself together.  We offered a safe and loving environment for 3 of your children in order for you to do so. We always work towards reunification and we will never really understand why you never accomplished that.  But we forgive you. I hope and pray you learn to forgive yourself… 

Our role as Foster Parents was to care for your child while you worked hard toward goals placed upon you by the court. We were here to support you and we encouraged you to reach them. Time kept slipping away…court date after court date…You never took any steps towards achieving the goals placed before you.  Not even for your children. 

I had felt sorry for you, because she never asked about you. But now, as she has gotten older and we have talked about you many times…I am thankful she didn’t ask more when she was younger. It seems harsh, but it is best that her memory of you is so vague. She understands it was your choices that were bad and not anything bad that she did. She also knows, accepts and understands that God has worked things out for her. She has such a forgiving and kind heart. It saddens me that you may never know her beautiful heart. One that prays for you and others.

We are thankful God spared her from even more hurt. He has worked in her favor and on her behalf many times. She is His child first…and she didn’t go through an experience of great loss.  We are all she knows and remembers….and His plan has been perfectly unfolding for her all along.

I need you to know that nothing that I could have said or done would have ever helped you get your children back. The choices that you made determined her future. A future that ended up with us as her parents. It is a future of…love, family, assurance, comfort, encouragement, care, persistence, safety, devotion and hope. The greater Hope that she has is eternal. She knows who’s she is! 

I want you to know I am deeply sorry that you were ever in this situation to begin with.  I know you still struggle.  So, we will continue to pray for you. You can still do right, make good choices and get your life together. The same Eternal Hope that she possesses is obtainable for you too through Jesus.   

You chose to give Birth!  That is definitely something to be proud of!  You chose life for your babies!  We will forever be grateful for your decision to do so.  Life is always…always a gift!  And one of the lives you birthed became our precious Gift! 

So today…..

Eight years ago exactly…(at 2:00 pm)

The court saw it in was in your child’s best interest to have all parental rights terminated! It was a sad day for you. I know it had to be. My heart broke for you.

But it was a beautiful day for all of us…and with a broken heart, I also rejoiced!

                            It became her very first Gotcha Day…

                                                                   And one of many more to come!

Forever grateful,

The Adoptive Mom

SW

A Neon Orange Moment of Mine

/ Susan Woodward / 4 Comments

If you have ever wanted to Sponsor a Child or give to an Organization that is truly impacting children around the Globe and making miracles happen every day….

Then World Help is the one you’ve been looking for….world help

I experienced a heart moving opportunity hearing Noel Yeatts speak at a few Leading and Loving it Conferences that I have attended. She shared beautiful stories of her Dad (Vernon Brewer) and their entire family’s passion with World Help. Amazing missions have been and are taking place all over the Globe. Every day, somewhere, they are making a difference!

And then came my neon orange (highlighted) moment for me. I got to meet with her. We talked…about our families…our love for the Lord…and both of our service to Him. Then we talked about the upcoming Operation Baby Rescue Mission that was fast approaching in Guatemala. Only briefly into our conversation my mouth spoke directly from my heart….and Yikes….not only had I spoken it out loud, but directly to her. I was now going to be accountable. Not by her, but by God!  I told her of my hearts desire to one day be a part of…to make a difference…to help change the world…and be on a Baby Rescue Mission Team!  And then I thought….Oh my, what had I just spoken???!  How?   When?

Well, only God knows the exact day and time. The seed was actually planted in my soul…by God himself, not her. He just chose to use her to give me the opportunity. As she spoke of how World Help shares the message of Hope in our desperate and Hopeless World, I couldn’t stop thinking of the children. The children I could see on the screen that she shared stories of, and all of them that are yet to be found. After that initial seed was planted, it has since been watered…several times!

I know God gives us the desires of our hearts. And It’s a deep desire of mine. One that I think of often. I find myself reading about the missions that have already happened and also of those that are yet to take place. I often pray for the teams that are sacrificing everyday to share the message of Hope and Life in Jesus.  I find myself praying for those sweet babies to just hold on…one more day…until they too can be rescued. You see, that planted seed, has been growing within me.

My oldest son Wesley, has also had the privileged to personally speak to Noel Yeatts. (they even took a picture together and she quickly text it to my Uncle saying….Guess who I’m with right now?) My Uncle has been on the board for World Help for years. Wesley met her at one of the heart moving presentations held at Liberty University while he was attending. They share with the students there at convocation often. They are always planting seeds.

World Helps offices are located in Lynchburg, VA and in the same community as Liberty, so their presence is known there and supported greatly by the University. Wesley was excited to share with me after he met and talked with her…and YES I was secretly jealous. LOL  I can honestly say, that both of us having the opportunity to meet with her was an honor. She took the time…because she genuinely loves people. And God uses her to touch others lives.

She has such a sweet, genuine spirit. The way she lights up when sharing the stories of all the lives being changed all over the World by this God sent Organization her family founded….You just can’t help but want to be a part of something so wonderful! It makes your heart move…your gut ache…and awakens a desire within you To Do More! Hearing the devastating needs and then the miraculous stories of how the Lord has met those needs through team after team, person after person….It just can’t help but light a fire under you!  Or well, It lit mine!

I have been blessed to hear first hand of some of the amazing trips that my Aunt Betsy and Uncle Cotton (Ronald) have taken over the years with World Help. They’ve also been blessed by a visit in their home from a girl they met in India on one of those trips. They live in California and he has served on the Board, along with many other men and women that are helping to change the World through this Organization.

God has been using World help to impact children Worldwide. For years they have been furthering Gods Kingdom one Mission, one Rescue, one Village, one Child at a time. They have already impacted over 72 million lives in 68 countries. Amazing!

Their approach is this:  World Help is a faith-based humanitarian organization that exists to serve the physical and spiritual needs of people in impoverished communities around the world. Our strategy is based on the belief that true transformation is only possible when the needs of the body and soul are addressed simultaneously.

This holistic approach of HELP and HOPE shows people that they matter to God both now and for eternity. We are committed to purposeful investment through sustainable programs, enabling individuals and communities to thrive—body, mind, and soul—and building lasting change for generations to come.

If you’d like to learn more or be part of a Mission team, Sponsor a child, or Give, please take the time to read more. You can go to any of the links on this blog.

I Know I will be a part of an Operation Baby Rescue myself one day!  God knows exactly when….But I have learned in my years of serving Him, that His timing is not only best for me, but It is always Perfect!

I have since planted the seed in my oldest daughter….

Sharing…..Evelyn’s Story!

/ Susan Woodward / 8 Comments

Just a quick blog post to share with you another fellow Christian blogger….I came in contact with her blog through one of my assignments and instantly loved her heart and her beautiful message.

Evelyn’s Story ~is shared in full if you click on the link and pay her blog a visit. I’ll just tell you that she is a 21 year old college student studying Communication. I connected with her and her heart felt writings on several different levels. I read through her blogs and checked out her website and thought it would be great to share her love of the Lord with others. I actually couldn’t wait to share her here with you!

I too am an ordinary person serving an extraordinary God! I too can relate to the Lords ability to use your gifts and talents in ways you may have never imagined. There is no measure in what He can do with us….if we choose to let Him work!

Most importantly… I also write to encourage people to fully surrender to Jesus. That they may live significantly and abundantly in His embrace forever!  Writing about Truth.Love.Service is my passion and heart! I read many things in her blogs that made me believe she also shares truth, love and service. I hope she blesses you as she did me.

So friends, (young ladies especially)….follow along with her blog. Her latest series written called Warning: Guard YOUR heart is worth a quick coffee break. So go ahead…enjoy a sweet neighbor’s (classmates) blog!

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My passion comes alive right here!

This blog was an assignment…YES I am taking a class and am truly learning a lot! After all, I created this site and made my own business cards etc. months ago just after finishing my first book (still in the publishing works) and I did it all on my own.  NO WAY is That True!!!! I have truly been guided and directed by God alone as He has moved me forward in ways and areas that were once very frightening to me! The saying old dogs can learn new tricks…well, It’s true! LOL Young or old, we can all persevere with our dreams and make them realities! Have faith! God uses each and every Gift and Talent…and Person!

 So since you’ve been reading or following me….please give some much appreciated feedback. Would you rather all my blogs stay on one topic?  I write now according to what ever the Lord has placed on my heart. And because my life is all about Truth, Love and Service… these are the things I love to share about.

BUT….Is there a particular subject you’d like me to write about? Or is there anything about my blog that you feel would greatly improve it? Questions, Comments, Insights etc. are always welcomed here.

THANK you friends on social media…..You have my heart!