Life's Ministries

This last year has been one of the hardest for me personally. I have felt like a stranger in my body, in my home and with my God. I can recognize now and I even knew in the beginning that I was struggling with a season of depression. That is not an easy sentence to write and and admit to people that you know online or family who reads your blog. My goal in writing that is to be slightly transparent and ask for prayer as God continues to walk me through the healing process of this journey. 

The last few days I have been reading my daily devotional from Girlfriends in God. It spoke directly to me, as it was ministering to those walking through depression. It mentioned being transparent to build a support system around yourself. Although I know that I am coming out of the deep end of this trial, a support system will still be so vital.  I appreciate each one of you who may be feeling called to lift me and my family up in prayer during this time. 

One thing that I missed the most in this last year that I have been at home and in this darkness is ministering to others. God has used me in the past to minister in various ways. My heart has always been drawn to children's, women's and orphan ministries. I seemed to always be doing one of those ministries at any given time but never really two at once since that would take too much time away from my family. In the last few months God began to reveal to me His plan for me in ministering for Him in the future. 

Although I have felt so far away from God, He has been beside me preparing me for what He had in store for me. Much of my outlet to the world outside my home was found on the internet. Through adoption groups I belonged to or blogs that I followed I began to be drawn to prayer for these families. At first all the blogs I followed were adoption related but soon I found blogs that were not. I began to see parts of my life that I had set aside during and after our adoptions and I recognized how desperately I missed those pieces of my life. I missed being the organized homeschooling mom, the friendly wife and the joyful hostess. I missed being able to minister to family and friends in my home and some of my friends did not take the new me too well. Some began to avoid me and for those who didn't I began to avoid them. It was easier to reject them than to feel rejected by another person. 

I know that all of these pieces of my life will be restored and I know that all the work that God has done in my past is still relevant today! I have not forgotten the lessons from before my depression and even the depression its self has been a tool that God will use in me for the future. Part of that healing process for me has been to start a different type of blog. On this blog I share family activities and personal stories. My other blog is still very personal but I am just a bit more careful about my children's identities. I refer to living in the pacific northwest but not our hometown. Even though the blog os personal it is meant for more than catching up with our family, it is meant for a ministry to others. I would love for each of you to follow along! This blog will not be going private but it is not able to found through search engines like the other one is. Since you do know us personally I would just appreciate if you can help me out by not mentioning our exact location on the blog or the names of the people I mention in my posts. I appreciate that SO much :) 

So come on over to findingrealityinhim.blogspot.com and let me know if you like what you see :)