Servolution-Part 1

Our church, The Courageous Church, is participating in a nation-wide, week long, service project called "Servolution" It is really more than just a service project. The goal is to start a revolution of service....inspiring those who participate to make serving others a courageous and regular part of their lives.

Servolution started today and goes through Thursday. Check out our schedule of projects at www.courageous.tv/blog/servolution. I missed out on tonight's street ministry, but I look forward to Adopt-A-Block with the Atlanta Dream Center tomorrow morning. We will be meeting early in the morning to box up canned goods, have a time of worship and prayer, and then we will head out into the community going door-to-door meeting needs and building relationships. Thinking of taking kiddos. You can never start teaching the importance of loving and serving others too soon. We'll see!

There is so much power in this collective effort of service around the country. It has been amazing to read and hear about what other churches have planned and all that God is doing and revealing to so many! I am so pumped to be a part of it! More to come...

Random Thoughts

So much RANDOM stuff is on my mind lately, so I am just going to purge it all!!

1) I finally have an in-person job interview on Monday. I passed the phone interview yesterday, PRAISE THE LORD! This job is not ideal. It's not full-time. It's not working with the population I am most passionate about (children). However, I have a general care and compassion for people and a desire to serve, so I know I will enjoy this position if God grants it to me. Plus, the job market is so bad here in Atlanta, so I will take what I can get. Our finances are hurting BAD!!!!

2) I deal with a lot of guilt most days. Guilt for reacting poorly to my 2 1/2 year old's behavior. Guilt for snapping and fussing at my husband when he doesn't deserve it. Guilt for eating the cookies I shouldn't have eaten. Guilt for not creating more of a structure and learning environment for my children while I am at home with them. Guilt for not reading my Bible and praying as often as I should. Guilt for not doing more about causes that mean so much to me. Guilt for not being as outgoing as I want to be. Guilt for not corresponding with old and new friends through notes and emails like I always intend to do. Guilt for being impatient. NASTY GUILT! Well, today I am ready to do something about it all instead of just feeling guilty and not doing anything about it. Thanks Pastor Shaun (shauninthecity.com)!! So, here is what I plan to do about some of the things I mentioned above:

-I signed up for a gym membership an hour ago
-I created a schedule for my kids w/ activities, NAPS, play time, etc.
-I am going to read my Bible and pray as soon as I get off of here
-I am going to talk to Jason about giving $ to the Courageous Church's Plumpy'Nut Initiative (TheyWillDie.org) on a regular basis, and doing what it takes to get this initiative off the ground.
-I am going to schedule "me" time once a week, and ask Jason to do the same so that we can take breathers and get refreshed, which will help with the impatience and snapping issues.
-Write one note and one email to a friend a week. I wrote one email already!

3) I am still grieving the loss of our teenagers from the youth group at our last church. A group of them came to visit us this past weekend, and it was like leaving the church all over again when they left to go back to TN. It was time for us to leave the church, but I love those kids and miss them VERY much!

4) My husband is so GREAT! I am so proud of all that he is doing for the Courageous Church. He is working so hard! Also, he loves our kids so much, and he is so patient with them! He loves me, and I never have to question that! He makes me laugh...A LOT! I am so incredibly blessed to be his wife! I want to do a better job of expressing my appreciation of him. I just wrote him a note and put it in his wallet.

5) I love my kids more than I can even describe. Sure they frustrate me, test my patience, and stress me out, but they are also so sweet and loveable. Elana is so strong-willed, wild, funny, energetic, smart, creative, and a love-bug...she gives the best hugs and kisses. Josiah is just 9 months old, but he is so sweet, funny, smiley, cuddly, and a mama's boy!! I am so blessed to have two healthy and beautiful children.

6) Moving to Atlanta was a big, scary, risky decision, but I believe it was the best thing for our family. Being a part of a church-plant is hard, but everything our church stands for and aims to be aligns so well with who we are and what we want to be about! I am still trying to fill my role and get involved where I can. It's weird not being involved in youth ministry, but I LOVE being involved with the worship team and the social justice aspects of the Courageous Church (Check us out at Courageous.tv)

I think that is it for now, but I feel better having typed this all out. This blog is so therapeutic for me!! My prayer is that this helps someone else as well. Have a blessed day!!

Unemployed, but believing!

I have been unemployed since November of 2008. I have held a professional Social Work position since before I even graduated college, so this feels very weird. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed being home with my kiddos and hanging out in my pajamas most days. However, I would like to be working in my field at least part-time. I am passionate about what I do, so I definitely miss it! I also miss the $$$. Now, I am a social worker, so I don't make much at all. However, my income is necessary to making ends meet. God has been so faithful to provide for us in this tight time, but the money is running out. Well, we still have money in savings, but we are trying to keep it there so that we can have at least a small down payment for our next home. It can be discouraging, at times, sending resume after resume and having NO LUCK, but I am choosing to believe that there is something out there for me. There IS something that fits my passions and skills. There IS something out there that will provide the money that our family needs. There IS something!!! I have to believe that God will reveal it at just the right time. For those of you who are in the same boat as me, I pray that you would have this same belief. The job market is very rough right now, but it is nothing that God can't handle!! Let's pray each other through this!

Taking a Break

I am at Starbucks today to take a break. Things have been a bit stressful with staying at home with the kiddos, my mom moving in with us, being part of a church-plant, being unemployed and looking for a job, making our $$ stretch as much as humanly possible, etc. Basically, it has turned me into an uptight, angry, resentful, impatient, and exhausted individual! That is NOT ME!! It has affected my relationship with my absolutely wonderful, patient, and gracious husband, and it has affected my relationship with my (mostly) innocent, adorable, and loving kids! Even as I was out the door to take this much needed break I snapped at my husband! What in the world has gotten into me? As I sat and listened to one of my favorite songs ( How He Loves, by John Mark McMillan) and prayed, I was made aware of the following things:

1) My relationship with God is not where it needs to be. There are moments of strength, faith, and passion, but overall, our relationship needs so serious attention. I need to be in the Word! I need to be more fervent in my prayer! I just need HIM!!! I need to truly trust him with everything that is uncertain in my life right now. I need to believe that He can help me overcome my weaknesses. I want him to continue to transform me each day!

2) God loves me PASSIONATELY! That is the one constant in my life that I never have to doubt! I am a hot mess sometimes...I make mistakes, act ugly, neglect God and the ones I love, but His love never fades!

3) I need to stop sweating the small stuff! Due to the increased stress about some major issues, I've been allowing small and insignificant things stress me out, too. I want to just relax and enjoy my children, my husband, and the life God has given to us. I just need to RELAX!! So what if my house is a mess! So what if I have to wear a dirty item of clothing because I just didn't have time or energy to do the laundry! So what if Elana wants to run around the house singing and screaming as loud as she can! So what if my son is needy and wants to be held all the time! So what if Elana wants to dump all of her toys out all over the floor! I have been blessed with children, a roof over my head, a husband to be my best friend and helper, and so much more! SERIOUSLY, CHILL! Thank you God!

4) Especially now that I am home with the kids 24/7 I NEED to SCHEDULE time for myself on a regular basis. I will be a better mother, wife, and woman because of it! Even if it can only be an hour some weeks...it's better than nothing.

I am feeling 100% better already! This break today has made all the difference! May you find a way to take a break from all the chaos in your life today to focus on the Lord and on all the blessings God has given to you and your family!

Plumpy'Nut Initiative

Courageous Church is launching an worldwide initiative that EVERYONE NEEDS to know about. Please check out www.TheyWillDie.org The pictures are hard to see, but it is reality! Children are dying from starvation all around the world!!! BUT, there is something that is making a difference...Plumpy'Nut. It is a miracle food for those that are severely malnourished. You will find more information about it on the website mentioned above, but basically it is bringing children back to life. As a church, we are pouring MASSIVE amounts of energy into putting systems in place so that people can: 1) educate themselves on the problem, 2) give financially to be a part of the solution, 3) spread the word so that more people can get involved, 4) Begin advocating for these babies to motivate our Federal Government to allot more $$ in the World Food Budget in order to produce and distribute this miracle food.

Please let everyone you know about this website! We want everyone to get on board to bring these babies back to life. I can't believe that I haven't done more about it personally. I've known there were starving children all around the world, but I've never felt more responsible for doing something about it. So, that is exactly what we are doing!!!

Hungry??

Have you ever desired more than this life has to offer? Have you ever wanted to be a part of something bigger than yourself? Well, I sure have! I know that there is more to life than just going to work, coming home, taking care of the kids, cooking, doing laundry, going to bed, and doing it all over again! I know that I was designed by a Wonderful Creator, and part of my design was to be a part of something GREAT!

You want to know what I mean? Come to the Courageous Church this Sunday at CenterStage in downtown Atlanta at 10 am. Our Pastor, Shaun King, will be continuing his series entitled "Greater than God"? He is teaching us, first of all, that God (and the things of God) are what we are searching for to complete us, whether we know it or not. He is what makes us whole. He is what satisfies our "hunger" for something more in this life. I know this to be true. I experienced this truth for the first time about 12 years ago, but over and over again, God has been proving this to me! God created me so that he could love me, so that I could love him, and so that I could share that love with others. What an amazing honor!!!

Loving others is a HUGE part of the Courageous Church. We desire to love and serve courageously. We have adopted some major causes and organizations to partner with in order to do just that! Pastor Shaun announced that, as a church, we have an opportunity to start an amazing initiative to affect change in the lives of thousands and thousands of starving and dying children around the world. Two words...Plumpy Nut! Google it! Basically it is a miracle food that is bringing severely acute malnourished children back to life. It is a ready to eat peanut butter paste enriched with powdered milk, vitamins, etc. Please check out dogreaterthangod.com to see more!

Biggest Loser-King Household Edition

That's right, Jason and I are in a SERIOUS competition to be the Biggest Loser in our household. We always talk about getting healthy and losing weight, but things have been so hectic with the move and just life in general. Well, we are settled now, so there are NO EXCUSES!! Something we saw on the real Biggest Loser show was the final motivation we needed. You can get on their website and enter the Pound for Pound Challenge. Basically, for every pound you lose, Feeding America will donate one pound of groceries to a local food bank! So, I can directly affect change in someone else's life by getting healthy and losing weight. How amazing is that!

Back to our "friendly" competition....Jason and I are both gonna shed some weight, but I WANT to win! I have been overweight my whole life, and after having 2 children, I have some serious work to do. Watch out Jason...I may be sabotaging you...I am the one doing all the cooking! ;)

We are currently tackling changing our eating habits. I have always tried to buy healthier foods (whole wheat breads and pastas, natural or organic foods, etc.), but we would eat out more than we would eat at home. So, I have been using my Rachael Ray cookbook to find healthier recipes and plan our meals throughout the week so that we don't eat out. It has been working well so far. I am having fun cooking more often, and it feels good to be eating healthy and wholesome food.

Next, we need to get our booties movin'!! We are looking for a used treadmill or elliptical machine to purchase to have in our home. I know that if I have the machine in my home I WILL workout!! We also have some Pilates and Tae Bo workout DVD's that we will use. The real Biggest Loser just started up again this past Tuesday, so I will use that as motivation, too. If the heaviest person to be on the show EVER can do it, so can I!!!

I have already lost a few pounds just by changing our eating habits. Wish us luck!! God bless!

I'm back!!

I don't know if anyone even reads this, but I am starting it back up even if only for my own benefit!! See, journaling or "blogging" is very therapeutic for me. It allows me to process all that is going on around me. If you are reading this, I hope you are encouraged, challenged, and maybe even humored by the words I share!

So....We have moved to Atlanta, GA to be a part of a brand-new church, The Courageous Church. The ride has been FAST, but AMAZING! Jason is the Executive Pastor, so he has been BUSY since the first day we arrived.

It has been so amazing watching him adapt to this new role. I am so proud of him. See, we've been doing youth ministry for 7 years. It's all we've thought about and been involved in. It's been refreshing for both of us to have a change of pace, but for Jason especially. He is still learning his role, but he is doing all that is asked of him and beyond!

I am also refreshed by this move and change! Our Lead Pastor, Jason's brother, asked me to head up all of the social justice efforts for the church. I cannot express to you my excitement about this. I am a social worker professionally, so nothing makes me happier than empowering, helping, and affecting change in people's lives. To have the opportunity to inspire others to do the same is just AMAZING! So, I've been working on establishing partnerships with local organizations that are already making a huge impact on the city of Atlanta. We have also established some key organizations we desire to adopt on the international level...more on that another day! I also am singing on the worship team. I've lead worship with Jason at both of the churches we've worked at before, but at this last church we backed off to allow our students to lead. I love worship, and I love to sing. So, I just feel like we've been given the opportunity to return to our passions and gifts that we've strayed away from for awhile. PRAISE GOD!!

This change/move has also been difficult for me on many levels. I miss our teens from our last church. They were who we spent most of our time with. They were our kids...our family! I also am currently unemployed, which is a very weird feeling. I've held a professional social work position since before I even acquired my degree. I know God will provide the perfect job at the right time, but in the mean time I feel out of sorts. I am staying at home with our kiddos, which is such and AMAZING opportunity...I love my children.

However, I have so much I want to do to help with the new church and especially my area of ministry, but taking care of a 2 year old and 6 month old leaves little time to do any focused work. I also just keep moving further and further away from my side of the family. Don't get me wrong, I am SOOO thankful to be near Jason's brother's family. It has been a joy to watch our kids play together and to be able to be there for each other!! WE LOVE YOU KING TEAM!! BUT, I also love my brother and his family. Our kids are very close in age, and I would love for them to be good friends, too!!

Regardless of the difficulties a big, risky move like this brings, we are just blessed to be doing God's work. We truly believe we are where God wants us to be, and there is no better place!

So, we have our very FIRST service this Sunday, January 11th! CRAZY! I feel like we just decided to move and that we had over 100 days before we launched! We moved down here and time just flew!! If you are reading this and live in the Atlanta area, come check us out! We'll be at Center Stage near Atlantic Station at 10:00 am this Sunday. We'd love to see you...if you have given up on church, never set foot in a church, need a change in your life, want something real, please give this a try!!!

In His Grip,
Sophie