Responding to the call that God has on each Christ follower's life can be life altering!  Growing up a PK, I grew up saying that I wasn't going to marry someone in the ministry.  I wanted to have a "normal" life.  Now, as a kid, I had a great life.  My strife came in when my parents always had to find someone for me to sit with in church so that I would behave during the service.  My mom was in the back row of the choir loft and my dad was on the stage so I had to have someone to make sure I was ok and behaving.  As I got a little older and was able to sit with my friends, everyone knew when little miss Marci was misbehaving in church because they would hear my mom clearing her throat and then eventually see her stand up and exit the choir loft.  So "normal" to me was that I wanted to have a husband that sat with me in church and all of our kids with us.  However, at 16, God called me to full time Christian ministry.  At the time, I wasn't exactly sure in what capacity, but as my life unfolds I believe I understand.  I went on to marry a man...in the ministry.  It's been an amazing ride, however, and I wouldn't change it for a thing!
In scripture, we see some men not wanting to heed the call that God had on their life.  Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh and he ended up in the belly of a whale.  Moses didn't want to represent the Israelites because he had a speech impediment, so God had to show up to him through a burning bush.
The other day I was thinking to myself, what if Mary, the mother of Jesus, had a rebellious spirit.  What if when the Angel of the Lord came to her and told her that she was going to give birth to the Son of God, she completely refused to cooperate.  What if she said, "Are you kidding me?  I want a normal life!  I don't need this!  What are people going to think of me?  I'm pregnant, not married...no way!  Not going there!"  Granted, her life was anything but "normal", but the blessings she received to be chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus!  Wow!  Being the mother of the Son of God had it's joyous moments, It's honorable moments, it's proud moments, it's scary moments, and it's gut wrenching moments.  I can assure you though that she would have never chosen any other path!
God has a plan for each of us!  Not just those "in the ministry"!  As we are fixing to begin a new year, start fresh by asking yourself if you have responded to the call that God has on your life!  Does your life have meaning?  Is your life making a difference?  Do you have peace in your life?  Do you have purpose?  A passion?  Are you living your life in a way that you would want your legacy to be remembered?  If not, you have probably not completely allowed the Son of God, the One whom we are celebrating this very season, to penetrate your life!  Don't be afraid!  That's what the Angel told Mary too!  Give it up and accept the call that the Creator of the universe has on your life!  I can assure you that it will be life altering and it will be an amazing ride!

It's been over a month since I've written.  The kids went back to school this year, so I thought I would have all this time on my hands to write more, work out, grocery shop (without 5 little ducklings following along), visit with friends, help out at church, the list goes on and on.  I actually thought I might get to sit down and blog a little every day and it's been over 2 months since I've entered anything.  Well, I think I"m wearing a hat on my head and one on each limb and my time runs out very quickly.
Although I gave up official homeschooling for the time, I've ended up having to "homeschool" in the afternoons, because a couple of my kiddos are struggling in school. I guess my attitude is, if I am going to be teaching them anyway, I definitely don't want to teach them math/reading after they have been up since 6:30 a.m. and at school for 6 hours and I'm now supposed to teach them more when they get home.  What happened to Kindergarten being a time to learn your colors, letters and numbers?  Now if they aren't reading when they walk in the door for the first time, they are behind.  And on the other end of the spectrum, used to be that we could just memorize multiplication facts or read a book and be able to answer questions that make sense.  Now, everything is "abstract" as the teacher told me the other day.  Yes, 9 x 4 = 36, but lets break it all apart and find out why.  My child can tell you the product of all the multiplication facts, now he's having to go backwards and learn how to break apart the numbers at least 3 different ways to tell how to get that answer. 
So, I'm still wearing the homeschooling hat, I also have the privilege of wearing the hat of pastor's wife which includes a whole realm of "busyness" on it's own.  The hats of small group leader, worship leader/administrator, women's ministry director, chauffeur to all my kids extra curricular activities, conference speaker, and of course the two most important hats I wear of being a wife and mother.  I have always prayed for God to use my life in a mighty way.  I pray that my life is making a difference in all the areas that He is allowing me to lead or be a part of.  I have my moments, like everyone else, where I just feel like I don't think I can make it through the day, but I lean heavily on my life's verse of "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Phil 4:13
I love the hats that the Lord has given me to wear.  I see it as an honor that He has entrusted them to me and it's a privilege to do life with all who take part in each of these areas!
If you're having one of those days that you don't think you can handle, remember that the Lord wants to give you the strength, wisdom and direction to get you through. There have been things I have had to say no to as well, so make sure you are only doing the things that God would have you do.  No matter how many hats you are wearing, please remember to spend time with the One who will one day place a crown on your head!  He loves you so much and desires to be your number one priority!

His name means, "The Lord is my Salvation, my firm foundation".  Isaiah just turned nine on Wednesday and I can tell you that his life is a true testimony to me that the Lord is my Salvation!  He is a testimony of God's goodness, His grace, His failthfulness and His abundant blessings!  After praying so very long for a baby (5years) we had the privilege to adopt Eli, and that was just the start of God's amazing faithfulness to my fervant prayer for children.  When Eli was 15 months old, we were so blessed and ecstatic  that God had another bundle of joy in store for us!  Nine years ago, Isaiah was born in Mobile, AL.  Our hearts were so overjoyed as we made the drive from Ocala to go pick up our precious son from the hospital.  He was so tiny, sweet and the quietest baby for the first three months.  No joke...the day we finalized his adoption in Mobile, he began being the Isaiah we all know and love today.  Never stops!  He is a bundle of energy to say the least.  When we took him to his first day at pre-k, Derrick and I looked at each other and said, "Here's the beginning of countless meetings with the teacher."  Not because he was bad, but because he LOVES to talk, make people laugh and be the center of attention.  Our first talk with his teacher, however, was about how well behaved he was and that she just had a hard time getting him to talk.  We quickly made sure she knew that our son was Isaiah, with the white blond hair.  She assured us that was who she was talking about. Each teacher there after has said the same thing.  So he has the best of both worlds...he CAN be the life of the party and he can control it when needed!
Isaiah is such a special little boy!  He loves Jesus with all his heart and had the privilege of having his daddy baptize him this year.  He absolutely LOVES animals, reptiles especially, but won't even kill a roach.  He wanted nothing more than a ball python for his birthday and won his daddy over in getting one.  He has been studying snakes for the past year, how to feed them handle them, care for them...and now he get's to put it into action with his new friend "Lucky".
Isaiah loves life and lives it to it's fullest!
I cannot imagine my life without him!  I thank the Lord every day for having such an amazing plan in mind for me to have the privilege of being Isaiah's mommy!  I can't wait to see how the Lord uses his life! 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISAIAH!  I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!

Where do I even begin?  My heart is so full with the work God is doing!  Over the past year we have seen God do amazing things with our church.

*We went from being $250k in debt, to debt free!

*We remodeled the whole inside of the building with surplus in the bank and only have the outside left to do (which starts on Monday)!

*We began a benevolence ministry every Friday morning from 10-12 for our community and have given over $15,000  to help those in need.

*We have grown about 70-100 in attendance.

*We have put elders and leaders in place.

*We have begun small groups.

*We have seen young couples come, give their lives to Christ, and decide to restore their marriages.

*We have seen addicts bow their knee to Christ and overcome their strongholds.

*We have had strong leaders come, jump in and dedicate their lives to serving.

And most importantly:

*We have seen over 35 people give their lives to Christ and we have had the privilege to baptized them as well.  


I feel so blessed and honored to be a part of a place where I sense the presence of the Holy Spirit fill the room every time we meet.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve beside a group of people that I call my family!
Our church has gone through a radical transformation over the last year.  We see throughout scripture that God chose to rename those whom He brought through spectacular changes, and with much prayer, we have done the same with New Hope.  We are now "East Coast Church".  Thank you all who serve faithfully at ECC!  I pray that there is an outpouring of God's blessings over your life.  Be encouraged that your service is enhancing the Kingdom of God!!!
Please continue to run the race and do not grow weary!  There is definitely more work to be done here!
I love you East Coast family!

21 years ago, Derrick and I had our first date.  I knew then that he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  It took him 5 years to come along and finally marry me, but it was worth the wait!
16 years ago today we stood in front of 1100 people and said, "I do."   We gave our lives to one another and became one.  It was a fairytale wedding, and according to my sheltered, fairytale mind, the rest of our lives would be living the fairytale dream and the "happily ever after".  I never took into account...LIFE!  The beginning years of marriage of getting used to each other 24/7, or the devastating years of dealing with infertility, or losing our first adoption that we planned for for 7 months, church planting with no income for 21 months, walking the wilderness road for about 5 years...these were just some of the hard times.  Yet, each of these drew us so much closer to each other and increased our faith tremendously!  Not to mention the wonderful times of 8 great years in a wonderful ministry where we saw tremendous lifechange of hundreds of lives and developed life-long friends, adopting two of the most precious boys in the world that we can't imagine our lives without, the birth of our three biological children, living at the beach and ministering with a church family that we love and adore at East Coast Church!  We are so very blessed and are so grateful to our Lord and Savior for allowing our paths to meet!
Derrick, you are an amazing husband, friend, provider, protector and leader of our family!  I love you more today than ever and look foward to the next 50 years with you!  :) Thank you for loving me unconditionally and for always helping me to be the Godly woman that God wants me to be.  Thank you for your wisdom in times of uncertainty, your strength in times of hardship, your support when I feel like giving up.  Thank you for always being a gentleman, opening the doors for me, walking on the outside nearest the cars and still romancing me after so many years.  Your love is surreal and I can't imagine my life without you.  I am so proud of all that you do...stepping up to the plate for all that God calls you to.  I love you with every fiber of my being. 
Happy 16th Anniversary today and Happy 46th Birthday tomorrow! 

Wow!  Where do I even begin????  We had a very hard time coming up with a name for Jesse as I was pregnant with him, so finally my oldest son said, "I think we should name him 'Jesse'."  I asked Eli where he had heard that name and he said that he just made it up.  So, Jesse it would be!  As for a middle name, Derrick and I kept contemplating James because it was, by the way, my dad's name; but our parents just couldn't believe we could do that because they grew up in the era of the Jesse James that was always up to no good.  Well, as I laid on the delivery table, one of the nurses asked what we were going to name him, and we admitted that we weren't real sure. The doctor blurted in, "Oh no!  I heard this baby was going to be named Jesse James and I stayed here after my shift so I can say I delievered Jesse James!"
So, we named him Jesse James, and I can say that this era can also say Jesse James is always up to no good!  :)
I love him to pieces, he just happens to be the one that loves to push his mama's every button!  It's a good thing he's so cute!
He does have his loving, sweet moments where he just randomly blurts out, "Mama, I love you!"  And it's those moments that keep me going (And keep him alive!).
 My pregnancy with him came at a very unstable time in our lives. We had just moved to Orlando to plant a church, had no income and no insurance.  He was a blessing in the midst of a hard time and a reassurance that God is always in control and will provide!  I can't believe 5 years have come and gone since he arrived! 
Happy Birthday Jesse!

A story I must tell...If you've read any of my blogs you know that Derrick and I dealt with infertility for 8 very long years.  Those were truly some of the most trying years of my life.  Every month thinking, "This could be the month!" only to be diappointed by another negative sign.  Well, that's when I started writing my book.  I wanted other women dealing with infertility to know that they were not alone.  I wanted to share all the ups and downs and how my Savior had gotten me through each low moment. 
Let me share with you about a day I will never forget.
It was a Saturday afternoon and I had been cleaning house all day.  I don't believe I had even brushed my teeth (Gross, I know!)  No make-up, gymshorts and tee shirt...just giving you the full picture. The boys (If this is the first blog of mine that you've read, our first two boys were adopted from birth.) were playing and Derrick was at church leading worship in the two services that our church had every Saturday night.  I decided to sit down and write a little in my book.  I was on the chapter in my book that discusses different women in the Bible that suffered from infertility and how each of them dealt with it.  I began to write a personal point about how through all the devastation, I was now beginning to see the bigger picture. God wanted us to be blessed with two amazingly, precious little boys that I could not imagine my life without. God was revealing to me to live each day in expectancy and excitement to see what He is up to.  As I wrote those words down, God told me to go to the bathroom garbage can and look at the pregnancy test that I had taken the day before.  Taking a test was a monthly ritual for me.  I immediately threw it away because I had heard that the "positive" sign comes up immediately and I didn't see it right away so I chuncked it.  Just like the thousands of others that I had taken over the past 8 years.
Feeling a little wierd, I went to the garbage can, pulled out the test that I had taken the day before and low and behold, IT WAS POSITIVE!!!!!!!!  Nothing can describe that feeling after waiting all my life to see it!
I had always dreamt of how, when the time came, I would tell Derrick that we were going to have a baby, but never pictured it quite like it happened.  I, in my mess of attire, no make-up and un-brushed teeth, picked up the boys, threw them in the car and raced to two different stores before I found another pregnancy test.  I had to see another positive!  Sure enough, It was for real!  The boys and I hurried up to the church, I run in carrying them, one on each hip, and stick my head in the worship room door and ask to speak to Derrick...could not wait!!!!  He came out and I handed him the stick!  It was amazing! 
That was 7 years ago!  My Carmen Elizabeth was born on June 22, 2004.  I can't believe 7 years have come and gone.
The point I want you to get from this whole story is, God is at work.  You may not see it right now.  It may not even feel like He knows you exsist, but He does my friend!  His plans for you are not to harm you, but to give you hope and a good future! (Jeremiah 29:11)  He has blessed my life beyond anything I could have ever dreamed! 
Live with expectancy of what God is up to and rejoice to be a part of it! 
I love you my sweet Carmen!  Happy Birthday!

Wow!  the last month or so has been crazy!  The home we were renting from the time we moved to Melbourne ended up having to be short sold and we had about 15 days to find somewhere to move, pack up and get out.  The couple we thought was going to buy it wanted us to continue renting it from them until they sold their house so we had not looked too seriously for a while, but at the last minute they backed out and they found new buyers and things flew from there.  We literally found somewhere like 2 days before they were to close on the house.  It was crazy, but once again, God pulled through!  Since the move things have seemed to be non-stop with Ciera's 2nd birthday, visits with lots of new couples in the church, I finally got the women's Bible study started that I've been wanting to do, trying to finish up school with the kids, basketball started for one and gymnastics started for 3, oh...and the day after we moved I had a second ultrasound on the lymphnode that was enlarged 6 months ago.  It was better, but now there's another one enlarged.  They told me to wait another 6 months and come back again...probably going to get a second opinion to find out what's causing it!!!!
It's been crazy, but a good crazy.  God is doing such a work at New Hope and it's so exciting to see and an honor to be a part.  There are so many new faces every week and there are many that are crossing the line of faith to give their lives to Christ!  I LOVE seeing life change!  God is so good...all the time!

It was 2 years and 9 months ago that I remember waking up at 6 a.m. to take a pregnancy test and then I went and literally slapped Derrick for getting me pregnant.  Now I can't imagine my life without my little Ciera Joy!  I truly cannot believe she is 2 tomorrow!  She is so smart, some times too smart!  She can keep up with her siblings and she is absolutely spoiled rotten by each of them!  Isaiah told me the other day that he didn't want her to get any bigger...he followed that statement with, "Or you could just have another baby!"  haha! 
She, I have to admit, is one that has "Beiber fever".  She can sing all of his songs that we have on CD.  She loves to sing and always has.  As I laid down beside her tonight, she held her "baby" in her arms and made sure that she was holding both of the baby's hands.  She is very nurturing and loves babies!  She is so precious and such a gift from God!  Even though she was quite unexpected, she is a huge blessing and I thank God every day for giving her to us!

I'd like to tell you about one of the most important days in my life.  A day that, no matter how long I had believed that there was a God, I knew, that day, there was no doubt.  My faith was rejuvenated in a faithful loving God.  In order to get the whole picture of that very special day, I have to back up a little and share the bigger picture.
All of my life - and when I say all, I mean all - I had prayed for 10 children.  I knew that as soon as I graduated from highschool that I would get married and we (supposing that God would have the "we" lined up and ready to go) would begin our adventure of popping out those ten precious babies that I had prayed for.  I just knew I had a great plan for my life, but God seemed to think He had a better one.  First of all, I graduated and there was no "we".  I had to wait 5 more years before the Lord unfolded His perfect plan for the mate He had in store for me.  Then, little did I know that for the next five and a half years after getting married, that I would deal with the devastation of infertility.  This couldn't be happening to me!  I mean, what did I do to deserve this?  All I wanted my whole life was to be a mother to as many babies as the Lord would allow me to have and I couldn't even have one!  I kept screaming at God that it was his first command to "be fruitful and multiply" and I was just trying to obey, but He wouldn't let me!  I was living for God, giving my life away in serving Him, and He couldn't even answer the one prayer that I had begged and pleaded for my entire life? 
It's hard to describe to someone who has never experienced infertility, but to see a negative sign on a pregnancy test every month for over five years (Yea, I should've bought stock in them.) and to have all your friends having their 2nd, 3rd and 4th child...It's gut wrenching!  I spent many a nights curled up in fetal position on the floor crying out to God and questioning if He even knew I existed.
God finally began opening our eyes to think that maybe He had a different plan in mind and He placed a poem on my heart one night that opened my eyes.  I'd like to share it with you:

                                Could It Be?
So long now I have prayed for a precious little one;
To feel Your gift within my womb, and know their life’s begun.
To get the nursery ready, filling it with baby things galore
And of course there’s anticipation of something so much more…
 That wonderful, special day, oh I can see it so very clear,
When I wrap that precious little one in my arms and hold them oh so near!
There are no words to describe the barrenness of the womb
Nor the mothering instincts of a woman, just longing to set full bloom.
 It’s hard to understand, Lord, why so many years go by
Shedding tears of sorrow as I tried to figure out why.
As I have prayed and searched for answers, I feel Your gentle touch
Guiding me to wisdom…You’ve allowed me to see so much!
 How could I be so blind, so blind not to see?
What makes a child so special is YOU, not the genes in me!
 Children to You are precious, so precious in Your sight
And though they did not come from Your womb, You love them with all Your might!
Could it be Dear Lord that it’s not beneath my heart that You choose to let our child begin?
But instead You begin their life within our hearts and with it a love that will never end!
Could it be Dear Lord that my womb has remained barren because Your plan is to say,
“I have such a precious gift to give; it’s just going to be given in a different way!”?
If it is Your divine will to bless us Lord in this special way
I lift up to You this precious little one wherever they are today!
Please give them health and keep them safe until that awesome day
When we can hold them in our arms and tell them, “You’re here to stay!”

Derrick and I began the road of adoption.  We took foster care/adoption classes through the state of Florida not having any idea where that would lead.  As we finished the classes we met a young girl that had come to church for counseling and had just found out she was pregnant.  To make a very long story short, she asked us to adopt her baby, we went through her whole pregnancy with her, took her to all of her appointments and ultrasounds, had a huge baby shower for the baby girl that we were going to be blessed with, had given her a name and the birthmother changed her mind an hour before she gave birth.  It was like a death to us.  Excruciating!
However, two months prior to this baby being born, I went to a Bible study at church.  I shared at the end of the study that I needed prayer in dealing with our adoption.  There was a young lady there that I had never met, that had asked my group leader if she thought I would talk to her about adoption.  Our leader introduced us and she told me that she was 7 months pregnant and was going to have to put her baby up for adoption and she would just like to talk to me.  I got her number and told her that I would call her when I got off of work that day.  I assumed she already had adoptive parents for her child and that she just wanted to hear my heart on what I was going through so she would know how her adoptive parents were feeling.  I got home, called her, and couldn't believe my ears when she said that she got home from the study and had told her mom that she had met her baby's mama at the study.  She asked if Derrick and I would pray about adopting her baby too (still thinking we were to adopt the other baby due just a little before hers).  My heart lept for joy and I was so excited!  Derrick of course was too!
This all brings me to ten years ago today.  Derrick and I were given the most precious gift as Eli Zane was born on this day.  All my life I had prayed to hold our baby in my arms and I can't even begin to tell you the emotions that run through my mind as I remember holding him for the first time.  The gratefulness in my heart for a loving, faithful Savior who knew that He could surpass all my hopes and dreams if I would just be patient and wait on Him; and to a young birthmother who entrusted us with the life of her child so that we could love and nurture him with every fiber of our being and provide for him all that he needed.
"Eli Zane" means "God is great, God is good".  He is a true testimony of that in our lives!

Happy Birthday Eli!  I love you with all my heart!