Speak Truth

Okay, let me begin by saying that I used to say that I am not a retreat kind of girl...but put me in a room with women with the same heart as mine...and my views change!

I don't do the whole 'kumbaya' thing...but I do enjoy gathering with incredible women, worshiping and spending time in the word-which is exactly what this weekend was!

This weekend was spent with women at the Created for Care retreat, a retreat for adoptive mothers. Women who I admire and feel connected to. Women who have been called to love the orphan and have answered that call. Women whose hearts are broken for HIS children. I spent time being taught by amazing teachers. Women whom had the ability to bring you into their world and see their very heart for Him and let you see that their lives weren't perfect...but they were beautiful.

I attended a few breakout sessions over the course of the weekend one on finding time to be with the Lord as a busy mom (something every mother needs), another on parenting your child in the Spirit, and the last breakout session was on special needs adoption. All three were outstanding...the ladies who lead them were on fire for the Lord and for their families!

For me, though, it was the session on parenting your child in the Spirit that I was overwhelmingly encouraged by. There were amazing lessons in it...the thing I found so simple was to SPEAK TRUTH to your child. She gave an example of her son lying and instead of the obvious thing a mother wants to do of scolding and calling him a liar or saying, "You lied", to speak truth into him--to speak what you know to be true about the character of his true self--the person God sees in him. "You are an honest boy."

It seems so simple, yet so many times as a parent we forget to speak to our children as God sees them...as the magnificent little people that they are in His image.

I learned so much this weekend and grew closer friendships with the dear ladies I was blessed to go with. I am so thankful that God has richly blessed me with incredibly Godly ladies whose hearts are like His for friends!

Much love,
~K