You are a Princess when your Father is King of Kings!! :)

"May today there be peace within you. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and in others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us." -Author unknown

Sunday, April 15, 2012

NETWORKING TIME

Greetings!

Today's blog is a bit different than most.  Today I am going to ask something of you- please help us in our networking process.  In this 21st century that we live in full of social media via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogging, email and more- it seems fit to use in under these circumstances as well.  Please, feel free to send this blog link around.  My goal is two fold.  I'll get to the first part of the goal in a moment, but the 2nd half is that perhaps our story will inspire someone who needs to know there is always hope in the future.  Living with the motto that the best days are still yet to come is healthy for anyone :)  God has a plan for EVERYONE'S life (Jeremiah 29:11) so keep your head up in this tough tough world we live in!

Ok, so now on to the details aka Goal 1:

Phil and I have been cleared and approved, by Forever Families Adoption Agency, and are officially in the 'waiting pool' to adopt a child.

One way you can help us is to just spread the word.  Feel free to forward this blog link around or just keep your eyes and ears open.  Below are some links with more details; I am also providing a link to a photo book that tells our story.  Anyone interested may view (believe it or not- this is very common for domestic adoption):
http://kristenulin.shutterfly.com/  (scroll down to the section labeled “Photo Books”)

Currently we are approved for a domestic (USA) infant adoption which means if you know someone who is pregnant that is looking to place their child for adoption, or possibly considering other options, please send them this link or provide them with my contact info listed below.  We can get connected with them and see if it is a good fit.  There is a lot of formality and legality behind it all which is why we have selected such a respected and warm agency out of Novi, MI.  We can however, adopt from anywhere in the country and are not restricted to Michigan. 

Click HERE to read our letter to adoptive mom/family
Click HERE to read our adoption profile for the agency
Click HERE to read more about our story and how we ended up in the adoption process

 Thank you for helping us network as we prayerfully hope to become a PARTY OF FOUR :)

Sincerely,

Team Ulin

Adoption Profile

Phil & Kristen Ulin

Why we think we make good parents:
Already being parents to our daughter, Kaylee, we understand the commitments needed to be successful loving parents.  We have learned to become great parents you must love unconditionally.  Coming from families with strong values, we are eager to teach and share with our children these family traditions.   Both of us have strong work ethic but appreciate fun in the sun, and we would like to share our life experiences with another team member.

Values we plan to share/teach a child:
Our home is filled with love whether you are a guest or a member of the family.  The greatest value we feel we can teach is to love and respect others.  We both believe in a strong work ethic, but also downtime to recharge our batteries and enjoy life.  We feel it is important to have a relationship with God and have raised our daughter in a Christian home but also respect everyone’s opinion and other value systems.  It is important to us to be generous, compassionate and live with a “glass is half full” mentality.  We believe in learning from our mistakes and the principle that failure is never final.  We believe in following your dreams and plan to teach our children that no dream is too big.

The people/pets/things that make up our family: 
Our immediate family consists of Phil (dad), Kristen (mom), and Kaylee (daughter).  We both come from fairly large families and view many of our friends as family too- Kaylee calls our best friends “Aunt and Uncle”.  Kaylee can’t wait to have a brother or sister and says a prayer at the dinner table every night asking God to bless her with one.  Both of our families live in the area and many of our friends live in our community.  We also have what we call an extended church family with MANY kids to play with and have fun outside of the home.

Things our family celebrates:
We love to celebrate!  Birthdays are a big deal around our home because we love making each other feel special.  We celebrate all major holidays and also like to have fun celebrating the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby (some of Kristen’s family is from Kentucky), and love having summer cookouts for no reason.

Religion/spiritual beliefs:
Spirituality, a relationship with Jesus, is very important to our family and we plan to raise our children in a Christian home.  We currently attend a non-denominational church and have for over 10 years.  Our church family is FULL of children of all ages and has a fantastic kids program.  Phil currently volunteers in the preschool area during one of the church services and Kristen has done 2 mission trips in 3 years.  We believe that our spiritual foundation has been the rock for our life and plan to demonstrate this to our children to help them find meaning and happiness in life. 

Things we like to do (activities/hobbies):
We like to have fun!  Working hard and playing hard are two things that must go together.  We love to travel and hope to expose our children to many cultures.  We like to make pancakes on Saturday mornings, roast s’mores in the fireplace when it gets cold and keep each other laughing every day.  We also like to stay active by going running as a family with our jogging strollers, doing outdoor activities and keeping a healthy focus in the home.  We are both triatheletes and feel strongly that you can do anything you put your mind too with dedication and encouragement.  Every season our activities change and we like to find fun new things to do as a family like going out for ice cream after a nice summer run or watching movies by the fire in the winter.

Our ethnic background:
Phil is 50% Hispanic and 50% European descent (mostly German).  His mom comes from a large Hispanic family most of which live 30 minutes from us although a few 2nd cousins and great aunts still live in Guadalajara, Mexico.  His Grandma has 11 brothers and sisters and owns a Mexican restaurant. 

Kristen is mixed European descent- mostly German with some Austrian and Native American descent.

Where we live:
We live in a colonial home in a suburb between Detroit and Ann Arbor.  Our town was recently ranked one of the safest in the state!  We have a TON of space in our home and can’t wait to share that space with another son or daughter- Kaylee asks us every day for a brother or sister!  We are walking distance to the grade school and have several parks close to us.  We have a large yard with a playscape in the back and enjoy spending time outside having fun.

One thing we would like the birth family to know about us:
We respect you so much for choosing to give your child a precious gift.  We have already begun praying for you and know that our paths will not cross on accident.  We strongly believe everything happens for a reason and are here to support, pray, and thank you for a wonderful and precious gift.  

Dear Birth Mom/Family



Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to introduce ourselves and tell you about our family- we are Kristen and Phil.  We are so grateful that you love your unborn child so much that you are willing to consider an adoption plan for him or her. Already being parents to our daughter, Kaylee, we understand the commitment needed to be successful loving parents.  We have learned to become great parents you must love unconditionally.  Coming from families with strong values, we both are eager to teach and share with our children these family values.  
We met 9 years ago while in college at Eastern Michigan University.  Kristen was entering her final year and Phil had just graduated when we met.  It all started with a date for Kristen's birthday...and the rest is history. :)   Our life experiences have helped us to grow as individuals and as a 'team'... in fact we like to sign our Christmas cards "Love, Team Ulin."  We are fortunate to have experienced an abundance of life at such a young age and truly hope to expand our family to a Team of Four.  We have struggled with infertility for almost 2 years and have learned that Kaylee was truly a little miracle.  Through these chapters in our life, we strongly believe when one door closes another opens which is why we are beyond thrilled to enter the adoption process!  We so badly want to expand our family and pray that something in our story may resonate with you, and that you will have peace knowing we will care for and love your child unconditionally.  Kaylee can not wait to have a brother or a sister- in fact she asks almost every single day during her prayers if Jesus will give her a brother or sister.  It melts our heart!  She is already setting toys aside telling people “this is for my brother or sister” …we often get asked if Kristen is expecting because Kaylee talks about it all the time! J


Friday, February 17, 2012

A Virtual Baby Book! Snap!

If you want to see the rain...you must fill up the clouds first!


As we near the finish line of this process to enter the domestic adoption pool, I thought that I better start documenting some of this!  It's kind of like starting the baby book now I suppose!  If I had any male readers at all...I just lost them- LOL!  But hang in there, trust me, this is not going to be the typical book...I mean who are we kidding, I am learning quickly nothing is typical in my/our life and that is why we love it most!  When I was pregnant, I found it therapeutic to document how I was feeling & what symptoms I was having.  I documented my weight gain, physical changes and things like the first kick...all the while thinking in the back of my mind that I would again some day reference this journal and compare notes to my second pregnancy.  Well this post is not going to be a sob story, but rather a NEW chapter in Team Ulin's life.  If you would like to read about our journey click here and it will give you more than enough details on how we ended up from point A to point B.
Why the opening quote?  Because I feel that the adoption process can be just as much of a blessing as a regular pregnancy can be.  You must look at all of the obstacles as blessings, road blocks, detours or re-directions.  After you CHOOSE your own happiness...you will start to SEE the rain :)


Monday, November 28, 2011

Tis the Season...

Tis the Season…

Tis the Season for my heart to break.  I have noticed I’m like SUPER emotional lately.  Call it X, call it Y, call it X + Y=Z…there are many reasons.  Every year right around that merge from Thanksgiving to Christmas ‘season’ I start to really think about just how lucky, I, we (my family) are.  I think it is just part of who I am…and after a quick phone call to my mom tonight I think it’s also in our blood.  Yes, typically women are more emotional than men…some women have an extra high emotional q (kind of like IQ but EQ) and perhaps that theromemter gets turned way up around the Holiday season!
It seems this year I’m extra emotional as I cant even make it through the grocery store with out crying.
I text my friend that very statement and her reply was simple “What are you seeing?”  I then decided I’d blog about it…b/c maybe you all are seeing it too.  Or, rather, maybe you are NOT seeing it and this will encourage all of us to open our eyes a bit more and perhaps even make a difference.  As Natalie Grant says “What are we waiting for?”


Monday, November 21, 2011

Will you join us on this journey?

Chairein!
(Pronounced Chai-rain) which means Greetings in Greek and the transliteration is “Joy to You.”
Before you go thinkin’ I’m some Greek and/or transliteration commentarist (not sure if that is even a word)…just know that Miss Elizabeth Moore taught us this very Greeting in tonight’s Video session where we are studying the book of James together J
I needed to start this blog by saying “Greetings!” b/c yes, it has been awhile since I’ve blogged.
It’s been awhile, but not b/c I don’t have anything to say…I mean COME ON, I’m a chic, it’s been awhile b/c life just happens sometimes.  I can barely stay awake past 9pm lately, I have a 2.5 year old who delightfully occupies my time, I lead a Princess Posse group, I work full time and I’m going back to school to obtain my Masters…whew, I’m tried just typing that!  I’m not trying to write my resume here, just sayin’ life happens sometimes!  J
Sooo what does this voice comin’ from a Princess have to say…
Let’s begin by saying the main purpose of this entry is to ask for something from all of you, the readers.  If you are the prayin’ kind of gal or guy (not sure I have to many guy readers, but hey…never know…) I have a prayer request.  My request is that Team Ulin actively and clearly discerns on a big decision we have added to our plate.  Psh, there is no one size fits all plate up in my family.  When there isn’t room, we pile it on top of something else.  Kind of like my Thanksgiving dinner plate…I like turkey and ham, so I throw that ham right on top of the turkey to make more room for the sweet potatoes…can I get an amen?!  And yes, I make sure I do a spinning class Thanksgiving morning soley and only so I can eat an extra piece of cheesecake, although my friend Alicia's chocolate pie has now made it to the 'favorites' list! 
Before I dive in to what the big decision is (my Princess Posse is already snap snapin at this point b/c they surely know where this car is headed…) let me begin w/ a bit of background.  Team Ulin consist of Phil, myself and our beautiful and full of sass 2.5 year old Kaylee Gabriella Ulin.  However, we would love to be Team Ulin party of 4…or possibly b/c we know God likes curve balls, party of 5.  But for the sake of everyone, please for the Love of our Heavenly Rockin’ Father (sayin that for real, not in vain)…let’s not make our plate like so heavy it like spills into a big mess.  PTL for that! J  Team Ulin has been trying to expand to a party of 4 for 17 months.  I won’t bore you with details (ESP if there really are male readers-HA) but clearly we have not been successful.  Or rather, it just hasn't been our story/His plan yet.  Let me like back up one more step and say, through all of these 17 months, we have really tried our hardest to stay positive and remind ourselves that God’s plan is always perfect.  I will add that I am human…and female…so yes there have been a LOT of tears, disappointment, why questions, confusion (lots of confusion), doctor visits, tests, new techniques some of which I laugh out loud just remembering…such as the first time I ever let my chiropractors partner use an ink pen to click the back of my neck while I stuck my hand on a vile of something and stared at her like a crazy women as she clicked away asking me if I felt it?!  (Disclaimer, I absolutely LOVE and am FOR chiropractic…I just thought this woman was crazy for a moment, that’s all.)   Through all of this, there has also been restored hope, upon restored hope, upon A-Ha moments of “Oh that’s why it hasn’t happened yet” (for example when I came down w/ Dengue Fever on Aug 21st and thought I was surely dying!) Through these 17 months God has shown me who He is even in the valleys of depression, disappointment and confusion.  He has proven to me time and time again that He feels my pain just as much as I do.  I promise you that He knows, that He listens and that He is in control.  I recently received a text message from a distant girlfriend who has absolutely NO Idea any of this is going on.  The text message read “God already knows the pain you have experienced and can feel it.  Do not let it hinder His plans for you”  What this distant girlfriend did not know…is that later that day, I would get a big explicit piece of information letting me know this month was still not our time.  (ps when I received her text at 8:34am, my reply was "Good morning, are you sure you sent this to the right person?  as I had no clue what she was talking about until about 3pm in the afternoon)  For any women out there who have experienced a similar story…you KNOW just how HARD day 1 of a cycle is.  Can I get another AMEN?    Or two amens…b/c another one is needed for the friend who felt called to deliver a message that would once again restore the hope back in my life.  Let me stop (do you feel like you have whiplash yet…I’m going to be backin’ up, and stopping, and movin’ forward a lot so strap on that seatbelt!)   and add that I wish we got these messages monthly!  There were many months, two in particular, that I will never ever for the rest of my life forget.  Those two months were very very very hard on me…and there was not a restoration of hope in those valleys.  The restoration often comes later.  I’ll add that He always knows what we can handle and His timing is always perfect.  The month I got the text message, He knew how badly I needed a word from Him to keep going.  Not to keep going w/ trying to expand to a Party of 4…to literally keep going walking w/ Him, b/c boy I was in a valley!  I was so confused, in fact, I have never been more confused and broken over something in my entire life.  I am not going to get into all the details of why I was so confused, but know that it was a ROUGH month.  He knew how badly I needed to be reassured in a real and tangible way.  He knew that I could not take one more month like I had the previous month.  He knew there were not enough kleenex left in our house to get me through another 'day 1' ...we had wiped out the kleenex supply the month before!  Jut trust me, he knew I needed a word.  Some of those moments are not to be shared, those are between He and I. and Phil. But trust me, He knew,  and…He delivered it, according to His timing.  And I replied with "you can't make this stuff up!" :)  THAT is how cool and real He is.
Ok…if you are reading my blog for the first time, hang in there…I swear there will be substance and points to all this.  But also know that someone out there needs to hear my story.  Someone out there knows what I’m screamin’…someone out there knows my pain and needs their text message to keep going.  Someone out there needs DETAILS so I’m sorry if it is too much for you.  But I’m not sorry that my story will be shared, b/c  afterall, that is what life is all about.  Helping others get their moment and reflecting on our own story to say you know what, maybe I’m going through all of this b/c my story will be someone else’s text message. 
So, yep, 17 months have come and gone and looking back I have learned a TON about myself, about Him and about others who have been through some rough times regarding growing a family as well.  Yes there have been rough months, but I must say some months weren't so bad.  Like May- I had trained for 5 months to complete my first tri-athalon and I still deeply wanted to get 'two lines' but I also didnt want to back out of the race, so that month the disappointment wasn't that bad ;)
I am beyond blessed to have a great group of female friends who I can pray with, pray for and grow with.  (if you are interested in the princess posse, let me know…of course there was going to be a plug for that b/c let me tell you, this group is my core!)  You may be thinking why is this so hard on me, I am already lucky enough to have one biological child.  You are correct, I am so grateful!  And how Kaylee came about is a whole other blog entry to be posted some day…let’s just say she is my little lightning bolt and glue to our little family J  However, we want another child just as badly as we wanted the first.  And here is the thing, not everyone wants more than one child.  I am a believer, that a lot of our desires are placed and/or changed on our heart b/c of what God wants for our life.  He could very easily take away the desire for us to want to grow our family and life would proceed…w/ that already full plate.  But that is not our story.    He has begun to mold our hearts into a way I never thought I would see.  He has showed me that He is tired of easy answers for everything b/c life is just not easy.  That is just not the way it goes.  Just when we think we got life all figured out, God throws a curve ball.  He will continue to show us His authority when we think we get authority over something.  If that doesn’t make sense to you..its ok…it makes sense to someone who needed to hear it.
My prayer request is that we discern on if He wants part of our story to include adopting a child from the U.S.  You had to read all of this ‘voice’ just to get to that?  Yep.  Pretty simple actually.  But so very layered and deep at the same time.  You see, adoption is like a pretty big deal.  There is a lot at stake and a lot to gain.  Currently, Phil and I feel called to this path.  We are at the very early stages, but this path has been being paved for awhile…and if I have learned anything in my 29 years, I have learned that God has wired both of us to go from 0-60mph in a second.  I would not be surprised if this all unfolds and we had a newborn in our house by Christmas.  Lord, I’ll need some grace if that is your plan- LOL…just sayin’ wouldn’t be surprised.  Now He has also taught me, that “just when I think I have it figured out…He throws curve balls” so for all I know…we may be waiting to adopt until we’re 80!  Things have already started moving quickly.  We have started telling our family and close friends of our journey and the reactions are varied..which is to be expected.  Many are scratching their heads b/c they had no idea of all the long talks, tears, and yet excitement that has been going on under our roof…others are not surprised at all and are already offering to babysit…others are concerned we are ‘giving up to quick.’  I’ll tell you one thing…we are NOT giving up on anything.  Rather, we are acting on what we are feeling called to do.  There are many more details I could write about specific to this calling, but I will lose all the readers if I go on forever- HA.  So what I’ll do is say if you want to know more don’t hesitate to ask, email, Facebook, tweet, text or send a letter in the mail ;)  (all generations covered there)  My purpose of this post is to ask for prayer but also to be a text message of hope for someone. 

I’ll conclude by telling you that although adoption is second choice for us, it is NEVER second best.  It is second choice only b/c we would LOVE to have another biological child BUT we mostly would LOVE to choose God’s plan for our life which essentially erases our desires and makes His desires first choice anyway.  I am smiling as I type just thinking about it all.  I am smiling thinking about all the NEW joy we can have in our life by giving a child a home.  We recently attended an information meeting on adoption at our church and I couldn’t help by cry the whole time as I started to experience a new kind of joy, a new kind of goosebumps that one must get when you realize you can have all the same joys as you would with a biological child…but then it is multiplied b/c it’s a new kind of joy of WOW this child wouldn’t even have a home if we wouldn’t have acted.  A women shared her story of watching her adopted daughter get baptized at the age of 7.  She balled her eyes out because who knows if her daughter, who was born in China, would have ever even heard the word of God if they didn’t become her parents.  Now that is what gets me fired up!
If this is part of His story for us, I can expect that it will be great.  No one said easy…but He said great (John 15)
One more disclaimer...this is not a plug for adoption.  Adoption is NOT for everyone, in fact, as I already mentioned, I never dreamt it would be for us.  I never really knew anything about it.  We just have a LOT Of reason to believe that it very well may be a part of our story.  So if you are reading and can relate to my story, know that your prayer request can be whatever your heart desires!  

So would you join us on this journey in prayer?  Please pray that we first discern and then if it is indeed His plan, that we jump.  There is a big difference in hearing/confirming His plan and then acting on it.  To ask for prayers on this is a big thing…b/c if people are praying…He moves. 

Tis the season for Thanksgiving.  I’m thankful you read this entire post- HA.  No really, I’m thankful for my family party of 3 and I’m thankful to be a servant for Him even though I am not even close to being perfect, He loves me anyway.

Chairein ya’ll.  Chairein.  Joy to you. ..and maybe an AWE snap too! J

Monday, August 15, 2011

You are Invited to the 1st ever Ripple Retreat!

Saturday September 17, 2011

The ripple effect is a term used to describe a situation where, like the ever expanding ripples across water when an object is dropped into it, an effect from an initial state can be followed outwards incrementally.

Truth be told, I wrote everything down from this ‘vision’ (at 3am when it came to me- that is a whole other story) but hesitated on where to even begin.  It seemed SOOO distant to me and initially I thought this would be something to take place years down the road.  Well, clearly, He had other plans and keeps bringing this back up and has confirmed WE, the Princess Posse, Princess Pack, and who ever else we care to invite, are to do this right now.  Strike while the iron is hot.  Be obedient and follow Him.

You see....my vision, was at this elaborate camp with all kinds of multimedia resources etc.  Since, we aren't quite there yet- He has since reminded me we already have so many resources right at our fingertips and are to get this party started; utilizing what He has already blessed us with.  I mean what else do we need besides- girlfriends, food, an i-Pod player, perhaps even a guest singer, our bibles, and a place to worship??  CHECK CHECK CHECK!

If you are into the behind the scences God stop story, read on.  If you only want to know the details, scroll down to the itinerary and RSVP link.

This summer, shortly after my trip to Colombia I did a quick 3 day fast.  I was searching for some direction in what God was calling me to do with some things he laid on my heart.  Well ask and you shall receive...b/c I received a vision, very clearly and very detailed, on one aspect of what He wanted US to do.
This vision was for a women's retreat to gather for fellowship, growth in the word, adequate prayer time, individually and as a group, and of course FREE FOOD FOR YOU! .*wink*  This doxology (an outpouring of praise, worship and honor to God) retreat will be quite simple but life changing.  At the time I received this vision, I had no idea what to name the retreat, it was a last priority.  However, he did keep putting the word ripple on my mind.  He secured and patented the name in my mind when I was in Florida for a national work meeting.  I was sitting on the patio to our room, atop the 22nd floor, and saw a little fish jump out of the water.  As it dove back into the water, it created such a HUGE ripple- looking like this:
It wouldn’t have been that big of a deal, but I knew He had me sitting there at that moment to remind me “Remember me?  Remember this mission I put you on?  Don’t forget!”  So I prayed for confirmation right there and then, asking God to confirm if He was speaking to me about the ‘ripple retreat’ He had laid on my heart.  I kid you not, within 2 minutes there were 3 people out swimming in the ocean…even though it was only 7am.  Ever single person had a huge ripple around them…it was so bold and obvious I called Nikki (my roommate) out to check it out and told her the story and said you are my witness I am not making this up!  It was a special moment Nikki was able to witness with me, as not only is she one of my best friends & colleagues, she is also a Princess Sister so this is also her Mission!  I quickly reached out to a few warriors and asked for prayers, guidance, ideas and such.  God was working quickly, quicker than I could even keep up!

As I processed this ‘calling’ over the next week, it sunk in even more that the ripple effect was exactly how He sees us from above.  One little drop (person) can make such a big effect.  This is not rocket science, I/you breathe life into one person, they then breathe life into another, that person to another- the ripple continues on.
The ocean is so big, bigger than we can even see w/ the naked eye.  Yet, from God’s view, or in this case- my view from atop 22 floors…He/we get the opportunity to sees all of the ripples extending out into the untouched waters that one person (or fish-LOL) can make.  Is it ironic that the fish is the Christian symbol?  Just sayin….



He wants us, His princesses, to have life breathed into us, so we can breathe into other people.  Keeping this ripple effect going out in multiple ways….
                           

Each person, creating ripples at their own pace, but spreading quickly with out doing much.  Just making that one drop, and letting him take care of the rest. 

So here is the agenda, read on but please RSVP with an open heart, open mind and know If you are supposed to be at this event- He will put it on your heart.  He will provide daycare, a morning off work, and a life forever changed full of His blessings.  I know, b/c He told me so :-) 


730am-8am  Arrival & Individual Prayer time

Arrive at the Summit Park on Canton Center
We will be meeting in North Pavillion 1
Directions:
From Canton Center Rd. turn on to

Heritage Park Dr
.  Proceed past the fire station.  Take the 2nd left into the parking lot by the Pavillions w/ picnic tables near the soccer fields.
**please be on time** Yes, I will have coffee- there is a reason for starting so early ;)
We will begin with individual prayer time
8am-815am  Breakfast & Fellowship
815am-830am Praise & Worship 1.0
With guest performers…trust me, you don’t want to miss this!
830am-845am  Intercessory Group Prayer –
don’t worry if you are unsure what this is, all you need to do is show up.  Start thinking about if you have any mountains in your life that we need to tell to MOVE!
845-930am Large Group Material/Discussion
930-945am  break
945-10am Guided Meditation

We will learn 2 different ways to meditate:
A) Meditating on scripture
B) Meditating by silencing the mind
(Listen, if I can do it, Type A, non-stop go go go....anyone can do it!)
10am- 1030am 
Yoga for Christians
A peaceful heart leads to healthy body. -Proverbs14:30
Lets STRETCH our way to health!
 *I know what you are thinking....is she for real?  Yes, I am for real.  This retreat is Mind, BODY, And Soul.  This is the 'body' part.  Now let me put the disclaimers:
-it will be Christian yoga lead by a certified yoga instructor
-there will be no chanting or other non-Christian things associated w/ stereotypical yoga.  I have been doing athletic yoga for 8 months and have found it as a way to Praise God and keep my body in tune.  During the Triathlon training I recently completed, I learned there is actually something called "Christian Yoga" who woulda thunk?!
-if you are thinking you are to uncoordinated to do yoga, say a prayer and come anyway- HA.  I promise, anyone can do this, it will be basic.
-if you are thinking there is no way you are physically able to get in a yoga pose, I tell you to come anyway.  This is only 30 minutes and you can just watch if you are physically unable however, this will be VERY beginner style yoga and nothing to outrageous.  I promise you will be able to do most of it even if you have back, hip, knee etc problems.


1030am-1045am Team Prayer in Two’s
*you will find out more the day of
1045am-11am Praise & Worship 2.0
11am-12pm  Lunch Provided and Group Philanthropy project art & craft
12pm dismissal…& lives forever changed J
*this itinerary is tentative.  I trust the Lord will guide our time together and if we need to spend less/more time on one specific area we will do so.
  •   What do you need to bring?
My hope is that everyone can bring 1 friend (or more), A Princess Sister -aka a female friend that is our sister in Christ. This specific retreat is for believers.  We love our seeker friends, but that is for a different time and place. Also bring an open heart, mind and of course your bible.
  • What do I wear? 
Please wear gym/comfy/stretchable clothes.  *no jeans or skirts.  perfect example is yoga/running pants/capris/shorts and a t-shirt/tank-top or light jacket depending on weather.

  •    What do you need to do?
RSVP  here
**Please indicate on this eVite website how many guest you are bringing.  **Note you can edit/update your RSVP guest count anytime you want