31 Days of Infusing Faith into your Home

for the next 31 days I'll be finding creative ways to infuse faith into my home, 

and sharing it all here with you!

INFLUENCE

INFLUENCE...

This one word will never mean the same thing to me again.  What a powerful world it already is, but now- for me, there is so much more meaning behind it.  I was able to attend (kind of on a whim) this year's "Influence Conference" in Indianapolis for three short days.  My siesta sister KK 

has pretty much everything to do with how I got here but there are actually a lot of spokes in the wheel of why I ended up at this conference.  However, I don't think I can transpose all of that into words right now...maybe for another day.  I have learned I actually don't love blogging- it doesn't come easy to me.  With that said, sorry I never finished my Luke series ;) The Influence Network puts on this conference- and let me tell you, they do it well!  I took many notes for my own mini retreat I do here in Michigan every year with my local community.  Read more about Ripple Retreat here!  One common thread I noticed over the weekend is that women were made for community. (scripture even tells us so in Gen 28:3, Heb 10:24, Rom 12:3-13)

I am SO Blessed I have a great local community with like minded women right here in my town via the Princess Posse, MOPS at my church, my on-campus women's ministry bible study group, and my HUGE church family that feels very small b/c I know many of them on a deep level :-)  I never take for granted that I am blessed to have such great women right at my fingertips, but it was also GREAT to walk with women from all over the country who share similar hopes & hearts with all different backgrounds.

Towards the beginning of September, I posed a FB status with something along the lines of "whoa, I was exposed to a new world today.  I need to find time to invest in this world- something will have to give."  That is truly where this all began.  I was exposed to the online community of HUNDREDS of like-minded woman who were blogging about so many different things that were SO relateable to me.  First and foremost, these women LOVE Jesus more than anything.  Next, many of them are moms and LOTS of them are hilarious sharing mom stories.  

Here are a few of their info cards (first of all- this idea is brilliant for this community, just sayin...)

and here is a copy of mine- thank you again KK for the digital help creating this (sooo not my talent)

 

(oh, and you may notice this matches the new design of my blog...again, hats off to my KK! My head was literally SPINNING as she coppied this code here, and that code there.  She did teach me how to do a lot, but will I remember is the question, lol)

Some of these women have passion to give back to their local community or communities over seas that so badly need help.  What a fresh reminder that we, as Americans, are sooooo freakin' spoiled we are often oblivious to what is going on NOT in our own backyard.  < I'm sure that sentence is not grammatically correct, roll with it anyway...

Here is a quick pic of just a few of the oganizations we were exposed to over the weekend.  My heart pounded for every single one of them:

 

 Here are their links if you have some extra time on your hands and want to see how you can HELP make a difference in this giant world:

• UMBA
• Two Little Fish Baby/Toddler bedding
• MOCHA CLUB
• Center for Global Impact (CGI)
• adie's lovelies 

 just to name a few...

But one that literally brought me to tears was Sole Hope.  You may have heard of them before, their mission is to create shoes which are shipped to communities in Africa.  Many children here get jiggers in their feet which lead to so many issues, this is one easy and simple way we can help.  Check out their link above to learn more.  I also bought a shoe making kit (for only $10 ya'll...) for my family to participate in at Christmas- what a great way we can serve others during a time of year where we will receive so much.  Lord, let me have a servants heart all year round!

This is KK and I on night one at the welcome party where we got to meet the founder of Sole Hope, actually participate in a shoe making party and watch videos of the entire process from start-finish.  A-MAZE-ING.

we were making shoes out of jean fabric. Recycling at it's finest=awesome!

 

You can get involved by having a party with a purpose too if you want, more deets here

I have been exposed to serving the less fortunate first hand on two separate global mission trips- you can read about those here.  SO right away my heart started to beat loudly at the desire to do.  Before I type one more sentence let me be very clear that I have been learning lately that we can NOT do 1000 things well.  We are not created to be superwoman or superman.  So don't sink down in your chair right now thinking this is going to be one of those posts where I try to inspire you to do more.  In fact, I am at a place in my journey where I need to start doing less.  I need to do less so that I can do what is on my plate VERY well.  But more importantly- I need to do what I am led to do.  I learned this weekend that no where in the Bible do we hear "follow your dreams" in fact, that is very self centered and the exact opposite of how we are taught in the word.  There are MANY scriptures that direct us to just simply follow Him.  I'm sorry if you are super bummed out right now, but that is the truth.  Culture tells us to do more for our self all the time so that is ultimately why we have that mindset, and of course because we are living in the flesh and have a natural tendency to be self focused.  All of us.  Let me also throw out a little disclaimer before I get any hate mail, that I am a believer in taking care of yourself SO THAT you can take care of others.  There is just certainly a distinction between taking care of yourself (mentally, physically & spiritually) and being self centered.  I am not perfect, I have a very bumpy past but one thing is for sure- I strive to be a better person daily.   

Alright, let's get to the fun stuff...

So at the  The Influence Conference I was able to meet some of these women in real life.  Shake their hands, hug their necks, cry with some of them, laugh with a LOT of them, drink lots of coffee (the goodstuff, we had bottomless Starbucks ya'll...) and learn with them.  I learned SOOOOOOO much I am still processing it all.  I took SO many notes- Lord knows I barely remember what I ate for lunch two days ago- I need to keep refreshing my memory with these notes.  

The conference wasn't only about exposure to ways in which we can help, it was about teaching some good truths!  It was about the power of YOUR influence.  Everyone has influence- but what will you do with yours?  My cup was filled up, my heart was broken, my world was changed.  I came home so grateful for not only the opportunity to even attend this conference, but so grateful for my sweet sweet family who was waiting for me at the airport and for a heart that knows my Jesus.  I have learned over the years how to hear his voice.  In fact that is one of my scripture memory cards right now- see:

yes, i'm very aware that I have 3rd grade (at best) handwriting

Yep, I have a direct dial.  So can YOU- message me if you want some tips on how to get started.  Alright, where was I?  I swear sometimes I think I chase shiny objects like a cat....

I roomed up with 2 siesta sisters whom I have NEVER met.  

Jenny from Oklahoma & Amanda from San Diego-

Talk about leaving your comfort zone & walking blindly by faith.... even if we were hardly in our room except to sleep and wash up.  I lucked out, these two ladies were FAB!  We were a perfect blend representing women who come to this conference.  Jenny is a blogger and has a large "following" at http://jennycollier.com/  Amanda is not a blogger and has NO intention of starting one- she just loves reading others :-) and I am somewhere in the middle as far as blogging is concerned...I just love to go anywhere I know Jesus is gonna show up! (Matt 18:20)

Roomin up with strangers is the norm at a conference like this- people are going WAY out of their comfort zone just to get a glimpse into the life He has designed for us.  Whatever that looks like- whether it be how to bring Him into your own business, or the career you already have, into your family and parenting techniques, into your heart, into your marriage...the list is never ending.   I think I sprinkled into all of those buckets as the speakers & ladies I met poured into me.

One of the most profound for me (although I seriously LOVED every single session) was from Hailey- check out her blog here.  Her message 

here she is in action!

spoke to me on SO many levels but if I had to pick just ONE takeaway to share with you it was the illustration of the rope.  I need to get better at trying to bring the rope to myself, instead- let God push me forward towards that rope.  I am a control freak by nature.  Sometimes that makes me win in life- other times, it makes me fail.  I often try to (subconsciously) control myself in or out of situations.  Sometimes this works- other times I just end up creating opposition for myself and/or others.  Hailey described this as pulling the rope towards us.  If we rest and have peace that God will do the work- He will make things happen...according to His great timing!  Note to self: don't pull the rope towards me!

I have a sick baby girl today so I won't have time to write about ALL that I learned but hope that YOU can join me at the conference next year to see first hand how AWESOME this was!  Don't even get me started on the swag bag we received too- so much fun stuff!

A few more quick takeaways in bullet style ...

• Lara Casey of http://laracasey.com/ is amazing and puts on a separate workshop called MAKE THINGS HAPPEN ...this kind of relates to my idea earlier about DO'ing.  She gave us a short version of her intensive workshop and I had a MAJOR breakthrough that I would bet, will get its own post one day as it spoke about my God Size Purpose and relates directly to my adoption story.
• Jeff Goins book "the IN BETWEEN" is amaze so far.  At first, I brushed it off like "oh, this is not where I am in life..." but little did I know this is EXACTLY where I am!  Ck it out here
• Getting to meet Shauna Niequist in person was so cool, I love her book Bread & Wine and am grateful I snagged a free copy at the conference!  http://www.shaunaniequist.com/
• our work can become simple...which means success can become simple too.  WHEN you let the Lord direct your steps.  But, with all that said- nothing in this world that is great is easy.  Simple and easy two separate adjectives.
• Your father does NOT want you to fear at all.  Especially about the gifts he has blessed you with.  One of those gifts being His dream for Your life.
• We can strive to be like the Proverbs 31 girl but know that we are human and all make mistakes...keep striving forward and don't look backwards (unless it is to learn) and don't look sideways to compare (unless you look sideways to pull someone along w/ you)

speaking of Prov 31 girl, I have time to post two more quick pics from Jessi's session which was nothing less than spectacular.  Jessi is HILARIOUS check out here blog here

blowing these up so you can actually see them

blowing these up so you can actually see them

• You never "arrive" at your promise land- life is a constant journey.  Embrace & cherish those in between moments.  Keep living while you wait...
• The more I take in the less I experience.  Be great at some things, not good at many..go ahead and think about that one for a sec
  
• let my core be my compass and keep my eyes on Him
• WE ALL HAVE THE POWER TO INFLUENCE- GO AHEAD AND LET TODAY BE THE START!

ps all photos were taken with my iPhone so don't hate if they aren't that good ;)

Luke Chapter 2

LUKE CHAPTER 2

Chapter two begins with the story on The Birth of Jesus.  Familiar or not, I still found new little nuggets of gold through out this story.  Through out the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke & John all tell their perspective on events going on at the time.  A reading from the Book of Luke at Christmas time is a favorite in many households...including my own.  We still read the story right from Kaylee's preschool Bible because A) her attention span is about 3 seconds and B) she loves the pictures.  If you have children and don't already have a children's bible for them, I highly recommend picking one up.  Scripture tells us "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." (Prov. 22:6)  This is one easy way to encourage your children and teach them at a level that is relevant.  In Luke Chapter 2 vs. 10 I love when the angel told the shepherds "Do not be afraid."  I mean, can you imagine if an angel appeared to you whether it be broad day-light or under the moon-lit sky?  I think I would be a bit freaked out as well!  Comforting to know God cares about our human fears!  Whew!  I checked the study notes for this verse just out of curiosity and it said "Fear was the common reaction to angelic appearances and encouragement was needed."  (Zondervan study Bible, 1985, 1995, 2002.)

A Journey Through the Book of Luke

A Journey Through the Book of Luke- chapter by chapter

After a recent talk from one of our pastors, (watch the talk here) I was inspired to take a journey through the Book of Luke chapter by chapter.  Although this may seem boring on the outskirts, I was actually quite surprised how much was coming to life off of the pages of my seasoned study Bible.  Many of the stories I have heard a million times, but when I was actually paying attention to the details- it was that which was captivating!  Pastor Paul Black encouraged us to journal our journey (...say that 5x fast) so I started doing just that.  Then I thought- why not publicly post this for anyone else who may want to follow along.  The entries will be short and sweet but full of goodies.  I am not and never was, a history lover (if there was ever a way to get out of extra history courses in hs or college- trust me, I found a way!) but something about studying the history of biblical times is just inspiring, encouraging and it just helps you to kind of understand this thing called the bible a bit more- and we could alllllll use a little of that, right?  Oh and one more thing- I am also not a grammar lover- I mean, I want to love it, but I am just not a natural.  So I'll per-apologize if I have all kinds of grammatical errors in these post.  One of these days maybe I'll get an editor- HA!

So, let's begin! (disclaimer- this is going to totally be a copy of my notes therefore, very raw and probably a bit all over the place)

Reversal of Destiny!

A Reversal of Destiny!

I encountered a reversal of destiny on June 11, 2012 at apx 8:20pm.  Pretty specific, I know.  The thing is, I know exactly the date and time because it was one of my regular bible study meetings with my Princess Posse.  I know the time, b/c every other Monday we watch a video from 7:30-8:30pm and this particular week, my reversal of destiny occurred in the last few minutes of the video.  Pretty sure I will never ever forget that moment.  The Princess Posse is currently studying the Book of Esther with Beth Moore as our virtual leader.  If anyone were to ask me “Who is your mentor?”-  I would be quick to respond that Beth is certainly one of mine.  Although I have never met her in person, it feels as though we have been lifelong friends.  You may be thinking weird…but I can tell you I have heard many of my sisters say this same thing.  When we are doing our weekly homework, we can literally hear her talking as we read the words she scribed on the pages of our workbook.  This woman has no doubt discovered her God given talents of writing and teaching.  I have learned so much through her teaching that I have decided to teach myself.  I use that word VERY loosely b/c my group knows best, I hate the pressure of calling myself their teacher.  It’s more like a facilitator to me.  But nonetheless, yep, I lead the Princess Posse every other Monday night as we dig through the pages of the living word that has for sure, no doubt, changed all of our lives.  If you want to know why in the world we call ourselves princesses- read more HERE.

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 2^nd 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.