The BIG Announcement

Forewarning this post maybe long, but I promise you need to read it in order to know what the ‘next step’ is for our family J

                Before Kevin and I got married, before we were engaged, even before dating separately Kevin and I both felt God leading us to live a life different than the ‘American Dream’… if that even exist any more. Now don’t get me wrong; we wanted kids and a home with that nice white picket fence, but we never foresaw the ‘American job’ that brought in the $$$ in order for us to live the life that America portrays. We have never had the same values for ourselves or for our kids. Just to be blunt, Kevin never saw himself living in America. I have always pictured my husband as a hitch hiker…. A very successful hitch hiker at that.

 So, where is this going? 

                Once Kevin and I were married and both of us graduated college we planned to leave within the next 3 years to work overseas on the mission field. Well here we are 7 years, 3 kids, 1 dog, 1 cat, 1 rabbit, and 2 fish, 3 frogs, and many earthworms later saying the time has come.

 ‘OH MY GOSH they are moving OVERSEAS’, you say

Nope guess again.

                 For about 2 years now Kevin and I have felt our family, our lives, and the path we were on changing. There have been many times that we thought, “oh this is what God is doing,” and quickly we would find out, no there was something else. Through much prayer, toward the end of summer Kevin and I applied to work with a mission organization PIONEERS, in Orlando, Florida. This is a mission organization that we have both traveled with overseas and that we have come to know and love. This ministry has over 2,000 missionaries all over the world.

So, get to the point…

                 OK, here it is our family is moving to Florida to work as missionaries.

 Missionaries in Florida... what?

                 Let me explain. I, Rebecca, have signed on to work with Pioneers nonprofit ministry, Latitudes. Latitudes is in 19 countries around the world helping women and children by bringing them out of tragic situations such as trafficking, slavery, and working with women who have HIV, women who are widows etc. By helping these women we are able to portray the love of Christ and we are able to give them ‘Hope’. By working state side I get the awesome opportunity to help promote Latitudes and the beautiful handcrafted pieces these women make. Kevin will be working in the Mobilization department and taking on a leadership role in recruitment for short term programs as well as long term missionaries.

“Oh my! This is exciting.  How do I find out more?”

                 Great question! First, this blog is one of the best ways to stay connected secondly; we have created for safety reasons a private FB page that we will constantly update. Later this week we will be inviting you our friends and family to 'Join/ Accept' us on the FB page. If for some odd reason you don’t get an invite contact us so that we can make sure you are a part of it.

“Oh, I am just so excited for you. Is there something I can do to help yall…?”

                I love these questions. There is a lot you can do. First, we need Prayer and lots of it… I mean 24 hour, 7 days a week prayer would be great J Seriously, we would love for all of you to partner with us in prayer. One of the best ways to know what our specific prayer needs are is by joining our email list. If you are not already part of the list please contact us and we will add you. Secondly, you can partner with us financially. One of the joys, and I truly do mean JOYS, working with a mission organization is placing your trust in the Lord with everything and that includes finances. Kevin and I are looking for families, single people, churches, and business that are willing to partner with us by helping provided for our family on a monthly basis.

“So when do yall start?”

                As soon as you start!! In order for us to function in these new roles we have to be 100% prayer and fund supported. If you would like to start supporting this mission monthly please write your tax deductible check to Pioneers. In the memo write ‘101431 Woolsey Family’. Please send your check to Pioneers 101 William Carey Dr. Orlando, FL 32832-6931. You can also give online at https://webapps.pioneers.org/DP/Give/giftinformation?name=&AccountID=&amount=

Make sure you put ‘101431’ in the Missionary Account/Project Line and ‘Kevin and Rebecca Woolsey’ next to Name.

                Our family will be traveling during the months of January, February, and March. If you would like us to visit you, your church,  and/ or your business contact us ASAP so that we can get you on the calendar. No place is too far!!! We would love to visit all of you and to tell you more about what God is doing.  

.... Read, Pray, Listen, Worship

Thanksgiving

So we thought we would write a personal blog about our CRAZY, FUN, and Overtiring family J

My name is Rebecca. I am in my late 20’s. I have been married to my best friend, Kevin for over 7 years. Together we have 3 children, Malachi (6), Jeremiah, and Emmalyn (8 months).

Fun facts about me:

               I was 20 when I got married… no I was not ‘knocked up’ I was head over hills for Kevin and could not wait any longer to say, ‘I do’ J

               I am an extreme extrovert!! When I stayed at home with my son for 2 years I found every excuse to get out of the house just so that I could be around people, besides my little one.

               I see the glass half full. Always have and always will.

               I have never dyed my hair and I don’t have tattoos nor do I desire to have one, but I have always wanted a nose ring. Maybe one day I will get one.

               I drive a minivan and I love it!! Best thing ever!!

               I love the mountains and the beach!

               Oh and most importantly I love FOOD!!! But you would never know it by just looking at me J

Malachi is 6 and is in K5. He is not married ;-) but has many girls who want to marry him!! However, he says he loves his sister and wants to marry her when they get older…. TRUST ME we are working on this miss-communication about marriage!!

               Malachi is a wild man! He is full of energy and has no clue when to stop.

               Malachi loves tempera tattoos. When he was potty training you could easily find around 5 on him because they were of course a better reward than stickers. I foresee in the future when he is out of the house getting one or possible many.

               Malachi loves to be the Superhero. He owns over 8 Superhero customs and he wears one daily!

               Malachi loves the beach and the mountains!! He is always asking to go to grandpas with the white hair house to go play in the snow… code for my grandpa and grandma’s house which is located along the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC.

               Malachi loves his cousin Madeline. I honestly think she is his best friend!!

Emmalyn is 8 months… soon to be 9 months. She is the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen! She is our rainbow.

               Emmalyn has the sweetest personality!! She is always smiling and easily attracts anyone and everyone in the room to her!!

               Emmalyn can crawl, stand up on her own, hold her bottle (when she really wants’ to), and she talks all the time!! I am working on getting her to say; ‘mommy’, but SHHH don’t tell Kevin ;-) Recently, she has started using the ‘all done’ sign… I cannot tell you how happy I was when she did it twice in one day.

               Emmalyn loves all animals. We have a cat, dog, and rabbit. She gets so excited to see them. Her favorite is the rabbit, but that could be because the rabbit can’t run from her due to him being in a cage. She visits the rabbit at least twice a day and brings him toys such as the cat toys and Malachi’s car’s.

               Emmalyn’s favorite toy is a boy precious moment doll that sings, ‘Now I lay me down to sleep’… which is quiet fitting for our family.

              

Kevin is in his early 30’s. He is a very handsome man and I am one lucky lady to have married him J

               Kevin has a nice little white triangle on the right side of his head and his beard is beginning to have white hairs too. I predict him looking like the actor Richard Gear as he gets older.

               Kevin has always wanted a big family and is already asking when we will have another child… crazy right; Emmalyn is only 8 months old… maybe adoption?

               Even though he will not tell you nor will he admit it Kevin is born to be a leader. He is full of knowledge and wisdom.

               Kevin sees the glass half empty. He is always looking for ways to make the glass half full.

               Kevin has 2 tattoos, both reflect toward God. Unless he takes his shirt off you would never know they are there.

               Kevin has always wanted dreadlocks. He attempted to grow his hair out when were dating but due to jobs he has had to leave the thought of having them.

               Oh and one more fun fact, Kevin was a lifeguard when he was in his early 20’s…. let’s just say every girl wanted to be at the pool when he was on duty ;-)

Fun facts about our family as a whole…

               We are very adventurous… Together we love to rock climb. We are willing and have quiet our jobs to follow the Lord overseas. As a family we have been overseas for 2 vision trips, but separately we have been overseas 8+ times. We love fishing, hiking, camping, and whatever else!

               All of us love food and will eat anything. We are not picky eaters (however there are times Malachi will challenge that statement). We find that the food we love the most is not American.  

               For the most part we are not afraid of anything, but at the same time we have faced some of our worst fears.

               We are constantly sending balloons to Jeremiah. Some have messages placed inside them. We no longer have to encourage Malachi to send balloons to his brother; he freely sends the balloons to him… For Malachi’s recent birthday I bought 16 balloons… 11 of those went to Jeremiah per Malachi’s request.  

               As a whole we love the Lord! It would be really odd if there was a day we did not talk or sing about Jesus. Malachi keeps us on our toes on how Bible stories are shared to him or children in general (ie ‘Fisher of Men’ does not mean Jesus ate men!!!.... YES, this was a recent topic in our home a few months ago).

Fun facts about our home…

               You will always find at least 2 loads of clean laundry unfolded and a large pile of dirty laundry in the corner of our bedroom.

               There will always be dishes in the sink no matter how hard I try.

               There are always toys in our yard… yes we are that family.

               There is not a tree or a bush my son has not peed on!

               There is baby snack food all over the floor from where my daughter has oh so excitingly thrown them.

               Oh and our couch is a scratching post for our cat, which drives all of us crazy.

              

Now that you have made it this far, if you have made it this far, you will find there is really no point to this blog other than to show you what a normal yet unique family we are. There is not a thing I would change! In the spirit of Thanksgiving I can honestly say I am thankful for everything listed above J

Happy Early Thanksgiving!

 

Too much light...

Back in the day during Jesus time people used olive oil to light their lamps (Exodus 27:20). If you are like me, you have probably never used olive oil to light a lamp. Once I did a little research, I discovered using olive oil in my lamp would drive me crazy!!! Olive Oil only produces enough light to reflect on the step you are standing on. Nothing in front of you and nothing behind you would be able to be seen. Not to be to American here, but um… I need a light house. I need to see into the far distance. I need to see all that is in front of me, beside me and behind me. I am a planner, so, if I am driving down the road and I can’t see the deer 20 feet in front of me how would I know to slow down or even stop. I mean really a flashlight would be way better then Olive Oil. Did you read that? ‘I need’, ‘I need’, and ‘I need’. Olive Oil is just like God and His enlightment/ provision. What I mean by this is God reveals a little bit as we go. He allows us to have the ‘free will’ to choose which direction we want to go, but he only sheds enough light on those options. Once we choose and step forward, then he will shed the next bit of light and on and on. I like most of you scream, ‘But God I need to see all my options and what will happen if I head down this path or this path.’ God knows that if he shed’s too much light we would not be able to handle it, just like we were not able to handle all the ‘knowledge’ we received from the ‘tree of knowledge of good and evil’ in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2-3). Honestly, the snake made that fruit look amazing! ‘“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.’ Eve had all her options in front of her. She already knew what was down path # 1; she was already living on path #1. The snake revealed to her what would happen if she chose path #2 ‘your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’. Unfortunately, she was shed to much light, deception, and she choose path #2. A path that all of creation has suffered from. Proverbs 3:6 tells us, Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.… Back to the deer in the road… I am traveling down the road and 20 feet in front of me is a deer in the road. I cannot see it, but I am trusting God to direct my path…. You and I know that if I can’t see it I won’t be able to slow down, honk my horn, or swerve. Therefore, I will surely hit it…Guess what 15 feet in front of me is another path. I am holding my lit olive oil lamp looking at my options. I can either continue down path #1 or move to path #2. So, what should I do? I pray Proverbs 3:6 and I ask God to direct my path. I tune out the worldly noises and I listen for His still steadfast voice so that I know I will hear his voice clearly. Once I hear Him, then and only then will I choose my path. (*note from Kevin) God has not called us to comfort, he has called us to trust and obey despite our comfort level. He cannot direct our paths if we are not moving. So take a step, and let Him direct as He so majestically does. This is what we are doing as a family, and I have to thank my beautiful wife for pushing me to regain the faith I had when I first trusted God with my life. I now am challenged daily as he directs my path leading this family. And I challenge every person to ask the questions I have had to ask myself daily. What can’t I trust God with? Why? How BIG is this Living God that I serve? Have I limited Him in my thinking? Why? READ, PRAY, LISTEN, WORSHIP

While joining a group of women in a bible study this week I couldn't help but be drawn to a passage of scripture where a women who did not know the Lord decided to 'Listen' and take a leap of faith. I can see an image of a two story home made with branches and leaves. From the second story window over the cities wall hung a red rope. I invasion this rope being bright red all the while knowing it was more than likely dull and well used. This very rope was hanging from Rahab’s window. The Lord sent Joshua and his men into the city of Jericho to spy out the land with doing so they meet a harlot, Rahab. We don’t know how Joshua met Rahab but what we do know is that Rahab choose to trust the Lord of Joshua’s even though she did not know who this God was personally. She and the people of Jereicho had heard about how the God of Joshua had brought his people out of Egypt and had dried the seas in order for them to cross safely. In chapter 2 of Joshua it says that she believed that ‘neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.’ Courage is the very word that God had spoken over Joshua and his people. And the Lord said, ‘Be strong and of a good courage’… these words were spoken 5 times throughout Joshua 1 & 2. These are the words that brought Rahab and her family to believe in the God of heaven above and in earth beneath. These are also the words that I believe God has been speaking to me and my family over the past several months... to be strong and courageous. Kevin and I have been praying over our little family specifically about our next season in life. I don’t know about you but seasons can be exciting and somewhat scary. So, I am choosing to take Rahab's and Joshua's advise and ‘Listen’ to our Lord and to be ‘strong and courageous’. We ask that you join us in prayer. Pray for God to speak clearly, for there to be no confusion (God is not the author of confusion- 1 Cor. 14:33), and for God to give us a direct path to our next season/step in life. Also, pray for us as a family to be still and 'listen' to our God. READ, PRAY, LISTEN, and WORSHIP

Back 2 Basics

Last week I was given the awesome opportunity to preach at our local church. It is not the first time, hopefully won’t be the last, but it was one of the most challenging times for me personally to share a message. I could not have imagined how powerfully God would stir up things that he has been building in me, and yet as sure as brain freeze from a slushy, God had a plan. For years I have worked jobs I did not feel were relevant to my purpose, and for years my wonderful wife has patiently whispered, “Gods training you for something great!” Ok, so yes at times she has literally had to yell it at me, because I suffer from thick head syndrome. It’s like I have been looking at the whole puzzle in disappointment thinking that the pieces are completely missing, or maybe I got the wrong box; all the while holding the exact next piece in my hand. When I came to Christ, broken and ashamed of whom I was, he ignited a passion in me immediately to tell others about His forgiveness. For years I let that passion lead me to the ends of the earth, knowing that my place was out there among the lost. I never really fit in church, and honestly a lot of my closest friends aren’t Christians. I’m not the typical American, I mean I know we need money to pay our bills and “live,” but in general I feel that even that is a lie. How much faith does it take to believe that God will provide when I know I earn X dollars per year and these are my expenses? I am not saying money is “evil,” but it may at times hinder our faith in God and set other “gods” up as the object of our faith. So this opportunity to preach took me back to my beginning, or should I say the beginning of Christ in me. I came to Christ when I came to an understanding that the foundation of Christian living was not how much I knew about scripture, but instead how much I could trust in Christ and how able he is to forgive, even me. There is an old hymn my Grandmother sang and I grew up singing in church, though I did not understand it. “It only takes a spark to get a fire going And soon all those around will warm up in its glowing That’s how it is with God’s love Once you've experienced it You want to sing Its fresh like Spring You want to pass it on!” I have to ask myself some simple questions What am I doing with that spark? Have I forgotten the warmth that I was so passionately compelled to share? I cannot ignore the fact that God has a great purpose for every one of us; to display His glory to the rest of mankind. I have been a coward at times and hidden from this high calling that is placed on every person that finds themselves burdened by the name “little Christ.” We have painted this beautiful landscape with rolling hills and low hanging fruit, and we deemed this worthless portrait “The Christian Life.” And so the world now has no clue how such a loving God could allow suffering and loss, when in fact it is one of the only things we are promised when we FOLLOW after Christ. Check out: John 12:23-26, 1 Peter 2:21 So as I prepared a message on the fundamentals of a relationship with God, I looked up from the bottom of the pit of American dreams realizing I had willingly walked right off the cliff, and left the basics of who Christ has called me to be. Start Climbing, the dream is worthless and the pit is dry! Colossians 1:27 “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” Read Pray Listen Worship