Underwood Adventures - God Moved...We Followed

Join us as we experience God's transforming love and grace in the lives of children and families at Legacy Ranch! Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. God moved...we followed...   People used to see our "large" family of five children and make comments about how many children we had. They would ask questions like, "Are you done yet?" You know, implying that five is, well, too many.  To this question I would reply, "I don't know what God has in store for us.  Maybe we'll adopt or foster children. Who knows?"   That went on for years.  Somehow...I knew God had something in mind for us.  I thought...maybe adopting a little girl from India? Never did it occur to me that I would be fostering multiple children and that I would have a house full of twelve!   So what happened? How did we get here? Honestly, the only thing I can say is that God moved...in many ways, and especially, He moved us.  It was quick, but it was a result of years of preparation. It was God speaking loudly about things I never sought out on my own.  It was Daimeian and I having hearts that had been changing and growing with greater love for our Father and His will for our lives. It was God moving in the hearts of my children.  It was the culmination of a huge vision and a big heart moving Mariah Wilde, someone God put in our path about 12 years ago and then again at the end of 2011. It was God ordaining steps along the way to bring us all together and start a new journey of serving Him through loving and caring for His abused and neglected children.  It is now, our family serving at Mariah's dream ranch for foster children.  It is now our family, serving Him daily and even more...it is our learning to trust and lean on the strength, wisdom, love and peace of our Father in Heaven so that other children can know the of the perfect love of their true Father.   Daimeian and I have always felt that God had something planned for us to take on as a couple, and as a family.  We wondered for years how that would happen and it didn't seem like this foreshadowing of a different life was anywhere near in our future as Daimeian continued to plug away at Dell and we continued to lead and be involved in numerous venues of ministry, homeschooling, child-rearing and living as a family in modern America. There were a few indicators that movement might happen soon. Then - I had a dream.  A short quick vision if you will.  In this dream/vision, I stood in my kitchen...my very EMPTY kitchen...and faced EMPTY walls all around me.  God said, "Go, you're leaving tomorrow."  That's it.  "WOW, that's quick!" was all that came to mind.  Daimeian and I used to talk about the what if's of our future as it pertained to possible calls that God might give us.  Daimeian would ask, "What if God called us to Africa? Would you go?"  My response was, "Uh...I'm not feeling Africa honey."  Honestly, I felt like God had something for us in America that would be a way to serve and minister to others and preach the gospel.  I also believed that it wouldn't look like what we were already doing, or what we knew others were doing.  It would be something different and something God specifically called us to.  Over the 14 years of our marriage, the thoughts of what this would be came to the forefront of my mind on occasion and I took them as an opportunity to check my heart with God.  "Could I leave everything I know and do something else because God asked me to?  Could I trust God to provide financially over a corporate job? Could i act quickly if God wanted me to? Could I trust Him with the details and the provision rather than my own overworked and exhausted brain?"  I had hoped I would when the time came, but I just wasn't so sure.   Then the call came, and it truly was fast. I knew in about 10 seconds that my life was going to be forever altered and I couldn't go back. It was clear that God was telling me to act and if I didn't, I would be in disobedience to my Father.  It was clear instantly to Daimeian as well.  Doors opened everywhere we looked.  God was moving all around us and it was clear we were supposed to go.  That this was a specific calling for us.  He moved in us and He literally moved us.  Within two months we were trained and moved.  Now, here we are with currently 11 children in the home.  We have 8 foster children in our care currently and have fostered 3 more who are no longer here and have cared for another teen boy who lived with us for some time.  Three of our five children live with us and our oldest is about to move in to be our "manny".  We were maxed out at 12 children in the home a few months ago and had two nannies to assist us through the summer.  A summer that was BY FAR AND AWAY the HARDEST summer I have ever experienced.  It was also a summer of seeing my need for God at a deeper level and on a more consistent basis.  Not that my need changed, but my ability to see how great that need has changed.   My life is dramatically different than I ever thought it would be, or expected. Why? Because God chose to take me places I hadn't planned on. By following in obedience to his leading, I am growing more. I have become more aware of my own selfishness and have seen the blessings of letting go of my desires and trusting them in the hands of my Father. I see His awesomeness more. God laid His life down for mine. As a result I can enjoy His forgiveness and eternity in heaven. How can I live without laying my life down for others so as to make His glory known and hopefully bring others to heaven with me?  I can no longer listen to songs like, "I Want to Live Like That", or "Give Me Your Eyes" or "I Will Follow" without giving of myself for the sake of others, for the sake of Jesus.   Each of us is called to serve and to love Him. He desires us to know Him. to love Him and to share Him with others.  My heart's cry is that all would hear the voice of the Father and respond to Him. That we would recognize His voice and that we would trust His leading.  The rewards of a life laid down for Christ cannot be put into words and it overwhelms me with joy and amazement daily. If you call yourself a follower of Christ, do not wonder why things are happening.  Wonder what God would have you learn during that time and how we wants you to move in the future.    Seek Him. Draw near to Him. Move when He moves. FOLLOW HIM where he takes you!  Peace & Healing Please pray with us for the many children that come through Legacy Ranch. Pray for safety, healing and the Lord's transforming work in the hearts and lives. Isaiah 40:8-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Follow on Twitter | Friend on Facebook | Forward to Friend  Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|**|END:IF|* *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Book Review : The Love & Respect Experience : A Husband-Friendly Devotional that Wives Truly Love

A generally good book for spouses willing to work on and improve their marriage.

Emerson Eggerichs best-selling and life changing book “Love & Respect” has been followed by the book “The Language of Love and Respect: Cracking the Communication Code with Your Mate” and now a Love & Respect devotional tailored to be enjoyable for both husbands and wives.  This lovely imitation-leather bound book is a great addition and can be beneficial in keeping the concepts learned from the book and / or seminars alive and worked out in marriage.  

Wives are generally more interested in reading a devotional book with their spouse, as they are more likely to desire the emotional connection that comes from doing so.  Dr. Eggerichs purposed to tailor this book more towards men with the thought that the wives would follow along.  He cautions the wives in their expectations after first encouraging husbands.  This is followed by suggestions for using the devotional book on your own terms.  Rather than 365 devotions to complete every day for a year, he recommends going through at your own pace and provides a variety of suggestions such as; reading it together or separately and taking notes, using Insights for discussion starters, and so on.  My husband and I decided to take one chapter and read it repeatedly for a few nights until we were ready to move on.  This gave us the opportunity to let the concepts stick a little better and perhaps think of new ways to act it out.

I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, the “Love & Respect” book.  My husband and I also attended the DVD seminar through our church.  Both were great and I would go through them again as a refresher.  As a result, I found the devotional something handy for the purposes of continuing to practice the concepts taught.  Had I not read the book or gone to the seminar, I might have found the information to touch lightly on subjects that really need further coverage.  The intent is surely more to encourage spouses to follow the principles and to see the blessings of them in a marriage.  It should be noted that while the book discusses biblical principles and each chapter begins with a scripture passage as a theme, it is not a book that delves deeply into scripture by any means.

Primarily, I believe this book is helpful for someone who is willing to look at the part they have to play in a marriage and consider changes of their own.  If both spouses are willing to work at their marriage, the concepts presented here are foundational and potentially life changing. If your marriage is already rocky, I do think that reading the book and working through the devotional book, on your own, could be of great benefit  as well because we all have something we could improve on and areas in our life that need Christ to a deeper degree.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Underwood Adventures - Newsletter #1 - March 2, 2012

Join us as we experience God's transforming love and grace in the lives of children and families at Legacy Ranch! Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. The Underwood Family is MOVING! Fifteen years to the day, I will move from my first home into a new one to begin new adventures with my family! When God wants to move you, He may really MOVE you!  Seventeen years ago I moved from MN to TX.  Texas?  Hmmm... I always loved Mexican food, but Texas?!?  Fifteen years ago God led me to purchase a home for my two boys and I.  At the time it seemed too much for us.  We moved from 900 sq feet to just under 1800 and had plenty of room to spare for the three of us.  Well, as always God knew what He was doing and I just needed to follow along.  Only a few weeks after buying the home in Pflugerville, I met my love and my best friend, Daimeian Underwood.  Ten months after that we were married and he moved into the home.  Occasionally his son Christian would join us.  A few more years and we would add Liana and Riley to the home.  In the last year or so, Tyler moved out, Christian moved to CO and we added a sixteen year old boy named Cody.  NOW - God has called us to move to a much larger home on a ranch near Luling & Gonzales, Texas! For seventeen years I thought I'd move back north someday. I always had the thought in the back of my mind that we would move somewhere, but didn't know when or why.  Over the last couple of years it was impressed upon me to clean out and purge many items in the home as well as organize as much as possible.  In January I had a dream that I was standing in our kitchen and the whole house was empty.  God said, "Go, you're leaving tomorrow."  That's all.  Just move - quickly! Hmmmmm....I've asked myself many times over the years, would I be ready and willing to go when and were God tells me to?  Would I be able to trust my husband's leading when it was time to go?  What if it's not where I wanted to go?  What if it wasn't NORTH!?  Well, after reading through the book Radical by David Platt with my husband I knew I needed to be ready for whatever in order to serve God at a deeper level. So, I surrendered my dream of a cooler and greener climate to the Lord so I could be content in our home and serve God faithfully without constantly wondering when I could move north of Austin, TX. A few days after surrendering, it was clear that God was leading our family an hour south!  SOUTH!?! What? How? Why? When? Where?  My mind was racing the moment I read it, the website that began what will change my life forever.  God led me to the website FamilyLinkKids.com Friday morning, January 27th.  On the page for this Christian foster and adoption agency founded by friends of ours was information about Legacy Ranch, the culmination of a vision in waiting for Mariah Wilde, and unknowingly, for our family.  Legacy Ranch sits on 156 acres on the San Marcos river.  The property will host residential families to foster large sibling groups as well seniors on site, retreats for foster families, trainings on site, organic gardening, 4H, activities, skill training, horses, cows, chickens...and the list just seems to go on. AMAZING RIGHT?!  Minister to kids, share the gospel, learn to tend the land... WOW! So here it is one month later and the licensing process is nearly done.  Our oldest son Tyler will move into our home and manage it as a rental.  Currently we believe that all rooms will be rented. We are excited about the ones who will be living there and are praying for them as two are brothers and will be starting their own business from our home. This last week Tanner, Liana, Riley and I spent time with my parents in KS.  We aren't sure when we'll get to see them again due to the number of kids we will be fostering and their overall health.  We celebrated my mom's 70th birthday while we were there and I am glad we were able to be with her.  Over the next month we pack and move and prepare for an amazing adventure of fostering mulitple children.   By the end of March we hope to be moved in and ready to take in several siblings that have been, or would be, separated. Throughout the moving process and throughout our time once we are there, we, and everyone at the ranch, will need your prayers. We ask for prayers for strength, peace and discernment as we encounter challenges of parenting and challenges of helping the hurting heal.  Please also pray for the children and families that come through our home that they would be blessed and experience God's grace and mercy and healing.  We seek to be faithful servants of the Lord as we minister to many. Are you able to help with renovations? Painting? Building?  Our family has been down to the ranch several times to assist in preparing the homes that are currently on site. FamilyLink is in need of workers to paint, clean, build and install things.  Buildings will need to be built for the community center and additional residential housing.  We'd love to see several people come out each weekend to help prepare the current facitilities for move in and to help build the future homes and recreational center.  We'd love to see you!   FamilyLink is also in need of financial contributions and your prayers for favor in the grant process so that they can have the necessary funds to build additional buildings that are part of the big vision. If you are a Dell employee FamilyLink is set up to receive matched contributions through Direct Giving. Yay! Twice the impact. Our family is moving into the host home.  This building is quite large and will be the hub of activity for families and volunteers that come out to the ranch.  It's exciting to be moving into a spacious place, but it will also be pretty empty with regards to furnishings.  Moving into this home and serving a variety of ages of children will require furrniture and other items we simply don't have and don't have the money to purchase.  Please pray for these needs to be met. The following items are things we need or desire to have for the home.  If you have these and can donate them please let me know.  If you can help get the word out as well and help us find them, that would be awesome! Bunk Beds Twin Beds Toddler Beds Crib Changing Table Couch set (s) Nice comfy chairs for living areas End Tables Dressers Nightstands Baby/Toddler Toys Toddler picnic table / play kitchen / playground pieces etc. Baby / Infant items like bouncy seat, exersaucers, boppy pillow etc. Car seats / Infant seats / Booster seats Bedding (sheets, pillowcases, etc) Fridge / Freezer (preferrably one with freezer as a bottom drawer and refrigerator on top.) We also need to find a 15 passenger van at a really good deal, or have one donated. This one is needed very soon and we have no funds to purchase one! Trusting God for this. Items we would like to have, but aren't necessary : King size bedframe Bosch Mixer (Mine died and I liked to make homemade bread with this. I want to teach the kids how to do so as well.) Piano (would love for the kids to learn how to play and for the family to play music together) Thank you for taking the time to read the beginning of our adventures. Yes, this is just the beginning.  I've been asked several times if I'm prepared for this big change and for the move and my response is, "I don't think anyone can really be prepared for something like this.  BUT - I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that God called us to this mission and to this location.  Therefore I KNOW that God will show up and is able to provide us what we need while we are there!" May His name be praised and His works be accomplished! Peace & Healing Please pray with us for the many children that come through Legacy Ranch. Pray for safety, healing and the Lord's transforming work in the hearts and lives. Isaiah 40:8-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Follow on Twitter | Friend on Facebook | Forward to Friend  Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|**|END:IF|* *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Book Review : When the Hurt Runs Deep - Healing and Hope for Life's Desperate Moments by Kay Arthur

When the Hurt Runs Deep: Healing and Hope for Life’s Desperate Moments
by Kay Arthur

    When I think of someone trying to bring hope during times of another’s great distress, I tend to anticipate trite words and an inability to connect with the sufferer and understand real deep pain and heartache.  Maybe it’s because I’ve seen several well-meaning people say things to hurting friends or acquaintances that don’t bring any real hope or healing to a situation.   Because of this, when I speak to others to encourage them in tough situations I am conscientious to consider their pain as very real and something I may or may not be able to relate to.  I don’t always know what to say either, but when I can relate to the person and/or to the situation, it makes the conversation much more meaningful.  In addition, it brings about great opportunities to share how Christ has worked in my heart to heal me and how He continues to be my source of peace and strength during challenging times.   In this book, readers get a glimpse of Kay Arthur’s personal life and the pains she has experienced.   She connects with the reader and you get the sense that she shares from the heart.        

     More importantly than sharing her own stories, Kay takes the reader through the experiences of several figures in the Bible (such as Joseph and Job and of course Jesus).  By sharing their experiences we can see examples of others who suffered real neglect, betrayal, abandonment, injustice etc.  We can also see how God works and what that means for us as believers.  Throughout the book the reader will learn more of God, what His Word says and how to find real hope.

       Two things stood out to me the most in reading this book.  The first was the sheer amount of scripture and the ability Kay has to draw the reader to a deeper and closer relationship with a loving Creator. She even takes a chapter to address the question many have when they experience suffering or think of others in dire circumstances, that is “What kind of God allows our pain?”   Kay Arthur is a well-known teacher of God’s Word and one that teaches by getting students to mark words, phrases, names, locations and other things in scripture passages.  This method helps to bring out various points a reader may have missed and help to get deeper in God’s Word.  Her writing in this book is well done as she is able to focus on the topic, yet weave in times to get out your Bible’s and start marking!   If you wish to make the book a personal or small group study, there is a study guide in the back as well.

     The second thing that stood out was the little boxes interspersed throughout the book for Healing Truths.  These are great summaries of the information she shares as well as great reminders and words of encouragement.  At the end of the book she lists these all together.  It would be great to print these off with some scripture and post them somewhere where I will read them often.  Hmmm….

     Finally, I love that after the study guide, at the very end of the book, Kay has included several pages of practical helps.  Sometimes we can know the spiritual things, but we miss taking practical steps to get us through painful times.  I hope and pray with Kay that her book, and the Lord’s Word, minister to the hearts of many who are hurting.

NOTE : This book was received free of charge by Waterbrook Multnomah for the purposes of a review through their Blogging for Books program.