Latest / Armed Anchored Adorned / All the lovely little yeses - Betsey Bell

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All the lovely little yeses - Betsey Bell · Armed Anchored Adorned

• Armed Anchored & Adorned: was this for you today? You're not alone. God whispered these things to my soul first. And then he whispered, there's more. When you hear that, who do you think of? Who stirs in your heart when you hear there's more? Pray about sharing this with them. Yep, them. Yep, you. Remember, we don't go to church. We are the church. Every one of us has a start and a finish line. Every day we get to choose how we will run that race. Will we choose ordinary or counterfeit or will we choose that abundant life that Jesus died to give us? Welcome to the Armed, Anchored and Adorned podcast. I'm so glad you're here. Welcome, welcome. Betsy, I'm so glad you're here. Yay. I'm so glad you're here. we attend the same retreat. we're in our third year. But we've connected a couple of times, we've had a couple of coffees, and I love your heart. I love how you love Jesus and how you're so intentional about setting time aside. One of the things you shared during one of our retreats was about Sabbath and That's really rare in our culture. It is. To recognize and honor the Sabbath. And I'm not gonna lie, I do not do it perfectly. I try. Me neither. Well, yeah, But it really has blown my mind how imperfectly it really... We're kind of flipping about it. Yeah, well, it's such a gift and it's not something that God wants us to feel like we have to do, but like we get to do it. Right. Like, but it's really hard to do that because we don't trust that the world will go on without us for a whole day. A whole day. A whole day that God's got this. He doesn't really need me, but it is hard to do that, but it's it's an act of trust and it's such a gift to just rest. Well, and he says it was made for you. not you for it. Like, yeah, it's made for us. We need it. We need ⁓ a pause and to create some space to just. Thanks Lord. Especially in the hardest and the craziest of times. Like that's when we need the most. But that's when we say, right, I can't do that right now. Not in this season. I can't Sabbath. But that's when he needs. We need it. We need it because. We can't do this in our own strength as much as we want to and we think and I'm pretty good at it. That's my kind of I gotta that's my idol. I gotta lay it aside. Be like no God can do this much better than me. Gosh what an idol time. Yeah. And productivity. Yep. Yes ma'am. Well so yeah that struck me during one of our ⁓ and you actually I want to give you just like a little reminder of a conversation we had. I can't remember the question I asked you, It was something like, How did you ⁓ get to ⁓ the place ⁓ of your foundation? And you said it's ⁓ just all the little Yeah. That spoke to me in such a big way and it helped me kind of look at what I was saying yes to. It wasn't like a brand new concept to me. But it was the perfect timing and the Lord absolutely plopped you right there right then and said that to me. and it moved me into this space. I want to celebrate that for a second because yeah, it's really cool. God really spoke through you several times, but that one I actually journaled about and I just read recently. So that's a little bit of our amazing connection that I am so grateful for. And I see Jesus running all through you in your life. And so You know I love tech coffee and people that love Jesus. It's good to have people who can see it. can see and reflect Jesus back to you because it's so easy to not to just be doing your things and and you know you have you remember the things that are you not reflecting Jesus well those stick out. Yeah. And so it's nice to have people who ⁓ can tell you, no I really do see Jesus. You're like okay good because ⁓ I don't feel it. Because I don't myself sometimes, you're totally right. Well, let's pray. Okay. ⁓ Lord Father, thank you. Thank you for your beautiful design of how you draw us together that ultimately draws us closer to you. Thank you that you have a holy assignment and purpose. for any time we come together in your name. We hand this conversation over to you in every possible way. We ask your hand over this, the technology, our words, the distractions. And we, we bring you our broken places. We bring you all of it so that you may live and shine beautifully through it. Speak through us through our time together. We're yours. This time is yours. We commit it into your hands in Jesus' name. Amen. there's our connection. ⁓ Why don't you share with us a little bit about Betsy? What a question. Tell me anything. us all the things. It took me 40 minutes to get to your house. So I live in central Florida. And how long have you lived here? I've lived here since 2001. I'm almost a native. I came right from college. Worked at the Brevard Zoo, that's what brought me here as an animal trainer. whole nother world. Yeah, and met my husband the first week that I was here in central Florida. Really? I did, met him at church. And yeah, we're now married for 22 years and have six kiddos and two grand babies and beautiful, messy family. We have a beautiful family. Thanks. Yeah, you do. So how did you ⁓ meet Jesus? I grew up in a family where we didn't go to church ⁓ very much and so when I was ⁓ in high school ⁓ I got ⁓ to young life ⁓ and this lady just started showing up at like my volleyball games and basketball and just ⁓ investing and being interested in who I was and ⁓ it was pretty powerful. So then I just started getting connected and going to club and then ⁓ did campaigners and just ⁓ gave my life to the Lord. And that was my sophomore year in high school and it was kind of the black sheep of the family. So that's kind of weird and I was super excited so I probably... You know, you're really excited about your face. You look back and you're like, yeah, like, ⁓ so I did that too. But that's and that was just a few months really before I learned that my parents were going to be getting a divorce. So it was really, really important time for me to really lean in close to the Lord. And ⁓ he really sustained me in that and got connected and got to. have a lot of really great distractions and a lot of opportunities around serving him. And so that's how I came to know Lauren. That's cool. I didn't know you were a Young Life Girl. And then I was a Young Life Leader in college. That's so cool. Yeah. So spit a lot of crickets, ate a lot of things, did a lot of... Anytime anybody's Young Life Leader, you know they've done some pretty crazy things. So yeah, it was fun. I love it. Wait, did you say you ate crickets? No, didn't eat them. I spit them. You have a cricket spitting contest to see how far, you know, you can spit the So you put a live cricket in your mouth and then you and you see if you can out spit the person next to you. It's a key skill for recruiting kids to the Lord. It's very important. That is one of the things that Young Life does, I will say. They do. out of the box, crazy, harmless, well maybe not with crickets. Yeah, So it was fun. It fine. It fine. It was fine. ⁓ that's super cool. So you have amazing Tell me that. Tell us about it. Tell me its name. Commission 127. When we had three little ones at home, ⁓ my husband. ⁓ and I, we learned of a young lady who needed love in the family and told him and totally expected him to say no, because we were in a small house and there lots of reasons why it wasn't the right time. Our kids were like five, three and six months. And then we were, we learned of our now daughter who was 15. And so she joined us and then ⁓ learned of a model that showed how you know, wrapping around families who are fostering or have adopted loving kids from hard places. How it can change the status that over 50 % will quit after the first placement, but with wraparound support over 90 % continue for two to three times longer, which means more kids are in families. That's massive. It is. And it's not usually because of kids that people stop doing it. It's because isolation and lack of support. It's just hard. Yeah. And so when we found this model, we were like, ⁓ central Florida needs this. Not necessarily like we need to do this. That was not the first thought. But God just kind of worked in both of us. we that was the yeses that we make and and what like what you're saying, like, I don't think we often know the impact of the yes that we make. We don't know that this is the yes that will change our lives. ⁓ And the first yes to our daughter was a big one. And we knew kind of the gravity of that one. Or at least I did. My husband was much quicker to say yes. And I'm like, no, you have to understand, this is a big thing. It might be two months. It might be the rest of our lives. We've got to be in it for the rest of our lives. We've got to be able to make this yes now. So we kind of knew that was a big yes. She was in foster care. Yeah. She was in foster care. Yeah. And so, yeah. So when we, and by that time, when we learned of this model, we had had another little guy biologically and then another daughter who joined us when she was 18 for foster care. So we knew the hard, that was just loving and leading your family and needing people who get it and who understand. And also there's lots of people who go, ⁓ I could never do that. Like, ⁓ but You could. Not all people can or should. You should definitely be called to it. it is clear in James 127, it's clear that we are to care for orphans and widows. And modern day orphans are foster kids. Kids who are at no fault of their own are placed in this really messy, broken, hard, hard place ⁓ because of a choice or a situation that their parents spend themselves in. So it's complicated and messy and often ⁓ churches and Christians, even though we are all called to messy things, we don't like messy things. ⁓ So we don't often step into them on purpose. so, ⁓ yeah, so we just saw an opportunity to help equip churches and people who maybe aren't called to foster or adopt, but... want to be obedient to what the Lord's saying to care. Right. So we often say not all are called to foster but all are called to care. So how do we make that in a very complicated messy system? How do we make just the average person able to care? So this model of like, hey, if you can't foster adopt but you could bring a meal once a month, we'll put, we get three other people to do that and now that family has a meal once each week. Yeah. and it's not a huge burden. busy people can figure out how do I do a meal once a month. ⁓ And then there's a team leader and there's someone who maybe provides a date night once a month. There's very clear roles, which I loved. ⁓ And it was also a model that was already proven. So yeah, all about a best practice. Absolutely. Like that's, I don't need to learn all the hard things. Like just tell me what works and I'll do that. Sometimes my idol is efficiency and you know, that's not always good. But it is helpful when you're trying to do something that it's proven and it works. Yeah, we just have to do it. So that's what we did. And we launched and yeah, just getting to meet. I mean, my husband and I always say like, we, you know, that question, like, what if you won the lottery? What would you do? And it's kind of like, I don't know, we would do anything different. Like we kind of, feel like in a lot of ways, if we won, $3 million, we would try and figure out how to help a very broken system. And how would we do that? Well, unfortunately, you just can't throw money at it. Like, you need people's hearts people's hearts, I mean, you can't just lead with like, hey, there's this really big problem out there. We don't have enough families for kids in foster care. Can you do that? Just go them on the 3D People don't just like say, oh, I didn't know. I'll be willing to do that. ⁓ just ⁓ allowing people to get close enough, it's a very mysterious ⁓ thing, foster care. Yeah. I think everybody knows it kind of exists out there, but unless you're connected to it, it's like, I don't really know what that That's a really good point. It is really mysterious. I don't know if people... It's like, I wonder why more people aren't more curious about it. Well... Yeah, it's because if it doesn't, we're all busy. We're in our little bubbles and it doesn't come across if it's not in your circle. You just don't. I mean, it's not easy either. Even if you wanted to become a foster parent, sometimes that feels very hard. Like, what are the next steps and how do I? That's not always really clear. Yeah. So it's complicated and it's hard to access. So when you can get people to say, ⁓ bring a meal. Well, then you get close enough and you're like, ⁓ those that family, like they're both working and. They're just a regular family. There's no like people think of all these superheroes like, they, you know, and we're just regular people who are doing really hard things and need the support of other people. So that's, and that's really meaningful. So some people, you know, be like, oh, well, it's just a meal. Like what's a meal? And foster families don't need meals. Like they can pay for food. Like there's not a food shortage. There's not like they're being able to provide. It's just that. It's that community, it's that knowing you're not alone in this really hard thing. And so that meal gives them the opportunity of instead of, what are we gonna make for dinner like that dreaded question? It's the freedom of, I can sit and play a game with my kids or I can actually have a conversation with a kid. Like it gives the gift of time and connection and our kids from her places, that connection is what. is missing and that takes a lot of time and a lot of trust and when you're running around doing all the things that's a luxury. that meal once a month and knowing that they're being prayed for by a community of people is huge. That's big. Because it's like, ⁓ mean who goes to court often and has to deal with some of the behavioral things and like it's just stuff that most people don't ever have to. So to have a group of people that you're like, y'all pray. like this is all out of control and there's no answers you can't fix it it's really it's just a really hard place to be but doesn't mean we shouldn't be there as believers it means that we all need to be doing something towards it so whether you're doing it because God's called you to that so if people feel called to that that's not normal and you should definitely look into that like that's a sign that God's working in your heart um because it is it's a calling and it It doesn't always, callings don't always lead us to like easy, happy places. Callings often lead us into hard places where we have to rely on a Depend on him, right? Which is actually a really precious place to be dependent on him. I'm not saying it's comfortable, but it's a precious place. It's that, a way where we get to see his bigness and we don't always like To see How small we really are mm-hmm and Comfort I will tell you that is a we've talked about a couple idols Comfort Yeah, the big one especially culturally but And I mean very rarely I know if any I'm not a Bible scholar, but it's not a theme in the Bible of people and comfort or like the land of plenty for an extended period of time. Like it's just that's not if we actually read like it's all really hard. Yeah. And that's where God wants us and where he can form us and make us into people who he wants to use. Live through. Yeah. Gosh, there's so many things I want to ask right now. There's... How did you know you were called to foster? I don't... ⁓ I don't if it's that clear. ⁓ Again, it's those small yeses. Like, I knew ⁓ when my and I start... just meh. Like we always had the thought, oh we'll probably adopt like one day. Maybe when our biological kids and they grow up and then maybe we'll adopt. I didn't really know anything about foster care really and so until I was asked to lead an organization for foster children. learned real quick. I think it was just small steps and then God putting, I mean, I think that's happened for me. I mean, I started as a zookeeper. I mean, it's like, what doors open to you and being in tune enough to feel like, okay, what's the next thing? asking the Lord for what's the next thing and then peeking through windows and doors that feel open and then seeing if they open up and saying being I know trusting enough to say yes when you can't see the full picture and just saying sure I'll walk through that door ⁓ and I think it was just ⁓ a of this and then this and saying yes and and it's okay like we can say yes to something and maybe it doesn't work out it usually doesn't work out the way that you intended it to or that you thought it would but it's the journey getting there that sometimes is not so fun yeah but he's he's working through all of that so I think it's exciting you have to have some some risk in there right can't control it can't plan it know all this the steps ahead. ⁓ But trust that he is in control and that he'll make it good even if he screwed up, which we usually do. That's okay. He's way bigger than us. He can fix it. It's not a usually for me. It's an always. It's pretty much an always. know, it's a lifelong journey of healing when you've been through a lot of trauma and there's no fix. my husband, I mean, and this is often something that foster and adoptive families ⁓ with is like, well, my love is enough. Like they just come to ⁓ house and we will love that. Like we've raised these other great kids and ⁓ just need to be loved. Well, our love is not enough. ⁓ And this is ⁓ work that God is in control of. And it breaks his heart more than it breaks ours. And it helps us also realize that I don't have any more control over my biological kids than I do my adopted kids. Like at the end of the day, they're gods. Like I don't get to decide or make their decisions for them or fix their hurts or, you know, I can be there and love them and try to... connect with them and allow them to feel the delight of the father. But I don't always do that perfectly either, you know, and so it's just this giving back, ⁓ giving everyone and everything back to him all the time and just in all those broken places. And what he does in me is such a gift through hard things. that we don't always feel like it's a gift, he's forming us through those hard places. And so we're not rescuing children. not the savior. We can't fix the hard. We can just come alongside and love and give what we can and trust the rest to the Lord. Because it's some hard stuff. It's beautiful. It's... I can imagine the refinement that happens in... I've seen some of the refinement that has happened in you as your friend and I have this teeny tiny little window into your life but I mean... What a gift that is. I mean, when you think about that refining process, he boils all the impurities to the top and he scrapes it off so that he can see his reflection. You've heard that about the silversmith, the goldsmith or something. I love that analogy of refining fire. I mean, there's been a, I mean, there was a season very recently. We sang that song in church and I was like, I do not want to sing that. Like I'm, I don't, I can't take anymore. Yeah. Like please don't. ⁓ because there's places where you're just like, it is too hot. You're already like, I can't sing that in good conscience and go, ⁓ I can't remember the words right this minute, but it's just, I was like, ⁓ that's too much. Like, please don't do that to me. But it is how he works. His, his biggest things cause he. ⁓ We're not, yeah, he's gotta break us. Yeah. To put us back together. And then often with times we don't feel like we're put back together and we're just still walking around trying to do the best we can. And that's okay. It's okay. I guarantee your, that makes me a little emotional, your kids see his face and reflection in you because of how you love and how you. how you walk through this really hard thing. Yeah. And you, you remain steadfast and you, you abide in him and you're walking with him and trusting in him, not your own strength, but his. So you may not feel like you're put together, but as those layers are getting scraped off, Others are seeing his his reflection in you. Yeah, and that And I think that authenticity to like so many times we want to hide the really hard or we'll meet really broken from our kids are those that are closest to us But it's such a gift. I mean, it doesn't feel good ⁓ Because you want you there's a I don't know this illusion that they've got it all under control and that then that that's gonna be that it's okay, but just trusting that They need to see that because if they think we have it on, then they feel like they have to have it on. And then when they don't have it, then they feel like, well, what's wrong with me? Mom's got it together. Or dad's, you know, like that's, that's not a reflection of reality. And so, especially in this last season, like my kids have seen me and, you know, just desperate for the Lord to show up and like, do something. That's huge that you are able. to show them that they need to see us depending on the Lord. Yeah. They need to see that so that they know that's what we're to do. Yeah. Especially when you have, I mean, I'm a fixer and I'm a, I'll figure it out. I mean, that is one way that God has gifted me is like to put puzzle pieces together and solve problems and figure things out. But I guess that's the gift is when he's like, here's one, you, you don't get to fix this or you have actually zero. Yeah, but you can just depend and trust in my character because I don't see the faithfulness in this moment. I don't see your hand in this moment, but I know that you are. So I'm to trust in the word that you are. And that's, know, just seeking to hear something when you don't see anything happening. So that's going reading scripture or worshiping or that's where I found that's. in those times where the circumstances do not appear that the Lord is a loving, kind Father. And it can make you angry and frustrated and lament and like just paying attention to how much lament in the Psalms and like that's okay. We don't offend God, we don't scare Him and we don't have to carry this reputation. We can just be sad and angry and disappointed. and yet trust in his character and his goodness because we know that he is and they'll use it. So that's big. Those are big, big spaces to walk in and you're living the gospel and showing these babies through your life and helping other people do that. Right? Like, right. And like these families who are stepping in to do these hard, to love kids from hard places, like it's not, not easy. And so how do we come together as a community, as a body of Christ? Because right now there aren't enough homes for kids who come into care. So tonight there might be a sibling set that comes in and they have to remove them from their family because it's not safe and yet they're going to be split up. They could be in different counties. They probably are not going to a family because we don't have enough foster families. So they're going to go to a group home where you put multiple kids of all ages who have been through the most, most trauma and put them together in one little house with a shift staff worker. You know, like that's not where kids are going to heal. Right. So those who are obedient and courageous to step into, okay, I'm going to do this. I don't know what it means. Got like 130 single women who step into this here locally. Like, it's crazy. And they're sacrificing and they're able to, God gives them what they need and puts people around them to help them in that. It's just a beautiful picture of if anybody can do, people say, oh, I couldn't foster and then give them batwell. I mean, God. that that's what we sign up for. Yes, we will be crushed. will grieve. We will be angry. It'll be hard. But isn't that kid worth that? doesn't that kid shouldn't shouldn't that child get to experience connection to where someone does grieve when they leave? Like they've never experienced that. And we as believers of all people should be able to sign up for that heartbreak. Because we know that We know him and we can do that for the sake of them. We definitely avoid grief. Yeah. If possible. Yeah. I mean, the goal of foster care is reunification. So it's not adoption. It's not taking kids from families, but like, can mom maybe get it together? Can she get support so that she can get her kids? Most of the time parents, mean, kids from foster care, like their parents love them. It's not that they don't love them. They're just in... whether it's substance abuse or domestic violence or ⁓ just a really hard situation. It's not that they don't love their children. I mean, it's usually generational. they didn't have, you know, like it's just this really hard. if mom or dad can get things together so that the goal is that they would be able to go back home. Cause that's where a kid wants to be. And that's, created us to be with our parents and our parents to love us. So, but when it can't. then a judge decides that the parental rights are terminated and that's when a foster family may be able to adopt that child is because that's what's been determined is that going home is not an option any longer. But it's a hard place to be because you don't have any control and you just love and love and love that kid like they're your own knowing that they in a day in a week could be gone and you never see them again. And that's where most people quit is after that cycle. I can't do that. That grief is too much. But when you have people around you, you can all grieve little Johnny together and know that what you did in that time was meaningful. One kid said as an adult, he said when I was in foster care, he said, you don't have to keep us long. Just give us a glimpse of what it could be and we'll take that forever. Like he just got glimpses of like our our girls like we're the first married couple that they've ever known. You know like not having having those examples especially for men to step into these spaces because often there's just this experience of trauma and hurt and so we need we need God to be reflected through. safe adults who love Jesus who can love kids. Wow, that's cool. okay, let's say I want to bring Commission 127 to my church. What's that look like? So on our website, we just, you have to get, connect with us. We'll send information. It's usually setting up a meeting with a pastor who can give the okay to, yes, you can start this ministry, but it's really the church's ministry. So it's not us coming in to to do something or for people to serve. They're not commissioned 127 volunteers. It's the church's family advocacy ministry. And so you usually need two to three people who can be the leaders in the face in that church for that ministry. And then once we get that determined and we train those people and we're kind of our staff is a coach to the people who are running that ministry and then they recruit volunteers. So we have some, you know, home house churches have 25 people in them. But you just need six to 10 people to wrap around a family. so, ⁓ and then we've got some churches that are mega churches who again, one family at a time, six to 10 people at a time are wrapping around making a difference for that family and those kids. So that's, that's how it works. And then you had just recruit volunteers to sign up for a very specific role that they know how they can make that work in their schedule. It's beautiful. what do you want people to know about this? ⁓ I want people to know that we all have a to play. I mean, you can close your eyes and pretend that this doesn't, but it's, it's an invisible crisis in every community. ⁓ And because they're just regular kids, you don't, I mean, in your, in your kids' class, they're at church ⁓ and ⁓ They need people to invest in them. And so whether that's bringing a meal or whether that's praying or whatever it is, taking that next step, just learning about what would it look like for your foster family? ⁓ Just what's the next little step that you could take to figure out what your role in caring for kids that are most vulnerable? So what's your next little yes? I got a big one come in. ⁓ it's pretty scary. ⁓ So. Well, more to come on that. Tell me that. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Well, I was what's your next little yes? I mean, that's such a great question to have at the surface all the time, every day. Mm hmm. Lord, what's what's the next? Little yes, you have for me, and also it's not always yes, right? Like we've got a right. have to say no to some things in order to say yes to the things that are right. And maybe it's even a small yes, but you still... So it's not about just saying yes to all the things. It's about really like... It's just hard. I wish God would tell us like, this is the important one, make sure. But we just don't know those. They're just regular things that we do and we didn't realize like that how big that small yes would be. And so we just need to, I think, stay connected to Him and be... Absolutely. Well, I asked you a while ago when we met for your birthday, you know, what, what do you feel like people need to know? And you said that they can do hard things. I think it's important for people, for us, for every people, every person to recognize that's us. And God did not create us so that we could sit and live these squishy, comfy lives. We love our comfy things. don't do uncomfortable just to be uncomfortable. ⁓ It does need to be the Lord's leading, but we can do hard things. We can do hard things. And we talked a lot about that, but just that question with that answer was A great reminder. We do hard things. can, we can step into hard situations. can persevere. ⁓ and honestly, Alright, so I feel like this is the verse. We found the verse. This is the verse that we have been. just and I want to say dancing around but I don't mean trying to avoid it like celebrating dancing around it like this is what I see living out and others in this particular space of life of the foster world I feel like we all need to embrace this. five. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also know glory in tribulations. knowing that tribulations produces perseverance and perseverance character and character hope. We need hope. These kids need hope. And you probably have your hope built because you've watched him come through again and again and again. Yeah. His character, his faithfulness. Going through tribulations. And we so try to avoid it, don't we? Yes. I mean, yeah, yeah. There's lots of tribulations. And sometimes they are the enemy and we have to... But sometimes it's just God working out. Things that we can't see yeah, you might not understand Why and sometimes it doesn't turn into hope quickly? But it's that long steadfast. Yeah, yeah the big Looking at the big I I trust That even if I don't learn on this earth why that thing happened because I don't think that was the right choice But I'm gonna trust that you you got it And that you're gonna make something beautiful out of the brokenness. Yes I don't know how, but you're gonna. Not as we intended it. No, this was not your design. Your design was perfect. But we break things in this world. And we can trust that he can make us pretty. make something really cool out of it. ⁓ Yeah, so we can do hard things and we're supposed to do hard things. If we are not doing hard things, we're missing the opportunity for God to really plant deep in us. If we avoid all the hard, it's just surfacey. Yeah, yeah, you're not gonna see results. Yeah. Yeah, important reminder. We can do hard things and we are called to do hard things. Just don't do them by yourself. No. Because you can't do them by yourself or without the Lord, but also with people. Because we can do... hard things together, but if you're doing the hard thing all by yourself, you'll feel crazy and you won't do it very long. We were not created to be doing things alone. We were not created. It's not good for man or woman to be alone. Yeah. So you made us suitable helpers and that's us. We're helpers for everybody. Thank you for calling us into that. So even if You know, you feel the Lord saying, no, fostering is not for you right now. That's okay. There's no shame in that. If he is, we're praying for you. ⁓ But man, bring this beautiful opportunity to your church and say, and it may already be at your church. Yeah. I mean, we're in a Over 50 churches here locally so and it's not usually called Commission 127 So the idea is that the church would shine in it. We might be in the background That's cool providing that support and structure. So ask your church if they have a family advocacy ministry And if they don't then we can certainly help you do that Yeah, but if they do get plugged in and and that's just central Florida, but what if they're in another state? Start it they could start it there are I mean this model is in A of A lot of states. I think over 40 states. So there's something like this in many places. So we can help you find out. That's cool. They can help you find that too. That's cool. That's good to know. ⁓ Is there anything have coming up, like events or anything that you want to draw attention to or anything like that, that people can come and get and get involved in? Yeah, I think in the next, let's say month, ⁓ our Center for Care and Calling will be open, ⁓ which is really a space of belonging for caregivers and volunteers and the community. We're gonna have an immersive experience, a walkthrough to help give light to what's an invisible crisis. And you don't think about what that might be like. So you'll walk through as an eight-year-old child. going into foster care. So you'll walk through the experience. So we want everybody to come be part of that. Cause if you think that once you're aware, then God calls you to do something about that. And there's a thing for everybody to do. So it might be just to give financially. ⁓ It might be to pray. It might be actually to foster. It might be to bring a meal. There's so many different ways to people, but definitely check us out for that. And there'll be free tickets. to reserve a slot to be able to walk through that experience. Cool. Yeah. So if you're local... Yeah? When does that start? You don't have an open date yet? We're praying. We're trying. We're trying. It's getting close. Well, when it does, I will share about it. Yes. And maybe this will be close to launching and... Yeah? I'll put that in the show notes. Yes, please. Super cool. Well, for those that are getting their hearts... tugged on right now by the Holy Spirit. Don't ignore it. will you pray with me over those that are listening and maybe feeling that pull? God, thank you for being a loving, patient father that you, sometimes we need many, little God winks from you. Would you be with each person who's hearing this God? Maybe this was a sign. Maybe this was one more voice. Maybe it's the first that they've heard of it. But God, we just pray for soft hearts and that you would work your will through them, Lord, that they are here to love and to care for people around them. And maybe this is the indicator for them to take that next step. Lord, I pray that everybody would be able to take that next step. as small or big as it might be or as scary as it might be. Pray that you would give them courage. ⁓ Lord in all of the things that we say yes to, would you help us to remember we can do hard things and we were created to do hard things and we need you. That you don't, your heart is for us to lean on you and in you and that if... We're not putting ourselves in places where we have to do that, Lord, we don't get the gift of having you and experiencing your faithfulness. So we just pray that you'll be with each person and that you would guide and direct them today, even as they say yes and no to many things, Lord. Pray that you would keep our ears listening and hungry and help us just to. to want to do what you've called us to do even when we don't see all of the next steps that we would trust you in the next yes. So we left all of this to you in Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Amen. ⁓ Betsy. Thank you. Thanks for coming over and having coffee with me and sharing your beautiful heart Are you gonna ask me I'm bringing, what I'm making for dinner? Yeah. Nothing. So I'm very, very fortunate because my husband makes dinner and he's way better at it. And so if he's not making it, then it's a child's, uh, each kid has a different night that they have to cook dinner. love that. I remember you telling me And so it's so, it's, it's just beautiful. So I am, I'm, yeah. What's for dinner? Actually tonight we're going over to friends house, so they're going dinner. That's lovely. But yeah, I don't usually know or care because it's always it's always good. So I'm kind of spoiled. I love that you're spoiled in that way. That makes me really happy for you. Me too. Otherwise our whole family would suffer. I would do it out of obedience that I had to feed my family, but I wouldn't do it well. So they are very, very taken care of too. Well, do you have a favorite meal? I do. Which I told you on my birthday, I only get it a couple times but biscuits and gravy. I love biscuits and gravy and my husband has mastered it. So good. yeah, my North Carolina coming out but love some biscuits gravy. I love breakfast for dinner. thank you. Thank you. I'm excited to see where the Lord brings that and If you feel nudged, reach out. I want to know. I want to know where the Lord draws you to. Because it's going to be good. We know that's what He does. It's always good. Thanks for being here. Thank you. Love y'all.