Give Me Your Tears

I wish I could wave a magic wand and her pain and sorrow be gone.

So many “strikes” against her.

Her age.  In her teens.

Her home. Living away from her family.

Her condition.  Pregnant.

Her baby.  A precious 24 weeks in the womb baby girl.

Their future together. 16 weeks (max) and then they will be separated.

Tears flow. Softening the heart of this young mom. 

Tears flow. Softening the ground that will be dug this winter.

“Baby Girl” has only 1 shriveled, nonfunctioning kidney.

Mom and “Baby Girl” will be separated by death within minutes to just an hour or two after birth.

Life lessons were the textbook of the day with “T” today.

16 weeks to carry “Baby Girl” and live life with her.

16 weeks to celebrate each milestone on the baby in utero calendar.

16 pages more to create for “Baby Girl’s” baby book.

16 weeks to talk out loud to “Baby Girl” and to feel her respond with a kick.

16 weeks to prepare a 16 year old girl in giving birth and preparing a celebration of life service.

 

Lord, I know your ways are perfect.  You knew the plans for these 2 lives even before they were born.  I’m clinging to Your promises and I have a young girl clinging to me as I share the promises with her. Help me to show her how to cling to You through all this.  Her clothes are drenched with tears today.  So are mine as she cried on my chest.  Lord, she gave me her tears, but I can’t do anything with them.  Only you can.  Be with her, Lord. Hold her close. Carry her as she carries the weight of life and death within her.

Shall I gather all your tears together in one place and make an ocean of them?

Shall I give a name to this great, sad body of salty waters?

We’ll call it simply yours, and it will remain as your ocean of tears.

If you gather these tears, keeping them to yourself, they become a bitter sea.

If you give them to Me, I’ll make them a heavenly blessing,  a splash of lasting joy.

All earthly memorials cannot hold your ocean of tears.

Give your tears to Me.

They are precious to Me.

I will store them in a bottle marked with your name.

Yes My child.  Give your tears to Me.

I love You.

 

Sharing Hope for Financial Freedom

I recently wrote about dealing with money and debt in marriage over at Internet Cafe Devotions. Mike and I are both passionate about desiring families to be able to walk in financial freedom, especially in these trying economic times.

Now we have a SPECIAL OFFER FOR ANYONE - MARRIED OR SINGLE. When you click this link it will take you over to Dave Ramsey's 'My Total Money Makeover' site. You will be given the opportunity to sign up for a 7 day free trial.

My Total Money Makeover is a subscription site helping people discover financial peace by walking them through Dave Ramsey's Baby Step process for dumping debt and building wealth. Use the Baby Steps tracking system, the budgeting tools, ask Dave a question, listen to the Dave Ramsey Show commercial free and you'll have access to the helpful Community Forums.

Head over and give it a try – free for 7 days. You have nothings to lose (except debt!) and everything to gain (financial peace and a life of stewardship).

Coming Soon for Women Only ~ Praise and Coffee Nights

Coming soon!  Check back after Labor Day Weekend for more information.

 

Are you a woman in need of counseling?

Marsha is a Biblical counselor and can help you through your problem using proven, Biblical solutions.  All counseling is free.  Marriage counseling is also available if both of you are willing to come together. 

Looking for Christian Books and Bible Studies?

Be sure to call the Learning Center (479-4539) and set up a time to come by and see our resource room.  We have books on marriage, raising children, money, aging  issues, women's issues, men's issues, and Bible study helps.  We also have some DVD Bible studies we'll loan to your small group or church Bible study.

Home School Help

Do you home school or know someone that does?  We have resources and curriculum that you may borrow.

All materials are from a Biblical worldview.  For science I have curriculum from Answers In Genesis and Apologia as well as Common Sense Press. I have a wide variety of history materials as well.  For math, I have several grade levels of Saxon Math and manipulatives to sign out for 2 weeks at a time. Language Arts is covered by Learning Language Arts Through Literature and vocabulary with Wordly Wise. We also have a limited number of licenses available for online curriculum.

Be sure to call for an appointment to check out our resources available to you.

Fall Programs for Youth

We have 3 major classes being offered this fall, Financial Peace University, Your Child - Essentials of Discipline (Parenting Class), and Setting Boundaries With Your Adult Children.  You can read more about these classes on our website. 

Right now I'm in the process of interviewing a couple of families that are desiring me having their daughters in my high school program for at risk girls.  If you know a girl that would benefit from our program or have questions about it, please contact Marsha at 479-4539. 

Later in the fall I'll be holding a 2 day seminar for teens on Love, Sex, and Dating from an abstinence viewpoint. Please pray that local organizations will partner with us on this by sending clients or youth from their churches to this much needed DVD based seminar.  If you're interested in sending your middle school or high school child, please contact us via our website or call the Learning Center at 479-4539.

During these challenging economic times, even the youth need to know how to handle money.  I will be offering a money management course for youth from Dave Ramsey.  Please contact me at the Learning Center if you're interested.

Summer Update

I've been rather silent on the blog and website (click on Home in the Nav Bar) the past few months. I'd like to share some highlights with y'all by way of bullet points.

• Our Seeds of Hope Concert Fundraiser at Fellowship Bible Church raised several thousand dollars that were applied to the mortgage on the Learning Center - our ministry hub.  There is a video of the Learning Center on our website if you'd like a tour.  
• A big thank you to Wren Haney of Robbinsville for all his help in producing our videos. We made 3, the other 2 we'll add later.
• Thank you to Verna Law and her fantastic band, "Rivers of Praise Ministries" for putting on such a God honoring evening. Just love y'all so very much!
• We graduated 2 teen girls from our education program.  They completed their entire courses of study needed to graduate from high school through our program, not to mention the additional mentoring process.  I'm so thrilled for them as they both start college this fall.  
• I (Marsha) lead a Financial Peace University course at the Women's Enrichment and Family Center in Andrews, NC.  5 women attended and retired over $21,500 during the course and they've recently told me they're still plugging away!
• Mike's FPU classes have retired at least $50,000!  We're doing our part to help families during these economically challenging times.
• Mike continues to be involved with an organization called G.R.E.A.T. (Graham Revitalization Economic Action Team) to help spur on economic development for our county. We are consistently one of the poorest in the state of NC. 
• Marsha teamed with the Snowbird Library and Snowbird Youth Center this summer in leading a summer reading program for the children of Snowbird. 
• Our ministry provided back packs for many needy children this summer. Thank you to Cherokee Family Services for thinking of us and allowing us to help.
• On a personal note, Marsha had to limit her activities this summer due to Lyme Disease from a tick bite. I'm finally off the medication and seem to be doing much better.  I'm ready to kick off the fall classes soon.
• On another personal note, Mike and I welcomed back to the States our daughter Laura, son in law Travis and our 4 beautiful granddaughters.  They've been in Kenya for 4 years, came home the end of March for a one year furlough. We're enjoying renewing our ties with Sarah and Summer and having a wonderful time getting to know our 2 youngest granddaughters, Summer and Skylar, that were born over there.  We had never met Skylar. She turned one in July.  Below is a family picture taken on Mother's Day at Fontana Village Resort here in Graham County.  Our daughter Missy, son in law Stacy and our two grandchildren Logan and Lana came up from Alabama and Adam surprised us and came in from Colorado. 

 Thank you for coming by and reading this brief synopsis of our ministry. We're gearing up for fall classes which are detailed on the website.

A Blog Makeover

Over the next few hours this blog is under transition.  Edie is doing a makeover for us to match the new ministry website.

Over the weekend, I'll be putting the new information on the new website and then I'll invite you all to take a look. 

I'm so excited about what the Lord is doing in His ministry.

Blessings.
Marsha

Gratitude and Upcoming Events

Things are moving at rapid speed around here these days.

1. We are going through a promotional transformation for one thing.  Starting the first week of March, the main source of information on our ministry will be found at our new website that is currently under construction.  It's address will be  http://www.snowbirdteamministries.org.   Should you try to get there over the weekend, there will be error messages.  Next week you will see just me playing around learning how to navigate, but the design you see next week will not be the design that our great graphics web designer is doing for us.  
2. This past week, I sent out an email with a pdf attached that contains our Winter newsletter.  If you would like a copy of it, please be sure to send me an email and I'll forward it to you.  Use this for an email address:  snowbirdteamministries@gmail.com.  
3. I'm not sure what will happen to this blog.  I may be linking it to the new website.  We'll see.
4. We're also in the process of having a promotional video done.  Filming begins this afternoon.  I'm really excited about it.
5. We have a major fundraising event coming up in GA on Friday, March 5.  Please follow this link to learn more about it.  There's also a button above this post that will take you to it. We are trying to retire our ministry house mortgage of $49,000.  We know these are challenging times for everyone.  We want to make sure we are free of this so all funds can go to helping in our community.

Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support of this ministry.

Newsletter and Fall Schedule of Classes Coming Soon!

Hi everyone. Mike and I are so excited at what the Lord is doing here in Graham County. He has involved us in some exciting things and we're anxious to share it with you.

Our newsletter and fall schedule will be out by Monday, August 31st. Be sure to check back!

Thank you for your continued prayers for the ministry here in Snowbird and all of Graham County.

The Wisdom of Planning

On a recent walk I happened upon some very busy ants. They were on a mission…build their under-ground colony and store food for the winter. They were carrying all sorts of items into their under ground world. All were busy and had a specific job to do. This one was larger than the others and stood guard over the entrance to their colony while the others carried items in. I’m assuming he was keeping watch and not about to allow any strangers to pass.

Proverbs 30:24,25 says this about the ant: “Four things are small on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: The ants are not a strong folk, but they prepare their food in the summer;”

Imagine that! Ants are consider among the wise in God’s creation because they are prepared.

Living and ministering in rural Appalachia, I see many who could learn from watching the ant and reading what the Word of God has to say about them.

Most live for the moment, live in small quarters with multiple extended family members. Many don’t work, they just work the system. They fish for pleasure, but don’t freeze any of their catch for later. Most don’t grow garden’s either, or the gardens are too small to be able to can any items for the winter.

Come next winter, while this colony of ants is warm, cozy and well stocked, many of the poor of Appalachia will come knocking asking for food, electrical and heating assistance because they did not work or plan for their future.

That can change. God can change hearts. We’ve seen Him do it, and so we pray.

My husband Mike’s roll in our ministry is financial counseling. He’s also on the board for a foundation that local people have set up to help those in need in our community.

Tuesday evening marked a first. The foundation is offering a 13 week financial course by Dave Ramsey called Financial Peace University. Mike has been leading this program for some time now, but leading it for some of the poor in our community that were willing to come out is a first! He just completed a week long financial counselor training course last week, so he’s really looking forward to being able to assist folks even better.

Please pray with us that the Lord will change hearts and this group of 32 people will see that even though they live meagerly they can be financially free and like the ant, be prepared for the future.

A Prayer Request and The Promise of Spring

I have two new posts over on my personal blog that I'd like to point you all to regarding a prayer request for one of the girls and also a praise report.

Prayer Request: http://marshahmusings.blogspot.com/2009/03/thankful-thursday-because-he-lives.html

Praise Report: http://marshahmusings.blogspot.com/2009/03/promise-of-spring.html

Hope That Sets You Free

January, 2008 “H” decided to extend Christmas vacation. It was just a joke she said, but the school, local law enforcement, the State Bureau of Investigation and Home Land Security didn’t think so. They don’t take bomb threats lightly. She was expelled from school for 1 year and her parents were given a choice, send her to a juvenile detention center or have a parent or a court approved adult with her 24/7.

And that’s how I met “H”. Her parents did not want here just sitting around the house or at work with them, they wanted her to still go to school and receive help Since I’m a court approved advocate/mentor it was recommended they call me. For 9 months we worked at fever pitch. During that time, many folks were skeptical that it would pay off. But, by the grace of God she received Christ as her Savior and began to transform into a different person. The judge cut 2 months off her sentence and told her she could go back to public school. The school reluctantly agreed. When her national standardized tests revealed she was now 2 years ahead of her grade level and her psychological examine came back there had been a change as well, she was admitted back into the school system in mid October. Today, “H” is active in her church, mischief and drug free. In her own words,

“I’m living a life of true freedom. I thought I was free before, but really, I was chained to my addictions and wild, uncontrolled behavior. I now have hopes and dreams for a successful future. Thank you, Ms. Marsha! Thank You, Jesus!"

Today, there are 4 other “H’s” in our program. Girls whose lives have been touched by drugs, alcohol, home violence, rape, promiscuity, abortion, and even cancer walk through the doors of Snowbird Family Learning Center. Some are cocky, some manipulative, some boisterous, some quiet, but they all have the same look of despair written across their faces. Eyes that say, “I just want someone to love me. I just want to be free from the pain that permeates my very being. I want answers to the ‘why’ questions in my life. Are you listening to my heart’s cry? Can you tell me how to be set free from my private hell?” I give them each a warm, reassuring smile and let them know I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does.

Their first day in the program I share my testimony, of how God redeemed my life from the pit. How He crowned my head with lovingkindness and compassion. I tell them that God is good, that He loves each of us unconditionally and that He can be trusted. I tell them my past doesn’t haunt me anymore. That all those past lies I believed and failures have been replaced by the Truth and I am forever free and they can be also.
●●●
Won’t you help point these girls to Christ and the hope that sets them free?
●●●

I’d like to invite you to come alongside us in several ways.
~ First, please pray for us…daily if possible. The kinds of problems the girls bring with them bring lots of oppression and tears at times. Ask the Lord to protect our marriage. Stress tends to show where the cracks are in relationships. Pray we will continue to stand strong and united in the face of stress and adversity.
~ Would you please consider us when you are thinking about how to distribute your gifts above and beyond your tithe to the church? Textbooks for the girls runs anywhere from $250 to $400 a year. We’re needing to hire some help. Presently, we can’t afford to do that. (I don’t take a salary.) We’re also looking to pay off the mortgage of $53,000 over the next year. Please don’t forget about matching funds. We are a 501c3 non-profit that is qualified to receive matching fund gifts. What a GREAT way to double the size of your gift! Please prayerfully consider these needs.
~ Do you know someone else who has a heart for the poor, oppressed, the economically challenged and at risk teen girls? Would you share our ministry with them or arrange for me to meet with them?

“Bless the Lord, O my soul…who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:1a,4,5

Blessed Because of Him,

(For the both of us…Mike and Marsha Harwood.)

Home Meeting in GA

I wanted to take a minute and invite you all to a Home Meeting at the home of Lou and Karen Trahant on Wednesday, February 25th at 7 pm, that will focus on Snowbird TEAM Ministries. Karen has some scrumptious desserts for us to enjoy and I'll to be able to share with you all what the Lord has done for us in 2008. I think it has been our most exciting years yet, thanks in part to friends like you that have shared in the work in one way or the other.

Snowbird TEAM Ministries is a ministry in North Carolina's poorest county that is focused on building a future of hope for families by teaching, equipping, and being advocates and mentors. We firmly believe in the importance of one on one relationships that will point people to Christ and the Hope that will set them free. Marsha does this by working with at risk women, teen girls and children. Mike shares his passion by offering financial guidance to families via Financial Peace University.

I pray many of you will be able to attend the Home Meeting. I look forward to seeing many of you this week. If you are planning on coming to the home meeting, please RSVP to Karen so she can plan the desserts.

When: Wednesday, February 25 @ 7 pm Where: The home of Lou and Karen Trahant 4525 Reva Ct. Marietta, GA 30066 770 - 924-6251

FPU Week 2

Tonight's class was awesome! We had 35 people out for week 2 plus 2 visitors. Mike is just astounded by the turn out and interaction. The people are being so transparent with where they are in life with their finances. Because the group is so large, Mike has decided to break it up into 2 groups for the discussion time and one of the other elders of the church is leading the other group.

One of the highlights for us is knowing that our son Adam and his fiance, Jessie are taking the class as well. We want them to get started out on the right foot. They are really enjoying interacting in the group discussion.

We're praising God for what He is wanting to do with this group of folks. As I said before, it's an outreach since more than half are coming from our community.

At Risk Education Classes

Two new girls are entering the program on Wednesday. Please pray for their adjustment (and mine!) as we get started. Being disciplined is always an issue with the new girls. They think now that they aren't in the public school system anymore they can just chill out and slack off.

I design a curriculum for them that fits there future goals. That means we start off with them taking the Career Direct Assessment through Crown Financial. This gives us all a direction to follow. They will have basic education classes like in public school, but I tweek it and make it easier for them because most of the girls are way below grade level. So for the first several months we are going through the basics at whatever level they are at. This means a lot of one on one time with each of the girls.

On top of their basic skills, they also take a Bible class, a life skills course over 2 years (home economics to us older folks), Financial Peace - Foundations, a 13 week course for youth, and their favorite - Sex and Young America. It's their favorite until they see we're talking abstinence - then it makes for interesting conversations! After 1 year in the program we begin a Biblical Worldview course developed by Summit Ministries out of Colorado Springs, CO.

New Classes Being Offered - Updated

Due to being out of town unexpectedly most of the month, classes at the Learning Center had to be put on hold. I'm just returning back to work today and starting education classes for the at-risk girls on Wednesday. Today, Monday, February 2, is a catch up day for me.

Tuesday, February 10 is now the new start up date for the Lunch Time Losers weight loss group.

The 4 week series called Footprints On Our Heart also has a new start date of Thursday, March 4 due to my absence and an upcoming missions conference the last week of February. This group is for women who need help in coping after a miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death. There are several young women I know that could benefit from this study and support group. The agony that is felt is complex and intense, and it mixes with misplaced guilt hurt, helplessness, and deep sorrow. Footprints On Our Hearts offers ways to cope with these feelings in days and weeks of grieving that follow as it speaks words of understanding, encouragement, and hope for the future.

Financial Peace Update

What a GREAT first week Mike had with FPU!! There were 32 people. 4 of them were walk ins that just appeared because they saw the ad in the paper. Most of the people attending are from outside our church, folks that responded to the newspaper ads Mike ran for 2 weeks. What a tremendous outreach this is turning out to be.

The next class is Wednesday, February 4. There will be 3 others present that weren't there the first week. One of those is me. I've been out of town most of the month of January taking care of my elderly parents and a health situation going on there. The other 2 are our son, Adam and his fiance.

In these unstable financial times, everyone is searching for financial peace. But true peace comes from knowing the Prince of Peace.

Please pray for this outreach and the lives being touched over the next 12 weeks.

New Classes Being Offered

The start of a new year brings new class offerings for the community through the Learning Center and Snowbird T.E.A.M. Ministries.
During these challenging economic times, it's more important than ever to be offering this course. Mike leads the adult class and I lead the teen class. Mike's group has 12 couples!!! We are thrilled by this turn out. Truly amazing for this area. My class is actually the FPU school curriculum and I'm doing this with 5 girls 3 days a week.

Starting Tuesday, January 20 we will be offering a special program for fellow sojourners desiring to be healthier. It will be held during the noon hour during the lunch time of some friends of mine. Our group: Lunch Time Losers. Between us, we have enough weight to lose a person or two! We will be using some of the First Place 4 Health curriculum.

Thursdays are various weekly studies. Up this month, starting January 22 will be a 4 week series called Footprints On Our Heart. This is for women who need help in coping after a miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death. There are several young women I know that could benefit from this study and support group. The agony that is felt is complex and intense, and it mixes with misplaced guilt hurt, helplessness, and deep sorrow. Footprints On Our Hearts offers ways to cope with these feelings in days and weeks of grieving that follow as it speaks words of understanding, encouragement, and hope for the future.