This time last year, we thought we were in trouble. The response to The Sparrow Fund’s first Together Called conference was overwhelming. We weren’t sure if we could make that significant of an impact again. Now, here we are, a few days out from Together Called 2014, realizing we weren’t in trouble at all. We were just along for the ride, a part of a movement God is directing to care for families and marriages.

Thanks for your amazing hearts and the prayers and energy you poured into making the weekend a beautiful reflection of God’s care and comfort for us. It was truly like falling into the safest, warmest, most comfortable pillow. We returned refreshed, relaxed, and excited to pursue Jesus and the adventure He has for us!

Together Called 2014 was so renewing and deeply impacting.

Best conference ever!

I learned that as parents we are colaborers with the God of the universe. But, no matter how right or perfect we parent, we will NEVER be able to to parent Jesus right out of a job. He is the savior of our children, not us.”

We’ve been reading the feedback from attendees as they send it in—70 couples from 10 different states, parents of 235 children. We prayed for them by name, that God would meet each one including us at our very point of need. And, while we haven’t heard back from every single couple, we believe He did just that. Stephen and Beth Templeton of Hope at Home in Atlanta humbly and wisely shared what God has taught them as they have been a part of the “full contact sport of adoptive parenting,” directing us to the only One who can give us what we need. The worship, the fellowship, the time set apart for husbands and wives to spend time alone, and every little goodie donated from Honest Tea to puzzles that look like the world from Crocodile Creek and tons of amazing things for our raffles—God used every part of the weekend to remind us that they we are cared for and to refuel our tanks to keep on keeping on as we follow the One who has called us together.

I’m getting ready for the next big thing for The Sparrow Fund. Tomorrow, I am boarding a plane to lead a team of 12 other folks to go and serve at an orphanage in China (Yeah, I’m pretty much in full-on EEK! mode right now). It’s sorta crazy all that we’ve had going on during this season. But, I know that we are right where God wants us to be—encouraged that He is very much at work and that He has graciously invited us to be a part of that work despite ourselves.