Culture Shock: I don't belong here
It's not just you, friend. I have found ostracized amongst friends, amongst family, in church groups, in work settings.
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Hope
Stories from the Restored Broken Heart
Stories from the heart.
We understand hard places. We have been there. We believe there is power and therapy in sharing our broken hearts with others. That is why we have decided to share stories of hope with you from others. We hope you find these true stories inspiring and full of unexplainable peace.
Lauren Alonso
- Aug 6, 2021
- 2 min
Goatin to Sell this Place
South Carolina farmhouse and homestead for sale, situated on 9.72 acres of picturesque rolling land.
1,485 views
Lauren Alonso
- Jun 17, 2021
- 6 min
Singleness is a Gift. Say What?!
I love this cup. But it makes me struggle. I struggle with being between Joel’s wife and the woman I am in this season of waiting and the...
160 views
Lauren Alonso
- Jun 15, 2021
- 2 min
God is Never Really Silent
“Was that really God talking?” or “What if you heard incorrectly and do the wrong thing?” plagued my brain.
27 views
Lauren Alonso
- Jun 10, 2021
- 7 min
An Adventure Meant to be Shared
In May, I went out the Pacific Northwest for the trip of a lifetime to Tillamook, Oregon.
360 views
Ashlyn Ours
- Nov 30, 2020
- 8 min
Embracing the Broken Path
Like every great story, there is a hero and a guide. There are key characters. There is a crisis and a resolution. For every story as old as
252 views
Destiny Smith
- Nov 20, 2020
- 5 min
Where Loss and Grace Meet
My Story cannot start without going into the good, the bad, the ugly, the hurt, the loss, and the pain.
289 views
Melissa Abbott
- Nov 16, 2020
- 7 min
Love Builds a Nest
The old saying goes "When one door closes, another one opens." When our first foster placement, baby K left our home the end of March in...
47 views
Melissa Abbott
- Nov 16, 2020
- 7 min
The Call to Foster
I wanted to go the "safe" route of private adoption. Now, even typing that out, I have to laugh at myself.
46 views
Brittany Hanvey
- Nov 6, 2020
- 6 min
Immense Grief but Great Joy
I’ve held many “titles” in my life, but “Nate’s Mama” is by far my favorite.
499 views
Lauren Alonso
- Nov 5, 2020
- 8 min
5 Boundaries for Peopling through the Holidays
I want to encourage you, as always to seek joy in EVERY season- especially the holiday season. So, I've put together a list of 5 simple boun
34 views
Kenzie Byrd
- Oct 19, 2020
- 2 min
Children are Work
But it's not what you think... What I am talking about goes out to those, like me, that used to believe children are a distraction from...
15 views
Kenzie Byrd
- Oct 12, 2020
- 4 min
Carseats and Covid and Campers, Oh My!
Campfire! Y'all, I am a NCIS junkie it is what I always watch when I work because I have seen it so many times I know I won't miss much,...
21 views
Lauren Alonso
- Sep 3, 2020
- 4 min
ReNew 2020 Challenge
Is it time for you to hit the reset button on this year?!We started the last 3rd of the year yesterday. That’s 119 days to wake up, show up,
14 views
Lauren Alonso
- Dec 1, 2019
- 2 min
A Christmas Gift from Joel to Freddie
So every single Christmas, my husband would paint Christmas cards.This year these ornaments will buy a gift for Freddie from Joel.
135 views
Lauren Alonso
- Oct 4, 2019
- 3 min
The Path of Pursuing Freedom
Perhaps you feel held back by your life or circumstances. Perhaps you feel burdened by disbelief, failure and fears. This intent of this eve
49 views
Lauren Alonso
- Sep 9, 2019
- 7 min
To Those Who have Abandoned Our Son and Me
He loved harder in those last 8 months of becoming a father and you never got to see it. His greatest calling in life was fulfilled and
1,148 views
Lauren Alonso
- Aug 1, 2019
- 10 min
I don't wear my rings
My friend Emily, who recently just lost her baby boy, unexpectedly, after 30 some odd hours of life and I talk daily. I allow her to ask...
1,027 views
Lauren Alonso
- May 15, 2019
- 2 min
100 Days to Brave
Hey JPF Family, Lauren here... I wanted to take a moment to introduce our newest ventures. As most of you know by now... this is a very...
27 views
Lauren Alonso
- May 6, 2019
- 8 min
Never Give Up, All Things are Possible
Buying a home while selling a home is a scary, limbo-ing process. If you've ever done it, you'll know exactly the position I'm in right...
884 views
Lauren Alonso
- Apr 6, 2019
- 9 min
Farmhouse to Farmhome
It's been 3 years since we purchased our little farmhouse in Jacksonville, Florida. You've watched countless DIYs, cooking shows, and...
1,095 views
Lauren Alonso
- Mar 21, 2019
- 6 min
An Adoption Story: A Change of Heart
Hi, I am Melissa. I am a wife to Justin, and a mom to two littles. I have a daughter Lannie and a son Nash. My children have joined our...
352 views
Lauren Alonso
- Mar 16, 2019
- 15 min
Joel's Last Days with Us
As I begin to write this, it's 3 weeks after our last conversation (I've been holding onto this blog for over a month). You see, Joel had...
2,362 views
Lauren Alonso
- Feb 15, 2019
- 5 min
3 Ways to Start a Date Night (even with kids)
Hey JPF Family, I am so excited to introduce another blogger to you all... her name is Sarah Beth Sutter. Sarah, her husband Scott, and...
54 views
Lauren Alonso
- Sep 4, 2018
- 10 min
Our Adoption Story, Part 2
In case you missed Part 1, read it first here. Let's pick up where we left off... In the same breath that our adoption coordinator told...
104 views
Lauren Alonso
- Sep 3, 2018
- 8 min
Our Adoption Story, Part 1
This is the story of how we became a family- in 2 parts. Let me start at the beginning... In case you haven't heard our story, Joel and I...
164 views
Lauren Alonso
- Oct 31, 2015
- 5 min
Our Story: The Wedding {Part 3 of 3}
Nearly 10 years after the day we met and one day shy of 7 months after Joel proposed, we were finally about to tie the knot. But, it...
100 views
Lauren Alonso
- Oct 9, 2015
- 6 min
Our Story: The Notebook {Part 1 of 3}
So many of you have just joined us on our voyage and want to catch up on the entire story of how Joel and I met and how we ended up where...
571 views
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