Episode 23

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Published on:

31st Jan 2024

What If It's About More Than the Baby? Living Out God's Heart for Adoption: Part 1 (+ Natural Solutions for Common Symptoms)

As Christians we are called to love sacrificially and without limit. Listen to the beginning of a radical testimony in which Jen and her husband Eric love without a guarantee of a return, obediently following God's prompting. Jen also shares some of her best natural solutions to help families struggling with symptoms of discomfort or sickness.

Transcript
Steph:

They're the joyful agains our children shout on the swings, the

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exhausting agains of cooking and laundry,

and the difficult agains of discipline.

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So much of what we do

as mothers is on repeat.

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So what if we woke up with clarity,

knowing which agains we were called

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to, and went to bed believing we

are faithful in what matters most?

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We believe God's word is

the key to untangle from the

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confusion and overwhelm we feel.

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Let's look up together to embrace a

motherhood full of freedom and joy.

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Thanks for joining us for this

episode of again, brought to

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you by interested ministries.

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I'm your host, Stephanie Hickox.

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And in today's episode, I'm joined

by Jen Frackman, as she shares an

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incredible testimony in which the

sovereignty of God is undeniable.

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And the love of Jen and Eric is displayed.

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In a most uncommon way.

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As they were longing for a

child to bring into their home.

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They chose to love women

in difficult situations.

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After I heard dental this story, the

first time I pulled her aside and said,

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I want to be like you, when I grow up.

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Jen is the type of person

that takes every blessing.

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The Lord gives her.

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And multiplies it

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she serves radically and

lovingly and tirelessly.

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And it's very evident in this testimony.

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We hope that you had a chance

to listen to our episodes.

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I'm the sanctity of life.

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The last two weeks.

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And these episodes will continue

to focus on the dignity that

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God has given each human being.

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And this unique testimony where the child

matters so much, but the mother does too.

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We hope it inspires you to love radically.

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And to have

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I just to see how you

can serve our savior.

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Where he has placed you.

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As promised Jen kicks off

this episode with some really

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helpful natural solutions.

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Some I had definitely heard of and

used before and some are new to me.

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Although we hope everyone's staying

healthy in your house we know

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that winter sickness is so common.

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So I hope you and your kiddos find some

relief and some help through these tips.

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Steph: All right, Jen, in our homeschool

community, you are known as Nurse

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Freckman or Nurse Jen to some of us, and

even our kids know when we have questions

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about what to do that you will have.

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A great solution.

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And what I love is so often it's

something that I already have in

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my home or something, that I feel

really great about giving my kids.

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So, I would really love it if you could

guide us through a couple symptoms

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and say when my child starts to feel

this, this is what I turn to first.

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Let's start with ear pain.

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I think that's such a tricky one

because we can't see it, right?

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Jen: Yes.

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Steph: I've been very tempted to buy an

otoscope or something just so I can see.

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They're telling me it hurts, but it

could be so many things or even when

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they were little, my kids, I would

go to the doctor and they'd say, oh,

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they have an ear infection, but my

kids would say their ears didn't hurt.

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I think it's such an elusive one, so,

if one of your kids comes to you and

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says their ear hurts, what do you do?

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Oh,

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Jen: Dr.

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Mom.

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You can get them on Amazon.

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I think they're like 15.

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And I would look, even when

my littles were very little, I

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would just look in their ear.

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a number of different times throughout

a day or the week, just to get to know

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what their ears look like normally.

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And then as their ears started to have

ear infections or ear pain, I would

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know what looks differently for them.

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And so, you can tell, I'm not a doctor,

so none of this is medical advice, but

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Steph: we have to have

the caveats, don't we?

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Jen: Exactly.

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But you can tell, if there's

redness or just different things.

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So I would, I would look in their

ear with one of those scopes as well.

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And then I would also depending

on what it was you can get little.

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Eardrops of moulin oil.

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I believe that's how you pronounce it.

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And garlic oil, warm garlic oil.

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I've even made my own where I just crush

up some garlic and let it very, very

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slowly simmer on the stove top to get

it warm and then let it cool until I can

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put it on my wrist and it's not at all.

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Warm or too hot.

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And then I would just

drop that in their ear.

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Sometimes I'll do a warm salt sock where

I take like really coarse Himalayan

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salt and I put it in a clean sock.

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No, the most important part

is the clean sock part.

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And then I'll take it and either put it

in the warming tray or on the stove top

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and just heat it up a little bit and

get it warm and put that on their ear.

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And that soothes it very quickly and

well, and just helps blood flow go to

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that area because of the heat, drawing

the heat there increases blood flow.

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Depending on if they have a cold,

then I, might do a neti pot for

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them to help them get their sinuses

so that that gets out of their.

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Nasal passage.

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Also, I would lift the back of their

ear there's a bone right behind

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your ear a large circular bone.

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And I would rub that and then press

down as I rubbed and go down their

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neck, and that would just help.

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drain, whatever is in there.

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And it would usually feel good to them.

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So those, those are the things

we do for like ear pain.

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Steph: I still remember a friend

saying, yep, I walked into Jen's house

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and she had socks in a frying pan,

and I was like, ooh, tell me more.

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Jen: yes,

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Steph: So yep, so I've tried

it and it works amazingly.

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I've used Epsom salt usually but it,

it definitely does have to be coarse.

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You're right.

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Otherwise, it's a mess.

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And you have to watch it to make

sure you don't cook too long.

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Jen: Yep.

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Steph: and the garlic oil

drops are really helpful.

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I've done mixing melaleuca with lavender

and coconut oil and just rubbing

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that around the outside of the ear.

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And that's really helpful too

and, something I already have.

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Jen: Yes.

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Steph: I love that you studied your

children's ears, and they're healthy and

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that's so wise to get a baseline, right?

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Jen: it helps so much because, and

everybody's ear looks differently.

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Like I didn't, I had never looked

into an ear before, so I didn't know.

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And then I was like, Oh,

this is your normal ear.

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Okay.

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And then just recently Josiah had a really

bad ear infection and I could see Oh

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my goodness, this is, this is inflamed.

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I can see why you're in pain.

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And yeah, it was pretty cool to see.

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The inflammation go down and to see the

things that we were doing helping and

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we never had to take them in for it.

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So that was nice.

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Steph: that's great.

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And most ear infections are caused

by a virus and not a bacteria, right?

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Even though they're commonly treated

with antibiotics, that's not going

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to kill what's causing it usually.

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Jen: Yep.

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Steph: so it's helpful to have something

that will provide relief as you're

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waiting for those germs to be defeated.

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Jen: Yeah.

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Steph: What about if one of your

children has a bruise or a bump or

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hurts themselves in some sort of injury?

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Jen: Yeah.

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Our favorite is Arnica gel and they have

topical cream that you can put on or even

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when that's it dries really quickly cause

it has like alcohol in it or something.

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So we just rub that on and that really

does help a lot that's my favorite.

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You can also get little borion tablets

of arnica that they can take internally.

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They're like little tiny itty

bitty little circle balls that

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they just put under their tongue

and that goes right into their

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bloodstream and , that helps as well.

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But topically, I don't

know if it's what it is.

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It just helps them.

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I don't know how it works.

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I just know it does.

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Steph: The palettes, it's so funny because

some of the Latin names sound like,

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this sounds like hocus pocus, argentum

natricum, and you're like, I feel like

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you're saying I'm tricking myself, but.

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I, I've taken them myself even, for

like dental pain or something like

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that and you're like, well, even if

it's a placebo, it's working, like

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I feel better, so I'm okay with it.

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Sore throats are quite

common this time of year.

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What is your remedy for that?

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Jen: I love Manuka honey.

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Really good quality Manuka

honey lemon essential oil.

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If you just take it and put it in

right back wherever that soreness

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is, there is something to that that

just quickly can take that away.

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Throat coat tea is one

of my favorite teas.

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I, I actually like the flavor of it.

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Some people.

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It's not their favorite, but I enjoy it.

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That really does help a lot.

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And B propolis spray is

my ultimate favorite.

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We will spray that and just get it back

as far back in the throat as you can.

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And those typically will

soothe and help whatever that

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irritable sore throat thing is.

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If I feel it is strep, then I take

it a little bit more seriously and

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I'll either go get it checked to see

if it is strep and then I know what

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to do with different homeopathic

or different natural antibiotics,

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like oregano or garlic oil or.

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Colloidal silver, whatever

it is that we want to do.

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But I don't like to mess

around with straps, so.

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I will get them tested for that usually.

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Steph: Sure.

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Great.

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we've tried bee pollen, but I've

never tried the bee propolis spray.

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That's interesting.

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Jen: Yeah.

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It's super helpful.

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That's actually one of my favorite sprays.

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Steph: It's exciting to try these things.

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You don't want your kids to get sick,

but you, you want to see this stuff work,

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Jen: yes.

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Yes.

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Steph: Okay, and what about stomach aches?

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Okay.

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Jen: that's huge because.

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Whatever it is their body's having a hard

time digesting, it will help assist their

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body and into digesting whatever that is.

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Digestive enzymes help

activated charcoal, that helps.

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You can even take a capsule of that and

open it up and put it in grape juice

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and shake it up and have them drink it.

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They don't need a lot.

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A little goes a long way.

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Magnesium, typically, if they're,

constipated, then I will give them

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magnesium, give them a magnesium bath.

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Magnesium is best absorbed transdermally,

so having lotion or a bath or rubbing

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lotion on their tummy, that will help as

well but also taking magnesium, whether

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it's a drink or a pill, something like

that, to get some of that moving for them.

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We also love castor oil packs.

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Anytime they have a tummy ache and

it just comes out of nowhere and I

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don't really know what to do, I'll put

castor oil on organic flannel cotton

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and then I tie it around with a,

just a organic bow thing that I have.

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It's like a ribbon and we'll put a heating

pad over top of it for a little bit and

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let that sit on their tummy for a while.

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And most often that

will take the pain away.

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Steph: Wow.

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Castor oil also works best transdermally

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Jen: Yeah.

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Yeah, I have only used it on

topically, so I haven't taken it.

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I, I'm sure that there's things you can

do, but I haven't researched that as

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much, but topically it will increase blood

flow and it will reduce inflammation.

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And so it takes pain away and

it does work relatively quickly.

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Even for things like tummy aches,

headaches Olivia had a migraine this

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afternoon and I put Some on her forehead

and the heating pad on her forehead.

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And she said, mom, it feels so much

better, but it didn't take it away

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completely, but it did reduce the pain.

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Steph: That's excellent.

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Thank you, this is so helpful.

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And like I said, it always

brings me such peace to have

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things in my home that I can do.

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Historically, my kids always

get sick 10pm on Friday night

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Jen: Yes.

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Steph: and you're like, the

doctor's office isn't open!

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And then you think, do I really

want to take my little child into

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an ER or an urgent care so, having

things we can do at home is so nice.

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Jen: Yeah.

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Steph: And then often it's resolved

by Monday morning anyway, and then

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Jen: Yes.

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I know.

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Children do not get sick 9

to 5 Monday through Friday.

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It just doesn't work.

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It's like any off hour is

when they're going to get it.

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Steph: Yeah, for sure well, thank you

so much super helpful then we'll come

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back to you for more tips on just what

you use naturally to clean your house

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and Thieves Spray and everything, and so

we want to hear about all those things.

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but I'm very excited for you to be able to

share this beautiful, amazing God story of

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the adoption of your daughter, literally,

the first time I heard it, you told

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it at a mom's night for our homeschool

community that night went late, we talked

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really late and I think I got home at 1.

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30 in the morning and the

whole drive home, I was just

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like, Lord, that is amazing.

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And I had goosebumps as you were

telling it and I wanted to wake my

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husband up and tell him the story.

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It was just so hard to keep it in.

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You have to hear what God did.

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When he was like, how was it?

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And I was like, I have

to tell you, it's okay.

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If I have to tell you again in the

morning, but isn't this amazing?

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Jen: I love that.

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Yeah.

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Steph: sovereignty is undeniable in this.

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And also as I've seen

you parent your daughter,

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your thoughtfulness.

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And even the language

that you use with her.

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I think that'll be so helpful for other

moms, if they're caring for foster

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children, or if they have adopted

children, or even thoughtfulness for

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any child to think about what experiences

have you gone through, and how can I

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parent you how you need to be parented,

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very excited for you to

share all of this wisdom

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So let's dive in.

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Tell us all about the story of how

your daughter came into your family.

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Jen: I love it.

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Okay.

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So Eric and I, we wanted to have children

early on in our marriage and we got

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pregnant and quickly had a miscarriage,

I think at 10 weeks and I was devastated.

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It was shocking to me.

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I did not even have that on my radar.

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I had had two sisters who

had never had that before.

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I didn't really know very many women

who had had a miscarriage before.

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And so it just blindsided me

and I just was so hurt by that.

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And so, just saddened

and grieved through that.

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But also just felt the

Lord saying it'll be okay.

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But just trust me.

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So, that happened and then.

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We actively tried to get pregnant

and it took us another three

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years before we conceived Olivia.

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And that three years was

a very hard trying time.

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It was it was very hard.

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Every single month it was

a constant no, no, no, no.

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You're not pregnant, not pregnant.

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I just remember, getting so excited

thinking like anytime I would

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feel a little bit nauseous, I'd be

like, Oh, maybe I'm pregnant again.

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And well, no, I'm not

actually, it's just hormones.

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And so I had been seeing a mentor

early on in our marriage, Eric

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and I both were mentored by older.

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Transcribed Men and women, and my mentor

was an absolutely amazing godly woman

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who I just love so much and I owe so

much of my walk with the Lord to her

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because of where and how she steered

my heart and my pain through that.

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And she would constantly bring me back

to that Jesus is the gift, that pregnancy

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is not the gift you're looking for.

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Nothing else is the gift except Jesus.

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You, if you have him, you have

enough and you need to be okay

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having just him and not having

that thing that you want so badly.

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Once you're content, not that God

would do it right when I'm content,

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not that, but once you're content,

you'll understand how God is enough.

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And you're not content right now.

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So you need to keep praying on this.

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And so she was pretty adamant with

me that I needed to just continue

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to lay this before the Lord.

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And I'm so thankful because

there is so much hurt in that.

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It's a constant letdown every single month

and getting your hopes up to be just.

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Defeated.

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And I just think of that verse that says

hope deferred makes the heart grow sick.

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And that's what we were going through.

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So, we decided at the time that

we didn't want to focus on us.

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We wanted to get busy serving the Lord.

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And so we just prayed about it and

said, Lord, what would you have for us?

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While we wait for you to Lord willing

answer our prayer, what do we do

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to make ourselves not be focused

on just our pain and ourselves?

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And what can we do to serve you?

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Excuse me.

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So we signed up with Safe

Families for Children.

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It's through Lydia Home in Chicago here.

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And I remember the very first meeting

we sat through, I was bawling my

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eyes out and I felt like the angels

in heaven were like, Oh this is

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why, this is why you were born.

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Like you need to do this program.

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And I handed in my

paperwork the next morning.

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I literally like All the paperwork they

gave me, I filled it out that night.

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The next morning, I faxed it over.

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This was a while ago

when faxing was normal.

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And within three days, we had our

first safe family son in our home.

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And so that was, it's like very

short term, like months ish foster

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care, but it's before kids would

go into the foster care system, but

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that's just the way that people would

understand it is by saying foster care.

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So we would take on kids and it

served our hearts for that longing to

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have a baby or a child in our home.

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It served the child and the.

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The birth mom, because we got to

understand how we could care for this

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child who wasn't our own and who didn't

have the parenting styles that we were

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going to have, or it didn't have the

background that we were raised with.

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And so we learned.

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So much through that.

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It was invaluable.

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It really felt like we started to

understand this like underground

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world of the foster care system

that we didn't know existed.

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We didn't, we were not made privy to

much of how the foster care system

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works and how how to handle birth

moms, how to handle Kids who have gone

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through trauma and some even who were

drug addicted and just, it was a deep

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dive into caring for little ones and

we poured our hearts out into that.

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And I will never forget there was one

time that we had a, a son or a foster

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son in our home and the mom was going

to come and do a meeting and She was

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going to have a home visit with him and

it was Easter Sunday morning and She

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was going to come visit church with us.

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And she said that that

sounded like so much fun.

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She wanted to join us.

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So we were going to meet her at church

and we were waiting and waiting.

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And finally I went out, stepped outside

and called her and said, what's going on?

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And she's Oh, I'm, I'm really sorry.

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I can't come this morning.

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I actually just got an

abortion, so I won't be there.

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And I started just.

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Crying.

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I just, I was like,

wait, what you serious?

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And she was like, yeah.

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And I was like, well, how are you feeling?

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And she's I'm fine.

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I just, I just don't feel it coming.

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And I was like, okay.

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So we hung up and I just wept.

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I wept and I just felt

God, what are you doing?

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Like of all the people that we could

have in our home and all of the birth

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moms that we could have, you gave us

one who just aborted their baby when.

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We are struggling to get pregnant,

like that just felt so cruel

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to me and it was, it was hard.

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It was very hard.

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And I just remember being like, Oh my

goodness, how do we, how do we help

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these moms before they get to that point?

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Steph: Right.

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Jen: It was really hard.

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So we decided that we were just

going to continue to trust the Lord.

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And we were going to take in as many

kids as we could and we were going to

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love them well and not only love them

well, but love the moms well, I felt

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very convicted that one of the things

I loved about this program is we got to

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have relationships with the birth moms

and we got to mentor them as much as we

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could and, and as much as they would allow

some moms just, And so we would just,

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tell them we're praying for them and let

me know how we can serve you in any way.

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And they, they wouldn't accept

any of it and that's okay.

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But the ones that wanted it, they,

they soaked it up and I didn't know

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that the Lord was preparing us so

well for dealing with birth moms

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in the future, being an adoptive.

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Parent.

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But God was using all of that.

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He was using every ounce of that

and training us and giving us wisdom

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and knowledge that we would never

have been able to have apart from

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:

serving through Safe Families.

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:

And just being able to love those

moms, see them with dignity and honor.

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And I don't think very many people

will look at them that way because

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:

their child's in the system and

so they have marks against them.

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But There was one birth mom that we were

helping who was in a domestic violence

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situation and we tried to help her get

a home and so we had to get her out

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:

of the domestic violence situation.

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It was like midnight and we went down

to the inner city and I just remember

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:

being like, don't stop at any stoplight.

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Just run them all.

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Let's get there and get out.

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:

Don't stop.

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It was so scary.

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:

And went into this.

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And we got her out and we brought

her all the way out to Elgin, which

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is like a, probably an hour and 10

minute drive from where she was.

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And we dropped her off at a like

a domestic violence shelter there.

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And we gave her our number and

we were like, we are with you.

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We will help you, but we needed

to get you in a safe place.

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And so we took her kids home

with us and she stayed at the

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:

shelter and all that to say.

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For months and months, we did everything

we could in our power to help her get a

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:

job, to get a home, to get situated, to

get housing and, and just so much work.

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:

And so, so often I found myself

looking back being like, when I

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:

would see a homeless person on

the street and saying they were.

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:

Looking for a job or looking for money.

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:

I'd be like, just, go

to, go to McDonald's.

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:

There's, there's work,

there's work out there.

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:

You just need to go get it.

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And then we helped this mom

who needed to get a job.

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:

And they were like, okay, we

need your number to call you.

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:

And she's well, I'm staying in

a domestic violence shelter.

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And so we would literally give.

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:

Our number, our cell phone

number on the application, and

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:

they would call and ask for her.

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:

I'd say, one moment, and then I'd

quick call the shelter, get her on

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:

three way and be like, please hold.

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And we'd do a three way call just so

that they didn't have to know that she

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:

was in the domestic violence shelter.

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:

It was, but it's things like

that you don't think about.

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:

When you see these kids and it's easy

to be judgmental of the mom, like,

431

:

why can't you get your stuff together?

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:

Why did your kid get taken

away or whatever it is?

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:

It's so harsh and so

judgmental and we have no clue.

434

:

And so the Lord was just really humbling

us and peeling back the judgmental layers

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:

that we didn't even realize we had.

436

:

We didn't know, but we also didn't

know how hard that was and how many

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:

believers that stood behind her.

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:

Trying to help her get

all these things done.

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:

And she had a support system because

we love the Lord and we had, we had a

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:

support system of family that helped

and friends that helped and the church.

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:

There was so many people that helped

this woman get along and get out.

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:

And And it worked and she

does, she's, she did wonderful.

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:

She did great, but it took that much work.

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:

And so I tell that story just to say

the Lord was working in us during that.

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:

And he was using that time, those three

years to prune us and to, to get us ready.

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:

Steph: And to be a blessing to so

many it's really beautiful how

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:

selflessly you used your time.

448

:

Jen: Thanks.

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:

So,

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:

Steph: already made me cry once.

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Jen: So fast forward, we did get

pregnant with Olivia and that was

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:

amazing and wonderful and so grateful.

453

:

The Lord just answered

our prayers so, so well.

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And I do remember getting to the

point where I said to my mentor,

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:

if God allows us to get pregnant,

it is because God is so good to us.

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:

If God doesn't allow us to be pregnant,

it is because God is so good to us.

457

:

And it was within a month and I was

pregnant and, and I don't think that,

458

:

I don't think I could will myself

there okay, now I'm good to see this.

459

:

Like the Lord had to work

me into the point of that.

460

:

And I'm so grateful he did.

461

:

I'm so grateful he did.

462

:

So then we had two other babies and still

felt that our home was not complete.

463

:

Our, our life was not complete.

464

:

We knew that we had wanted to adopt.

465

:

And so we always wanted to adopt and we

just figured, well, we know that there's

466

:

a need out there because we do say

families and, and we've seen the desire

467

:

and the need for adoptive families.

468

:

So we'll just adapt through.

469

:

Something like that, maybe through

the foster care system or something.

470

:

And I had had two sisters

who had adopted as well.

471

:

I have one niece from India one

from, I don't know why I'm getting

472

:

choked up talking about them.

473

:

One niece from India, one from

Guatemala one from Columbia and, I

474

:

just watched my sisters go through

that adoption process and how much they

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:

trusted the Lord and how much they.

476

:

loved those children, even though they had

never met them and how their hearts ached

477

:

to be with them, even though they had

never met them and just seeing, a picture

478

:

and then waiting and going and meeting

them and then having to wait a month,

479

:

two months, a year to get them back.

480

:

And we just felt called

to domestically adapt and.

481

:

Having gone through the foster care system

and the safe families, we felt very called

482

:

to adopt with an open adoption where we

could know the mom as best as we could.

483

:

And so we decided that that's what

we were going to do, that we were

484

:

going to adopt domestically, even

though that scared us, the US laws

485

:

scared us the cost of it is not great.

486

:

There were a lot of things

that it was like, well.

487

:

I guess we'll just trust the Lord in this.

488

:

I don't know how this is going to go, and

I don't know how long we're going to have

489

:

to wait, but We'll just trust the Lord.

490

:

Well, one night I woke up in the

middle of the night and I had a

491

:

idea that I believe the Lord just

gave to me to send out postcards.

492

:

And search for birth moms

through sending postcards.

493

:

And I did not know exactly how

that was going to work or how my

494

:

husband was going to take that idea.

495

:

But I just trusted the Lord.

496

:

And I was like, all right, babe, I think I

have an idea as to how we can find a baby.

497

:

And he was like, what?

498

:

And I said, I think we're supposed to send

a postcard with our name and our family

499

:

information on it and just send it out.

500

:

And he's to where?

501

:

And so I was like, well, anywhere

where a woman in need would be.

502

:

And so I Google searched anywhere

where a woman in need would be.

503

:

I did inner city laundromats.

504

:

I did domestic violence

shelters in the inner city.

505

:

I did high school guidance counselors.

506

:

I sent them there anywhere

that I could think of.

507

:

I had some in my purse.

508

:

I had some anywhere that we would

go where there might be a woman.

509

:

And on the front, I had a picture of

our family and on the back I said, Hey,

510

:

we're looking to adopt and we would love

to have a preborn to two year old little

511

:

girl and we want to have an open adoption.

512

:

We would love to Know the birth mom as

and mentor her as much as she's wanting

513

:

to and to be a part of our family as Best

as we can do that And so if you know a

514

:

woman in need give her our information

and give her this postcard and she can

515

:

contact us so I had 500 printed and I

sent out a batch of I believe it was 50

516

:

And I prayed over every one of them as

we're mailing them and addressing them.

517

:

And as I sent them out, one of my

dear friends said, there's a maternity

518

:

home that opened up in downtown

Chicago that you should send it to.

519

:

And I was like a maternity home.

520

:

I didn't know that they had those.

521

:

That sounds amazing.

522

:

So I found the number and I.

523

:

The address and I sent one

to this maternity home.

524

:

Well, literally from Day one, when

I sent the first postcard, 12 days

525

:

later, I've got a first phone call

and I know, I know it was nuts.

526

:

And that was from this maternity home.

527

:

She said, we just got your postcard

and we've never done this before.

528

:

We don't usually do this.

529

:

But we have a birth mom who

came in and our home is filled.

530

:

We have too many moms and we have

to turn her away and I cannot

531

:

stand to turn someone away.

532

:

And she goes, ironically, this morning

in the mail, I got your postcard

533

:

and she is coming this afternoon.

534

:

And I didn't know what

I was going to tell her.

535

:

And I'm calling you to see if I

may give her your information.

536

:

And I was like yeah,

that's the reason I get

537

:

Steph: that

538

:

Jen: sent those.

539

:

So I said, yes, please.

540

:

I would love for you to do that.

541

:

And she said, I just can't

believe this because I know she

542

:

is pregnant with a little girl.

543

:

And.

544

:

She, I just, I can't believe that

the Lord is working this out and

545

:

I, I said, yes, please send it.

546

:

And she goes, would you do me a favor?

547

:

Will you keep me in the loop

as to what happens with this?

548

:

And even if it's not this, would you

just let me know what happens with you?

549

:

And, and how, and I

said, yeah, absolutely.

550

:

So I know it was really so sweet.

551

:

So fast forward the next day I got

a phone call and It was, would you

552

:

believe, Easter Sunday morning.

553

:

And I just am like, Oh Lord, you

are so, you redeem everything.

554

:

And years prior on Easter Sunday

morning, I got a horrible phone call.

555

:

And then this Easter Sunday

morning, I got the best phone call.

556

:

And it was from a birth mom who, I was

looking to place her baby in adoption,

557

:

but wanted to meet with us first.

558

:

All right, I'm sorry, but

I'm going to have to stop us.

559

:

We've got a lot more story to tell.

560

:

So please come back next week

and the next to hear the rest

561

:

of this incredible testimony

562

:

we hope that you are really

blessed by the natural solutions.

563

:

Jen shared at the

beginning of the episode.

564

:

And we pray that you have the eyes to see.

565

:

And the heart to serve wherever

the Lord calls you today.

566

:

He is with you mama.

567

:

And just a reminder, if you've

been blessed by the podcast, please

568

:

head over and give us a review.

569

:

This is so helpful to us because

then the platform you're listening

570

:

on is more likely to recommend this

podcast to other moms that are seeking

571

:

to serve the Lord in

their homes and beyond.

572

:

Steph: We know you're busy, Mama,

so we are truly grateful you joined

573

:

us for this episode of Again.

574

:

If you're looking for more information

about building your home on the

575

:

foundation of Jesus Christ, head to www.

576

:

EntrustedMinistries.

577

:

com to learn more about our study for

moms, Entrusted with a Child's Heart.

578

:

This scripture saturated study

has blessed families around the

579

:

world, and we want it for you, too.

580

:

Before you go, I want to pray

this benediction over you

581

:

from 2 Thessalonians 1, 11 12.

582

:

We're rooting for you.

583

:

To this end, we always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of His

584

:

calling, and may fulfill every resolve

for good, and every work of faith by

585

:

His power, so that the name of our Lord

Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in

586

:

Him, according to the grace of our God.

587

:

And the Lord Jesus Christ.

588

:

Amen.

589

:

Until we meet again.

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About the Podcast

Again
Biblical Motherhood Untangled
So much of what we do as mothers is on repeat. Join us to redeem this repetition and untangle from the confusion and overwhelm of parenting. We'll follow the Agains in the Bible to focus on the things that matter most. Let's look up together to embrace a motherhood full of freedom and joy! This podcast is sponsored by Entrusted Ministries.

About your host

Profile picture for Stephanie Hickox

Stephanie Hickox

Stephanie has always delighted in God’s Word and in sharing it with others. Whether it is equipping mothers and leaders through Entrusted with a Child’s Heart, inspiring students when teaching at homeschool co-ops or children’s ministry, or homeschooling her own children, Stephanie’s life mission is to encourage others to follow faithfully and joyfully after Jesus—especially if they hold her favorite job title: mom.

Betsy Corning wrote Entrusted with a Child’s Heart in 1999 in response to the needs she saw in families as she and David counseled young parents just a few years behind them. Entrusted has been taught in hundreds of churches nationwide, been translated into several foreign languages, and has made its way around the world. More recently, Betsy received her Masters in Biblical Studies from The Master’s University and is developing a new Bible Study program called Get the Word Out. Her passion for God’s Word, discipleship, and teaching biblical principles as they apply to family life has remained strong to this day. One of the greatest blessings in Betsy’s life are her three grown children, their spouses, and ten grandchildren that keep her constantly in touch with every age and stage.

Jen Freckman Is an incredible wealth of wisdom. She will tell you a natural remedy for just about anything! She is also a voracious reader and she is just overflowing with quotes and guidance that she's encountered through reading and being faithful. She delights in her children and is a devoted mother. She is also an amazingly creative problem solver! Her solutions to manage her home and guide her children are inspiring.

Emily Deyo is such a treasure. She is an incredible encourager and servant-hearted woman. When she has the mic in front of her, so much value comes out! She is a wordsmith and her heart consistently beats for how she can encourage and serve others. She is a truly loving and attentive mother.

Join Betsy, Emily, Jen, and Stephanie as they share the wisdom only Scripture and on-the-job training can provide to help untangle the joyful calling of motherhood.