Dec/Jan Issue - Outpour Magazine

Dec/Jan. 2022 ISSUE

OUTPOUR MAGAZINE

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them...

Ezekiel 11:19 NIV

The Miracle of No

Learning to Rejoice in the Silent Seasons

Waiting Patiently for The Lord… Is Never in Vain

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ENCOURAGING EVERYDAY PEOPLE TO LIVE FOR CHRIST

FOUNDER/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Krystion Nelson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joy Shamberger CREATIVE DESIGN EDITOR Sarah Schurman SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS Tim & Jessie Synan

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DEC/JAN 2022 CONTRIBUTORS Civilla Morgan Shani June LaTijera Kemp Hannah Bemis Published by Issuu Inc. Article pictures: Envanto Elements/ Canva CONTACT info@outpourmagazine.com Outpour Magazine, Dec/Jan 2022 (c) All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible.

*Please do not republish, copy, or reproduce magazine pages without written permission.

**Disclaimer: All Advertisers featured in this issue agreed to abide by OM’s Statement of Faith and to maintain biblical, ethical and moral standards.

However, OM is not responsible for services and/or products provided by advertisers, and their placement in our magazine does not equal to an endorsement or full alignment of their church, event, products or business practices.

The holiday day season is upon us. Christmas is on our doorsteps with a New Year just around the corner. Lights, music, nostalgic scents and various aromas of all things Christmas, the headaches of holiday travel and traffic, and holiday accoutrements in every form and fashion can fill us with all sorts of anticipation. While Christmas is often a beautiful time of celebration and giving, for some it simply is not. Whether the holidays are a reminder of all things gained or lost, the season carries not only anticipation, but also expectation.

The beauty of the Christmas story is that it can meet each and every one of us where we are.

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine” (Isaiah 9:2 NLT). After 400 years of silence, God poured His love, power, and redemption story into the first drawn breath of a newborn infant in an unlikely place, to an unlikely couple, at an unlikely time. In one of the most anticipated moments of history, the greatest and most transformative power on earth was birthed in a fragile, vulnerable form.

“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV). The greatest gift the world would ever receive, a Savior was born. Wherever this Christmas season may find you, may Jesus fill you with wonder, may He show up in His might, may He be the everlasting One that you need Him to be. Throughout the world, our circumstances, our families, and our hearts, may the Lord Jesus reign with His Peace.

In this issue, we invite you to meet a family who shows the love of God through fostering and adoption (page 22); learn how to rejoice in silent seasons (page 16); and know that waiting for the Lord is never in vain (page 36). Also revisit how to recognize Jesus in an unrecognizable world (**Dec. 2020 reprint, page 40) and read about the miracle of "no" (page 10). Lastly, start your holiday shopping with great reads in our holiday gift guide (page 30).

Thank you for your continued support of Outpour magazine! It is by the grace of God that we are able to bring you spirit-filled content for FREE on a bimonthly basis. Please share with your family and friends and let us know how you are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior this holiday season.

Remember - JESUS is the Reason for the Season!

God Bless You!

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the

Letter from Editor

Meet the Contributors for this issue

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Hannah Bemis

LaTijera Kemp

Shani June

Civilla M. Morgan

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Want to write for Outpour Magazine in upcoming issues?

Please contact us at info@outpourmagazine.com for more information

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10 40

Contents

THE MIRACLE OF NO RECOGNIZING JESUS IN AN UNRECOGNIZABLE WORLD

36 WAITING

16 LEARNING TO 22 MEET

Cry out to the Lord and wait patiently for Him. He will answer you. God may not show up immediately or in the way that you think He should, but you can rest assured that He is on His way to deliver you from your pit of despair.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Eccl. 3:1 KJV). The transition from one season to the next can symbolize many things...Seasonal changes provide perspective and encourage us to plan; they allow us to reflect on what’s happened and what’s to come.

PATIENTLY FOR THE LORD… IS NEVER IN VAIN

REJOICE IN THE SILENT SEASONS

THE FAMILY

The McKinnon Family shares their heart for fostering and adoption, and why it matters so much to them and their family.

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this issue

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

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Luke 2:14 KJV

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The Miracle of No 10 | Out pour Magaz ine

by Civilla M. Morgan

When God does not answer our prayers,

at least not the way we would like, sometimes we are told to pray harder or to continue in prayer. We may hear stories of people who did not receive an answer to their prayers until 10, 20, or 30 years later.

We may even hear anecdotes of people who never got to see their prayers answered as they passed on before witnessing the answer or the miracle. And this reminds us that we should never give up on the prayers we send up to God; but, what happens when the answer is “no?”

In my younger years, before I started experiencing physical health concerns and did not meet Mr. Right, I thought of myself as a “God’s girl.” I first heard that term from a female Christian musical group and adopted it because I loved it so much.

I never thought I would live the life of a single and childless woman. I just knew I was created to be a wife and a mother. No one could have told me any different. I felt that as a “God’s girl,” He would bestow

blessings on me because I was living the life He asked me to live as a believer.

I remember praying over the same things for a solid decade. My prayers turned into begging, then bargaining, and eventually turned into me being angry at God. There was a full range of emotions in those ten years of hoping, trusting, and believing for a miracle. But when the “no” began to become clear, I stopped using the term “God’s girl” to describe myself. I no longer felt like “God’s girl.”

I would sometimes wonder why God answered Hannah in the Bible and not me. In fact, He answered her six times over (1 Samuel 1:10-15; 2:21). I would have been grateful for one child. But that never happened. What was it about her begging and bargaining so hard that the priest, Eli thought she was drunk? What made God

In the church, we love to talk about miracles. And miracles are real, wonderful, and beautiful. But sometimes, the miracle just does not happen. No matter how long I prayed, the begging and the bargaining still amounted to no.

But we must remember that God sees the big picture when He says “yes,” and He sees the big picture when He says “no.” “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV). Even in difficult life experiences, I believe God has a plan for us, all of us. As believers, we need to read and understand the whole

Bible, not just the Jeremiah 29:11 parts. We need to understand and talk about the “no” stories like we talk about the “yes” stories of the Bible.

In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when presented with the choice of either bowing down to worship the golden statue that the king had created or being thrown into a fiery furnace, they acknowledged that the outcome of their response could have gone either way.

“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:16 NIV). They decided that they would trust God regardless, even if He did not save them. Are you able to say even if

God sees the big picture when He says “yes,” and He sees the big picture when He says “no.”

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answer her prayers? I remember the many nights I cried myself to sleep; the days I begged God to heal my body as I waited to meet Mr. Right. Did Hannah’s bargains sound like mine, or were they somehow different?

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God does not save me, even if He says no, that “I will trust Him?” There are miracles in the “no” just as there are miracles in the “yes.”

I did consider going my own way. I literally found myself at a crossroads in the middle of that decade mentioned earlier. I seriously considered walking away from the way I was raised, walking away from the church, marrying someone, and having the children I desired for so long. If God wasn’t going to answer my prayers, I was going to make it happen. Fortunately, I made the decision to follow Jesus. I don’t know how my life would have turned out. I believe I made the right decision, though to be honest I would have preferred to have had

a family. Yet I am glad I chose Jesus.

Before dying on the cross for our sins, Jesus said in the garden of Gethsemane, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39 ESV). Jesus pushed through the crucifixion for our sakes and the miracle we get to experience is that when we give our hearts to God, He welcomes us into His fold. Does life become perfect after that? No, it does not.

But we know we can rely on the Jesus who died for us, to walk with us on our life’s journey; even and especially in the “no.”

That is because He pushed through even when it was hard for Him. His own miracle is that He died and rose again!

So, whenever we have difficulty in the "no" in our lives, let us reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross, as it is a reminder that He loves us and knows what is best for us, even in the no.

Civilla Morgan is an author, blogger, and podcaster who loves to encourage others through various platforms. Her careers have included hospitality, healthcare, and financial services. Civilla was a stockbroker for several years, continues to love the financial services industry, and can talk for hours about the markets and worldwide finance! Currently, she is a life and health insurance agent. In her spare time, which she says hardly exists, she loves to read, go to the beach, travel, and spend time with family. Follow her on twitter @civilla1, IG @religionandpoliticspod and @joyandrelevance and visit her website: www.civillamorgan.com

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The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory,

the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 NIV

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the glory of the one and only Son, who came from

Learning to Rejoice in the Silent Seasons

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“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Eccl. 3:1 KJV) The transition from one season to the next can symbolize many things. One can experience growth, understand loss, find ways to reset, as well as the opportunity for a rebirth. Seasonal changes provide perspective and encourage us to plan; they allow us to reflect on what’s happened and what’s to come. They serve a purpose that oftentimes will catch us by surprise, but once a new season arrives, we find ourselves grateful for the shift.

Residing in the southeastern portion of the United States for most of my life, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing all four seasons.

When asked which is my favorite, I will tell you time and time again that I love all things autumn

By Shani June

or fall. Not because it’s the time of year that I married my husband, or that it’s the season in which my birthday falls, or the precious period that God blessed us with our handsome twin boys; but what I adore most about the cooler months is that fall allows one to visualize the changes that are taking place. You see the leaves transition from green to brown, feel the air become crisp and cool, and of course there is an obvious shift in the shortening of days to night.

While I adore the physical attributes of seasonal change, I’m often reminiscent of the time where I wasn’t able to see what was happening in my life and I learned to fully rely on God. It was a “silent season,” a time known for being filled with loneliness, uncertainty and fear.

This was a time where I found myself crying to the Lord for help, but my pain remained silent

At the start of 2016, I found myself walking into the longest silent season to date. My husband and I had been married for a little under three years and were anxious to start a family.

We’d taken the necessary steps to get pregnant, yet we remained unsuccessful. Believing that as long as God knew the desires of our heart and just how much we wanted to become parents, there wasn’t much else that we could do. After trying to conceive for 20 months unsuccessfully and then to conceive and miscarry, we were given advice to see a fertility specialist. We declined. We believed God would do just what He said and if we prayed about it, we would be okay. We quickly learned that our faith wasn’t enough and that we had to put in the work to achieve the best possible outcome. James 2:20 says, “But wilt though know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” After much prayer and consultation, we decided to seek the

assistance of a reproductive specialist.

In the initial meeting, I sat across from the doctor with tears streaming down my face and began to share what brought me to this point in my journey. I told her how I was opposed to seeing a fertility specialist for years, but at 36 years old the odds were now stacked against me. I shared that I wanted to believe she could help me, but I was uncertain. I disclosed how we had waited until we were married to start a family; how much I wanted to bless my husband with children because he would make such a good father; how we tried every home remedy, natural supplement, and old wives’ tale; and yet my womb remained barren. I told her of my friends that had similar stories and referenced women in the Bible, Elisabeth in particular, and that I hoped she and her team could help me. I told her that I believed nothing was impossible for God. I recalled Luke 1:36-37 as it said, “And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Seasonal changes provide perspective and encourage us to plan; they allow us to reflect on what’s happened and what’s to come. They serve a purpose that oftentimes will catch us by surprise, but once a new season arrives, we find ourselves grateful for the shift.

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and shut off from the world. My silent season brought me from a position of not knowing what would happen next to a place of peace, refuge, and gratefulness. Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

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Time and time again, God has shown me that He is a provider, a protector, and a way maker.

I left the initial meeting without my doctor having all the answers; however, I felt comforted when she reassured me that she had a plan. I remained hopeful that this little step that I took was going to propel us in the right direction to become parents just as we’d dreamed.

Matthew 7:7-8 NIV says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Within weeks, we began a battery of tests to determine the best course of action. Less than two months later, we became pregnant a second time after multiple procedures; but shortly after we suffered another miscarriage. Yet, in spite of how things looked

and with little to no answers, I held on to a glimmer of hope and faith the size of a mustard seed that we would become parents. “...if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt. 17:20 NKJV).

We decided to take a couple of months to recover and then continue our efforts. We ran more tests, had another major procedure, and decided to try our first round of a fertility medication known as Clomid. The results came back more than favorable and within a few weeks we were pregnant; with not one, but two babies.

Isaiah 61:7 NKJV says, “Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion.

Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.” God blessed us with double for our trouble! Oh, what a mighty God we serve! The silent season that we dreaded

• “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12 ESV). I never forgot who I was nor whose I was.

• “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1 KJV). In spite of what it looked like, I believed God would do just what He said He would do.

• “For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it" (Prov. 8:11 KJV). I learned that while it was easy to compare myself to others, their journey wasn’t mine and my test would later become my testimony.

Time and time again, God has shown me that He is a provider, a protector, and a way maker. He has created opportunities that I didn’t believe were available, and He’s opened doors that had been shut in my face time and time again. He has created detours that pushed me in the right direction. My silent seasons taught me to focus on the outcome instead of my outlook and that I can rejoice in the season because I know that greater is coming. I want you to know that regardless of what you are going through, continue to believe God’s Word and He’ll see you through.

Shani June resides outside of Charlotte, NC and is a member of New Zion Baptist Church. She is a wife, mother, and true believer in God's gifts and promises. By day she is a Clinical Research Trial Manager working to alleviate various blood disorders. When she isn’t in the office she enjoys exercising, online shopping, catching up with her girlfriends over great food, and spending quality time with her husband and their 4 year old twin boys, Jameson and Jace.

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set us up for an everlasting joy, a joy that we can’t put into words. I recall as I walked out this period in my life a few scriptures that helped get me through:

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But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Psalm 5:11 NIV

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McKinnon Family

meet

the

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MEET THE MCKINNON FAMILY: Ray and Kelly McKinnon and their handsome boys: Quinton, Alex, Malik and Mikel. They spoke with us about their family, the importance of fostering and adoption, and showing their kids that they are fully loved and known by them and by God.

Ray McKinnon: We are a fiercely loyal and loving group who are quirky as all get out. But we make sense. I don’t think we could have crafted our family if we tried to. We were talking about how incredibly different I am from [the kids’] biological dad, polar opposites. But I think that God knew exactly what we needed, to help balance it out. We make sense, we’re congruent. It’s unconventional, but it works.

Kelly McKinnon: We’re very traditional in one sense - we love the things we do together, our family traditions, even with extended family. But on the other hand, it’s very much surprising and unexpected.

OM: What ages are your boys?

RM: Quinton is 31, Alex is 21, Malik is 16 and Mikel is 13. And the grandbaby is 11; she’s still papa’s girl (laughs).

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OM: Tell us a little bit about yourselves and your family: Who are the McKinnons?

OM: What have been some of your favorite memories as a family?

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RM: This is mine and I’m the more sentimental one - this may not be Kelly’s - but their “gotcha” (adoption) day. The cool thing now is looking back, knowing their personalities so well - we were eating and Mikel did not like what we were eating.

And Malik was like “just eat it Mikel.”

It was our first day and so perfectly their personalities. That’s one of my favorite memories.

KM: One of my favorite memories is when they are all together, whether in the living room or outside. Especially because they are teenagers now and like to do their own thing. But when they are together - and it’s like stupid boy stuff (laughs), but they are laughing and carrying on and wrestling and jumping over things. And if Quinton, our oldest, happens to [come home], if you see them all together, you wouldn’t know that they are not all biological siblings.

OM: How has your faith been foundational in your family's life?

RM: The fact that we are even a family is because of our faith. On our second date, we were already talking about the importance of adoption. Wanting to adopt comes from that space that everyone deserves to be loved and know love.

That’s how I understand the gospel. At the heart of the gospel is this love that doesn’t

The fact that we are even a family is because of our faith. make sense, a love that doesn’t seem like it should work. We are called to love - but not in a way that looks like we’re saving these kids. No, actually they are saving us, we’re saving each other. The gospel is also about community - with God vertically and others laterally.

KM: Both Alex and Quinton came to us from other church experiences that were not good. So when you are blending a family, it’s a chance to really let them see how you live out your faith, where it’s an action and not just a show only for Sunday and Wednesday nights. And not for beating people down, but rather for encouraging, helping people heal, grow and show love to each other. It’s been interesting as they ask questions, explore and figure out what [faith] means to them.

RM: In my job, one thing we teach our folks in trainings is “show, don’t tell.” It’s

mistakes; but despite all of that we are known fully and loved fully [by God]. And that’s for all of us. We encourage our kids to show up fully.

We are really intentional about the words we use. We don’t make assumptions about our kids, about who they are going to be in the future, because I want them to understand that God is the God of grace.

And when we mess up or miss the mark, let’s admit that too and apologize.

Being a parent is hard, obviously. For me it’s like, I don’t want to mess my kids up and you try to strike the balance of all of the things. These are real people; their lives are at stake and they have real emotions.

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been very important for us to be very conscious about the faith we present to our kids. I grew up in the ‘90s era of Christianity, where you “kissed dating goodbye” and [had] an understanding of faith in God and Christ that was more often than not less charitable than God was. It’s important to us to not pass on those same evangelical toxic understandings of God where God only cares about what you do, but rather because of who you are intrinsically, you are known and loved by God apart from what we “do.” We want to show them a faith that is charitable. I don’t want to create a faith that is fear based; I want to model a faith that shows that we are imperfect, we are in process and we make

Was talking to a few of my friends the other day and we were talking about our desire to model something better than what we had modeled for us as kids. Not modeling this really toxic view of masculinity where you have to be the conqueror and not show emotion. Or to realize that some things we learned, even when people meant well, was actually harmful, and not to put that on our kids.

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OM: Talk to us about your experiences being foster and adoptive parents and how the Lord guided you and your family in this process.

KM: Like Ray said, we actually talked about adoption on our second date. His mom was adopted. And my mom and dad actually talked about fostering before I graduated high school, and [they] fostered one child. But we had talked about that as a family before, so that had always been there. We were married right at six months and Quinton, who was 15, needed a place to stay for the weekend. He was a youth kid that had been coming with some other kids to our church. Ray was a youth pastor at the time. And then the weekend turned into two weeks. And we were finally like, we need to figure out what’s happening here. Long story short, we ended up talking to his dad and found out his grandmother was sick - who he was living with - but she was going to put him out and dad didn’t care where he went. Which was definitely concerning. So Ray met his dad at the courthouse and his dad signed over temporary guardianship and he stayed

with us all the way through graduation.

He came and never left (laughs).

Then he went to the air force, got married and divorced, but was stationed in Turkey and couldn’t take our granddaughter with him - but he had custody - so we kept Adrianna almost three years, until she went to kindergarten. So we’ve done teenagers and a baby/toddler. That was hard, when she left to go stay with his sister, so she could start school with her cousins. And when she left, we were like okay, we know what it’s like to have a child and we were in this house with extra rooms. It was just the two of us and the pets. So we were like we should just do this officially, we could certainly foster.

RM: I found the classes.

KM: He did (laughs). It took about 18 months to complete the classes and get certified. The two younger boys were our first placements.

RM: They were slated for reunification and we had another child slated for adoption.

The goal of foster care is to reunite the children with their family. But we ended up adopting Mikel, Malik and Alex, with the adoption being finalized that next year, in 2016. And Quinton was with us since 2005.

OM: Talk about the joys and challenges of being foster/adoptive parents. I can imagine making a home, loving on the kids and then them leaving is really hard.

KM: It is hard. It’s supposed to be hard.

The whole point is for the children to be loved and cared for while they are with you, so it should feel hard when they go.

RM: And that’s the reality - well even parenting in general. It’s reminding yourself that it’s not about you. The greatest joys are the joys that parents have, when these little people love you when they say they don’t (laughs). Being a parent is a love like no other love, but it’s scary. I remind the boys that they have my heart and I tell them to be careful with it. All my kids are like my external heartbeats. It’s a reminder that it’s not about yourself when you are a parent.

KM: The hardest thing for me is feeling

RM: Alex always brags on his mom. You get these cool little homies, that depend on you (laughs). One of the big challenges for me is that we have this transracial adoption because our kids are biracial but neither of us are. My kids say I’m a little militant and I know I can never understand their perspective. And realizing you haven’t always been there to protect them and let them know it’s alright. But the thing I love most about being a dad in general is that I am able to model something that I wish I had. I don’t hide my emotions. I cry. I get angry. And I apologize when I lose my temper and hurt their feelings. I try to do what I wish I had. I hope that they have a fuller understanding of what it means to be a dad, to be masculine and a husband.

My kids will never be able to say that their

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like you just don’t have enough time. It’s like everyone else had years on us, and we’re like they are going to high school and about to leave. Thinking about all the things I want to make sure my kids have [instilled] in them. But the best thing was the first time they called me “mom.” Or when they are talking to other people and say “my mom is such and such or whatever.” Or when they are bragging on you.

I remind the boys that they have my heart & I tell them to be careful with it.

dad never said “I love you.” They may say he says it too much (laughs).

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OM: What are your prayers, hopes and dreams for your children, especially as they are getting older and about to leave the nest?

KM: The constant prayer is always for their safety. Everytime they go out, especially over the past few years, it’s like I just need yall to come home. The second thing is that they will be able to find and discover who it is they are meant to be - to figure out their purpose and calling in combination with their whole story. Not feeling like they have to leave part of themselves off in order to be successful or to do whatever it is they want to do. To own the parts of their story and to walk in that comfortably.

RM: I want more than anything for the boys to know that they can show up authentically and become who they imagined for themselves. That they have this freedom that hopefully we’ve helped to create this level of safety to truly understand who they are becoming and not feel they are locked into something because of who somebody else was or what somebody else wanted.

OM: And lastly, what words of encouragement would you give other families who might be interested in fostering/ adoption but not sure where to start?

KM: As far as advice for families consid-

ering fostering or adoption, find organizations in your area that support foster and adoption programs. In Charlotte, NC “Foster Village” is a fantastic one and also “Congregations for Kids.” And they give you an inside look without committing to anything, and support other families and children who are in the process already.

“Congregations for Kids” also has a program to support social workers and provides mentors to older kids in foster care.

Another thing is to take the orientation class - to get an idea of what it all entails.

And it’s designed to help people decide, yes I want to continue or no I don’t. There’s no commitment. But if you let the what if ’s hold you back, you’ll never do it.

RM: There’ll never be a perfect time. The goal isn’t to guard your heart. The goal is to give away your heart and to eventually have your heart wrecked and broken because you have demonstrated to a child who may have never experienced what it means to be loved fully by a parent. And that’s sometimes hard for kids in foster care. Some came from homes where they had to be way more grown up than they ever needed to be, have way more responsibility. But everybody deserves [love]. You give safety. You give a place where they belong. You are going to have to face your deficiencies and insecurities. And realize that they are not your accessories. Their job isn't to complete us. Their job isn’t anything but to be kids. - OM

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Their job isn't to complete us. Their job isn't anything but to be kids.

photos provided by The McKinnon Family

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Holiday Gift Guide This holiday season, share the gift of reading with those you love!

Check out these wonderful books written by Outpour Magazine contributors!

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Holiday Gift Guide

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Holiday Gift Guide

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Holiday Gift Guide

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But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

Titus 3:4-5

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Waiting Patiently for The Lord…

Is Never in Vain

by LaTijera Kemp

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1-3 NLT) I read this scripture recently, and while I’m sure I have read it before, this time the words seemed to

I remembered a time when I had feelings of despair and how I cried out to God for that season to change. I’m not sure how patiently I waited during that time. I was honestly angry that I had to go through what I was going through in the first place. I remember feeling that God was cruel for not stopping the situation. The waiting was long and difficult; I just wanted that time to be over! I cried out to the Lord many times before I finally felt as if He really heard me.

After that season was over, I looked back in retrospect and now appreciate that my freedom was a process. I realize now that God was listening and attending to me all along. Through it all, I was learning and growing wiser and stronger. Although I felt like I had gotten worse, I can now see that God was making me better. Who I was when I went into the pit was not the same woman that emerged. That pit was a pruning ground that produced maturity and beauty in me.

“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along” (v.

2) I reflected on the characteristics of the pit and the dismal environment within— the muck and mire of rejection, the fear and guilt I had been in. At times it was so dark and

lonely. I was sad and scared at other times.

Yet even in the darkness, God had been there without fail. Although I hadn’t realized it, I was never alone. He was there piercing the darkness with His glorious light of love and comfort. What a Father! In just the right moment, at a specific designated time when I was done— He lifted me out. God set me firmly on a solid ground of peace and steadied me in His love. He did so with a kindness beyond measure and His gentle touch helped me to move forward.

“He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God” (v. 3) Through that trying process, I was inspired to write a few songs of adoration to reflect on God’s presence and deliverance.

As I look back and consider having felt like God was cruel, I am now able to see that to the contrary, He had loved me through it all. I’m able to embrace the truth that God was walking with me and my family through the hard times, and I am eternally grateful. I never thought that I would be able to exclaim as King David did in Psalm 119:71 (KJV), “It is good for me that I had been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes;” but that is exactly how I feel now.

“Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3 NLT).

I was excited when I read the end of verse three. I had not gone through my circumstances for nothing, nor for my sake alone. What I have been through will help others to learn how to put their trust in Jesus.

Even now, as I am able to share with others the revelations I have gained and witness

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leap off the page. As I read it, I heard it differently. The Lord illuminated it causing me to picture myself in the text. This is how the scripture opened up to me: “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry” (v. 1). This verse caused me to ponder a particular situation that I had been in for a very long time.

God’s gentle, yet strong hand freeing them— it makes the process completely worth it!

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Now allow me to encourage you: My friend, I’m not sure what you are currently walking through or what turmoil you may have experienced in your past, but I urge you to cry out to the Lord and wait patiently for Him. He will answer you. God may not show up immediately or in the way that you think He should, but you can rest assured that He is on His way to deliver you from your pit of despair. Trials and trauma have a way of clouding our sight. Please understand that all of it will be used for your good and for God’s Glory.

There are many that will be blessed by your story and the lessons you’ve learned from what you have been through. So, keep going, don’t give up! “For yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry” (Hebrews 10:37 KJV). At the end, you always win because HE has already won!

My Prayer For You: Jesus, give my friend peace that surpasses all understanding. Give them the strength to endure. Walk them through this trial with confidence in who You are and Your great love for them. I pray their faith fails them not. And Father, for those who have been through devastation in their lives and are unsure how to recover from it, provide beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Give them eyes to see the way you see, Father.

Allow them to hear Your voice and follow Your lead. Thank you, for solidifying them and steadying their steps. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

LaTijera Kemp holds a Bachelor's degree in Business and is a veteran of the US Air Force.

She is intentional about daily encouraging others around her and helping women discover that they are 'So Precious to God' and more than meets the eye. LaTijera is a blessed wife of more than 22 years to her amazing husband, Phillip Kemp- And a very proud mother of two sons: Jeremiah & Victor Emmanuel. She currently resides in Locust, NC, and can be seen monthly on her YouTube channel, P2G show: "The Safe Space" https://youtu.be/LpiqX5zwJms. She can be reached at latijera.kemp@gmail.com

Inspired faithful living

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BY H AV E FA I TH STU DI O

devotional AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER learn more at:

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K E E P I N G

T H E

F A I T H

**Reprint from the Dec 2020 issue**

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RECOGNIZING JESUS IN AN U NRECOGNIZABLE WORLD

K E E P I N G

T H E

F A I T H

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"These two recognized the form of their Savior because they had remained intimate with God. As the world had grown darker, their relationship with the Lord had grown closer."

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“For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.

And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

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