Who's Behind Those With Young?

I'm Angela Gifford, and this is a picture of me and my boys. Aren't they great?! All four of them were born in six and a half years. Those were crazy times!! Number four arrived while we lived in an 860 square foot, family rental house in the middle of the country of Arkansas.  There were lots of days (probably more than not), that I literally thought I may lose my mind altogether.

But God carried me through. He's good like that!  I currently work for Mom 4 Life. We exclusively carry mom-invented products, and one of my jobs is to screen new product suggestions. I'm continually amazed at the things brilliant moms have thought of to solve problems. I feel like I'm always slapping myself on the forehead and saying, "Why didn't I think of that?!"

One day I realized that I did think of something great! It's not a product. It is an idea (in a sense). You see, before I became a mom, I was really into my daily "quiet time"; but after baby number two came along, I could rarely (if ever) find that thing called "quiet time."  If I tried to get up early, the baby got up earlier. If I tried to stay up late, I couldn't stay awake. I was beyond frustrated because I had been so close to God in my childless years, and I didn't want motherhood to take that away. I knew something had to be wrong with my methods, because God gave me all those precious children. I really didn't believe He gave them to me to sabotage my relationship with Him.

God used some very difficult years to gently reshape my relationship with Him into something new and beautifully unexpected and has given me a passion to help other moms find that blessing too.

There are some great women joining me behind this!

Santha Yinger is the Women's Minister at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho. Her husband went to be with Jesus early in their marriage, and Santha found herself as a single mom. Her precious son also moved to heaven about three years ago. Santha's heart clings to Jesus, and it is obvious to all who encounter her.

 

Kim Scalph and her husband Jeff have three precious little boys: Jayben, Roman, and Westin. Kim has a background in education, but never imagined she'd be doing what she is doing now - homeschooling!  After years of coordinating MOPS groups and leading various women's ministries, God has called her to home and "neighborhood ministry."  She is learning to quietly wait on the Lord and wait for him to lead. Kim and her family reside in Liberty Lake, Washington.

Heather Ledeboer gave her heart to Christ as a child and probably never would have imagined the journey that was ahead of her. As the owner of Mom 4 Life, she has had the opportunity to build relationships with countless women who are trying to find creative ways to stay home with their babies. Her business turned into a launch pad for ministry when her third child, Sawyer, went to be with Jesus, just before delivery. Heather and her husband Trent, feel greatly blessed to be able to raise Hunter, Ashlyn, and Quinten and are trusting Sawyer in Jesus' arms. They are members of Prairie Avenue Christian Center in Hayden, Idaho. You can follow Heather, on her personal blog right here.

Kendra D is a proud Army wife (of 13 years) and stay-at-home mom to 4 lovely, somewhat wild, and wonderfully crazy kiddos. Kendra's girls are 6, 4, and 4 (yes, identical twins). Her son just turned 1. But, it hasn't always been that way. When Kendra looks back to the years that she cried out to God, begging Him to fill her empty womb and arms, there is no way she could have fathomed how and when He would answer her prayers. She can now honestly and openly say that she is thankful that He made her wait until these children could be in her arms. Kendra in no way count herself as a perfect mother, but I longs to share the journey that God has sent her on as she learns to become a BETTER mom. Since part of her "job" as a mom is to feed the herd (...er.. family), she have taken up an obsession with healthy food and cooking. In her blog The Queen of Brussels Sprouts she shares healthy recipes, tips on getting children to eat healthy food, and "kitchen school" tips that are her own take on homeschooling.

Kristine Lancette and her husband, Nick live in Helena, Montana, where Nick serves as an associate pastor and owns a bed store. They have four boys and a girl, with a baby on the way. When Kristine was a young mom, her own mother died of cancer. Instead of being able to call home for advice, Kristine often calls to memory "what mom said" or "what mom would have done." How would you like to cozy up in front of a fire with a cup of hot tea, candles lit, and a great listener. If that sounds good to you? You will love Kristine. She is known for bringing the mission field to her home, since she can't go to the mission field right now. She is also known for playing really good pranks and being generally silly.

Sharise Piquard is a brand new mom to little Eve. Eve was a preemie, so Sharise has been broken in well. Three years ago, Sharise wouldn't have imagined that she would be a mom yet. For it was just three short years ago, that she went on her first date with Nate, the love of her life. They were both attending John Brown University, and Sharise was dreaming of an advancing career in cinematography. But not too very long ago, God began changing Nate and Sharise's hearts about career pursuits vs. starting a family. They stepped out in faith, and God immediately blessed. Sharise has a deep love for and commitment to the Lord that gives her a desire to do things God's way from the very beginning of her motherhood journey.  Nate and Sharise are a part of the body of Christ at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, Idaho, and involved in Christ Driven Youth (middle school) ministry.