There's something I need to tell you......

There's something I need to tell you......

It's not very common and goes against main stream....

Many people wonder why I do it?

I work for FREE.  

Yup, I said it...FREE.  

And the women who have come along side me to help?  FREE.

Counter cultural, isn't it?  But isn't it cool!  You may be assuming that I work for free because my husband makes a ton of money..right?  But no, we have six kids, all in private school which makes us very far from rich, this whole week we will be cleaning out the pantry because we have to wait until payday to go to the grocery again. Really not kidding. 

I struggled a little with telling you all this...not because I am ashamed of this at all, in fact I couldn't see it any other way, but because I don't want it to come off prideful.  I don't want the glory to pointed at me.  Because it's not at all about me, it's about HIM.  It's simply what he has asked of me. 

This is what God has whispered to me, he has called me to use my gifts and time now as a mom with ALL of her kids in school to give more to others....the women who hand batik our fabric in Africa at Global Mamas

And the children in South Africa who have lost loved ones due to AIDS/HIV

How does this whole process work?

1. Your Two Little Fish item contains some Ghanian fabric which has been purchased straight from the village women in Ghana, Africa. This gives them sustainable income.

2. You will be sending a mattress to an AIDS orphan in South Africa through Horizon International with the purchase of a bedding set.
 
3. The rest of the profit from the set you have bought will be put BACK into local and global organizations that help Put Poverty To Bed! It's really THAT cool.

Feel good about the products you spend your money on. 100% purpose, 100% handmade in the USA.

Why am I telling you all this?  Because I think you should know our heart...we promote Two Little Fish to look outside ourselves, we promote Two Little Fish in hopes that we CAN change the way we invest in products.  We CAN be a country that produces a product as a Non-Profit organization.  

Will you help us?  There are SO many out there who want to help globally and locally, but they don't know how...Two Little Fish gives them a way to use everyday purchases to do just this.....not through a company that gives some of their profit away, but through a Non-Profit organization that gives 100% of their profit away.  Will you share with your friends and help us spread the word?

Hugs,

Nicole

It's a NEW day.......

Well...it's here.  The first day of school, but this year is a little different than most.  My baby is now a first grader.  The days of pick-ups, pull-ups and play-dates have passed.  I used to process these things way in advance and really be in the moment......the past few years I think that I have had to process so much change that I now don't really allow myself to sit in it, until that very moment that it just hurts.  I will usually then spend 5-10 crying my eyes out with the Lord and then move forward.  But I wish this wasn't so.  I wish life didn't hurt so bad...we want, we get and then we are overwhelmed....we want, we don't get and then we are mad.  Human emotions stink.  Truth is.....I'm not ready for this part of my life to be over.  There was so much energy wasted while my kids were little, a lot of pain and a lot of uncertainty.  It doesn't seem fair.  As humans we want to think that our cross is heavier than everyone else's, but I know this isn't true.  I see people all around me and read about women who carry much heavier crosses than I do.  In moments like that I turn my eyes up to the Lord and say thank you that you didn't choose that cross for me.  Why are some people's lives riddled with death and disappointment and others who may never experience this extreme?  I don't know.  But what I DO know it that there is a NEW day in CHRIST.

We get to CHOOSE.  Romans 8: 5-6 "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."  Don't choose the human emotions that are governed by the flesh. The enemy looks to kill, steal and destroy and people typically that is our THOUGHT life.  Don't just look at these words literally....he wants to kill our self-worth, steal our joy and destroy our families through us CHOOSING each day to live in his lies of defeat.  In the lie that my days of play-dates and diaper changes are over and that I won't experience that much joy again with the goofiness of little kids...it's just not true.  Our God is a God of relationships and he blesses them as they grow and that takes time...which in turn brings about change.  I will have another day of play-dates and diaper changes...I may be a 60 year old grandma or it may just be reliving the joy of my children's youth through videos.  Either way, I'm going to choose to see God's promises.  My life verse is Romans 8:28 "And God will bring ALL things together for the GOOD of those who love God"  We can't see the big picture, we are looking at the back of the tapestry; huge knots and splattered colors.  But God sees the front, a beautiful woven picture of all the pieces and broken threads of our life.  He PROMISES that he will work each thing out for the GOOD of those who love him.  So the question to ask is not "Is God good?"...the questions to ask is "Do you love him?  Do you trust him, Do you somehow believe that through death, divorce, loss of a child, that he sees the tapestry he is making and he wants to turn the knot into something beautiful.

I'm going to choose to trust him today and rest in the NEW day he has created for me.

Bonding through service

 Wouldn't it be ideal if our work, service and family time could somehow intertwine?  We just had that blessed moment!! :)  The kids have no homework and are restless cause it's the last week of school, Mommy really needed to get a sample Two Little Fish bumper set made.  I asked my son Braeden if he wanted to come have some special time with me and help me...he resounded yes, as well as the other three kids standing there!  Ahh, what to do now.  Well, I decided they could each have a turn helping me and spending some alone time with me...how that was going to be fruitful, I had yet to figure out...ha ha ha, but GUESS WHAT??  They did GREAT.  We got an entire bumper set cut out while they each learned how to trace and cut.  Aren't they cute.....

 Lexie Bear

 Braeden making a very concentrated face...

 Avery doing a GREAT job with the rotary cutter!

 Malena beana

AND the final cut...it's our Crushing on Coral Set......coming soon!

Change

Wind, weather, relationships, age, trends, strength, health.......all these things change on a daily basis.  They are evolving, ending, and changing.  So why then does change typically rock most of us to the core?  For me, I think it's that inner hunger to want something stable, something predictable.  The world makes us feel as if that is simply unattainable, but for those who follow Christ, we know and believe there is a better ending.  This last week has been fabulous as the weather has changed.  It is now warm and windy and simply perfect to sit outside and enjoy the day, the air...the allergies...ha ha.  I've been just sitting a lot recently and watching my children.  I love to see them laugh and watch them play...it's strange though that watching them in the present tense at times evokes happy feelings and others feelings of loss.  They are getting so big, they are playing without me right by their side, our life is so much different than it was before.

My husband and I have a blended family, I was divorced with two small children and married a widower with four children.  In the meshing of these two worlds...there was a WHOLE lotta change :)  We changed cities, we changed houses, we changed families, we changed churches and at the end of all that there were days we simply didn't want to change our clothes...cause we were SICK of that word!  But you know what, two hard but fruitful years later, we are stable and happy.  I talked with my son the other night about just this change, he was struggling with the hard parts of it....but at the same time we talked through our hurts and struggles and we were able to share about our joys that came from this change....What God has given us through this change, it IS pretty amazing.  My children love their "adopted" brothers and sisters, each one has such a special personality and blessing that they bring to our family.  Gavin, our 15 yr old son, is helping to coach my sons 7/8 Baseball team and Braeden just LOVES it.  It is such a blessing for him to have a big brother.  Emma is our 12 yr old daughter that is basically 16.  I just love her fun personality and the fact that I have someone, besides Steve, to ask about my outfit or hair.  It really is amazing that Emma didn't come from my womb because she is JUST LIKE ME!  God definitely thought this was a funny one.  I know what that girl is thinking before she even opens her mouth.  Emma is also such a great big sister, all of the little ones just love getting alone time with her.  Avery, our 10 yr old daughter, is hilariously 10 right now.  You know that screeching, oh my gawsh phase of life :)  She has a very compassionate heart.  She cares about others feelings and when she has a chance to lead all the little ones (when Emma is away:), she is very genuine in her love for them, which is a gift.  Malena is one of the three amigos, she is 7.  If Lexie ever gets hurt...which is quite often (Steve calls her Splat :) )  before I have even finished hugging her, malena is there with an ice pack.  She really evens out the dynamic between my two little ones and unites our family between the age gaps.


So why am I telling you all this?  To give you some hope if your experiencing the hard part of change.  I was there, it was ugly.  But you know what, God knows best, he really does...even when it all looks black and dark, as long as you are seeking him to follow HIS direction, don't fret.  I do still miss my friends and the city that I called home, but without the move, I wouldn't have met all the amazing friends I now have today and the wonderful women who have been instrumental in helping me sustain Two Little Fish, Paige Heitzman and Jess Snell.  Actually, without the move, Two Little Fish most likely would not exist.  It was God's pushing me to change that settled all six of our kids at a private Christian school here named Faith, that we LOVE.  My children are now set apart, not because we pay for school, but because they live and breathe God's word daily....they look different when they go out into the world and I love that and you know what?  They do to!

Many people will come in and out of your live, maybe you will pass through many cities, your children will grow up and the baby stage does end.  What will you be left with?  Is the man/woman that you committed your life to your very first priority under God or when the children leave will there be a stranger in your home?  What will your children see is permanent to you?  My hope is that they see that God is my ONLY permanence and that humans are flawed, including their parents and friends, and they truly know how to run to God when change rocks their core and trust that HIS change is a molding power that will etch out a creation beyond our imagination.

Love you guys!
Nicole

Northview Church blog article showcasing Two Little Fish!

Check out the featured Blog article about Two Little Fish via Northview Church!  Thankful for their support and love!

CLICK to read Northview Church Blog

"Just keep swimming"

Whether your joyful, struggling, or simply lukewarm....My hope is this post will encourage you.  I have felt like a floundering fish...for about the last year and a half.  A fish that is being fed by the water and swimming amongst friends, then randomly tossed into the air, alone for a while, wondering how will I breath??, will I make it back into the water??, then with a splash...feel the warm water hug me once again to return to the safety of the water and swim my little fins off to catch up to the comfortable school  I was swimming with before.  The problem with this scenario is that I am never settled.  When I am in the warm water swimming amongst the school, I am sad that I can't stay there, when I am tossed in the air, I am anxious as to how will I breathe?  Maybe a hard illustration to follow...but I keep seeing nemo..fluttering and dori right there saying.."just keep swimming...just keep swimming" :)

Two Little Fish, that is the name that God gave for this ministry.  A name derived from the gospels and the feeding of the five thousand, all because one little boy was willing to sacrifice everything he had.  It seems like an easy story and when we hear the stories of others, we so easily read quickly through and say "wow", but what about when we are called to sacrifice?  I feel kinda silly even comparing my situation to a sacrifice of everything we have because very few of us have been called to that level, but we have all experienced sacrifice.  What do we do when God calls us to a life or a season that requires great sacrifice of what makes us comfortable?

For me, it was the sacrifice of a dream, of a life that felt good.  I so often get upset with myself as I feel like the Israelite's....grumbling and complaining about all the things I miss about Egypt....well yeah, I was in slavery, but I had so much comfort surrounding me. To give a quick overview, for those who may not know my story, I was in a marriage that ended in divorce, yet during that time I was surrounded by an amazing church and friends who were like family.  I had sisters and brothers in Christ who lifted me up everyday, the blessing of two small children, and the ability to stay at home with them. After the divorce, God provided a miracle in my life of an amazing God filled man, which required my family be moved to Lafayette.  New friends, new church, step mom to four grieving kids who lost their mom.  I had clearly heard God's call to take this new life on...and I charged forward with obedience...not expecting the pain and grief that would ensue with this new life he had called me to.  I was in God's will....without a doubt...but the water was not calm........I was the fish...swimming in warm water one minute and floundering in the air the next...could this be god's promise after obedience?   The challenges of a step mom are the hardest I have faced, throw grief and divorce on top of that and I was buried...... I was asked to do this in a new place..without the close comfort of my friends and church.

That's what brings me to today's writing...for those of you who are sad, dismayed, struggling, having a hard time breathing......there's hope.  I found myself outside with the book, Praying God's Word, by Beth Moore.  This is a book I read many times through my divorce and goes over topics with lists of scripture.  I found myself in the chapter about Overcoming Despair Resulting from Loss.  Here is the encouragement I found that I would like to share with you......

God CAN restore abundant life, but NOT if we form a stronghold after loss, which is the continued unwillingness or presumed inability to LET him do so!

Psalm 27:13-14 I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalm 126 Those who sew in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.  He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of Joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

THAT'S ME!!  To and fro weeping...that's the fish...floundering in the air...constantly weeping whether I am to or fro!!!  But notice .....all the while carrying his bag of seed.  Carrying the bread and life that God has called you to carry, DOING in obedience even though weeping.....Doesn't that encourage you????  God's word continues to say that it will indeed come again with a SHOUT of joy!!!!

This passage is saying that as we cry and suffer...we are promised that we will be returned to joy as long as we continue to carry that bag of seed, trusting that God has called us to OUR story and that THROUGH our tears, he will faithfully bring us through!!! AMEN

Now does that mean that we should do everything with grumbling, no...that's why I felt convicted to write this post....it's the condition of our heart that God is interested in.  Don't use this verse as a license to grumble...but a grace filled hug that God understands our sorrow and calls us to simply trust HIM and "Just keep Swimming!"

So, I love how humorous God is because now when I am feeling defeated,  I will close my eyes and picture that God is swimming right next to me, just like Dori, singing "just keep swimming, just keep swimming"

Praying you find your way to joy today amidst the sewing of tears...it is God's promise.

God's Provision

Definition of PROVISION 

a : the act or process of providing b : the fact or state of being prepared beforehand

Have you ever thought about God's provision in your life?  We say these words often I'm sure, but have we ever truly meditated on the supremacy and sheer power of this word?


The act or PROCESS of providing, the state of being prepared BEFOREHAND.  God truly is amazing.  He knows just what we need and he prepares us beforehand through a process.  But do we trust him in this process, do we sit IN the process and allow his provision to fall on our life?


It's hard to sit in the process, because most of the time it hurts, it takes too long, or it's simply uncomfortable for us.  The word provision came to my mind this morning due to the process that has been taking place in my own personal life and the development of Two Little Fish.  It has been a year in the making..both of the above...and God's blessings and rewards are beginning to surface.  We have been blessed to be supported by Northview Church and due to this support, we finalized a logo...pictured above with the help of the AWESOME Tish Reed, and given the opportunity to create an AMAZING promotional video by Jensen Productions.  We received the first preview this week and were completely blown away with the possibilities...what God is going to do once we get on our feet and run with this Ministry...it is simply surreal.  


I received the picture below this week from a friend that received her nursery bedding this week...

She still has a bumper to come to complete her nursery, but it makes my heart so happy that Two Little Fish has made it possible to decorate your baby's nursery while at the same time, providing income for women in Africa, as well as a place to sleep for an AIDS orphan.  That's pretty surreal!


Here are some up close pictures of her set Confetti Pop: another set like this will be available by July!

Do you want to be a part of God's Provision for Two Little Fish?  We will be increasing production this summer and need help with organizing fabric, cutting fabric, and all skill levels of sewing.  Even if you have no sewing skills....we can use your help!  Email Nicole at nicole@twolittlefish.com