Speaking
In addition to sharing her powerful testimony, Stephanie also speaks on other topics. Some are listed below. Stephanie can also craft her presentation to adapt to your theme, needs, and vision. Please contact us for further information.
Possible topics:
Identity
Purpose
Crafted & Designed
Untangling the Lies
Having the Mind of Christ
Understanding the Love of the Father
Forgiveness
God Fights for Us
Knowing Our Purpose
Orphan and Adoption Issues
Mentoring
We meet and get requests from people who are in a desperate place, especially from those who have an older adoptee who has come into their family structure. For some, there is no teaching on how to love these children. Others assume, once a child leaves their temporary dwelling–whether an orphanage or foster care–that these precious ones will thankfully embrace their new home. “Why can’t my child adapt and be thankful?” is the question we hear a lot. But how can they without understanding, prayer, and time?
Each child has a story of being cast away, unwanted, having no legitimacy, and not belonging. How can their broken hearts understand that they are now in a safe place? Their layers of pain, rejection, and confusion cannot be overcome easily. Their learned behavior, which makes them scared, hyper vigilant, prone to lie, hoard, on and on, can only be rewritten and rewired through patient mentoring and a heaven full of prayer. They cannot nor should they carry the blame that their new family is unhappy with them. The fault lies with the father of death and murder. These young people’s spirits have been murdered. The One who loved them before the foundation of the world is the only One who can restore their spirit. He longs to give back what was stolen from them.
One of our God-given assignments is to encourage and pray with the parents. From time to time, we also have the honor of winning the trust of the adoptee to mentor them through listening, praying, and leading them to hear the true inner voice! This is one of the reasons Stephanie wrote She Is Mine–to convey that these children have stories. Even if they have no memories before adoption, the stories of abandonment and neglect are there. They need years of understanding and consistency before they can assimilate into the love shown to them. Parents, please know you are their only hope besides the One who created and designed them.
Mentoring can be done face-to-face or through Skype or a similar means.
Mentoring is also provided for anyone who is an orphan of the heart, who in their life journey, still has an orphan spirit.
During mentoring, we take the adoptee or person being mentored through twelve steps:
Romans 12:9 – “Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.”
1. I am powerless over the nightmares of my past. I cannot keep up the pretense anymore. The mask is slipping.
2. Can I believe the God of the Bible? Is He the same today as when Jesus walked on the earth? Can I accept what is before me?
3. Ask God to highlight a verse from Scripture that I could build my life on. Stephanie’s life verse is Psalm 138:6-8:
“Though the Lord is on high, He looks upon the lonely, but the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.
The lord will perfect his purpose for me
–your love O Lord endures forever —
do not abandon the works of your hands.”
Accepting the loss to accepting the present
4. Stay honest and keep accountability. Take responsibility, and find a mentor!
5. Forgive: Will my spirit to forgive?
6. Let go of expectations.
7. Release judgments: I give up my right to judge.
8. Ask yourself, “What lie is keeping me tied to my past?”
9. Break with the lie and ask God, “What is the truth?”
1 Corinthians 15:57 – “But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three–sin guilt, death–are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!”
10. Pray for blessing for that person. This is the spiritual awakening
Psalm 118:5-6 – “Pushed to the wall, I called to God; from the wide-open spaces, he answered. God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid; who would dare lay a hand on me?”
Find myself in my own identity
11. I am crafted, created, and designed with my own destiny apart from my past!
12. What is the purpose of my life? How can He turn the ashes into His beauty?
Romans 8:15 – “This resurrection life you receive from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike, ‘What’s next, Papa?'”
1 Samuel16:7 – “But God told Samuel, ‘Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges people differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”
For further information regarding our mentoring program, please contact us.