For most of you who know me very well, this is not news. I, with the help of some amazing women, have started a non-profit. We are starting from scratch. It all began with a God moment, and I hope that each step forward is a "God step". I want to document each step of the journey so I will begin by catching you up to this point.
Back in May 2010, some friends at church, whose kids are battling an auto-immune disease, began sharing a little bit more about their struggle. I couldn't get the details of the issue out of my mind. I prayed for weeks off and on about their situation and why it was still on my heart. I then felt like I should do something for them. Because I sing on the worship team and the father worked in our sound booth, I thought a concert would be a good way to show them that we care and maybe we could raise some money for them. Well, early June, I was at the gym running on the treadmill. Now when I run, I like to have up-beat music, so I have created a playlist on my mp3 specifically for running. I would say about half of it is Christian music and the other half is not. On that day, all of the music that came across (on shuffle mode) was Christian. This brought me into a much needed time of silent worship. On the outside I looked like any other person turning out an 8 minute mile, but on the inside I was praising God and enjoying a time to just worship Him. Suddenly, I started having a brain storm like none other. I began thinking about that family and ideas started spilling forth like a pitcher under a running faucet that had been forgotten about! I could hardly retain them.
A concert, an auction...no wait all of this could be the start of an organization for the family, maybe they will start one and I could help...we could focus on their disease, a fundraiser every year! I wonder if they would even want to start an organization? This is too big for me... No, YOU start it, YOU do it. Something else seemed to stop my rapid thought process. This felt like an epiphany.
But what did I know about starting a non-profit? Well, at the time very little...nothing really. However, I knew that there was more to this than a passing thought. I began praying about it more specifically. In June we began a series at church called "Unstoppable". This is how God chose to speak to me. He uses all sorts of outlets, His word, friends, your prayer time, nature, etc., etc. This time, it was the entire series at church. Not a single Sunday in June went by that didn't challenge me and speak directly to me in regards to this new journey. The final Sunday was the pivotal moment in this story. A detonation of launch button if you will.I was listening to the speaker and all of a sudden I "hear" someone say "from the heart." again I "hear", "from the heart the mouth speaks." "That's a verse in the bible, I am sure of it," I think to myself. From the heart would be a great name for a non-profit organization! I write it down on my notes. Then a start having that same brain storm that I did on the treadmill a few weeks prior. I see the symbol that is pictured to the left in my mind. I scribble it down on my notes too. When I got home I research "from the heart" and it doesn't currently exist as a non-profit in Indiana. I also found the scripture in the bible, and here is what the New International Version says:
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45
This is the cornerstone for the organization. This verse is what this organization is all about. I hope that my life is a demonstration of the first part of the verse and not the second. Furthermore, I hope that my children see how I took this verse to heart (no pun intended) and lived out what God calls each of us as humans to be. Good works won't get you into Heaven, but the works that you do on this Earth should reflect a heart that is passionately pursuing God.
This journey is scary, unknown, and full of potential challenges. I try not to focus on the whole project at hand, just the next step. I trust that I am following what God has for me in this season of my life. I have been blessed with two healthy children and I know that is a gift from God, and in a way I see this journey as an offering of thanks back to Him.
The next few weeks I spent gathering a few people whom I thought would be good partners in this adventure. There are currently three other women working on our board of directors. We are working towards hammering down the frame work of this organization. The vision is coming together bit by bit and we have a long way to go, but I look forward to what God is going to do.
And for everyone who reads this I have a favor to ask of you. Please pray for this organization. All that takes is a few moments out of your day...but it means the world to us. Pray that God would move the right hearts to be involved in the right areas. Pray that good decisions would be made and our sincerity would shine through.
One last thing that needs mentioned is a BIG thanks to The Foundation Group for doing our Incorporation process pro bono. If you would like any more information on non-profits please visit their website: www.501c3.org They have been most helpful and I hope to continue working with them in the future.
