Author: Mihaela Echols

As we are on this crazy journey of life together we see how God has been faithful to us. I write on our family journey through parenthood and adoption.

Learning From The Youth

Mihaela Echols16 Comments

The more I hang out with these kids the more I learn on how to be a good parent. I am very open with these kids asking them questions that I hope to note and carry for mine and Peters when they are teens.

I know some kids just say bad stuff about their parents for attention. But I’m talking about the kids who stay out of trouble but still have broken hearts. You never see it on their faces. It’s when I get the rare opportunity to hear their heart because I am that person who won’t judge them and will just sit and listen.

All they want is for someone to listen.

Sometimes my heart breaks and I hope to never hear the same words from my own.

Peter and I have talked about being open with our kids from the start. Discussing why they might want to dye there hair blue could be a topic that some parents won’t even want at the table. But for us that topic seems so minor. We want the heavy and real topics that could ache our hearts if our kids for some reason does not want to follow the Lord and ask them why. We want the real relationship where we can openly pray with them.

I don’t want my kids to hide their tears from me. I want more attention then their journal gets. If I have to find out our my kid has thoughts of suicide in a journal, then Peter and I have failed as parents.

I am learning that even if our kids are raised in a Christian home they still make their own choices. We cannot control them. We can only manage and pray. At the end of the day they are accountable to God and lifes consequences.

As we seek God pray for us when it will be our turn to become parents.

 

Dear Embarrassing Parents

Daughter, I’m Here Now

 

 

 

 

What Peter Teaches Me

Mihaela Echols44 Comments

Alright I’m going to be honest from the get go. This is a post about me bragging about my husband.

When Peter and I are loafing at home he will catch me staring at him from time to time not only because I’m attracted to him but because I also admire him. Come on ladies admit it we all stare at our husbands.  From dating to engaged and now married I have learned so much by just watching him. 

By him carefully responding to others and myself even when hes upset I’ve learned to hold my emotions and tongue a little bit better. 

His generous heart as taught me that although God provides, he give us opportunities to bless those around us.

When I walk outside of the room late Saturday mornings I find him reading the Bible. Some times as I’m falling asleep I’ll roll over and find him praying even though we had just prayed together. His humble heart has taught me to pray with out ceasing even when we are sailing along peacefully. His time management has made me ask myself about the priorities in my life. 

I thank God for the opportunity I get to love some one and be loved by someone who loves him so much.

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2016/01/16/he-understands-my-heart/

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/11/10/is-it-just-a-honeymoon-season/

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2014/12/12/the-gentlemen/

 

 

 

 

 

Who Are You Glorifying?

Mihaela Echols26 Comments

A friend of mine asked me the other day what I honestly thought of her blog and if I thought she was glorifying  God through it.

Who are you glorifying when you post?

I asked her this “What is your motive when you post?”

I think this is an honest question every believer needs to ask themselves before they post. Some of us become attention seekers turning others gaze away from God unintentionally. If we honestly question our next post we should be cautious and open to a friends opinion. Remember guys it’s not about us.

Another friend of mine was saying how God should be relevant in all the areas of our lives. I have been convicted of my media posting. Christ should also shine in your media! She wasn’t saying post verses and how amazing God is every other day. She was talking about being clean in our posting. Although crude humor, vile language or the look at what I did all by myself post may be appropriate for our audience we as believers can and should be aware of our posting.

Believers and other bloggers I leave you with this question: Who are you glorifying?

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/07/27/me-monster/

https://www.bloglovin.com/people/hylaechols-17002353

He Understands My Heart

Mihaela Echols52 Comments

    I cry.

Peter holds me.

I say a silent prayer crying out to God. 

    There are times not even Peter can comfort me. This is the sweet fellowship I get with Christ. Yes, it hurts. But He is bigger. He understands. He is our true comforter.

  The first few months of our marriage was hard not because of the cliche things people told me: house being a mess, getting sick, constant fighting, or weight gain. Actually none of that happened. What happened was the unexpected. Old insecurities rose inside of me from when I was child. Even I couldn’t see my mood swings coming. Then I would fear the next time they would occur.

Why does my beloved have to suffer with me? I would feel a burden for him. I started believing lies the devil wants me to believe.

What if Peter never comes back?

Anxiety was my fight for weeks. When he’d leave for work in the morning I’d hold back tears. The fear kept growing. I would have one good day…

Then bam.

Overtaken.

Motivation lost. 

My heart would race, tears stream, head spin. 

Why God does my beloved have to suffer with me? 

The smell of death was all around me for three years.  I carry a burden I shouldn’t hold. But I do.

    Why did I live and they didn’t? For years I have ignored the question, because when it consumes me guilt becomes my thoughts.  Year after year my birthday gets harder because the devil fuels my mind with the lie “you shouldn’t of made it this far.”

    “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t heal.” the lyrics of Come as you are sung by: Crowder are sung in church. The insides of me cry out to God. He is the only one who understands my heart completely. Tears stream down my face. Not because I am sad. But Knowing Christ Himself knows my every thought, hears my hearts inner cries, wants all of me, and is my joy.

Phillipians 4:4-7h

“ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

More on my childhood journey: https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/02/20/ptsd-black-sheep/

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2014/10/19/the-hardest-story-to-tell-mine/

 

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Tear Up Your Bible

Mihaela Echols52 Comments

I used to have this issue maybe you have it too. I used to never write, underline or mark my Bible because I didn’t want to ruin it. It was too sacred to me because it’s God’s word. But the truth is he wants us to ruin our Bibles.

Ever heard this quote? 

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So much truth is screaming out in this quote.

Oh how our Heavenly father rejoices in our torn up Bibles. 

 There are days when I want to read my Bible but don’t know where to go so I go find my underlined or highlighted verses.They are the verses that I highlight because they speak to my heart. Some times the flesh side of me (who I was before I became a new creation in Christ) gets all distracted or loses motive to even read it. But my highlights catch my eyes and I am reminded as I read each verse how faithful God is.

Beleivers I write this to encourage you. We all get unmotivated at times or caught up in… dare I say it….ourselves. But I encourage you to pick it up, read your highlights, make them, read, make more, tear your Bible up, and fall more in love with Christ each day.

 

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/11/27/read-and-glue/

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/11/18/romans-reality/

 

Then these bad boys came into my life.

Get them at Walmart.

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God’s Ministry NOT Mine

Mihaela Echols14 Comments

Galatians 6:7-9

There was a time in my life I honestly thought I was just bad at ministry.

I felt very unorganized and wondered why I was even put in leadership. No matter how hard or advanced I would plan things they would be getting done last minute.

I remember a conversation with a friend going something like this….

“Jessica I don’t understand it. I’m a very organized person. Shoot I have adults who look up to me outside of ministry, but when it comes to ministry I’m all over the place I don’t get it!”

Jessica and I do ministry together. She has seen me serve in the church. If it was anyone who would be honest with me it would be her. That’s what good friends do. They tell you the truth even if you don’t want to hear it.

“Your not bad at it…its people. Your working with people and people are people.”

What she meant by that was people get sick , or busy so they cant answer the phone for follow ups. Schedules get in the way of appointments or they might forget to get back to you. It’s not intentional its just things happen.

Hmmm……

Then it clicked.

Why am I expecting perfection in something that isn’t even mine? It’s Gods.

Ministry is Gods. It’s his job to reach peoples hearts. I am just the tool.

Every project that I had planned six months in advance and then scrambled around the week of to get the details figured out have turned out. People were still blessed. It just wasn’t done the way I would do it. There are days I would walk into my Sunday school room holding the lesson I planned weeks ahead but then teach on something completely different. 

Again not how I would do it. But ministry has to be flexible. Why? Because it’s meeting peoples hearts. In other words I need to get out of Gods way and let him do his work.

 

Pardon my progress.

 

 

Dear Former Body

Mihaela Echols31 Comments

As I was rummaging through my old writings I came across a few letters I wrote from when I was about thirteen. My inspiration for this writing came from there.

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photo credit: unknown

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/12/22/good-day-2/

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2014/09/05/her-identity/

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/06/26/make-up/

Dear Body, I’m sorry for looking away as soon as I would catch my reflection in the mirror…. 

I’m sorry for masking myself with make up and replacing my confidence….

For the times I should of fed you and didn’t……

When I should’ve kept you out of harms reach and put you in the dead-center of it…. 

For not letting the tears that should’ve been righteously shed but instead ignored….

For burning myself out with lists beyond lists….

For allowing my mouth to kill and not save….

For allowing my thoughts to invade truths Christ always wants to whisper to my heart….

Apologies are great but no one believes them until they are seen through action and so body I’m ready. 

I’m ready to take off my mask…

To surround you in good company…

To let the tears fall…

To shut the mouth of this lion…

To rest in Christ. 

Sincerely, 

A Changed Heart.

 

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Babies Greive

Mihaela Echols21 Comments

    If it’s any stage in lives where we are the most real with our feelings it’s when we are babies. About six years ago I learned something knew about people and a lot of things started to make more sense.

Babies can grieve. 

    I believe that the nine months growing  in a birth moms womb is a beauty God has created because when they are separated even at a child’s birth their heart is torn. 

They  then grieve.

    I used to always ask questions about my  birth mom growing up even though I already knew I had a mom. My birth mom was a stranger who gave birth to me. But I was still curious. Why, because the nine months really do matter. 

    Babies are the most tender trusting people there are. To break them is to break their spirit and trust. There are people who adopt from foster families or get their brand new baby from the hospital and still the baby will not eat,  sleep, or will cry more often then usual. 

    All this is ok, because you are not mom yet. Mothers this may hurt to read. Notice I say yet. You get to be apart of their grieving process. You get the rest of their journey. Maybe you don’t want to sing the lullaby their birth mom sang them or wrap them in the blanket they came with. But this isn’t about you. It’s about helping your baby. 

    I promise you though in time you will be singing your own lullaby to your baby and wrapping them in new blankets in time. God only knows the time frame. Every one grieves at their own pace.

    I encourage you mothers stay strong for your baby, because of you we adoptees have a new birth. 

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/09/07/identity-crises/

https://hylaandpeterechols.com/2015/04/25/my-fantasy-birth-mom/

Read and Glue

Mihaela Echols29 Comments

 

 

20151127_115738     This little red book isn’t just book my mom read to me as a child growing up. It held truths that I hold onto today.

As I grew up reading through my “big girl” Bible I’d remember every story. The word was speaking to my heart even as a little girl.

When I learned how to read. I read it myself. Pages fell out. I’d glue them in and read on. Then it became beautiful a pattern read and glue, read and glue.

Because of those memories I keep it to remind myself how important it is to read the word to mine and Peters future children. Children hold on just as tight as adults do. They understand more than we think. Our job as is to plant the seeds in our children’s hearts and let God do the rest.

Tears weld up in my eyes as I flip through each page. My memories dance. How rare was my childhood?

How rare could our children’s lives be?

My prayer for our future children is that they too have to read and glue their children Bibles and then their grown up Bibles.

Hebrews 4:12 “ For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”

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