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.

The Scariest Road

Mihaela Echols21 Comments

    Have you ever wondered how God or anyone could forgive the choices you’ve made?

          The choices we’ve made are apart of us, but don’t have to define us. 

             I’m going to tell you a story about a girl who forgot her first love. She made one choice and it led to sinning. She took a road and got lost. She was afraid at first, but then was curious and saw how different it was from the other road she had taken before. On the road, there were thorns and rocks that cut her feet up. At first it hurt, but soon she ignored them, justified them, and told herself she could walk through them alone. Her feet bled. Farther along, the thorns had grown as tall as trees. She tried to push through. Regretting her choice, her whole body bled. “God what should I do?” she asked stepping back. 

         “Stop hurting yourself!” He cried through tears. Oh how it hurt him to see His little girl trying to push through the pain. 

       She stepped back for second, and realized that going through would only hurt. Wrapping up her wounds she thought it would help make her feet bleed less. Again, she persisted through the thorns. More blood was spilled as the wounds were becoming deeper. “God what should I do?!” she screamed.

       “Daughter stop. Please stop! There is another way.” He pleaded.

      She stepped back and decided to chop through it with a machete. She lost it in the thorny mess. The sky was getting darker as time passed. More blood dripped. She could hardly see her feet in the blood that was covering them. Pushing through again, her body hated her for this. Finally, after hours of pushing she stepped back. “Oh God, what should I do?” she asked through her hopeless tears.

      “Sit down.” He whispered. 

      She sat. “Now what?”

     Psalm 46:10

      “Daughter I want you to come back to me. Love me. Follow me.” He answered.

      Looking up to heaven she closed her eyes and began walking. She felt water under her feet. Some of her scratches went away as she kept walking through the water and into a grassy meadow. As time went by her scars faded, but remained. She opened her eyes and found where she once was before she went down the scariest road she thought was only in scary stories and didn’t ever want it to become hers.  “Oh God I am so sorry, forgive me, I want to follow you.” she cried. 

       ” I already have.” He answered.

John 10:1-18

      Have you ever wondered how God or anyone could forgive the choices you’ve made? Someone once told me to just keep falling in love with the Lord and I would find that I wont have to forgive myself, because what He has done on the cross for us, is enough. This I believe. 

Dedicated to 3-17-14

https://hylachamberlain.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/her-identity/

I Wear This Ring

Mihaela Echols3 Comments

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    The ring on my finger is not a wedding ring, or an engagement ring. It is a purity ring. I wear it to remind myself of two very important things, not only to remain loyal to my future husband, but also to be holy.

         Let me break it down.

        Purity: free from contamination.

        Contaminated: polluted.

        God commands us to be holy.

1 Peter 1:14-21

        ” As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;  for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

     Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.  For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.  Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”

        So how do we remain pure?

Psalm 119:9

    “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
By living according to your word.
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. “

1 Corinthians 10:13

    “ No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

    So yes I do wear it to be unpolluted by not having sex outside of marriage, but also by the world. I was talking with a friend and she wanted to show me a new lotion product. She suggested I should take my ring off so the lotion wouldn’t get in it. I did. On my wedding finger there is a permanent mark where my ring should be. I literally felt naked with out it. I know that if I stopped wearing it people would ask because I’ve had it for seven years. Some day, maybe, it will be replaced with a wedding ring. If not it will be resting on my finger making its mark forever.

For further reading: All The Single Ladies Put Your Praise Hands Up/First Kiss/True love waits…waits…and waits/Her Identity/ What If I Dont Marry?

Remembering The Important Thing

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    People remember to be somewhere, to be on time, or to bring something to an event, that’s good. But I still think they are forgetting. I think if it is anyone who has the best memory it would be my younger siblings. All of them are adopted. Each with their own story to tell. I remember my mom was having one of my brothers memorize the fifty states for school. After they had studied for hours he had forgotten them all. But that doesn’t stop their hearts from singing.

Psalm 100:2

    “Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs”

    Why is that? Because they remember!

    They may not remember to put things away or something someone had just told  them. But they remember God’s love never fails! How do I know this? They walk around singing “Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me.” through out the day. It is a song they’ve heard on the radio and at church by Jesus Culture: One thing Remains.  It stops me in my tracks every time I hear one of them singing what we all need to remember. Not just the appointment, or to turn in your home work for school tomorrow, but that God’s love never fails. 

Psalm 40:1-3

    “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.”

Courageous Child

Mihaela Echols37 Comments
 
 
                 Outward joy is when everyone can see the joy of the Lord spilling out everywhere.
 
      Four years ago I met this little girl. I loved her and still do. She is what people would call a walking miracle. With all the dirt, blood, tears and abandonment in her past she smiles. This little girl is my sister, Anissa. My family adopted her when she was five. When I look at her I see what she’s been through. But this is only because I know. If I were a stranger I never would have guessed it with the biggest smile she wears everyday and the most hopeful look in her eyes. Sometimes I think kids get it more than adults do. She doesn’t stop to think and frown at what had happened. Instead she loves her new life and embraces it everyday. How do I know this? She calls my mom, mom and believes it, she calls my dad, dad and believes it, and she calls Jesus, Jesus and believes it. She is always the one who has to pray at the dinner table. At her adoption July 15th 2011 there was a man who had helped with Anissa’s case and he said “I keep a picture of the old her to remind myself why I do what I do.”
Everyone of the social workers were amazed at how different of a child she was from the first time they’ve met her and who she is that day. A miracle? I know so. 
 
    Romans 15:13
“May the God of  hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the  Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
 
 
 
 

Elena’s Words

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March 26, 2013

When she gets hurt and says “pray for me” she teaches me how God cares about every detail of our lives.

When she talks about the clouds she teaches me to look up and embrace God’s creation.

When she talks about the moon and asks “Do you see the moon?” I say “yes” and am reminded how small we really are.

When she talks about storms she reminds me of Gods power.

When she talks about choir she reminds me to sing even if there is no concert to practice for.

When someone says a bad word and she gets mad she teaches me how to hold my tongue.

When she talks about over coming her fears she teaches me to be brave.

When she asks “Do you love me?” about fifty times a day I am reminded of how many people ask the same question but only tuck it in their hearts

Even though these are the only things she talks about and you’ll probably hear them for the rest of her life STOP “Don’t get mad” as she would say and see what she says has meaning.

I love you Big Wayne!

-Mihaela

Surrender

Mihaela Echols19 Comments

Can one really escape them self? My answer is yes!

Reflection in the mirror

Makes the sad reality clearer

Thinking your hiding behind your mask

Hoping to ease the task

Taken by its own hands

The soul will still stand

An uncontainable strength where death can only decide it’s fate

But it’s not something you have to hate

There’s something bigger than the soul

Something that can make it whole

No longer will you feel trapped in your own skin

Cuz He had forgiven your sins

The medicine from you

Is letting God’s will become true

Mihaela Chamberlain

February 3, 2013

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Bible On The Bottom

Mihaela Echols7 Comments

I was cleaning my room one Saturday morning when I had noticed I had a few books on the floor, but they were stacked. It wasn’t the fact they were on the floor that made me think and question where my life was at. It was the fact that my Bible was on the bottom of my work out log and my planner. Now I realize people stack books biggest on bottom and smallest on top, but that wasn’t my case. I had realized that my books were in the order of my importance. Notice the first books were about me, and then there’s Gods word on the bottom. Why?  Because I had put God there. 

Matthew 6:19-21

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Stopping in my tracks I stared at the books knowing what book should of been on top. It wasn’t intentional but it was definitely eye opening to the way I’ve been living my life. I had put my desires and plans above what God has for me. 

Psalm 37:4

“Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Quick Sand

Mihaela Echols17 Comments

Have you ever seen some one you love become a stranger? Have you ever seen the power of drugs in its prime?

Knowing better from the start

now losing things you’ve held so close to your heart.

Suffocating in the quicksand of addiction.

Everything you say is fiction

eyes blinded from direction

mind losing connections

unprodicting actions

feeling no satisfaction

curiosity threw your life away

hopelessly loved ones watch you decay.

December 4, 2011

By: Mihaela Chameberlain

Confident Child

Mihaela Echols25 Comments

Baby girl takes a step then falls

as she toddles down the halls.

She stands up to reach her destiny

and tries again with no enmity.

Little girl scrapes her skin.

Then gets back on her bike with a grin.

Teenage girl wakes up to face strife

knowing it’s the reality of life.

Society tells the women what she cant be;

she doesn’t say ”you’ll see”

Instead she keeps her eyes toward her goal

knowing whose really in control.

She leaves the world with peace in her heart

thankful she loved Jesus from the start.