Pinky Promise's Statewide Baby Shower!

Getting set up for the statewide Baby Shower! Me & My husband, Cornelius! 

Whew! We've been super busy around here preparing for our 1st annual Pinky Promise statewide baby shower!! And, it finally happened on September 12, 2015!! I've been planning this thing in my head for a year and I started actually putting the Pinky Promise Dream Team in place and taking the steps towards the shower about a year ago.

It all started when I was pregnant with Logan in 2013. I had a pretty rough pregnancy with a 27 hour labor that ended in a C-section. Then, after being stuck in the bed for 2 weeks with a colicky, screaming child, non-stop diapers, nursing, post partum depression and just about everything else attacking me, I stopped and through, HOW do SINGLE WOMEN DO THIS!??! So, from that point forward, I was determined to host a statewide baby shower for low income mamas or mamas that simply need a little extra help or that want to attend a workshop that will help prepare them in taking care of their babies! So, if you're a single mama, I seriously SALUTE you and I'm praying that God gives you the grace to accomplish what He's called you to do.

I honestly was nervous when the Lord told me to start planning. I'm like, how am I going to help over 100 women.. pay for everything & do everything by myself? Then, He started to give me wisdom on what to do. So, I did both and the "Body of Christ" REALLY came together.  People came out of the woodwork to be vendors, to help, to sponsor. I knew that I was going to need a lot of help, so I reached out to my Pinky Promise sisters via www.pinkypromisemovement.com. I told them that if God places it on their heart to donate anything from diapers, to clothes, baby clothes or even finances, to please donate. I encouraged the women at the Pinky Promise Conference to bring gently used clothes and items and the ladies SHOWED out! They brought tons and tons of baby clothes, items and diapers. Women from ALL over the world started to ship items to our PO box! Pinky Promise Groups got together and sent huge boxes filled with product! People started to reach out to us and share with us that they have a cupcake business or contacts and they want to be a part of the event!

The schedule included 3 people sharing their story. My story, Melonie- who is in her 3rd year of law school as a single parent with a 3 year old and Nadra Cohens who was a single mother for 7 years before getting married. We served a light breakfast while the ladies spoke. Then, after the speakers and giveaways- the ladies went to different workshops. While at the workshops, they learned about dental healthcare, how to do CPR, breastfeeding and couponing! After each "session" they attended, they received raffle tickets in which they could use at the "mommy & baby boutique." If you want to hold one in your city, DO IT! Even if you're starting out small. Believe God that He will supply and HE WILL! I'm a living witness. Check out a few photos & my thoughts after the shower!

My hubby greeting the babies that got there early! :) 

Aaron helping us set up! 

Time to set up! 

Discussing the setup of the "Baby Boutique" with Pinky Promise Dream Team member, Wynter Deans. 

This volunteer strapped her baby on & went to WORK! Thank you for your service!! 

The Pinky Promise children's ministry! These ladies are AMAZING!

A new mama herself, Jennifer Spears helped set up the "Mommy Boutique!" She's also on Pinky Promise's dream team!

Mama Clover! (Cornelius's Mother)

A couple dream team & volunteer members! We are so thankful for you! 

Meeting some of the beautiful attendees & their babies! 

Thankful for these ladies! Dream Team Members: Anitra, Lori, April & Monica!

This AMAZING lady did our couponing session! 

I'm thankful for this guy's help! :) 

One of our vendors that assisted with insurance and helping the ladies find doctors!

Another awesome vendor!

Bethany Christian Services was an AMAZING vendor! I love that they are there for not ONLY adoption, but ladies can sign up & get "mentor families." So, if they need a few weeks to get on their feet, their baby can live with one of these safe host families and you can still see your family everyday. This is great for mothers that don't live in a stable environment or are transitioning from one place to another. Or, just mamas that have NO help and need a few days break. 

The baby boutique is getting organized! 

We didn't want to get too many items that were hard for the ladies to take home. So, we purchased a few "big ticket items" like pack and play and car seats. We did a raffle for the big items and the other items in the shop were "free game.!" :) 

At the "mommy boutique, ready to serve!"

This AMAZING lady donated balloons as decor! 

We are so thankful for Fleur de Lis Sweets in Atlanta (www.fleurdelissweets.com) for their donations! You guys are AWESOME!

Part of the baby Boutique!

The president of Pinky Promise, Lori! :) 

So beautiful! 

The doors have opened! 

Blood cord donation vendor!! 

More beautiful families! 

There was over 140 ladies there! 

The "kids" corner!

More beautiful mamas! 

Meeting some amazing mommys! 

Pretty much family! :)

Awesome volunteers!

Sharing my story! 

Melonie sharing her story! 

Pinky Promise Dream Team!

Our AMAZING speakers! Nadra Cohens & Melonie Wright 

We thank God for Chick Fil A who catered the event! 

I went home after the shower and I just sat there and cried. So many of the ladies shared their stories with me and my heart just broke hearing about their conditions. I knew that a  few temporary things wouldn't be enough for them. So, I encouraged them to visit our church or to find a church home and I'm inviting them to the Pinky Promise Conference.

Words cannot express or even capture this beautiful day! We are planning to do one in LA AND in Atlanta next year. So, if it's on your heart to be a volunteer, to donate, to do anything, please let us know via pinkypromisequestions@gmail.com! We are starting our "stockpiles." :)

Special thank you to our Pinky Promise Dream Team member, Monica who led the efforts on this shower. We couldn't have done it without you!

Thanks for sharing in our day & taking the time to see the shower. Can you do me a favor? Pray for the sweet mamas who were pregnant or currently have young children. 

God loves you all like crazy,

Heather Lindsey 

“The One” Revealed – Virtual Book Tour – *Giveaway!

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Throughout this book, Karolyne dissects the desire to be married by bringing the heart-struggles that women face to the forefront. Karolyne takes a unique approach by sharing how women can redirect their yearning to be in a relationship, in a way that brings God glory and ultimately fosters a life of hope and fulfillment. Are you ready to discover “The One” Revealed?

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When your Faith is Low..

Sometimes we can get tested out of NOWHERE and those tests can sometimes bring a fear to our heart. But it's in those moments that you have to APPLY your quiet time with the Lord, what you've learned at conferences, church and the books you read on faith. It's not enough to simply be fat off of the word of God - at some point, we have to take what we've learned and APPLY it to our life. We walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT. Which means, although the circumstances look BAD as you live for Jesus - it doesn't BOTHER  you. It doesn't bother you because you don't LIVE by circumstances, you LIVE by FAITH. So, you're eyes are on the UNSEEN. You know that God has your back & that He is for you! He will restore every hurt, every confusion, every situation, every circumstances! Thank God for the Cross!! He has tore the veil so that we may be ONE with Him so that when we experience hard things, we can have the RIGHT perspective!
Now, Things are going to work out as they ALWAYS do. We must get to the place in our walk where whether things "work out" or don't "work out" - it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because you know that whatever God has for you cannot be taken away from you. So, if it doesn't work out  - it wasn't supposed to work out in the first place.

2 Corinthians 5:7

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Romans 10:17 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

I adore these scriptures because they reiterate what I said above. We walk by faith, we don't lose heart and faith comes by spending time with God & getting the word in your heart.

So, if you don't have the RIGHT perspective, most likely - you've given your attention to something or someone else. If you feel like you're not walking by faith.. you're losing heart THEN you're most likely not spending time with God, or surrounding yourself with His word. It's NOT enough to go to church one time a week and hear an hour sermon and expect to be sustained. YOU must do your part! What are you listening to all day? Have you put your technology down for one minute to spend time with God? Technology is a huge blessing and also a curse. It's a curse if it's replacing the time you've spent with God and created discontentment in your heart as you compare yourself to others online. Staring at peoples Facebook status or periscopes won't sustain your faith walk! All of hell is fighting against you and you don't have your armor on!! It's important to recognize when your "tank" is empty! I always say this - if you need gas, you go to the gas station. If you are hungry, you go to the kitchen. If your spirit man is STARVED, you pick up your phone, call a friend or vent on Facebook about how you hate everything.

You constantly reach out to everyone for prayer but you refuse to pull away and pray to the Father. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm a fan of prayer and a fan of two or three getting together in prayer. I ENCOURAGE you to pray with your sisters in Christ but I encourage you to not DEPEND on your sisters to sustain your prayer life. At some point, you gotta grow in your walk and stop running to everybody for advice, prayer and whatever else and go sit at the feet of Jesus. YOU need a relationship with Him and it's going to cost you your entire life.
..Matthew 10:39 "If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."
Yes, it's hard. Yes, you won't understand. Yes, you will have moments where you feel like nothing is working out. BUT, who are you clinging too? It's time to start clinging to God & not man! Not your bank account, not your business, not your degrees, not your whatever else!

So, I pray that this short blog reminds you to trust in the Lord and not in what you see. We must finally start maturing in this walk and stop seeking the "quick way out." Let's get to applying and stop coveting everybody else's walk in the Lord. YOU are as close to God as you want to be.

God loves you like crazy,
Heather Lindsey

Me & my princess, Taylor!