Hello everyone!
I’m off to travel the world and share with more ladies about postpartum depression/post adoption depression. Next weekend I am so excited to be heading to the Hannah’s Prayer Ministries Retreat in St. Louis. I am leading a breakout session on postpartum depression and postadoption depression on Saturday, as well as helping with praise and worship during the general sessions. Please be in prayer for all of those ladies and for me as I prepare.
Next month, I will be heading to Dublin, GA to share my story at a Ladies Brunch at New Vision Fellowship. Feel free to email me if you are near the area and would like to attend! I know they would love to have visitors. Its going to be a great time of fellowship.
Ministry News
Good morning! I am so happy and thrilled to announce that we are officially Out of the Valley Ministries, Inc.! I received the my copy of the articles of incorporation from the state this past weekend. I am now moving on to obtaining 501c3 status – if there is anyone out there who can provide any pointers, I will gladly accept them.
Ministry News
Hello, everyone! I have been working to update the website and have finally finished! Most of it remains the same except for a few details. I have decided to use the blog feature of this software for Ministry News and Updates, thus, you will see old updates entered in this blog today with the title displaying the original post date.
I have sent incorporation documents off to the State of Florida and am awaiting their return. I can’t wait to be able to title the website as Out of the Valley Ministries, Inc.! From there, I’ll move on to obtaining 501(c)(3) status. We are still in Jacksonville, Florida. My husband was offered a job that he very much wanted to take so we chose to stay here. While we will miss being closer to family, apparently this is where God wants us – and we will go where He leads us.
I hope to have a new feature up and running soon. I would like visitors to the site to be able to submit address information for free materials to be mailed to them. We’ll be working on adding that feature, then obtaining donations to purchase materals to send out to women and families in need of support and resources.
If you can, also check out the most recent issue of Parents magazine. It features an article about prenatal depression, a condition that lead to postpartum depression. Its an excellent article and I highly recommend it. I’ll try to provide a link to it soon. In the meantime, I have a toddler and a newborn screaming my name!
Ministry News
Here is a long-awaited update on myself and the ministry. Our daughter was born on Thanksgiving morning after a rather speedy labor and delivery! She is such a sweetheart! I’m also thrilled to report that I do not feel that I have a recurrence of postpartum depression this time, praise God! I was careful with my medication and my postpartum plan worked great – I had so much help at home and was able to get lots of sleep.
As far as Out of the Valley Ministries goes, I am starting my work on it again and am very excited about it. I am in the process of incorporating as a non-profit organization and my next step is to obtain 501(c)(3) status so that we can accept tax-deductible donations. I will also be making a few addition to the web pages in the next few weeks so keep checking back. And, as always, please keep all these ladies who suffer from postpartum mood disorders, and their families, in your prayers.
Ministry News
Hello to everyone! My apologies for the delayed update. I tried twice to update here and both times I lost everything I had written! There have been several websites to list Out of the Valley as a resource – too many to name but I thank each and every one of them. My interview with Air1/KLOVE aired the following Monday and I was so excited about that. I got great feedback from it and even more members and resource contacts. Our membership continues to grow – a sad but great need and I am so thrilled to be used by God to minister to these women. We are also growing a wonderful leadership team with a wide range of experience and knowledge. In personal news, we are expecting our second child – a second miracle – and moving to North Carolina to be closer to both of our families. Nothing will change in the ministry and I plan to start working on getting local support groups started after the move. Please keep praying for us!
Ministry News
I hope everyone had a blessed Easter. That day means so much to me for so many reasons, and 9 years ago on Easter I was baptized. That is such a sweet memory. I do not have an airdate yet for the radio interview, but I will update as soon as I know! I think it went well, but keep in mind that is coming from someone who has never done it before. 
A friend and author, Jennifer Saake (founder of Hannah’s Prayer Ministries and author of Hannah’s Hope) has included a link to Out of the Valley Ministries on her list of resources as she speaks to groups and provides resources! Thank you so much, Jenni! She listed us here on her AmazonConnect author page on Amazon.com. This is a fantastic book and I highly recommend it. I learned so many lessons that helped me deal with so much more than infertility.
Ministry News
My apologies for not updating recently. Our Community Forums continue to grow! It saddens my heart to see so many hurting ladies, however I am so excited that we can provide a place of unconditional love and support as we go through this greatly misunderstood illness. I was blessed to meet with Sarah and Beth, two local representatives of Postpartum Support International – they were so incredibly sweet! They run a support group at Baptist Hospital here in Jacksonville. In other exciting news, I have to give my grateful appreciation to Heather Truett for continuing to send out press releases. As a result, I was recently contacted by a news anchor from K-Love/Air 1 Christian Radio Network requesting an phone interview with yours truly! It is so amazing to me how God is working in spreading the word about this ministry. First, we had a wonderful newspaper article in Mississippi (Heather Truett’s location) and now a radio interview. I will be speaking with Air1 on Monday evening. Please be in prayer for this opportunity and for God to prepare the ears of those who will hear, and to get word about this resource for those who desperately need it. Additionally, I was also incredibly blessed to share my testimony with my church this past Sunday during the sermon. It went very well, I felt God’s peace as I spoke and I know I spoke with a confidence that can only come from Him. We do have audio and video of this if anyone would like a copy. Stay tuned for more exciting news soon! God is working and its so exciting to watch! Love to all!
Ministry News
The website has been officially launched and announced! I’m so thrilled to report that the response has been more than overwhelming and it is further evidence of the fact that this ministry is desperately needed by so many. It is truly amazing the number of women that God has placed in my life that have survived these disorders and who are willing and available to help me moderate the community forums. In other news, the process of distributing cards, flyers, and brochures has also begun but I fear that this task may soon become overwhelming both financially and timewise. Please pray as I begin the process of seeking support for the up and coming needs of this ministry!
Ministry News