Something to think about + Best salad EVER

Okay, so I'm a pretty neutral fan of salads. There have been very few times in my life when I've actually WANTED a salad and my craving is usually preceded by a lot of fast food meals. But last week I saw a picture of a salad on Pinterest that I just HAD to try.

In classic Jessica style (yes, I just did the third person thing, I'm sorry, I hate that), I started reading the directions about halfway into the cooking process, but it still turned out great. That being said, I have the "adapted" recipe for you today.

Curry Quinoa Salad with Chicken

(recipe adapted from here)
Yields: 3-4
Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 c. uncooked quinoa
• 1 c. water
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 diced peeled ripe mango 
• I can't cut a mango to save my life so I used 2 of the little cups of fruit and just drained out all of the liquid first
• 1 lb. chicken 
• I used Tyson's frozen grilled chicken strips and put them in the crockpot for 4 hours with a little bit of curry powder. About half the bag was the perfect amount
• 2-4 c. baby spinach (or whatever lettuce you want to use)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add curry powder and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add quinoa and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 16 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in salt. Cool completely. While doing this, pull chicken out of the oven or crockpot and let it cool as well.
2. Add mango and chicken to cooled quinoa; toss gently.
3. Combine cucumber, mint, and yogurt in a small bowl; stir well. Divide spinach evenly among plates, and top each serving with about 3/4 cup quinoa mixture. I added a little bit of feta cheese and paired with a light raspberry vinaigrette.

Now, for a little something to think about...

I heard a sermon recently (we listened to a lot of sermon podcasts while we were traveling so I don't remember which one this was), and the pastor was talking about the church in Corinth and why Paul was writing to them (you know, I think this may have been a Brook Hills sermon).

One of the main reasons why Paul wrote to the church in Corinth was because Corinthian culture was invading the church rather than the church invading Corinthian culture. This sermon called us as the church in the United States to examine this: Are we, the church in America, invading American culture, or is American culture overcoming out lives and the church itself?

Over the last few days, I've been really thinking a lot about that and how it applies to my life.

In what ways does my life look like American culture?

When people see me, do they see the light of Christ or do they see the world?

If a stranger met me and talked to me for 15 minutes, would they know that I'm a believer? 

In the [many] areas of my life that look just like regular American culture, what can I do to change that?

I know this is kind of a weighty topic, but I think it's necessary. This is in no way a political standpoint, but rather a biblical one.

Let us, as God's church, examine our hearts and our lives. Let's pray for one another that we can come together as God's church in the United States and invade the culture that we're surrounded by, and in many ways immersed in.

Sermon podcast here (yay I found it).

Weekend Top 5 - Road Trip Weekend & TWO BONUSES

Instead of doing a Top 5, I'm going to give you 5 events from the weekend. Let's go!

WEDDING
Obviously we went to Jacksonville so that Jason could be in his friend Cody's wedding. Beautiful wedding. Gorgeous bride. Wonderful food. Now, Mr. & Mrs. Jones are in Jamaica and I'm kind of very jealous.

Mr. & Mrs. Cody Jones

Most awesome groomscake ever.

Me and my handsome groomsman

Us again :)

GRADUATION
My sister Julia is now officially a high school graduate! She did such a wonderful job walking across that stage, not to mention the four years of lots of hard work and dedication. She put in so much during her time at Fort Walton Beach High School and I know that she's just going to love college and flourish at Samford.

"There she is!" That's what my grandpa always says when he sees one of us.

GRADUATION PARTY
Me, Jason, lots of brand new high school graduates, their parents, some friends, and my grandparents. Oh yes, it was awesome.

Grad party photobooth.

Super Sassy, even at 91 years old!

Most incredible people ever. 91 and 92 and they're rockin' this party!

SAMFORD ORIENTATION
My parents and Julia are in Birmingham right now (Carlee is taking classes at home this summer...we MISSED her!) for Samford orientation. It's been great to spend some extra time with them during lunch. For the last two days I've been able to go eat with them in the caf. Since Jason works for orientation, we are able to eat for free. Yesterday Jason and I got asked if we have a son or daughter who will be a freshman next year. Haha...no. 

AN INTROVERT NIGHT
Last night Jason stayed at Samford really late so that he could get video footage of Samford's karaoke night that they have during orientation. Sidenote: I actually remember Jason from my orientation. Anyway, since he was working late, I had a night at home by myself. I usually don't like to be by myself for long periods of time, but I really enjoyed the relaxation and quiet after such a busy weekend. I got to watch my shows, watch a movie, and eat a really healthy dinner. It was kind of a treat.

My delicious dinner for one.

BONUS: 24 DAY CHALLENGE
Today I began the "max" phase of the 24DC. I'm feeling really good and excited to start seeing results. Since last week I couldn't get into a routine of any kind since we were traveling so much, so today was my first day back in the 5Club. I was up at 5:00, at the Lakeshore Trail by about 5:30, and done with my workout by 6:30. When I got home, I was able to unload and load the dishwasher, make lunch, put dinner in the crockpot, and make my delicious meal replacement shake. It was quite a productive morning. I guess that's what happens when I wake up three hours before I have to leave. I'm thinking of making a badge for my blog for each day that I wake up at 5:00.

Lakeshore Trail at 5:30 a.m.

Meal replacement shake packet, 8 oz. water, 3 large ice cubes. Blend. YUM!

Best flavor of Spark EVER!

How about this...I'll make a 5Club badge, and if you get up at or around 5:00 (let's say any time between 4:30 and 5:30 in the morning), comment below the badge! That'll be really encouraging for anyone who gets up early just to know we're not alone!!

Plus, it'll give you another reason to BLOGBACKTOME!

ALSO -

This is an EXTRA BONUS! I'm selling my 13" MacBook Pro. I got it last year and it's the late 2011 model. It's in really good condition. If you're interested in buying it, comment below and I'll send you the tech specs and price.

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Well we're all packed up and ready to go. In a few hours, the Morales wagon will be headed south for the next few days.

After much deliberation, I finally picked out what I was going to wear the the THREE big events this weekend: graduation, rehearsal dinner, and wedding. I usually have trouble dressing myself for one event much less three. But I just chose my newest, nicest dresses and packed them up. It really got me thinking that I could probably handle to give away or sell a lot of my clothes. I basically wear the same six or seven outfits to work, I wear the same five dresses to events, and on the weekends I try to stay in stretchy pants all day. How easy would it be to do laundry if I literally got ride of 3/4 of my wardrobe? That's definitely something to think about.

Maybe Jason and I aren't the only ones who are here today and will be gone tomorrow.

In other news, I mentioned the other day that I'm in the middle of the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. So far, I've lost 3.4 lbs. Is that .4 necessary to write? Yes, yes it is. I have always had so much trouble losing weight, so if I've lost over 3 lbs. in 4 days, I'm totally going to claim it! I'm currently on Day 5, and I really do feel great. I haven't had any coffee in a few days, and that's probably the hardest part. I also haven't had any sweets, and that part has actually been a little bit easier than I anticipated. I'll continue to write updates on the blog. I'm hoping that this weekend proves easier than I think it will be to stay on the plan since we'll be traveling so much. I'll be okay, I know I can be disciplined enough!

I probably won't get to blog while we're out of town, so check back next week to see pictures from our trip and also to see the results of the "cleanse" phase of the 24DC.

As always you can follow me on Twitter or Instagram, or you can just blogbacktome!

Weekend Top 5 - The Traveling Morales'

We've been traveling for three weekends straight. It's been a blast and I'm sad to see it ending next Sunday - although we're going out with a the best trip of all!

At the end of this week, we'll drive south to my hometown to see my sister graduate from high school (YAY JULIA!). Then we'll head east to Jacksonville to see our friends Cody and Lacey get married. Jason's actually in the wedding, so we'll be there all weekend, and then head back to Birmingham on Sunday just in time to see our friend Rachel off on her midterm mission trip. We will sure miss her over the next 12 months!

Now, here's this weekend's top 5:

#5: 24 Day Challenge.
So I've seen a lot of people on social media who are doing the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. I'm always looking for ways to eat healthier and just kind of kick start my body into eating better. I wasn't really sure if I wanted to do this or not though, because last time I did something like this I quit when it got really heard (remember the cleanse round 2?). But after talking to a friend about it and talking to people at the gym about it, I decided to do it. I began Saturday. So far, so good. I'll keep you updated.

#4: REALLY good food.
After beginning the 24DC, it was kind of tough to go out of town. But we did, and I think for a day of traveling I did pretty well. Saturday night I made salmon, asparagus, and for Jason I made garlic cheese bread. YUM! I also made some protein packed blueberry muffins so that I could gave a breakfast on the go or a good snack while we were traveling the next day. Usually that's a problem because even if I like the healthy version of things, Jason doesn't. BUT, he really liked the blueberry muffins so these are coming to you "picky-husband endorsed".

Here are my yummy eats from the weekend:

Salmon and asparagus.

Blueberry muffins.

Pulled pork salad from Fox Brother's BBQ in Atlanta.

Balsamic Bleu Salad from Ted's in Atlanta (I didn't eat the fried onion straws).

#3: Fall Out Boy. 
Jason has been a FOB fan for too many years to count. As he put it, he's been a fan since before their fans were all teenage girls. So since FOB has reunited, Jason bought tickets to THREE of their shows. One in Atlanta that was last night. One in Nashville at the end of June. One in Atlanta in September. He decided to sell his Nashville tickets after he bought the tickets for the second Atlanta show because he figured that three might be overkill. I just let him do his thing because I get to see JT in November - so I'll save rock and roll with FOB 10 times if that's what Jason wants. The show was actually a lot of fun. I'm a fan of FOB, but not nearly as much as Jason. I recognize most of their songs and I know a handful. But overall, we had a blast...other than them stopping the show four times because people kept passing out from heat exhaustion. Thankfully we snatched some seats upstairs where it was much less crowded, but still really hot.

Fall Out Boy.

Not sure how Jason has on a hoodie because I was absolutely disgusting due to the heat.

#2: Passion City Church.
We were planning on going to the Georgia Aquarium yesterday, but after a late start that idea got postponed. So, what do you do in Atlanta when your aquarium visit gets nixed? Go to Passion City Church of course! We went. We loved it. Jason got a pop (yes, King of Pops has carts there to raise money for the youth kiddos). Matt Redman led worship. Louie preached. We sang. It was awesome. I wanted to take a picture for the blog during the worship set, but I don't really like it when people take pictures at church, so I decided not to be "that girl". Instead I took one before the service started. It's not great, but I was trying to hold my phone in my lap so that no one would see me. Here's what I got:

#1: Backyard friends.
Friday night some of our friends had a little house show in their backyard. It was so cool. I love to hear my friends sing because they're all incredibly talented. I just love and admire so much how they use their beautiful voices to bring friends together and to worship our Creator. The backyard party was so much fun and such a wonderful time of fellowship with friends. We hope they decide to do it again soon!

Here's the recipe for the blueberry muffins:

Blueberry Muffins
(recipe adapted from this one)
Yields 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 1.5 c. all-purpose whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar (I used baking Splenda)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 (6-ounce) container nonfat Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
• 1/4 c. unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 c. canola oil (I used unsweetened apple sauce)
• 1 egg (I used egg whites)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1.5 c. fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. 
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine, Greek yogurt, milk, oil (applesauce) and vanilla. Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients just enough to combine. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top. 
3. Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

How was your weekend?

Ask & I Shall Receive

Remember how I spent the majority of the weekend sick? Well, I'm not a doctor, but I'm about 100% sure I was sick from being overly exhausted.

I've found myself wondering lately if there's some way to just add more hours in my day. I've gone over and over in my head trying to plan out and allot the perfect amount of time to get everything done. I even have a list of everything that MUST be done on a daily basis as the wallpaper on my phone. I'm a task-oriented person, and it's difficult for me when I go to bed at night really really tired and know in the back of my mind that I didn't get everything done. Then I start to freak out because I'm only eight months into marriage and we don't even have one kid yet! How will I ever survive motherhood someday?!? Then I just get really stressed out and I get sick for an entire weekend.

Do you ever find yourself feeling like this?

Well, if you do, you can probably also identify with me when I say that the first thing to go when I get really really busy is exercise. This week I found myself trying to calculate how many minutes I walk throughout the day if I added up walking to and from the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and parking lot. A little hint: it's not enough to count as exercise. Then, I found myself absolutely determined to get to the gym on Wednesday. I did go after work and while I was there I just kept getting frustrated that I wasn't in good enough shape and I started thinking about all of the other things I had to do that night. I ended up leaving before I even really got started.

The next thing that goes is cleaning the apartment. I tend to be a little bit better at this just because our apartment isn't very big and not everything has a place to begin with. When it gets messy, I feel like the walls are caving in, so sometimes I'll take a few minutes before bed just to straighten up or put clothes away (Jason is really good at doing this too).

Those are really the only optional things right now - and that means that I rarely get to them on any given day. Even the weekends are crammed full of stuff these days. Between work, church, traveling, freelance work, cooking, grocery shopping, errands, sleep and seeing friends/family occasionally, there is not enough time in the day.

I spent a good portion of our time driving back to Birmingham last weekend complaining about just that - a lack of hours in the day. I told Jason that I was going to have to create a rigid schedule for myself and keep to it or I was literally just going to fall apart. "I need more hours in the day," I said, and Jason - who is a very very hard worker and very very busy - agreed.

Wednesday I saw this...

...and so I researched the app a little. Then I downloaded the app. For two days straight I have woken up at 5:00 and spent time being productive, attempting to be a "doer".  I have decided to spend that extra hour and a half primarily on exercise, reading the bible, and meal prep.

If yesterday was any indication on how AWESOME getting up at 5:00 can be, I never want to wake up later than that on a weekday again. In January I began getting up at 6:30 instead of 7:00 to read the bible. For the most part, I've been pretty good about doing that, but I still find myself running out of time sometimes and it never leaves any extra time to actually get things done. Getting up at 5:00 provides me the opportunity to actually accomplish things that are on my to-do list for the day and give them the priority that they deserve.

Since I worked out in the morning yesterday and did my meal prep for the evening, I was able to come home, relax for a few minutes, make dinner, work on a freelance project, take a 30 minute nap, clean both bathrooms and the kitchen, and spend some time watching TV with my guy.

I made a taco bar for two.

It was delicious.

Most nights I AIM to do all of that, but it looks more like this:

• Get home from work.
• Change for the gym.
• Sit down to put on my shoes to go to the gym.
• Decide not to go to the gym. 
• Rush through making dinner and throw whatever it is on a plate in a huff because I'm stressed.
• Work on freelance projects and feel rushed.
• Get up to clean the apartment.
• Decided I'm too tired.
• Try to read. 
• Decide I'm too tired.
• Go to bed.

This morning I got up at 5:00 and Jason got up with me. We were able to go for a walk just as the sun was coming up. He works late tonight, and although we have plans for this evening, we won't get much quality time together. Getting up and exercising together at 5:00 gave us an extra hour together today. That is time that I truly cherish.

Jason took this on our way to the Lakeshore Trail.

It's times like these that I realize just how faithful our God is to take care of us. I spent a weekend complaining about how tired I was and how stressed I was. I felt helpless and hopeless to accomplish all of my goals each and every day. The Lord heard my small, whiny, pitiful cries and He didn't ignore me; He didn't say that my problems were too little or insignificant. Instead, He provided me exactly what I needed. I'm not much of a morning person, and the last time I got up at 5:00 in the morning consistently was in high school and that was out of pure necessity. But even so, because I know that this is a gift that the Lord has provided, I will get up an hour and a half early each day with joy because I've been blessed with more time. 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" - Matthew 7:7-11

It's All Greek To Me

So let's talk about this morning...

I woke up at 5:00. I haven't done that since high school, except for the random early morning trip every now and then. But today, I did it. I woke up at 5:00 and I got a TON of stuff done.

Last night I'd written a general to-do list on the white board we keep on the fridge. By the time I left for work today, I had crossed off about half of the items!

So, what does one do at 5:00 in the morning? Well, I don't know about all the other people who wake up in the middle of the night, but I woke up, got dressed, drove the the Lakeshore Trail, ran for about 35 minutes, came home, showered, made my lunch AND Jason's lunch, straightened my hair (which is rare if I take a shower in the morning), read my Week 15 Day 4 bible reading (Psalms 25, 54, 63, 18), and then left for work.

I like this whole being productive thing!

One thing that I did notice is that I move much slower in the mornings. I usually work out and cook at night, so this morning I felt like I was moving really slow. I also couldn't comprehend anything, like the time - it was as if everything was Greek to me.

Speaking of Greek...

Last night I made chicken roll ups for Jason and a HUGE Greek salad for myself. Both were delicious!

For the chicken roll ups, I used one chicken breast that had been seasoned with a little garlic salt, two whole wheat tortillas, cream cheese, and a little bit of feta cheese. You can get the full chicken roll ups recipe here.

Remember, Jason likes things pretty basic: bread, chicken, cheese.
But you can always add some lettuce to cucumber or even some of your own Greek dressing.

My lovely salad consisted of baby spinach (there's actually a little bit of leftover romaine in there too), one chicken breast seasoned the same way, feta cheese, chia seeds, and Trader Joe's dressing. It was one of the best salad I've ever made for myself!

I even added my Zoe's cup in the background to add to the Greek-ness of my salad.

Any night that includes handfuls of feta is a good night to me. I think I may just be Greek.

In other news, if you'd like to become part of the "5Club", you can download the app.

Here's what happens: When your alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m., you have one minute to "check in". I'll keep you all updated on how long this lasts, but I really would like for it to become part of my routine! When you're as busy as I've been lately (who am I kidding, most of us are that busy), any extra hours to add to the day are cherished!

A Big HOPE Weekend

I honestly don't even know where to begin.

I guess I'll just start at the beginning.

I've wanted to adopt a child since I was 16 years old. Just to give a little reference for when that was, I turned 16 in May of 2005 and Angelina Jolie adopted her second child, the child she and Brad adopted together, in July of 2005. The decisions to adopt are not related in any way.

When Jason and I met three years ago, I told him about my desire to adopt. He has encouraged me in my desire to be an adoptive parent since the beginning, and he quickly adopted this plan himself once we became pretty serious and knew we would get married (no pun intended...okay, maybe a little intended).

I don't remember exactly how I learned about Show Hope, and I'm sure Jason learned about this organization through touring with to Casting Crowns, but I've always seemed to just know that Show Hope existed. I have occasionally checked their website just to read about their mission and get excited about someday adopting, but in December of this last year, Jason and I became official Show Hope sponsors. 

Well, one thing led to another, and last weekend we spent Sunday volunteering at Show Hope's 10 Year Anniversary celebration in Nashville.

This day could not have come at a worse time in some ways, but in so many other ways it came at the perfect time.

I was sick all weekend with a horrible headache and sinus congestion. Traveling to Nashville this past weekend as meant that we'd be traveling for four weekends in a row. Jason worked on Saturday, so I had to pack for both of us and be ready as soon as he got home if we were going to make it there at a decent hour. On and on my excuses when, and you see, on paper, we probably should have just canceled. In fact, when I was feeling horrible and laying on the couch complaining, Jason asked if I wanted to just cancel and stay home.

But as always, God had the better plan.

Upon arriving to Nashville, we met up with the couple who invited us and some of their family/friends. We went to see Star Trek, which was good for Jason and a nap for me. Just kidding...but I'm a little bit serious. The redeeming factor to Star Trek is that J.J. Abrams directed it. But regardless, we had a great time with the company. I digress...

The next morning it was up and at 'em early. We were at Lipscomb University by about 8:45 ready and waiting to be given directions. We spent the next couple of hours helping set up for the "picnic" that Show Hope was hosting all afternoon. And when I say picnic, we're talking outdoor awesomenes. We're talking food trucks. We're talking blow up bouncy things. We're talking entertainment all afternoon. We're talking photobooth. We're talking merch table (which I took full advantage of). We're talking radio stations. We're talking everything a person could image at a picnic and much much more.

Volunteer Badge

Setting up

The Veggie Tales, duh.

The Red Bus Project

But even all of the awesomeness of the picnic didn't make me feel better. I was still feeling kind of icky with headaches and sinuses, and I just couldn't shake the "I want to be in my own bed" feeling. Finally, I did. Well, God did.

At about 1:30 in the afternoon, I looked around me. I saw families that I admired and I didn't even know their names, or where they were from, or any information about them, even the basics. I didn't see anything remarkable - they all looked and acted normal. Kids were crying, moms were frantic, dads were a little helpless but trying to be helpful; they were having fun one moment and the next they were cleaning up spilled juice...they were all completely normal; except for one thing...

They all had inexpressible love overflowing out of them.

They had love for their children. Love for God. Love for the organization that threw the awesome party picnic. Love for the other families. Love for those in need. Just plain, unmistakeable love.

At one point that afternoon, I was standing inside the arena waiting for Jason to get something to drink and a random lady walked up to me. In my memory of her, she had about 10 kids hanging off of her, but in reality it was probably only about three. She walked up to me, a complete stranger, and said, "Isn't it amazing what they've done here? All of us here in the same place. The Chapman's have just done something incredible by opening up their lives to us!" Then she walked away.

At this point in time, it was probably closer to 2:00, and this stranger had just peeled back the jaded selfishness that I'd carried around all day without even knowing it. It took me from 8:45 that morning until 2:00 in the afternoon to realize that God had placed Jason and I there to help and to serve, but more than that, he'd placed us there to look ahead at what obedience looks like. Obedience looks like all of those families. It looks like the stranger lady with 15 kids hanging off of her. It looks like Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman and their story. It looks like love.

From that point on, I was on the verge of tears for the rest of the afternoon. I finally was able to let go and just cry when it came time for the concert that night.

People gave testimony after testimony of how God had allowed children to come into their lives and just turn their world upside down for the better. Testimonies of waiting. Testimonies of hurt. Testimonies of strength. Testimonies of discouragement. Testimonies of fear. Testimonies of grace. It was all there. All in one room.

I watched and listened as families talked about making the decision to adopt. For some it was an easy decision, but for some it was difficult. I watched and listened as people spoke about adopting children with needs and how that has brightened their lives with the purest kind of love in a way most of us will never experience on this side of heaven. I watched and listened as families shared their struggle financially to bring their child to live under the same roof. I even got to celebrate with a family who was given the financial means to bring home their baby right there on the spot. It was an incredible night full of laughter, tears of joy, and hope...lots and lots of HOPE.

The Chapman Family

A tribute to Maria Sue Chapman.

All of the bands on stage at the end.

Few people get the blessing of getting a glimpse into what their life will look like in the fugure. I am thankful to say that I received such a gift this past Sunday.

I got to see the kind of love a child out there will bring into my life - a love that is pure, a love that is kind, a love that is joyful, a love that surpasses my wildest understanding, a love that has hope, a love that is like Christ.

I got to see what my family may look like someday, not just the physical appearance, but the spiritual DNA of the future and expanded Morales Family.

I got to see the thousands of families that will be in this community of biblical adoption and orphan care with us someday.

I got to see the faces of those who are and will be praying for the same things that we are and will be praying for, and who will come alongside of us in this journey.

Most of all, I got to experience a renewed hope.

A hope for my future as a person, as a believer, a wife, as a mother.

Jason and I

I walked away from Sunday with a clear understanding of why Show Hope does what they do. I understand why they've been around for 10 years and I pray that they are a pillar that never ceases to exist. More than anything, I understand their name - Show Hope.

They do exactly what they're named for, and their name does deliver; they truly do Show Hope.

----------------------------------

Established in 2003 as Shaohannah’s Hope, Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth initially founded Show Hope out of their desire to see more children find their way into forever families.  Though many families they talked to were willing to adopt, the financial costs to adoption were simply too high.

Originally named after the Chapman’s first adopted daughter, Shaohannah Hope Chapman, Shaohannah’s Hope has grown far beyond the initial vision of helping a few orphans find homes. In 2009, after changing the name to Show Hope, this organization has seen an amazing explosion in growth. From a six-story caring facility in China, equipped to provide surgeries and medical care to special needs orphans, to multiplying the effects of the adoption grant program by assisting churches in setting up their own adoption funds, Show Hope continues to expand its remarkable worldwide impact.

-Source