About soulful roots

For those of you who don’t know, this business is one that I felt God kind of layed in my lap. I have always loved design…and God…and comfy things, and in the midst of a season of despair, God so kindly blessed me with a collaboration of the things I loved, that in turn, grew to be an avenue for business.

In 2009, we were gifted with a son, Ross Wayne. He was given a name chock-full of family history and depth. Ross would carry on my paternal side of the family with his first name, after the Ross family, that gave the name such good, wholesome depth and direction. Wayne covered a number of great, strong men on my husbands side of the family, stemming from his grandpa Dennis, his Pawpaw Carl & even more uncles and cousins. Ross is also blessed with the most incredible sister God could’ve created for such a life. Avery Faith is our oldest and keeps us on our knees with undeserving gratitude for the blessings and wisdom she brings to our family. We’re often told she is cut from a different cloth and we couldn’t agree more, and God knew Ross would need an extra special, extra patient, extra loving sister just like her.

Ross came into this world limp, blue and lifeless. He has had to fight from the moment he entered this world but does so with more joy and heart than we ever thought possible. Because of the loss of oxygen, Ross had some pretty tough delays that our local search didn’t seem to have answers for. Then, we heard about some innovative brain scanning/testing at the Amen Clinic. In California. Yeah. We had to come up with some money and time was ticking. As far as we were concerned, we had already felt like we’d lost precious time in helping Ross, so we were determined to find a way to expedite the process. This is where the journey really took off. We decided we were going to try to go to California before the upcoming school year, and we only had about 3 months to save & fundraise. God COMPLETELY blew us off our feet. We were showered with the most generous gifts and prayers, in addition to an extremely successful t-shirt fundraiser that God provided in a big way! Thanks to the t-shirts, the love offerings from family, friends and strangers, and some very generous friends that even threw in Disneyland tickets, we were set in some God speed time! And we were flat on our face kind of humbled.

Here’s were I can’t leave out the most pivotal part of the story, where my spirit was renewed and my peace expanded exponentially. I am fully convinced that God gave me a reassuring, comforting verse that not only sustained us and provided a kind of encouragement that would carry us through, but would also ignite a spark in a community of other lives who this verse also seemed to speak to. I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember being given a verse but not knowing what it said. All I was told in my dream was that I should use Jeremiah 29:11 in my babies room, and I should speak it over him and claim it for him. I remember waking up in the dark of night literally going from a deep slumber to springing out of my bed, completely alert, searching for my bible. I had it on our kitchen table and just kept repeating the verse in hopes that it wouldn’t leave me. Jeremiah29, Jeremiah, Jere..29, 29…I felt as though the pages just kept multiplying. Finally, Jeremiah chapter 29. verse 11, verse 11. Here it was you guys. That momentous 30 seconds that shifted our whole life really. Jeremiah 29:11," For I know the plans I have for you, plans for hope and plans for a future.”

Although this little boys life is an unordinary one, and it runs at 3 times the energy level as most, it is most beautifully evident that God made this sweet boy with a special plan, and a heart for His people by the joy, love, and acceptance he expresses to anyone he meets. The lessons we’ve learned in seeing the world through His eyes has truly motivated me, even more than before, to live rooted in His promises and strength, and aiming to focus not on our plans, but the plans God has for us.