TFG Blog

I will start off by asking the question. What is encouragement? Or what is the opposite of encouragement? I’m sure most of you know what the opposite would be which is tearing people down. So what does it mean to encourage one another as brothers and sisters in Christ? Maybe before you 'jokingly' insult someone you tell yourself , "Oh they know I’m kidding. They know I don’t mean it." But ask yourself this. Do they really know your joking? Maybe they start laughing and it appears that they don’t care.

It can be hard to tell because in reality they may not care! But maybe deep down inside, they take what you say to heart and begin to judge themselves by what you say even if they don’t intend to. For example, when people 'jokingly' insult me I will sometimes think nothing about it. However other times I will take it to heart. I will think about it and judge myself by it, even without knowing it. The point here is that God calls us to encourage one another whether you like the person or not. They are still loved by God and what you say can still be hurtful. So I ask you as well as myself to make a goal to encourage and lift each other up every day.

Therefore encourage each other with these words. -- 1 Thessalonians 4:18

Share your experiences with us of this past Christmas season.  We want to hear about the peace in your heart and the goodwill you extended toward your fellow man as inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Let’s talk about how we will pray for the Lord to stoke the flames of our heart this year with His spirit.  How He will fortify us to carry His peace on earth through this year.  How He will equip us through His Spirit so we can have the love of Christ in us required to deliver goodwill toward men.

How is the Lord working through you? Post your comments below. Join the Discussion !!!

Dan Liberto

I cracked, I confessed to someone the other day my occasional tendency to be a bad sport when I compete.  Okay, so it really wasn't a huge secret in the first place.  Anyone one who has competed against me before in anything has probably experienced my post game wrath.  Well, I suppose wrath is a bit of an overstatement.  I've never yelled, punched or even murdered anyone in a fit of rage.  That would be a little.. unnecessary.   Instead, I give reluctant hand shakes, flash a forced smile (that could easily be mistaken for a scowl) and repeatedly think, "oh your gonna get it next time my friend."

Keep walking.. keep walking.. keep walking.. stop crushing her hand.. keep walking.. SMILE!

Back in the day, when I played soccer.. my absolute least favorite part of a lost game would be that terrible thing they make you do at the end.  Shake hands with the enemy. I mean, seriously!  Did my coaches not get the idea of cruel and unusual punishment. Not even the enthusiastic cheering of deranged soccer moms trying to make us feel better could cheer me up.  I could not be satisfied till next game.

Mwahahahaha.

As I've gotten older these tendencies have removed themselves from my competitive routine.  But there is still no doubt that I still get very frustrated when I can't accomplish what I had hoped. I still occasionally force a smile.  While I am indeed very competitive, most of what I have said here today has been nothing but a mere hyperbole.  No I am not a sports obsessed wacko.  Don't worry or run away screaming in terror.

While up to this point in the post my writing has been merely entertaining and somewhat exaggerated, I do have something morally relevant to share.  While competition is essentially a good, positive and uplifting thing it can easily become something negative.  How?  When we disregard everything around us and treat competition and winning as the main goal.  Yes, winning is a spectacular goal, I should hope none of you strive to lose.  But is it really an acceptable goal when we disregard feelings in pursuit of it?  Competition is a healthy part of society, there's no doubt about it.  But it can become unhealthy and even detrimental when we begin to treat it as "all there is."  Don't perceive it as an outlet to showcase your pride or promise revenge. Rather, use it as a tool to instill healthy competition and even build friendship. We won't always win, but that's no excuse to give up, we persevere and continue to better ourselves.  Strive and train to win but never lose sight of what it actually means to compete.  Competition is good.. but only when utilized within boundaries.

Hebrews 12:1 says,

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off anything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Conner Liberto

Wow! Disney Channel! I could go on and on about Disney about how it is not Gods reality , but I will only share a couple points.  The parents on Disney do not like each other their constantly fighting I mean parents fight but not as much as this.  And the children are disrespectful to their teachers , parents, and even friends. They just leave school when they don't want to be there.  And one more thing that I have noticed that in every single episode one person has to be lying whether its  mom dad or someone else someone is always lying.

So as I conclude I say that yes kids must watch Disney to see all the things that you can change in real life (how God defines it in the Bible).  If you agree that Disney is just pretend life or have a different view, I would love to hear it!  Post your comments below...   Join the Discussion!!!.

Sydney Liberto

The great lie that we are not good enough.  Although it's not always openly voiced, we cannot deny it's presence everywhere.  Don't believe me?  Go stand in line at any grocery store and scan the front cover of magazines.  They will often say things like, "Do this for amazing hair" or "10 ways to get your best body for summer." If that doesn’t convince you, flip through a few pages and you'll find articles on how to make yourself better, get more attention from guys, or step by step instructions to improve your love life.  The message is we're not good enough for the world.  In fact, we will never be good enough for the world.  And trying to keep up with its constant trends will help you achieve nothing but emotional exhaustion, low self esteem and even worse despair.  The more you try to please everyone, the more you (without realizing it) degrade yourself and distance yourself from your Creator.  Before long you are doing nothing but hiding behind a plastic smile.  The sooner we realize that our identity comes from God and God alone, the better.

For a few long agonizing years I tried desperately to improve myself in the eyes of others.  Sadly, I wasn't free. I was being held captive to what the world thought about me, and I found my self esteem slowly withering away.  I could find nothing nice to say about myself at all.  I modified who I was depending on who I was interacting with and I became very good at hiding behind my plastic smile. Although no one ever suspected, I felt everything.  It was emotionally draining.

Then the Lord delivered me an Aha! moment.  Why seek the approval of a world that I'm never going to be good enough for, when I already have a God who has told me exactly who I am in his eyes.

{Psalm 139}

When you accept Christ you are given a NEW identity.  Something that won't change.  No matter how much the world changes. What He thinks about us won't change.  And that is a promise.

• You are more than the choices that you've made.
• You are more than the sum of your past mistakes.
• You are more than the problems you create.
• You are more.
• You've been remade.

This is not about what you've done..

but what's been done for you.

This is not about where you've been..

but where your brokenness brings you to.

This is not about what you feel..

but what he felt to forgive you.

And what he felt to make you loved.

Conner Liberto

There are many memories that I have, but I am only going to choose one. The memory that I share with my family and my friends, is the time I held my baby sister, Jordan. Now, I bet you guys are thinking, Baby sister, why is that a memory?” Well, I am gonna tell ya! You see, I was 5 years old when Jordan was born.

I was in the delivery room but behind a curtain the whole entire time, but was still super-duper shocked when it came time to go face to face with this new baby. I clutched my dad’s hand saying, “ I can’t breathe. “ He got a cup and said, “breathe into this.” I grabbed the cup and started to hyper-ventilate into it.

When I was cooled down a little more my dad brought me back inside. When I approached the room I saw that my little sister was already born. I asked if I could hold her and they laid her gently in my lap. The baby started to cry. I thought it was my fault so I started to cry. Of course you know girls, so my mom has to cry to.  I guess we’re the two cry babies in the house hold. Hehe;).

That is my precious memory!

Now here is a precious memory for you. My Red, White and Blue shake (ingredients below)

• Blueberries

• Strawberries

• Almond Milk

• Whey Protein powder (Vanilla Shake Flavoring)

• Pineapple

• Ice (optional)

Do you have a precious memory to share? Join the Discussion by commenting on this blog even if its just to tell me how much you like the shake!!!

Are You Diggin it?

I like to dig! Dig for bargains that is! My idea of a fun shopping excursion is spending a couple of hours at one of the many Goodwill Stores in San Antonio. That would drive some people up a wall. Like my husband. He can’t believe I would actually go into any store, much less Goodwill, and stay for that length of time. I can find some really cool stuff, but you gotta’ dig! I’m a digger. We should all be diggers! Where? The Word of God. The more we study, the more revelation, from God, will occur. We want revelation. The only way to get it is to dig and then dig some more. In other words, “Seek me and you shall find me. Knock and the door shall be open.”

My daughter, Sydney, had revelation recently. It was precious listening as she tried to explain this extraordinary event. I am not sure it can be explained when a Holy God meets you personally. Yes, Moses was the exception. I am quite sure none of us have ever heard God speak through a burning bush. Honestly, I am always on the lookout for something grand like a burning bush or a pillar of fire. Which is comical given I am relatively sure that if I ever saw one I would break the land speed record vacating the premises. Which would actually be two miracles given I like to limit my running opportunities.

Is this level of presentation needed or does God meet us right where we are? It was through studying scripture He revealed himself to Sydney. It was personal and it was intimate. She didn’t need the exact words to explain. It was her moment. It was her revelation. Digging deep brings depth to our relationship with God. She is only twelve, but it doesn’t matter how old or young we are. She wondered what God’s voice would be like. Would it be audible? Would it be instinctual? Would He be loud or soft spoken? When He revealed Himself to her she recognized it immediately.

Jesus says that his sheep will recognize His voice. We will know God’s voice when we dig deep, into His Word, and truly seek to know His character. When we become acquainted with His very nature, He enters into our actual experience. What an incredible God we serve that He desires to make Himself known to us.

This is just one of the many reasons we started Generation With A Name, LLC. It is our intent to equip this generation of young people with the promises of God through the stories of Biblical heroes and heroines. To this end we’ve written a children’s book “The Story of Ruth Through a Child’s Eyes” and an 18” Old Testament Biblical Ruth doll to bring the story alive. We wanted to show people that God will meet you in your situation.

We want little girls to play and interact with a biblical doll as they dig deep into the Biblical story of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth wanted to know Naomi’s Hebrew God and there was nothing that would stop her. God met Naomi, personally and intimately, right where she was in the middle of her despair and disappointment. We’ll call this her Mara moment. God met Ruth in the midst of Moab where she dug her leather sandals deep in the sand and would not let up. God showed himself faithful. Ruth was the Great-grandmother of King David. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Dig deep my friend.

Join the Discussion!!! Like us on Follow us on

A Bridge Too Far?

It is fascinating to watch people work with their hands. The art of creating is truly a gift from the Lord. Writing, sewing, farming, florists are all examples of people utilizing their gifting. There is also the design that takes patience and time like a mother holding her young child’s hand and as the years wash over the relationship the design concludes in reciprocity when the young child now holds the hand of an elderly mother or father. God has graciously given each one of us the best gifts. We become stewards of these gifts for the purpose of edifying to further his kingdom. These gifts also provide us an outlet to worship Him. As we toured the factory in China, we watched a society almost completely void of the Lord’s presence create something from the Bible for a ministry and it was amazing. I doubt any of the employees of this factory knew our passion for this doll they were making. I doubly doubt they knew who Ruth was or Jesus Christ is. I watched these Chinese factory workers be faithful to their employer and to their creativity. I also watched them be faithful to our vision. These dolls are sculpted then individually painted and sewn by hands created for worship. They just don’t know they are created for worship. They don’t know they are free in Christ. Is this God’s workmanship? Wasn’t Ruth herself from Moab which presents some obvious parallels? This manufacturer was chosen by us, to help us facilitate the Biblical message. This ministry is about God’s word in action, therefore shouldn’t His word be actionable to these factory workers?

Visiting China once doesn’t exactly make me an expert in foreign relations. I don’t even consider myself an expert in God’s ways which I guess is okay since His ways are different. God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.” (Isaiah 55:8) Ok, that’s good enough for me! We walked into China with this exciting plan to tweet our total experience on a daily basis to those interested parties at home, but it wasn’t long before we felt the restrictions imposed by the Chinese government which made us appreciate our home that much more. The people however were different from what I expected. When we visited Beijing, we walked the city and found people to be friendly and engaging. We walked through the hutongs which are alleys where the Chinese people open for business by selling there craftsmanship right outside their small very modest housing and got a sense of urban life in China. There was even a park where the elderly would gather on a daily basis to exercise, swim and I think socialize. Remember I couldn’t speak Chinese, so they could have been telling each other to move over. After all, this section of the park was extremely crowded.

I knew when I left China the Lord had given us a way to share just a small piece of ourselves as well as Him. I believe it when He says He wants that no one shall perish (2 Peter 3:9). And we are expecting “… in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). I know there are people in China that are spreading the gospel. In our own small way we are building our own bridge to the gospel with our partners in China. The Freedom Girls is just one small piece in a much larger story which is His Story. Every single man and women working in that factory working long days and sometimes into the evening has a story. They are a creation of an Almighty God and not their government.

We would love for you to comment on our experience or tell us about your own experience of building bridges in your business.  Join the Discussion and edify the family of Christian Business owners.

Like us on  Follow us on 

WInsome and You Lose None

Being in China was such a great experience for our family.  Once we arrived in Hong Kong, we were met by our personal greeter.  Did I say personal?    I didn’t get to sip champagne on the flight, but we did get a personal greeter.  How awesome is that?  We were exhausted!  Luckily traveling west we arrived in the evening and in no time it was time for bed.  We slept like babies which was great because our new supplier wasted no time. We arrived at the factory the next morning and business started immediately. Oh wait, there was a momentary pleasant distraction. As we arrived we noticed a “Welcome” sign for the Libertos. (picture)  The welcoming committee really  surpassed my expectations.  I can only guess at how close to the mark three groggy Texans were to meeting their expectations. At any rate, there would be no rest for the groggy.  It was time to get started with the intricate creation of Ruth. The process to extract Ruth from the abstract into the physical, we needed to be taken step by step to approve everything from the production mold to the color of tissue paper that would come in the box.  Most of these tasks were unexpected and largely uneventful. We made a trip to the fabric factory.  I failed to mention to our personal guide that I was pre-menopausal and that walking through acres of fabric was doing nothing for my mental psyche. I was afraid I would go postal from the eight floors of fabric selections.  Rooms upon rooms of fabric!  TMI! Ok, maybe it was a bit more expected and eventful than I thought. I really didn’t need acres of fabric to choose from for a dress for Ruth.  She is simple.  I am simple. An example of our simplicity was the Ruth look. We were asked what we wanted Ruth to look like.  Our discussions up to that point had always been in the abstract.  Ruth should be winsome, but we could only recognize winsome.  Describing it was a lot more difficult.  So, we sent pictures of our youngest Jordan.  Of course we followed her around for several days waiting to recognize winsome before we began the battery of flashing pix. Designing Ruth’s face was by far the most exciting.  We had been receiving email pictures for several weeks in advance of our visit as a review of the Ruth Look.  Things looked great, but visiting in person would allow us to actually see the creative process.  They brought in sculptors who actively worked on areas that we needed changed.  It was fascinating to be in this process with so many caring people.  People from such diverse backgrounds united in a single cause.  Is that drastically different than the early church? While we were reviewing the modifications made by the sculptors, we noticed they were talking to each other.  We inquired of our personal greeter.  I still can’t believe we had our own personal greeter. We were told that they were discussing how we were reacting to our comments by studying our body language. I got the impression they were invested. The creative process was a magnificent experience for us and it was accentuated by the unity of three separate cultures.  I’m not suggesting the Holy Spirit was there because the unity here was not on Christ. Ruth did provide us an opportunity to build a bridge. It is our prayer that the Lord will fill The Freedom Girls with something he can fill with something real.

Lord, if I'm the clay, then lay me down On your spinning wheel Shape me into something you can fill With something real               - Caedmon’s Call (Hands of the Potter)

Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.  -  Isaiah 64:8

We would love to hear your comments on opportunities the Lord has put in your path to build bridges.

Join the Discussion!  Like us on  Follow us on Twitter 

Put ALL Your Eggs in HIS Basket

I am back from Missouri and I survived my 30^th high school class reunion. There were a lot of pictures taken and as I suspected, we looked old. Or perhaps shall I use the word mature. Just like people did 30 years ago when I looked, in the paper, and arrogantly moaned in my naive, young mind, “They look old.” Well, whatever the case, it was great seeing friends from long ago. I have some exciting news! Ruth, the new 18” doll will be arriving by the end of October. I have been chronicling Ruth’s Journey for the past several weeks. It has been an amazing journey fraught with many disappointments but also much success. I have seen God’s hand at every turn. As I look back, I admit, I did not choose to see God in every aspect of this venture. When I got in the middle of turmoil, unfortunately, my trust wavered and I asked, “Where’s God?” I am studying the Acts of the Apostles and I can’t help but marvel at the beginnings of the early Church. It is amazing to read about Paul’s metamorphosis from Christian persecutor to Jesus’s faithful servant (Acts 9). Once Paul was converted, on the road, to Damascus there was no wavering in his faith to Jesus Christ. Once he was blinded, by the Light Himself, he didn’t question his purpose. The Holy Spirit changed Paul immediately. Paul never doubted. There was no second guessing. It was radical. It was fierce. It was powerful. It was necessary for Paul and the early church. It is necessary for you and me. In Acts 9:24, you can read where Paul was lowered through a hole in the wall in a basket for his safety and to secure his ministry. What does that look like for you and me? What is our basket to reach, equip and secure God’s word into the hearts and minds of this generation of young people? It is the Ruth doll and the related Biblical story. I remember the night before we left for China. Dan and I never (ok, almost never) questioned our mission for heading off half way around the world with our 14 year old daughter. We never (ok, already… almost never) asked, “What if?” Regardless of the outcome we would do it all over again. There was no going back. No returning to our former life. This Ruth doll, her accompanying book and “The Freedom Girls” experience, is the purpose and mission that the Lord laid on my heart. Just as the early church protected Paul’s ministry in a vulnerable vessel of weaved straw, we are vulnerable vessels called to protect His ministry as ambassadors. Pray for us as we begin this next phase of our growth that we will communicate His Truth with the same zeal as the early church and that when the time comes to lower the basket, the Lord will equip us with the same courage and ferocious power as He did the early church.

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  - Psalm 34:10

I want to thank those of you that have faithfully followed Ruth’s Journey on “The Freedom Girls” Blog. We would love for you to encourage us with a story of your own about how the Lord is empowering you as His ambassador. Press the comment link below this blog and share. Starting next week we will begin posting blogs on Tuesday and Friday. We will continue to post reminders on Facebook and Twitter.

Join the Discussion !!!  Like us on Follow us on

“Meet Me in St. Louis”

I love God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  I love the way He weaves Himself in and out of our lives for His good purpose.  (Romans 8:28)  I love the way he makes Himself known in the most subtle ways when we least expect it.  I love the way He answers prayer in ways we couldn’t have imagined.  I love the way He breathed on his disciples in Acts 1 when he sent His Holy Spirit.   The breath of power upon His children is a gift from The Most Holy One.

This past weekend, I met up with a dear friend, in St. Louis and we rode together to our hometown for our class reunion.    She wanted to know why my suitcase was so big and heavy.  I had to fess up that I traveled with a little 18” person named Ruth and her associated story, “The Story of Ruth Through a Child’s Eyes”. Nothing too suspicious, right? Oh no, my friend was curious!    This is where I usually become Peter, denying or justifying why I have a Ruth Doll and a Freedom Girls ministry.  How would I explain this concept to someone who knew me WHEN, if you know what I mean?  I explained it and probably not very well.  She looked at me and asked me, in a loud tone, with squinty eyes, “Are you religious?”  I was speechless.  Even though I didn’t answer the question, I wish I would have.   My simple answer would have been, “No, I’m not religious, I just love Jesus.”  Oh yea, that would have quieted her down a bit.

Fast forward a few days and this same sweet friend who asked me if I was religious found herself weeping in the arms of her friends over a crummy marriage.  This is why I love God.  Not because of her crummy marriage, but He brought together the most eclectic group of friends to console her, pray for her and lift her up.  He knew what she needed.  (Psalm 139: 1-4)  Many, many people deny Jesus for a host of different reasons.  Maybe some people find Jesus and His gospels too religious.  Perhaps He seems absent in times of trouble.  My friend was having trouble but I found Him to be very present at a difficult time. I thank the Lord for presenting this opportunity through our ministry. I pray that He strengthens and comforts me in future opportunities and I pray that my friend finds the Savior Jesus Christ and not religion!  After all, we are conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37-39).

Ruth Proved to be a discussion starter in St. Louis. Let her journey be a discussion starter for you. Leave a comment and let us know of a time the Lord provided you an opportunity to give an answer to the reason for the hope you have inside (1 Peter 3:15).

Join the Discussion !!!  Like us on   Follow us on

"O Lord my God, You are very great"

I am in Missouri this week staying with my mom and dad. I'll be in town for my 30th class reunion. 25 years ago when I saw pictures of people, in the local paper, celebrating their 30th class reunion I'd think, "Man, those people look old." Well, here I am 30 years later hoping our class picture isn't in the paper. My niece and nephews might feel compelled to say, "Man, those people look old." It will be great to see everyone. I just hope we have name tags! I went on a walk, this morning, on my parents farm. I think Francis Scott Key was here, in Missouri, when he penned the line "amber waves of grain" in the Star Spangled Banner. For one thing Missouri has seasons where as in South Texas we have hot and hotter. It was a beautiful fall day, this morning, as I walked down the gravel road with a cool breeze blowing. The sun was shining, the shades of autumn were magnificent with trees just turning from green to gold, red and brown. The golden soybeans, blowing in the wind, are getting ready for harvest. They looked just like "amber waves of grain." I was reminded of Psalm 104: 13-14, "The earth is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate--bringing forth food from the earth." The whole scene was breathtaking. "O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters." Psalm 104: 1-2.

As a reminder I will be at In Full Bloom in Centralia on Friday 1-4 and at the Hatton Craft Fair on Saturday from 9-4 to introduce the new 18" Biblical doll named Ruth. Come by for a visit.  I'd love to meet you. You can also find out more about us online at TheFreedomGirls.com.  I will continue with Ruth's Journey next Tuesday.  If you have a story about your meditations with the Lord and His greatness, please leave your comment.

Join the Discussion !!!  Like us on  Follow us on 

Put Out The Good China

Our last day in the convention hall in Orlando and we were interviewing the various retailers when we were pointed to the man with the eyes. His company makes doll eyes and of course I was looking for a little more substance to Ruth than just eyes. We searched him out anyway to share our plight. After all, what did we have to lose? We met. We talked. We liked. We knew we were onto something. The excitement began to grow once again. From the day we met him, almost three years ago, until now, our soon to be partner has been professional and honest. He has truly been a blessing especially as the mediator between the factory and us. It would have been very difficult, communicating with a Chinese factory, without his experience. We know because this wasn’t the first Chinese factory we talked with. We were mesmerized when the man with the eyes said, “You need to go to China.” I was elated! I said, “Yahooo, I’m a traveling business woman now.” “My dreams have come true!” I am a former flight attendant. I have traveled a lot, but never on business. I always felt a tinge of envy watching those “travel-savvy” people in first class, merrily sipping champagne without a care in the world. God obviously had other plans for my life!

Anyway, after passports had been issued and Hepatitis A shots administered we were on our way. God opened a door for us where others had closed. Upon leaving the San Antonio Airport pre-dawn I looked and felt very business-like. Our business had been injected once again with energy and purpose over the last several months coordinating with the Chinese factory in preparation for our trip. The experience had far exceeded just the business level. I was traveling with my husband and 14 year old daughter. What an entrepreneurial education we would all get. Then reality struck about 10 hours into a 14 hour flight jetting over the Pacific in a metal tube. Side note. . . I was in coach class and I was not sipping champagne. At this moment, I neither looked nor felt very “business-like”. I knew I was in for the long haul when I looked over at Conner and she also had succumbed to deliriousness as chop-sticks dangled from her mouth like a walrus. (I have pictures to prove it!) China was a door that opened for us where others had closed. I did not know what to expect once we arrived in China, but one thing I did know was that the heavy lifting was about to start. The time to put down the champagne and the chopsticks had passed. Now it was time to roll up our sleeves.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Ruth’s Journey on Thursday. Roll up your sleeves with us and leave us your comment on this blog and let us here about how God opened a door for you. You can get email reminders if you Like us on Facebook.com/TheFreedomGirls.

Join the Discussion !!! 

Sow, Sow, Sow, Your Boat

I needed some new ideas, no doubt about it. Although the German doll maker had many good ideas, and using google maps, served him well it wasn’t what we were looking for. I knew I needed to look elsewhere. Honestly, I was tired of looking on the internet for suppliers. It seemed everywhere I looked I ran into dead ends. Every time a door opened it seemed it closed soon afterward. Not only was I looking for someone to make a doll, but I needed someone to make clothes. What about shoes and other accessories? I didn’t know whether I wanted premade clothes or have something specially made for the new Ruth doll. I was frustrated and doubtful to say the least. This is when I found myself, in the middle of a storm, 50 foot waves overpowering my small, fledgling boat, aka the business. Where exactly was Jesus in all this anyway? He was asleep right there in my boat. Asleep? In the middle of a storm? Yep! He was there the whole time. “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:23-27) Jesus makes it possible to step into this type of faith. He creates storms but he also calms them. He waited for the right time, his time, to bring me Barbara.

She is a wonderful lady, from my church, who wanted to help me. She knew about the business and she wanted to make Ruth an outfit. I wasn’t finding anything that I wanted so I knew I had nothing to lose. She researched Ruth of the Bible, her attire, and the Hebrew customs. She took special attention in finding the right fabric, the best design for that era. Upon talking with several moms, I knew this had to be the outfit that Ruth would wear when she was purchased. Everyone loves that Ruth is dressed in her native attire. Yes, this doll is historical, but she is also Biblical. That is very important. You cannot have history without the Bible. This is why it is so necessary for you and your children to learn every academic subject through the lens of a biblical worldview. They need to understand who shaped our history. History did not start in 1776. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) That is where history started.

Stay tuned as history continues in the next Ruth’s Journey episode on Tuesday. You can get email reminders if you Like us on Facebook.com/TheFreedomGirls. Please leave us your comment on this blog and let us here about how God has calmed your storm.

Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea

Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

- Casting Crowns

Join the Discussion !!!

Orlando Blooms

Getting back to the doll mentioned in Ruth’s Journey Part 4 “Getting to the Ruth of the Matter”, we simply fell in love with this doll which set us up for a very difficult decision. It had become absolutely clear this delightful doll, that was manufactured in the US, was not intended for our ministry.  The doll’s anchor was no less than the familiar Christmas morning dread, “Assembly Required”.  As a small business just starting out we had neither the budget nor the resources to satisfy the needs of this doll.  We found ourselves in a lull.  We slowed the publication of the book to focus on the quest for the doll and we had no forward progress.  We had now spent over a year trying to make the existing doll work and we had come to a fork in the road.  Where would the Lord lead us next?  We spent Christmas that year largely avoiding any discussion or thought toward advancing the existing doll.  We emerged in the new year with a refreshed mind set to determine if the door was opened or closed.  I once again went back to the drawing board (aka the internet) and with my refreshed spirit I looked for another manufacturer.   I learned, through various sources, about a German manufacturer.  Of course, my first thought is, “Oh, I get to travel to Germany.”  I immediately started communicating with the owner of a German doll company.  This man was very gracious with his time and expertise.  So much so that  he showed up at our house one Saturday afternoon!

I am not kidding!  The owner of the doll company AND his German speaking designer are sitting at my dining room table. The presence of this German businessman at our residence left me with little doubt.  I had really hit the big time!  Starting my own company is a cakewalk. They come to me!  Note to self!  I previously expelled the notion that starting my own business was not neat (“Ruth’s Journey – Part 1”).  Here we can likewise exclude the cakewalk.  Although we appreciated this wonderful man coming to visit us and providing us with tons of information, we knew, once again that we needed to keep looking. With an eye on our budget, we headed for a doll show in Orlando with the hope that we would return with a doll.  We spent the first two days of the show meeting with several doll makers, but at the conclusion we had no significant change in our outlook.  We sat in our hotel room that night once again discouraged.  With only one day remaining , we wanted to glean some good information from the other manufacturers at the show.  So we started our final day in Orlando with a different mission.  We would interview the manufacturers and the retailers at the show about their respective businesses and their approach to the industry.   Once we opened our focus to learn from the opportunity the Lord had given us, things happened.  We were shown a new path.

Watch for the next episode of Ruth’s Journey on Thursday. Like us on Facebook.com/TheFreedomGirls and we will post reminders. Leave us a comment on this blog and let us here about how God has directed your steps.

Join the Discussion !!! 

Book em' Danno!

Writing has always been one of Dan’s dreams. He is such an insightful and thoughtful writer. I know God will use his gift, of writing, to help fathers, husbands and young men understand their triumphs and difficulties through Biblical wisdom. Writing, for Dan, really wasn’t any different for him than it was for me becoming an overnight doll creator. This adventure was totally new to the both of us. We had to rely on God throughout this whole process. OK, let me back up a little. I need to be honest. We probably relied on ourselves more often than we should have. We would gather all of our information, pray about it, weigh all the options and make a decision. Unfortunately not necessarily in that order. Sometimes our decision was a good one, sometimes not so much. God uses everything to his good purpose though. Dan was a children’s leader for Bible Study Fellowship where God equipped him to work with children. I got to see first hand how being totally immersed in the bible can change a person. Every Saturday, at the crack of dawn, he would leave for his leaders meeting where men of all ages and backgrounds would come together, on their knees, and pray for each other, their students and their families. That was several years ago, when Dan was in leadership, but I always remembered what his countenance was like when he came home. He was on fire with the supernatural power of the Lord. Enough said! There is a special grove of trees, by our house, Dan would retreat to often and meditate. That is where he did most of his writing. Dan had written one manuscript. Guess who scratched it? That’s right. . .ME! I can’t remember, but there may have been two or three other manuscripts before it was acceptable to ME! Dan’s manuscript was read by many people. Most everyone had very insightful and constructive things to say. Everyone was so thoughtful to take the time to provide feedback which we always took into consideration. It was because of many friends’ advice that he ended up with the current manuscript and eventually a book. A beautiful book that is totally in line with scripture. We absolutely did not want to change the storyline of Ruth. We only wanted to bring the story, of Ruth, to life in such a way where young girls would know their God loves them and works in their lives.

Watch for the next episode of Ruth’s Journey next Tuesday. Like us on Facebook.com/TheFreedomGirls and we will post reminders. Leave a comment on this blog and share with us those dreams you’ve had that you’ve delivered to the glory of the Lord.

Join the Discussion !!! 

Getting to The Ruth of the Matter

So began the journey of finding a doll manufacturer.Walk into just about any store in the U.S. and there are shelves and shelves of dolls on display, so we figured this couldn’t be too hard could it? We had only a few criteria on this maiden voyage, but we were adamant that we would produce a doll made in the United States. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before this criteria came crashing against reality. Doll makers in the U.S are few and far between unfortunately. The majority that we were able to find dealt more closely with collectibles rather than play dolls, which was our interest. After scouring the internet for a doll manufacturer (I told you I liked to clean), we found one that seemed ideal. The doll that we had decided on was an absolutely delightful doll and it was love at first sight for us. Of course it was this bond that kept us holding on to this dream long after it was obvious that we could not produce it. I only buy dolls for my daughters, not manufacture them so of course all of this was foreign to me (pun not intended). I was so excited to find a doll that was perfect for what we wanted. I just didn’t know that when I ordered SEVERAL dolls they would come UNASSEMBLED! Clothes and wig not included! Have you ever received a gift and in fine print it says, “Batteries not included.” Of course you have, especially at Christmas! Doll heads and limbs are lying helplessly in black plastic bags in our attic.

Of course these lovely dolls are put away for now but not forgotten. They will one day be linked to the loving arms of a child through charitable giving. This episode in Ruth’s journey was the focus of many laughs with friends. We concluded it was time to go back to the drawing board. In the meantime, Dan was moving right along with writing the children’s book, The Story of Ruth Through A Child’s Eyes. He was in his own world trying to decide whether to self-publish or find a publisher when we came to this crossroad. We wanted to produce the doll in the US, but it was clear that we needed to look elsewhere outside of the US. Anyone here speak German or Chinese?

Watch for the next episode of Ruth’s Journey on Thursday. Like us on Facebook.com/TheFreedomGirls and we will post reminders. Leave a comment on this blog and share with us those dreams you’ve had that died hard at your crossroads. Join the Discussion !!!

Fear Today, Gone Tomorrow

Our “Ruth” journey started about 4 years ago.  I need to be honest with you.  I have often questioned the idea of a Ruth doll.  Why did God give me this idea?  Wouldn’t another book be just another distraction from the Bible?  Have you been to a Christian bookstore lately?  Scoured the internet?  Christians are not exactly experiencing a drought of Christian products! I continued to be plagued with the thought of whether this was all really necessary.  I am not sure I have the answer as to why the Lord put this on my heart.    I may never know, the reason for a doll and a book, but the journey has provided some wonderful and life-giving insights and encouragement.  Our journey is our life’s story.  In the mundane, often monotonous, parts of our lives is where we are molded by the Master Potter Himself.  He is constantly shaping and molding us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.  God shows His faithfulness through all our mistakes, our triumphs, and everything in between.  God is constantly weaving in and out of our daily routine.  There is not an area where he does not work.  That makes me very happy because, otherwise, I’d goof up more than I already do.  I also take comfort in the heroes of the Bible that were molded and goofed up before me.  I focus on Abraham and Noah because they were full of goofs but even closer to home was their respective ages when God called them to action.  I just have to continue to repeat to myself over and over, trust and obey.

We continued to wrestle with the idea of how to tell the story, of Biblical Heroines, in a way that was meaningful  to children.  When a young girl and her mother or grandmother finish reading The Story of Ruth Through A Child’s Eyes it was our objective to leave them with many nuggets of Truth.  At the very least they would understand they are indeed created in God’s image just as Ruth was.    Of course in the back of my mind in the small still voice of the Spirit were repeated “My Word is sufficient”.  So it was obvious that we needed to be true to scripture and not re-tell the story, but rather recount the story in a manner that it could be followed along in the bible.   This was a delicate issue in our minds.  We wanted to take great care to pave a path to the Bible not replace it.  The months ahead proved to be valuable time spent preparing for the book and doll, but not without a lot bumps along the way.

Watch for the next episode of Ruth’s Journey Part 4 on Tuesday. Like us on Facebook.com/TheFreedomGirls and we will post reminders. Leave a comment on this blog and share with us fears that the Lord has taken from you.  I can’t be the only scarety-cat in the kingdom.  Join the Discussion !!!

Lies! Camera! Action!

GOD always has a way of shaking things up a bit. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I was very comfortable with my usual daily routine. Drop my daughters off at school, come home, clean the house. Maybe have lunch with a friend. God apparently wanted something different, perhaps something more from me. No pain, no gain right? I had never given any thought to dolls, much less a new career that involved dolls. Relentless magazine covers conveying their desire for my daughters to change into their image with their incessant messages of beauty, guys, and the perfect body just to name a few. Hundreds of such advertising gimmicks flash before innocent boys and girls daily. Honestly, I can be like a deer in the headlights, standing there oblivious to the oncoming slaughter. Not knowing what happened until it is too late. I probably spent most of my adult life looking into headlights not knowing what I should be doing.

God knew and he got my attention with something that neither I nor my husband knew anything about. DOLLS! We’ve had a few dolls in our home and it seemed like I was always picking them up off the floor. Anyone know what I am talking about? I did not know much about dolls and books and websites, but what I did know was that the culture was speeding full speed ahead like cars coming upon other unsuspecting deer with no defense mechanism other than to stare. I didn’t want my children or other children caught in the headlights. I had been caught in the headlights for most of my adult life. I did not desire that for any child let alone mine. I even had my own little campaign going against 2 large retailers here in my home town. It is pathetic how magazines target our children. After standing in many lines at the grocery store and seeing the usual headlines, “How to look hot”, “How to catch the perfect man”, “101 beauty tips for the perfect you”, I decided to write a letter or two. I guess they didn’t care what I thought of their magazines. I never heard from them. God jolted me from my slumber and through His infinite wisdom, chose our family and a doll as His vessel to spread His word. So the culture tells our children that its lights, camera, action, but the Lord has revealed to me the LIES and has motivated me to ACTION.

Watch for the next episode of Ruth’s Journey on Thursday. Like us at Facebook.com/TheFreedomGirls and we will post reminders. I have a sense that I am not the only one that has this revelation from God. Share with us your experience by commenting on this blog.Join the Discussion !!!

Take a walk on the child side

We have been on a wild and crazy journey through this maze we call family entrepreneurship.  That’s the “code word” for our family.  It must be code because when we are asked about our business we get a few well-meaning comments like, “Oh, that’s neat.”  Neat?   No, taking a family vacation is neat.  Watching your child play in the water on a hot summer day is neat.  Starting a family business is not neat.  Matter of fact it can be quite messy!  Anyone who has started a business knows it is more work than they bargained for.   Working closely with your soul mate and the three children you bore with him brings out the worst in everyone. . .  and the best!  Our heartbreaks and mistakes, the thrill of excitement and the agony of defeat is on display for the whole family to witness and partake in.  It makes for a super-duper character building extravaganza.  Include into the mix homeschooling a teenager, a preteen, and a six year old and you have a recipe for a very crazy home-life along with learning a new business.  God is good!  I look back on the many times I wanted to quit working on the doll and just return to my “former self” where things were predictable and easy.  Those were the days when I would drop my children off at school, come home, clean my house and be satisfied.  Nothing could be more satisfying than a clean home.  Why?  I was good at it.  It was easy and non-confrontational .  I could do it by myself without a care in the world.  I was comfortable!  I liked it.  But as continue to take baby steps forward, it is becoming all to clear that God does not like comfortable if it is not from Him.

My desire, over  the next several weeks, is to share our story with you.  The who, what, when and why of The Freedom Girls which is our product line for young girls.  It has been a long road since we first received the idea of creating this ministry to this generation of young people.  The timeless message is that of the Bible and it says that God loves us so much that He sent His son to die for us.   Join us as we share our heart for this ministry.  Partner with us by joining the discussion.  We hope to hear from young girls who will tell their story and understand that God’s sovereignty comforts and challenges them just as it did the Old Testament Ruth.  Why is that important?  God commands it.  Psalm 78:1-8 (The Message)

Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays right here as I map out Ruth’s Journey.  We will be posting reminders in facebook as well as tweets in the coming weeks.  If you are not already friending or following us, please do so now.

You can find us by clicking here…