House of Hope

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter---when you see the naked to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard..."
-Isaiah 58

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look about you: all assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will swell with joy; the wealth o the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come."
-Isaiah 60:1-5

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has set me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion---to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair..."
-Isaiah 61

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
-Luke 4:18-19

"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing al who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him."
-Acts 10:38



6 years ago, the Spirit spoke to me out of Isaiah 61. It became my life chapter. I believe will all of my heart that each and every one of us are called to live Isaiah 61, but the Lord put such a stirring in my heart for this chapter and I did not really know why at the time. I now am seeing Him unfold so many things that confirm why this chapter is my life calling.

Last winter I met a wonderful woman of God named Val Norton. She introduced me to what's called the House of Hope. I had first seen the House of Hope online when I accepted the ministry as a friend on myspace. I did not think very much of it and helping abused teens was not something I thought would ever become a huge part of my life. I had already been helping in the youth group at church for several years and it just seemed like a lot was very "surfacy." I was struggling as a single girl, just trying to make it in life and feeling so trapped myself. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail here on my blog, but I just want to say that I went through hell for a while. I was not able to reach out because I was so oppressed myself by years and years of pain.

This past winter I cried out to the Lord for help. I was so desperate I didn't want to live anymore. He heard my cry and drew me out of deep waters and it has been an upward climb since then. Although I would like to share every detail on here--- #1 It would be a very long blog and #2 it's just to personal to share. What I do want to say that I was very oppressed as in Acts 10:38 and I have received a lot of deliverance and am continuing to heal.

It has been amazing because through all of the pain, the Lord is bringing such beauty and really launching me into my destiny and purpose for my life----Isaiah 61 and now also Isaiah 58. Out of my pain and healing, I am able to pour out to teens the love of Christ and the Lord is giving them "...beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair..."

So what IS the House of Hope? The House of Hope is a nationwide organization founded in Orlando, FL, and spreads throughout the whole U.S. These House of Hope(s) are actual homes that house up to 8 teens. These teens live in these homes full time, receive 24/7 attention and care, receive counseling, hook in with a healthy local churches youth group and some House of Hope(s) even have a boarding school. The program lasts from 6 months to a year or longer (depending on the needs of the teen). There are also weekly parent meetings which the parents are required to attend. House of Hope is about joining families together and bringing not only healing to the teen but to whole family. Our House of Hope will be under the umbrella of my local church "Radiant Church." For more information, you can go to our website at: www.swmihoh.org

Greater things are yet to come. Greater are still to be done in this city! And not only in this city, but also in this region!

God is setting His people free and healing His people.

Stay tuned for more about the House of Hope in the future... =)