Lori Schumaker : Reaching Out to The Broken

 

 

Lori Schumaker feels a special calling: to reach out to the broken and offer hope in the form of Jesus Christ.

Lori writes faithfully and really cares about women who need to find the healing balm of Christ. She feels this calling so deeply that it resonates with each blog post she writes.

I really hope you will enjoy her profile.

Lori Schumaker : Biography Information

First and foremost, I am a child of God and follower of Jesus! After that, wife to my man for 16 years and Mama to 3 kiddos. Two boys, 14 and 11, and one girl, 10. My boys grew in my belly and my daughter grew in my heart, but came to us from Bulgaria a little over 5 years ago.

I have a BA in Elementary Teaching and a MA in Bilingual and Multicultural Education. I enjoyed a 10-year career in teaching regular education classrooms and working with second language learners. After having my eldest, I taught in the community college system for a while teaching second language learners, as well. I absolutely loved working with children, their families, and adults from all over the world!

Today, when I’m not caring for my daughter’s special needs, or just doing the Mom gig, I keep very busy! I am in leadership in our church and serve in various ministries including children’s and prayer. And then, I squeeze in time to write which has been such a gift! God has given wings to a lifetime love of words and I am honored to use those words to point to the life-giving hope found in Jesus!

Lori Schumaker : Gospel Story, How She Came to Know Christ as Her Savior.

I grew up believing in God. I never had a moment of doubt or question. It was a reverential faith. God was up in Heaven managing the world. He was an awesome God. A good God. But not a God I knew up close and personal. I didn’t understand the treasures within the pages of the Bible so I didn’t grasp my worth or my purpose as His child.

As I grew up, there was sadness, hurt, and betrayal that lead me down a road of poor choices. Those poor choices lead to a shame that stuck heavily to my soul. It wasn’t until my thirties that God placed this fierce woman in my life who wouldn’t settle for me living with the burden of shame any longer. She came alongside me and battled the enemy and reintroduced me to Jesus. A Jesus who is right here with me every moment. Not far away. Not too busy. Not ever bothered. A Jesus who loves me beyond what I can imagine and a Jesus who takes shame and flings it far away

 

Life since then has been a whole new story. I was made new! Not that a complete healing happened in that moment, but that first layer of healing happened which has triggered the ongoing healing of layer after layer. Because of what He did in my life and the hope He has given me, I write to share that hope with others.

Her Favorite Verse and How It Became Important to Her

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. -2 Timothy 1:7

When you don’t know your worth in Christ, you place value on yourself through your efforts and through how others perceive or feel about you. Then, when those situations inevitably arise where you can’t please someone, you feel as though you have fallen short and are not good enough. Not good enough carries shame. Shame carries fear. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of not being loved. Fear of rejection. 2 Timothy 1:7 was key in setting me free of that fear!

Her Blogging Story

I have always loved writing. I have always had a dream to write a book. The style of writing and topics have changed over time and evolved as Christ has refined me, but the dream and the love has always been there. I had a small blog several years ago as part of our adoption story. It was more to document our story so that someday our daughter could read it and see how much she was loved. It ended up being a wonderful connection to the adoption community, and I realized I liked writing in that format. It was a few years after that that God impressed upon my heart to create a new blog and work at it as more than just a hobby. It has grown quite a bit and I have learned so much! It’s amazing! Right now I still feel like the book is a part of my purpose, however, I will be busy just following Jesus!

Her Blogging Mission

My mission is to encourage others with the hope of Jesus. To help them grasp their value and to remind them how much they are loved! The more whole we are in this life, the better equipped we are to be wives, mothers, and friends. I love to see women stepping into their God-given purpose!

Her Top Three Posts Based on Readership Statistics

7 Suggestions for Raising Your Children God’s Way

80 Years and 80 Secrets to Living Life Well

3 Things to Pursue When You Feel Like Quitting

Her Three Favorite Posts

That’s tough! Each post is truly an offering of my heart. I put so much thought, time, heart, and prayer into each of them! But http://www.lorischumaker.com/80-years-80-secrets-living-life-well/  is a favorite because it’s wisdom that comes from my biggest life hero, my mom! I loved http://www.lorischumaker.com/7-ways-not-hurry-god/ because I think each of us will face seasons of waiting and it is tough! Through adoption and seeking healing for our daughter, I’ve been given lots of practice in waiting on God’s timing and just wanted to give hope to those in the midst of it. My third would probably be, http://www.lorischumaker.com/protecting-yourself-from-self-defeating-thoughts-part-3/ . It was part of a series on learning to receive the unconditional love of Christ. The negative chatter we allow to flow through our minds is so damaging. The enemy loves to whisper lies that way! Learning to recognize those lies and replace them with truth was key in my healing from shame.

What Inspires Her to Write for Christ?

Well, I think I covered that above already, but it’s all about the humble gratitude I have for making me new. For redeeming my sins. For never giving up on me. How can I not want to share Him with others?

Her Favorite Song

So right now I am loving “Chain Breaker” by Zach Williams! Jesus is a chain breaker. He’s a way maker. And He’s most definitely our Savior! It’s such a fun song filled with powerful truth! I can’t help but smile and sing along!

Authors Who Inspire Her or Motivate Her to Write

Suzanne Eller, Lysa Terkeurst, Joyce Meyer, Holley Gerth, Stormie Omartian, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Lisa Murray (oh goodness! So many!!!!)

A Personal Blogging Story

I don’t know that I have one story in particular because each one matters so much! In writing you have to surrender the human desire to “succeed” by worldly standards. I had to reconcile early on that if God meant my words to be for merely one person or for 1000’s of people, it doesn’t matter. Each person has a story and it matters exponentially. So, each time someone reaches out to me with their story or asks for prayers, I am humbled and my heart is full.

Her Blogging Tips

My advice is really that of which I said above. Whether your words reach one or one million, if you are writing for the ONE and only, you are fulfilling your purpose and God is blessing that. Stay true to the voice God gave you. It’s tempting to be more like another writer, but pray about that and see if that is true to the message and voice God has given you. Learn from others. Incorporate good practices and skills from other bloggers, but stay true to what God has put in you. Find a group of like-minded bloggers to keep you going on the rough days. I belong to an amazing small group of bloggers who I absolutely adore. We help each other on the technical side of blogging and collaborate, but it’s so much more than that. Each week we share our Joy, Junk, and Jesus. It’s where we get real. Where we celebrate together. Complain (for just a moment) together. And praise God together! Whether it’s blogging woes or other life woes, we are there for each other!

Last Minute Thoughts On Inspiration and Uplifting

Wherever you are in life. There is a God who is in it with you. He’s your biggest advocate. He’s calling you to Him. He wants to see you shed any chains holding you back by surrendering it all to Him. The good, the bad, the ugly. Give it to Him in trust. Shake it off your soul and know that He will do whatever is needed. You are loved beyond measure and your worth is not defined by anything less than the wonder and glory of Christ!

Social Media Links

You can follow Lori Schumaker on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

 

Now Your Turn: What inspired you most about Lori Schumaker  and her blogging story? Have you read her blog? We would love for you to share how Lori encourages you do to draw closer to Christ.

 

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Be sure to check out my introduction post to see more features of inspirational Christian women bloggers.