The next step…
As you may have noticed, there haven’t been any updates or posts recently for Little Wifey. It has been a very busy time for me, but one of excitement and new adventures that I am ready to share with all of you. For those of you who receive the monthly newsletter, you know that we have recently taken Little Wifey to the next level as a non-profit organization.
Nearly two years ago, I felt like God was calling me to a “bigger purpose.” Of course, I kind of brushed it off thinking I was either going crazy or giving myself way too much credit. But God continued to tug at my heart that He had given me this passion for marriages and really wanted to use it in a unique and bigger-than-I-could-imagine way. Feeling silly to tell anyone about these “encounters,” I kept them to myself and pursued a normal career path. Door after door shut, and I began to realize that I couldn’t ignore what was pressing on my heart, so I started to really pray about the situation. I pleaded with God to make sense of all of this and give me a clear vision of what He had in store for me. One day I sat down in Barnes & Noble with a blank pad of paper, my computer, and a posture of openness. Without even really knowing what I was writing, the next thing I knew I had drawn out a rough business plan for a non-profit that was aimed at helping to restore marriages – complete with a name and a list of goals.
Forming a non-profit organization where I would have a platform to help restore marriages and pursue my passion was staring me in the face. Not knowing how to get there or if I would ever get there, I set out on a journey of faith taking one step at a time in that direction. I prayed that my husband would understand this bizarre calling I felt on my life, and sure enough, God answered that prayer too. My husband stood behind me completely and allowed me the space and support to meander through this blind leap of faith. In the times I completely doubted myself and this impossible goal, he would encourage me that he believed in me and this vision and passion God had laid on my heart.
In an effort to take the first step forward, Little Wifey was birthed. Since July of 2009, I have used Little Wifey as a way to make available as many free resources as possible for anyone and everyone wanting to make the most of their relationships. Each day I write articles pertaining to various marital and pre-marital topics, provide an extensive list of book recommendations, suggest dating ideas, hold giveaways for an array of items, offer tailored advice to those in need, among other avenues of encouragement to help relationships thrive.
With the loving and incredible help from my husband and the support of our family and close friends, we recently felt it was time to take that next step toward the ultimate vision I believe God has given me. So, we sat down and began researching, working, praying, and delving waist high into how to form a 501(c)(3) non-profit. After months and months of hard work and prayer, we were able to finally form a board of directors, file the State & Federal applications, and begin to make this dream a reality.
While the “big items” are checked off the list, there is still a lot of work to be done. From setting up a new website to integrating Little Wifey into the non-profit; from designing a logo to finding a solid & consistent donor base; from setting up a home office to getting all the necessary supplies…the list is long.
All the while I have also had a wonderful and blessed opportunity fall into my lap to be Managing Editor on a new project being launched by Moody Publishers to help individuals and couples in the pre-marital stages of life. It is called Start Marriage Right and is launching on September 1, 2010 coinciding with the release of Dr. Gary Chapman’s newest book called Things I Wish I’d Known Before We Got Married, which inspired the need for this type of resource. This past weekend my husband and I had the opportunity to fly out to Chicago to meet the Moody Publishing team I am working with as well as attend Dr. Chapman’s marriage seminar The Marriage You’ve Always Wanted. There we had the unique opportunity to sit down with Dr. Chapman, and I was so honored to get to talk with him about both the project as well as an array of other topics. Needless to say, I am super excited about Start Marriage Right and how it is going to impact the lives of those preparing for marriage.
Obviously I am ecstatic about all of the doors and opportunities God is opening for me, but my plate has become considerably fuller. Over the next month or so, things are going to be slightly different with Little Wifey. Instead of writing articles daily based around a particular series, I am going to take a break from that to focus on getting the non-profit off the ground as well as getting situated with my new project with Moody Publishers. I will still post entries, but they will be more casual in nature and not necessarily on a daily basis.
My prayer is that while I am in this stage, you all will continue to check out the website, leave your comments, email your thoughts, stories, & questions, and interact on the Little Wifey Facebook page. In addition to that though, I ask that each of you would prayerfully consider partnering with our new non-profit…Foundation Restoration. Our mission and goal is to restore the foundation of society, marriage, and we would absolutely love and appreciate your help in accomplishing that. Perhaps it is becoming a donor – once or consistently. Maybe you have a talent you are willing to offer (web design, graphic design, musically, etc.). Possibly you have a platform to get the word out there about what we are doing. Perhaps you want me to come speak at your church, university, etc. Maybe you are in the Southern California area and have an office space available for us to use or know of a Marriage & Family Therapist Supervisor that can offer up their services. There are obviously a plethora of avenues for how you can get involved to help further our mission and accomplish this dream. While working toward this moment, I have spent countless hours of my time unpaid in the hopes of helping one person, one relationship, one marriage. This is my passion, but I need your help now. Please just take a moment to prayerfully consider what you might be able to do to contribute.
I want to conclude by saying, “Thank you!” Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive of me and this vision! Thank you to all of my faithful readers; I really appreciate & value you – you are why I do this! Thank you for helping to spread the word; commenting on the blog; commenting & “liking” on Facebook; following, tweeting, & retweeting on Twitter; emailing me your stories, feedback, & comments; and for donating financially to keep things up and running! I cannot thank you enough; it really means more to me than I can express!
Blessings,
Ashley McIlwain
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