So many of our Watershed families have taken the wonderful step to adopt, and each story has its own unique journey.  Yet, no matter how different the paths may have been, what's central to all these stories is love, Christ, and faith. I asked Billy and Tracy Strickland to share their experience adopting, and I'll share the story in multiple posts as answers to questions.  Below begins their tale:

How did you come to adopt?

Parker was about 16 months old, I think.  I remember asking myself if we wanted another child?  Ironically, my wife, Tracy and I had felt all along we'd be a one child family.  Parker was awesome and sweet and our joy. The thought of another child was almost weird for us.  I'm sure other parents go through this --  "Do I have enough love?"  Seriously, we asked that.

We decided we did.  We were going to have another child and we would try to get "preggers" in the fall of 2009.  At the end of the conversation, Tracy asked me if we'd ever contemplate adoption. We had the adoption conversation in the past, but nothing was set in stone.  Just wouldn't it be nice?  or where would we adopt from?  I answered Tracy's question with a pragmatic answer: "I don't know.  I don't think so.  The economy is bad.  I have my own business and I think I'm too busy to go through that process."  Tracy looked disappointed in my answer, which was odd to me, because not too long ago we had decided (I thought) that we were a one child family,  so I added, "If God wants us to adopt, he will make it abundantly clear."  No Joke!  

Flash forward three days.  A friend of mine who I worked with, and who attended Watershed occasionally, was recently separated from her husband.  She had two teenage daughters, and while she was living in Charlotte, her family were living about 45 minutes away in a small town.  She called with a unique request. That weekend she had found out that her younger daughter was pregnant.  Her daughter had spent the weekend with her in Charlotte which included a visit to Watershed, and after the service her daughter decided that she wanted to go through with her pregnancy and find a family at Watershed who couldn't have a baby adopt her child.  Her mom was calling me to ask me to spread the word and help her find this special family.  "Yes, of course," I replied.   

I asked her to call Tracy and tell her the same story and then I waited for Tracy to call me.  The conversation with Tracy was weird, amazing, and tearful.  I told Tracy to understand we were not going to adopt this baby.  The teen mom was looking for someone who could not have children, and we had a beautiful little girl, but we would help.  That plan lasted for about a day.  We knew we had to share with them the conversation we had had just a few days earlier. It went something like this: 

 "We want you to know that Tracy and have considered adoption and we would be willing to adopt the baby if you can't find the family you are looking for."

"YES!"  The birth mom responded. "I want my baby to have Parker as a big sister."  The birth mom had babysat Parker in the past and they knew each other.

 I think the question we asked each other, Tracy and I, was "What just happened?"  God made it abundantly clear. It makes me smile to think of the road we traveled to find Riley.

Of course, that's not all to this story, and I hope you come back for the continuing passages of this miraculous narrative.  Billy and Tracy's story is a fascinating illustration of the power of God's work in our lives -- He orchestrates such beautiful blessings when we let go of our need to control life. And sometimes, he even gently nudges us in the right direction, regardless of where we think we are going. 

Written by Billy Strickland and Shawn Buxton. 

Adam is the plaid wearing-dude on the left.

It hasn’t been too terribly long since Watershed finished another year of their Playlist series, one of the community’s more popular yearly series. Late in each summer, the Watershed band puts in some seriously long hours (the biggest of shout-outs to Matt Shaughnessy and Taryn Hofert for their even longer hours) to provide several weeks of music-heavy Sunday mornings. I think I speak for most of us when I say that it’s the greatest time of the year to be a member of the Watershed band. And thanks to the community’s love of Playlist, many of us are given an opportunity to give a glimpse into what makes us tick by sharing songs that are so important to us.

 Personally, I can’t look back to times in my life that haven’t been steeped in music. If you were to ask my parents, you’d hear stories that always end, “And that’s when we knew he’d be a drummer.” Sure enough, and maybe sometimes to their dismay, I did just that as soon as I was old enough**. Somewhere along the way, I just became obsessed with music and all it had to offer. Music has given me some of my most treasured memories, and a few of my best friends. Music has made me weep, but has also made me feel more confident and brave than I ever could be without it. It’s oftentimes unreal how many memories in my head have as distinct a soundtrack as a time or place.

 And it was initially music that brought me to Watershed. I met Matt Shaughnessy through a coworker who just so happened to be Matt’s wife (also, the biggest of congratulations to Matt and Rachael on the birth of their little guy, Owen!). Once Matt found out I was a drummer, he insisted I come play at Watershed, which was just about a year old at that point. Albeit hesitantly, I accepted, and the rest (as they say) is history.

 I often wonder if my love (and expression thereof) of music is ever tiresome for my friends and peers. I’ll never say that I’m sorry for that, though. It’s a daily influence on my life; it’s a rare occasion that I’ll go longer than a few minutes without music somewhere. It gives me peace, and I hope I can reflect that peace on those around me. It helps me stay grounded and realize the beautiful stuff about life and the world. I hope that we, as the Watershed band, have reflected some of that passion; it would be all for naught if we didn’t have a community to sing with us. Don’t ever stop singing, and as always, thanks for listening.

Written by Adam Phillips

 **If they’re reading this, I have to give a very special thanks to my parents for their unwavering support. Whether it was my first drumset, a ride to my first lesson, or putting up with the noise of countless band practices (and my first band was pretty awful), I’m forever indebted to your love and your support. I’d be nowhere without it. Much love.

I struggled most of my life with religion and my only experiences revolved around scary misinformation that was given/forced on me by my dad. I love him and got along great with him when I was young, but he had some very interesting thoughts and beliefs when it came to God. After really feeling lost and unvalued in life, I found a support system of amazing people who changed my life. They happen to be Christians and in so in some way, I started to make connections about God based on these people. My childhood consisted of some traumatic events, but in general, I had a fairly normal life and was not really battling some major issue like drugs or depression, but when I was low and started to see things turn around I realized that God could be the missing link in my life. I was skeptical about baptism at first; I didn’t have some great story of how I was headed down a horrible path and then everything changed in an instant, but then I realized it didn’t matter.

 I had this moment one day in the pool by myself early in the morning. I was thinking about all the chaotic messy stuff I had going on in my life, as well as negative people and the lack of meaningful engagement. I distinctly remember the feeling of going under the water and when I emerged that morning sun was in my eyes and it was kind of weird because it felt like cleansing in a way and I felt God. I think for a while I had God WITH me, but I didn’t have God IN me. He was not the root or core of me that guided decisions and the way I lived, but he needed to be. I knew life could not just be better, but be amazing beyond my wildest belief if I could make some shifts in my priorities and beliefs. This feeling was way too similar in my mind to a baptism, being in the water, feeling renewed, and feeling God in me. I realized right then that I could get baptized and declare the importance of God in my life……. and then I could hold on for the awesome ride that was coming.

I decided to be baptized and wanted one of my major supports and probably the most valuable abd integral person in terms of my faith formation to be the one to baptize me…Jess Surles. She helped me realize what it means to live well and with God in mind. She made me a better teacher, friend, and person. I believe that God uses relationships to make an impact and to convey his message .  Jess was/is in my life for a reason. She baptized me on April 24th, 2007 and though I thought it felt great that day (the pictures and video are evidence enough), my life has continued to change. I didn’t realize that day that two soon-to-be close friends were in the water right beside me and through all of this I have met the most amazing people, traveled to amazing places while helping  both spirit-filled and spiritless people. On a daily basis I feel safe, loved, comforted, energized, motivated, passionate, and called to love on people. Of course I have bad days, but those days aren’t too many and I have a different definition of bad these days. I owe everything in my life to God and wish nothing more than for everyone to experience the same greatness, wholeness, happiness that is possible with God.

Jess baptizing me was a momentous part of my life and she will always hold a special place in my heart for all she does and continues to do. I know that many people have their own “Jess” in their life or they are the “Jess”. I believe that’s one way that God works, through people. Either way, it’s one piece in the puzzle to getting together with God. You can be the one to make a change or help someone else to make the change, both are of great value. Rock on God!!!! Keep filling people up!

Written by Rachelle Fink. Photo by Lauren Rosenau Photography.

Chris and Kay McNulty's story from Watershed Charlotte on Vimeo.

Come to the water.
God's gonna settle the water,
so the old gospel hymn goes.
Let the holy waters come, let them settle in the soul.
 
Let the water do what it does best:
wash away old guilts, sins we've carried
for far too long, they begin to feel like a noose.
 
Let the water do what it does best:
cleanse us from the deep within,
that fountain of holy only God can provide.
 
Let the water do what it does best:
sustain us,
give us new breath,
send us out again
to take our first steps. 

If you are considering baptism, or know some who might be ready to take this step, please fill out the interest form here.

Poem by Shawn  Buxton

On a field tucked away in a quiet neighborhood, some two dozen people gather to kick around the soccer ball. The open practice, led by Soccer 945’s head coach, Peter Fink, always starts with a warm-up game of some sort. Usually, it has nothing to do with soccer. Except that it does. These lessons (disguised as games and challenges) teach players key concepts such as finding support, offering praise to others, and showing up.  The players: a mix of folks from Watershed (newcomers and veterans alike) and neighbors, the term The Urban Ministry Center, under which Soccer 945 is housed, uses to describe those who are homeless or on the brink.

The organization’s main mission is to create meaningful relationships. In Pete’s words, “homelessness is a breakdown in the community,” and most of the homeless players feel this truth acutely. Somewhere along the struggling path of their lives, these individuals have felt let down by someone they trusted, and as result come to Soccer 945 with walls built around them.  The goal then is to break down those barriers through relationships.

It is in this intersection of service and relationship that Watershed’s presence is felt. Each week, Watershedders (many form the soccer bloc) come to the free play and take part in the lessons.  Truth be told, the volunteers learn just as much as the players do, and by “really embracing the lessons,” Pete says, allow the homeless players to learn through observing these interactions as well. After each scrimmage, people circle up to reflect on the day’s lesson, and it’s apparent that both volunteers and players walk away with important life skills.

Another component of the organization that imparts these vital lessons is the mentor program, of which four or five Watershed members serve as mentors for players.  This involves an array of responsibilities, but essentially, the concept revolves around relationship. Watershed members demonstrate love through action, serve as an example of acceptance, and for many of the players, provide support that would otherwise not be there.  “I would say there’s probably about 15 Watershed people who’ve taken on a role of some sort, whether they know or not, of being a mentor, being someone they [the neighbors] can talk to. You can see it at the kick-arounds,” says Pete.  

The energy of goodwill and love is palpable at these practices, and the kick-arounds are largely successful due to the efforts of Watershed volunteers who show up. For Pete, “the great thing about Watershed is their willingness to give. They’re our go-to group when we need volunteers or we need people to show up or really anything. They’re our first call, and they always are able to provide such great experiences for our players.”

It may seem like just a scrimmage, but really it’s an expression of Christ love, a bringing of the Kingdom of God to earth. The proof is in the smiles, those tell-tale signs that walls are tumbling on down. 
 
Written by Shawn Buxton in collaboration with Pete Fink

It has been over a year since our return from Malawi back to the Queen City. A year! A year since I have seen the dozens of Malawian faces that I had come to admire, love on, laugh with, cry for and miss now. During my time in Malawi, the third poorest country in the world, I found myself in the unexpected role as the Interim Director for the Hope for AIDS project, which meant that I was to take care of all the financials for the orphan daycare centers and secondary school scholarships along with the AIDS peer prevention groups and AIDS home-based care groups.  Each of these areas worked out in the villages where medical, financial, and educational resources are non-existant. After a few months in, I realized the 360 degrees I had taken from sitting in Watershed’s transit service to sitting in a small, hot office in Malawi…that I literally was watching Watershed’s resources go through my hands to help feed the poor, give vitamins to the malnourished, give hope through paid school fees for students and give children, whose parents were HIV victims, an education that they probably wouldn’t have had otherwise.

My first trip out of the city where we lived was to the small village of Phingo where we had an orphan daycare center that Watershed supports. Phingo was amazing! Not only did I realize how extremely necessary it was to have a little Chichewa under my belt, but I also didn't realize how my heart would overflow with immense feelings of pure LIFE.  In a way it was a surprising feeling.  It seemed to me that poverty and death, being so blatant and unmistakable as it was, would bring feelings of hopelessness and despair.  However, what I found in Phingo was completely opposite -- the children, with their tattered shirts and dresses, facial sores, and ringworm on scalps and arms, crowded around me singing worship songs at the top of their lungs, jumping up and down and clapping their hands to the beat.  I stood there laughing with them and tried to join them in their singing.  I could feel my heart start to take over; it was like my soul just burst open with these new feelings of love, compassion, mercy, and happiness to see their smiling faces and hear their voices worshiping to God.  I could only think of the time that Jesus called the children to come to Him, and as they did He reminded the disciples that the Kingdom of Heaven belonged to those who were like the children—fearless in their faith and love!

I also accompanied the coordinator to pay the secondary school fees for the 25 students that Watershed supports in that area.  Literally it took an hour one-way off the main road, up the mountain and alongside the river to reach one school, and there was four different secondary schools to pay fees for in this region. The eternal perspective of these situations is not difficult to see and understand.  These children and students are FOREVER transformed because of Watershed's investment into their lives. It was truly humbling for me to be able to witness these things first-hand. I was able to be on both sides of these stories— one in the US where the Watershed community is giving resources weekly and another in Malawi where Watershed’s monthly support literally went through my hands to feed these children and pay for their school fees. Justice, mercy and God’s love is bringing LIFE to hundreds in Malawi because of the resources given by our Watershed community.  Thanks, Watershed! 

Written by Jamie McCollum, who along with husband Daniel, and Jonathan and Kayla George (all from our Watershed community) lived for a year in Malawi, Africa from 2009-2010.

As we talked about this together we realized there was a problem.  We really didn't know anyone living in poverty.  We started asking questions like, "How do we start real relationships with people in poverty?" and "How can we get our entire family involved in the lives of those in need?". It wasn't too long after this that we were given the opportunity to join a Hope Team through Watershed.

We are now part of a team with five others from Watershed and an amazing Hope Team Family: Mom and 4 wonderful kids.  We had no idea what to expect, given the opportunity to build relationships with this Hope Family.  Being a part of a Hope Team gives us the opportunity to move beyond supporting a cause, to building real relationships with hurting people.  We are not only learning about the difficulties of rising out of poverty, but we are learning how so many of our assumptions were not reality.  Society says this family is "so different" than us because of class, race and economic distinctions.  Yet, it's been so amazing see a bond form with our Hope Family as we are leaning to really love and care for each other.

As a team, we now have the opportunity to be directly involved in the lives of this family and to leverage our relationship and resources to help this family rise out of poverty.  The process can be difficult and messy at times, but we have hope for an amazing future!

 Music has been a huge part of my life since I was a little girl. I spent the greater part of my childhood dancing around my room, singing everything from Disney songs to Mariah Carey ballads. The lyrics, the melodies, the rhythms, the energy...I've always been moved by music.

There's a beautiful vulnerability in music that I've always connected with. Any song we've ever heard is because a risk was taken. Someone, somewhere, in some phase of life, poured their heart out in lyrics and was brave enough to share it. We find truth in lyrics, we get lost in melodies, we rock out to riffs, we bob our heads to beats- all because musicians were brave enough to share their art with us.

I'd always dreamed of being a singer or actress in a musical on Broadway, performing over-the-top musical acts in fancy costumes (and I REALLY wanted tap shoes). I realized though, at a very young age when auditioning for a middle school production of West Side Story, that the idea of getting up in front of a room of people and singing on a stage, surrounded by talented musicians and bright lights, was terrifying. The crowd overwhelmed me. I felt uncomfortable. I didn't like the spotlight. I didn't like the risk. I felt out of control of my surroundings; I never wanted to sing on a stage again.

Being in the band at Watershed has been completely transformational. I never thought I'd find comfort on a stage or in front of a microphone, but I have. What makes this experience so different from what I've done in the past is that it's not about the performance, or about what the crowd thinks, or if I get the lines right. It's about opening my heart and using my voice to sing to God. It's not about ME.

I've heard so many people say they don't like to sing aloud because they "have a terrible voice" or "can't sing.” Every time I hear someone say this, it reminds me of making cards for my parents all the time. I'd scribble what I could in crayon, draw pictures all over it, and give it to them like it was the greatest gift they'd probably ever received. I'd sit and watch my mom as she deciphered my misspellings and messy penmanship. Her face would light up, and her eyes were full of love as she'd proudly display the card on the fridge- all because I did the best I could to show her how much I loved her.

God loves our scribbles. And our misspellings. And, I like to think that God hangs even our off-key, out-of-tune praises on his fridge.

A worship song I really connect with is Hillsong's, "From The Inside Out". One of my favorite lines is:

"..Your will above all else, my purpose remains,
The art of losing myself in bringing you praise"

Every Sunday I sing with the Watershed band, I lose a little more of myself. I am reminded that it's not about ME. Or, US. Or, our performance. Or, our voices. If there's anything I can encourage you to do, it's sing. Sing out, sing loud, sing with all you have. And, lose yourself. In losing myself, I find God. And, that's exactly what I need.

Written by Lauren Rosenau