Why the sunflower?

 Every year, we plant roughly two hundred sunflowers in our yard.  So when we told the kids what we are trying to do, we asked them for ideas about what to call our organization.  When our oldest daughter said “something with sunflowers”, it was done.  So that’s how we got the name, but why the sunflower?  Because it has special meaning to our family.

 Sunflowers start as small seeds and can grow anywhere from 6 to 20 feet tall.  All children start out as seeds, and grow in their mother’s womb, and continue to grow long after they are born; not just physically, but also mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Sunflowers represent family and friendship, and, in some cultures, strength and longevity.  Spiritually, since sunflowers turn their heads from darkness and always follow the light of the sun, they are a great symbol for us to keep focused on the truth and the light. Always keeping our eyes fixed on our God in Heaven. 

 The sunflower is also the national flower of the country from where we adopted our youngest daughter. Children and adoption are  important in our family, although sometimes we can do without the backtalk, but we love all our children.  The sunflower represents all of this to us.

Woodworking

We’ve been blessed with a very creative family. From instrumental music, to painting; from singing to woodworking, we are all discovering God’s gifts. Our co-founder, Adam, has always been passionate about building things. From a young age, he took pallets and made a fort (much to his father’s dismay), in his backyard. As a homeowner, he was always remodeling with projects getting increasingly complex. You will often hear him say that it’s all about “the thrill of the build!”

So he has taken his love of creating, Kara’s love for children and helping with adoptions, and the kids’ talents in so many areas, and created an organization that uses all of these gifts for God’s will and glory! Perfection is our goal, but humanity is our reality. We are imperfect. We are sinners. We make mistakes. We learn. We GROW.

Let’s Bring it All Together

This will be at the core at what we do:

1. Do it for God’s glory, not our own - While we want to take credit for all the good that comes, we will redirect that praise to our Heavenly Father as all things come from him!

2. Learn, learn, learn - Be humble and imperfect, but continue to strive to be better; as Christians and craftsman. We WILL make mistakes. Embrace them, but learn from them.

3. Give - God has given us much; our time, talents, and treasures. We will use these to provide for and help others, as God provides for us.

So Sunflower’s journey begins with woodworking, but as the Lord guides our path ahead, we will continue to add, subtract, and evolve this organization. Come along with us on this journey!