June 7, 2018
Where are we now?
For the last five years, McMillan & Life have traveled on an increasingly limited schedule. This reduction was born of necessity as we moved to Florida stepped in to help Liz’s father Dave Edwards with The Breakfast Club. This is a ministry for active retirees he started almost thirty years ago and has seen over four thousand decisions for Christ. Dave had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers and Liz and I felt we needed to step in and help him continue as long as possible. When his health required him to retire, Liz and I continued to run the Breakfast Club and still do.
In the summer of 2013, after a lot of thought and prayer we set out on the process of adoption. We started the process with the intention of adopting A! child. Within a few weeks we were in Minot, ND singing and met two beautiful little girls who were in foster care. We fell in love and began working toward adopting them. After several trips to North Dakota, tons of phone calls and hoop jumping we were heartbroken when the whole thing fell apart. We had been warned it could happen and even told to be prepared but no amount of preparation could prepare us for that reality. Their birthdays are still in our calendars, photos in our devices and a piece of them will forever be in our hearts.
Shortly after that we began working with our local foster care system, continued to search national databases, attended adoption events all in the hopes of finding the match God had for us. Our case worker presented us at seven match meetings for different individual children or sibling pairs. Once we met the girls in ND we decided we could consider two children. For one reason or another we missed being matched over and over and it was becoming very defeating. Every time was a heartbreak and disappointment.
Then came a phone call from our case worker who said she was walking into a match meeting she hadn’t even discussed with us, for children we had never even seen. She gave us a case number to look up so we could see pictures and read bios. She told she would call us when she came out of the meeting and then hung up. Liz and I looked them up immediately and to our surprise there were not one, not two, but THREE beautiful children in the picture, two girls Armani and Rannia, and a boy Genuine. Forty five minutes later came the phone call that would change our life forever. We had been matched!
Our home study had our home approved for a max of two boys or two girls since we only had a two bedroom home and they would have to share a room. Suddenly I found myself remodeling our family room, cutting it in half with a wall to make a room for a little boy. By the time the foster care workers and guardian ad litem came out to meet with us, we had a three bedroom house and were ready for our unexpected addition.
There were a lot of tears at that meeting as they described the life these children had lived. As they described the five year old little boy my heart was broken. I thought back to my feelings when I was adopted at five years old. It was clear that this was the match God had in mind for us, and with that we went from a household of two, to one of five. That was in April of 2014. In December of 2016, we got a call asking us to take their newborn sibling. So Declan came to live with us and with that, our home had six.
Since beginning the adoption process over four years ago, we have spent countless hours in court, case staffing meetings and counseling sessions. It’s hard for people who are not familiar with the system to understand just how involved the process is, and has been a huge learning curve for us. Regardless of the demands, time required, effort involved and no matter the ups and downs, our lives have been blessed in ways we could never have imagined before we began this journey. One of the biggest lessons is to always expect the unexpected.
Jimmy’s mother Shirley, our daughter Chelsea and grandson Camden all moved to Florida a few years ago. Shirley turns 90 this year and we all needed to be closer to help each other out. Chelsea and Camden were ready for a change from Kentucky and it has been great having them closer as well. In October of 2016 our oldest daughter Ashli lost her three year battle with breast cancer and went home to be with the Lord at the age of 32.
Six years ago we realized we were entering a season of transition, learning and big changes. We knew God had new things in store for us but we could never have imagined what this time would bring. With some things we can look back and see his hand at work and understand some of his plan, others have left us with broken places still waiting for healing. There is still so much unfolding and waiting on completion, but through it all we continue to look ahead at what God has in store for our family, knowing he has a plan and a purpose for ALL of us.
Open Letter from McMillan & Life
July 25, 2011
We are excited to share that our group and ministry direction will both be undergoing some big changes in the near future. As of June, McMillan & Life will begin limiting trio dates as well as national touring schedule. This is partially to allow for the expansion of a speaking and mini conference schedule, as well as our new roles with the Breakfast Club of Florida.
As a group, we have always tried to approach ministry with openness and honesty. This has often included Jimmy's speaking on tough subjects like depression, domestic violence, addiction and more. Many times this opens doors for moments of very personal prayer and counseling with seemingly never enough time to spend with hurting people. As a result of this, we have felt led to begin devoting a portion of travel schedule to a series of concerts and mini conferences that will allow for more intimate ministry. As part of these events, we will be providing music as a couple. This format seems to be a better fit the ministry opportunities.
Another transition will be our new roles with the Breakfast Club. Many of you will recognize Liz's father, Dave Edwards, as the founder and director of this ministry to active adults. In May of this year, we stepped along side Dad to help with direction and management duties including promotions, advertising and all scheduling of events and artists and more. This move has been on our hearts for a very long time and God has made it very clear that now in the time for us to take this step.
The Breakfast Club began over twenty years ago and has seen nearly three thousand senior adults come to know the Christ as their Savior. Dad says “Irma and I are thrilled to have Liz and Jimmy on board with us. While this is not something we ever imagined would happen, it is a great help and blessing for us. We are really excited at the ideas and new energy they bring to the table and look forward to seeing the Breakfast Club move forward and grow.”
We want to be very clear that McMillan & Life will continue to record, release songs to radio and minister as a group. The major portion of our touring schedule will be in the months of April through June with limited select dates throughout the rest of the year. Please be sure to watch and see when we will be in your area, we would never want to miss an opportunity to see each of you.
You can follow the schedule for each facet of our ministry at www.mcmillanandlife.com Each date will be notated as to what kind it is. (Group, duo, conference etc) There is also a link to the Breakfast Club's web site so you can get information on our programs and see what God is doing there.
In closing, we want to thank everyone for their love and support of McMillan & Life over the last four years. Whether it was financial support, prayers, or a word of encouragement at just the right moment, we know that it is your under girding that has carried our ministry to where we are today. We thank each and every one of you and covet every prayer as we make these transitions.
Liz McMillan injured in traffic accident
April 24, 2011
Praise the Lord we have the greatest of reasons for celebration on this day! Easter, resurrection Sunday, the third day, however you put it JESUS IS RISEN! So many people look at this day as a holiday, for us it is the entire reason for all we do. Today is the day that gave us the message of new and eternal life because Christ conquered death, hell and the grave. Between the ham, bunnies and chocolate, lets STOP and give more thanks than ever before for the greatest gift ever given, SALVATION!
And now a word from our sponsor...........
Liz is making progress, gaining mobility a little at a time. She is still dealing with a great deal of pain and we are not sure when to expect relief for that. Liz will be going to the orthopedist again tomorrow and we are hoping for some answers and possible time frames for recovery. Overall she is in good spirits but good news on Monday would sure help keep them up.
We are still in the “processing” mode with our insurance company. You have to love the fact that no matter how many i's you dot or t's you cross, big business will always find some loophole in their favor. Not to complain, just “sharing.” :) Please pray with us that we will be able to resolve all of these issues and get on with the business of ministry.
We would like to thank everyone who has shown us so much love and support in the middle of the storm we are facing. The outpouring has been an incredible chance for us to see the hearts of our friends and family in the Lord. I have shared so many times in services that God shows up on time, in his time, every time. Still, here we are again standing in awe of His provision.
In the last few days we have received numerous calls and emails from people asking what our needs are right now and how they could make a financial contribution. To make this process easier, we have placed a designated donation button on our home page.
April 16, 2011
It appears our truck is a total loss, and since we are a one vehicle family we suddenly find ourselves with an urgent need for another vehicle. While economy is important these days, we find it necessary to keep a vehicle large enough for us and our equipment in the event of an emergency.
If you know of a vehicle that you think might work for us, please let us know. We appreciate your help.
April 15
We want to thank everyone for your prayers, emails and phone calls of concern and support. It's been a tough week here but God is faithful and proved Himself once again today.
Liz saw an orthopedist today and the news was all good. The damage in her leg is confined to her broken kneecap. It is a huge relief to know there will not be any kind of surgery in the future. She will have to be in a brace and on crutches for a minimum of four to six weeks. For the time being the pain has her very limited in her mobility, for me that means lots of trips up and down the stair. Who knew a car accident could turn into a word from the Lord telling me to get more exercise? PTL anyway.
April 13
Liz McMillan of McMillan & Life was involved in a four-car accident on Tuesday, April 12, at approximately 2:30 pm. She was taken to Stonecrest Medical Center in Smyrna TN, where she was treated for a fractured knee cap and released. She will be undergoing further testing to determine the extent of the interior damage to her leg.
Miraculously, no serious injuries were reported, and only one other person was transported for treatment.
“I just thank God for His protection,” says Jimmy McMillan, “and somehow I know this is all part of His plan. Not sure how, but I’m sure it is.” The group would like to thank everyone for their continued prayers.