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You Can’t Pour From an Empty Cup: Why Filled Local Matters

There are moments in my life where I can feel the weight of every role I carry all at once.

I’m a mom—both by birth and by adoption. I’m raising seven children, with five still at home. I’m navigating the unique needs of two of my children having special needs, Autism, FAS, Anxiety, ADHD and walking through the daily challenges that can come with it. Our home is full of energy, structure, patience, and grace on repeat.


I’m also a wife to an incredible husband, watching our family grow and stretch in new seasons—one child in college, one about to graduate and move across the country to play football, and my oldest preparing to make me a grandmother.


And in the middle of all of that…


I lead a nonprofit serving children and families experiencing foster care and working toward my Licensure as a Clinical Social Worker.

It’s a beautiful life. A full life. A calling I don’t take lightly.


But if I’m honest—there are days when I feel completely poured out.

Days when I move from meeting everyone else’s needs… straight into the next… and the next…Until I realize I haven’t slowed down long enough to even hear my own thoughts—let alone the voice of God.


And yet, it’s in those quiet, honest moments that I feel Him gently reminding me:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

Not just someday.Not when everything is finished.But right now.

And another truth has settled deep in my heart:

“He restores my soul.” — Psalm 23:3

Not me striving harder.Not me pushing through exhaustion.But Him restoring me.

Because the reality is—We were never meant to do this empty.

Not as moms.Not as wives.Not as women called to care for others.

Even Jesus stepped away to rest.Even He made space to be filled.

And that realization is what led to the creation of Filled Local.


Why We Created Filled Local

How it Began: The Filled retreat began as a Christian gathering curated by Jamie Finn of Foster the Family to provide rest, encouragement, and connection for foster, adoptive, and kinship moms. It evolved into a major annual event in Lancaster, PA, focused on supporting women navigating the complexities of foster care and adoption. This collaboration was founded to create a space where foster and adoptive moms can find renewal, worship, and biblical teaching, acknowledging the exhaustion and joy of their journey. Founder, Jamie Finn, is an author and adoptive/foster parent, created the event to support caregivers. Now they are spreading their wings and this year we are partnering with Jamie and Foster the Family to bring Filled LOCAL!

I didn’t create space for this event because life is calm. I created space for it because life is full. Because I know what it feels like to carry so much responsibility and still keep showing up. Because I know there are other women just like me—foster moms, kinship moms, and adoptive moms—who are pouring out daily and quietly running on empty.

Filled Local is more than a conference. It’s a space for restoration.


A “Build Your Own Retreat” Experience

One of the most important things to me is that this doesn’t feel like another obligation.

So we created something different.

Filled Local is not just about sitting and listening to speakers we are intentional in making space where there is no pressure and no perfect schedule to follow. With this intentionality there is the ability to have a “build your own retreat” experience—where you get to choose what you need most.

Space to rest. Space to breathe. Space to hear from God again.


Your time can include:

  • Encouraging simulcast messages that speak directly to your heart

  • Opportunities to rest, reset, and simply be

  • Fun and connection through yoga, Zumba, games, and shared moments

  • Quiet time for prayer, reflection, and meditation

  • Conversations with women who truly understand your journey

  • Food, coffee, and an atmosphere where you are cared for

Whatever your soul needs—you’ll have the freedom to choose it.


You Deserve to Be Filled Too

If you’re anything like me, it’s easy to put yourself last.

To believe rest can wait.To believe you’ll slow down “later.”

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Rest isn’t a reward.It’s necessary.

Taking time to be filled doesn’t take away from your calling—it strengthens you for it.


Space to Breathe Again
Space to Breathe Again


Join Us (Before It’s Too Late)

I would truly love for you to be in the room with us.

⏳ Spots are limited, and registration closes April 15th.

Don’t wait.

Sponsor a Mom

And if you’re reading this and thinking about a mom who needs this—but may not be able to afford it…

You can be the reason she gets to come.

“Carry each other’s burdens…” — Galatians 6:2

Sponsoring a mom isn’t just buying a ticket.It’s giving her space to breathe.It’s reminding her she’s seen.It’s helping restore something she may not even realize she’s lost.

Let’s Fill the Room

My prayer is simple:

That every mom who walks through those doors leaves lighter, encouraged, and filled in a way only God can do.

And that what happens in those two days overflows into her home, her family, and every child she’s been called to love.

Let’s make room for that.


 
 
 

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