A Calling To Love In circles of faith, I’ve been hearing more and more rhetoric about the spiritual significance of foster care and adoption. It’s amazing to watch God’s people stepping up to take care of God’s children, and I hope the arch of redemption continues to bend on behalf...
Nourishment Part 4 in our summer series, "Come To The Table" Nourishing our bodies, our relationships, and our souls Think about the significant family moments of celebration as well as the everyday moments of routine that happen around the family table. There really is something meaningful that happens...
Making Family Meals Happen Part 3 in our summer series, "Come To The Table" Meal time. In seasons of rushing around with full days of all things “on-the-go”, meal time seems to so often be the first thing put on the back burner of family life. However,...
Special Needs Adoption - Part II (Read Part I here.) My fearless, vision-minded husband had always spoken of adoption. It wasn’t idealistic, newlywed dreaming – he meant it. I’d had two challenging pregnancies, so with minimal convincing, I agreed. For reasons difficult to articulate, we felt...
Seven Things To Know About Special Needs Adoption Part I (Read Part II here.) I believe that in some sense all adoptions are special needs. A child is always coming from trauma whether transitioning from an orphanage, a foster home, or an abusive or neglectful family. That...
“You are a liar!” I’m not proud of this, but I have outright not just said, but yelled these words at my child. And how did that work for me? It didn’t. I didn’t see or taste any fruit from it. Yes, it certainly felt...
When my husband and I became foster parents, we knew one thing for sure, we would steer clear of eating disorders. We knew my challenging experiences with a close relative during my formative years might trigger a familiar frustration, so we were careful to avoid...
The Stearns' Journey to Adoption - Part 2 Kirsten & Andy Stearns have been married 8 years, their son Lincoln turned 2 in January 2016, and they are in the process of adopting a special needs child, we now know - a boy, from China. They...
The Stearns' Journey to Adoption – Part 1 Kirsten & Andy Stearns have been married 8 years, their son Lincoln turned 2 in January 2016, and they are in the process of adopting a special needs child, either gender, from China. They have graciously agreed...
Editorial Note: In many nations, children bereft of parent(s) are not adopted but cared for in relationships akin to fostering. This practice is particularly prevalent in nations with large Muslim populations. Thus, displaced children legally remain a child of their birth parents. The stated purpose...