What is Discipleship? Why is it important? I have spent far too many years of my life being a “good” Christian, trying to attend church whenever the doors were open, serving wherever I felt I could help or wherever I felt led. I was missing something. I was actually missing a LOT. You see, Sunday … [Read more…]
It is not wishful thinking as in “I hope I get to go on vacation soon.” It’s not for the short-term satisfaction of attaining some desired goal. It’s deep-seated expectation, fully confident faith. It is being rooted and established, grounded and founded in an identity that is stronger than myself, stronger than my wishes and … [Read more…]
Pray. Do I pray enough? How often should I pray? Daily? Several times a day? Just when I need to ask God for something? There’s no formula. There are no “guidelines” or “quotas.” The Bible is really clear on this. One verse. Two words. Pray… Constantly. (1 Thessalonians 5:17 HCSB) Let’s take a deeper look … [Read more…]
Quiet. It’s illusive. Absent, even, in today’s fast-paced, information-overloaded society. Not a minute goes by when we don’t have a cell phone ringing, a child needing something, a screen shining and demanding our attention, and more. I noticed a woman as we drove down the street yesterday. She was walking hurriedly, cell phone in her … [Read more…]
Who I am is not defined by what I do. I am not “just an adoptive mom.” I am not “just a wife.” My earthly credentials will never seem glamorous in the eyes of some. To others, it seems I have accomplished great things. Even to my own eyes at times, I am overwhelmed by … [Read more…]
Years ago, one running “inside joke” my husband and I had about being an adoptive family was that we were going to someday write a book about all of the thoughtless, crazy things that people say to adoptive families. My tune has changed a little on this because I see the need for people to … [Read more…]
It really would take a whole book to explain in more detail about our family’s adoption story, but I wanted to take a moment to give you just the highlights in our Family Journey. December 1996 — Brandon (aka DadZookeeper) and I got married! September thru November 1997 — We completed our MAPP class (state-required … [Read more…]
Part 1 of this series is located HERE It’s pretty incredible to read back over something you wrote five years ago and see those truths ringing loud and clear in my heart even today. Yet, there is so much more to share. It has been a long five years. It has been full of changes … [Read more…]
The post below was written on April 14, 2011, entitled “Being an Adoptive Mom.” These thoughts from five years ago hold many truths to which I still cling. At that time, we had adopted 12 children (ten adopted from foster care and two “unofficially adopted”). I’ll give you current details and thoughts in my next post “On Being … [Read more…]
I’m spending my time these days writing a new devotional book for foster and adoptive parents entitled Finding Your New Normal. As foster and adoptive parents, we know the importance of the early days of a child’s placement with us. This 31-Day devotional will give foster and adoptive parents, new or experienced, a breath of fresh … [Read more…]
