my adoption post for November, 2016.

-
National Adoption  Month is here.  Tomorrow we join our Katelyn's Fund family and friends for a worship service, some fellowship and a dinner.  We will catch up with old friends and maybe make some new friends.  We will honor God for His miracles in our family.  We will pray for families waiting for children to come home. 

Clearly, every single day of my life is adoption awareness day.  Since I was a little girl, I understood that not all children grow up in homes with parents who love them.  I was one of the lucky ones.  My parents were not perfect.  Still.....I grew up in a home with parents who loved me.  They tucked me into bed at night and read me stories.   I had a mom that checked my homework in the morning and drove me to practice and music lessons.  I had grandpas and grandmas who came for my birthday.  I had aunties and uncles who loved me and hugged me and asked me about my life when we sat at Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas celebrations......and God made sure I always knew that there were children who did not.

When Roger and I met and began to date, we were not young and naïve.  We had lived a decade or so as adults and knew some things about the world. I make sure he understood that even if we had biological children, that I wanted and needed to adopt children born to other parents who needed to be in our family.  He agreed to this burning desire inside of me.  We made our family.  3 bio kids, 2 adopted kids (so far).

Precious Maryn and Josiah Christian were  adopted  into our family and our home.  They "are not" adopted.  They "were" adopted.  There is a difference.  Hear this.  Children who have come home through adoption are not always and constantly "adopted".  They were adopted one time, through a process and in court...and are now part of a forever home.  Adult children who were adopted, you are not still presently being adopted.  You were once....adopted.  You are now.....the child of your family.  It's just a matter of language but it matters so much.

I will not talk to you in terms of my "real kids" vs my adopted kids.  As you can see from this photo....my 2 youngest children are very much our "real" kids, too. All 5 of my children mean so much to me that I would walk through fire to save each one......

Adoption awareness month matters.  Consider adopting.  Consider foster care.  Consider sponsorship for an orphan in another country.  Help the children who are not in families.  The global church is and should be a family.  None of us are allowed a pass on this one.  If you know and love Jesus.....it is your responsibility, too. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Superbowl musings, Niki-style

-
 Last week I walked dogs in unexpectedly warm late winter afternoons.  I realized that when I don't walk regularly it matters.  This week I wanted to walk again but I am such a wimp and if it is cold or windy or rainy or all of those things put together, I don't want to walk outside.  I spend my work days in and out and in and out and cold and warm and cold and warm.....but today I needed to walk.  It was cold and windy and rainy.   I started my walking app that tells me when to walk slow, speed up, slow down, speed up and eventually cool down.  In my home office space in front of a cooking competition.  I looked ridiculous walking in place, dancing and prancing, moving foward and backward and working up a sweat but I got it done.  I sure did.   I got groceries because we were out of milk and I got food for "superbowl Sunday" which is not that different from any other Sunday evening.  My parents come over and we have snacks and drinks and then we eat together and clea
Read more

Family

-
Image
  These are my people.  My big kids gifted me for Mother's Day with a photo shoot organized and paid for.  It has always been hard for me to schedule family photos so this gift is extra special.  We did the photos late summer/early fall.  Our smiles do not reveal how hot or windy it was that day.  Yet and still we managed to get some really great pictures, thanks to our sweet and competent photographer...Cassie Beth.   Here is the thing.  This photo tells so many stories...so so many stories.  Each of the 9 of us could be a story, a novel on our own.  Then if you pair up any of the 9 with another, there are more stories to tell, and in groups of guys or girls still other stories to tell.  Looking at Roger and I....chapters and chapters of stories...and separate us out each of us is also a story.  Our lives are stories. I have told my kids over and over that their lives matter.  They were created by God to do something in this life that will expand His kingdom, give Him Glory and ma
Read more

mid-summer check in on being Aware

-
 I remembered today that I had been doing a monthly reflection since January.  I missed June...and apparently July.  Here we are on the second day of August and I find myself aware of it...aware of how June flew by and July slipped by and now I'm settling into August....aware.  June was a full month of ball games and volleyball competition and vacation.  It was also the last month of my fiscal year of my work as a public health nurse and that means there are lots of reports due and documentation needed to make sure we get funded again.  June was a lot and it was awesome...and hot....and busy.   July slowed down a bit with more nights at home, more lazy pool afternoons and a break from the heat.  We caught fireflies and we cooked more meals at home.  We decided to tackle a huge project long overdue and tore out carpetting in our main living area.  This carpet has been there for over 40 years.  It was gross and disgusting....suffice it to say that I am very, very aware of how unsettl
Read more