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Meet the Winslows: An Adoption Story
Two months ago, the Winslow family brought home two children. Like so many adoption stories, theirs was not easy or quick, but it was filled with affirmations that God was with them—and with their children—every step of the way. The Winslows received a Lifesong matching grant, made possible…
Responding to Hurtful Words from an Adopted Child
The adoption journey is filled with healing and hurtful words. If you're an adoptive parent (as I am), you probably know this by now. And if you're just getting started, you'll probably learn soon enough that some of the most healing and hurtful words are said within the…
Small Matters: 9 Powerful Quotes
Small matters: little things can (re)make a life. Small matterswas the theme for the CAFO2020 Summit that was held last week. And like so many other events in our lives this year, the Summit looked very different than usual. Typically, over 2000 people from 100+ nations gather…
We Never Adopted… But Our Children Did
Guest post by Marla Ringger, Co-Founder of Lifesong for Orphans Gary and I became grandparents in our youth. He was 48 and I was 47. Two and a half years later, we had a full house: 3 granddaughters and twin grandsons! Living within a half-hour drive of their…
7 (Crazy Encouraging) Things to Say to Adopting Families
A quick Google search will yield hundreds of examples of what not to say to an adopting family. Here are 7 things to say. 1. "Congratulations!" It almost seems too simple, but genuine excitement is golden to adopting families. You may have legitimate (even gracious, thought-provoking) concerns, but sharing…
Why Adoptive Families Need Community (AKA You)
Guest post by Renaut van der Riet (pictured above) The Gospel compelled my wife Brooke and I to get involved in reaching children from hard places, in bringing children who didn't belong into belonging spaces. We were inspired, we were ready, we were gonna go do it, we had…
They Said “Yes” & Left the Rest Up to God
Adoption & foster care advocate Jason Johnson once said, "There's never a perfect time to foster or adopt. Just a lot of reasons to say YES despite the many reasons to say NO." It's easier said than done. But saying the difficult YES to adoption can have a profound…
Join Us! Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit
You are invited to an exciting online summit. On Thursday–Friday, September 10–11, thousands of orphan care, foster care, and adoption advocates—like you—will gather online for the 2020 Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) Summit. If you want to connect with like-minded advocates, this online summit is for you. The…
How God Led One Family to Adopt a Daughter with Down Syndrome
Adoption is complicated. To an outsider, it might seem like families choose to complicate it even further by adopting a child with special needs. But here's a look at one family's perspective... When we first started the adoption process, we pursued infant domestic adoption. While waiting for a match,…
What COVID-19 Teaches Us About Adoption
Every crisis gives us an opportunity to grow. COVID-19 is no exception. In the space of a few weeks or months, the current pandemic forced us to make drastic changes in almost every area of life. Cities and even countries shut down overnight, and organizations closed at least…