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A Word to the Weary Mom
International Women's Day is this week. But I don't expect you to know that since you spend your mornings rushing around feeding your kids and getting them ready for school. (Whoever invented the phrase "herding cats" never herded children.) Who has time for International Women's Day? After a drive across…
Finn’s Gift: Becoming a Mission-Minded Family
Generosity is often generational. Time and time again, we see former orphans becoming orphan advocates and adoptees becoming adoption advocates and even adoptive parents. It echos John's words in 1 John: "We love because He first loved us." At the end of 2019, we were reminded of this…
How to Strengthen Your Marriage while Fostering or Adopting
Dennis and Barbara Rainey know a thing or two about how to strengthen a marriage They've strengthened their marriage even while caring for the world's most vulnerable. They've been married over 40 years and have 6 grown children, one of whom they adopted. Additionally, they lead Family Life, a…
7 Comments Adoptive Parents Often Hear (+ Their Grace-filled Responses)
As an adoptive parent, you know ... that adoption invites all kinds of comments. As an adoptee and an adoptive mom, I understand. Some comments or questions are kind and supportive, while others leave us scratching our head and wondering what—if anything—to say in response. Here are 7…
10 Things Birth Moms Want You to Know
Back in 1985, I chose adoption for my son. Being a birth mom has changed my life forever. Regardless of our place on this planet, birth moms share the journey of facing a decision in a pregnancy and letting our love for our child lead the way. The…
‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ | Mister Rogers Movie Review
"Hello, Neighbor." With those two little words—and the familiar opening song and sequence—viewers like you and me who grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood are instantly transported back to the cozy, low-tech set we knew and loved. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to travel back…
How to Pray about Adoption
Prayer is easily one of our best and most underutilized tools. It's not because we don'twantto pray. Nor is it because we don't believe prayer is powerful. Sometimes we simply don't knowwhatto pray. Life—and specifically adoption—can get really complicated, so sometimes we end up making vague requests or…
How to Tell Your Child’s Story: 3 Thoughts
You are raising an incredible, resilient child. And, by design, you are your child's greatest cheerleader. You get to champion the story. As a fellow adoptive parent, I have the desire to shout from the rooftops what God is doing in my child's life. Even further, I want…
Why Grandparents Matter More than You May Think
Grandparents are critical in building a sense of belonging in an adoptive family. One of Nathan's most memorable times when growing up in his adoptive family centered on the relationship he had with his adoptive grandfather. Nathan was adopted from Ukraine at the age of seven, joining four…
Where Pain and Purpose Meet
Caring for children in need is not a natural decision. If it were instinctive, far more people would do it. And God wouldn't need to remind us throughout the Bible to make it a priority. Caring for children in need—whether working in Southeast Asia to rescue children from trafficking,…