January 9, 2011

Is Your Child Being Bullied? 10 Steps for Parents

Please note: On January 9, 2011, I was contacted by the publisher of Legacy Books, who informed me that this article is actually the work of Janet Lehman, MSW, who published her article on “Empowering Parents.” The link to the original article is here. excellent post by Lori Clark. I wanted to post it here for anyone whose child is being bullied. Here are 10 practical things you can do to stop (or prevent) your child from being bullied! 1. Listen to what your child has to say. Being a good liI wanted to bring the omission to my readers’ attention, and repost the article […]
January 5, 2011

Gifts of the Epiphany

This week we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, when the Oriental nobles circumnavigated Herod’s schemes and followed the star to the Infant King, and bestowing upon him the unlikeliest of baby gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Although his parents must have scratched their heads as they gazed upon the treasure, within days the sense of it crystallized as they hurriedly loaded their donkey and fled, the wails of their neighbors rending the air as the Holy Family passed the city gates. The presence of the Gentile kings in the life of Christ was an indication that the Messiah had come from the Jews, but not for them alone. God’s covenant … […]
January 2, 2011

Letter from a Birth Mother: Adoption Realities

This morning when I logged on to the computer (it’s been “sick” for a few days now, poor thing), I had a comment on my “Mommy Monsters” blog that I felt deserved a special response. Because “Mommy Monsters” is officially inactive, I wanted to alert my readers to the fact that the post was there in case you wanted to check it out. In the adoption community, emotions tend to run high, and because of that misunderstandings can occur. It saddens me that something I wrote may have added to the burden this young woman is carrying, and my heart goes out to her. She […]
December 31, 2010

When a Soldier Comes Home for Christmas: A Mother’s Confession

This week the “Mebane Enterprise” posted a touching article about my nephew, Ryan Redner, who with his wife and daughter Bella (whom he adopted when he married her mom) made a surprise visit to my sister’s home this year for Christmas. You can read the article here. On the second page, my sister wrote a special “Letter to the Editor,” which she gave me permission to adapt here. There’s a commercial on the air right now for a certain brand of coffee. A young man comes home for Christmas where he is greeted by his anxiously awaiting sister. He hands her a gift, and she […]
December 30, 2010

A Blessing for Not-So-Holy Families

It was like scratching an itch that had been building up for years. Then, the day before Christmas, the proverbial straw landed. Finally, this ol’ camel scratched in the form of a carefully worded e-mail. Ahhhh . . . camel crap. We’ve been shoveling it for days now, with no end in sight. Someday I’ll get around to sharing details, but for now I’ll summarize it this way: Nothing, not even righteous indignation, feels good enough to justify hurting someone you REALLY love. And sometimes even the most justified comeback can have consequences you never intended. In this case, the easy “Sorry” won’t work. You […]
December 25, 2010

“‘Tis the Season of Christmas”

A couple of years ago I was asked to write something for St. Andrew’s upcoming post-Christmas pageant, a fundraiser that benefits the St. Louis Boy’s Center. In writing up this little ditty, I came across a number of intriguing customs and details about Christmas around the world that I wanted to share with you today . . . While my family and I enjoy one more day on the beach in West Palm Beach! Enjoy!   ‘Tis the season of Christmas, And since the Word became Man, Every nation and culture Has told the story most grand.   Posadas[i] and crèches and szopkes[ii] abound, And […]
December 18, 2010

Advent Blessing for Extraordinary Moms

Last Sunday was our annual Advent Tea, and at my table was a woman who had adopted two children. She had heard me speak on Al Kresta’s program about the Extraordinary Moms Network, and said she’d hoped I was still helping adoptive parents. It seems she was looking for a little support involving some changes her daughters were going through right now. To be honest, I’ve become a bit gun-shy, and haven’t been writing as extensively about the subject of adoption for a while. For one thing, I recently resigned from the board of the foster/adoption agency because I didn’t agree with their recruiting practices, […]
December 13, 2010

Christmases Past: Remembering Kimberly

Every year about this time I have a special tradition that I do just for me (well, mostly, though my family always notices if I skip). I make “Kimberly Fudge,” in memory of a Bethany friend who died in a car accident a few years ago while she and her husband were missionaries in China. I don’t have a picture of Kimberly. But in my mind’s eye I can see her at the stove in the basement of the Old Ad building (also now the stuff of memories, as it was recently demolished), stirring the sugar syrup for a full 12 minutes before adding it […]
December 10, 2010

For Parents Who Wait: St. Thomas More, Patron of Adopted Kids

The other day a friend of mine was asking me about St. Thomas More, the patron saint of adopted and foster children. His feast day is June 22 — but as Advent is a time of “waiting,” and adoptive and foster parents are prone to wait, I thought I’d share this little true story with you today. Before our children came to us, Craig and I visited London and saw the Tower where St. Thomas was held prisoner by Henry VIII. As part of the tour, the guard took us to the crypt where the head of St. Thomas was interred. Craig and I knelt […]