February 27, 2009
Keep Those Cards & Letters Coming: Faith & Family Live! Posted using ShareThis
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February 18, 2009
Today I received a link to this recent report from the National Council for Adoption, refuting the findings of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute with regard to open records, in particular the notion that adult adopted persons should have automatic access to the identities of their birthparents. This is a difficult — and hotly debated — issue. I’ve touched upon the subject here and elsewhere in the past, and have no desire to rehash the arguments at this time (those who are unfamiliar with the arguments in favor of mandatory open records will find them summarized nicely in this report). However, there was one […]
January 29, 2009
One of my children’s favorite books is a Dr. Seuss classic, Are You My Mother? The little bird pops out of his shell moments after his mother goes off in search of a tasty worm to feed her baby, and sets off on an arduous journey to find his mother: dog, cow, plane, and finally “SNORT.” Ironically, it the creature most unlike the bird that gets the baby back to the nest, where he is reunited with the mother bird where (presumably) a happy ending was had by all. The thing is, a mother is not a machine. The bond she forms with her child (and her child with her) […]
January 20, 2009
With the rate of teenage pregnancy going up again for the first time in fifteen years, the recent release of this special report from the National Council for Adoption is especially timely. This NCFA report identifies a critical improvement needed in public school health and sex-ed classes: Educating teens about adoption as a positive outcome for crisis pregnancies. Right now, just four states — Virginia, Utah, Michigan, and Louisiana — have legislation that mandates adoption awareness for public school “reproductive health/sexual education” programs (either mandated or voluntary). However, NCFA reports that studies have shown “four years after the birth of their children, those who had made adoption placements had […]
January 14, 2009
Today I received a comment from JoJo, an adult South Korean adoptee. JoJo sent me a link to this beautiful tribute, written to honor both his families. What struck me most was the warmth and acceptance that JoJo expresses for the Korean woman who was his first mother — and the gratitude for BOTH his families who sacrificed to give JoJo a good life. If you’ve ever considered international adoption, be sure to check it out.
January 11, 2009
Are you thinking about foster care or adoption, and wondering how it will affect your life? Do you just want to read some articles about other people who have done it … and survived? Here are a few of the articles that you may appreciate! “Should We Consider Adoption or Foster Care?” “40 Reasons We’d Do It Again: Thoughts on Adoption” “Mommy, Why Does She Look Weird?” “Marriage and the Single Mom: Some Thoughts” “Day in the Life of a Foster Mom” “Little Good-byes: When Adoption Fails and Other Nightmares for Extraordinary Moms” (This one is preceded by a poem I wrote entitled “Forever Families” […]
January 9, 2009
Our children were baptized on May 31, 2005. We waited three long years to do it, and the waiting had not been easy. Especially in the first few months, I was tempted more than once to toss them both in the baptismal font in sheer frustration. It was ironic that it was while we were in church that I felt the need for grace most strongly the first weeks we had the kids. Baptizing them right away wasn’t an option; as their foster parents, we couldn’t even get their hair cut without the permission of a social worker. So each week I’d trot them up for a blessing when I […]
January 8, 2009
Today I received this link to Carrie Craft’s interview with Mike and Tanya Mulligan, who adopted three special needs children from Russia. Their adoption experiences were featured on an hour-long 20/20 special that drew a strong response (Tanya says it was 80% positive, despite the obvious difficulties the family was having). If you are considering international adoption, please take some time to read this!
December 26, 2008
In the coming year, I’d like to spend more time reflecting on the Scriptures through the lens of extraordinary motherhood. Throughout the Gospels, we encounter figures who are largely hidden, taking center stage for the briefest moments before returning to the shadows. Their reward, you see, was not an earthly one … any more than ours is. And yet, there is much we can learn from them if we only have “ears to hear.” And so, on this the last weekend of the year, I introduce you to one of the EMs of the Gospel: Anna the Prophetess. From this weekend’s readings, taken from the second […]