Category: Parenting

an experiment in *less*

“What if you guys only had ten toys?”

“Oooh! Ten more toys? Like from Christmas?”

“No, like ten total toys! Only ten!”

“I’m not getting rid any of my stuff!”

Challenge accepted.

Over the past pandemic months, I have cleaned my house more times than I can count. I have “quaran-cleaned”–cleaned thoroughly and with abandon, because it was one of the few activities I could do while under quarantine. I have decluttered like a mother. I have culled and purged.

It’s been a good time. For me.

To be completely honest, I have taken several van-loads to various donation centers. Much of the contents has been kid stuff. Toys. Clothes. Books. Stuff my kids don’t really use. I have minimized the toy selection dramatically.

And they haven’t cared. And they have played with what they have. Amazing!

It’s been a good time. For all of us.

I know I’m not the first one to “discover” that kids do better with less clutter and less choices. It is my opinion that when they can’t see a toy, they don’t usually think about it, and could probably not care less about it.

What would happen if you just had a few things to play with that are available at pretty much all times and are not buried or packed away or stored on top shelves in pretty opaque bins? I’ll tell you what will probably happen. Your kids will play with the toys they have, and be fine with it.

I find that this principle is especially helpful in reducing a stressful environment for my kids who struggle with anxiety and/or have sensory challenges. Too much visual stimulation stresses my kids out. A calm space can help promote a calm kiddo.

It can be helpful for kids with executive function challenges to have less choices. Some kids just struggle to make choices because that is part of executive functioning. If we can remove some of the stress of choice-making, we can accommodate our children’s needs and allow them to actually enjoy playing with the toy they have.

At all costs, I want to steer away from providing opportunities for my kids to commit what I like to call the “big dump”–that dreaded act where your kiddo dumps the whole bucket of toys out because they have no idea what they want to play with…and then they walk away. I’m cringing typing it. Let’s try to avoid the “big dump”, shall we?

So don’t have a whole bucket of toys. If they don’t have a whole bucket of toys, they can’t dump a whole bucket of toys. Am-I-right? My suggestion is to have smaller containers which fit fewer things. The smaller containers also allow kids to more easily see what’s inside the container without having to rummage to the bottom or commit…dare I say it again…”the big dump.”

So, while we do certainly have more than just ten toys, we have way less toys than we did in February. Decreasing our toy quantity and clutter level in the home as been one of the means by which the stress level in our home has dropped. I have sought to love my children in one way by modeling for them a simpler life. I have sought to shepherd them to see that stuff is just stuff, and often more stuff just causes more problems. Having less stuff can allow us to focus better on what matters, and can cause our gratitude to increase if we remember that we have exactly as much as God wants us to have. And it is enough.

a devotional for mothers

Over the past nine weeks, I have been reading through a topical devotional study called Walking With God in the Season of Motherhood. I have appreciated Melissa Kruger’s insight and wisdom in the past (especially her book The Envy of Eve — a must read!), so I was excited to stumble upon this study this past spring, in our newly-COVID world.

I was finishing up reading through the Bible in a (little-over-a) year, and was searching for a guided study with a more topical emphasis, yet a study still rich in Scripture. This fit the bill for sure. It turned out to be exactly what I needed.

Of course, who could doubt that God would provide exactly what I needed? I admit, I always go into a new study or devotional book with trepidation. Even when I know God will teach me and grow me through His word, I am still apprehensive. Will this new book or author hold my interest? Will I stick with it? What will I learn? How will this teach me?

Well, this study was balm for my weary soul. Like I said before, I really have loved Melissa Kruger’s writing before. I think I just resonate with her style and syntax. It is like talking with a friend. She is not stuffy, yet not superficial either.

In this study, she has a wonderful way of guiding you through Scripture systematically and making you think about what you are reading and how it applies to you. She adds analogies, anecdotes, and real life application along the way. And while Melissa Kruger’s life is not the same as my life — our circumstances are certainly different — I find her writing and application very relatable.

If you are looking for a new study that will both encourage and equip you in this season of motherhood, I highly recommend this study to you. I am not being paid to write this. It is just a resource I have found to be profitable as a mother, and I would love to share it with you fellow moms “in the muddle.”

I have two more weeks left in my study. I have actually kept up with reading it consistently every weekday for the past nine weeks. I have not skipped a day or needed to catch up. I am really truly amazed by this! And I am looking forward to the next two weeks as I continue to learn and grow. I honestly feel like it will be a little sad to say goodbye to this book, and put it on the shelf for perhaps another read-through in another year. But I have a new study on the docket, which I will be sharing with you soon. Stay tuned…

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yesterday’s faithfulness; tomorrow’s promises

I’m trying to get more exercise. My body and my mind need it. But my body and my mind also really love to sleep. And I have a new soft, warm, fluffy comforter. It’s magical. The struggle is real.

This morning, I finally succeeded at prying myself out of bed at an hour early enough to allow time for me to drink my coffee, spend time in the Word (and read my current devotional book), and plod downstairs to the treadmill.

The treadmill had cobwebs on it.

Yikes. It’s been a while. Kind of like my blog.

Well, this morning, I swept the cobwebs off the treadmill, and got going. And now I will wipe the cobwebs off my blog and get going. Often, it’s easier for me to think about writing, and even get excited about my intentions to write. But I hit the proverbial “snooze” button instead. Just like with excercise, I just need to take the first step. I need to pry myself from the comfort of my thoughts and let my feet hit the floor.

Or let my fingers hit the keys. I think you get it.

Well, when I exercise, I like to listen to either a podcast or an audiobook. I like to engage my mind while I engage my body. Sometimes I like fluffy stuff with little concentration required. Other times I like heavy stuff where I really need to work at it. Today I chose a podcast including a message from a Gospel Coalition message on corporate prayer. It was a good mix of funny, (fluffy) and thoughtful (heavy).

I was struck by the reminder, about one-third of the way through John Owunchekwa’s message, that “because God doesn’t change, His past faithfulness is really a future promise.” God has been faithful. God is faithful. God will be faithful.

This immediately drew me to recall some Scripture that I meditate on often. I know I’ve even talked about it on my blog before. You can probably tell it’s a pillar in my mind and heart. I will risk beating the same drum again. Lamentations 3:

Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:19-24

We remember what God has brought us through. We remember His character. And we can see His faithfulness to provide His portion for us in the future. Praise God!

Prayer helps us in thinking through this. It allows us to recall God’s faithfulness. And when we ask in faith, we can trust His promises to be faithful in answering. We can hope in Him.

This year has been doozy. For kids with trauma–specifically in our context, adoption trauma–2020 has brought with it added layers. But just as for us, God has been faithful to our children. He cares for our children. We can have hope in His steadfast love and His faithfulness.

God’s provision and gentle faithfulness to our precious kids in their yesterdays stands as a promise for His faithfulness to them in their tomorrows. Weary parent, as you shepherd your little flock of hurting and anxious sheep, hope in Him! Great is His faithfulness!

If you would like to interact a bit, I would be edified to hear in the comments some ways in which God has been faithful to you in this season of all that “2020” encompasses to you. Praying for you all, friends.

being a “one another” parent

To state the obvious, it has been a long while since I have published a post on here. That’s not for lack of trying. We have just had a remarkably busy year, and writing has taken a back-seat. I have many mangled drafts that may never see the public light of day. Time will tell…

But recently, I have been thinking and praying through some ideas, seeking direction on how to jump back in to the habit of writing. I felt like I needed some sort of a path, where the general direction of my steps was laid out for me. God led me to the “one anothers” of scripture. I was listening to a podcast from the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, called “Truth in Love.” This specific episode was discussing a new book written by Stuart Scott all about the “one anothers.”

The “one anothers” of scripture are a series of many passages which speak to how we, as Christians, should treat and live with one another. They are commands for interpersonal relationships, essentially directed to believers. Yet, I think it is appropriate to apply many of them to interpersonal relationships in general, as an extension of Jesus’ command to, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

As I was listening to Scott read through his list of “one anothers,” I was struck by how often I fail to apply these in parenting my children. While my children may or may not yet be truly saved believers in Christ, I see the value and necessity of loving my children as myself by applying many of these one another commands in how I relate to them. It was a convicting reminder, for sure.

So, I thought: what better way to process through this myself and counsel my own soul than to write my way through it? I knew it would be a helpful way for me to order my thoughts around how we can apply the “one another” commands in parenting, and even especially for those of us parenting adopted children.

Well that is my plan. This post is already getting a bit long, so I will stop here and begin my discussion of the “one anothers” in a future post. Let’s pray for one another (see what I did there?) as we think about these things, and continue the good work of parenting that the Lord has set before us.

Our Only Hope

I hear and see a lot of talk about “hope” in circles of parents of challenging children. By that I mean those kids of ours who add an extra layer of “figuring them out.” 😉 We talk about what hope(s) we have for our kids. What diagnoses or treatments or scientific discoveries we are hoping for. Hope for a small respite from the struggle of the muddle of life.

But what always strikes me with deep sadness is the discussion of wanting to even have something to hope for in the first place. The lack of hope that some people have. I weep with and for these friends. Feeling hopeless — feeling as though you are truly without any hope — is truly devastating. It is when I consider that depth of “hopelessness” that I am drawn to plead for God’s mercy to open the eyes of the hopeless. For hopelessness to be replaced by confidence in God’s goodness and grace. Because we do not have to live without hope!

As Christians, we have a True Reason to hope. Psalm 71 says, “For you, O Lord, are my hope.” The Psalmist exhorts himself to remember his Hope in Psalm 42, …

“Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.”

Psalm 42:5, repeated again in verse 11

For the better part of 2018, my kids and I were working through the New City Catechism. Actually, we are still going through it. I referenced this great resource in my Favorites of 2018 blog post. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of a catechism, I will cite the definition that came up on google when I typed in “catechism”:

a summary of the principles of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers, used for the instruction of Christians.

~google

A catechism like this one can be an amazing resource to teach our children the truths of God’s word in a concise and memorable way, giving them many tools to pull from their toolbox when confronted with the doubts and questions of life.

But as we instruct our children, there is a beautiful “side effect.” As most teachers know, when we instruct our students, we are instructing our own hearts as well. I have found these simple songs and sentences invaluable to counsel my own heart.

I bring up this catechism because of what it has done for my own soul in times of temptation toward hopelessness. The very first Question and Answer in the New City Catechism for children is so beautiful and comforting. It lays a foundation for our understanding of Hope.

Q: What is our only hope in life and death?

A: That we are not our own, but belong to God.

When I see discussion about hope, or the lack thereof, I think of the above question, in the form of this song. It comforts me. And it becomes the focus of my prayer for those who do not know the peace of God.

Our hope is that we are the Lord’s. This is our only hope. And it is enough. What could be more essential to the comfort of our souls in times of despair than remembering that we belong to the Creator who loves us deeply and holds our lives in His hands?

May we who are in the family of God be comforted with the peace that passes all understanding. This True Hope. May those who do not know this peace and assurance be made to see and understand!

When we are tempted to despair and feel hopeless, especially as it relates to parenting, teaching, training, disciplining, diagnosing, helping, and discipling our children, may we remember that we are the Lord’s. And what’s more, so are our precious children. When we stop seeing our children as being our own possessions, but as God’s possession, we can rest in His purposes for their lives.

We need not lose hope, because God is our Hope and we belong to Him.

[I will add a small footnote here. For a further discussion on the topic of “hope,” may I direct you to a sermon my dear husband preached this past December during Advent, titled, “Hold Fast to Hope”? I think you will be encouraged.]

On Puzzles and Images

Our kids can seem like little puzzles. There is always something to discover about them, adding pieces to the puzzle of who they are and who they may become. Sometimes, as an adoptive parent, I feel like I’m working on my puzzle without knowing what image I am aiming for. You know what I mean, right? The “answer key” of the puzzle–the picture that shows what you get when you’re all done.

It’s so nice when you have the puzzle box right there in front of you, and you prop it up on the side of the table while you work on your puzzle so you know what image you’re working towards. That is a helpful thing to have, that box.

But what if all we have is a bunch of pieces?

That complicates things a little. Ok…a lot.

We think we have all of the pieces. But can we be sure? We see lots of colors, perhaps some lines and squiggles, and maybe even get a few clues of what we think the picture will turn out to be. But truly all we can do is make a best guess. We have no image to look at, so we just take it piece by piece and try to do the best we can to figure it out as we go.

I often feel like I am working with a pile of pieces, trying to “figure my kids out.” Like I need to put the pieces together to find some answers. This is true of all of my kids, biological or not. But particularly as an adoptive parent, I struggle here. Not having all of the pieces of a child’s past–what they may be biologically predisposed to; how their brain was formed prenatally; what their life was like before they came to us; possible genetic personality traits–really tempts me to try to figure it all out on my own. But truly, when I try to figure it out on my own, not knowing what I am looking for or aiming at, I find myself with less answers and more questions. It’s these times that I need the reminder that I am looking at it all wrong.

The thing is, it doesn’t really matter what we start with. In terms of our “puzzle,” whether we start with all of the pieces in the box, complete with a picture on it, or whether we have a pile of pieces whose composition is a mystery, we are all working toward the same goal. It’s not what we start with or even what we have to work with; it’s what we are striving toward.

I need to remember to look up from the puzzle–the toil of cracking “the code” that is my children. Take my eyes off of all of the little things in the muddle of mothering these little ones that God has so graciously brought to me. Even the really challenging parts that make my head spin. Yes it is hard, but it is not impossible. When tempted to despair over not being able to figure out the puzzle, I need to fight to take my eyes off of the struggle. Look to Jesus.

Look. To. Jesus.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.     (Colossians 1:15-20)

In Him all things hold together. In everything, He is preeminent. What an image to behold!

This is such good news for us as parents. We can take our eyes off of the puzzling nature of what we have before us, stop looking inward for the ability to figure it all out, and look instead to the Creator God who made our children, our precious blessings. Our children are not a puzzle to God. Where we may see a lot of pieces, He sees the big picture. He knows every piece and part of them, and we can rest in Him to provide us with His sustaining grace and wisdom in parenting His created ones.

When we remember that He is the one who holds all things together; that all things were created through Him and for Him; when we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord with an eternal perspective, we are looking in the right direction. He is the image we must look toward. We need not figure it out on our own. The Lord will give us what we need to complete our puzzle, to parent our children for His glory.

“He [Jesus] is like the missing piece in a puzzle — the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.” – Sally Lloyd-Jones in The Jesus Storybook Bible

Chasing Rainbows

I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. Being a parent is a wonderful and beautiful gift. And being a parent is hard. It is a blessing. But it can be a hard blessing. Parenting a child from a hard place can sometimes be HARD (with all caps). But I think that just means it has the potential to be equally a BLESSING (with all caps). We are challenged and we grow through those challenges. We become more compassionate, softer, gentler. God uses these hard things to produce His fruit in us. What a privilege.

I know we all want the best for our kids. We want them to thrive! We want to give them everything they need, and then some. We would give them the moon if we could! We want to meet their physical and emotional needs, but we also long to shepherd them spiritually, leading them to the Savior.

 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 4)

Well, lately, I have been feeling particularly discouraged with my ability to meet the needs of my kids. Discerning needs and knowing how to adequately shepherd a child can be so daunting sometimes. Sometimes it is easy (hallelujah!). When a child is hungry, feed him. That’s an easy one.

But when a child is having a meltdown tantrum, things can get dicey. The task of figuring out what they need and how to help them can be so. stinking. hard. Is it just because he is not getting what he wants? Is she struggling to process emotions and this is how it is all coming out? Do I discipline or do I nurture through this? Where is the instruction book?! Add in layers of trauma, loss, and a less than ideal prenatal and/or postnatal environment for our adopted kiddos, and you can add more layers of confusion and “what if’s” and “what now’s.”

This is where I am convicted. In conversations with friends, I have said that I don’t want to be just chasing rainbows, looking for the “next best thing” to help solve this or that problem. Yes, we have sleep issues in our house. Yes, we have sensory disorders. Yes, we have emotional delays. Yes, we have dysregulated emotions. Yes, we likely have a handful of diagnoses that have been overlooked. These are all things that can be addressed. And I long to meet the needs that I am able to, in my imperfect, human abilities. But there is no cure-all apart from Christ.

I have felt how these thoughts and concerns (dare I say anxieties?) can consume me in ways that take focus off of God’s Lordship and Power and Sufficiency, and putting it smack onto myself and my own (in)abilities. My sinful flesh deludes me into thinking that I can solve these “issues” in my own strength. What a lie that is!

This is where I need to check myself. We need to check ourselves. Are we seeking the Lord about what to address and when to address it? Or are we just chasing rainbows, trying to solve all of our world’s problems in one fell swoop?

The past several weeks, I have often found myself asking God for wisdom. I want to help. I want to “fix” her world so that she doesn’t have to face these challenges! These challenges that are not even her fault, but are part of her story.  And part of my story, because she is mine.

But is what I am seeing a result of the challenges? Or a result of her (and my!) fallen, sinful nature? I can go around and around all day long and chase my proverbial tail trying to “figure it all out” in my own strength. For all the asking I do for God’s wisdom, I sometimes feel like I’m missing the mark. I know in Whom I have hope, and I know that He will give wisdom when I ask. It says in James 1:5, …

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach.

Clinging to this promise, I have asked many times, “Why do I still feel wisdom-less? Why can I not find the ‘answer’ to help solve this problem?!” This is such a discouraging place to be.

But, God.

A few weeks ago, a guest preacher spoke at our church. He came all the way from New Jersey to bring a message on 1 Kings 19. Guys, guess what 1 Kings 19 is about. It is about Elijah laying under a shade tree in his discouragement, and God sending an angel to sustain him in his weakness.

1 Kings 19: 5-8
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD …” … And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. And the angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

It is about Elijah being discouraged and hearing God answer not in a strong wind, not in an earthquake, not in a fire, but in a whisper.

And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

I felt like this message was God’s whisper to me. I had been pleading for wisdom and answers and solutions, and “hearing” none. I was looking for the obvious earthquake of an answer. But in this whisper, through the encouragement God gave to Elijah in his valley of discouragement, it was as though God was asking me to rest in Him. This is the journey He has for me. He will provide what I need for the journey. As I rest, He will bring the cakes.

What if it doesn’t ever get any easier? God never promises that He will give us solutions to our problems tied up all neatly with a bow. What if this is exactly where God wants me? What if this is what God has for me? For us? For you? What if our kids will always have these needs and we will always be tempted to chase after rainbows for them? Of course we want what is best for them and we want to help them when we can. But are we trying to force God’s hand to give answers on our timeline? Or are we willing to rest, waiting on God to provide the right answers at the right time? Are we willing to be faithful to patiently, gently, mercifully love our kids through their hardships while listening for the whisper when it comes?

I was challenged in a conversation I had with a good friend recently. We were talking through this scenario, of struggling through this asking and waiting and the hard days that sometimes come in the meantime. And she encouraged me to “suffer well.” If God has ordained this road for me to walk (and if I believe what the Bible says, then I believe He HAS ordained each of my days!), then how can we suffer well?

Is God still good if it never gets easier? Does God still get the glory even in our difficult days? Of course He is and of course He does. How can I follow the instruction of 1 Corinthians 10:31?

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

When we acknowledge our kids’ hard needs, and that we truly cannot meet those needs apart from Christ’s saving work on the cross, we can rest in the sovereign and sustaining hand of God, knowing that He will provide strength and wisdom for the journey. He will equip us by His hand. And He will get the glory in our weakness. We must not delude ourselves into thinking that we are the answer. That our challenges are somehow beyond the scope of God’s sovereign hand. He is able! He is holy and loving and good. He cares for us!

Let us follow the advice of Hebrews 12:1-2. Put off our sinful rainbow-chasing, and fix our eyes on Jesus who alone is able. May our thoughts be consumed by thoughts of Him rather than thoughts of ourselves. He will empower us for this race that he has set before us!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

For further reading surrounding these topics, here are A couple great resources by David Powlison from “Resources for Changing Lives”:
…on Worry.
…on Stress.
{amazon affiliate links}

My heart. The need. My aim. My plan.

It’s no secret that I love adoption. Orphan care is near and dear to me. I will champion the cause of adoption all the live long day.

But it’s also no secret (at least to those of us who live in adoption), that adoption is messy. And beautiful. And wonderful. And so hard. And so worth it.

I could speak here about the doctrine of adoption, God’s longsuffering with us, His Father-love for us as his children, grafted in by the blood of Jesus. But I think I will reserve that for another day and another post. It deserves its own spotlight, and has so much to teach us about our Good, Good Father.

But right now, I am talking about human adoption. Taking a child who was not born to you and bringing them into your family as though they were born to you. It is a miracle. The ability to do this is truly a work of God.

How I am able to love another woman’s child just as I love my own blood is a beautiful, messy miracle. And I do it with joy, not by my own will-power, but by the supernatural work of God’s strength and love in me.

For years now, I have felt a deep need for Biblical encouragement for moms like me. “Moms in the muddle.” In the trenches of adoption-life. This road has unique challenges that few can understand without being in it yourself. Our kids come from uniquely hard places. Which is why my heart is to encourage moms like me. Because I know I need it, too!!

The problem I’ve found, though, is that many of the resources geared toward parenting are either just not quite on the mark for parents of “kids from hard places” OR they are devoid of Biblical truth. I appreciate good strategies for parenting adopted kids. And I appreciate Biblically sound parenting books. I’ve read several great ones, and profited from many.

But why can’t we marry the two? We believe that the Bible is true. And 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” So why separate things? We need good, Biblical resources that help us to counsel our own hearts and parent our kids (specifically our adopted or foster kids) better.

There is something to be said for having someone who “gets it” speaking into your life with practical, Biblical truth. We all–and I am speaking to myself here!–need to be reminded daily of how the word of God informs our lives and parenting. How Christ is sufficient for our specific challenges and difficulties.

So my heart is for moms like me. And I guess I could say my aim is to speak to myself (and anyone else who will listen) with the truth of the Gospel and how it can practically inform our everyday struggles, especially as adoptive parents. God’s word can and will equip us as parents to, by God’s Grace, meet the unique needs of our unique children.

My mind and heart have been on this issue for years now. I’ve thought countless times about how I could approach this in a helpful way, and not seem like I’m floundering in a sea of not knowing how to say what I want to say. So I’ve continued to wait until the time was right and the plan was clear.

A few weeks ago, I asked Ryan, “Do you think I should start a blog?” Being the ever-encouraging husband that he is, without missing a beat he replied, “Absolutely, yes!” With such a loving vote of confidence, how could I refuse? 🙂 But I had no idea what to write about, and wanted a clear topic and plan. So my next question for him was, “What should I write about?” And because he knows my heart so well, he immediately suggested I write from this perspective that I have been parked in for years now. He has helped me to develop this plan to express my heart for moms like me with my aim of Biblical encouragement in mind. He is a very patient, very good man.

Well there. I got it out. That is my heart, my aim, my plan. If you are, like me, seeking refreshment from the Word for your weary mama-soul, while caring for children with needs that drive you to your knees out of love and desperation at the same time, then I hope you will come and see what God’s Word has for us. My perspective will be as a parent, and may often deal with issues that are specific to adoption and adoptive parenting. But no matter your circumstance, I pray that you may be encouraged; even if you are a parent of only biological children, a parent with adult children, or not a parent at all! The Gospel is good news to all of us at all times. Let’s rejoice in the truth of God’s word together!