When we decided to adopt a 12-year old girl from Ukraine, people thought we were crazy. My mom actually told me it was a bad idea. After Thanksgiving dinner, she looked straight at me and said “What are you thinking?  You don’t have a clue!  What makes you think you can do this?”   It wasn’t a question. My only answer?  “This is what God wants me to do, so He’ll pull it off somehow.”  Since my mom wasn’t a Christian, she didn’t really get that.  But that’s ok, I guess.  I got it. One thing she was right about: […]

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When we set out to adopt, we didn’t really know anyone else in our church who had adopted, or who was adopting, or who wanted to adopt. We thought we were the only ones. We were wrong. Our church has become more intentional since then about supporting adoptive families.  We’ve recently kicked off a community initiative to connect churches in our area to work together to support the many different aspects of the adoptive, foster, and orphan care efforts in our community. But we still see families feeling alone. We still hear church leaders asking “What can we do?” The answer […]

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Don’t forget to visit Benjer McVeigh’s Discipleship Family Ministry today to learn about: The principles of supporting adoptive families Helping families who are just getting started Supporting families who are waiting…and waiting…and waiting. Finding creative ways to engage in financial support for adopting families Smoothing the road for families traveling for their adoption, across the state or around the world Helping families adjust to their new additions Staying engaged and supporting them after the adoption Creating a culture of contagious adoption in your church or community I confess, it’s a little longer than my normal posts.  But that’s why it’s being published […]

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The plane landed on a sunny afternoon. A small gathering of family and friends hovered just outside the TSA checkpoint holding posters and balloons.  They welcomed us with hugs and smiles. But to a 12-year-old sleep-deprived and slightly motion-sick girl who had been traveling for 24-hours straight?  To a girl who came from a culture where people were more reserved?  To Masha, they were strangers.  To her, even our small airport party was a bit overwhelming. It’s Different Much as we want to provide a “normal” life for our adopted kids, we have to face the fact that it’s just plain different. Regardless […]

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When discussing financial responsibility and the importance of not going into debt no matter how important the thing is that you want: Me: We paid cash for you… Mash: You say that like I was a Barbie…. Me: You were a lot more expensive than a Barbie… Mash: Yeah, because I’m a one-of-a-kind. Me: Good one. I’m really thankful that my girls both have a good sense of humor! What’s popped out of your mouth that maybe shouldn’t have? Leave a comment…