Search Results for: blog christians and adoption

Christmas Stories and Quotes, Seen in the Light of Adoption

Our former adoption blogger MJ wrote about the relationship between her faith and adoption. I’ve been thinking about some quotes, Scriptural and otherwise, that have a new meaning for me when seen in the light of our family’s experiences with adoption. Visualizing the Christmas Story can be a bit more intensely real when you think of your child being born in a borrowed house and possibly left there for a day in a cold December. If you have an international family, many of the charity appeals you hear this time of year seem not so far away, but much closer … Continue reading →

Racism, Current Events, and Halloween History

Not many people know what Halloween meant to the early Celtic Christians of Ireland. I knew that the name “Hallow-even” meant “eve of All Hallows (All Saints’ Day), a feast day still celebrated by many Christian denominations. I knew that one of the origins of trick-or-treating was the custom of children holding lanterns (perhaps made of hollowed-out squash with a candle inside) and going from house to house offering prayers for the dead. The homeowners then served “soul cakes”. I’m not exactly sure what those were, but that fact may be why I always associate Halloween with doughnuts. That was … Continue reading →

Telling Family and Friends that You are Adopting

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Congratulations! You have decided to pursue adoption! You may be eager to tell your family and friends, and expecting hearty congratulations from them. Or you may have concerns about how your family and friends will react. How will you tell them? First of all, remember that you have been researching adoption. You have probably decided whether you will pursue foster care adoption, domestic infant adoption or international adoption. You have likely read some accounts by adoptive parents and talked with an adoption professional. Some people will not know what to say when you tell them you are adopting. Some may … Continue reading →

Book Review: The Adoption Decision

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The Adoption Decision, by Linda Christianson, is not a how-to manual for adopting. He book’s subtitle, 15 Things You Want to Know Before Adopting, only hints at the insight contained within its pages. This book doesn’t just tell you 15 facts about adoption. Its 15 chapters deal with issues families who contemplate adoption must think about. The issues include: attachment and feeling like a “real” parent, affording adoption, managing the grief of infertility, waiting for an unknown length of time during the adoption process, birthparents, open adoption, adopting an older child, international adoption, transracial adoption, integrating a different culture into … Continue reading →

Weaving God’s Love Across Cultures: Transracial Adoption and Faith (Book Review)

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When the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America committed to exploring strategies for ministry to different ethnic groups, a group of adoptive parents and adoptees saw an opportunity to educate faith communities about adoption and provide resources to help families connect their adoption experiences with spiritual issues. Interested Christians of several denominations and ethnicities gathered in Seattle in the fall of 2002 to share ideas. The result was the book Weaving God’s Love Across Cultures: Transracial Adoption and Faith, edited by Rev. Mary Lindberg, containing contributions by adoptive parents, teen and adult adoptees, clergy, social workers and even a Korean birthmother. … Continue reading →

Christians and Adoption

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Have you noticed how common adoption is among Christians? While meeting our first case worker, this topic came up and got me thinking about why Christians might feel so drawn to this path to parenthood. Initially I thought Christian families might have a heart to adopt mainly so they could be a light to children who’ve been wounded in the past, using adoption as sort of a ministry opportunity. I think there is more to it than that though. While it’s true many Christians do have quite a heart to help others, I believe the Spirit of the Lord is … Continue reading →

The Confessions of a Pro-Life, Right Wing Conservative, Part 1

The other day Pattie wrote an article asking (or really telling us) that there are Christians on both sides of the fence and being liberal or conservative doesn’t a Christian make. What has ensued is an interesting conversations therein in her comments section. I’m actually going to address her article in two parts. However, the right to life debate is often at the forefront of election debates and it is, arguably one of the first things many conservative Christians want to know when choosing a candidate. Dare I say it? Many of you conservative Christians out there vote based on … Continue reading →

It Makes You Think

I love TV shows and books that make me think. Last night we watched Boston Legal. Apart from the wacky sense of humor that permeates David E. Kelley shows, one of the reasons I like this show is because it is concerned with the law and makes me think. Legal shows always fascinate me. It also makes me think about things I might not otherwise think about. It may be only a TV script and not an actual case, but it’s enough to start the brain ticking over. Take the episode we watched where Alan Shore was to go before … Continue reading →

The Breastfeeding Question I Couldn’t Answer

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Well, if you regularly read my blogs or participate in the forums, you are probably in shock. Yes, there are a few, just a few, breastfeeding questions I can’t answer. Today in the forums, someone asked about getting a tattoo while you’re breastfeeding. Is it safe? If you can’t do it during pregnancy then surely you can’t do it while breastfeeding right? Well. . .the answer might surprise you. Why Can’t You Get a Tattoo While Pregnant? Tattoo artists, from what I’ve read and from the ones that I called today while working on this blog will not touch a … Continue reading →

Demonic Doors

Demonic oppression happens a number of ways. We as believers genuinely in Christ cannot be possessed by demons because what fellowship has light with darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14). This does not mean that we can’t open doors for demonic oppression in our lives. As a Christian, I believe the Holy Spirit will guide us to truth as we seek the Lord. God is gracious to work in us, changing our hearts to desire what He wills for us. Still, not everyone is receptive or at the point in their walk where they discern things in their lives that can draw … Continue reading →