Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Unless you don’t have teens or tweens, or if you live in a remote part of the Earth without access to news, you will, no doubt, have heard about the controversy plaguing super-teen Miley Cyrus and her squeaky clean image.

As with many popular superstars, Miley finds herself in a situation where pictures of questionable taste have surfaced, causing the teen great discomfort and embarrassment.

Miley is one of the few mega-watt stars that seems to have her head in the... more

It's never a good sign when you're frustrated with the general public on a Monday morning before the clock reads eight o'clock. Is this a sign of the week to come? All the same, I was reading a very, very happy reunion story out of Texas. I mean, everything just seemed to work together for good in this piece. It's a case of married birth parents, an adoptee who could also double as a secret spy and an eventual happy reunion. I was going to give my thoughts... more

It's discussed often in birth parenting circles. The milestones of parented children can possibly bring up emotional issues for birth parents. It's not always a given, of course. Just because one milestone didn't affect you doesn't mean that another milestone won't make you miss your child a little bit (or a lot). It also works in the reverse, of course: just because one milestone did affect you doesn't mean that every last milestone will make you fall to your knees. It's tricky to figure out how you will react to such things prior to actively parenting children.... more

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver (Proverbs 25:11)

It’s easy to get “caught up” as a parent, in disciplining your child, particularly if they have a myriad of behavioral, emotional and social issues. We want our children to “be okay” when they grow up, so we stress certain behavior to them.

But one underutilized tool is the “word fitly spoken.” I see the effects my words have on the faces of all of my children. They can be crestfallen, or light up like the sky on the fourth of July!

Of... more

A little over a year ago, the little girl who would later become my daughter, got sent home with a note for her foster mother. The note stated that she had been taking things from class. Sadly, this wasn’t the first incident, either. She had taken money from some of the other kids.

Fast forward a few months later - after the adoption and her transition to her new home - stealing is still an issue. Albeit abated somewhat, but nonetheless, our daughter has been taking things without permission.

It’s a complex issue for us, as her parents, to deal with, because... more

Have you been accused of spoiling your adopted baby? Most adoptive families wait a long time for their baby. Many times, we are older than typical families. This may be because we may have tried to have children for several years before deciding on adoption. Of course if we waited until we were older we probably also have more time and money than younger parents still in their 20s. All of this adds up to a baby that is very much wanted, appreciated, loved, and yes, spoiled. I don’t think spoiling your adopted baby is a bad thing. That is if you are spoiling the child with... more

Once you get into the world of foster care and adoption, it becomes difficult to have friends who are not living the same type of life. The type of things that we deal with are so foreign to “normal” parents that you can tend to shy away from friends you used to find great comfort in.

The other night I had dinner with some of my best friends from high school. We have known each other for more than twenty years and have seen each other through the hardest moments of our lives. These friends have seen me through my abuse investigation, my struggles with Sammy,... more

I know too many birth parents who have been promised on-going, open relationships with their relinquished children and their parents only to have the door slammed in their face at some point along the way. Yet the media doesn't cover their stories. It seems that the voice of pain is only given to families who have experienced failed matches or overturned adoptions. And so, today I was both shocked and saddened to see that someone is getting some coverage on the topic of a once open,... more

If you are pregnant and making an adoption plan, one thing that you may need to prepare for is how you plan to leave the hospital. You want to give these things some thought now as you may be pretty emotional when you are discharged from the hospital, especially if your baby is going directly home with his/her adoptive parents.

Also, you’re baby doesn’t have to leave the hospital immediately with the adoptive parents if you need more time to think through your decision or you want to try parenting, then you can of course take your baby home with you. If your baby will... more

If you are a member of the church of Christ, and are in the process of adopting, read on for a potential source of funding: Sacred Selections.

The brainchild of Florida College alumni David and Dana Carozza, Sacred Selections was founded after feeling the need to “do more.” The Carozzas had previously disseminated information about adoption through their previous businesses. They estimate approximately 800 adoptions resulted from that small action.

They... more