Would you take time to think about the full armor of God on Memorial Day? First, think about the soldiers protecting freedom all over the world. Pray that the soldiers and their families would gird themselves with the full armor of God to resist the obvious temptations that plague lonely adults. Pray that their children, missing one or both parents, would look to the heavenly Father for comfort in their time of need. Pray for the safety of the soldiers who are protecting freedom so that you may celebrate, read, write, and practice your faith.

Think... more

Our kids are lucky. I know you’re staring at your computer screen right now wondering what I have been drinking or smoking in order to make such a statement, but it really is true.

While our kids have been through horrific things, and things that no child should ever go through, the fact is that for our kids there are resources.

Let me back up a little bit and explain my position. It started this morning as I was sitting in church. Our pastor tackled the tough subject of war and soldiers laying down their lives for us. It is a hard subject to talk... more

Over the 14 years of providing a foster home to children, we have gotten used to many behaviors. You might even be surprised to know what we consider normal that is unless you have been a foster parent to toddlers and older children yourself. The children with passive aggressive behaviors far outnumber the “in your face” outspoken children in foster care. The outspoken children will tell you where to shove it so you know exactly what they are thinking. The passive aggressive children say “yes” to your face, and then break something or make a mess. It no... more

My husband and I had what could be qualified as a date tonight. It’s been a long time since it has happened, so I’m not quite sure.

I had been working all day, really all week, helping some friends move their business. It is extremely physical work and I am simply exhausted. I had to do my weekly duties at church and then I was going to go to Wal-Mart and go home to crash on the couch. As I was driving to church, I drove past Hannah’s best friend’s house and remembered that Hannah was supposed to be at a birthday swim party tonight.

After frantic... more

Though our therapist felt our daughter was “adjusting beautifully” at our last visit, she did schedule a follow-up, just to “check in.” Today, about a month out from the last visit, we had the check-in appointment.

Once again our daughter went off for her one-on-one with the therapist, though for this visit their “alone time” was a little longer. When I finally got to go in, it was much the same as last time! Our therapist feels that our daughter has truly made remarkable progress... more

If your adopted child constantly leaves jackets and shoes outside, somewhere, but doesn’t know where, then your child might have ADHD.

If you cannot find your child because he is on the roof, he might have ADHD.

If your adopted child accidentally breaks something almost every day, she might have ADHD.

If your child broke your DSL cable plug, he might have ADHD.

If your child has broken chunks out of ceiling tiles while playing basketball indoors, he might have ADHD.

If your child decided that the fastest exit from the house was the... more

One of our readers asked a great question that many foster parents wonder about, at least initially. I responded to her privately but thought I would address her question more fully and share the information with you. Her foster children are in the process of returning home, as is my current foster daughter. She would like to know what the guidelines are for the number of overnight and unsupervised visits prior to foster children returning home. Unfortunately, there are no guidelines for every foster caseworker to follow. There are logical patterns that they sometimes... more

Christian music singer, Steven Curtis Chapman's five-year-old daughter, adopted from China, was killed in a tragic accident late yesterday afternoon, at the Chapman home.

The girl was apparently run over in her own driveway, by a car driven by her older, teen-aged brother, according to news reports.

Five-year-old Maria Sue was one of the six Chapman children, and one of three adopted from China by the family.

The Chapman's experiences with international adoption led them to establish Shaohannah's Hope, named after their oldest adopted daughter,... more

It's been exactly one year (right around this time of day (except a different time zone!)) since we met the children who are now ours!

Last May 22nd, I posted Road Trip: Day Two – Meeting the Kids. It's been an amazing year full of pinnacles and valleys unimaginable at the time I wrote that last year! But, here we are a year later, fully bonded, attached, and settled into a routine.

My children love each other with amazing depth for children who have only formally known... more

Our local newspaper is covering the desperate need for foster parents this month. As Jenna pointed out yesterday, May is National Foster Care Month. The national slogan for the month is “change a lifetime,” referring to the lives of children who enter foster care. It is a change all right. While the final results of living in foster care, usually outweigh the initial horror children experience when entering foster care, they rarely consider throwing a party over the whole experience. The... more