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Showing posts from 2016

Adoption story - Ben and Meriah

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Ben and Meriah are practically my neighbors, as they live just a few streets away from me.   When they signed on with me in late June, we met at a local coffee house and talked adoption.   Adoption was already a huge part of their lives, as Meriah herself had been adopted as an infant!  We were dreaming big dreams together when they came onboard with CAC on June 30. I put them in touch with a local home study provider who quickly completed their certification in just four weeks! By that time, I had designed their gorgeous family profile book, and they were able to start presenting to expectant mothers. Meriah and Ben were total rock stars during this phase — they had their hands and hearts wide open to any situation the Lord might bring to them. They were open to any gender, but secretly had their hearts set on a little girl. One day I got a call from a partner agency….  “There’s a baby girl born who needs parents right away!” Ben and Meriah presented their boo

What a difference a year makes!!

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You might remember one of my other favorite sweet families from last November.  Well, this little guy just celebrated his first birthday, Mickey Mouse- style! Happy Birthday, and happy National Adoption Awareness Month , little Jude!  (And just look at him looking at his sweet daddy!!!)

Congratulations Nolan and Nicole!

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I absolutely love this couple! Nolan and Nicole signed on with me in mid April of this year, after waiting with a small agency in their community for over a year. They were ready to broaden their network and hear about more potential adoption situations. They had also gone through a heartbreaking adoption failure as well, in May of 2015, with their previous agency. They, like my other families, have the most beautiful hearts for the Lord, and were eager to see how He would write their story to add a third family member! Their desire was also to minister to their future child ’ s first family as well, as they were going through a crisis pregnancy. As they were already home study ready, they were able to immediately start applying with our agency and attorney partners.  Nicole and Nolan bravely presented to several cases, and had to hear that difficult  “ no ”  that came with it. As Nicole says,  “ Our failed adoption was May 2015. Sweet Micah's birth mother deci

Adoption story - Worth and Amy

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One of my ‘favorite’ couples came to me last summer, with the desire to add to their family through adoption. They had open hands and hearts for a child from any background to join their beautiful family of four.  As I got to know this couple, they truly inspired me. They travel the world, are very involved with racial reconciliation in our city, and have tremendous hearts for following the Lord.  You’ll also be inspired by this story of loss, grace and some heavenly surprises! Worth and Amy officially signed on with me in late June of last year, immediately started with their home study process before leaving for a mission trip, and they were ‘certified’ about six weeks later.  Last fall, they presented to many cases of all types, and kept hearing, “no, not yet.”  The “No’s” were so discouraging, but they pressed on. Th en last December, I presented them with an interesting case of an expectant mother who lived about 90 minutes north of us, who was seeking an open adoptio

Adoption story: John and Kimberly

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I was honored to work with John and Kimberly on the path to building their beautiful family!  This is a family who loves big. They are invested in their local church, and their faith was truly inspiring to me as we walked this adoption journey together.  They joined the CAC family in early March, and eagerly started on their home study.  Kimberly shared a few words below that I hope will encourage you as well! The Lord has done a mighty work in their lives, and building beauty from ashes. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 Very few truly know what John and I have been through in the last three years as a family…. we have had ups and downs that caused us to truly seek God’s will in the midst of turmoil. God’s will wasn't necessarily what we thought our lives would look like. We, like most people, have a vision of what things should look like and w

Adopting after infertility.....

This evening I was mulling over a question that a couple considering adoption just asked me (actually, it was the husband, with tears in his voice).  He spent a few minutes in a preamble to the question, apologizing if it was too personal (while I was bracing myself for something really over the top). But the question was totally normal and natural. "Will I love a baby through adoption as much as one bi ologically?" "Yes, yes." I told him, "once that little nugget is in your arms, you'd die for him or her. I promise." But. First. You have to see the bigger picture. And, it's not all about you, although you are an important part of this equation. 1. Just like you had no control over your infertility diagnosis and treatments, this little guy didn't have any choice over his or her beginnings. 2. You and your spouse are a family. Just the two of you. You have to be ok if it's just the two of you. It will be OK

Congratulations to Brandi and Bentley!

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In January of this year, a sweet young couple named Brandi and Bentley contacted me with questions about our adoption services.  They had endured several years of trying to become parents and were ready to consider domestic adoption to build their family. As Brandi says: In May of 2013 we embarked on a long journey to grow our family. Over the next three years we sought multiple avenues including:  fertility treatments, foster care to adopt, embryo adoption and private infant adoption. I shed many tears over that time of waiting and trial, but Romans 8:28 rings true in both mine and Bentley's lives.  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."  The Lord used: our broken hearts over another failed fertility cycle, the struggle not to covet the lives of friends around us who seemed so easily to have children, the "no" from the foster agency that we could not be fos

Father's Day CAC special - June 13-17, 2016

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As Father's Day approaches, I can't help but think of how the Lord is bringing families together everyday through adoption. I am so grateful to get to be a small part of building families through adoption, to see children placed with their forever moms and forever dads. At  Christian Adoption Consultants , we are inspired by the message in the New Testament that states we are adopted into God's family as believers.  That we are his children, and he is our Abba Father. God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is, and we know who we are: Father and children.   Romans  8:15  (MSG) In honor of all of our CAC dads, we are offering one of our rare specials to help make the cost of adoption a bit more attainable. We are happy to be sharing 10% off all of our top packages, from  June 13-17th .   (Special note: this does not apply to our DIY package). If adoption has been on your heart, and you aren't sure where

Congratulations Jeremy + Ashley

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Jeremy and Ashley are one of the most precious families I've had the honor of serving over the past year.  They work in Christian ministry, and took a huge leap of faith with following God's call to adopt as a means of growing their family.  Ashley shares their testimony below, about how one call changes everything! And how God has a plan, and is working behind the scenes. "God called us to adoption three years ago through viewing adoption videos during a youth camp where we were serving. He spoke to Jeremy and me both at the camp but we did not discuss it together until the last night of camp. We went home excited about our word from God. Fast forward three years later... We were trying to add a child to our family, but were growing discouraged after a year of medical intervention and no explanation of why we had not conceived another child together.  After prayer, w e remembered our time at the camp, and the promise that God had given us at that time. We

Congratulations Burt + Elizabeth

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I absolutely loved working with Elizabeth and Burt to build their family, as they awaited their first child together.  They both have the sweetest dispositions, combined with an incredible sense of humor.    They signed on with CAC in early September of last year, as they were in the final steps of their home study.   I also loved working with Elizabeth and Burt because they have such a strong faith in the Lord’s calling, and boldly jumped onto the “adoption roller coaster.”  In some ways, the adoption process is a bit like being thrown into the deep end of a pool.  And you don't know how to swim that well on your own.  You need a coach, or at least a lifeguard who's there for you.....and thankfully, that’s what a consultant is there to do during an adoption process. We help families through some of the most beautiful, yet some of the more stressful moments of life.  Burt and Elizabeth were brave, as they hung out there in the deep end of the pool, treading wat

Congratulations Russell and Kristen!

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Kristen and Russell are one of those couples whom I wish lived closer to me, because I feel sure that Kristen and I would be Bible study  and/or coffee buddies. I will truly miss our weekly chats during their time of waiting and preparation! Kristen and Russell are a lovely mom and dad to a beautiful set of five-year old twin boys, and had been yearning and dreaming of a daughter to complete their family. They and their boys were dreaming of a little girl to nurture. They knew that a gender preference may slow their overall adoption wait time a bit, but they were willing to take that risk, as they were confident that the Lord had placed this journey on their hearts. As a testament to the fact that it is the LORD who paves the way to a family being created -- their overall wait ended up being 8 months, start to finish.  Eight months may not seem very long, but I think it felt excruciating to this sweet family, because they presented on SO many cases, and were never se