🎧 Listen to episodeDo you feel like you’re constantly on the defensive? Having accusations flung at you on what seems like a daily basis? From big accusations from the outside to constant smaller accusations inside the household holding you responsible for, well, everything! This used to be me. So I know how it feels. And it’s important for us to discern what’s truly our responsibility and to own up to it when we’ve missed the mark. IT’S IMPORTANT TO IDENTIFY MISPLACED GUILT & BLAME THAT YOU AS AN ADOPTIVE MOM MAY FACE, BUT NOT ALWAYS TO STRIKE OUT IN DEFENSIVENESS. We have a little booklet from our Sunday school class made up of verses submitted by different members in the class; one member submitted this verse: Isaiah 54:17  “no weapon forged against you will prevail, and he will refute every tongue that accuses you. ‘This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord”

🎧 Listen to episodeHoliday Peace PlanningWe know that holidays are beautiful, Christmas is wonderful. I love Christmas and maybe you do too. But it can also be stressful and overwhelming. And it can be a lot of different things. It can be very emotional, both good and maybe not so good negative emotions. And so for our adoptive and complex families it can be it can have another layer or 10 added to what's kind of typical and so if you're right now feeling really, really concerned about going through the rest of this holiday season going into Christmas and New Year's Eve and the school break and all the food and all the family or all the get togethers or maybe all the expectations…

How Churches Can Support Women who are Moms in Complex Families such as Adoptive Moms & Step-MomsJust imagine…You're a mom, and you're not the child's first mom. They don’t automatically look to you as their home base, as “mom”.  You feel alone, unsupported, and like you don't quite fit in anywhere, and while your church has been an integral part of your life for years, you’re feeling less and less connected, less and less understood, less and less supported.

🎧 Listen to episode[S4E1]Overcoming Isolation & Finding Support for YourselfFeeling isolated & unsupported? “It’s not just you!”

🎧 Listen to episode[S3E10]Always feeling behind? When all of you is still not enough…Being an adoptive or step mom can feel like you’ve embarked upon a daunting task to try to fill the void that your child already has. I know those types of feelings. It can feel like a tremendous responsibility. But as adoptive or step moms we must remember that we cannot make up for any losses in our children's lives – but instead can focus on providing stability for all of our children. Even as they push against that very stability they need. 

 From the paperwork & legalities to the physical and emotional tolls, there's no denying that adoption is a BIG undertaking. If you're thinking about becoming an adoptive parent, or are in the process of adopting, you're probably aware of many challenges that come with the territory.