I’ll never forget the day a 4-year-old little girl bounced into our lives! She came in like a wrecking ball, and I knew from day one of her being in foster care with us that our lives would be forever changed. We saw so much growth and life restored, and it was a joy to …
Foster Care
Family life can be crazy, comfortable, and yes, even complicated. I’m flooded with memories of my own life—and all of these words apply. My nuclear family during my growing-up years was all of those things, but we had the added experience of also being an adoptive family. I was in foster care, my sister was …
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4 (NIV) Tweet “A watched pot will never boil.” I remember hearing my grandmother say that phrase over and over again, reminding me to have patience and let things play out. I hated that phrase because it always …
There are close to 340,000 children in the U.S. foster system. Foster care doesn’t exist without loss—significant loss, confusion, and trauma—within moments of the very first separation. Yet, despite the challenges they face, children in foster care who have experienced disruption show remarkable resilience. Statistics then go on to tell us that most children in …
There are many bible verses about foster care and adoption. They show us God’s heart for vulnerable children and our call to care for them.
When an infant is developing in the womb, all the birth mother’s experiences, feelings, and anything she eats or drinks positively or negatively affect the baby. Many children who end up being adopted have in-utero or childhood trauma. This means their brains literally formed around chaos and stress. Sometimes when these children start to grow, parents …
It is a thrilling and transformative journey when foster care and the Church intersect! We understand the village’s crucial role in these families’ lives, and our church volunteers and partners are instrumental in providing them with the support, love, and life-changing experiences they need. The Church should be a beacon of hope for the children …
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NIV) Tweet When I think of having hope for the future, this picture of our family gathered around the dinner table is …
What is a foster parent? James 1:27 provides us the information we need to define the role.
During my freshman year of college, I experienced for the first time the intense emotions provoked by saying the words, “pro-life.” While walking to class, I told my classmate about my new coworker, saying, “I don’t know much about him, but I know we’re both pro-life.” This innocent, perceptive statement opened the floodgates of emotion in …
We are often drawn to people who are completely distinct from us. What begins as an exciting difference can become an estranged disconnection in times of stress. Usually, as couples, we respond in opposite ways to a crisis. If we aren’t careful, these differences that draw us to each other in the good times will pull us …
Cocooning is a fantastic opportunity to bond with a child who is new to your household. If cocooning is a new concept to you, consider it an adjustment and transition time for the entire family. There are a lot of different dynamics that may accompany a new child coming into your home. Some of those …
Tim and Katie Nester are currently parenting seven children. Their unique family challenges them to show steadfast love in action every day.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 Tweet As our family grew, we often found ourselves in uncharted waters, facing behaviors and situations we had never anticipated. As parents, we have …
“So, they’re like sea monkeys?” was the question I asked in my 10th-grade human physiology class when first learning about frozen embryos via IVF. Sea monkeys, a type of brine shrimp popular with children, “come to life” through cryptobiosis—a suspended animation state that animals enter in harsh conditions and exit when the environment improves. Although …
As a mom to many, I often hear the phrase, “I just don’t know how you do it all!” My immediate response to those comments typically falls along the lines of, “Oh, believe me, I don’t. It takes teamwork as a family, and it takes a village!” For my husband and I, teamwork is essential. …
“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life …
So you think you want to become a foster parent? Feeling called to foster care can be a profoundly fulfilling and joyous experience. You may have been inspired by a sermon, moved by statistics, or felt confident raising your biological children. Why not extend your love to a few more? The question may be, ‘Am …
Parenting is hard, and so is learning to self-regulate as a parent. It would be difficult to find a parent who disagrees with that statement. However, good news is embedded in that statement, too. Parenting is hard because you’re trying to be a good parent. You’re not just meeting your children’s physical needs; you’re meeting …
When we think of a precious child, we should first start with a definition of the word. Precious translates from a Hebrew word that can mean dear, expensive, costly, heavy, or grievous. We were all created in the image of God, which on its own makes us precious. The reality is that sometimes children with …