The lifelong impact of ACEs is clearly significant, and I think it is something we should be talking about more.
Adoption
The impact of trauma on children is significant. The first three years of a child’s life create their blueprint for life. Children are vulnerable and unable to meet their own needs during their early years. When a child’s needs are met by a caring, consistent, and calm adult, the child attaches and thrives. In contrast, …
No one else had told us about the long-term effects of trauma on children’s brains, behavior, and belief systems.
If you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, or your life intersects with children in any way, you must think and talk about child abuse.
It’s amazing the relationships that have been born out of the Socialight program.
Lorie had given up on her desire to be a parent, but that was before she met Natalie.
Roses are Red. Violets are blue. You probably remember these words from childhood. Like me, you might have even used them to create the perfect, colorful birthday card for a loved one. I can picture my crayon box emptied out on the table as I chose the perfect hue. I seem to remember a preference …
When is something not easy, but still amazing? Jessica Long’s story is inspiring for us all.
Our church has been engaged in Adoption and Foster Care for more than ten years now. We believe our calling as God’s people is to care for vulnerable children, giving them hope and a future. Throughout our journey over the past ten years of pressing into this calling, we have seen many families at Mosaic …
“I’ve only come to do Your will.” These may be words that we have uttered many times, but really, what does this mean for each individual? For me, it means trying to understand God’s purpose for my life and how my work – professionally with the child welfare system, and personally. Trying to see if …
Foster and adoptive families, ministries, and organizations should know the value of a team better than anyone. We have all benefited from excellent training that shed light on what we saw in our homes. Some of us have traveled internationally with a group with whom we now have a lifetime bond. We have been in …
During this time of sheltering in, I pulled out the book, The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. I had initially read the book in 2002. Isn’t that who we are, people called to live a life of purpose? Do you know your purpose? He writes on page 148, “Humility is not thinking more of …
As Christmas approaches, I have been thinking about the gifts God has given me this year. As with you, I received some gifts that I wouldn’t have asked for and didn’t want to open. However, it is a comfort that I don’t have to understand everything in my life because the God of wisdom understands …
By modern standards, Mary, the mother of Jesus, did not have the easiest set of circumstances. By Biblical standards, her unexpected news must have left her family overwhelmed, heartbroken, and hurt. Could she have been termed an at-risk teen? She was probably 14-years-old when she realized she was pregnant. Now anyone who has ever been …
“Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 117
I loved watching my grandma layer together her quilts on the giant wooden frame that filled her entire living room. Grandma’s quilts had beautiful, hand-pieced tops and a durable quilt back. There were layers of batting sandwiched in between, all held together by the intricate pattern of her meticulous hand-stitching. Grandma’s quilts were beautiful, warm, …
What do we do when trauma leaves us with feelings of rejection and abandonment? Are there scriptures for healing a broken heart?
In 2018, nearly 690,000 children spent time in U.S. foster care. Sadly, many of those children will find there are not enough foster families to accommodate them in their community. In some cases, children are being placed with families hours away from their homes, schools, and everything familiar to them. In other cases, they aren’t …
When I was asked as an adoptive mother and foster-care advocate to reflect this season on what it means to be thankful, I had to look up the meaning of thankful. According to Websters Dictionary, it states, conscious of benefit received, expressive of thanks, well pleased: GLAD. I have had to be intentional about what …
November is National Adoption Month and chances are that if you are reading this blog post, that you have a special place in your heart for kids who are in care. You may or may not realize that we can each play a vital part in enhancing the lives of children and youth in foster …
