Adoption Webinars Answer Questions for Hopeful Christian Parents

Lifetime adoption webinars for Christian familiesAre you considering moving forward with Christian adoption?

We want to share some great free webinars that will answer questions from parents like you. Adoption webinar shares helpful resources with the professionals from Lifetime Adoption. They will answer questions, share stories, and provide resources for families considering adoption.

You can register by visiting this page and signing up.

It’s a great first start to take the opportunity to learn more!
 
 

Adoption FAQ: Is Working with a Christian Adoption Professional Important?

Adoption expertI believe that it is, but sometimes it is not always possible.  For instance, if you are adopting through your state or county, you will be working with governmental entities or government contracts.  Choosing a Christian provider will not usually be possible.

With the dawn of the internet, came the ease with which many organizations are able to offer nationwide adoption help.  That opened up the opportunities for families to have a wider variety of professionals to choose from.

Keep in mind that you will work with many adoption professionals during your adoption.  While their values are important, so too is their adoption experience.  You should ensure that you are working with a professional who has years of experience in the type of adoption you are seeking — don’t choose one based on their faith alone.  Similarly, don’t choose an attorney or home study provider who may offer you a very low price because they are friends of a friend or someone from church.  You need to know that the professional you are entrusting your family to is qualified and experienced to get the job done.

It is always acceptable to state that your family has Christian faith and values, and you are hoping to work with someone who shares that.  It is especially important during the wait to adoption for Christian families.  We know that our wait is often in God’s time, and having an adoption professional who can help and encourage you from the same perspective is invaluable!

I often say that your family is the most important thing you will ever build, yet many people put more thought into a home remodel or vacation plans.  Take the time to get to know who you want to work with. Pray about it. And trust that God will guide you where He would have you be.

 
 

Trust in God During Your Adoption Journey

Christian adoption prayer
Guest post from adoptive mother Jane: In 1 Samuel 16:7 we learn “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  When our hearts soften to the idea of adoption, we realize that love is not based on biological connection, or attractiveness or skin color. God opens our eyes to a bigger world, where family is not who you are, but what you do! Love and relationship trumps all, when God is in the mix!

When I think about my husband and my close friends, it feels as if time has stood still. When I look at them, I see who they are inside and the wonderful times we have spent together. I don’t see the wrinkles and obvious signs of age, because I see their heart. I love them for who they are and not their outward appearance.

God sees each of us with ultimate clarity. He loves our spirit and our heart. Our exterior is a shell God looks past to our true essence. He connects with the part of us that will never die; the part that will join our Heavenly Father in His wonderful kingdom! God sees what we can be!

When your heart is open to God’s plan, anything is possible! He has a child picked out for your family. He can see beyond the superficial to the tender heart beneath. God wants to bring into your life a child that will complement the unique needs and characteristics of your family. Do you trust God enough to lay your family at His feet?
 

“Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.”

-Matthew 5:8

 
 

How Will You Use Your ‘Talents?’

Explore the possibilities for your family through adoption!In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus uses the parable of the talents to reveal His desire for us to use His gifts wisely. When we invest the gifts and actual talents God gives each of us wisely we build confidence and trust in His provisions, and repay His trust in our ability to tend His gifts with care.

Often this lesson is preached as a way to manage finances or material gain. But God’s provisions aren’t always material. He gives us each gifts, talents, and abilities which are unique and totally qualified for use right now, as well as in the future when He calls upon them.

Along a path to parenthood, God awards gifts such as a yearning to be a parent, a nurturing heart, and patience for children. But sometimes when hopeful parents endure hurdles or waiting as they attempt to build their family, those initial gifts and talents for parenting feel more like burdens. It’s easy to wonder why you’d be given talents or abilities, or the desire, if you couldn’t use them yet. Some will even fear their gift will never be used.

If you’re hoping to become a parent, or grow your family, reflect on the probability that God may have given you the desire and knack for parenthood because He’s preparing you for the child in your future. As you wait for your child, find ways to use your gifts for nurturing or care-giving to bless others. Invest your talents now in a way that will benefit your future as a parent.

Finally, consider the possibility that the calling to parenthood is a gift too. God will not invest such a gift if He doesn’t have plans to harvest it. Through prayer, discern how He may be leading you to use your passions, dreams, gifts and talents. He will reveal his immediate steps that will ultimately lead you to His plan for your future as a parent.

How will you respond when He asks you invested His gift?
If you feel called to build your family through adoption, take the steps necessary to explore and pursue this option.
Learn more or apply to adopt!

 
 

Will You Answer the Call to Adopt?

Has the Lord called you to adopt a baby?It is heartwarming to see the flood of families that have been called to adoption these past few months. With the downturn in the economy, added pressures have overwhelmed many young birth moms. At an increasing rate, they are choosing to find adoptive families for their babies, rather than face the seemingly insurmountable struggle of trying to raise a child without resources and support. Because of this, Christian adoption centers such as Lifetime Adoption are constantly looking for couples to match with birth moms that have decided to step out in faith and start the adoption process.

You were created to make a difference! Only the Lord knows His mighty plans for you. If He has weighed you down with a desire that you can’t seem to shake, then it is time to stop and ask the Lord to reveal His plan. Taking a chance and stepping out of one’s comfort zone it not an easy thing to do! It requires trust in our Heavenly Father and trust in our ability to hear His call.

Maybe you have struggled to give birth to a child for so long, that you are ready to walk away from your dream of being a parent all together. You feel as if you have no control over your body and your life. Well, this is the year of the Lord’s favor! In Isaiah 61:2-3, God reminds us that He will comfort those who mourn and create beauty out of ashes. He goes on to declare that He will plant great works in you so His kingdom will be glorified.

Do not lose heart! You were meant to read this at these particular cross roads in your life. You were destined to hear these words for a reason. Are you meant to parent through the wonderful process of adoption? Ask the Lord for His answer and He will make it clear to you. There is an old saying that God’s Light shines brighter in the darkness. Can you see it?

 
 

The Most Important Element of Adoption Success

calledEven if you’ve hired the best adoption professional you can find, your home study is complete, you’ve painstakingly created a gorgeous profile, and your suitcase is packed and waiting at the door – you could STILL be overlooking this one powerful component for adoption success:

Show her that you care about her!

Here are six ways to extend yourself to a birthmother and show her that you truly appreciate her:

  1. Ask her how she is feeling today and if there’s anything you can do to help her feel more comfortable, whether physically, or emotionally. Show her that you are interested in her well being, and it’s not just “all about the baby.” Show her you see her as a unique person, not just the gateway to your soon-to-be child. Even if she doesn’t ask you to do anything for her, at least she knows you offered.
  1. Take her lead with the hospital plan. Does she want you in the delivery room? Does she seem to be more of a private person? Does she want to take photos together? How does she feel about seeing and holding the baby? Who does she want to hold the baby first? Honor her wishes. These are the final parenting decisions she is able to make. The next 18 years are up to you!
  1. Care about her and where she wants her life to go. Ask her about her goals and dreams, her interests. Instead of asking all the questions about the health of the baby (which you will likely learn through medical records, anyway). These are stories you can share with your child. Maybe your son or daughter shows an athletic gift – you will be able to say, “Your birthmother was a big soccer star at her high school!”
  1. Never judge her, and always accept her just as she is. Here is the woman who is going to hand you her baby, trusting you will love this child as your own. The past is the past and can’t be undone. If you really think about it, any one of us could be one event away from being in very similar circumstances.
  1. Be decisive and clear in your responses to her. Don’t leave her hanging in the balance for more than just a few hours at the most. If you need time to discuss things privately or pray over something, be honest, but don’t keep her waiting. She may start to question your commitment to her baby.
  1. Follow through with your commitments. It’s very likely that you are the most stable figures in her life at this time. She is going out on a limb to trust you. If you have promised something, follow through with it. This also extends to after the adoption. Be sure you send her the letters and photos you promised. Show her that she is a valued, important person in your life, and that she is not forgotten.

 
 

Want to Learn About Domestic, Infant Adoption?

Learn about domestic adoption through a free adoption webinarFor anyone thinking about building a family through adoption, Lifetime Adoption’s Webinars will feature questions from families in all stages of exploring or pursuing adoption.

By signing up and joining in on Lifetime’s webinars, you will be able to ask your questions and discover answers that will help you decide the next best step toward building your family. Please join us for your opportunity to participate in Lifetime’s most popular resource for families thinking about adopting.

When you register you’ll receive an email with the link or phone number you’ll need to join us live.

You may attend by PHONE or ONLINE from a computer, or your Smart Phone. To attend using your iPhone or Droid download a free webinar app. (Please refer to your personal data plan to find out if charges may apply to attend from your cell phone using this app.)

We’re looking forward to your questions!

 
 

Searching for a Mother’s Day Gift? Consider an Adoption Prayer Bracelet

Are you searching for a Mother’s Day gift for the adoptive mother on your list? Adoptive mother Mardie Caldwell has designed the Adoption Prayer Bracelet, as a reminder to pray for adoption.  After withstanding seven pregnancy losses, Caldwell’s prayers of becoming a mother were answered by the miracle of adoption.

All of our Adoption Prayer Bracelets are tenderly created by hand in the United States with prayer and patience. Every bracelet has a 1″ custom heart-shaped pewter adoption charm which reads “My Adoption Prayer” on one side, and “Pray Without Ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17) on the other side.

Included with each bracelet is a special bracelet travel bag and prayer card.

An Adoption Prayer Bracelet is an affordable gift; they are a beautiful reminder of the promise of adoption.

Open your heart to adoption with this lovely handmade glass and/or natural gem beaded bracelet. Bracelets come in various vibrant and contemporary colors.

Any and all profit made on sales of our Adoption Prayer Bracelets go to assist the Lifetime Adoption Foundation, a non-profit charity focused solely on the needs in adoption. Visit AdoptionPrayerBracelet.com to view color choices and purchase.

 
 

Hannah’s Prayer – Holding Tight When We Can No Longer Fight

For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.

Hannah was a woman of prayer and praise. In the Old Testament times, barrenness was considered a big disgrace. Hannah’s situation was worsened by the fact that her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, was able to bear many sons and daughters. Yet, Hannah waited on the Lord and prayed fervently for a child. In time, God began to intervene on her behalf and blessed her with a son. Isn’t it heartening to know that God sees every single tear we shed in hopes of becoming a mother?

Now, we don’t know how long Hannah had to wait for her blessing. But, as women, we do know the pain and frustration she must have felt with every passing month. Today, there are so many online forums discussing infertility issues, where women discuss and dissect every pregnancy symptom, both real and imaginary! Hannah could have just as easily worried herself to death by sharing her pain and suffering with every female relative and friend. But, instead of turning to someone or something, she turned to God in prayer. Every couple battling infertility can learn from Hannah’s example. Don’t run to the phone when your suffering becomes unbearable, but run to the throne of God.

The Bible says that God’s ways are different from ours and His thoughts are not the same as ours. It is God’s plan to bless us with godly offspring. Sometimes, He may choose us to be parents of children who are not biologically ours. But, the call remains the same: to raise children in an atmosphere of love, security, trust, and in knowledge of the abundant grace and love of Jesus Christ. If you believe that God is calling you to adoption, pray for Him to guide you and lead you to the right professionals who can help you with your adoption needs and concerns. Just remember that God has plans to bless you and to give you a hope and a future! (Jeremiah 29:11)

 
 

God Wants to Be Involved in Your Adoption Plans. Do You Want the Same?

O God, You are my God;

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water. The New King James Version., Ps 63:1 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982)
 
While every Christian knows that prayer is an important part of one’s relationship with God, how many of us can really mean the words of the Psalmist when we say it aloud? Do we seek God with every fiber of our being, just as we would run to water when we are parched and in a desert? How many of us spend time with God before we let the busyness of our everyday lives consume our thoughts and our time? Prayer should not be the last resort for the believer; it should be the first step. When we are faced with making major, life-altering decisions, why should we rely on our own intelligence when God knows the end from the beginning? The adoption process can be fraught with difficulties and challenges. When you rely on your own material and physical resources, you may end up discouraged and exhausted. But, when you bring God into the equation you can rest assured that He cares about every detail of your life and will work them all out for your good (Romans 8:28).

Adoption is one of the most life-changing decisions a couple can make. For some it can be a natural and spontaneous outpouring of their love and desire to make a difference in a child’s life. For others, it can be the result of infertility and many years of exhausting and traumatic medical treatments gone in vain. Whichever be the case, it is still a very big decision; one where you need to involve God right from the word ‘go’.

Involving God in your adoption plans is the best way to make sure that your plans are in alignment with His will and plan for your future. Praying to God can be compared to the amount of time people spend in National Parks. A survey in 1983 found that the average time spent in all forty-eight parks was a paltry 4 and one-half hours! You cannot expect to experience and enjoy the magnificent scenes of nature within that time frame. You cannot listen and smell nature in all her glory when you run through a national park. Sadly, most Christians run through prayer the same way. While God doesn’t time the length of our prayers, it is our loss when we don’t wait on the Lord, meditate on His Word, soak in His presence, and listen to His still small voice. Spend time with God and surrender your adoption plans to Him. Acknowledge that His ways are not your ways and His thoughts are not the same as yours (Isaiah 55:8-9), but they are far higher than our highest thoughts. Yield to His will and ask God to show you how to make the right decisions to stay in His perfect will.