There's certainly no disguising by today's blog post title what this month is--so if you aren't aware, November has been designated in the U.S. as National Adoption Month. It's fun for us to reflect back to a year ago, as this was the month in 2011 when we applied to our agency to adopt and began letting everyone in on this little secret.
However, this month is about much more than adoption. Some of you may read this and immediately dismiss this post thinking "this has nothing to do with me", but I challenge you to continue reading. It has everything to do with you because this month is more than just adoption focus; it is a month that people throughout our nation- numerous ministries, adoption and foster care agencies, and churches around the world, have set aside time to educate others and follow the Biblical mandate (more details on this topic later) to focus on the needs of orphans globally and those in our foster care system here in the U.S.
Now you might be reading this and think an orphan means a child somewhere in another part of the world who no longer has parents. While this can be partly true, even though there are millions of orphans around our globe that do not have a family, there are an estimated 400,000-500,000 children in our own U.S. foster care system who are also in need of a loving forever family. Though our family has personally chosen to adopt internationally, we still understand there is a great need all around the world, including the U.S., and recognize that God directs each family differently in this area. We encourage you to click below to learn more about:
During the month of November, we want to highlight some very practical and helpful information and provide you with some incredible resources that will not only educate you, but will challenge your faith in a greater way. (which just might frighten a few of you out there- so get ready-- we just might make you wiggle a little bit and feel a little God-given tension, which last I checked was actually a good thing) We plan to highlight some of the following areas this month:
- Ministries and organizations doing some great things for orphans & foster care
- Books that everyone should read to both educate and challege you in living out your faith
- Practical resources for families, as well as churches, to educate children and youth on their level to understand what it is like to be an orphan
- Financial Resources for helping fund your adoption
- Prayer resources, so that you can be praying specifically in these areas
- Radio broadcasts and podcasts this month focusing on adoption, orphans, foster care, and adoption stories
- Fun and inspiring videos that we think you will enjoy. (we will start today off with one of them)
We will also have some guests who have previously adopted, be our "guests" this month in posting their stories on our blog, so we think you'll enjoy what they have to say. (and don't worry, I'll mix in some fun reads as well of course- as we certainly can't be serious the entire time) I believe that you will find this next month of posts will be of interest to you if you fall into one or more of the following categories below:
You love children and youth & believe that God loves them more than you do
You want to do something to live out your faith practically
You are a family who is in the process of adopting
You are a family who has previously adopted
You are considering adopting (maybe this year or who knows-5 years from now)
You know someone adopting
You are interested in foster care
You are interested in learning more about orphans both in the U.S. and globally
You are breathing (ok, so basically this includes everyone reading this, right?)
So, to kick of this first day of National Adoption Month (and it counts as it's still November 1 in parts of the U.S. still) here is a video we thought we'd share. I have to admit, I almost didn't use it because the author of it didn't spell a word right in the beginning of the video; however, I decided to look beyond that minor detail and focus on what was really important- the message. Click below and enjoy this video compliments of resources provided by Christian Alliance for Orphans.
Happy National Adoption Month!
No comments:
Post a Comment