Mother Teresa's Secret Fire

Unless you become...

In the deepest recesses of the human heart of every grown man and woman is  a child......the child within is the most authentic part of our being, that which is without pretension, affectation, the true, the humble self......

This is the child God wants to pick up and lay upon his breast, this is the child that Mary wants to feed and nurture unto eternal life, the true little, authentic self.....

Man may strive to make all kinds of heroic efforts to please God, serve God, pray to God, but what God desires is simply our hearts and love....that gift is within the possibly of all, and that is Gods justice, wisdom and love.....

Behold the Parenthood within the Trinity... that is our mirror.

 

Part II from a Poor Clare Colettine Sister (TMD community)

for Part I go to As a little child...

Exploring Adoption FYI

Exploring Adoption

'The Adoption Network' I'm passionate about helping churches and faith-based organizations start adoption/orphan care ministries.

In the November issue of Adoption World e-zine, I announced that I am donating copies of my book, The Adoption Network:

Your Guide to Starting a Support System, to churches, denominations, seminaries, para-church organizations, and faith-based adoption events.

What a response! During the past two weeks, I have shipped out over 700 books! People have ordered anywhere from one to 200+ copies at a time. Several church denominations have requested copies for every church in their region.

Now that I'm relatively caught up, I thought I'd let the rest of the world know about my mega-ministry book donation.

A bit about the book:
The Adoption Network is a 112-page, softcover workbook for those who want to start a face-to-face community of support for adoptive and foster parents, first/birth parents, and/or adopted people of all ages.

The book provides step-by-step instructions and worksheets for how to: develop a mission statement plan a budget recruit leader ship create workshops, support groups, social events, mentoring programs, and more. While The Adoption Network specifies how to create faith-based ministries, it is generic enough that it can be used for any type of adoption network. The book retails for $9.99, so getting multiple copies for the price of shipping/packaging is deal that can't be beat.

The generosity of some dear friends enabled me to purchase several thousand copies of The Adoption Network (yes, authors have to purchase our own books!).

I'm "paying it forward" by donating copies of my book to ministries. Do you know people who could use this handbook? Whether it's one individual, a planning team of 20, a regional governing body of 200, or a conference of 2,000, I will donate copies of The Adoption Network.

I request two things:
You pay shipping (let me know how many books you need and I'll calculate actual shipping costs).You "pay it forward" by giving the books to those who can use them. Feel free to use the books as door prizes (not door stops), as small group study guides, and as gifts for church leaders and others interested in adoption/orphan ministry.

Contact me today: laura@laurachristianson.com, and we'll set up your book shipment.

Tell everyone you know about the ministry giveaway of The Adoption Network, and feel free to link to this post or reprint it on your own blog/Web site.

Foster Care or Adoption: That Is the Question? ~ Guest Post from Heidi Hess Saxton

*This has been reposted as of, September 30, 2008. This post has had search problems, because of human error. If you have been searching for this post and have had problems, please accept my humble appologies. "Foster Care or Adoption: That Is the Question?" can also be found on the main Hannah's Tears blog site under Septembers listing. Thank you for your patience and prayers. God Bless!

Post from Main Site: Friday, September 12, 2008

I would like to welcome my sister in Christ, Heidi Hess Saxton. I am very grateful to her for coming to my aide on how to discern foster care and adoption.I have to admit, I know nothing about this, except for those whom I have known that adopted or were adopted. Heidi comes to answer many questions to put our minds to rest but maybe it will lead us to pray more deeply and maybe consider the question, "Is God asking me to adopt?

"That is the question in many of our hearts these days. How do we answer this question and put it to rest in our minds and hearts? Prayer and more prayer... and then there's more....read on....

Should We Consider Adoption or Foster Care?

A Guest Post by Heidi Hess Saxton

Founder of the "Extraordinary Moms Network"

"How did you and your husband decide to become foster parents?"

It's a question people frequently ask me when they discover we foster-adopted our two children. Most often, their tone indicates that we have done something extraordinary, even heroic.

In reality, no hand from heaven came down to deliver a special invitation to us. No angel materialized on our doorstep, kids in tow. Instead, God used our natural desires to have a family; a series of doors presented themselves to us, which we tested one at a time until we found the one that had our children behind it.

Door One: Acknowledge Grief and Fear

From the beginning, we knew that it would be highly unlikely that the ordinary path to parenthood was in store for us. A fertility specialist confirmed that my medical history and or ages made it unlikely that we would conceive without assistance. And yet, we were sure of two things: (1) If God wanted us to become parents, it would happen in His way, in His time. (2) We refused to let infertility wreak havoc on our marriage, as it had preoccupied and even destroyed the marriages of other couples we knew. We remained open and trusting, simply taking life one day at a time.

I was very fortunate in that Craig and I always seemed to be on the same page where these decisions were concerned. I knew couples where one - usually the woman - longs to enlarge their family, while the other is content just as things are. One is eager to adopt ... while the other holds back because of the expense, or the inconvenience, or out of fear of what adding an "unknown quantity" might do to the existing family dynamic.

Door Two: Gather Information

In situations like this, it's important to arrive at a mutual decision based not on fears, but facts. Talk with other adoptive and foster parents to find out the names of reputable agencies in your area - then go to an information meeting or two. Online sources are also available; websites like adoption.com or tools like the "Adoption Guide Planner" can help you decide which kind of adoption for foster plan is best suited to your family situation.

Adoption need not be expensive, especially if you consider foster care or foster-adoption. You do not even need to own your own home, and a wide variety of resources are available to assist couples with more heart than money. In the state of Michigan, for example, children adopted out of the foster care system continue to receive the monthly subsidy and medical insurance benefits that they received while they were wards of the state; they are also eligible for a variety of benefits ranging from free hot lunches to free college tuition.

Neither is the age of a couple necessarily a barrier. Remember that no two children are the same, or have the same level of need. Couples who feel too old to do the "diaper brigade" may be a godsend for a grade-school child or teenager whose opportunities for a real home diminish with each passing year. Those who long for a baby - but who are willing to open their hearts a little wider, to include the infant's older brothers or sisters - can find the blessings multiply with the challenges. In many cases, families willing to consider a child with special needs (both temporary, due to trauma, and more long-term physical and developmental needs) or a biracial child often discover that love comes in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Door Three: Prepare Yourself

So what do you need to be a good foster or adoptive parent?

Patience. Whether dealing with bureaucratic red tape, a toddler who hides food in the closet, or a boy-crazy teen, you will have ample opportunity to practice virtue.

Support. Even experienced parents will quickly discover that adoption and foster care is an "extended family affair." When extended family lives too far away to be of practical assistance, it becomes that much more important to cultivate a support network - even if you have to pay for it temporarily. (In the beginning, a large chunk of our subsidy checks were spent on babysitters and housekeepers.)

Faith. Adoptive and foster parenting is not for wimps, or for those with an over-inflated sense of self-reliance. Extraordinary parenting (investing yourself in the life of a child you did not bring into the world yourself) requires spiritual strength, cultivated through prayer and the sacraments.Time. A child that comes to you through adoption and foster care will often require special attention, especially in the first months that he or she joins the family. Especially for the first six months or so, the child needs one primary caregiver to assist with the bonding process. Depending on how he came to you, he may also have physical and emotional problems that may not immediately present themselves. Remember... parenting is a marathon, not a sprint!

Door Four: Make a Choice

As you gather the information you need, continue to ask the Holy Spirit to make your way clear to you. Remember that while God calls us to take up certain challenges in life, ultimately the choice is ours to make. Adoption and foster care is an adventure for the whole family ... and yet, timing is very important.

For example, you may decide to postpone adding to your family until your youngest child is in school, or even wait until all your children are fully grown. Or you may decide that a younger sibling is just what you and your children need to grow in virtue!If after gathering the information you need to make your decision together, and you conclude that adoption and foster care is not appropriate at this time, there are other ways to make a difference in the life of a child. You can volunteer as a tutor or mentor through your local school or "Big Brother/Big Sister" program. Become a CASA volunteer, who befriends and advocates for foster children currently in the system. Volunteer as a respite worker for foster or single parents. Host a fundraiser to assist families from your church who are pursuing international adoption, or organize special needs children, and offer them practical support - even sitting with the child while they go to Mass for an hour of uninterrupted prayer.If you have a heart for kids ... there are always children who need you!

Heidi Hess Saxton is the founder of the Extraordinary Moms Network and the author of "Raising Up Mommy: Virtues for Difficult Mothering Moments."

Patron Saints for Adoption

St. Clotilde

St. Thomas More

St. William of Rochester

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta


Please find many sites available on this site that may help you with your adoption process. Also check out our friend Heidi Hess Saxton's site: Extraordinary Moms Network and her adoption support.

Blessings to you as your build your family!