Tis The Season For Special Events!

I'm back after a little breather from blogging...I love sharing new ideas and connecting through The Journey of Adoption, and yet, sometimes, I find that daily casework must take precedent over these more innovative branches of our agency.  That is where I have been the past couple of weeks - returning phone calls, assisting with searches, processing counseling cases, planning upcoming events, hosting support groups, etc.!

There are two major events in November that we are hosting (2010 Winter Market and the "Celebrate Adoption" Skating Party) and we want to see you!  They fall on the same weekend, so it's a wonderful opportunity for those of you who aren't too far away to plan a trip into Lynchburg for the weekend.

1)  The 2010 Winter Market will be the melting pot of vendors and merchants...a perfect kick-off for the Christmas Season! Make plans now to come and enjoy the unique items at this show at Liberty University’s Schilling Center in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Friday, November 19th: Show Preview 6-9pm (Admission $7)
Saturday, November 20th: 10-6pm (Admission $5)
Sunday, November 21st: 1-4pm (Admission $5)

*Kids 12 and under are free **Sponsored by WSET & Flavours Catering by Design

All proceeds from admission will benefit the Liberty Godparent Foundation. This year's market will be a shopping extravaganza that you won't want to miss!  Visit the Facebook page linked above for a list of vendors that will be updated weekly from now until the event.  For further information or to request a vendor information packet, please contact Kris Richard at 434.592.4400 or karichard@liberty.edu.

2)  The "Celebrate Adoption" Skating Party is on Saturday, November 20th from 4 - 5:45 p.m. at the LaHaye Ice Center in Lynchburg, VA.  FLS would like to invite families touched by domestic or international adoption to join us for our 6th Annual Ice Skating Party!  Foster families, birth families, waiting adoptive families, and adoptive families are welcome.  There is no admission charge for ice skating, skate rentals are free, and refreshments will be provided.  RSVP to Deanne Hamlette at dhamlette@liberty.edu or RSVP on the Facebook Events Page linked above. 

Tis the season for fun, food, family & friends!

Birth Mother Pottery Group - A Different Kind of Therapy!

Last night, we hosted our monthly Birth Mother Support Group at the Liberty Godparent Home.  It was a different kind of group - no discussion plans, no gut-wrenching poems to read, no expectations for each person to share something with the group about her adoption journey...instead, we painted pottery!

To some, this may sound like a silly and frivolous plan and yet we wanted to provide an activity for women with similar experiences to connect on another level...a real-life, everyday kind of level where we can appreciate each person for their style, creativity, zest for life, imagination, etc.  So, they came in jeans & pj's and indulged in chocolate, cookies, chips, and soda while settling in for an evening of relaxation. 

Many of the 15 ladies in attendance have been coming to the group for years (some as many as 8 years) and others were newly acquainted to the group.  As the evening progressed, we found 3 groups of ladies gathered around tables talking about life, love, family, school, work, and adoption.

Several of the women chose to create something as a gift to the child whom they placed with an adoptive family.  This gift will be priceless, unique, and encompasses the eternal love that a birth mother feels for her child. 

Was this group complicated or counseling-oriented?  No.  Was it therapeutic?  Absolutely.  We're learning that sometimes the best plan comes when you think outside the box!

Lifetime Adoption Foundation - Educational Scholarships for Birth Parents

The Lifetime Adoption Foundation has been an organization that we have often referred birth parents to when looking at pursuing educational opportunities.  They believe that birth parents who have chosen adoption for their children deserve the opportunity for a future after adoption in the same way that they have made decisions to provide their child with a healthy future.  Birth mothers or birth fathers may apply for scholarship funds and they award 80-90% of applicants with a scholarship of $50 - $500.  Here is the criteria for scholarship and information about the application process.  Although the funding is limited, every little bit helps!

We have the scholarship packet available on PDF at our office as well.  If you would like us to send you the information, we can forward it via email.

Lemonade 4 Life!

One of the most thrilling parts of this week has been learning about the life-saving efforts of two little girls, Eliana (5) and Eden (3), who wanted to do something to make a difference.  These girls not only wanted to participate in our Baby Bottle Campaign, they wanted to get their neighborhood and community involved as well.  They set up a lemonade stand and worked 7 hours.....raising over $100 for the Liberty Godparent Foundation!  These girls really "got it" and totally rocked the Baby Bottle Campaign!

Lemonade 4 Life

We have all heard the term when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That stems from the thought that lemons themselves are sour and bad. Actually they have a great flavor; they’re just concentrated and need to be blended with other ingredients to create a wonderful finished product. Lemons are great in things like cakes, pies, and lemonade, but not so good in coffee or mashed potatoes. Sometime life throws us things that we think are less than ideal, like for instance an unplanned pregnancy.

The addition of a baby is often the fulfillment of a desire, although in other cases the timing or circumstances may not be suitable to give a child what they need. In such cases, pregnancy resource centers and adoption agencies such as The Liberty Godparent Home & Family Life Services are there to help young ladies with the resources they need or the option of placing their child in a loving home through adoption.

As humans we can many times focus on the inconvenient circumstances without searching for the beauty in a finished product. Sometimes the sweetest things come in small concentrated packages.

Many adults wouldn't stick at something for 7 hours and could certainly learn a lot from Eliana & Eden's hard work, dedication, and motivation to volunteer their time and get involved in a cause they believe in.  Their parents, Bev & Brooke, have obviously planted seeds of kindness, love, and care for others at an early age and the whole family is very supportive of our ministry. 

Eliana & Eden - you have excited our whole ministry with your love for people and desire to do something to help others.  Thank you for volunteering your time to tell others about the Liberty Godparent Home & Family Life Services and your selfless gift of money to help young women and babies!