Friday's Featured Family: Andy & Patricia

Friday's Featured Family: Andy & Patricia

Married since 2006
Reside in Virginia
Andy's Occupation: Works for a Nuclear Manufacturing Corporation
Patricia's Occupation: Works for a Commercial Insurance Company

Andy and Patricia are an active young couple with strong, traditional family values. They enjoy traveling, spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and attending live sporting events. Patricia has a kind, sweet personality and is a wonderful cook. She has a heart for others and is great with children. Andy is fun-loving, outgoing, and has a great sense of humor. He is calm, compassionate, creative, and a great problem-solver. Andy and Patricia want to give their child everything that they had growing up: love, attention, great experiences, and cherished memories. Most of all, they want to raise their child to know God’s saving grace and unconditional love and to grow into the person that God has planned for them.

Ten Random Facts About Andy & Patricia:

1. Their families are a huge part of who they are and the people they have become.

2. Friday nights are their “date nights” together.

3. Andy’s sense of humor has them laughing on Saturday mornings before they even get out of bed.

4. Patricia’s nickname is “Squish”.

5. Their best date was a Christmas light tour in a limo.

6. They enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities.

7. Patricia loves to cook and Andy loves to build things.

8. They have always been involved in serving God and others through their church.

9. They have 3 nephews and 2 nieces that they have lots of fun with.

10. They are open to having an ongoing relationship with the birth parents.

If you would like more information about any of our waiting adoptive families, please contact Family Life Services at FLS@liberty.edu

Friday's Featured Family: Sean & Shandra

Friday's Featured Family: Sean & Shandra
Married since 1996
Reside in Virginia
Sean's Occupation: College Music Professor, Guitar Teacher, Professional Musician
Shandra's Occupation: Homemaker (Formerly an Administrative Assistant)

Sean and Shandra are an active couple who enjoys traveling and experiencing new things together. They both have warm and friendly personalities that are complementary to one another. Sean loves to spend time outdoors hiking, running, and biking. He is patient and has a great sense of humor. Shandra is detail-oriented, outgoing, nurturing, creative, spontaneous, and fun-loving. In her free time, Shandra loves to read, play board games, watch movies, travel to new places, and is an exceptional cook. Sean and Shandra were foster parents to a special little boy, in the past, and look forward to sharing their home and family with a child who joins their family through adoption.

Ten Random Facts About Sean & Shandra:

1. New people who meet them often say “Sean and Shandra, that will be easy to remember!”

2. The farthest they have ever traveled together was to Bolivia where Shandra worked in a childrens’ day camp and Sean taught music.

3. Shandra went to New York City on her high school senior trip and saw 10 Broadway shows in 7 days!

4. Sean has a lot of experience working with kids. When he was growing up, he helped take care of his brothers, who are much younger than he is. He has also taught guitar one-on-one to kids of all ages, and he taught middle school and high school for one year.

5. Their first date involved watching multiple Disney movies, eating pizza, and taking a very long walk.

6. They have a vegetable garden in their backyard. They are very good at growing tomatoes but just can’t grow peas!

7. The child that they adopt will be the first grandchild on both sides of their families, and their parents are looking forward to showering love on their grandchild.

8. Shandra’s family has a tradition of singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” before opening every present on Christmas morning, no matter how long it takes.

9. They are open to incorporating a name selected by the birth parents for the child they adopt.

10. They are interested in having ongoing communication with the birth parents if they are comfortable with that. They are also willing to consider having an open adoption in the future.

If you would like more information about any of our waiting adoptive families, please contact Family Life Services at FLS@liberty.edu

Friday's Featured Family: Brandon & Hannah

Friday's Featured Family:  Brandon & Hannah
Married since 2003
Reside in North Carolina
Brandon's Occupation:  Plumber/Business Owner
Hannah's Occupation:  Baker/Works from Home Kitchen

Brandon & Hannah are a fun-loving & active couple who enjoy spending time together.  They enjoy a variety of activities such as hiking, skiing, and camping, but also enjoy relaxing on the porch swing.  They love the outdoors and try to lead a simple life, even though it can still be busy, at times.  They see life with a sense of humor and think of it as an adventure.  They look forward to the future, knowing that it is in God's hands.

Ten Random Facts About Brandon & Hannah:

1. They live close to their extended family with most of the parents, grandparents, and sisters living within 30 miles of them and they visit often.  They also have family out-of-state, but they keep in close contact and visit throughout the year.
2. Their best date ever was their 3rd date when they spontaneously took off to the mountains for a fun day trip.
3. They met 9 years ago in a coffee shop and married the following year.
4. One of Brandon's best friends was adopted as a baby, and they have friends and family who have adopted children whom their child will grow up with and know.
5. They will tell a child his or her adoption story early in their life, like a bedtime story, so that the child will always know about the birth family and how they came into the adoptive family.
6. Their favorite fun activity is being on a ski boat in the middle of the lake on a hot day.
7. They love all kinds of food but pizza is the all-time favorite.  They could just about eat it every day without any complaints!
8. One thing Brandon likes about living with Hannah is that she is a great cook and makes wonderful home cooked meals.
9. One thing Hannah likes about living with Brandon is that he does such a good job with their finances, keeping the bills and making sure that they are financially stable.
10. Following an adoption, Hannah plans to be a stay-at-home mom and is looking forward to it.

If you would like more information about any of our waiting adoptive families, please contact Family Life Services at FLS@liberty.edu.

A Fresh Look at Jeremiah 29:11

Few books have impacted me, personally and professionally, like the last one that I completed - Pregnant with Hope, by Susan Radulovacki.  I stumbled upon the website and blog initially when looking at ways to better understand the struggle with infertility and found that the information was honest, Biblical, and offered encouragement.  Whether you are currently experiencing infertility, have in the past, or know someone who is (and whether we realize it or not, we all know someone who is in the midst of it), this book will bless you and provide you with knowledge to help you or someone you know.  The following is an excerpt directly from the book that the author gave me permission to share.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord; "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  -Jeremiah 29:11

Sometimes, hearing God's voice depends on knowing how to listen for it.

Let's begin with the phrase, "For I know the plans..."  God is saying that His plans are preconceived and intentional.  They precede this moment in time, and they are not random or arbitrary.  They are neither last-minute nor a whim.  These are plans designed specifically for you, based on His knowledge of all things and His intention to bless you.

"...plans I have for you..."  I have for you.  I have.  Not plans I know you have for you, or plans I know you want Me to have for you.  These plans are God's best for you.  Because of your freedom to make choices of all kinds (free will), you may never see these plans come to fruition if you choose your plans over God's.  Sarah chose not to wait...not to believe...not to trust any plan but her own.  But note, even that did not ultimately thwart god's plan for her.

"...declares the Lord;..."  God is announcing these plans to you with conviction.  He is positive of their existence prior to their execution.  The statement, "I know the plans I have for you" carries the full weight and authority of the King who declares them.  It is so.  He is certain.

"...Plans to prosper you..." The use of active voice reinforces that God will be taking action for your benefit.  He intends to prosper you, or to set in motion the prosperity that He wills for you.  You will receive the action, receive the blessing that is His gift to you.

"...and not to harm you..." God is making two overlapping promises.  He plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Like a Venn diagram, this area of overlap indicates your maximum benefit.  He intends to help you, and not to hurt you.  He intends to lift you up, and not to hold you back.  He plans to bless you, and not to curse you.  He is for you, and not against you.

"...plans to give you hope..." The use of active voice and verb "give" reminds again that God will be taking the action; you will be on the receiving end.  He will give you hope that originates with Him.  Because He is a promise-keeping God, that hope will have a different kind of staying power than the self-based hope you prop up with busyness and frantic efforts to control.  It will be vital and full of life.  It will be sustained by His will, not just your own.

"...and a future..." Again, God makes two overlapping promises.  He will give you hope and give you a future.  Not just one or the other, but both.  One gift for the waiting time (hope), and another gift of pending blessings (a future).  One you need now; one you can await with anticipation and gratitude.  The knowledge that you have both can bring you peace - now, and always.

Taken as a whole message, these verses make clear that God is proactively planning abundant blessings for you!  Do you hear His voice of reassurance?  He is saying, "You can relinquish control and trust Me.  You can let go."  Your response should be to anticipate these blessings confidently and thrive in the meantime.

But it's not that easy

Why not?  Why is it so hard to let go?

The problem is:  "For I know..."  God has made plans that God-only knows.  The excruciating challenge is, you don't know.  And you won't know until after-the-fact.  If you are going to relinquish control to God, you will have to do so without knowing His plans.  You will have to trust Him in the midst of uncertainty.

Can you trust God to keep promises in your life - just as He does in scripture?

While I'm Waiting

Rachel Curley, Adoption Caseworker, is our guest blogger.  Rachel has several years of experience providing foster care for children in Thailand and now works directly with birth mothers and adoptive families pursuing both international and domestic adoption.

This morning, on my way to work, I heard a song I’ve heard many times before, but this morning for whatever reason it really struck a heart chord. The song was, While I’m Waiting by John Waller.  It seems in life, we are always waiting on something. Perhaps, it’s the money to buy a new car, or a promotion at work. Perhaps it’s waiting to get married, or to become parents, start school, or to graduate. Perhaps the waiting is for a job opening or a loved one to come to know the Lord. Yes, life is full of waiting. Why do we have to wait, sometimes so long that it hurts? Why does God allow us to wait? He, who holds the universe in His hands, certainly does not have to make us wait. He could answer our heart’s cries instantaneously, but so often He doesn’t. Could it be that God wants us to wait? And perhaps not just on something but on someone?

Isaiah 40:31 says, “Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength, they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”

Could there be a purpose in the waiting...something he wants us to learn...something He wants us to do...something He wants to accomplish in us? Oh, for the grace to learn to wait in a way that daily I find my strength renewed. I desire to learn to exercise confidence in God’s perfect timing.

The Highs and Lows of "Dating" Birthparents

Prospective adoptive families who are waiting for a domestic infant adoption placement often draw comparisons between "the wait" in adoption and the dating process.  Can any of you remember the teenage years, when you first began to date and think about the possibility of marriage?  You wonder if you will fall head over heels for your first boyfriend/girlfriend, worry about if someone will ever "choose" you as their life partner, and fear having your heart broken in the process.  I'm sure that more than one of us can recall trying to become what we thought the other person would like, but that is often an exhausting charade to keep up for more than a few weeks.  Similar feelings can translate when you are waiting to see if there are birth parents who will feel that they match with your family for a lifelong relationship centered around one, tiny baby.

Families have expressed fears of not being rich enough, attractive enough, athletic enough, young enough, and the list goes on and on.  Eventually, we realize that all we can do is be who God made us to be.  That is not to say that you shouldn't try to put your best food forward to connect with others, but it is to say that chemistry and connections are often made between two people or groups of people that an outsider may not necessarily link together. 

It is not uncommon to meet several different birth parents throughout "the wait" and a connection may be felt by one side, but not the other. Certainly, there are very real emotions and very real heart breaks in the adoption process. On the flip side, family after family have reflected back on the interview process and could see why various situations wouldn't have been right for their family and why the birth parents who selected their family are absolutely irreplaceable.

Adoptive Families Circle has posted a blog called "Dating" Birthparents that builds on this comparison that is so relatable for waiting adoptive families.