People would ask me if we were ever going to adopt again. My response would always vary. “I don’t know. Maybe someday.” “No, probably not.” “I think maybe God has another way for us to carry out our call to care for orphans.” Last Spring, I felt peace about letting go of the idea that our family would adopt again. We had been open to adopting again but God didn’t seem to be moving us in that direction. Adopting from China had changed drastically over the past few years and th

If you ask Brielle where she’s from, she’ll excitedly shout… “Wuhan!” When you ask her where Wuhan is, she’ll even more excitedly shout… “China!” She even loves to tell people her Chinese name. I love this about her. I love that she loves China and knows that’s where she was born. I know it’s healthy for her to learn tidbits about her past naturally as she grows so that there isn’t a shocking adoption reveal in her lifetime. I also know that hard questions are coming. Questio

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 One of the best ways to fight through our fears is friendship. I strive to surround myself with other moms, Christian writers, and adoptive mommas because I need people who “get it.” Friendship is a gift and reminder that we aren’t alone, that our thoughts and fears ar

I walked up to the café counter at the newly renovated Lifeway store in Brentwood, TN and ordered a pumpkin-flavored latte. It was nearing the end of October and I had yet to drink anything with pumpkin in it. (Gasp, I know!) Brielle was with me while her siblings were at Bible Quizzing at our church. I had been dying to pick up a copy of Annie F. Downs’ new book Remember God. With my new book in hand, I placed my coffee order and Brielle began to count the tile on the wall i

At some point in our lifetime, we will want to pull the covers over our head and sleep away a portion of our life. We will long to block out the world while keeping any feelings at bay. When I begin to feel this way, I've noticed a pattern begin to happen. I stare at the words in my Bible re-reading the same sentence over and over hoping for something to sink in. I keep conversations at surface level. Not that I prefer that but I don’t have the mental capacity for deep conver

I currently have eight unfinished blog posts about adoption, faith, and motherhood in a file on my computer. (Let's not even discuss my unedited book.) Eight! I could share two or three of them with you right now, but there's something that makes me pause sometimes when I am writing and sharing my heart with you. I always want my writing to be helpful and point you towards Jesus. That can mean not sharing until it is helpful. Sometimes we can wrestle through it together, but