Blog Love

I don't feel like I've had much of depth to say lately, but I have been reading a few posts shared by friends which just keep percolating in my mind.  I'm going to share them here both to give you the opportunity to read them and also to help me process them a little bit.

• On adoption disruption

For those not in adoption circles, an adoption disruption is when a family formed by adoption decides it's not working out for any of them and they find a different home for the child or children to whom they have promised to be their forever family.  It's a rough, rough road that I have a hard time wrapping my head around.

I was most struck by the quoted characteristics of the mother who disrupts an adoption:

Certain types of parents are more likely to end up giving up adopted children, as well. Younger adoptive parents, inexperienced parents, and parents who both work outside the home are linked with higher levels of disruption. Wealthier parents and more educated mothers, in particular, are also more likely to disrupt an adoption.

"I understand where that might seem odd, but I think there's a potential for less tolerance if someone's more educated or they make more money," says Brooke Randolph, director of adoption preparation and support services at an Indianapolis adoption agency.

 I keep thinking about what this means.  My gut equates these characteristics with selfishness.  I'm not professing to have it all figured out, I'm just not comfortable with those characteristics and lower tolerance leading to upheaval in a child's life.

• On hurrying to get it all done vs. remembering what really is most important:

This one is a must read for every mother.  It got me big time.  We serve Christ when we serve our families.  What do we think is so important that we need to get to that we try to hurry up and get all our housework done for, that we try to get our kids to hurry up and be perfectly trained for, that we want to check "done" beside our families so we can get to it???

Be here, in the now. There is nowhere more important to be; there’s nothing more important to accomplish.

I really encourage my fellow mom-friends to read this one.  It's too good to miss.

• The "trainwreck" conversion of an atheist lesbian English professor:

WOW!!  There's so much in this post, I just can't stop thinking about it.  I ordered her book just today and can hardly wait to read it.  It addresses the stumbling block of non-thinking Christians, the way your worldview affects the way you think, and the effectiveness of loving kindness.  It addresses the difference between praying a prayer for the willingness to obey and praying a prayer for miraculous healing "if" God really doesn't want me to live this way.

Even more, it shares the power of the WORD OF GOD to bring people to Him. Even when the cost is an entire lifestyle, your loved ones, your career path, your very identity.

• On homeschoolers held hostage by the expectations of the world:

It's so easy to lose my vision--my focus--in our daily homeschooling.  High school, worrying about future careers and goals, getting distracted by what others around me are doing, wondering if I am doing enough. . .all this clanging noise tempts me to push my teenagers into a typical, college prep academic path.  St. John's reminder that doing more is not God's expectation was a breath of fresh air to me.  She looked back at the pioneer homeschooling mothers and reminded me why they were successful.

these moms had a vision for homeschooling—they weren’t trying to re-create school at home. They were simply being obedient to the One who had called them to be different. They knew that if He had called them, He would equip them. And they were right.

I'm so excited for more fresh air from Heidi St. John when I get to go with three new friends to the Teach Them Diligently conference in a few months! (giggle and tee hee)