Category: Uncategorized

Finally! (little meme about a big announcement)

 

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Our youngest child has finally decided that he is done with diapers, and moving onto bigger things…like pull-ups and going potty in the Pirate Potty Seat!  I had to announce this.  No more diapers for this Mama to change!

For all of the Mama’s out there still changing diapers and/or starting the process of potty-training, I salute you.  Hang in there.  Our little guy will be four in July.  FOUR IN JULY…and just started potty-training.  With Kindergarten in the not-too-distant future, I was starting to get a little anxious.

My “babies” are all growing up.  It is so incredible and challenging to watch children bloom into themselves.  What an honor and a reminder that parenting needs to be intentional, full of determination, and saturated with humor.  ‘Tis the reason for this meme…

We.Are.Straight.Outta.Diapers.  

Yay!

 

 

my scar, His Scars

In this time of Easter, I thought I would share a post I wrote originally in 2012. Praise Jesus for His life, His scars, His death, and His resurrection!

barrentoblessed's avatarBARREN TO BLESSED

Hey scar on my belly, you do not represent me.  A doctor called you a “horror show” one time, but his words do not describe me.  You are long and just plain ugly, but you do not characterize me.

You are a visual reminder of the war waged on me in my youth, but you do not represent me.  You are simply flesh ripped apart and sewn back together by human hands.  You depict a battle for my life, but I won. You are just one part of my infertility, but not the most important.

You have been with me nearly as long as I can remember, but you do not define me.  I have been embarrassed of you.  I have wished you away.  You have reminded me of all of the pain I have been through, but you do not represent me.

Your outward appearance does not hint to the inward conflict…

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5 Things Every Adoption Social Workers Wants to tell to Hopeful Adoptive Parents {Adoption.com article}

Recently, I wrote an article for Adoption.com regarding five things adoption social workers want to tell to hopeful adoptive parents.  It was really difficult to list just five things, as there are so many facets and nuggets of wisdom that social workers can share with families!

From my experience both working in the field and as an adoptive parent, I narrowed down to the five things that I feel are most important for hopeful adoptive families to be aware of and consider.  You can read the article by clicking on the link below:

5 Things Every Adoption Social Workers Want to tell to Hopeful Adoptive Parents

If you are a social worker in the field of adoption, what advice do you give to adoptive parents?  If you are an adoptive parent (or hoping to be one soon), what is the best advice you have been given by a social worker?  I’m curious to hear your thoughts!

Blessings,

Caroline

Just Another Open Letter to Mr. Trump

Author note:  I try not to get political on social media or with this blog, but right now, I just can’t let this not escape my heart.  

Mr. Trump,

I keep hearing you say, “Let’s make America great again!”  No offense, but seriously, if there is anyone who can say that America is not great, it certainly is not you.  After all, you inherited a fortune that most of us hardworking individuals will NEVER earn in our entire lifetimes, you have multiple homes, successful businesses, and every luxury one would want at your disposal.  You even have the audacity to say that you could shoot someone and still find support.  The rest of us could not say that…nor would we.

I also hear you remind people, a lot, that you are rich.  Well, sir, we know that.  We understand that you are wealthy, but are you rich?  How do you count your riches?  If I counted my riches by the standard of yours, then I am certainly impoverished.  However, I do not.  I count my riches by the depth of my relationships with others, the faithfulness of my husband of nearly fifteen years, the love of my children, the faith that I cling to, and the moments of generosity poured out by many.

At my children’s school, there are refugee children from Myanmar (Burma).  My daughter has shared with me many words of their native tongue.  She is learning about their culture, why they needed to come to our county, and has become close friends with one of the girls.  Recently, at the school book fair, she asked me if I could buy her friend a book.  I agreed to do it, and walked with her to give the book to the girl.  Upon seeing it, this little girl with broken English, grabbed my daughter, hugged her tightly, and smiled from ear-to-ear.

This is what I count as wealth.  This is richness.   This is what makes America great.    

I fear that if it were up to you, Mr. Trump, then my children would never have the opportunity to experience the gift of meeting others who seek a safe harbor in our country. I fear that if you become our leader, the mantra of greed, what we should consider as wealth, and the rhetoric of bullying that you seem to love, will become our language.  And, this is leap years away from what I want my children to learn.  You are not who I want my children to look up to.

You keep saying, “Let’s make America great again!”  Well, I believe our country is already great, and it has been for a very long time.  We have problems, of course, like any other country, but we are still a great nation.  Those who have forgotten this should consider truly walking in the shoes of many in far off lands who struggle.

Our greatness is shown when we welcome others who are different than us.  It is witnessed when we step out and worship how, and if, we choose to.  It is evidenced by how we, as a nation, stand together during tragic times.  It is exemplified time and again when we navigate into troubled waters to pour into other people through the spirit of volunteerism and empathy, and it is demonstrated by the hard work ethic that our country has.

When I hear you boast about your richness, I shake my head.  There are many of us who are choosing each day to NOT live in fear, to walk with LOVE, to WELCOME others, to invite PEACE over violence, to LISTEN instead of yell, and to EMBRACE the DIVERSITY of this blessed nation.

Mr. Trump,

This is what I count as wealth.  This is richness.   This is what makes America great.  

Sincerely,

A concerned Mom who decided to write just another open letter to you

Trust. Do. Breathe.

I’ve been feeling a little under the weather lately with a typical, and seemingly annual, February upper respiratory crud that gets passed around my family.  Instead of letting it get to point of being really sick, I preemptively went to my doctor in hopes of getting medicine to combat this looming illness.  The visit started a little bit like this,

Doctor:  “Caroline, what is going on with you?”

Me:  “Well, I have this cough and congestion, and I’m just so busy right now with work, running the kids to their various activities, going out of town for gymnastics meets, training…I don’t have time to be sick… and…”

Doctor:  “Okay, stop.  Take three deep breaths…”

Me:  (inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale)…”I know…I know…”

Doctor:  “You seem a little stressed.”

The rest of the appointment was spent discussing how moms sometimes let ourselves get run down because we are, well, just running too much.

This morning, as I was getting ready for work and loading up my snacks to take the office, I noticed my “to-do” list hanging on the refrigerator.  I paused for a moment, flipped to a new page, and then wrote:

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It seems rather simple, doesn’t it?  To simply and devotedly trust God not just in the big things, but also in the mundane acts of life is essential, but often fleeting.  To wake up with the desire to do the best we can, only to be met with the weight of comparison and the exhaustive feelings that more can be done, deduces us to consider if we are really giving it our best.  To breathe…deeply…is also so needed, but oh my, how quickly and rapidly the errands of life can cut our breath short.

I wish life could be as simple as the “to do” list I wrote today.  Maybe it can be. Maybe, just focusing on these three things each day will spill over into other experiences.

Trust.  Do.  Breathe.

Instead of writing out the things I need to do on my list tomorrow, perhaps I will write:

REPEAT

 

 

Embrace What Is

I’ve had this thought a lot lately:

“Don’t yearn for what should or might have been. Embrace what is.”

Random, I know, but relevant.

Do you yearn for what should have been? Do you wonder what might have been? Do you find it hard to embrace what is?

It is easy to get caught in this trap of “should have, would have, could have”, but I believe that kind of thinking tends to lean us away from God, not towards Him.

Sure, there are plenty of moments in life where I have thought about what might have come if I had made different choices, or had not experienced my illness and subsequent barrenness, but I don’t ever want to yearn for those things.

Instead, I choose to embrace what is. I’m alive. I have a family that consists of a faithful and able-to-handle-my-craziness husband, and I have three unique, spirited, and precious children that I am truly blessed to call mine. I want to continue yearning for the Lord and what He is teaching me during my walkabout on Earth.

“Don’t yearn for what should or might have been. Embrace what is.”

This is a challenge, my friend. Look around at your life. Consider how all the puzzle pieces seem to fit together. Rejoice in the orchestra of life that the Lord has created and conducted just for you.

Hold with hope what is to come.

Embrace what is.

The Cause of Foster Children

I worked a booth for recruiting foster families at a local convention this weekend.  While the time I was there, I can count on one hand the number of folks who actually engaged me in conversation about foster parenting. There was little to no interest in getting behind the cause of foster children and their needs in our little part of the world.

I get it.  Foster parenting is certainly not for the faint of heart. I found myself considering why it is important for Christians to step into the world of abuse and neglect.  “If Christians do not take up the cause of foster children and pray for them, then who will?” coursed through my mind. 

God does not give us a mere suggestion to look after orphans, widows, and the least of these in their times of distress.  He gives us a directive, and does so throughout Scripture.  I do believe that caring for children and families in crisis situations is a way of responding  to this.

I wish I could say that things have gotten better in the arena of child welfare, but that is not the case.  Children continue to be the victims of abuse and neglect around our nation (United States).  There are still far too many children and youth in the system that need adoption. 

Birth parents, who have lost their children due to abuse and neglect, are facing seemingly insurmountable challenges of achieving sobriety. They lack employment, healthy support systems, and their own stability.  They are very much in need of a tremendous amount of support.  Reunification should always be the goal if it is safe for a child to return home. Everyone involved needs to make great effort in this.

Of course, it is not just children who end up in the system that are at risk.  In our communities, families are struggling. Domestic violence continues, and too many children are growing up without the stability they need.  

And, friend, I do not think things will get better.  Still yet, I return the thought, “If Christians do not take up the cause of foster children, and pray for them, then who will?”

For some people, their day-to-day lives never involve one single thought about foster children.  Perhaps, the only time they think about child abuse and neglect is when a situation is plastered across media outlets. 

My hope is that more Christians will be the Church. They will set their hands, feet, hearts, and prayers to following through on the directive of truly caring for children, and families in need.

After all, if Christians do not take up the cause of foster children, and pray for them, then who will?  

7 Billion Ones {photography/storytelling project}

In the latter part of 2015, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting photographer Randy Bacon, and his sweet wife, Shannon.  They invited me to be a part of their amazing movement/project/mission called “7 Billion Ones”.  Their goal is to excite others in believing that “Your Story Matters”, and to instill inspiration through images and words.

I am not a person who takes a ton of selfies, and I certainly don’t like to have my picture taken, but the purpose and validation through this cause was well worth stepping in front of the lens.  My purpose for being in it was this:  to share my story so that others in similar circumstances can be inspired to never give up.

Even if I only have an audience of one, but that one person is moved to encouragement by my story, then it is well worth it.  We never know how sharing ourselves with others can directly impact lives.

You can check out my story by clicking the link below.  Spend some time exploring all of the stories on the 7 Billion Ones website.  I promise you will find a great deal of inspiration from the multitude of others who have stood in front of the camera and told their stories.

7 Billion Ones Story

And, dear friends, keep telling your own stories.  Our lives, full of characters, drama, sadness, and joy, are what makes this big ‘ole world go round.  You never know how your story will affect others; even if it is only an audience of one.

Blessings,

Caroline

When Life Tosses Us Around {my dream last night}

I had a dream last night where I was driving in a van alongside a cliff, and suddenly lost control, rolled down the side of the mountain, hitting trees along the way, and screaming, “Jesus!  God!  Father!  Keep me safe.  Help me.  Give me a soft landing!”  As the van slid to a stop in a soft muddy pile, I was alive, barely bruised, and so incredibly thankful.  I told someone that I called out to God to save me and give me a soft landing, and He did just that.

I woke up from the dream, felt my body just to make sure it was there, looked at my husband, and wiped a slight tear away.  In the quiet aftermath of a loud dream, I soaked in what it meant, and silently praised the Lord for it.  And then it hit me.  The dream was so incredibly metaphoric of life.

We drive along, going about our usual way, when “BAM” the road gives way and we are just falling endlessly towards chaotic uncertainty.  Bouncing violently through traumatic and difficult times, it is often uncertain where we will land.  Our bodies scream out in pain, our minds are filled with terror, and our hearts anxiously await for the Lord to grab hold of us and softly place us back down on solid ground.

I thought about this dream all day.  Ever since early childhood, I have always had very visual and sensory-filled dreams.  Often, my dreams seem somewhat of the spiritual nature, or at least, a lesson of faith is learned from them.  Some have been incredibly calming, while others have called into question where my faith really stands.  Either way, I view them as a gift.  This particular dream reminded me that, similar to the battered van, our bodies, minds, and hearts can get torn by what life throws at us.  However, when life tosses us around, the Lord is capable of soothing our souls, carrying us through the storms, and giving us a soft landing.

Thank you, Jesus.  Thank you.

Psalm 3:4 -I cried aloud to the LORD,  and he answered me from his holy hill.  Selah

Psalm 34:17-  When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Psalm 50:15- …call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

 

Things I’d Like to see End in 2016

With the start of the New Year, I’m already seeing posts/memes/etc about what trends or things that need to end in 2016 such as the man bun, and the word “bae”. Honestly, I can think of more important things that I’d like to see end in 2016:

homelessness
domestic violence
terror
the orphan crisis (millions, literally)
physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse of children
meth addiction
broken homes
loneliness
prejudice
hatred
hunger
fatherless families
motherless families
cancer
random acts of violence
suicide
heroin usage
alcoholism
greed
poverty
hopelessness
spiritual depravity

So, yeah. I’m totally okay with the man bun, and the use of the word “bae”.