My Overthinking

Philly Area mom, Life forever changed by adoption

Ahhhh!

The overthinker would be a terrible game show contestant.

Oh my.

Lots of refreshing and checking in today.

And, some of you may have gotten an email from me.

I know, it’s sort of obnoxious of me.

But, did you see the prize?

An all-expense-paid trip to Together for Adoption’s conference in Atlanta in September. A conference that would be so great for Mark and I to go to, particularly as we work to make The Sparrow Fund exactly what God wants it to be.

And, we are oh-so close to winning. Just click here to see for yourself.

Contest ends at noon tomorrow. I may be watching my screen peeking through my fingers.

You think I’m kidding.

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Adoption: From the Classroom to the Playground

May 5th was a different kind of celebration for us–Our first training event through The Sparrow Fund in collaboration with CHOP’s International Adoption Health Program.

About 100 mothers and fathers gathered to learn all about adoption related issues in the classroom–learning issues resulting from traumatic infancies in institutions or hard situations, developmental milestones and red flags and how to have a big picture view of what we might be seeing in our children, how to handle difficult assignments in school as well as simply encourage adoption and attachment awareness for the educators who work with our kids, and social issues in a school setting for both adopted children and biological children who are their siblings.

Despite some running around, I was able to take some of the training in myself, bringing home some real practical things I can do to help all my children. 
But, the highlight of the day was probably in the last 20 minutes. Cheryl Nitz, founder and director of the Attachment and Bonding Center of PA, told parents that if they only remember one thing from her whole presentation to remember this–YOU are what your child most needs. 
As I stood in the back and could observe everyone listening, my eyes caught one of the fathers. His wife had shared earlier how much they are struggling, how much her children are struggling. When Cheryl said that statement, this man put his arm around his wife and rubbed her back just a little. Probably no one else in the room noticed. He said no words but encouraged her perhaps more than his words could have, reminding her that she is the mother her children need, whether they realize it or not right now. 
And, I was reminded of why we’re doing all this. 
Thanking God for an incredible day Saturday and for all the hands involved to make it happen nearly flawlessly. 
A fall training is already in the works.
And, we’re excited to see what’s next.

(photography donated by Ben Leaman, who is one of The Sparrow Fund’s partners to Build the Nest this May, mind you)

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Conference Eve

It’s cuatro de Mayo.

Which means our big adoption conference is tomorrow. The one we’ve been planning for months.

We’ve been promoting, calling, copying, collating, counting, emailing, making our lists and checking them twice.

And, in case you were wondering, even with a lot of hands involved (we are eternally grateful, Amy, Abbey, Jen, and Jon), pulling something like this off is a good bit of work apparently.

And, we’re just…oh…a wee bit tired (as are those helping hands, I know).

And, a wee bit anxious.

About 100 people coming. Everyone expecting something. Maybe some have some significant things they are dealing with as parents. Maybe some of their children are really struggling, and they want support to know how to help. Some are waiting parents, wanting to be prepared for those children soon to be joining their families. Many have a handful of adopted kids and could school us all, no doubt.

But, tomorrow, starting at 9am, we’re all coming together with a shared focus to learn together how to better parent our children.

And, that’s pretty cool. And, makes all the work from us all well worth it.

Even the work that gives little ones a little bit too much freedom perhaps.

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Kelly, the mother Jesus loves

There’s a message God wanted me to hear. And, a woman—Beth Templeton, adoptive mom and gifted teacher–got to deliver it in the presence of 450 other women.

How’s that for a personal lesson?

John. Author of 5 books in the New Testament. The only disciple who was with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry, present during His crucifixion, and witness to His Resurrection.

In his Gospel, one of the books he wrote inspired by God, he calls himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. No less than 5 times (13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20)

Why did he do this?

Sorta sounds prideful, maybe boastful. Was John an egotist? Did he simply think so highly of himself that he had to rub it in that he was the one who Christ loved?

This is John—the only disciple who did not run away or hide from authorities when persecution and conviction from the Roman Oppressers and the Jewish Pharisees and Sadducees were rumbling towards them.

Take a look at a few of the other words of John. This man knew about love. In fact, in his three short letters, he made more than 25 references to love. 1 John 4:7-10 says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

John was more conscious of Jesus’ love for him than he was of his love for Jesus.

And, that’s the message I needed to hear.

Because, here’s the thing, my love for Jesus? It’s not really that great. It’s in constant, weak, unfaithful, changing, unpredictable. It’s often self-seeking, at times subtly so and other times quite obviously.

But, Jesus’ love for me? Now, that’s great. In fact, it’s perfect. It’s full. It’s utterly complete, not lacking in anything. It’s constant and faithful, never changing and totally dependable.

And, that’s what I want to be thinking about.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

And, I’m thinking that as I become more conscious of that love, I may just find that my love is becoming more perfect in the process.

So, I’m claiming it.

I’m the mother Jesus loves.

And, I now have a beautiful physical reminder of that personal message delivered just to me. Kim made it for me. I printed it and framed it in a chalkboard frame so I can add some extra messages there if I need some specific reminders that day. She made me another one too. My family may be finding little notes all over the house.

You know, you are the mother Jesus loves too. So, you just let me know if you want some reminders for your loved self too. Kim has volunteered to personalize these images for a donation of $5 or more to The Sparrow Fund. So cool.

Go ahead, claim His love with me. 

And, if you want a little more to read about God’s thoughts about mothers in particular, head over here for a read about 8 mothers from the Bible and how God loved on them.

(p.s. 10 more days to enter the two giveaways I got goin’ on. Please check them out)

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