Saturday, January 31, 2009

Another reason to hate Belgium

A fellow blogger wrote this... and I was just horrified when I read it... so I thought I'd share. I really think this is horrendous. (sidenote: I worked for a woman from Belgium who seemed like she couldn't care less about her own kids, or anyone else. how sad.)

Here are her words - taken from http://strongquiver.blogspot.com

I received an email from HSDLA with this article. It is VERY disturbing, but people must hear it to PRAY! Pray for the children, the government, and our rights to never be taken away as a parent!

Along with this article it mentions parents who were jailed for not getting their kids vaccinated. Does anyone have suggestions beside prayer that we can do for these families and children?

Building a Better Society?

The Belgian government’s authority over the health and education of its children is deemed by many as a mark of progress toward a “better society” where children’s rights are properly recognized and protected. Those that satisfy the government’s standards live in peace. For the rest, there is no peace, and sometimes, they are not even allowed to live.

Since 2002, Belgium has allowed doctors to terminate the lives of infants under the age of 12 months if they feel the baby is somehow disabled or deficient, and is likely to suffer in life as a result.14 More than half of the Belgian babies who die before they are a year old are killed by deliberate medical intervention.15 In 16% of cases, parental consent was not even considered.16 To put these numbers in perspective, the CIA World Fact Book estimates that roughly 106,000 babies are born in Belgium each year.17 Even using conservative estimates of Belgium’s rate of assisted-suicide in infants, one can estimate that some 470 children will die before they celebrate their first birthday. Of these 470, more than 200 will die not from natural causes, but from direct medical intervention. Forty (40) of them will die regardless of their parents’ wishes, objections, or pleadings. Such a program might produce a “better society,” but one is left in horror at the ultimate sacrifice of innocent babies.

Unfortunately, the program has been deemed so “successful” in Belgium that in March 2008, the government began considering legislation that would also make assisted-suicide available to teenagers and younger children who are terminally-ill.18
----------------------

to see full article go here http://www.parentalrights.org/blog/courts-the-law/un3

Please pray for the children of Belgium.

Peace.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Progress

Yesterday was the FIRST day that Lil M went potty at daycare on the big-girl potty!! She went once. Today, she went twice! One real time, and once after she had gone a tiny bit in her diaper (she still went on the potty, too). Progress!!! :) This morning and tonight she told me she wanted to go potty. Just a couple of minutes ago, in fact, and it took her just a few seconds to actually go. Progress!!! :) She was 2 years and 5 months old 2 days ago, too. If anyone is counting. ;-)

Oh, and I just got my taxes done. WOOT. God, I need the money. One thing I *cannot* stand is being broke all the time.

Peace.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Snow day


It snowed and iced here a lot over the past 2 days... snowed probably 3-5" then 1" of ice...then probably another 4" of snow on top of that! That makes close to 10" of yuck on the ground! YIKES!

Scott came over and helped dig me out yesterday and today, both! (scratch that, he DUG me oug all by himself!!) He's the best. :) My friend MK needed to go to work today, so I kept her daughter (MK2) with me and Mia. It was fun! We didn't go out in the snow, but, boy, did they play the day away!!! hahaha

MK2 got here about 6:30 this morning and didn't go back to sleep. Lil M woke up and didn't either... so, that meant I was up for the long haul! LOL MK2 is one smart cookie. You can see her mind working forward, onto the next thing even before she's done with the one she's playing with! They were too cute. :) Of course, you all know how I feel about Lil M!!

So, everyone was teasing me about wanting another baby... when the two of them went full-blast all day and wore me out!! (I said with 2 kids, who needs a treadmill?!!!) LOL But, I do think I could manage... when/if I decide to do that. It was a great day and it's neat to see Lil M have a friend. I'm exhausted, and probably going to bed early tonight!

Peace.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Dream

I had a bad dream last night... I know it was only a dream, but it still sits with me wrong.

For some reason I had to go to a meeting with some other adoptive parents. I took Lil M with me. When I got there, the person in charge said that I had to give her back. And that she was "supposed" to go with this other family. That I got a different baby. So, they took her away and gave me another child to parent. :( Told me thanks for taking care of her for them...? She was younger than she is in reality, so I got the impression it was just for a few months. But, it sucked.

I haven't had that type of dream before. Maybe it means I've gotten comfortable and that's my subconscious trying to tell me I'm not as good as a bio parent... and that someone can just come take her away. I do know LOGICALLY that isn't the case.

Peace.

PS. Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

New pics

Here are some new pics of Lil M from today. Happy Chinese New Year everyone - tomorrow!! :)




Peace.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Not feeling so hot

I'm not feeling very well. Getting a cold, I'm afraid. :( It was bound to happen... several people I work with have been sick for a couple of weeks now. Ugh. So, today, we've stayed in and I have been trying to get some extra rest.

Lil M is doing well. She got up this morning and said "potty, Mommy"... :) Of course, then she sat on the potty and cried, 'cause she didn't want to actually sit there. She had a dry diaper all day, because she used the potty every time. These were both big firsts. I don't expect they will continue every day...but definitely progress.

I'll try to take some pics tomorrow, I realize it's been awhile! She is able to count to 10 by herself, except she skips number 4 every time. She can say yellow, green (geen), red, blue, purple, black, brown, and pink...and recognize all of those.

She LOVES bananas still and calls them "binas". I didn't pick that. She did. I learned that even when she wants 3 binas in a day, she shouldn't have that many!! (yucky diaper!) She also loves raisins, cheese and crackers. And "meow" is still her favorite. She loves to be read to, and wants me to read to her every night now. She picks out my shoes every day. lol. She loves her shoes and especially her winter boots. She likes hats and wearing Mommy's gloves. She likes to help Mommy carry her lunch bag downstairs every day. And always knows when Mommy is making her "foffee" (coffee)! Oh, and she likes to help me unload groceries... she'll take something out of the bags that I sit on the floor, and hand it to me to put away. Very helpful. :) She still doesn't like meat too much... but loves beans. Most liquid in cups is still "Juice" (even milk)... but she does know the difference when it is Mommy's coffee or water. lol

Newer words -
"wader" (water) ... Mommy's Wader??
"phone" - Mommy's phone?? this is instead of Mommy "Yo", which is what she said for a long time because she couldn't say "hello". So, my phone became "mommy, yo?" But now she can say phone. :)

Peace.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Trust but verify

In these times of change, I keep thinking of the words of Reagan... (paraphrase) Trust but verify. We must trust that God is in control. We must trust that there is a purpose of what's going on even when we can't fully see or understand it. The verifying I speak of is not with God. It is with our government. I'm trying to trust that this is going to be as OK as the "majority" seems to think it will be. But, for this, I need more verification. Hopefully, that is to come. Let's see. I'm still pretty disgusted with the inauguration day festivities that they showed on TV. Oh well, today is a new day.

Here on the home front, I got a new cube at work. So, I don't sit in the 'bull-pen' anymore (an old conference room turned into an office with 6 desks). Downside is that I sit in front of the boss. eek. lol. I'll be fine. :) Some people think this is a good sign, and that they might want to hire me on perm sometime. I really hope so, but I'm not getting my hopes up. They aren't fully convinced of what I'll help them with long-term. I've got to prove it to them (trust but verify - for them)...

A friend of mine (J) got laid off today. Ugh. That stinks. So... I pray he is able to trust that God has a plan for him.

Peace.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Yes we can...?

As the new President of the United States is inaugurated today, I just have one observation... ok, probably more than that, but one for now...

Yes WE can??? I use the "we" term a lot, because I'm a twin. I take responsibility. I am part of that equation. But if we listen to the hype of what Obama is saying without actually taking responsibility of our own, there is no 'Yes We Can'. It is only Yes - YOU - can... or him, or her... or someone else. Expecting someone to SAVE us is yes you can... not yes we can.

So, besides wondering what President Obama is going to do in the next 4 years... I want to know what WE the people are going to do differently???? ANYTHING??? Because if we don't... then we can't blame it all on the government when miracles don't happen. Miracles start with us. WE the PEOPLE. We have to step up to the plate and make our country a better place to live. A better place to be.

I want this world to be a better place for Lil M. But that requires work on my part, as well as the rest of you. So, the question is... are YOU ready to step up to the plate and help? Or are you waiting for a savior? (And if you are... btw, I know a good one and his name isn't Obama...it's JESUS).

Peace.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

New regimine

...or is that regime? ;-)

One thing that I've been into lately is skin care. Completely into it. I've been using drugstore brands for EVER, and I'm very happy with those. But, I decided a few months ago to try some new stuff. There is a brand called M Asam (on HSN) that I LOVE... absolutely love the eye cream. I've never been able to find an eye cream that can really be used around the eyes. This one is amazing. I've noticed a difference, even. There are a couple other spots that I wanted to target that seem to look better too. :) They also offer a fantastic hand cream that has done great things for my hands this winter. (in conjunction with the Eucerin Hand Creme). I've found that it must be hand cream, though, not lotion or any other kind of concoction.

Sis got me a new kit for Christmas that I love! Believe it or not, it is the Cindy Crawford kit. I used the face mask last night and it was awesome. Not too drying. The eye cream is amazing, too. And I really like the morning and night cream. It might be a keeper. :)

One that I tried recently was Wei East. It wasn't good for me. NOT because I didn't like the products. I did! I really liked the face serum, especially. But for some reason I was allergic to the face stuff... the lotions and maybe even the serum. :( booh.

So, a question I've been mulling over... can you be 'green' and still have great skincare? Probably. Am I there yet? No. I'm not using witch hazel. I'm not going without my store-bought products that are manufactured. But, I *am* taking care of myself. And that is pretty well equal in my mind in order of importance. That is just for me, though. :) Hence, the new regime. It's called... this is the year of Melissa trying to figure out what is good for Melissa. If that makes me selfish, then so be it. But I would say that God wants us to consider ourselves, as well as everyone else. And that does not make us selfish. Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF. If you don't know what it is to truly love yourself, you can't love your neighbor.

PS. I think I like the new haircut. Still a few more days to really know, but so far so good. lol

Peace.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

With friends like that

**note** this post is NOT for my family, or my close friends or Scott. I love you all very much. this is just a VENT session... a happier post to come. :)


When you open yourself up on the web... apparently, people feel like they have the right to criticize you. The comments over the past few days have made me realize that I am not the one with the problem (in this situation). Here is what I see:

1. people are insecure. if you mention that you might have a flaw, they pounce on it, and tell you WHY (or simply that) you are "too needy" - yes, well... KMA.

2. people suck. what gives one person the right to disparage another person, just because they are more vocal that others? nothing. nothing gives you that right. that is your TONGUE that is doing it, and i would implore you go read your Bible. And put down the alcohol.

3. people are mean. grow a heart, for God's sake.

For the record. I do not blog for anyone but myself...ok, and for Mia. I LOVE it that you all come here to lurk or to talk to me. Love it. I'm sure it is part of what keeps me going, and motivated. Sure of it. I just needed to vent, so I apologize ... this post is NOT for almost every single one of you.

God is good to me. And I've learned something...even when I don't act on it. I don't deserve to be treated like crap. Friends who treat you like crap aren't friends. Spend your time (talking, writing, hanging out, whatever) with people that don't treat you like crap. That is the moral of the story.

Peace.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Why do we care...

As you know, I got my hair cut yesterday. I've gotten some interesting comments today. Ok, one. Almost all the comments were positive. I'm sure it was somewhat a shock to others to see my hair short, compared to just yesterday. The one guy was just horrified I got it cut off. LOL. And it kind of hurt my feelings at first... but I got over it quickly. But it got me to thinking... why do we care what others think? More importantly, why do I?

Growing up, I was always compared to Sis... in some way or another. That's just because we are twins. And I know that... I even knew that when I was young. But I think I care what others think because when I was a kid everything I did was measured up against her. Kind of an odd thing, if you think about it. When you're a kid you don't understand why they are doing it. I don't even think they realized it, most of the time. But what I do usually goes through the litmus test of what others think. Actually, I don't like that. I've been working on how I handle it when someone tells me I "should" do something or another. This is like that.

Don't get me wrong, I have NO problems with Sis or how others relate to us. It was a learning experience, and it is apparently something I'm still learning from even today. So, I'm not sure *I* know what to think of my new haircut yet... but I'm trying my best to look at it through my own eyes and no one elses. :)

Peace.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

New do...

I got my hair cut today (hence the new profile pic)... it's WAY shorter than I've had in years... not sure if I like it yet, but I guess I was ready for something different. Knowing me, I'll likely want to let it grow back out as soon as possible! LOL. But it is going to be easier to keep up, and I can still pull it back.

So, the stuffed green peppers didn't turn out quite as well as I wanted. I do think they needed some ground turkey... maybe it's just what I'm used to. lol. Otherwise, they were fine. The beans turned out really good, and Lil M really liked them.

Grand Jury duty went well today. It was our first full day, and we were there until about 1:30. We indicted 22 of the 25 cases, 2 were continued and 1 we didn't indict. Interesting day.

More later!
Peace.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Potty

Yes, I actually named this post 'potty'. Between the dogs, cat and Lil M... well, and me, there's a lot of pottying going on at the house. *snort*

Manna, for instance, has been going pee in the box SO much lately. So, when we went for her check-up last night at the vet, he said he'd make sure to check her kidneys. She's got hyper-thyroidism and is on meds twice a day. She gained 1/2 a pound, and is at 7lbs now!! Woot. However, she's throwing up a lot these days, and going to the box a LOT. The vet bill last night was -gasp- $317! They prescribed 6 months of her pills for me... but still. Anyone who doesn't think their pets aren't expensive are nuts. I don't care, really, about the cost. I'd pay whatever I can... but it is getting pretty expensive.

I've been sitting Lil M on her potty every day, in the evenings, for probably 2 months now. This past week or so, I've been sitting her on it first thing in the mornings, too. And she now says "I did it!" when she goes on the potty. Last night she was real quick, even. She sat for less than 5 minutes. (before, it was 15 min or more, sometimes) This morning and yesterday she went pee and poo. Very good. We're not to the stage where she tells me she's got to go, but it'll be cool when she can/does.

The pups are doing pretty good, too. Boy, do they know how to stare me down when they have to go out! lol. I've had to watch Skippy more, because if I'm not in the room, he doesn't signal me and has had a couple of accidents. Maggi...well, she's just a smart dog!!! Seriously, she is. If she didn't bark, she'd be perfect. But, I'm trying to deal with it, 'cause she's just a sweetie. They all are.

I'm blessed.

Peace.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Stay the course

About once a week (or more), I check my bills, finances and bank accounts. Is that excessive? Not for me. lol. It keeps me on track... if I was a better money manager (and I feel like I'm pretty good, when I'm not shopping too much)... I might not feel the need to look at it so often. But I do. This helps me adjust/re-adjust where and when I need to. This year, though, I'm going to try to be more diligent about my actual budget, so maybe I won't have to adjust as much.

I'm going to soak some black beans tonight, so we can have beans and rice, tacos, and stuffed peppers. I think all of these dishes will be made with the beans... unless I'm tired of them, and then I'll break out the ground turkey! ha.

The jury duty thing is going to be fine, since I only have to go one morning a week, for the next 8 weeks. I've decided to make up some of the time by working 1/2 hour extra a day. I am trying to remind myself that I used to be away from Mia more than this when I worked up north... Last week was a little tough, because it was our first full week back to work and daycare. I'm hoping we're both a little less touchy this week.

I bought some Borax at my last shopping trip, and now am going to try to find the other ingredients to make my own washing detergent.... but, only if it is more economical. I'm definitely glad I've gone back to the cloth diapers (except when she's at DC). I like not putting so much in the landfills. And, as someone pointed out, even though I have to wash them... i wasn't accounting for the fact that it takes energy to make the other ones, gases/chemicals, the labor to take them to the landfill and then they don't decompose. SO. I'm definitely more into the idea now...

That being said, Lil M has started the beginnings of potty training. So... it's all good.

Peace.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Interesting day

Today was interesting. Went to jury duty (my 3rd time being called - first time was on 3 juries and the 2nd time no juries).... and was selected (at random) for Grand Jury duty! I was even made the Foreperson. It lasts for 60 days, and we meet every Thursday morning to go over cases. So, that's once a week for 8 weeks. Not too bad! I don't have to call in every day! And it won't interfere with daycare or Mia. :) Work is OK with it too!! The evil witch I worked for last year would have given me all kinds of grief... boy, am I glad I don't work for her anymore! I digress. ha.

One of the guys at work installed something into production today, and people couldn't access the system. So, he had to back it out. Apparently, he didn't make a very good impression with the powers-that-be... bummer. He was kind of cranky, and I understand why... but both Managers came by and said *I* was doing a good job. One even went so far as to say that this guy would be leaving... UH OH. :( That bummed me out. But, I can't do anything about it.

I'm supposed to sing at church this weekend, for the first time in over a year! YIPPEE!! :) I'm excited. I'm not excited about the SNOW that is coming, however. So, let's see if I can even drive up there (it's an hour away).

Going home now to have dinner with my Honey and Lil M. :)

Peace.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

"They" say...

Supposedly, you will save money by turning your heat down during the day (or for several hours at a time). Um, it isn't working like I thought it would. I mean, I turn the heat down to 62 degrees at 7:30am and don't turn it up until 5pm, to 69 degrees...and 73 at 10pm. So, you're talking over 12 hours a day that it is 69 or under in the house. And, 9.5 hours it is at 62. :( WTF.

Don't get me wrong, I like being able to turn it down automatically. But. I don't understand why I'm still using so much energy. If it were the summer, I'd be using less that 1000 kwh, but I'm up to 3000 right now!!!

Oh, and as for the little heaters... I only turn my one little heater on when it is REALLY cold out and I need to warm up my room for an hour or so. This is NOT every day. Yes, I've been cooking more, but sheesh. Could that really account for such a high electric bill?

Ok... I checked my bill and had it run the reports it does based on the information your plug in about your home. Apparently, I'm using LESS than the average person/family would in the home of my size. However, I really hate this time of year and how high my electric bill is. It happens every year, and is usually for 2 or 3 months. I guess average household uses 2256 kwh approx for the whole year, and we use 1703 approximately, so that is good. But, this time of year, it goes up to 3000 or 4000 even. :(

I'm sure everyone else cares. not. lol



I'm in pink here, and so that is encouraging... but I still hate the winter costs.

Peace.

A snad aggravated

Ok... so, I got a new cell phone a couple of months ago. The battery dies way too soon. I mean, last night it said I had battery power. Not full, necessarily, but enough. And then this morning I go to call the hairdresser's to find out when my appointment is... and poof... my phone is DEAD! O M G. Time to go back to the store and get a different phone. What a waste. :(

Speaking of hair appointments... I'm on a schedule with my hairdresser. I like it that way. Last week I was thinking... ok... time to get my hair done, but it is NYE and they weren't open. So, surely I didn't have an appointment. By yesterday I was thinking... OK, it surely is TIME to get my hair done! I did call them this morning, and the lady said that YES I'm on a schedule and that the holidays messed it up. Bummer. Now, they're going to have to fix that! But I do get to go next Thursday. (and if I can figure out how to get there earlier, you betcha I will!! LOL)

Must.have.my.hair.done. ;-) (oh, and buy a new phone. ugh)

Peace.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Simplifying, cutting back, green

So, I've been compelled recently to try to simplify my life. Actually been reading blogs about large families and families who homestead or are conscientiously green living, and even though it is just me and Lil M, I feel like there are ways we can be even more 'green' in our lives.

So, in December I sort of took a little break with the cloth diapering, but I'm back to it! I recycle everything I possibly can. I reuse things that some folks would throw away the first time (like plastic baggies). I try to wash full loads of laundry and dishes. I've been making coffee myself every day instead of going to Starbucks 2 or 3 times a week (heresy?!)... and it is good! I've been keeping the heat down during the day (to 62 degrees, yikes), when we're not home, of course!! lol What I'd like to do is make some cloth napkins (besides the ones I have store-bought). If I knew how to knit or crochet, I'd make dish clothes. Maybe I'll convince Sis to make us some!!

Now, most of my friends know I like to shop. But what you might not know is that I also like to give a lot of stuff away. So, that's what I did in December. I bagged up clothes, baby items, toys, shoes, etc... basically, anything I haven't been using or was tired of looking at (I have a tendency to keep things for YEARS)... and put it all out in the garage to take to Goodwill.

So, I'm trying to find more ways to simplify things around here. Declutter and be more green. Less spending in January is my goal (way less than Christmas, of course!)... by making almost all of our meals and finding new recipes. I'm stocking up my pantry again. It is easier to motivate myself to cook if I have things I like to make! lol What a concept, I know!!! But, I have a feeling I could buy less canned items and make more things from scratch. So, my goal in January is to find some more recipes that are easy and fairly quick and that make good leftovers.

Tonight, for example, I took some homemade macaroni and cheese I made Saturday and reheated it on the stove with some milk and added tuna and mushrooms for a very quick tuna noodle casserole (sans baking). I had never thought to do that before. But it was yummy. And homemade mac & cheese isn't hard to make either!! :)

Ok, enough of that... just wanted to post my thoughts on what I've been working on lately.

Hope everyone's New Year is starting off grand!! :)

Peace.

Co-op shut down

How awful for these folks to be treated so poorly. I'm not sure what the whole story is, but from what I've read, the people who burst in and had guns had no right to treat them this way!




Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Resolutions 2009

So, today I thought of a couple of resolutions I'd like to focus on in 2009:

1. Work on my finances again. 2008 was a bit rough for me, and I'd like to get some money back in the bank. So, the resolutions are:
a) pay off 2 credit cards paid (and keep them paid off),
b) start contributing to my 401K again,
c) start saving a monthly amount for my emergency fund again

2. Get back to my marathons. I'd like to run my 10th state this year. If not, I'd settle for at least one 1/2 marathon (which usually leads to more!).

3. Pay off my car.

I'm prayerfully considering others, but I think that might be enough for now!

Peace.

More Christmas pics





Peace.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Adoption article

I really like this article, I copied it from the PACT website.

Adoption and Race: Articles

A Biblical View of Adoption
by Chené Tucker, MSW, LCSW

The decision to relinquish a child for adoption or to adopt a child is one that has multiple implications. For many clients, particularly those in the Christian tradition, questions regarding the "biblical acceptability" of placing a child through adoption are often present, whether they explicitly bring up the issue or not. In dealing with a woman considering making an adoption plan, it can be very helpful to direct her to the Bible as a means of helping her to access and integrate the spiritual implications of her adoptive plan. For adoptive parents and adopted people, the Bible has many examples that can help them to see how God used adoption to place children in a particular home for a divine plan and purpose.

Where is adoption addressed in the Bible? The story of Moses, a familiar biblical hero, is an excellent introduction. Born at a time when Hebrew newborns were being killed by the Egyptians, Moses was spared death when his mother sent him downstream in an ark covered with bulrushes. The daughter of Pharaoh found the crying child when she was bathing at the river's edge and decided to parent him, after returning the child to his birth mother to be nursed and weaned. The story of Moses, found in Exodus, is a classic example of adoption.

The story of Moses also supports the view of open adoption. The mother of Moses knew who was parenting her child and where the child was residing. Likewise, the daughter of Pharaoh met the birth mother of her child. Moses later moved away from his adoptive parents and began to identify himself as a Hebrew, returning to his people. This can be seen as a type of reunion. Obviously, Moses knew enough information about his background and roots to have an appreciation for his cultural heritage. In this example, God used the rerouting of Moses' life through adoption for a divine purpose. Moses became a liaison between his own people, the Hebrews, and his adopted people, the Egyptians. Through God's power, he would lead his people out of years of bondage and oppression into freedom.

A second biblical example is taken from the book of Samuel. Hannah, an infertile woman, was desperate for a child and prayed to God. A priest, observing her distraught nature, investigated. Upon learning the nature of her request, he prayed that the God of Israel would grant her wish. She committed in her heart that the child she would bear would be dedicated in service to the Lord all the days of his life.

To her delight, her prayer was answered. When the child was weaned, she brought him back to the priest and placed him in his care for a lifetime of service in the temple. The scriptures mention that after placement of the child, Hannah "made him (Samuel) a little coat and brought it to him from year to year."

Again, in this example, we see a type of adoption. A child was placed in the care of another party. Contact, though minimal, was retained on a yearly basis. The birth mother, Hannah, knew where the child was and to whom he had been given. As the story continues, we see that Samuel grew up to become a mighty prophet and leader for the nation of Israel. We see how God allowed the rerouting of a young man's life for a divine purpose.

A New Testament biblical example of adoption is that of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born of the virgin Mary and spoke of His heavenly Father as God Almighty. According to the scriptures, Joseph, Mary's husband, was not Jesus' birth father but his stepfather. Jesus always knew where He came from and who His "birth father" was. As Jesus was later crucified and resurrected, He "returned" to His Father in heaven. This could again be viewed as a type of reunion, an adopted person being reconnected with his birth family.

In these three situations, we see an absence of secrecy regarding birth roots. Contact was maintained after adoption, particularly in the story of Hannah and Samuel.

The Bible can be a powerful tool in helping adoption triad members to integrate their adoption experiences into their faith. For the birth parent, it can help give a sense of "permission" to relinquish a child, knowing that adoption is scriptural and visible in the Bible and that God allowed and approved adoption, both then and now.

For adoptive families, it can help to answer questions about the validity of openness in adoption from a scriptural standpoint. It also demonstrates the way in which God used adoptive placements to enable children to fulfill a God-ordained plan, as well as to bless parents with a child.

Lastly, to adopted people it gives a message of God's sovereignty over the life of the individual. God in many cases has used adoption placement as a vehicle for His divine plan.


Peace.