Adoption is such a rewarding gift.

Today as I have been communicating with prospective adoptive mothers I am reminded of what a great gift adoption is.  These couples have longed for a child to add to their families and for whatever the circumstance have chosen to do so through adoption.  For some the wait has been quite long.  What kept them going? The faith that God was going to carry them through this rough time and bring them the ultimate joy!

I hope there are birth parents out there that will read this and see that indeed the choice of adoption is such a gift.  For you it is a heart wrenching decision.  You love your child more than your own life.  It is because of that love that you have chosen to make an adoption plan.  It is also unbearable to think about the day you give birth and then have to see that child leave.  I can not begin to imagine that pain.  I hope somewhere in there there is also joy because you know you have worked so hard to find the "perfect family" for your child.  If you can not parent the child then you want the best alternative.

As I have mentioned my husband and I have adopted three times and each time was quite different.  We were fortunate enough to meet each of the birthmothers and are so grateful for that time.  We also talked on the phone with her in the weeks prior to the births.  That gave comfort to all of us.  Perhaps having a semi-open or open adoption will also give you some comfort.  You can communicate with the adoptive parents, develop a relationship with them, and maybe at some point meet them and your child.  You can do what is best for you.

Please share your thoughts, worries, concerns here.  I would love to be your sounding board or perhaps refer you to some places for more resources.  One great place is www.creatingafamily.org.  They have great free podcasts on all facets of adoption.  Even though I adopted myself I learned some things too!

May we grow together on this journey . . .

 

You can contact me at elizabeth @nightlight.org or call (864) 567-5614.

What an honor!

What an honor to be contacted by a birthmother herself thanking me for my work.  It brought tears to my eyes.  She shared her story with me and gave me permission to share it with you as well.  It seems in years past there wasn't as much support for birthmothers and adoption as a whole.  I hope we can continue to change the perception of that.  Adoption is such a gift.  The birthmother or birthparents are choosing a family for their child out of complete unconditional love.  Please read this and share with others.  Perhaps others will be touched by this as well and share their stories so we can support them with our words and prayers.
Here is  Daniella's story:
http://moss-place.stblogs.org/archives/2006/06/time-to-tell-a.html
http://moss-place.stblogs.org/archives/2006/06/time-to-tell-a-1.html

As always you can contact me at elizabeth@nightlight.org or reach me on Facebook at Nightlight Christian Adoptions.


 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nightlight-Christian-Adoption/108986062455792?ref=hl

Helping each other

As I sit here today I am thinking about how so many of us have situations that pop up that we didn't expect.  Today I was substitute teaching and these darlings showed me something I wasn't expecting.  One child hurt another child's feelings making him cry.  I talked with the one who did the hurting and helped him to see that what he did was not respectful to his friend.  I did ask him to apologize for hurting his friend.  What happened next was touching to watch.  The hurt friend had many of his friends come over to check on him our of sheer compassion.  They didn't want to see their friend hurt.  What a great lesson!

Today let's help each other.  If you know of someone hurting would you consider reaching out? As I already mentioned I am also working in the field of adoption.  Perhaps you know of someone either dealing with infertility, or an unexpected pregnancy.  Consider reaching out to them today.  Yes adoption is always a great option.  Education is key.  I would love to also help educate your friends on various aspects of adoption from both the birthmother and adoptive parents point of view.  There are so many things to learn about and consider but it is worth every minute so that you can make an informed decision.  I would like to help support you too if you'd like.  Feel free to contact me at elizabeth@nightlight.org.

Let's all share some stories of how we helped people today.

Thank you to all women choosing life!

I have spent the last several hours being inspired by so many women who have chosen life and made adoption plans for themselves! Thank you! When my husband and I went through our journey of adoption we prayed for our birthmothers every day and continue to do so.  I was so touched by the entire experience that I have now begun a new chapter in my life working in the adoption field.  I would love to be a support to birthmothers.  Those conversations I had with our children's birthmothers were pricesless.  Being supportive and just listening to their joys and struggles at times was priceless.  If you have been touched by a birthmother I'd love to hear your comments.  If you have been or are currently a birthmother I'd love to hear your joys and struggles.  Wouldn't it be great to continue the conversation with someone?

I am now working as a Domestic Outreach Coordinator for Nightlight Christian Adoptions.  I would love to be able to connect you with someone to see if making an adoption plan is right for you.  If it is, I would love to cheer you on while you select a family to love your child unconditionally.  I would love to also support the adoptive couples who yearn for a family or to expand their family.  I remember so distinctly the utter joy in receiving that phone call that we had been selected by a birthmother.  Yes I am passionate about adoption and would like to reach out to those of you considering placing your child or those who have placed in the past.  Join me in this next chapter.

The Ultimate Gift

Welcome to the Ultimate Gift Blog. This is my first post and I am excited to begin this conversation. My name is Elizabeth and I am an adoptive mother of 3. My husband and I have been so blessed by 3 incredible birthmothers.  Their choice of an adoption plan truly was the ultimate gift! Due to their selfless gifts we have an incredible family. 

What an incredible choice birthmothers must make.  Their love for their baby is unconditional and they want nothing but the best possible family for their child.  Whether you are a birthmother in the past or the present I hope you will join us in this conversation sharing your thought about this ultimate gift.  What a great opportunity to support each other in these experiences.

Because of these life changing experiences I have chosen to get involved in adoption field and have recently begun working as the Domestic Adoption Outreach Coordinator for Nightlight Christian Adoptions.  If you or someone you know is a birthmother wanting to discuss making an adoption plan please don't hesitate to contact me at elizabeth@nightlight.org.  On behalf of all adoptive couples everywhere, thank you!