The Gift of Limitations
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.
Joined with me today is the author and mom of both adopted and bio kids: Sara Hagerty. Sara recently published a book titled "The Gift of Limitations" which sparked this raw conversation about dealing with disappointment in this season of motherhood, naming our emotions, and working through grief.
One thing that resonates is how we can't skip steps to reach contentment. Being content with where we are means truly reckoning with the discomfort and heartache of where we are.
Another powerful reminder is that Jesus was never in a hurry. Jesus was on mission but he also rested. He became flesh here on earth and limited His own power. With limitations, He saved the world...
And finally....Friend, you don't have to be everything. There is so much hope we can find as we surrender all our grief to Him.
Thank you so much for listening!
You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected].
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!
Becoming A Screen-Savvy Family
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. Joined with me on this episode is Adam Holz from Focus on the Family's Plugged In where he oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. Here we discuss the need as parents to be screen-savvy!
We talk about establishing healthy boundaries as partners with our spouse, to be united on this front. We discuss the need for these boundaries for our kids to be not just protected but to prepared for when certain things come up. Additionally, its critical for our kids to become critical thinkers! "Uncomfortable" conversations are a must, and sometimes those talks happen in the car rides, which could be great opportunities.
When you're watching a movie or TV show as a family, ask those critical-thinking questions... which character did you identify with and why? Did they do the right thing? What did you like in this story? And more...
Thank you so much for listening!
You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected].
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!
Listener Q & A: Am I Really Called to Adopt or Foster?
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. This is a new series I'm titling Listener Q & A, where I respond to a question or comment from a listener sharing a piece of their story that may be super relatable to this calling... and super relevant to you listening at home!
This question is a big one: Am I really called to adopt or foster? It is such a big commitment and there's a lot we can dive into, from the family aspect, spouses being on board, and finances...
And if I am being honest, it's a bit hard to talk about because on the one hand I don't want to scare you away from this calling but I also want to be honest about the reality of challenges you will face when you do answer the call. I am reminded of the story of Moses and how he responded to his calling and now we see him as one of the fathers of the faith. His story is super encouraging and applicable I think to what we face when we may hear God's voice beckoning us to this journey.
Not only do I offer you some encouragement, but in this episode I offer some practical information on the different types of adoption and ways to help finance the process, and how seeking God's wisdom is the most important part.
Thank you so much for listening!
You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected].
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!
Understanding the Deconstruction Movement
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. In this episode, we are unpacking a movement that is shaking up our nation: the deconstruction of faith. As foster or adoptive parents, we may have kids walking in our door who have never heard the true Gospel or have negative preconceived ideas of what Christianity looks like... And no matter if our kids are biological, adopted, fostered, all of them are being exposed to the deconstruction movement, especially on social media.
Here to help me unpack this are the authors of the new release, "The Deconstruction of Christianity: What It Is, Why It’s Destructive, and How to Respond" by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett.
Alisa Childers is a wife, mom, author, and speaker. She was a member of the award-winning CCM recording group ZOEgirl. She is a popular speaker at apologetics and Christian worldview conferences. She is the author of Another Gospel? and Live Your Truth and Other Lies. She has been published at the Gospel Coalition, Crosswalk, the Stream, For Every Mom, Decision Magazine, and the Christian Post.
Tim Barnett has worked as a speaker for Stand to Reason since 2015. He is a dynamic speaker who provides a perfect blend of expertise and humor in each talk. Using easy-to-follow and visually engaging presentations, Tim trains Christians to think clearly about what they believe and why they believe it.
The deconstruction story is powerful. It's like a testimony, except instead of a non believer sharing how they came to Christ, it's the reverse: a Christian turning away from the faith. These people's experiences are often heartbreaking, stories of abuse and misconduct in the church, but then there are those who simply don't like the idea of sin and find it offensive. Instead of deconstruction our faith when we have questions and negative experiences, we should be reforming our faith.... not unlike Martin Luther and others who held the church to the standard of Scripture, which is not what deconstructionists are doing...
There is so much to unpack, so let's dive in together.
Thank you so much for listening!
You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected].
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!
Helping Kids Impacted By Trauma
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. In this episode, me and my special guest Darby Strickland are navigating how to talk to your child about trauma.
Darby is a counselor, speaker and author with a specialization in trauma and domestic violence. One of her recent books is called "Is It Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims."
Together, we talk about having those tough conversations with our kids, whether biological, adopted, or in foster care, who've experienced trauma. Often these kids grow up into adults, and go through therapy wondering why no one ever talked to them about these things that happened. These conversations are important to the healing process but at the same time uncomfortable and hard to navigate. Darby equips us with some practical tools and information to help us tackle this important area of parenthood.
Thank you so much for listening!
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!
Don't Give Up - Just Yet
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. In this episode, me and my special guest Nick Connolly encourage you not to give up just yet!
Nick is the founding and lead pastor of Bright City Church, and he is the author of a book titled "Don't Give Up Just Yet" which sparks today's conversation.
It feels like these days we're all struggling so hard to get through life. Add the calling of adoption or foster care on top of it all and it can feel like too much. When we face resistance in our callings, it may seem like a sign that it wasn't meant to be... but as Nick points out, it could be that the resistance gets stronger the closer we are to the finish line. In our conversation we talk about the struggles we face, the need for true rest and sabbath, and expectations verses expectancy.
Thank you so much for listening!
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!
Saying Yes to Your God-sized Calling (feat. Cynthia Yanof)
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast. In this episode, me and my special guest Cynthia Yanof are helping you unpack what it means to say "yes" to that God-sized calling.
Cynthia is an author, podcaster, busy adoptive mom who raised kids in foster care after having her own kids and being a lawyer. Her new book is called, "Life is Messy, God is Good."
Foster care changes you. It is beautiful and it is painful, all at the same time but Cynthia says she can't imagine who her family would be without this in their story. Some people think fostering or adoption is a mighty spiritual and noble thing, but it is very messy and doesn't feel very spiritual in the hardship. It can often feel like you're standing alone, because you have friends and family members asking "Are you sure?" with concern on their faces. You find yourself reluctant to say "yes..."
Cynthia and I also discuss the lies we often combat with giving our reluctant yes to God. There's the constant comparison game and feeling unimpressed with the ordinary, but God is the one who determines success, not the metrics of this world.
Cynthia encourages us to be intentional about the story of our life that we are writing, because it is the story our kids grow up seeing play out: what kind of story do you want them to see?
Thank you so much for listening!
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!
Mindful Parenting with Kelly Hamilton Part 4
Welcome to this fourth part in our mindful parenting series with our amazing guest: Kelly Hamilton.
Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of “The Connected Life.” She helps people build healthy connections to God, themselves, and others. She is a speaker, trauma-informed life coach, and podcaster. She and her husband serve foster and adoptive families in their home in Kentucky. You can find all her links here!
In this fourth part of our conversation, we are tackling reactive parenting. Let's face it, we've all done it: responding disproportionately to your child's actions, and this can happen for a variety of reasons as Kelly explains. We are likely dysregulated or triggered for some reason, and need to follow these 3 steps:
-Get curious: Am I thirsty, hungry, tired, or overstimulated?
-Make a plan to meet that need: Talk to your husband, friend, family member, to help get what you need in the moment, like a 5 minute break.
-Be consistent and keep trying. Changing habits doesn't happen overnight.
Our goal should be to build trust with our children and that comes through humility and apologizing when our actions go out of line, which in turn gives our kids an example for how they should act when they've messed up. We should be continually working towards a healthier place and acknowledge it won't be easy or perfect.
Thank you so much for listening!
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!
Mindful Parenting with Kelly Hamilton Part 3
In this second part of our conversation, Kelly Hamilton and I tackle the attachment styles. Being aware and mindful of our own attachment styles and the styles of our children make a big impact on that growing connection with our child, whether they're biological or adopted. Developing your relationship with your child is a lifelong commitment and there is so much hope for reconciliation and healing, even if its hard and ugly.
Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of “The Connected Life.” She helps people build healthy connections to God, themselves, and others. She is a speaker, trauma-informed life coach, and podcaster. She and her husband serve foster and adoptive families in their home in Kentucky. You can find all her links here!
Thank you so much for listening!
I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!