2024 Highlight: Infertility & Adoption - Does One Lead to the Other?

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is part one to an incredible conversation

In this episode, my special guest is an adult adoptee named Niemah Scherlacher. Niemah is currently working on a book detailing her incredible adoption story, but we are honored to hear her share pieces of this story on the podcast. She is now a retired and happy grandma, but her story begins in Israel, after being born to a fifteen year old Palestinian girl. As Niemah describes, God protected her mother and her during this tumultuous time between Israel, Palestine and even the United States, and He orchestrated everything so Niemah would be adopted at the age of two and brought over to the states. 

Niemah also shares her experience as an adopted child in her family, how the church community interacted with her, and the secular world. Niemah encourages parents to talk with their children about the childs story because the child is always wondering those questions but might be afraid to ask them. Niemah had an unusual experience when compared to other adoptees because she primarily wrestled with God in her later years after more information was revealed about her birth mother 

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Naima's story is a testament to God's divine intervention.
• Adoption can be a celebrated aspect of a child's identity.
• Open communication about adoption is crucial for children.
• Children often think about their adoption, even if they don't express it.
• It's important for adoptive parents to initiate conversations about identity.
• Healing from adoption-related trauma can be a lifelong journey.
• Understanding a child's background helps in parenting.
• Adoptive parents should not be too hard on themselves.
• Children's struggles can be transformed into hope for others.
• God's purpose is at work in the lives of adopted children.

Niemah is still working on her book so follow her on Facebook and Instagram to stay connected! 

Christian Parenting resource for you: Morning Minute

Subscribe now at MorningMinute.org  to receive each weekday morning a verse to strengthen your spirit, one parenting insight grounded in Christ-like wisdom, one short action item to guide your heart and your kids and one resource to help you go deeper.

To submit your prayer requests, use this form by clicking here! 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. 

I would love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

In this episode, my special guest and friend is Cynthia Yanof, who has been featured on this podcast before. Cynthia is the biological mother to two kids who have flown the nest, one graduated from college and one just starting, and her family also adopted a son who is in third grade. Cynthia stays busy not just as a mom but as a podcaster, speaker, and author. Her latest book, Howd I Miss That? sparks a lot of todays conversation. 

It is so easy to get distracted as a foster or adoptive parent by all the busyness and urgent tasks of life, and I wanted to take a minute with Cynthia to focus on what really matters in this calling. A lot happens in life, a lot of distractions or even too much information, so lets get back to the basics. Somewhere along our journeys, God opened our eyes to loving children who are not our own. How do we do this well? Cynthia offers advice gained from her own experience, along with humor and gut-punches (the good kind!).

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Understanding what really matters as parents is crucial.
• Little differences in our actions can lead to significant impacts.
• The urgent tasks in life often dont have an eternal impact.
• Finding humor in parenting challenges can ease stress.
• If youre going to laugh about it later, laugh about it now
• Community and support are essential for foster and adoptive parents.
• Being a 'namer' helps children understand their identity in Christ.
• A reluctant 'yes' to God's calling can still lead to great things.
• The Lord is faithful and will reveal Himself in our journeys.
• Life is short; we must not miss the opportunities God gives us.

You can learn more about Cynthia Yanof on her website

You can follow her on Instagram

You can check out MESSmerized with Cynthia Yanof click here

You can find her book on Amazon or wherever you shop for books! It is called, Howd I Miss That?: Gas Pump Confessions, Drive-Thru Obsessions, and Figuring Out What Really Matters

Christian Parenting resource for you: Morning Minute

Subscribe now at MorningMinute.org  to receive each weekday morning a verse to strengthen your spirit, one parenting insight grounded in Christ-like wisdom, one short action item to guide your heart and your kids and one resource to help you go deeper.

To submit your prayer requests, use this form by clicking here! 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. 

I would love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

In this episode, my special guest and friend is Christie Erwin! Christie is an author, adoptive and biological mother, and Founder and current Executive Director of Project Zero. Christies deep love for children led her and husband, Jeff, to become foster parents in 1993, for a private, non-profit adoption agency. It was there that the foundation for Christies passion and driving concern for children in foster care was laid. After fostering for eleven years with the private agency, the Erwins became foster parents for the Arkansas Department of Children and Family Services in 2004. They fostered over fifty children during their twenty years of fostering. She wrote the book, The Middle Mom How to Grow Your Heart by Giving it Away. 

In our conversation today, Christie shares part of her story in adoption and foster care. There is so much to tell, we couldnt go over everything, but we covered a lot. Christie also offers advice for you if youre saying Yes! to this calling. 

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Christie's journey into foster care began with a powerful calling from God.
• Maintaining a healthy marriage is crucial when navigating the challenges of foster care.
• The concept of being a 'middle mom' emphasizes the importance of loving children unconditionally.
• Grief is a part of the sacrifice when fostering and adopting children.
• Understanding a child's past is essential for effective parenting in adoption.
• Preparation for adoption includes understanding trauma and its effects on children.
• It's important to make God's voice the loudest in your calling.
• Community support and resources are vital for foster and adoptive families.

You can learn more about Project Zero and Christie Erwin! 

Christian Parenting resource for you: Morning Minute

Subscribe now at MorningMinute.org  to receive each weekday morning a verse to strengthen your spirit, one parenting insight grounded in Christ-like wisdom, one short action item to guide your heart and your kids and one resource to help you go deeper.

To submit your prayer requests, use this form by clicking here! 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. 

I would love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

In this episode, my guest is Pastor Andrew Hopper. Andrew serves as the lead pastor of Mercy Hill Church, launched in 2012. He is the father of three biological children and one adopted daughter with downs syndrome. He is also a recently published author of the book, Chosen: Building Your Family the Way God Builds His. 

In our conversation, we talked about the theological foundation of adoption. We, as Christians, are intimately connected to adoption because God has adopted us. This should highly motivate us, if not compel us, to support adoption or even pursue adoption ourselves. Andrew talked about how churches can support members who are pursuing adoption and how the calling may have its challenges but is also rewarding. He also shares his personal story going through the adoption of his special needs daughter. 

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• There is no love without sacrifice.
• Cute pictures and sad stories are good reasons to adopt, but the great reason is that we were chosen.
• No one should adopt alone.
• Chosen people choose people.
• The enemy hates Christian adoption.
• The deepest things come from the most sacrifice.
• Adoption is the single greatest metaphor for what God has done in our life on the planet.
• We have to prepare people for the spiritual war that comes with adoption.

You can learn more about Pastor Andrew Hopper and his new book on his website. 

Christian Parenting resource for you: Morning Minute

Subscribe now at MorningMinute.org  to receive each weekday morning a verse to strengthen your spirit, one parenting insight grounded in Christ-like wisdom, one short action item to guide your heart and your kids and one resource to help you go deeper.

To submit your prayer requests, use this form by clicking here! 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. 

I would love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! 

In this episode, my special guest is the amazing Nicole C. Mullen, a Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning American Christian singer, songwriter, actress, and author of the new book, Its Never Wrong to Do the Right Thing: Courageous Stories to Inspire Godly Decisions. She also has an incredible story of overcoming domestic abuse, adopting her two sons, choosing life for her daughter, and a story of choosing life from her grandparents. 

Our conversation spans stories of the Bible to Nicoles own personal journey to how it is relevant for us as adoptive and foster parents today. We may not see the total impact of saying yes to this calling, but it can ripple through generations. 

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• God is with you in the dark seasons of life, as Nicole puts it the night seasons and often He works a lot in the dark. 
• The impact of choosing life may never been seen earth-side but it is full of rewards from God 
• The impact of saying yes to life can continue for generations, like Nicoles personal story and the story of Moses
• Nicole worked through a dark season of domestic abuse. She encourages parents to children from abusive homes to model Jesus the Good Shepherd in being patient and gentle. 
• Even if we are Christians, we are not immune to the hard things of this world. Nicole points out how God is with us even when we sin, suffer the consequences of our actions, or the consequences of other peoples sin and actions, and how He is good in that. 

You can learn more about Nicole on her website

Here is her new book, Its Never Wrong to Do the Right Thing: Courageous Stories to Inspire Godly Decisions

Connect on instagram! 

Christian Parenting resource for you: Morning Minute

Subscribe now at MorningMinute.org  to receive each weekday morning a verse to strengthen your spirit, one parenting insight grounded in Christ-like wisdom, one short action item to guide your heart and your kids and one resource to help you go deeper.

To submit your prayer requests, use this form by clicking here! 

You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at [email protected]. 

I would love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!