Congratulations Shawn and Holly

One of the matras I have in counseling couples on the adoption journey is to "love big." 

Shawn and Holly have been a beautiful example of loving big, particularly when it comes to their sweet birth mother. They met her at a sandwich shop for the first time just a month after their home study was ready. What always begins as an awkward meeting ended in praying over the expectant birth mother and hugging her neck. 

I watched over the next few months as they continued to build a relationship with her. Catching up through phone calls and texts, planning for the baby's arrival, and praying over her, her family, and the baby they would all call their son.

But loving big always involves risk.

Will this turn out the way we planned?

Will our hopes finally come to fruition?

Will everything go smoothly?

Can we trust that God will be faithful?

Shawn and Holly entered into all the questions, all the risks, and all of the unknowns and fully embraced all of the bittersweetness of adoption. They grieved with their birth mama. They celebrated their son's life. They held their breath in the waiting and marveled at God's goodness in the fulfillment of their dream.

The first thing Holly told me once they knew he was forever theirs? That her heart was heavy for their birth mother but that she has complete confidence in God's ability to supernaturally meet all of her needs and that she was in awe of this woman who has given their family so much. 

Loving big is so worth the risk. Especially in adoption.

Adoption Story: Chris and Shelley

Over the weekend, Shelley shared her story with Christian Adoption Consultants and our blog and I thought I would share it here as well! Shelley and Chris are former clients of CAC and are the parents of an absolutely darling little girl introduced to you earlier in the blog.  In her own words, Shelley shares her answers to the following questions about their journey:

Stricker Photography

Q: How did the Lord lead you to pursue adoption?

Adoption was something we talked about for years when we realized it wouldn’t be easy to have biological children.

But there was always something in the way — an element of fear — that excused us from pursuing it…

“Would we be able to afford it?”

“What about the health of the child?”

“How long will it take?”

It was when friends our ours adopted their son that we really felt a tug at our hearts saying, “Fear not!”

In February, we took the first leap of faith to call Susan at Christian Adoption Consultants.

Six months later, we were holding our baby girl in our arms!

Isadora Photography

Q: What was your journey to your child like?

Our journey to our daughter was a whirlwind.

Looking back, it went so fast, though I can tell you that some days were long and rocky.

A few months after signing on with Susan and CAC, we found ourselves presenting to a birth mother in Vegas who gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

She chose another family.

It was tough.

It was just a week later when Susan emailed us about a birth mother in Texas who was set to have her baby the next day.

Susan overnighted our information while we kept our hearts guarded and prayed over this birth mother.

Less than 48-hours later, we were on a flight to meet our daughter and her beautiful birth mother!

We had no bottles, no clothes, no diapers, no bows… but we had each other and the help of our families and CAC to welcome our precious little girl home.

Stricker Photography

Q: What has God has taught you about Himself through your adoption journey?

The biggest thing we’ve learned is that God has a plan, and it is perfect in His timing.

When we first held our daughter in our arms, we knew at that very moment she was meant to be ours all along.

Q: What did you appreciate about the help of Christian Adoption Consultants?

We love Susan and Christian Adoption Consultants.

Both will always be a part of our family.

Susan regularly emailed us and always knew how to keep us encouraged along the way.

Her experience of working with birth mothers and countless adoption agencies offered us comfort and hope along the way.

In a journey with so many unknowns, it was reassuring to know we always had her in our corner — a woman constantly praying for us, working with us, to make our dream of a family come true.

Susan’s constant support in the wavering waters of our adoption journey was more than we could have asked for.

We could never thank Susan and CAC enough for all they have done to lead us to our daughter.

Stricker Photography

Thank you, Shelley and Chris, for giving Christian Adoption Consultants the joy of sharing in your beautiful adoption journey!

Adoption Discount Extended Through This Week!

In celebration of National Adoption Awareness Month, we are offering a discount on our full-service consulting packages. 

Cole and Maria with their sweet little guy

10% off our top three, full-service consulting packages

15% off our top three, full-service Minority Adoption Program consulting packages.

This discount is effective now through November 15th!

*This discount does not apply to the DIY package, our returning client package, or our special needs program or with any other discounts. 

What is Christian Adoption Consultants?  Click here.

What does it mean to hire an adoption consultant?  Click here.

Want to get started or get an info packet?  Click here.

What if you have more questions?  Click here.

Today could be the first step you take on the journey towards adoption! 

Have friends who are thinking about adoption? Make sure you share this post! 

Running the Race

This past weekend was an especially hard one for me. Our family has been on a long, hard, messy, and beautiful road to healing for the past several years. If you're not familiar with our story yet, it's a good one.

And it turns out, it's a long one. We were recently told the healing journey takes at least two to five years. Next week marks a two year anniversary of sorts and that means we're not even to the mid-point yet. Of course, that's an average, but it's been helpful for me to have a grid for my heart.

Recently, the weariness has been heavy.

The journey has been long.

And exhaustion has set in.

This weekend it all hit. Hard.

So I went on a run. To clear my head. To get some time to myself. It was getting late and looked even later because of the time change the night before.

This time, there was no music or podcasts. I had a lot to talk to God about. But for most of the run, my mind was blank. And all I could think about was how physically hard my run was.

So instead of hashing it out with God, this was happening in my head:

It's getting dark - I'm getting scared...

How much longer do I need to run? 

I can't go on, I'm so tired! 

I just want to quit!

But each time I had one of these thoughts, scripture would immediately follow.

It's getting dark - I'm getting scared...

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9)

How much longer do I need to run?

Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. (Hebrews 10:35-36)

I can't go on, I'm so tired!

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame. (Romans 5:3-5)  

I just want to quit!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2) 

And I realized, about halfway in, that I WAS hashing it out with God. My weariness. My exhaustion. He was using my run to whisper to my heart what I really needed.

He is calling me to endurance.

He has called me out of the darkness into a glorious light.

He is using this season to produce character and hope.

And my job in all of this: simply to look to Jesus.

So here I am. Preaching the gospel to myself again. Because my heart needs to hear it over and over and over.

I like the King James version of Hebrews when it says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." 

I just need to keep running. Jesus will finish it for me.

Congratulations Chris and Jamie

For Chris and Jamie, their adoption journey has been a whirlwind. They began working with Christian Adoption Consultants late this summer. In just over 2 months, they were matched with their sweet birth mama. They welcomed their beautiful son last week. Three months to the day they began working with me this little guy was in their arms.

It's been a joy to work with Chris and Jamie. I've been amazed by their grace, faith in God, and passion they have had in their adoption journey. They have been a picture of a couple called, committed, and changed by adoption. They took the steps necessary, made hard sacrifices, risked their hearts, and are now a beautiful family of 3.

Yesterday, on Orphan Sunday, they held their son in their arms. Because of his birth parents and his adoptive parents bravery, courage, and sacrifice, he is one less who will never be an orphan. 

Congratulations, to all 3 of you...

Beyond Orphan Sunday

Yesterday was Orphan Sunday celebrating the cause of the fatherless.

A time to remember global orphan care

A time to celebrate adoption

A time to honor foster care

A time for the least of these

God did not leave us as orphans and has called us to partner with him to "defend the cause of the fatherless." (Isaiah 1:17)

But adoption goes past holding back tears from a touching video.

Caring for the fatherless is more than dropping in a few extra bills in the offering plate once a year.

Changing the life of a child takes more than that.  Adoption takes real steps, real risks, and real investment.

"A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families." (Psalm 68:5-6)

Is God setting the lonely in your family?

If you've considered domestic infant adoption, check out our services at Christian Adoption Consultants. 

This is Norah, a result of her parents taking the first step...

We are pleased to offer a discount this month to celebrate National Adoption Awareness Month. We will be offering 10% off all full service consulting packages and 15% off all consulting packages for those open to our Minority Adoption Program. (This may not be combined with any other discounts.)

This discount applies to all applications received by November 11th.

For an information packet, please email me at susan@christianadoptionconsultants.com

Happy Fall From Some Sweet Faces

Here's some sweet little pumpkins to brighten your day!

One of the biggest joys I get as an adoption consultant is to see these sweet little faces enjoying life to the fullest with their amazing families.  

Happy National Adoption Awareness Month!

And remember:

In celebration of National Adoption Awareness Month, we are offering a discount on our full-service consulting packages. 

10% off our top three, full-service consulting packages

15% off our top three, full-service Minority Adoption Program consulting packages.

This discount is effective from November 1st through November 11th.

*This discount does not apply to the DIY package, our returning client package, or our special needs program or with any other discounts. 

Contact me at susan@christianadoptionconsultants.com for more info!