“When I say her name, I don’t imagine a hospital bed and a funeral. No, I imagine her great, big smile that lit up an entire room. I imagine her laugh, her soft hands and perfect pixie nose. I imagine her holding a flower crown on her head, the wind softly blowing her hair.”
‘The night I found out, I circled the kitchen island, repeating, ‘God! I PRAYED for her!’ I was SO angry.’: Woman describes healing after little sister’s suicide
‘I heard her whisper, ‘This isn’t a movie… this is your life now.’ They don’t have our last name, we just ARE.’: Woman adopts 8 after feeling ’magnetically, divinely drawn’
“We learned to make Haitian legume and they learned to make Nashville hot chicken. We learned to dance Koompa and they learned to two-step. I can’t imagine us being any more family than this.”
Somehow I Am Always Pouring, Even Though My Cup Is Empty
“After a lot of protesting, ‘God, how can I do this?? How can I pour from an empty cup???’ it dawned on me. As a mom, that’s exactly what I am called to do.”
‘Are you willing to take in two more boys?’ They were filthy, skeletal. ‘We encourage you to bathe them immediately.’: Mom shares the beauty and heartbreak of foster care
“Along the way, many people have asked, ‘Why keep doing this? It’s painful.’ They need to know they are enough. They need to know they are worthy of safety and love. For every child we have loved and lost, we would do it all over again, in a heartbeat.”
‘We need to DO something!’ SO many people were going to be in trouble.’: Woman creates food pantry to help community
“No one should have to struggle for food. Food is a necessity, not a privilege.”
‘Why would he want to take on my baggage?’ Most days I was a puddle of tears, ashamed I’d ended up a statistic.’: Divorcees marry and create beautifully blended family, ‘We’re unbreakable’
“How would this work? I was divorced with 3 kids, he was divorced with 3 kids. I had to realize I was worthy of LOVE again.”
‘Thank you for being exactly what he needs. You can give him the BEST life.’ When we heard this, we knew. It was meant to be.’: Adoptive parents craft beautiful relationship with son’s birth mom, ‘We’re in awe of her’
“We were matched 11 times, each one coming to an end without an adoption. We were on verge of walking away. Then we received a call. ‘You’ve been chosen!’”
‘Wouldn’t it be SO cool for her to be born at 11:11 a.m.?’ I kept praying, ‘God let it be.’ I HAD to have hope again.’: Couple adopts biological sisters after infertility, ‘Miracles do happen’
“I am not going to say it became rainbows and butterflies, because it didn’t. There was still this deep, deep ache and question of ‘why,’ and a yearning to become a mama.”
‘Go out and have a little fun.’ People always inserted their opinions when I told them I was waiting. I chose to love my husband before I knew him.’: Woman shares love story, ‘He was worth the wait’
“He walked right up to me and said, ‘Are you the girl from the coffee shop?’ He invited me to sit with him at church. When I looked at him, the Lord said, ‘That’s your husband.’ I felt like I knew him in my heart and spirit.”
‘If only he’d ask me to dance!’ He was addicted to drugs, and I was addicted to him.’: Woman marries after divorce, ‘Love is ALL that matters’
“I was tired of the fast lane, the parties, and the men. After holding on for dear life to a complete set of emotional baggage, I finally had to surrender it ALL.”
