Adoption Day!

Because my Tyler's birthday is only 2 weeks from his Adoption Day (which is today), we have chosen to only celebrate his birthday with a party etc. But, I am honoring my little almost 3 year old son today, celebrating the day that he became part of our FOREVER family....officially!

We got the call that a baby boy was born almost 3 years ago......and the day he joined our family, I felt that I had a son......but he wasn't REALLY my son with his official name change until nearly a year later on August 12th.

Because I had a biological daughter already, and knew the extreme love that I had for her, my biggest fear in adopting was that I was not going to truly love someone's "else's" child.....how could I love a child who was not born of my womb? I am so thankful today to tell you all the TRUTH......that this fear was completely unfounded. I love my son with such an amazing love now. I never knew that it would mean to have the judge bang his gavel and say that Tyler is now FOREVER a part of our family. All the fear was gone that he might be taken away. It was such an amazing time!

Not many people get to experience adoption. I am so proud that I am one of the few that gets to experience this amazing gift. His birth mother did not give him much.....but she gave him life and she gave him to me. I am beyond thankful to that woman.

So many kids out there need loving homes......I have often heard from people "that's great that you did it, but I never could." I really think that stinks. You can do anything if you set your mind to it. I think if more people stepped forward and gave the gift of a family to a child in need, our world would be a drastically different place. I am not judging those who do not choose to adopt, but I am asking you to do something on this, our adoption day. Pray about it. Think about it. Don't just automatically think "this is not for me."

James 1:27 says this:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

We can't just accept most of the Bible and not all of it.....picking and choosing what things we do and what things we do not do. This verse does not say "you have to adopt in order to be a Christian." But, it does give us a guide to follow as far as what true religion is.....that may take different forms and I am totally aware of that. But, I am asking you to start thinking beyond yourself and see how you can exhibit true religion in its purest form even today. Be a ministry beyond yourself and your own little family. God will use it.

God has blessed ME through this process more than I ever thought possible. My son is my gift from my heavenly Father who knew much better how to form my family than I myself thought I did! I am so grateful for that amazing gift.