Good opportunities abound. In this world of broken, there is no shortage of ways to serve and love well. But if we aren't careful, we can busy ourselves with so much good that we miss out on God.

We've all seen the studies regarding the increase of stress coinciding with the influx of screens and social media in our society. We are busier than ever with practices, extra curriculars, volunteering, work from home jobs, and keeping up with the Joneses. Modern conveniences cut down the time required for some necessary tasks, but instead of using that time to invest in relationships and eternity, we find more tasks to fill our time. Or maybe that's just me...

Hope. Endure. Pray. Three critical practices for anyone who bears the name of Jesus. In Romans, Paul is speaking to the church in Rome. Today, we're going to take these three practices and apply them directly to our relationships with our children and the way we parent them.

A lot of us have bought the lie that parenting is about surviving. Maintaining. Just getting through the hard in hopes of a better tomorrow.

But even in the midst of trying seasons, our hearts should not give way to the lie of the enemy:
"Jesus came that THEY should have life and have it abundantly... maybe I'll have that once...
... our baby lets me sleep through the night.
... our toddler is out of this stage of being out of control.
... our teen is out of this stage of being out of control.
... we're empty nesters.

I've often heard that parenting doesn't come with an instruction manual. I, respectfully, disagree.

The Word of God, in addition to being a love letter from our Father who spared no expense to adopt us in to His family, is also a powerful source of wisdom and instruction! Perhaps we forget this because we are more prone to scouring book shelves and online articles for how-to's and don't-do's. We crave systems and step-by-steps that solve issues and create change. 

Waiting. It's something we all have to do. In fact, if we stop and think about it, the vast majority of our life is spent in one season of waiting or another. If we are not intentional, we can become so focused on what we are waiting for, that we miss the gift of the season we are in. 

I know you're exhausted. How can you not be? You want to be the best mom, wife, and daughter of the King.

Daily, you are confronted with millions of pieces of information that address precisely "how to." Blog posts, magazine articles, news reports, pinterest pins - all telling you what you should be doing, how you should be doing it, and what you and your people should look like as you do and be all the things.

During National Adoption Month, I wrote 13 guest posts regarding various adoption related topics. This is a round up of those posts - which I hope will bless and encourage you! There are posts for adoptive families, waiting families, prospective adoptive families, those who want to help orphans without adopting, and those who simply want to draw closer to Jesus!

November is National Adoption Month. It's a time where, as a nation, we focus on the orphan crisis and the role each of us can play in caring for orphans. This month is especially dear to our family, as we celebrate our sons, and advocate for other children.