Called to Love: An Adoption Podcast for Christian Parents - Christian Adoption, Trauma and Healing, Foster Care, Parenting Adopted Children

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by author, social worker, and licensed therapist, Nicole Langman. Nicole’s entire world was turned upside down when she walked through a devastating divorce which filled her life with grief. She was shocked to find a vacuum of support from her church and community. No one seemed to understand this grief – the loss of dreams and the story you thought you had. This is something we are all too familiar with as adoptive and foster parents. In our conversation, we discuss honoring the broken dreams and stories we prayed for and how to move through it in faith. Let’s dive in! Key topics in this episode: The crickets of grief and the absence of support in non-death lossesHow to honor and validate grief that isn't related to deathCarrying grief in a healthy way that honors the loss and trusts God's sovereigntyThe importance of community, prayer, and support in grief workPractical tools for managing overwhelming emotions and embracing the story that isThe role of faith and biblical examples like Job in enduring sufferingHelping children process grief and loss in a healthy wayThe significance of shifting focus from pain to hope and trust in God's planThe importance of being a good student of your story and learning from itEncouragement for adoptive and foster families to trust God's purposeLearn more about “This Isn't the Story I Wanted: Grieving the Life You Lost and Trusting the God Who Stays” by finding it on Amazon. 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!Called to Love is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To learn more, check out their other shows or resources, head to their website: https://www.christianparenting.org/ 

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by Melissa Miller. Melissa is the mom to five kids, biological and adopted, and she is an advocate for vulnerable children in foster care. Besides being a busy mom, Melissa is also a Reboot Retreat facilitator in her home state Tennessee, the author of “But I Prayed for This” and a contributor to sites such as Mother.ly, Her View from Home, and the YouVersion Bible app.In our conversation today, we unpack all the emotional complexities that come with this calling. This is something we prayed for and yet there is so much pain and grief when the child finally enters our home, and it is hard to wrestle with. It can be hard to share those feelings with others, thinking they will say, “But you prayed for this. This is what you wanted.” The guilt and shame that can come with this feeling, thinking we should be grateful and happy God answered the prayer, but it feels nothing like we imagined. We get into all of this as Melissa shares her story and elaborates more on how we can walk this out in our families. Let’s dive in! Key topics in this episode: Constant changes can cause fatigue and impact familiesThe importance of validation and compassionBalancing grief and gratitude in difficult seasonsBuilding rhythms and routines for stabilityThe role of faith and God's sovereignty in healingLearn more about “But I Prayed for This: What to Do When Living in God's Yes Is Harder Than You Expected” by going to Amazon https://www.amazon.com/But-Prayed-This-Living-Expected-ebook/dp/B0G1K3WXLQ/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=8RtdU&content-id=amzn1.sym.171c1bd3-e559-4de5-8b1c-2e86c02e2e84&pf_rd_p=171c1bd3-e559-4de5-8b1c-2e86c02e2e84&pf_rd_r=134-3507095-9710632&pd_rd_wg=82bqN&pd_rd_r=6756e9e7-82c9-47ee-aae0-a6813988647b Or Mellisa’s website: https://www.melissamillerwriter.com/ 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!Called to Love is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To learn more, check out their other shows or resources, head to their website: https://www.christianparenting.org/

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by an incredible family – incredible because this open adoption led to a family growing in a unique way! The three voices joining me on this episode are adoptive parents, Nick and Kelsey Lebos, and the biological mother of their adopted son, Mikayla Little. The three of them bonded immediately when meeting during Mikayla’s pregnancy as she was pursuing the open adoption of her unborn son, Shepherd. God brought them together for a unique purpose and to grow their family in this unconventional way. Mikayla is not only a part of Shepherd’s life but she is also a part of the broader Lebos family. There is so much redemption found in her story because of their love, generosity, obedience to God, and intentionality to build this relationship. In this two-part conversation, they share their story and I ask questions about navigating the hard parts of adoption. It is never easy for a mother to make this decision and it was something Mikayla did with a lot of prayer and preparation and love for her son. There are a lot of assumptions or misconceptions about biological mothers which is so disheartening because we have the opportunity as adoptive parents to love them both: child and mother. Not every open adoption is going to look like this – this is their story – but it is good to know what is possible thanks to our amazing God, and what happens when we are faithful in this calling. Let’s dive in! Key topics in this episode: The emotional journey of adoption: both joy and grief. The role of faith and prayer in family decisionsThe importance of openness and transparency in adoptionThe significance of intentional relationship-building in open adoptions and maintaining relationshipsThe role of faith and prayer during emotional momentsBuilding a family through love and intentionalityThe importance of community and extended family in adoptionTo 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!Called to Love is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To learn more, check out their other shows or resources, head to their website: https://www.christianparenting.org/

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by an incredible family – incredible because this open adoption led to a family growing in a unique way! The three voices joining me on this episode are adoptive parents, Nick and Kelsey Lebos, and the biological mother of their adopted son, Mikayla Little. The three of them bonded immediately when meeting during Mikayla’s pregnancy as she was pursuing the open adoption of her unborn son, Shepherd. God brought them together for a unique purpose and to grow their family in this unconventional way. Mikayla is not only a part of Shepherd’s life but she is also a part of the broader Lebos family. There is so much redemption found in her story because of their love, generosity, obedience to God, and intentionality to build this relationship. In this two-part conversation, they share their story and I ask questions about navigating the hard parts of adoption. It is never easy for a mother to make this decision and it was something Mikayla did with a lot of prayer and preparation and love for her son. There are a lot of assumptions or misconceptions about biological mothers which is so disheartening because we have the opportunity as adoptive parents to love them both: child and mother. Not every open adoption is going to look like this – this is their story – but it is good to know what is possible thanks to our amazing God, and what happens when we are faithful in this calling. Let’s dive in! Key topics in this episode: The emotional journey of adoption: both joy and grief. The role of faith and prayer in family decisionsThe importance of openness and transparency in adoptionThe significance of intentional relationship-building in open adoptions and maintaining relationshipsThe role of faith and prayer during emotional momentsBuilding a family through love and intentionalityThe importance of community and extended family in adoptionTo 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!Called to Love is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To learn more, check out their other shows or resources, head to their website: https://www.christianparenting.org/ 

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by the amazing Dr. David Thomas, co-author of the book, “Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience” and I am so excited to learn with you from this wealth of knowledge! Dr. David and his co-author, Sissy Goff, are therapists at Daystar Counseling Ministries. Through their counseling, podcast, and books and speaking, they've made it their life’s work to offer practical help and hope to families through their resources and experience. In our conversation today, Dr. David unpacks the anxiety crisis in our children across the country. Dr. David shares a brutal statistic that roughly 1 in 4 kids struggle with anxiety, but also 1 in 3 adults also struggle with anxiety as well! Dr. David and Sissy keep finding children in their counseling sessions saying they aren’t capable, but what’s worse is they actually don’t want to be. These kids are incredibly risk adverse, but healthy risk is a huge part of building that confidence and capability in life. Life is hard but it is also full of “good stories” as Dr. David puts it. Dr. David shares practical information to equip us as parents for not only how to better help our kids but to help ourselves too. We are capable of this calling God has given us! Let’s dive in! Key topics in this episode: The capability crisis among children and teensThe impact of anxiety and trauma on resilienceThe importance of pacing in child developmentBuilding independence through chores and risk-takingThe unique needs of foster and adoptive childrenThe role of parental confidence and authorityPractical tools for teaching emotional regulationThe significance of experiential learning and hard thingsThe influence of culture and technology on capabilityResources for supporting resilient familiesLearn more about Raising Boys and Girls on their website and purchase their new book and resource, “Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience” https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com/capablebook?srsltid=AfmBOoprP_aLWKPGFOynb8NdMiZ6wfHbAWaYy8tzk28GbW5HEEfWs6r4 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!Called to Love is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To learn more, check out their other shows or resources, head to their website: https://www.christianparenting.org/