Called to Love: An Adoption Podcast for Christian Parents

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.This is such an important episode because there is such a stigma around adopting older children. Joined with me on this important conversation of breaking-down, understanding, and destigmatizing the need for older child adoption is an amazing expert from the field, Dr. Kimberly Offutt. Dr. Kimberly Offutt is an adopted mom herself who's first adopted child was eight years old, and has welcomed more children since then. She has been a part of Bethany.org for years and shares her experiences with the organization along with her personal stories. Here's the truth: adoption will break you, but it's also a sanctifying process where God refines you. It is hard and that is why it is so important to be aligned with your spouse and surrounded by a support system. Dr. Kimberly Offutt's resource: Bethany.org The book she continued referencing in the episode, "The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog"The podcast episode Somer references: "Safeguarding What is Sacred: Keeping Your Marriage Strong as Foster and Adoptive Parents"So glad you're here to join us! You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined with Brandie Thomas who shares her incredible story about the unique relationship her family has with her adopted son's bio mother. Adoption is an inherently painful and beautiful process; beautiful in how we are able to give a child a loving home and painful in the separation of a child from their biological family. Brandie talks honestly about this pain and what she would have done differently in another open adoption and shares a lot about her experience in this process. You can follow Brandie on Instagram, check out her website, or the new book she's a part of, "Restore My Soul: Stories of Redemption, Deliverance, and Hope."So glad you're here to join us! You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined with two amazing guests who are on the other side of their adoption journeys: Jodi Jackson Tucker & Lisa Qualls. They each share their stories and how they ended up adopting and all the ups and downs along the way, and they emphasize the need for healing when it comes to this calling. No matter which way you look at it, adoption is traumatic. While it is beautiful and sanctifying to open up your home and heart to a child in need, it doesn't mean there isn't heartbreak in the fact the child could not be with their biological parents. As Christian adoptive parents and foster parents, we especially need to acknowledge this heartache which can help us better understand what our child is experiencing. There is also so much healing, redemptive, and sanctifying power that comes with this calling... but it's also hard and we need Jesus every step of the way! To learn more about Jodi Jackson Tucker, click here! To learn more about Lisa Qualls, click here! Resources mentioned in the episode: Adoption Wise ministry, including free Blocked Care Webinar:Second Mothers ministry with bookshelf of resources:Pre-Order/Order: Healing for Every Heart in AdoptionBuy the book now! So glad you're here to join us! You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined with Rachel Wojo for this discussion on the desperate prayers we have as adoptive parents. Rachel's story is full of grief, trauma, love, loss, and Christ holding her together tenderly. In this conversation, Rachel shares her story and how we can pray when we don't even have the words... You can buy her book "Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life's Darkest Moments" by clicking this link. You can learn more about Rachel from her website!So glad you're here to join us! You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined by Cynthia Baker. Cynthia is life-coach, speaker, and author, and sparks today's conversation on being a helipad parent as opposed to a helicopter parent. You're probably familiar with the term "helicopter parent." A parent that is always "hovering" over their child, anxiously trying to control everything around them so nothing "bad" happens. But the truth is bad stuff is going to happen to them, the question is are they prepared to handle it? Being a helipad means being there for them when they need it. When it comes to fostering and adopting kids, they especially need us to be safe spaces that let them feel all the feelings (good and bad). Cynthia shares her insight as both a life-coach but also someone in a unique situation raising a child that isn't hers biologically. You can learn more about Cynthia from her website! So glad you're here to join us! You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined by Brandon Stiver. Brandon has worn many hats but has one vocation: to see God’s Kingdom come to Earth through proclamation and demonstration. A respected leader in the field of global care for children, Brandon is a professor, a podcaster and has led in nonprofits based in the US and in Tanzania. A community builder at heart, he has collaborated with organizations from Central America to Southeast Asia. Together, we unpack some of the ways people can get involved with foster and adoption without necessarily adopting or fostering. We are all called to love the widows and the orphans, but there are different ways God can use us to do that work. Also, Brandon tells us about the struggles of international adoption and what is the definition of an orphan. You can connect to Brandon on LinkedIn and learn more about him here! So glad you're here to join us! You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined by Sally Clarkson. Sally has written several books and her most recent release is titled, "Well Lived: Shaping a Legacy of Gratitude and Grace" which sparks today's conversation on how to live well as adoptive and foster parents. Let's be real... this calling is a hard one, there are tons of challenges, stressors, and things which make us feel defeated and deflated. How do we live well in this calling? Sally shares some of her story and experience with living well while caring for her children with special needs. She encourages us with knowing there is so much love and grace from the Father and it's okay to be human... Click here to learn more about Sally from her website!Click here to follow her on Instagram! Click here to buy her new book! So glad you're here to join us! You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined by Billie Jauss who sparks today's conversation with the release of her new book: "Baseball Family: The 9 Core Qualities for Developing Healthy Relationships." Billie shares her story of raising her three boys in a busy season of being married to a professional baseball coach and on top of it all -- fostering! Billie has a lot of stories and experiences that she shares in this episode along with those nine core qualities for developing healthy relationships. Click here to check out her book! Click here to follow her on Instagram! So glad you're here to join us!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined by Courtney Seibring who sparks today's conversation with the release of her new book, "Every Body Wonderfully Made: God's Good Plan for Boys and Girls." Together, Courtney and I talk about how our adopted kids may recognize how different they look from the rest of the family and we need to remind them of how wonderfully they're made!A resource from Courtney, click here! A link to Courtney's website, click here. You can follow her on social media.And here's her brand new book! So glad you're here to join us!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am joined by Amanda Erickson. Amanda and her husband Dr. David Erickson are the founders of Flourishing Homes & Families. They equip and empower Christian parents to lead their families with grace and gentleness through parenting principles that are rooted in the teaching of Jesus and backed by modern neuroscience. Along the way, they have cultivated a community of parents in the trenches, guiding them towards being peacemakers in their home, and offering practical tools for parenting with Jesus at the center.Together, Amanda and I talk about the power of neuroscience and how God has made our human bodies and minds to work. Understanding how we process our emotions, how our kids process them, makes us better parents! Amanda and David's new book: The Flourishing Family: A Jesus-Centered Guide to Parenting with Peace and PurposeYou can follow them on social media. Click the link. And you can check out their website! So glad you're here to join us!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.In this episode, I am sharing what I have learned and experienced with blocked care. Blocked care is a physical reaction our body undergoes when it is enduring too much stress. It's something God has designed in us as a self-protective measure. But when we are in the adoption and foster care journey, we are often over-taxed and stressed... so how do we cope with blocked care when we're fulfilling God's calling in our life? I share more information about blocked care, what it means to have a blank slate, white space, anchors, self-regulation, and more so you can feel more equipped to handle this burden. So glad you're here to join us!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Jep and Jessica Robertson, most well-known for being part of the Duck Dynasty Robertson Family, have joined me on this episode to share their adoption journey. Like many beginnings to the adoption process, it was the wife's idea. Jessica wanted to adopt but Jep was hesitant, and Jessica thought it made sense. They already have four biological children, were super busy in the successful business, homeschooling, and part of the reality TV show! But after Jep experienced a mission trip in the Dominican Republic, he realized he wanted to adopt. Adoption, however, is not as easy as it sounds, and even after you bring home that child there is still a lot of trauma to walk through and challenges ahead. Jep and Jessica share their story and offer encouragement, and share how having a strong support system and a strong marriage make all the difference. Plus, Jep and Jessica want to share this amazing resource for you and your family! A brand new, interactive book about a tiger named Valor who's adopted. Learn more about the book by clicking this link. You can also learn more about the organization Jep works for called All God's Children. And you can follow them on social media! If you're new to this podcast, I just want to say welcome!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Joining me on this episode is author, podcaster, and foster-mom: Bethany Adkins.In this two-part series, Bethany shares part of her story with foster care and the heartache that comes with it... but also the incredible God-filled joy. They also discuss the need for not just people who "love you" but people who "get you" and what the difference is. They also the discuss the refining power of this calling and how it changed her and her husband.You can learn more about Bethany on her website or Instagram, and check out her podcast and YouTube channel!If you're new to this podcast, I just want to say welcome!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Joining me on this episode is author, podcaster, and foster-mom: Bethany Adkins. In this two-part series, Bethany shares part of her story with fostercare and the heartache that comes with it... but also the incredible God-filled joy. They also discuss the need for not just people who "love you" but people who "get you" and what the difference is. They also the discuss the refining power of this calling and how it changed her and her husband. You can learn more about Bethany on her website or Instagram, and check out her podcast and YouTube channel! If you're new to this podcast, I just want to say welcome!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Joining me on this episode is a sexual abuse survivor and author: Ben Locke.When Ben Locke was in his darkest valleys, he was determined to tell God exactly what he thought. He poured out his agony and anger--and was met with God's grace, love, forgiveness, and mercy. He discovered in those moments that God can handle it. All of it. In this episode, Somer and Ben discuss how the church should handle sexual abuse, some of the signs to watch out for as parents, and the deep hope there is in Christ through this suffering. You can get your copy of Ben's book here on Amazon or wherever you find your books! So glad you're here to join us!If you're new to this podcast, I just want to say welcome!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Joining me on this episode is animator, author, and father of four adopted children: Tim Wolkiewicz.Tim is a very talented animator who has worked on Veggietales, Hasbro’s “Transformers Rescue Bots,” Warner Brother’s “Green Eggs and Ham,” and Disney’s “Monsters At Work." He is also passionate about adoption and foster care. Him and his wife both fostered and adopted children, two of which internationally. With this passion, he created a children's activity book specifically for adopted and foster kids called "The Flock." In this episode, Tim and I discuss: His family's story and how they came into this callingHow important it is for both husband and wife to be on board for this callingHow this calling doesn't just impact the child you're adopting or fostering, but it has an impact on the bio family and social workers and more.Tim also encourages us to find support groups, trust God, and be in a church body that raises you up in this calling, "it takes a church." There is a lot on the plates of foster and adoptive parents. In many ways, they take on several hats, becoming therapists, lawyers, taxi drivers, just with all the appointments and paperwork to navigate... and with this stress comes burn out and with burn out comes tension in the household. That is why it is so important to be supported by family, friends, and church. Through all of it, God is at work: you are not alone.Check out Tim's new interactive comic book: The Flock here on his Etsy store. You can also connect with him about the book via email: theflock127@gmail.comOr connect with him on social media or his website.So glad you're here to join us!If you're new to this podcast, I just want to say welcome! You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast.I hope you enjoyed the Refresh episodes with Kelly Hamilton as much as I did! If we're being honest, the summer season is not always full of fun and relaxation... in fact, it can be hard, lacking consistency, and stressful! That's why I wanted to pause and remind myself of those tools for behavior and emotional regulation, and these tools have been personally helpful for me in my family as I get overwhelmed. In this episode, I talk about some resources which I have found extremely helpful during this season and I am encouraging you to find rest, find margin for God, and remember that God is in this with you. The Colbert family has recently experienced a failed placement, and that is something I also share with you in this episode. God's faithfulness with us in this season has been so powerful and I hope this encourages you, in whatever stage you're at in this calling... So glad you're here to join us!You can email me your questions about adoption and foster care at somercolbert@gmail.com.I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Summer is a busy season for all families, including my own! That's why I thought this would be a great opportunity to refresh our memories with this incredible series, "Mindful Parenting" featuring my special guest: Kelly Hamilton.Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of "The Connected Life." She helps people build healthy connections to God, themselves, and others. She is a speaker, trauma-informed life coach, and podcaster. She and her husband serve foster and adoptive families in their home in Kentucky. You can find all her links here!Thank you so much for listening!I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Summer is a busy season for all families, including my own! That's why I thought this would be a great opportunity to refresh our memories with this incredible series, "Mindful Parenting" featuring my special guest: Kelly Hamilton.Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of "The Connected Life." She helps people build healthy connections to God, themselves, and others. She is a speaker, trauma-informed life coach, and podcaster. She and her husband serve foster and adoptive families in their home in Kentucky. You can find all her links here!Thank you so much for listening!I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!

Summer is a busy season for all families, including my own! That's why I thought this would be a great opportunity to refresh our memories with this incredible series, "Mindful Parenting" featuring my special guest: Kelly Hamilton.Kelly is the Founder and Executive Director of "The Connected Life." She helps people build healthy connections to God, themselves, and others. She is a speaker, trauma-informed life coach, and podcaster. She and her husband serve foster and adoptive families in their home in Kentucky. You can find all her links here!In this second part of our conversation, Kelly Hamilton and I are tackling the attachment styles. Being aware and mindful of our own attachment styles and the styles of our children make a big impact on that growing connection with our child, whether they're biological or adopted. Developing your relationship with your child is a lifelong commitment and there is so much hope for reconciliation and healing, even if its hard and ugly.Thank you so much for listening!I'd love to connect with you on Instagram or send you my monthly newsletter with free resources and first access to episodes and more!