Beauty Is Rising

In this Episode Kelli talks with Trans-racial Adoptee Hannah Matthews.  They explore the challenges of what it was like for Hannah to be black but raised in a white family.  Hannah challenges adoptive parents to put the needs of their children first when it comes to racial mirrors and offers a unique perspective for adoptive parents to get a glimpse of the challenges their children might be facing. Connect with Hannah and her resources: You can explore more about Hannah and her work with Hey TRA through her Website: https://www.hannahjmatthews.com/   You can follow her on social media: IG: https://www.instagram.com/_heytra/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heytrapage/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSbEGOeMdwfQDrD4_ooGXSA?view_as=subscriber   She also mentioned her educational calendar for Black History Month, which, if you are interested, is available for purchase here: https://www.hannahjmatthews.com/product-page/hey-tras-28-takeaways-for-white-americans-this-black-history-month   She also has a year-long my book club which meets via Facebook. You can learn more about that here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/494132944569186/  

Christa is a wife, mom through international adoption, total coffee snob, Disney obsessed, and believes most life lessons can be learned from Mary Poppins. She and her husband are both former social workers turned writers, and she’s doing all the things she said she never would like homeschooling, eating gluten and dairy free, and using essential oils like a total hippie. Christa is the author of the workbook Before You Adopt: A Guide To The Questions You Should Be Asking, and is passionate about sharing the joy and pain of adoption and foster care. She believes in sharing authentically, thinking holistically, and is a total introvert and processor through words. A born and raised Texan, she’ll never say no chips and salsa and will always pay extra for guac. You can find her pouring more coffee and sharing spoonfuls of her life on  Instagram and going deeper on her blog at Spoonful of Jordan Check out and share Christa's resource Before You Adopt. ___________________________________________ Join the Beauty is Rising Facebook Group Join the Confident and Connected Collective

This week on Beauty Is Rising, Kelli speaks with Lindsay Leiviska.   Lindsay is a Christian wife, mom of three and an educator with a Masters degree in Teaching. She has been working with children for over 20+ years in a variety of capacities and has been homeschooling for almost 10 years.   Lindsay has served as a Large Group Communicator in Children’s Ministry for almost 15 years now and also has served in many other ministry roles leading & serving women in various groups including in MOPS Intl and Community Bible Study, Intl.   Six years ago, Lindsay and her husband adopted a newborn baby boy. The adoption of their son and his transition into their family radically changed their life. It is the painful journey of the past 6 years that has led Lindsay to start her organization, A Heart For All Students.   Lindsay is on a mission to empower the amazing children who think and process the world differently by equipping the mommas who raise them. She believes that God has created every child with gifts, passions and purpose. She longs to change the narrative of parenting & education so that these children can thrive as the people God has created them to be.   To learn more about Lindsay and her advocacy, please visit her website here.   Or to get in touch with Lindsay, please reach out to her via: Facebook  Instagram Pinterest

This week on Beauty Is Rising, Kelli speaks with Astrid Castro.    Astrid has a degree in sociology with an emphasis in adoption. For twenty plus years, she has traveled the country to lead youth groups, present workshops on transracial parenting, talking with children about adoption and various other workshops focusing on adoption. Prior to creating Adoption Mosaic, Astrid worked in both the private and public sectors of various adoption organizations such the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC), Holt International, Rocky Mountain Adoption Exchange to name just a few.   Astrid co-authored Adoption in the Movies, which takes the reader on a guided tour of 27 movies and documentaries that are ‘dripping with adoption’ asking questions that encourage the viewer to engage in ongoing dialogue and discussion. She also developed an innovative, evidence-based, 27-minute training DVD titled, Adoptive Parent Training: Developing Communication Skills. The training demonstrates how adoptive parents can communicate openly and honestly with family, friends and especially children.   Astrid’s personal experiences as an adoptee, a woman of color, and growing up in a white family and community, fuel her professional path to helping others. Astrid is aware of the benefits of post-adoption services for individuals and their families and seeks to bring these services to the adoption community. Her life-long interest in adoption is rooted in her own adoption at the age of four from Colombia (along with her older sister). Astrid has been in reunion since December 2012 with her birth family in Colombia. Read the Oregonian article on Astrid!   When Astrid is not working she loves to spend time with family, friends and enjoying the adventures of life as the mama of an amazing teenage daughter.   If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to visit her website here or to get in touch with Astrid, please reach out to her via e-mail: Astrid@AstridCastroConsulting.com   CONNECT WITH KELLI Kelli’s Website Instagram

This week on Beauty Is Rising, Kelli speaks with Michelle Madrid-Branch.   Michelle is an author, speaker, international adoptee, and global advocate for women and children; specializing in the areas of adoption, foster care, abandonment recovery, and identity reconciliation. Her mission is to ensure that the adoption community is heard, seen, valued, respected, and understood.  She is also the Host of The Greater Than Podcast.    She has been referred to as a “world-wide voice on adoption” by Adoption Australia. Michelle never steps down when it’s time to speak up on behalf of others, and does so with a natural poise, genuine curiosity, and deep respect for whomever is in front of her. Her international upbringing allows her to feel at home anywhere in the world. With a shared passion for adventure and service, Michelle and her family live and travel worldwide.   According to her, adoption has touched every part of her life. She relays,”As an adoptee, I think it's important to understand that adoption is a life-long journey. Adoptive parents really need to understand this. There will be many twists and turns along the journey, for their child, many entries and exits and it's vital that children of adoption feel supported and safe to share their feelings and ask their questions”.  If you enjoyed this episode, please check out her website here! Or to get in touch with Michelle, you may reach out to her on Instagram here.

This week on Beauty Is Rising, Kelli speaks with Monique Scrip.    Monique is a wife and adoptive mom of three boys. Having adopted 3 boys from foster care, she says her kids have been a blessing to that is far more than she could ever bless them. They allow her to see Jesus through them every day.    Monique is a certified Enneagram coach and owner of Monique Scrip Coaching. On her day job, she helps people become the best version of themselves by uncovering the roadblocks that are holding them back. She makes mistakes as a mom daily but tries to put one foot in front of the other and hopes of leaving a legacy for her family.   If you enjoyed this episode, you may go ahead and check her website, or follow her on Instagram, and get in touch on Facebook.   You may also want to invest in her services as an Enneagram coach as she offers consultations for $27, however if you mention that you heard about her from the Beauty is Rising podcast, Monique will provide the consultation for free!

This week on Beauty Is Rising, Kelli speaks with Karissa Barber.    Karissa is an award-winning professional actress, emcee and playwright. She married her college sweetheart and they celebrated their 15th year of marriage recently. They live in Central Florida with their 4 children. On her Instagram account, she shares about sustainable fashion, her theatre endeavors, and parenting. A nacho lover and book reader, laughter is her hobby and The Office is always on repeat.   As a transracial adoptive parent, Karissa is passionate about racial reconciliation and encouraging parents who choose to adopt outside of their race to fully-learn, engage, and advocate for the race, ethnicity and culture of their adopted child.  If you enjoyed this episode, please check out her website here and follow her on Instagram!

This week on Beauty is Rising, Kelli speaks with Melissa Smallwood.    Melissa is a foster/adoption advocate, wife to Mike, mom to seven children, five of whom have been part of their family through adoption or foster care.   Using her professional experience, time in foster care as a child and over 20 years of being an adoptive parent, Melissa offers support and encouragement to foster and adoptive moms through an online support group and coaching services.    She likes to instill in fellow foster and adoptive parents the belief that it is not our job to fix our child, nor look at them as a project. Rather, our job is to love our child the way they deserve to be loved, no matter what is going on. Learn more by visiting MelissaSmallwood.com  on FB @melissasmallwoodwriter, instagram: @melissasmallwood

This week on Beauty is Rising, Kelli speaks with Rebecca Harvin.    Rebecca and I connected through our stories of adoption.  Both of us have our own Ethiopian adoption stories, albeit with different endings, but the lessons that have been learned are undeniable.    Rebecca is the founder of Haven, an organization for adoptive families that specifically creates space for rest.  She and her husband, Brad, have 2 bio kids and are currently fostering 4 children ages 4-17 years old.   Rebecca loves taking the time to normalize the array of emotions that comes with parenting children from hard places and really prides herself on taking the time to find clarity in what her role is in each child’s life that she fosters.  Once she knows that role, she focuses 100% on completing her mission.   If you’d like to get in touch with Rebecca, feel free to reach out to her on Instagram: @rebeccaharvin

This week on Beauty is Rising, Kelli speaks with Jami Amerine.   Jami is an author, speaker, royalty artist, and Etsy shop owner. She is a wife and mom to 6 children, 4 of whom are biological, ages twenty-four to five. Her and her family currently live in the north Houston area in Texas close to her parents and siblings.   Jami refers to herself as an accidental author, having only written funny blurbs on her social media page in 2014 which everyone enjoyed. Afterwards, people then told her,”You should write a book.”    Jami authored and published two books thus far, Stolen Jesus which went out in October 2017 and Sacred Ground Sticky Floors in October 2018. Her upcoming book, Well, Girl: an Inside Out Journey to Wellness, is set to be released in August 2020.  If you enjoyed this episode, please check out her short, simple, funny blog here as well as her podcast together with Rebecca Huff here.

This week on Beauty is Rising, Kelli speaks with Nicole Walters.    Nicole runs NicoleWalters.com and is the founder and CEO of her company.  But before she started her own company, she was a corporate executive.   She is an adoptive mom and a consultant by profession who helps everyday entrepreneurs build profitable businesses that they love.    Her journey as an adoptive parent began when she and her husband had been married for six years. Nicole refers to her husband as the rational, logical one without the crazy mama brain.  Adoption was not always on her heart, but she has embraced the role as adoptive mom so gracefully.   Nicole is the mother of five girls.  Three are her biological daughters and two are adopted   “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. That is what I try to do, to show up everyday."   If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to check out her website here! Get in touch with Nicole @nicolewalters on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

This week on Beauty is Rising, Kelli speaks with Heather Avis.    Heather is a wife who has been married for 17 years and a mom to three adoptive children -- Mason, age 11, Truly, their daughter, is 8, and August, who is 5. All three were born in Southern California where the family currently lives.    She is an author, speaker, experienced special education teacher and a narrative shifter who runs a social media brand that focuses on creating a more inclusive world.    Their oldest and youngest children both have Down Syndrome and their daughter is of different ethnicity, being African-American from Guatemala.    Heather firmly believes that life is so much better when we aid in dealing with people who are different than us and spend our time and efforts in learning from others.  If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to check out her books, The Lucky Few and Scoot Over and Make Some Room.

This week on Beauty is Rising, Kelli recounts the adoptions process she experienced when adopting her daughter from Ethiopia.  This month marks the two year anniversary of Kelli’s family bringing their daughter home and being reunited as a family of five.   Kelli talks about the intimate details and struggles surrounding the almost 7 year process of getting matched and then bringing their daughter home. The first four and a half years were spent trying to be matched to a child.  They decided to switch agencies at this point, and were matched with a child almost immediately, but then had to fight to bring their daughter home for a little over 2 years until they were finally able to do so.   Through this process Kelli has learned so much and now passionately shares her experiences in hopes that she can help other adoptive moms find the community and wisdom they need to love and care for their own adopted children.

This week on Beauty Is Rising, Kelli speaks with Johanna Cannelongo for Pt. 2 in this 2 part series.   Johanna is a mama of 8 children - 4 naturally and 4 “supernaturally” by the gift of adoption.  She lives in Maryland on a little farmette with her husband and family. Her husband can only be described as funny and kind, and super patient with Johanna’s obsession with all things furry and feathered.  Majority of Johanna’s time is spent giggling and playing with her babies, but she can also be found gardening, in the barnyard or at her computer writing.   Each day is lived chasing joy while pushing forward in faith after the loss of their little girl, Gianna Lilyfaith.  Johanna and her family desperately miss Gianna, and live with half of their hearts in Heaven. Gianna has taught her and her family so much about being brave, keeping faith and making space for co-existing joy and sorrow that fill each moment.   “Jesus is our LIVING HOPE and hope saves us every day.”   To learn more about Gianna’s story please visit her website, Stop For Flowers.

This week on Beauty Is Rising, Kelli speaks with Johanna Cannelongo. Johanna is a mama of 8 children - 4 naturally and 4 “supernaturally” by the gift of adoption.  She lives in Maryland on a little farmette with her husband and family. Her husband can only be described as funny and kind, and super patient with Johanna’s obsession with all things furry and feathered.  Majority of Johanna’s time is spent giggling and playing with her babies, but she can also be found gardening, in the barnyard or at her computer writing. Each day is lived chasing joy while pushing forward in faith after the loss of their little girl, Gianna Lilyfaith.  Johanna and her family desperately miss Gianna, and live with half of their hearts in Heaven. Gianna has taught her and her family so much about being brave, keeping faith and making space for co-existing joy and sorrow that fill each moment. “Jesus is our LIVING HOPE and hope saves us every day.”   To learn more about Gianna’s story please visit her website, Stop For Flowers.

In this week’s episode, Kelli speaks with Jordyn Glaser. Jordyn has been married to her husband for 13 years.  She is the mother to two biological children as well as two adopted children.  They live on a small farm in Oregon. She has most recently written a book, Battle Cry: A True Story of Hope and Encouragement.  This book depicts Jordyn’s adoption story, as well as God’s hand in her life. If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to check out her book, Battle Cry.

On today’s episode of Beauty is Rising, Kelli speaks with Micah Johnson.   Micah has worked with children and their families for over 20 years.  First in education and mentorship programs, and now through her business, Seeing Color.  At Seeing Color, Micah helps trans racial families navigate some uncomfortable discussions surrounding race, culture and identity with love and grace.  “I truly believe God has given me the gift of understanding without judgement. I feel truly blessed to do this work.”   Micah also hosted a podcast, Adoption Unscripted, as a way to reach more adoptive trans racial families.  She currently lives and works in a suburb of Nashville, TN, with her teenage daughter. If you enjoyed this episode, please check out her website here! Or to get in touch with Micah, please reach out to her via e-mail: adoptionunscripted@ gmail.com

In today’s episode, Kelli talks with Beth Guckenberger.   Beth and her husband Todd, live in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they serve as co-executive directors of Back2Back Ministries.  Not only is Beth heavily involved in her executive director responsibilities, she has also authored 8 books, and spends time speaking at various conferences, youth gatherings and church services.   She specializes in conveying biblical concepts with the power of story-telling of her own experiences as a missionary, Bible teacher and parent.   If you enjoyed this episode, please check out her latest book; Start with Amen.   Want the big takeaways from today’s episode?  Click here!

In today's episode, Kelli connects with Speaker and Author Kim de Blecourt. Kim is an award-winning author, international speaker and executive director of Nourished Hearts, a non-profit serving orphaned and vulnerable children in Ukraine. Her books include: “I Call You Mine: Embracing God’s Gift of Adoption” (New Hope Publishers, 2018)  “Until We All Come Home: A Harrowing Journey, a Mother’s Courage, a Race to Freedom” (FaithWords, 2012). Kim is passionate about her relationship with God, caring for the fatherless, and encouraging the Church to do the same. Besides writing, she loves to read, walk around her neighborhood, and sing on the worship team.

Today Kelli talks with fellow adoptive mom, Alex Fitten. Alex is the host of The Adoptive Mom Podcast which is a space to help women feel connected, empowered, and encouraged to stand in the fire for kids from hard places. She and her husband Bryan get to raise three littles who are all less than a year and a half apart in age and have the privilege of walking alongside their teenager as he navigates his own adoption story. Join the Beauty Is Rising Virtual Adoptive Mom Conference by signing up here! For episode show notes & more visit here!