Download or read book Help I m a Foster Parent Experiences from Real People Hope from a Real God written by Nikki Hertzler and published by Ambassador International. This book was released on 2023-05-02 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foster families are unsung heroes, willing to stand on the front lines for children who can’t stand up for themselves. But fostering can also be a lonely journey as friends and family members pull away from the fear of the unknown. We all have a job to do, and it starts by stepping forward and wrapping around those who are sacrificing so much. In Help! I’m a Foster Parent: Experiences From Real People. Hope From a Real God., Nikki Hertzler has compiled the stories of foster families and others who are in the trenches—loving, advocating, and fighting for children who have found themselves displaced from their biological families. Their poignant, transparent stories will help you get a glimpse into the true realities of fostering, discuss ways to support these families, and encourage others on their own foster journey through a daily prayer, Scripture, and reflection. Endorsements These stories from foster and adoptive moms will be an encouragement to other foster and adoptive moms. This is hard, hard work. These stories remind us of our humanity, God’s greatness, that we are not alone, and how desperately we all need Him. Trisha Porter Backyard Orphans Anyone who steps into the fostering system sooner or later realizes how broken and dark it is. For fostering families, the road is often frustrating and lonely. For the children in foster care, the emotions are so much more than that. That is why we need a book like this. Discouragement is always close by, and the emotions and feelings run deep. But families are not alone. We all need to be encouraged to persevere in the messiness, to love the children who didn’t ask for this, to encourage biological parents about whom few care—to be a light in the darkness. Pastor Derek Parker, Lead Pastor Starkey Road Baptist Church, Seminole, Florida As someone who has never fostered, I found the stories in Help! I’m a Foster Parent powerful. The genuine emotion of each devotion is heartfelt. Honestly, the experiences provoked in me a deeper empathy and support for the brave parents who choose to open their homes. But the book provides so much more. It honestly relates to the foster parents’ many challenges and offers understanding, camaraderie, encouragement, and hope. This book is a must-read for those desiring a deeper understanding of God’s command to care for the needy and the orphans. Lauren Crews Author of Strength of a Woman: Why You Are Proverbs 31

Download or read book Foster the Family written by Jamie C. Finn and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2022-02-15 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are great rewards that come along with being a foster parent, yet there are also great challenges that can leave you feeling depleted, alone, and discouraged. The many burdens of a foster parent's day--hurting children, struggling biological parents, and a broken system--are only compounded by the many burdens of a foster parent's heart--confusion, anxiety, heartache, anger, and fear. With the compassion and insight of a fellow foster parent, Jamie C. Finn helps you see your struggles through the lens of the gospel, bringing biblical truths to bear on your unique everyday realities. In these short, easy-to-read chapters, you'll find honest, personal stories and practical lessons that provide encouragement and direction from God's Word as you walk the journey of foster parenting.

Download or read book Faith Foster Care written by Dr. John DeGarmo and published by New Hope Publishers. This book was released on 2016-04-04 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Filled with personal stories and Scripture, Faith & Foster Care shows how to practically and specifically live out your faith in foster care ministry. An encouraging resource for novice or experienced advocates and parents, specific issues addressed include advice on marriage and foster care, how to love the foster child and birth family, how to pray for your foster child and birth family, and how to let go when they leave. See how your actions have a far-reaching impact when you live out your faith.

Download or read book Faith to Foster written by T.J. Menn and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2017-06-27 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Faith to Foster is a candid look into the life of ordinary foster parents TJ and Jenn Menn. It is a journey chronicling their decision making process, how the children arrived, the birth parents struggle to rehabilitate, help from friends and family, emotional goodbyes, and how faith in Jesus empowered them through it all. This is a story they wished they’d read before starting their foster parenting adventure. TJ and Jenn share their experiences and feelings in a way that encourages any reader to serve their neighbors, not just foster parents. Faith to Foster reminds Christians how God can use them to make a difference in their community.

Download or read book Replanted written by Jenn Ranter Hook and published by Templeton Foundation Press. This book was released on 2019-01-07 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many people embark on the journey of adoption and foster care but are unprepared for the challenges that await them along the way. Replanted takes an honest look at the joys and hardships that come with choosing this journey and provides a model of faith-based support made up of three parts to help families thrive: Soil, Sunlight, and Water. Soil, or emotional support, addresses the need for grace-filled settings where families can connect with other families who understand their experience. Sunlight, or informational support, focuses on obtaining helpful training to raise children who may have unique needs or challenges. Water, or tangible support, deals with concrete resources such as medical care, child care, and financial support. Throughout the book, the Replanted model is brought to life by stories and examples based on the clinical work and personal experiences of the authors. Their candid insight will serve families who are actively involved in adoption or foster care, as well as people who are eager to help support those families. Replanted affirms that with the right support system in place, parents can answer this sacred call not only with open hearts but also with their eyes wide open.

Download or read book Faith Hope and Connection written by Lisa Qualls and published by . This book was released on 2019-02-28 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you a foster or adoptive parent needing hope for this complex and sometimes lonely journey? Do you love your kids but feel discouraged? Are you misunderstood by people around you? In Faith, Hope, & Connection: A 30-Day Devotional for Adoptive and Foster Parents, you'll find: Real, often raw, stories from adoptive and foster parents in the trenches; Scripture and faith-filled hope, pointing you to Jesus; Honest reflections speaking courage to your soul and reminding you that you are not alone. This devotional is a gift to you from 30 authors, all foster and adoptive parents, who offer a window into their own lives and families. You'll recognize yourself time and time again in their words. Faith, Hope, & Connection: A 30-Day Devotional for Adoptive and Foster Parents is a treasure-trove of wisdom and grace for foster and adoptive families.

Download or read book Fostering Hope for America written by Davina a Merritt and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-12-04 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are success stories in America's foster care system -- stories of former foster children who have beaten the odds despite overwhelming obstacles. The few who overcame the failings of the system battled tremendous odds. They now stand as a beaming light of hope, optimism, and faith for not only the hundreds of thousands of Inspiration to millions across the nation. Fostering Hope for America is a unique book in the foster care world. The authors is a former foster child and a survivor with the exceptions two advocates. These ten individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and from different places in the country. Yet, these ten authors bear one thing in common. They each grew up in the system, and suffered varying degrees of sadness, dangers, and tragedy. They have come together to share their stories with the nation in hopes of saving other children from living a life of despair. These former foster children collectively strive to provide emotional healing and support to those heroes who are currently trying to make a difference in the lives of children who have been removed from unspeakable situations and entrusted to the care of the state. The authors hope that this book will serve as an inspiration and challenge for those who work in child welfare, juvenile court intervention, residential foster care treatment centers, foster children, foster parents, agencies and nonprofits. Fostering Hope for America will take foster parents, caseworkers, and all readers through the heart and the mind of a foster child, forever opening their eyes and hearts to the many challenges, barriers, traumas and maltreatment often experienced by our children in foster care.

Download or read book Reframing Foster Care Filtering Your Foster Parenting Journey Through the Lens of the Gospel written by Jason Johnson and published by Credo House Publishers. This book was released on 2018-01-15 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foster parents face a unique set of circumstances and experience a wide array of emotions that few can relate to. Their journey is one of equal parts beauty and brokenness, joy and heartache, excitement and exhaustion. There is no textbook on how to be a foster parent, no formula, no simple three-step guide. But there is hope-in God's capacity to bring great beauty out of tragic brokenness. This is the gospel-the lens through which you can filter your foster parenting journey and ultimately find the strength, motivation, and courage you need to be sustained along the way. ReFraming Foster Care is a collection of reflections on the foster parenting journey designed to help you do just that-find hope-and to remind you that your work is worth it and you are not alone. This multi-faceted book can be read alone or used as a group support resource. Every chapter includes: Personal reflection questions Group discussion guides Plan of action exercises Real-life stories Inspirational quotes Whether your foster parenting journey has just begun or you've been on the road for quite some time, we pray this book can encourage, challenge, and inspire you along the way. For bulk orders of 10 or more books, visit www.reframingfostercare.com. Discounts apply.

Download or read book Keep the Doors Open written by Kristin Berry and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2020-01-07 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Will You Open Your Heart and Home to Children in Need? As a teenager, Kristin Berry had heard all the horror stories surrounding foster care and adoption—abuse, neglect, rejection, anger, and misunderstandings. But instead of closing her heart, God opened it wide. This is Kristin’s honest, unvarnished story of some of her experiences as a foster parent of twenty-three children over the course of nine years. What she learned is that living in a foster home is like living with a revolving door. You never know who will arrive or who you will have to say goodbye to. Leaving the door open means there will be heartache and pain, but also adventure and unexpected joy. Kristin and her husband, Mike, have been through it all in their unique parenting journey. If you have ever wondered what it’s really like to be a foster parent, this book will help you gain a true understanding of the everyday trials and triumphs these moms and dads face. It will also inspire you to consider opening your door…and to leave it wide open.

Download or read book A Call to Love written by Julie Holmquist and published by NavPress. This book was released on 2018-05-08 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you considering or entering the adoption or foster care process? A Call to Love joins you in your journey, offering spirit-filled wisdom and encouragement through the first year with a new child. Devotional exercises will equip you to record your thoughts and emotions. You will also receive spiritual insights from many adoptive parents, including stories from people who have adopted from the foster-care system. As parents, we never know what to expect. That is all too true for many adoptive parents whose children are more prone to battle mental illness. Don’t struggle alone! Through a variety of stories, you will receive strength and encouragement so you can seek appropriate help as needed. Author Julie Holmquist guides parents along the journey and vulnerably unpacks the struggles and joys of her own adoption stories. A Call to Love helps you fully prepare both emotionally and spiritually for the path God may be calling you to walk.

Download or read book The Primal Wound written by Nancy Newton Verrier and published by British Association for Adoption and Fostering (Ba. This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1993, this classic piece of literature on adoption has revolutionised the way people think about adopted children. Nancy Verrier examines the life-long consequences of the 'primal wound' - the wound that is caused when a child is separated from its mother - for adopted people. Her argument is supported by thorough research in pre- and perinatal psychology, attachment, bonding and the effects of loss.

Download or read book My Full Life Circle Squared written by Richard Oden and published by . This book was released on 2016-10-31 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a very unique story. I grew up in the foster care system in the state of Alabama until being adopted at age twelve. Eighteen years later my life came full circle as my wife and I officially became foster parents to three beautiful children. While they were in our care, I got deployed to Afghanistan with the air force, and my wife had our firstborn biological child while I was overseas! On January 29, 2016, twenty-two years after I got adopted out of foster care, my life came full circle again as my wife and I adopted those three children out of foster care! While deployed, I wrote most of my book, My Full Life Circle Squared, which came out on Veterans Day, November 11, which was also National Adoption Month. It is a foster care/adoption story, but it is also a military story as well. Some of the real and significant sacrifices of our military members do, indeed, endure. This is a very inspirational story blessed by God! I have many life experiences that so many people can relate to. I talk about sleeping in the back of cars, not having my father in my life, getting married to my middle-school sweetheart, us having three miscarriages, being in foster care, getting adopted, being a foster parent, being an adoptive parent, money, and much more! I hope my story paints the picture of the providence of God and his will in my life and how he put me in foster care so that one day I could, indeed, inspire, encourage, motivate, and minister to others! I encourage others to help fatherless children by considering fostering/adoption and encourage our military as well!

Download or read book Filled written by Jamie C. Finn and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2024-09-24 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Though the words "foster care" are not in the Bible, the act of caring for the vulnerable is clearly important to God. Perhaps nowhere is that kind of tender attention and care for the vulnerable more evident than in the act of fostering a child. But as foster parents pour themselves into the children God has called them to care for, they may find themselves feeling emptied, in need of being refreshed and reinvigorated for the day to come. With 60 devotions written especially for foster parents by a foster parent, Filled offers a special boost of spiritual energy and encouragement particular to the unique joys and challenges faced by those who open their homes and hearts to kids in need of love. Each reading includes Scripture, a real-life anecdote from the author's experience as a foster parent, an explanation of the biblical text, and suggestions for continued reading.

Download or read book I Love Jesus But I Want to Die written by Sarah J. Robinson and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Download or read book Hope Meadows written by Wes Smith and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Reagandoodle and Little Buddy written by Sandi Swiridoff and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2018-10-02 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The moment Reagandoodle first set eyes on Little Buddy, he knew his world was about to change. What he didn't know, was that they'd brighten hearts all over the world. Told with warmth and a touch of humor by Reagan himself, fans of Reagandoodle and Little Buddy hear the true story of how one adopted dog and an eleven-month-old foster child develop an unforgettable friendship. To all the fans of @Reagandoodle and Little Buddy . . . the book is finally here! An uplifting tail of friendship, foster care, adoption, and hope. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to help support foster care families.

Download or read book To the End of June written by Cris Beam and published by HMH. This book was released on 2013-08-13 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Notable Book that “casts a searing eye on the labyrinth that is the American foster care system” (NPR’s On Point). Who are the children of foster care? What, as a country, do we owe them? Cris Beam, a foster mother herself, spent five years immersed in the world of foster care looking into these questions and tracing firsthand stories. The result is To the End of June, an unforgettable portrait that takes us deep inside the lives of foster children in their search for a stable, loving family. Beam shows us the intricacies of growing up in the system—the back-and-forth with agencies, the rootless shuffling between homes, the emotionally charged tug between foster and birth parents, the terrifying push out of foster care and into adulthood. Humanizing and challenging a broken system, To the End of June offers a tribute to resiliency and hope for real change. “A triumph of narrative reporting and storytelling.” —The New York Times “[A] powerful . . . and refreshing read.” —Chicago Tribune “A sharp critique of foster-care policies and a searching exploration of the meaning of family.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Heart-rending and tentatively hopeful.” —Salon