Hey everyone! Welcome to the new look on the blog. After almost three years of blogging, I have a new look thanks to a giveaway I won! I have one small kink I need to smooth out on this blog, but otherwise this is it!
I plan to keep this adoption blog open even though we have already adopted for a few reasons:
1. We may adopt again one day
2. For Xiomara's birthmom, "J". While we haven't shared this blog with her yet, we may in the future.
3. I don't feel like God is finished here yet. Not sure what that means, but I'm following Him on this one.
Feel free to look around while you are here. I've finally added a link to our adoption story, but still need to write it. I also added a contact page for those of you who have questions about our journey. Also, I've slowly been going over my old posts and adding labels to them so you can look up a topic by label.
I think that's it! Hope you enjoy reading and that your life is touched even greater through adoption.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Millions of Miles
I would have blogged about this earlier had I known, but since I didn't know until now I didn't share until now. However, you still have a few hours left to make a donation. So click the button above for your chance to win a trip, but more importantly to help in the Congo and Haiti! Just $10 is all it takes to help somone in need. The question is, will you help?
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
What I Want You To Know
Often adoption can define people.
But I don't want that for Xiomara.
I want Christ to define her, not being adopted.
I want people to look at Xiomara and see her for who she is, not how she came to be.
I long for the day people will introduce us and say, "This is Chris, Vanessa, and their three girls." Right now, I hear, "This is Chris, Vanessa, their two own girls, and this is the girl they adopted."
I don't want people to treat her special or different because she is adopted or because they are afraid to hurt her feelings.
I long for her to be normal in the eyes of others.
For you see in our eyes, adoption does not define who she is. Yes, it is a part of her, but it isn't her. Her past is her past. It doesn't matter if her birthmom did or didn't use drugs or alcohol. It doesn't matter what her birthfather looked like or did. It doesn't matter why she was given up for adoption.
None of that defines her.
Instead, with her adoption came a new life. Adoption is one of the greatest examples of Christ's love for us in human form. He adopts us as His sons and daughters, just as we adopted Xiomara. He doesn't ask questions. He doesn't look for something wrong in each passing momement.
Instead He loved us, took us in, and called us His own. Adoption became part of who we are, but it doesn't define us. He does.
Are you letting adoption define someone you know in your life? Are you looking for them to fail because you have labeled them as adopted?
But I don't want that for Xiomara.
I want Christ to define her, not being adopted.
I want people to look at Xiomara and see her for who she is, not how she came to be.
I long for the day people will introduce us and say, "This is Chris, Vanessa, and their three girls." Right now, I hear, "This is Chris, Vanessa, their two own girls, and this is the girl they adopted."
I don't want people to treat her special or different because she is adopted or because they are afraid to hurt her feelings.
I long for her to be normal in the eyes of others.
For you see in our eyes, adoption does not define who she is. Yes, it is a part of her, but it isn't her. Her past is her past. It doesn't matter if her birthmom did or didn't use drugs or alcohol. It doesn't matter what her birthfather looked like or did. It doesn't matter why she was given up for adoption.
None of that defines her.
Instead, with her adoption came a new life. Adoption is one of the greatest examples of Christ's love for us in human form. He adopts us as His sons and daughters, just as we adopted Xiomara. He doesn't ask questions. He doesn't look for something wrong in each passing momement.
Instead He loved us, took us in, and called us His own. Adoption became part of who we are, but it doesn't define us. He does.
Are you letting adoption define someone you know in your life? Are you looking for them to fail because you have labeled them as adopted?
