Comments on: Special Grace http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/ Musings & messages on everyday worship, Jesus, and the stuff of life. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:49:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Kevin Smith http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-5180 Kevin Smith Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:38:55 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/#comment-5180 Dear Phil; What a great story! It is amazing how God will work when we just allow Him to. I too, am an adopted baby. I have never had the fortune to meet my birthmother, as I can't locate her. But I am so glad she made the decision she did. I was raised in a loving Christian home by two parents (both now deceased) that were married over 50 years! I know my birthmom made a tough decision, but whereever she may be, I hope she knows it was the correct decision. I pray that God will touch the lives and richly bless all mothers and fathers to be struggling with a decision of this size. I could not write this if my birthmother had made any other decision. God loved me and her, and had plans for me. I thank Him for that. Dear Phil;
What a great story! It is amazing how God will work when we just allow Him to. I too, am an adopted baby. I have never had the fortune to meet my birthmother, as I can’t locate her. But I am so glad she made the decision she did. I was raised in a loving Christian home by two parents (both now deceased) that were married over 50 years! I know my birthmom made a tough decision, but whereever she may be, I hope she knows it was the correct decision. I pray that God will touch the lives and richly bless all mothers and fathers to be struggling with a decision of this size. I could not write this if my birthmother had made any other decision. God loved me and her, and had plans for me. I thank Him for that.

]]> By: A Grateful Adoptee http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-5179 A Grateful Adoptee Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:51:56 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/#comment-5179 As an adopted child, I cannot describe the blessings adoption has brought to me. Although I will never know my birth mother or father, I'm grateful that the Lord worked in their lives to bring me to the Christian parents I have. God bless those out there who are struggling with the decision on either side. As an adopted child, I cannot describe the blessings adoption has brought to me. Although I will never know my birth mother or father, I’m grateful that the Lord worked in their lives to bring me to the Christian parents I have. God bless those out there who are struggling with the decision on either side.

]]> By: Katie http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-5178 Katie Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:49:53 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/#comment-5178 Dear Birthmoms/Adoptive Parents: Mine is a story of giving up a child. I became pregnant out of wedlock and found myself facing one of the biggest decisions of my life! Because of the support of loving Christian family and friends, I was able to make the decision to give up this precious child that was growing inside of me because I wanted her to grow up in a loving and stable Christian home. I cannot even begin to describe the pain of giving up a part of you that you have grown to love and cherish without even having met them face-to-face yet! When Alethia was born it was bittersweet. I got to keep her for only 3 days of which I will never ever forget. I studied her every move, I loved her, I sang to her and rocked her, and I cried with her. It felt as though someone grabbed my heart and ripped it into pieces when we both left the hospital - she with her adoptive parents and me with some family. I will say that in making such a difficult decision, God blessed me with an absolutely incredible adoptive family that were loving, kind, understanding, and more than willing to be there for me and let me be a part of my little Alethia's life. I don't think I'd be able to do it if I weren't able to see her on a regular basis and just visibly "know" she's where she's supposed to be. I guess I just want to thank the adoptive parents out there for not only having the capacity to love the children that are given to you, but also showing love to us birth moms that are in such dire need of it especially after going through such a traumatic experience of giving up a child. Some verses that really helped me get through this were: Isaiah 43:1-3 "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Above everything else, knowing that God is right there with me guiding my footsteps and knowing that He is the Blessed Controller of my life as well as my daughter's is what gets me through each and every day! I hope someday to be right there in Alethia's life as she graduates from high school and to have developed that kind of a relationship with her adoptive parents as well as with her. I think one of the biggest fears some birth moms have is worrying that our children will think the reason we gave them up is that we didn't want them. It is so much deeper than that! I encourage birth moms to either write a letter, keep a journal, something that you can describe how you came to the decision you made, and how you felt about it, so your children can see that this very difficult decision was founded in love. Dear Birthmoms/Adoptive Parents: Mine is a story of giving up a child. I became pregnant out of wedlock and found myself facing one of the biggest decisions of my life! Because of the support of loving Christian family and friends, I was able to make the decision to give up this precious child that was growing inside of me because I wanted her to grow up in a loving and stable Christian home. I cannot even begin to describe the pain of giving up a part of you that you have grown to love and cherish without even having met them face-to-face yet! When Alethia was born it was bittersweet. I got to keep her for only 3 days of which I will never ever forget. I studied her every move, I loved her, I sang to her and rocked her, and I cried with her. It felt as though someone grabbed my heart and ripped it into pieces when we both left the hospital – she with her adoptive parents and me with some family. I will say that in making such a difficult decision, God blessed me with an absolutely incredible adoptive family that were loving, kind, understanding, and more than willing to be there for me and let me be a part of my little Alethia’s life. I don’t think I’d be able to do it if I weren’t able to see her on a regular basis and just visibly “know” she’s where she’s supposed to be. I guess I just want to thank the adoptive parents out there for not only having the capacity to love the children that are given to you, but also showing love to us birth moms that are in such dire need of it especially after going through such a traumatic experience of giving up a child. Some verses that really helped me get through this were: Isaiah 43:1-3 “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Above everything else, knowing that God is right there with me guiding my footsteps and knowing that He is the Blessed Controller of my life as well as my daughter’s is what gets me through each and every day! I hope someday to be right there in Alethia’s life as she graduates from high school and to have developed that kind of a relationship with her adoptive parents as well as with her. I think one of the biggest fears some birth moms have is worrying that our children will think the reason we gave them up is that we didn’t want them. It is so much deeper than that! I encourage birth moms to either write a letter, keep a journal, something that you can describe how you came to the decision you made, and how you felt about it, so your children can see that this very difficult decision was founded in love.

]]> By: LIZANN BOOTCOV http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-5175 LIZANN BOOTCOV Fri, 05 Jun 2009 09:51:53 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/#comment-5175 Dear birthmom - mine is a story of how God can turn any situation for good. I was blessed by God to adopt 2 babies at birth despite being in a lesbian relationship and very far from Him at the time. The birthmom showed real trust in that her decision was based as she said "doing what her heart told her" even though it was very hard for her. She is as far as I know now in a good Church and healthy relationship and living the life she dreamed of. She totally let go ... to God! He took what most would have considered an atrocious decison and has brought me back to His heart. As a result the children and I now live in South Africa after living in the USA for many years and has enveloped us in a loving Church fellowship where the girls are growing so beautifully in the love and fear of the Lord! I am now involved through my home Church in a ministry team that ministers inner healing to the hurting. The "other mom" in the story of redemption is being bathed with prayer for full salvation as she is in a New Age Church - I look forward to seeing what God does next. Only the Lord can take what seems like the end of the road and put one on the The ROAD OF LIFE. If you are a mom considering putting your baby up for adoption, only God can give you the courage and grace to do it - may you find much peace as you seek to do the right thing. Honouring God, yourself and the life He has given you will always bear good fruit. With much love - L from Cape Town, South Africa Dear birthmom – mine is a story of how God can turn any situation for good. I was blessed by God to adopt 2 babies at birth despite being in a lesbian relationship and very far from Him at the time. The birthmom showed real trust in that her decision was based as she said “doing what her heart told her” even though it was very hard for her. She is as far as I know now in a good Church and healthy relationship and living the life she dreamed of. She totally let go … to God! He took what most would have considered an atrocious decison and has brought me back to His heart. As a result the children and I now live in South Africa after living in the USA for many years and has enveloped us in a loving Church fellowship where the girls are growing so beautifully in the love and fear of the Lord! I am now involved through my home Church in a ministry team that ministers inner healing to the hurting. The “other mom” in the story of redemption is being bathed with prayer for full salvation as she is in a New Age Church – I look forward to seeing what God does next. Only the Lord can take what seems like the end of the road and put one on the The ROAD OF LIFE. If you are a mom considering putting your baby up for adoption, only God can give you the courage and grace to do it – may you find much peace as you seek to do the right thing. Honouring God, yourself and the life He has given you will always bear good fruit. With much love – L from Cape Town, South Africa

]]> By: Mary Sue http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-2856 Mary Sue Thu, 22 May 2008 20:46:31 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/#comment-2856 Thank you, Phil, and Southern Hills for the love and compassiion you show to birthmoms, to babies waiting for their forever families, and to those of us serving in as interim families for these babies while some of them wait for the legalities to be figured out so they can go to their forever families. We especially thank each of you for everything, most especially the prayers, for the special baby who has lived with us the last 9 1/2 months. As he leaves to go to his forever family we pray for them and pray for the next sweet baby to join our family for a time. A huge thank you for those who contribute and make it possible for birthmoms and birthdads to have options when they are at decision time. Please remember Christian Homes all the time! Thank you, Mary Sue Thank you, Phil, and Southern Hills for the love and compassiion you show to birthmoms, to babies waiting for their forever families, and to those of us serving in as interim families for these babies while some of them wait for the legalities to be figured out so they can go to their forever families. We especially thank each of you for everything, most especially the prayers, for the special baby who has lived with us the last 9 1/2 months. As he leaves to go to his forever family we pray for them and pray for the next sweet baby to join our family for a time.

A huge thank you for those who contribute and make it possible for birthmoms and birthdads to have options when they are at decision time. Please remember Christian Homes all the time! Thank you, Mary Sue

]]> By: Terry Laudett http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-2845 Terry Laudett Tue, 20 May 2008 01:32:52 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/#comment-2845 I would like to tell all birthmothers (and birthfathers) how much I appreciate them. I wish that I could express it adequately in words, but that would be impossible. When you place your child for adoption, you would not believe how much you are appreciated by Christian families who adopt your children. We thank God for you! I would like to tell all birthmothers (and birthfathers) how much I appreciate them. I wish that I could express it adequately in words, but that would be impossible. When you place your child for adoption, you would not believe how much you are appreciated by Christian families who adopt your children. We thank God for you!

]]> By: Gena Beam http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-2843 Gena Beam Mon, 19 May 2008 16:46:37 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/#comment-2843 Our first special grace came into our family 24 years ago at 5 weeks old. She has been and still is a very special blessing from God. Our newest special grace is our eleven year old son, whom we adopted from Ethiopia in January of this year. We are thankful to God for two special birthmoms who gave our children life. We have been humbled and blessed to be a part of God's plan for their lives. Each of them has a different story but God knows and has planned every detail. Our first special grace came into our family 24 years ago at 5 weeks old. She has been and still is a very special blessing from God. Our newest special grace is our eleven year old son, whom we adopted from Ethiopia in January of this year. We are thankful to God for two special birthmoms who gave our children life. We have been humbled and blessed to be a part of God’s plan for their lives. Each of them has a different story but God knows and has planned every detail.

]]> By: Deborah Gath http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/comment-page-1/#comment-2842 Deborah Gath Mon, 19 May 2008 14:50:59 +0000 http://www.thephilfiles.com/2008/05/18/special-grace/#comment-2842 Dear Birthmother, The gift of life is truly honored by God. We praise you for choosing life. We have adopted 7 children and are praying that God will allow us to adopt again. You are a very special person who can give much happiness to your baby and a family who is waiting to adopt. May God richly bless your decision. Sincerely, an adoptive family Dear Birthmother,
The gift of life is truly honored by God. We praise you for choosing life. We have adopted 7 children and are praying that God will allow us to adopt again. You are a very special person who can give much happiness to your baby and a family who is waiting to adopt. May God richly bless your decision.
Sincerely,
an adoptive family

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