Tomorrow our church has the biggest fund raiser of the year. Every year we have a church picnic where anyone in the community is welcome to come and have hamburgers, brats and hot dogs. We have done this for several years. This year we are adding both a live and silent auction.

Getting ready for this takes much time and energy, and of course, volunteer work. We have worked at this function, in some form, virtually every year. My kids work as well. Yesterday Hannah and I were at church separating the things... more

I received a private e-mail from a reader, with a very valid question that I’d like to address.

Do you still feel that foster/adoption is a worthwhile experience?

My answer is a resounding – YES! But there is a caveat here. I believe in honesty in adoption. Holding information back from parents and idealizing things to parents does not do anyone any good.

I write honestly about both the joys and the struggles that we are dealing with. This is reality. It has not been an easy road, and there... more

I am one of the few people that can go to a religious meeting and end up talking about special needs adoptions and residential treatment centers.

This weekend I attended the annual meeting of the Wisconsin conference of the United Church of Christ. There were several of us there representing our church and discussing fun issues like budget and committees.

One of the committees that got my attention was the one for Health & Human Services. Two speakers got up to talk a little... more

One of the things I do with my church is that I am a shawl minister. We deliver prayer shawls to people who need extra comfort, and sometimes to people who are celebrating a happy event. Today we were on deliveries and our first stop was to a mom and her six week old baby girl.

I love babies anyway, but this beautiful little girl is really sticking in my heart. We delivered the shawls because this baby is struggling with her health. She was born with a heart... more

I try to read daily devotions to help me with parenting. The ones I read today had to do with love, parenting and getting along.

The first devotion talked about being loved by your child. It starts with the verse from 1 Corinthians that we all hear at weddings.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things,... more

I am just about done reading a fantastic book: "Couldn’t We Just Kill ‘me and Tell God They Died? Overcoming Difficult Relationships With Your Family and Friends," by Cathy Lechner.

This book is Christian based. I found the book highly informative and it helped me with some things I have been struggling with.

One... more

I am writing this on Saturday night, because Sunday is a day for family; although, the thought of spending tomorrow with my family is not very appealing.

Sammy came home on Friday afternoon, and has been a typical teenager: crabby, snotty and selfish. The events of Holy Week have left Hannah very short on sleep, thereby being very crabby, with emotions that turn on a dime.

Doesn’t that make you want to spend a whole day with them?

Larry’s family lives in Texas, but my family is here. Several years ago we stopped doing things... more

I have one of those page-a-day perpetual calendars on my desk. Each day contains an inspirational thought and a bible passage that goes with it. Here is today’s thought and bible verse.

Train youth to make good choices by your words and example.

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.- Proverbs 22:6

Oh, if only it were that simple. This may have worked in biblical times, but in this day and age with pre-natal drug and alcohol exposure,... more

Yes, this is somewhat faith based, but hang in there with me, and see where this goes.

If you’re not familiar with this story, here’s how it goes.

In the story told by Jesus, a man has two sons. The younger demands his share of his inheritance while his father is still living, and goes off to a distant country where he wastes his money on what young men waste their money on, and eventually has to take work as a servant who takes care of hogs. There he comes to his senses, and determines to return... more

Are these two things separate, or do they co-exist?

Many people give things up for Lent. As foster and adoptive parents, we give up so many things, that one friend said we should DO something for ourselves, instead of giving up yet another thing.

I made my “resolution” to read something faith based every day until Easter. I’m hoping it will put me in a better mood come Easter Sunday.

I am just finishing up “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant. I highly recommend this book if you have not read it.... more