Adoptees' Cafe: Devotions to Encourage Adoptees

Holy Spirit's Adoptee Seal, A Priceless Gift of Approval

2011-09-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

"God set his seal of ownership on us and put his Holy Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV

In the late 60's and early 70's as a young girl, I joined a growing number of boomers who got a kick out of the Pen Pal hobby- letter writing to young peers in other states and far away places. Hours were spent at the local stationery store purchasing pretty stationery and sealing wax to write my letters and seal them with distinction. I owned a sealing stamp with my initial "J" and after I signed each letter, I would place it in an envelope, melt the colorful wax and personally seal it proudly with the impression of my prestigious stamper.Then I would mail my letter and wait. Won't the recipient be lucky to get my friendship seal of approval?

As an adoptee and an adoption support group facilitator for over a decade, I have witnessed adoptees searching for their birth parents, waiting to find them and longing for their seal of approval. Questions surface and are verbalized at meetings when adoptees embark on a search for their mystery parents. Do my birth parents ever think of me or remember my birthday? What should I write in my first letter to them? What will they think of me when we reunite face to face? What should I wear when I meet them for the first time to make a good impression? Will my birth parents reject me or close the door on me coming into their life? As adoptees navigate this adventure there is no guarantee on what the outcome will be. Will they find welcoming arms of acceptance accept or won't they?

God, our First Father guarantees a permanent seal of approval when we receive his free gift of salvation that he offers every person he has lovingly created. What joy when we say "Yes" to Him and He immediately gives us the gift of the presence of his precious Holy Spirit. This seal of ownership becomes a very powerful spiritual bond between God and us. This gift of the Holy Spirit, this awesome seal is a deposit guaranteeing for eternity all God has promised for his adopted children, forever heirs of his inheritance. Next time I see a pretty seal on an envelope I will pause and be reminded of the gift and precious seal of the promised Holy Spirit. Wow! What acceptance, what approval, what love!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank you for offering me the gift of salvation and your sweet Holy Spirit. Here's my heart Oh take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. In your holy and beautiful name I pray, Amen.

Confession of an Adoptee Who Over Stuffs Her Suitcase

2011-07-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

"Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bags nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece."

Luke 9:3

I confess, I admit it. I am guilty of over packing for family vacations. This baby boomer nervously scans her closet and shoe racks multiple times and fills every nook and cranny of her suitcase to over flowing. When I've emptied half my closet and I find myself sitting on my baggage forcing to close it, the relentless question still persists, "Have I forgotten something?" New luggage guidelines for weight limitations have not helped me cut back one bit. Do I really need to take 15 blouses for 7 days of travel? Makes not a bit of logical sense to me, but I am still compelled to repeat this ritual every time I pull my weathered suitcase out of storage for the next trip. I seem to find solace in my over stuffed suitcase.

I spoke with another adoptee recently who was packing for a summer trip and she confessed to possess the same annoying habit I have of overpacking. Hmmm... Seems like both of us are not listening to Jesus' command in Luke 9 to travel lightly. He tells his disciples to not be concerned with procuring extra provisions for their journeys as they traveled to preach the gospel. Nagging guilt over my obssessive actions sends thoughts of condemnation coming my way. I ponder the possible underlying motives of my mad packing. On the day of my humble birth as an adoptee, I was left all alone on the hospital delivery table without a family. Could it be that I felt the separation from everything familiar to me in the security of the womb- my birth mother, my birth family, my genetic connection, my cultural heritage? Ouch! Is it any wonder that I have a tendency to cling so tightly to things and find separation from my stuff so very painful. Taking my extra belongings with me seems to offer me a temporary sense of security and safety.

As God impresses these thoughts on my mind, the condemning voices begin to fade away. In their place I hear the tender voice of Jesus, my Savior whispering to me," I understand, I care, I don't judge you." And then he gently bids me to rest secure in His everlasting arms and to trust in his grace as my daily Provider, my trustworthy Father. He promises to never leave me nor forsake me. Then He offers to carry my every burden and encourages me to leave my extra baggage at home and travel light with Him. Quite an irresistable invitation. What an awesome traveling companion, what an faithful friend!

Thank you sweet Jesus for knowing me so intimately and being familiar with all my ways. Help me trust you more and more each day and rest in your providential care. In your precious name I pray. Amen

Moses and Aaron's "Grace-Book" Surprise Reunion

2010-06-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

"What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and his heart will be glad when he sees you."

Exodus 4:14b-15

Joining the Facebook social network has provided many with an internet highway where long lost friends and relatives can be found. I signed up about a year ago just to find out what all the "buzz" was all about and have enjoyed making many connections ever since. Just recently my best friend Marianne from junior high days sent me a friend request. It was so unexpected and I was totally surprised. I quickly accepted her invitation to be Facebook friends. Soon we were traveling down memory lane recalling all the silly girly things we enjoyed as preteens. And just think, we were only one mouse-click away from one another!

Moses did not have the advantage of Facebook, I-Phones or social media to find his long lost birth relatives. He was separated from his parents and his siblings Aaron and Miriam as a toddler when he was adopted by Pharoah's daughter. Many years of loss and complicated circumstances separated the Hebrew brothers and they had no dreams of reuniting. How delighted God must have been as he planned every last detail of the brothers surprise meeting as adults! So on one regular non-eventful day, when Aaron and Moses least expected a miracle, God opened his "Grace-Book" and pointed Moses in the exact direction to meet Aaron in the desert. And they caught sight of one another and soon were in a tender embrace. God's word tells us that Aaron's heart resonated with joy at the sight of his precious baby brother.

Isn't that just like our loving heavenly Father! He cares for each of us so very much and He knows our every need and even the deep desires of our hearts. I can just picture God, can't you? Being tickled and giggling with glee as he plans his special surprises for us, his cherished children. In his perfect timing and wise ways he orchestrates his blessing for us and then he pulls out all the stops! And his tender heart melts as he watches his perfect plan unfold from the sidelines. Oh how our heavenly Father delights in us!

Earthquakes, Adoptees & Jesus the Solid Rock

2010-03-04T13:42:00.000-08:00

On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand" ( Classic Hymn)

"Look to the Rock (Jesus) from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn." Isaiah 51:1

Earthquakes continue to make front page headlines. Photos capture the countless scenes of giant buildings demolished and cities reduced to mere rubble. How does this happen?
A fault is a crack in the earth's crust. Numerous faults are found along the edges of the earth's plates. Over many many years the pieces of the earth's crust can move along a fault in different directions. The moving rocks may then cause earthquakes.
Many adoptees lives began with a "crack" in their foundation from early loss. This crack often lies beneath the surface and is often invisible to an outsider. But the storms and circumstances and future losses in life can rock that shaky earthly foundation. And the upheavels can cause emotional tremors and after shocks, not often understood by onlookers. Adoptees may feel that the relinquishment and separation from their birth family left crater size faults that leave them forever vulnerable to future emotional earthquakes and calamity.
But God's word in Isaiah 51 give us comfort today and a reminder that our spiritual foundation, our true beginnings began in the heart and hands of our Creator God, not with our birth families or our adoptive parents. He is our First Father, the Perfect One. We were cut from his solid Rock, and made in his image. He who lovingly formed us, breathed his life in us, and has been with us each and every day of our lives. No one else has been more steadfast, more faithful. Our immovable Rock is the same yesterday, today and forever. We are safe and secure in His eternal embrace, though shaken by the storms and earthquakes of life. Our souls can rest in peace in his providence, love and care. And He promises that He will be with us throughout eternity when we accept his gift of salvation and spiritual adoption as His precious children.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, precious Jesus, I thank you today for being my firm foundation. May I ever trust you and lean on you through the storms and earthquakes of life.

Copyright 2010, by Jody Moreen. This devotion may not be copied or reprinted in any media form without permission of the author.

Adoptee Shame & Jesus' Remedy

2010-02-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." Psalms 34:5 NIV

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Shame is an unwelcome visitor and sometimes arrives unannounced when we least expect it. As an aspiring 9 year old piano student, I took weekly lessons with my younger cousin Wendy. We rode the city bus to an old ivy covered brick building- a music conservatory. As we climbed the tall marble stairs each week to the practice room of our elderly teacher Miss Label, the empty halls echoed. Miss Label rarely cracked a smile and her manner was very business-like. My lesson always came first and my cousin Wendy's would follow. One afternoon, I was struggling to remember my music homework and Miss Label was becoming very irritated with me. She became more and more impatient with me for I could not find a certain note on the keyboard. Finally, in disgust, she called my cousin Wendy in and said sternly, "Find this note for your cousin, she does not know where it is." Shame flushed through my face and pierced my heart. I owned that shame and buried it deep within.

Shame came visiting me again one afternoon on the school bus in junior high when a fellow classmate, out of the blue asked me "Why didn't your parents keep you?" Shame slapped me in the face again and I was so stunned by the blunt question, that I froze. That question triggered feelings of worthlessness and rejection that put a blemish on the pretty image of adoption that I had always embraced.

In both of these experiences I took on shame that I did not deserve. Lewis Smedes, in his book, Shame and Grace, says " The feeling of shame is about our very selves, not about something bad we did or said but about what we are. It tells us that we are unworthy. Totally. It is not as if a few seams in the garment of ourselves need stitching; the whole fabric is frayed. We feel that we are unacceptable."

Jesus, our precious Savior, knew all about shame. When he was unjustly arrested, abandoned by his disciples, cruelly beaten and spat upon, he responded with the knowledge of who He was and whose He was. He was God's precious son and God the Father had a plan for his life that took Him to the cross to be the spotless acceptable sacrifice for our sins.

"It was for the joy set before Him (our salvation) He endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 Amplified Bible.

May we always remember our heavenly Father, our First Father who created us, loves us and to whom we belong eternally. When we remember who we are, and whose we are we will look up to Him and our faces with be radiant with his love and grace. And shame will be banished, forever unwelcome as a future house guest!

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Precious Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving me and for accepting me as your own, your adopted child. Thank you for taking my sins and my shame on the cross and covering them with your innocent precious blood. Fill me with your Holy Spirit and may I live each day to bring glory and honor to your Holy name. Amen

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Copyright, Jody Moreen, 2110. This devotion may not be reprinted or used in any media form in print or online without permission.

Adoptees: Beautiful Graftings of the Lord

2010-01-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root. ( Romans 11:17a)

When we adoptees begin to process what it means to be adopted, we realize that we were uprooted from our biological family tree of origin. There was a severing when our birth parents relinquished their rights to parent us. We were the branch cut off, separated from the parent tree. Ouch! That hurts! And surely a wound was created. Then through adoption we were grafted into a new family tree where we were replanted and allowed to grow.
Horticulturalists say that a good grafting involves a successful union at the juncture of where the grafted branch is joined to the new parent tree. The parent tree must be bound and securely attached to the young shoot which will draw nutrients from the foreign root system. The goal in grafting is to take two living plants and join them so that the whole grows as one yet each part retains its own identity.
Some of us were fortunate to be grafted into a nurturing and loving adoptive family. Others were replanted into families that were unprepared or unequipped emotionally to parent us. But regardless of whether we were raised in a nurturing family or not, many of us were never encouraged or given permission to tend to our original relinquishment wound and the losses it represented. It was always there, though buried deep within and often invisible to others, and sadly, even to some of us. This festering wound needed to be recognized and validated. A safe place and safe people were needed to assist us in the process of grieving our early losses in order that healing could begin. For some of us that never happened.
But praise be to God our heavenly Father who truly understands the needs of His adopted children. He who has been with us from the beginning, from the womb and every step along the way. He embraces us as we grieve our original relinquishment and He reparents us and helps us heal from the emotional wounds that harbor our growth and ability to be fruitful. We draw "new life" and nourishment from being rooted and grounded in Him.
May we allow our God, the Master Gardener to touch us and shape us with his gardening tools so that we may become the beautiful tree He created us to be. Our original grafting scar will barely be visible in the shade of our strong healthy branches. Then we"will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." Isaiah 61:3 NIV

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for loving me and allowing adoption to touch my life. Though I have felt pain and loss through my relinquishment, I know you long for my wholeness. Touch my life with your gardening tools. May I experience your healing power that I may become stronger and fruitful and give glory and honor to your holy name, Amen.

Copyright, Jody Moreen 2010. Permission is needed to reprint or repost this devotion in any printed media in print or online. jodymoreen@gmail.com

Teeter Totters,Tight Ropes & Rollercoasters & Finding Balance through Prayer

2009-10-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
James 1:5 NIV

One of my favorite amusements as as a child at our school playground was the old teeter totter. I found it fun to jump onboard with a fellow classmate who would join me for an afternoon ride. Balancing the teeter totter was always a challenge to achieve. I remember feeling a dizzy sensation as the board would constantly go up and down. Many adoptees express the feeling of being on a teeter totter, a tight rope or a roller coaster when they wrestle with the complexity of having two sets of parents: the birth parents who bore them and the adoptive parents who raised them. Some sense a dual identity and daydream about their unknown birth parents. They ponder which characteristics they may have inherited and which characteristics were learned. Adoptees often want to know if their birth parents ever think of them or miss them. They wonder who they look like, or whether they should search for their missing birth relatives. When questions or feelings about their birth parents or adoption surface they may be hesitant to speak with their adoptive parents for fear of being disloyal or "rocking the boat", teetoring their security. Those who are adopted may refrain from sharing their inner thoughts about their birth family that they feel might hurt their adoptive parents feelings. They may feel like they are walking a tight rope in regards to their loyalties. Adoptees may sense an intuitive need to honor both sets of parents for their unique place in their lives. So what should they do with their questions and the emotional rollercoaster they feel they are on?
The bible tells us in the book of James that God welcomes our prayers to him in seeking his wisdom in all things, especially complex matters of the heart. He gives generously and will not be judgemental towards us if we ask him. God understands the heart of an adoptee and all the relational issues that may cause questions, confusion or unrest. And our heavenly Father longs to share his infinite wisdom and counsel, just for the asking. We can be confident that He will help us balance the teeter totters, tight ropes and rollercoasters of our emotions.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, Wonderful Counselor, Thank you for reminding us to come confidently to your precious throne of grace where you welcome us. You are all knowing and all seeing and you alone understand our every need. You promise to listen to our questions and confusing thoughts. Even before a question is on our tongue, you have an answer for it. Prompt us to rely on your wisdom and strength as we walk this life long adoption journey. In Jesus precious name we pray, Amen.

Copyright, Jody Moreen, 2009. Permission is needed to reprint this devotion in any printed media in print or online.

Mose's Ark: An Adoptee's Vehicle of Deliverance

2009-09-01T19:08:00.000-07:00

"And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink."

Exodus 2:3 KJV

Noah is not the only one who had an ark. By faith, Mose's birth mother Jochebed lovingly wove him an "ark" of strong reeds and waterproofed it for safe keeping. Mose's life was in danger. Egyptian soldiers followed the cruel king's edict to search every Hebrew home, seize all male infants and throw them into the deadly Nile river. The Pharaoh knew that the Hebrew slave population was growing in numbers and he felt threatened. Because of his fears he chose his own evil plan to reduce their numbers. Mose's mother obeyed God and followed his leading when she could no longer keep baby Moses hidden, quiet and safe. Jochebed's prayers and strong faith gave her strength to relinquish her son. She put her trust in God to be in control of his destiny. Mose's older sister Miriam took Moses and placed his ark at the rivers edge among the reeds where he would likely be found. Moses ark drifted to the river bed where Pharoah's barren daughter bathed everyday. She found Moses and was delighted to become his adoptive mother. Moses was delivered from death to the fulfillment of God's purpose and plan for his life. God's provision lead Moses into an Egyptian home of privilege. His royal family equipped him with the finest education and opportunities that groomed him to become the strong leader God destined him to be. Mose's leadership brought about the deliverance of his Hebrew people from the bondage of slavery and oppression.

Some of us adoptees were delivered from the threat of abortion or orphanhood. Some of us escaped challenging and/or threatening circumstances in infancy or childhood through our adoptions. Some of us were given numerous opportunities in our adoptive homes to equip us to become the persons God purposed us to be. As Jochebed, we need to embrace our faith to trust God as He continues to lead our ark on its lifelong journey of adoption.

Noah's ark and Moses ark were both amazing vehicles of salvation and deliverance. They lead their occupants to divine opportunities designed by God. What about your ark? Take some time to reflect on God's leading in your life and the promised future He has planned for you.

***PRAYER***

Heavenly Father, Awesome Deliverer,

We thank and praise you for the life of Moses and the plan you orchestrated to deliver his life and your people from oppression and slavery. May we like Moses be aware that "underneath are the everlasting arms". Your strong arms carry us as you steer our "ark" to safety. Help us to prayerfully surrender our lives and future to you and trust your divine leading. We thank and praise you for your redeeming grace! Amen

Adoptees: You Were Designed By Your Creator. No Mistakes & No Erasers Needed Here!

2009-08-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

Even as ( in his love ) He chose us (actually picked us out for Himself as his own ) before the foundations of the world that we should be holy ( consecrated and set apart for Him ) and blameless in His sight even above reproach, before Him in love. Ephesians 1:4
( Applified Bible )

The start of a new school year is fast approaching and the stores' shelves are bulging with pens, pencils and paper supplies. Mom's and kids are crowding the aisles, checking off items from their supply lists as they add them to their back packs. Watching the commotion takes me back to when my sister and I accompanied my mom on our annual shopping trip for school supplies. I always remember buying a pretty Pink Pearl gum eraser to erase all those mistakes I would make on homework assignments. My grade school teachers always marked up our papers with bright red ink to indicate our mistakes and wrong answers. I painfully recall making lots of mistakes in Mr. Margeson's Math class and being exasparated as I erased the errors. BIG mistakes required lots of rubbing and sometimes I rubbed so hard that the eraser got hot and tore a hole into the notebook paper!
Sometimes we adoptees may FEEL like our lives were one BIG mistake. Some of us think to ourselves that we must have been born ugly or flawed or that we were just plain unloveable. So we may wrongly conclude that that must have been the reason why we were placed for adoption. But we know that all babies are born with a beauty and an innocence. God never sees one as a mistake. His Word tells us so. God the compassionate potter created each one of us so lovingly and with such intimate detail. And He was pleased with his creation.
Unfortunately we may interpret our birth parents difficult decision not to parent us as an unspoken declaration that we were a BIG mistake. We may believe that they did not want us or value us-that they rejected us. Not true. The truth is that most birth parents grieved deeply over their decision and their circumstances of being too young or unwed or unprepared emotionally or financially to parent us. Some were abandoned and left by their partner, or their parents. Some felt shunned by their friends, their relatives and their schools. Sadly, some even felt rejected and unwelcome in their churches. And others were forced to sign the adoption papers.
Our feelings often can deceive us and so it is important that we do not rely on them, but embrace the truth of the scriptures, the perfect Word of God. Ephesians 1:4 tells us that each one of us was loved, planned, specifically chosen and set apart by our heavenly Father. We were not a BIG mistake. Never. No eraser needed here!
***PRAYER***
Dear Heavenly Father, my Awesome Creator,
Thank you for the truth found in your precious holy Word. That I was loved, planned, specifically chosen and set apart for you. May I embrace that reality and walk in light of that truth today.
In Jesus holy name, Amen

Copyright 2009, Jody Moreen. Permission is needed to use, reprint or publish this devotion in any media form in print or online.

Linus Minus His Blanket, A Lesson for Adoptees

2009-08-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

"Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him for he shields him all day long and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders."

Deuteronomy 33:12

Linus Van Pelt earns the vote for my favorite "Peanuts" comic strip character. There's something irresistable about that blue blanket that adorns his daily wardrobe. Blue happens to be my favorite color so is that what draws me? Or is there something else that attracts me? When Linus carries his blanket, a peace and a confidence seem to flow out of him as he quotes godly wisdom. But when Snoopy or Lucy snatch his blanket away, Linus becomes unglued and panics over the forced separation. I believe that Linus' security blanket represents his inner faith and trust in God. When he remembers the source of his security and embraces his faith and clings to it, all is well- his soul finds rest. Ahh, that's my attraction to Linus!

As persons who live in an insecure and fallen world, we long for a security blanket, a safety net from the evils and sin that threaten us. We need to embrace the Savior. As adoptees, many of us in infancy or early childhood faced an untimely separation. The bough on our family tree broke and our cradle fell. Our birth parents did not have the resources or support to parent us so they may have willingly or unwillingly chose the option of adoption. The foundational rug was pulled out from under us as we felt the pain of relinquishment. Though this plan provided a family and resources for us, the initial separation was painful. It rocked the secure base of our known world. It felt like someone snatched our warm security blanket away.

Whether we were aware of it or not- God never left us. He was cradling us, weeping with us and, comforting us through our storm of orphanhood. He swaddled us and protected us in the blanket of his everlasting love. May we remember this lesson from Linus and ever recall where our security and strength come from.

**PRAYER**

Heavenly Father, God of all Comfort,

Thank you for holding me safe and secure in the blanket of your everlasting love.

Amen

Adoptees & God's Knitting Basket

2009-07-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

"For you created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb" Psalm 139:1

When I think of knitting, my mind drifts back in time to a dimly lit family room. There my mother sat in a cozy chair with her knitting basket and our snoozing cat curled up right beside her. I remember her hunting through her wicker basket for just the right pattern and colorful skeins of yarn that would be perfect for her next creation. Her knitting needles never remained idle after she began but I never saw her grow weary. It was as if she truly delighted in each stitch, envisioning her grandchild's joy in wearing the beautiful hat or mittens she was creating.
I can just imagine my heavenly Father hunting through his knitting basket of beautiful skeins of yarn, choosing threads from my birth mother and my birth father to weave together to form me, his cherished child. Stitch by stitch, loop by loop he gently designed my being with love. He must have wept as he stitched knowing the dark threads of loss and separation that would be woven into the foundation of my life through relinquishment. Yet he so tenderly allowed threads of adoption to be grafted into my life's garment to give me hope and a family. I believe that as he cast off the last stitch creating me that he prayed for me. A prayer of compassion that someday in his perfect timing I would see and understand his deep love and divine plan for my life. What a beautiful knitting basket! What a loving Father!
***PRAYER***
Heavenly Father, I thank you for tenderly creating me. I know that you designed each thread of DNA in my make-up and allowed adoption to be woven into the fabric of my life. May I see through all the beautiful and dark threads, the love you had for me as you knit me together in my mother's womb. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Copyright 2009. Jody Moreen. Permission is needed to use, reprint or publish this devotion in any media form in print or online.

Fall In Love with Adoptee Anne Shirley of Green Gables This Summer!

2009-07-08T14:38:00.000-07:00

"Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy cometh in the morning" Psalms 30:5b KJV

Discovering adoptees and orphans in classic literature and the scriptures has been an enjoyable journey. Besides finding Moses and Esther, the biblical adoptees, my favorite adoptee from fiction is Anne Shirley of Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. If you have never read this book as a child you are in for a real treat. Please take time this summer to read this delightful book and series. Anne Shirley articultates so well some of the common thoughts, feelings, and emotions of orphans/adoptees. Her struggles, pain, challenges, loneliness, and abandonment issues are shared as well as her gratitude, her dreams and aspirations. Anne Shirely's character is brimming with hope and the promise for better tomorrows. Her passion for life and God overflow through her character and make you " fall in love with Anne Shirley" Here are some of my favorite quotes of adoptee Anne Shirley:

"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we knew all about everything, wouldn't it? There'd be no scope for imagination then would there?

"I'm not a bit changed- not really. I'm only just pruned down and branched out. The real ME--back here--is just the same."

"What a splendid day!... I pity people who aren't born yet for missing it. They may have good days, of course, but they can never have this one."

"Five minutes ago I was so miserable I was wishing I'd never been born and now I wouldn't change places with an angel."

"Dear me, there is nothing but meetings and partings in the world."

"I suppose you are used to sleeping in spare rooms. But just imagine what you would feel like if you were a little orphan girl who had never had such an honor."

"It's lovely to be going home and know its home... I love Green Gables already, and I never loved any place before. No place ever seemed like home."

"Gracious heavenly Father... Please let me stay at Green Gables; and please let me be good-looking when I grow up."

"This island is the bloomiest place. I just love it here already; and I'm so glad I'm going to live here."

"Oh, but it's good to be alive and to be going home... I've had a splendid time- it marks an epoch in my life. But the best of all was the coming home."

"Kindred Spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It's splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world."

Lucy Maud Montgomery seems to identify so well with the character of Anne Shirley in relating to her broken dreams and lost hopes. It is interesting to note that the author was raised by her maternal grandparents because her mother died when Maud was twenty-one months old. So Maud experienced kinship adoption.

Enjoy this literary treat this summer and please share with us here your favorite quotes of Anne Shirley. How I wish I could have met Lucy Maud Montgomery and thanked her for touching us through her beautiful gift of writing.

Jody, Adoptee

Adoptees' Bellybutton Blues and Healing

2006-08-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

"Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous- and how well I know it" Psalms 139:14 (New Living Translation)

Bellybuttons are funny! Everyone owns one and just like fingerprints, no two are alike. Children typically are fascinated with these peculiar holes in their tummy and love to intently study them . Giggles typically come when a baby's bellybutton is gently poked in fun! No one seems to take bellybuttons seriously for they just seem to sit on our middles and do nothing worthwhile. No wonder they make us laugh! They seem so silly! But at one time, when we were created in the wombs of our mothers, they played a lifesaving role.
Our bellybutton (navel) or tummy-button as it's sometimes called is a sign that we once were anatomically attached to our mothers. An umbilical cord, beautifully designed by God, was our dependent lifeline needed to carry all the nourishment from our mother's body to ours while we were developing. When we were born and left the womb to breathe on our own, this precious cord was cut, severed and we became independent little persons.
Adoptee Joy Budensiek, who wrote the book "Reconnected to my Bellybutton" regarding her search and reunion with her birth mother, chose a clever title to name her quest. The reality of the presence of the bellybutton reminds adoptees that they once had a precious connection with their birth mother who they were separated from and likely never knew. Bellybutton's are the first scar that needed healing from the point of the severing. Though this bodily wound heals soon after birth with a scar, adoptees carry an additional emotional wound from the complete separation from their mothers through adoption. This too requires a process of healing. Regardless of whether an adoptee has embraced a positive adoption experience or not the significant loss of the birth mother needs to be grieved. The grieving process can begin anytime an adoptee cognitively awakens to their adoptee status. Then they can begin to comprehend their original loss and in time hopefully give themselves permission to grieve the separation. And as Christians we grieve, but not as those who have no hope. Our hope rests in God, our Maker.
Ah, bellybuttons! Silly to behold, wonderfully unique as fingerprints and bittersweet scars of rememberance. May they ever remind us of the awesome gift of life we've been given by our heavenly Father through the sacrificial love of our first mothers.
***PRAYER***
God our Creator, Maker of our awesome bodies and even our bellybuttons! We thank and praise you for the beauty of your design. As we navigate the mixed emotions of our adoption journeys, we ask that you would be our tender Shepherd . Hold us as we grieve our losses and embrace our adoption and the life you planned for us for your glory and your honor. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

By Jody Moreen, Copyright 2006. Permission needed to reprint in any form or media.

Bask in Your Abba Father's Acceptance, Adopted One

2006-07-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

"To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." Ephesians 1:6 ( King James Bible )

Basking in the summer sunshine became a passionate pastime for me as a teen. At the time, slathering myself in baby oil and sizzling for endless hours exposing my tender skin to the scorching sun did not seem foolish. Sheer pleasure was found reclining my body in sweet submission to the warmth of the radiating rays. Soaking up the sun, like a sponge, was the order of the day to insure the promise of a beautifully bronzed body. Every effort was made to encourage the penetration of every available sun ray. Sunscreen, sunglasses, umbrellas and hats were not part of my sunbathing wardrobe. Sun blockers were NOT welcome here!
God's word tells us that we are fully accepted in the beloved as God's adopted children because of what Jesus the Son did on the cross for us- not from anything within ourselves. We have often failed to be aware of the "Son" blockers that have often kept this treasured truth from penetrating our very souls. Dissapointments, losses and hurts, past and present, can erect barriers and roadblocks that keep us from fully receiving all the love and acceptance God desires to freely give us as His cherished children. Satan works overtime to convince us that we are unworthy, unacceptable, and doomed to be rejected by God and others. To live in freedom and walk victoriously in Christ, we must settle this matter once and for all. Ephesians 1:6 reminds us that we ARE accepted, loved, and cherished forever by our faithful Abba Father. Oh what a glorious truth! Receive it, own it, claim it, bask in it, and walk in the light of it! "Son" blockers NOT welcome here!
Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen, Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.

Charlie Brown's OrphanedTree, Me & The Master Gardener

2006-06-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

He is like a tree planted beside streams of (living) water that bears its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Psalms 1:3 Holman Bible

One of the most endearing of all holiday children's television specials finds Charlie Brown on assignment to find the "perfect" tree for the stage of the Christmas pageant. After a thorough search of countless trees, Charlie's drawn to the thinnest, scraggliest most pathetic twig on the tree lot. At first the Peanuts gang makes fun of Charlie for choosing such a pitiful evergreen , but Linus comes to the rescue wrapping his security blanket around the tree. Linus' touch appears to bring the tree back to life making it look healthier and stronger. Everyone realizes in the end that a little affection and nuture can make all the difference in the world... even to a tree.
As an adoptee I have been drawn to that Christmas special portraying the beautiful transformation of that lonely, orphaned tree, to a spectacle of great beauty and worth. Charlie Brown and Linus mirror the Master Gardener to me, the God of Creation who looked at all that he had made and saw that it was" good." God lovingly sought me out- an abandoned, orphaned and uprooted sapling. He scooped me up in His tender arms of compassion and love and rejoiced over me with singing. He grafted me into a sturdy tree with a firm foundation and showered His living water on me. As I grew, He trimmed me and pruned me with His gardening tools, not with the intention to harm me, but to make me stronger and more fruitful and prosperous for Him. I may not understand all His gardening techniques via the circumstances I have encountered through adoption. Some have shaken me to the core of my foundation and have been pretty painful. But today as I stand firm and tall like a mighty oak, I know that I have been forever changed by His grace and unending love- Ahh, the transforming touch of the Master's Hand!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen, Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.

God Monogrammed Me On The Palms of His Hand!

2006-06-27T07:54:00.001-07:00

Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16

As a giddy high school gal back in the 70's, I unashamedly rose to the ranks of a confirmed clotheshorse. One of my favorite fashions of the day included monogrammed sweaters like the ones Laverne DeFasio flaunted that bore the oversized initial "L" on the T.V. sitcom "Laverne and Shirley". I proudly owned about a dozen of these cardigans in a cascade of colors. Monogrammed apparel, in my egotistical world, shouted a certain air of distinction, class and typically was reserved for the well-to-do. Feelings of pride, ownership and entitlement washed over me as I wore these sweaters emblazoned with my personal initials. They were "mine" alone and no one else could claim them.
The verse from Isaiah today tells me that I hold an esteemed place of highest honor and distinction in God's heart and wardrobe. He proudly engraved me on the palms of his hands for all to see. I bust my Father's buttons! He proclaims to the world that I am His cherished child, His prized possession! I'm adopted. Bought with a price, Jesus' precious blood. Oh my silly sweaters... How they pale in comparison to God's opinion of me!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen. Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.

Adoptees Embrace"Kindred Spirits" in their "Forever Family"

2006-06-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

"But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare." Phillippians 2:19,20 (The New American Standard Bible)

Being adopted means having not only one set of parents, but two. The parents who made us and the parents who raised us. Both have contributed traits that have influenced who we have become. And if we get married and take a spouse someday, we add their relatives to our ever growing family tree. A probing question may take up residence in our "adoption" backpack on our journey. A question that may rear its head from time to time, nagging us and feeling like a pesty younger tag- a- long sibling clinging to our leg, demanding attention and refusing to let go.
Who is my "real" family, my "forever" family? Am I to choose, or embrace them all? Confusion may ensue.
God's Word brings comfort and clarity and reminds us of who our true family is. On our spiritual pilgrimage, we as Christians come to inherit a bigger family- our "brothers and sisters"who share a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Wow- We have a LOT of families!
God calls us to honor all our family members and demonstrate His unconditional love to each one. But we sense a special bonding, a wonderful sweetness with our spiritual family-
- our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our hearts are woven together through our shared relationship with God our Father. We're kindred spirits. When we accepted God's Son Jesus as our Savior and Lord,we were adopted into this precious eternal family! And from our "adoption day" forward we are drawn to these siblings by the fragrance of Christ that follows us and the mirror image of Jesus we reflect to one another. Our forever family, kindred spirits!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen. Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.

Adoptees Rejoice, Your Life was Planned in the Heart of God!

2006-06-20T01:13:00.000-07:00

"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalms 139:15-16

Gianna Jessen, adoptee was unexpectedly born on a beautiful morning in April of 1977. Though her birth mother had chosen to have a late term abortion, the procedure failed at the clinic. A startled nurse called an ambulance and sent Gianna to a hospital where she survived and remained for several months before becoming a foster child who was later adopted. Gianna has overcome many challenges due to her difficult birth and countless surgeries that left her with cerebral palsy. She is not bitter over her life's physical limitations for God planted forgiveness in her heart that has come into full bloom. She loves the Lord Jesus and praises her Father God for creating her. Gianna has dedicated her days to sharing her awesome testimony embracing the sanctity of life. She hopes that many birth parents facing unplanned pregnancies will see God's love for the unborn and will chose life, not abortion. Gianna knows she was born in the heart of God and believes His Word that says that though her birth parents did not plan her life, her heavenly Father did.
Those of us who are adopted may have wrestled with the challenging circumstances of our beginnings and the hard choices our birth parents were faced with. We may have heard and believed lies that said we were illegitimate, unwanted or rejected. Not so! God's Word reminds us today that we are God's cherished children! Our First Father knew us long before we were ever conceived. And He had a plan and purpose for our lives before we even took our first breath. Our compassionate, loving dad has been with us continually, protecting us in the womb, rejoicing over us with singing the day of our birth and adoption! And His promise to never leave us or abandon us fills us with Hope and purpose for all the precious tomorrows He has planned for our lives.
Rejoice today in knowing Who you are and Whose you are- God's child!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen. Permission need to reprint in any form or published media.

Missing Pieces Invaluable to the Adoptee Jigsaw puzzle

2006-06-16T06:09:00.000-07:00

And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' Luke 15:9

My adoptive mom has developed a passion for puzzles in her retirement years. Countless hours are spent scouring over hundreds of jigsaw pieces and solving the mystery of where each piece belongs in the big picture. On occasion, when she is close to completing one of her masterpieces, one or two pieces will come up missing. One would think that it's no big deal considering there are 499 other pieces fitted into their proper spaces. But to a puzzle master like my mom, an inner angst ensues when a piece is found missing. Incomplete puzzles never feel finished, they're lacking. Each tiny cardboard piece is invaluable in making the project complete. A missing piece gets alot of attention and its like a "puzzle alarm" goes off and a frenzied search begins high and low to locate the lost.
Many adoptees I have known who grew up in closed adoptions often speak of their birth family, their birth history as missing puzzle pieces in their life. And those missing pieces leave a gapping hole in their life picture, just like some of my mom's incomplete jigsaw projects Yes, many adoptees' puzzle pieces may be in place and fit together perfectly. But just like the unfinished puzzle some adoptees are prompted to begin a diligent search for their lost history.There is great joy and satisfaction in solving the lifelong mystery, and in finally putting in that last piece that was missing. Ahhh.......... finished,complete!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen, permission needed to reprint in any form or published media

Oh, to be the Spittin' Image of My Father!

2006-06-15T06:25:00.000-07:00

Beloved, we are (even here and) now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be (hereafter), but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall as God's children resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He (really) is.
1 John 3:2 (Amplied Bible)
My growing up years were spent with a loving close-knit family in a friendly neighborhood that included my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. My three blonde, blue eyed cousins living next door to me looked like they had been born at a cookie-cutter factory. They bore many identical features and mannerisms that mirrored our relatives. As an adoptee, I was keenly aware that my adopted sister and I, with our dark brown hair and eyes resembled no one familiar, and stuck out like sore thumbs in this family mix. These differences were not a cause for celebration in my mind at the time.
As many adoptees, I ached to have this sense of kinship, to be a clone of someone else, and so I laboriously carried these longings in my "adoption" backpack. This life-long pining prompted me to seek out my birth family in midlife. After an extensive search I found my birth family and was reunited with my 3 biological sisters and other kin. I revelled in the discovery that I shared a few physical features with them. But the longing to belong continued.....
God's Word today from 1 John fills my soul with hope. This passage reminds me of my true identity as a precious child of my heavenly Daddy. And its promise assures me that some day I will see my forever Father face to face and I WILL resemble and be just like Him! My yearning shall cease and my quest shall end. Until then, I long for that day and rejoice in the knowledge that someday I will overhear someone say "She's the spittin image of her Father". What a reunion that will be!

Copyright 2006, Jody Moreen
Permission needed to reprint this in any form or published media.

Orphaned Books, Orphaned Souls- Redeemed!

2006-06-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

"Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by name, thou art mine" Isaiah 43:1

I am a book lover and collector. The reader and writer in me finds a priceless value in the written word! In the disposable society we live in I've found a plethora of discarded books in resale shops, garage sales and flea markets. A bounty of beautiful books! Many have been poorly treated like cheap "one night stands". Some were read once and quickly forgotten. Others were purchased as gifts but never cherished or valued by their owners.They laid idle for a time on dusty shelves ignored, forgotten, rejected and soon cast off and sentenced to the lowly position of garage sale status. There I find these lowly "cast offs" these ragamuffins. Diamonds in the rough just begging for a little attention and some TLC. I adopt these "orphans" for a song and they find their way to my book "hospital". Overnight they are transformed. I lovingly dust them off, gently remove the pencil marks, stains and stickers and polish them to a windex shine. Like new!
That's what Jesus, our Redeemer has done for us. When we chose to accept him as our Lord and Savior. He bought us with his precious blood! He adopted and
redeemed us to become his cherished children! His perfect cleansing blood covered EVERY single mark, blemish, scar and imperfection past,present and
future! Never to be abandoned or orphaned again but highy treasured heirs of the King! For eternity!

A Twice Adopted Daughter, By my parents and my Savior, the Lord Jesus

Copyright 2005, Jody Moreen. Permission needed to reprint in any form or published media.