Category Archives: guest post  I met Colin while photographing his family a few months ago and learned a little more about their story. It is beautiful and I was so excited to hear that they were close to bringing home two more brothers. As you read this post from Colin, his sweet mom and brother are in China to…  With Emily’s story comes the announcement that I’m now taking submissions for this series. This is a somewhat daunting task, but fits so perfectly with the theme of the series that I feel we’d all be missing out on something beautiful if I try to maintain control of this thing. So, if you’d like to…  And while I don’t always know what I’m doing, I do know what I want to be doing. I can look back at where we started and where the Lord has brought us and I finally have a grasp on what it is I hope to spend these precious years on. I want one thing for my children: to draw them farther from themselves and closer to Jesus. 
beautiful!!! I just adore Lara’s story — and her little sweeties!! 
Today I’m guest posting about the messiness that is motherhood.  Anne is one of my favorite people in the world. She’s one of those people who seems to effortlessly love everyone well. We have a special friendship – one that many people said would be too hard to maintain. You see, her daughter lived with me for the first 9 months of her life. People…
thank you for sharing this with us Mandie, as always your friends stories are both challenging and sobering, causing me to rethink priorities. <3  Those of you who have been following this blog for a few years know that this story is one of my favorites. I had the awesome privilege of going with Christina the day she picked her sweet daughter up from the street corner she had called home for years. They lived with us in those…
Beautiful.
I seriously could sit and weep. Christina, I am undone reading this even though I watched it in real time.
kami lebih suka jaden smith perutnya sangat kurus.  May we never cling so tight to who we are right now, that we miss out on becoming who God is shaping us to be.
A very touching story that calls for reflection by all who read it. May Christ come into our hearts to make us who God wants us to be.
Always always always keep writing.  Hannah and I have been friends for almost 20 years, but we’ve never lived in the same city. Even so, our families managed to drive the hours and hours so that we could all see each other and we have binders full of the hundreds of letters that went back and forth before the days…  Anna was in Uganda on a mission trip while I was and we met briefly, but our friendship has grown over the blog and Instagram world. I have been so blessed by her whole attitude towards her MS diagnosis., especially the way she has used her story-telling writing style to educate readers. Whether or not…
Anna I just read your blog entry and it breaks my heart that you are having to go through all of this, but at the same time I can see that God is already using you to encourage and point others to Him! I can see through your words that your eyes are still fixed upon Him- the author and perfecter of your faith! What a testimony you are! I want to encourage you with the story of one of my friends who is in my Bible study. Her name is Michelle. She is our age and has 3 young kids – infant to 4 years old. We had been friends for over a year before I learned that she was on a journey with MS…I guess she had talked about in Bible study on one of the days I had missed and she thought I knew about it when she mentioned a prayer request concerning her health. When she began sharing her story with me, she said she was diagnosed at the age of 22 while in college. She wasn’t sure if marriage, kids, etc. would be possible and God has blessed her with all of that. Anyway, she is much like you, a HUGE encouragement to me and those around her. She has been living with MS for over 10 years and unless you know her story you would never know. I thought her story may encourage you as well. I know that while we may not understand God’s plan in allowing you to walk this road – His plan is perfect and He will continue to use you and my friend Michelle to point others to Him! Love and hugs to you my dear friend!
Beautiful, Anna! Thank you for sharing your story! I am humbled by your attitude.
Dear, dear Anna… I sure do love you! Thanks for writing your heart.
Anna – tons of prayers and don’t give up. Trust in the Lord – I love your Bible verses – they always shine hope in our hearts and minds and souls…hugs.
Thank you for being so real and giving inspiration to so many. You are a joy. May The Lord keep your MS at bay and if not may you honor Him through it all.
Oh, sophi! How I wish I could sit down and have coffee with you! How are your MS symptoms? Any more attacks? (you do have rims, right?) we need to chat more…I’d love to know what’s going on with you!
And that should say RRMS….and also, I meant to say I pray for you often; this journey is so hard, right?  Blessed are you when what takes the natural course with someone else means that a miracle has to happen for you.
[...] click here to continue reading at Mandie Joy’s [...] 
thanks so much for sharing this, can’t wait to read lauren’s blog! xo
So beautifully said, Lauren. Parenting a child with special needs can be a very lonely and isolating thing. Your story will undoubtably encourage others in the midst of their struggle.
thank you Jenny!! <3
Lauren this brought me to tears. My daughter was born at 26 weeks and has mild cerebral palsy. We adopted our son from Colombia a year ago and he has moderate hearing loss. While I know it is not the same as autism, I do know what it is like to have my child walk a year after everyone else’s, to take her to therapy an hour away every week so that she can do something others do so easily like sit up by herself, and the frustration when some stranger in the store thinks my son is being rude by not answering them when in reality he just can’t hear them. Raising children with special needs can be so difficult, but I wouldn’t trade a moment because it has taught me to be thankful for every moment and every “small” achievement! So thankful that you shared your story here.
Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your story too Jamie! My daughter also has special needs and will have much trouble learning to walk like yours. There is so much comfort in knowing that others are walking a similar journey. Thank you for your encouragement! <3
What a beautiful writing piece this is. I also have a child from Ethiopia and a daughter from China who was diagnosed Autistic 7 months after we brought her home.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I wouldn’t trade our miracles for the easy way. God uses every difficulty for goodness in the end. He is so good!
thank you for sharing about your daughter, Lori! <3
yes! so true Rachael — our suffering is not in vain. <3
Lauren…May God bless you abundantly as you mother your sweet little Mareto! God gave a special boy, with special needs, a special Momma! Your children are beautiful gifts…and you are the perfect mother for them. God is so awesome…and He knows exactly what He is doing! Love you pretty lady! Linda @ Truthful Tidbits.  This is the first in a series of posts that I introduced over here and I am so excited to share it with you. Jessica and I have been following each other’s stories online for the last year or so and I’ve been so encouraged by her faithfulness, her grace, her intentionality to see beauty…
amazing story 
beautiful. breath-takingly beautiful He is.
Thank you for sharing this story of love. God is faithful to shape us through pain and struggle. His story is redemption, and I’m honored to be a part of it and witness it in the lives of others.
A new blog and the story is about the couple in INdia who have adopted a child with severe special needs and now have a baby they birthed. Their story and this blog are incredible. Wonderful inspiration of Gods presence in all our trials.
Thank you for sharing, Susan!
So glad you were blessed, Sharon!
Truly Inspiring! I thank God for this blessed family. 
Blessed family …!! 
Amazing story. I know what it’s like to wholeheartedly love a broken baby. My daughter’s brokenness was so that she only lived for four hours. But what an amazing four hours they were! And the Lord has done wonderful things through her brokenness and mine. Thank you again for sharing. <3 |
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Sarah Crane - MJ and Colin, thank you for sharing! Thank you for your heart to tell your story to ultimately tell His story and point to our Jesus! Well done! Much love!
Diane - We are so thankful you are home with your family, Colin. Thank you for sharing your story!
Robin - Colin,
What an amazing and beautiful post! I am so glad that you now understand the depths of God’s love for you. I have a daughter from China who was adopted 6 days before her 14th birthday, so I have heard a lot about life in the orphanage. She, too, understands God’s love for her now. May God continue to bless your life and the lives of your brothers.
SleepyKnitter - Great post, Colin! Thank you for helping us understand better what life was like for you in China and what other children are experiencing there now. Thank you also for sharing the verse that has brought you comfort. I will teach it to my adopted children and pray that it helps them the way it has helped you. God’s Word is powerful!