Parenting

It Has Been Way Too Long!

/ Susan Woodward
YES! I AM BACK AGAIN…

I have taken a break from my Blog for way too long. How dare life get so chaotically busy that it takes me away from something that I am so passionate about. YOU!

I am ready to share once again! I have been using Facebook as a ministry for several years. I have tried my best to write things on that platform that speak truth, encourages others to love like Jesus and promotes serving others. That is what my intentions were when I started writing on this blog/website. I have decided to once again make this a place for me to let go of what is on my heart and let God touch whomever It can. I want the work that God has done in my life and what he inspires me to share, to somehow make a difference in others.

“What good is it to have God work within us, if we are not willing to share the work he has done” ~SW

Truth, Love and Service. Those three things mean so much to me. They are who I am and It is the reason I started highlighting some tid bits of my life on this website several years ago. I have shared about being a Parent, Adoptive Parent, Foster Parent, Mimi, and the Wife of a Care Pastor. I am also the only Daughter to wonderful parents and a Sister to three brothers. All of those things have given me great fulfillment, but no title compares to being a Child of the Most High. It gives me abundant joy to share the little things in life that are of great importance to God.

Each of our stories are unique, significant and worth sharing. I am always learning to embrace mine just a little bit more. I am forever thankful that Gods plan for each of us is much greater than we can imagine for ourselves.

On no particular schedule, I am looking forward to sharing more about all the good, the bad, and the ugly that makes my life come together as something so beautiful. Each one of our lives is something that is imperfectly perfect to God. I hope to encourage you to look at your own story and only see the beautiful, as Christ does.

Also, I am hoping you choose to share this website/blog with others who may need to learn to embrace their story just a bit more, as well.

Live by Truth

Love Like Jesus

Serve People 

Here’s to new things….

Foster Care Awareness Month

/ Susan Woodward

May is Foster Care Awareness Month!

foster-care-words

This video shows so much. It makes my heart hurt and stirs so many emotions in me every single time I watch it. 

Please take the time to watch this video by clicking here -REMOVED-  There are other videos in this series on YouTube. You’ll need a tissue for all of them!

To the Children in care…you deserve a voice, you deserve love, you need roots and you need a family! There is hope! You are Worthy!

To other Foster Parents…it’s the toughest job you’ll ever love! All of God’s children are worth all of our efforts ❤️ 

Thank you so much for making a difference one child at a time!

family love quotes and sayings Awesome I love my family so much quotes Pinterest Gallery

Dreams Come True!

/ Susan Woodward

Book Released Today

It’s in my hands now!!!! It’s for real! 

Book Photo

My story can be found  in the section “Blessings in the Midst of Chaos”  (pages 277-294) And my quote was chosen for the back of the book!  Wow! Someone pinch me!  God’s timing is just soooo good!  I’d love to say what an awesome job all of the Authors did, but i know first hand, God was all over them while they were writing.  So all of the acknowledgements go to our Lord and Savior!  

The Editor has changed all of the children(s) names for privacy reasons.

Thank you to Katherine Piper for having a dream to make a difference and allowing the Lord to use her in such an endeavor. It was tedious and i know it had to be a bit crazy communicating with so many different authors from around the world.  She showed such grace as she allowed God to guide her every decision making step along the way.  She has already made a difference!  (To all of us Authors as well)  With this book to encourage adoptive families,  she’ll continue to make a difference for many years to come.  I’ll forever be grateful for her obedience to carry out her vision and for approaching me to share our story.     

Also, a huge thank you to all of my family who helped encourage me to “go for it” when the opportunity to share our 3 adoption stories was presented. I am honored (with 27 other Christian Authors) to be able to encourage Women on their adoption journey’s. May God receive all the glory he deserves, for orchestrating such a beautiful arrangement of heartfelt love and faith shared within the books pages. It is all of our prayer to help fund forever homes for children for many years to come.  And we will, as copies of this book are sold…

Hope for the Adoption Journey is now available on Amazon!

Get your copy here: Hope for the Adoption Story -Amazon Prime

All proceeds from the book go towards helping other families adopt through the Show Hope organization.

Visit Show Hope Organization here

The Following is from the Show Hope website:

This movement began in 2003, when Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman founded Show Hope after having their own eyes and hearts opened to the global orphan crisis.

Since then, Show Hope has worked to holistically approach orphan care, helping children in four key areas:

  • Adoption Aid
  • Care Centers
  • Pre+Post Adoption Support
  • Student Initiatives

Through Adoption Aid grants, Show Hope has helped more than 6,000 children from more than 60 countries, including the U.S. More than 2,500 waiting children with acute medical and special needs have received loving care through Show Hope’s Care Centers in China. Show Hope’s partnership with the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU and Empowered to Connect has helped bring hope and healing to children around the world with encouraging, research based teaching in Pre+Post Adoption Support. And Show Hope prepares for the future with our Student Initiatives by educating and empowering the next generation of leaders to effectively care and make a difference in the lives of waiting children.

Book to be Released Soon!

/ Susan Woodward

28 True Post-Adoption Stories to Comfort and Encourage

Hope for the Adoption Journey, compiled by Katherine Piper, features the heartrending stories of twenty-eight women from very different circumstances who have personal experience with adopting and fostering children, both domestic and international, of various ages and backgrounds, with a wide range of needs—and who have endured to share their joy.

Are you a mother facing the chaos of adoption in your family?

Do you feel alone and overwhelmed with the struggle of adoption?

Or are you considering adoption and wondering if you can do it?

  
“Adoption can make your heart ache and your head spin, and it can turn things in your family upside down for a while. But the blessings do outweigh the chaos, and every struggle and disappointment too. Remember, you are not alone in this endeavor. There are many others who have been or are in the trenches with you. And God will never leave your side…
Love fiercely as He loves you.”
—Mother of adopted & foster children
(Susan Woodward)

All profits will be used to help prospective adoptive parents bring their children home.

Will be available on Amazon and Kindle, August 2018.

Book

 

Adoption Story Two -sneak peek

/ Susan Woodward

Shared from Blessings In The Chaos 

McKenzie – Our fourth gift.

Two months after Austin’s adoption was final we received a call from the Department of Social Services to Foster a sibling group of three girls. The girls were two, four and nine years old. There wasn’t much hesitation in us saying yes. It was known by the Department that we would do our best to take in any child that needed to be cared for. We discussed it as a family and prayed before giving them our final answer. From the day they arrived in our home in July 2007, until the day McKenzie’s adoption was final in November 2009 it was a whirl wind of chaos. There were days I felt alone, misunderstood and even miss guided by the Department. It was God alone who gave me the strength to dig deep and move forward. There were many times I prayed for God to reveal the blessings to me. Being a parent to six kids with three of them having additional special needs was emotionally draining. I reminded myself often why we chose to go into Foster Care. I knew that we were making a difference, but I didn’t always see it. Remembering why  we were in the chaos, always gave me the boost I needed to continue on in full force.

McKenzie was the youngest and the frailest. Although she was two years old, she only weighed 17 lbs. and wore size 9-12 month clothing. She had already had her tonsils and adenoids removed. She had suffered from a bowel blockage and was so tiny that it scared me to hold her too tightly. She did not speak when she came. Most of her basic needs were quickly met by her oldest sister who had been her primary care taker.

I would love to say that when termination of the parental rights happened we were relieved and had peace. This would be far from the truth. We were extremely torn, and frustrated with the decisions the Social Workers, Therapist, Lawyers and Judge was making in regards to what they felt was in the best interest of the girls. They made the decision to separate them. At the time, we just couldn’t wrap our heads or our hearts around that decision. It’s awful hard to trust God when you are experiencing great pain.

We have never been the same from the moment the three of them entered our home and our hearts. It wasn’t an easy road, but Kent and I continued to remain obedient with every twist and turn we were faced with.  We understand that we were created with a purpose to love those who may seem unlovable to others. We do not possess or pretend to have the answers. We have no greater option but to seek God daily for guidance in raising all of our children. We look for joy in each moment and have become great at finding the blessings where others may see none. We fill ourselves in God’s presence often. This has allowed us to continue to pour out and into others with every chance that we get. God knew that we would make a great team.

Adoption can make your heart ache, your head spin and can turn things in your family upside down for a while. But the blessings do outweigh the chaos. They even manage to outweigh every struggle and disappointment too. Remember you are not alone in this endeavor. There are many others that have been or are in the trenches with you. And God will never leave your side. Even when you think you are failing and do not see him working, remember he is always working on your behalf. So keep keeping on despite the chaos you may endure and love fiercely as he loves you. Don’t lose hope. For hope will continue to change the world one child at a time.  

This is just a small piece of my second Adoption story in the book I have Co-Authored with many other Christian women. The details of her story and our other two adoptions are shared in length in the book. I am so excited that it is in publishing now.  I cannot wait to encourage others on their adoption journey and to help fund forever homes for others. 

Other Sneak Peeks can be read here:

Telling our story…sneak peek!

Adoption Story One -sneak peek

 

Adoption Story One -sneak peek

/ Susan Woodward / 1 Comment

 

Austin disney

Austin Celebrating his adoption at Disney World when it became final.

Austin –

Two years old.

He was our third gift.

He was born into our hearts differently, but perfectly.

The gift of Austin in our lives came eleven years after the birth of our biological daughter and thirteen after the birth of our biological son. He opened our family’s eyes to the tremendous needs that were literally right around us. He grew each of our hearts in an instant. They would never be the same again.

Austin was our first placement call from our local Department of Social Services. The call came on a sunny day in July. My husband Kent and the kids and I were enjoying the outdoors. When I answered the phone, it was immediately different than what I had expected our first placement call to be like. We realized later, it was also very different for the Case Worker on the other end of the phone. This child would not be able to return home. This child was going to be available for adoption. We knew immediately that God was in all of it.

I was just as terrified as I was excited when I hung up the phone. My husband Kent’s reaction complimented my own. We were both ready and agreed to move forward. Neither of us knew exactly what “forward” entailed, but we knew our answer to that call would be yes. We didn’t hesitate, we had already been praying for months. God had given us clarity. We agreed to be obedient to whatever he called us to do. In 5 minutes all of our lives changed forever. We didn’t understand the magnitude of the blessings in that decision. But today, the blessings continue to unfold.

We felt pretty confident about fostering prior to that first placement call. Our confidence was shaken several times in the years to follow.  Austin became the first of many children God placed with us through the Department of Social Services. Our plans initially were to help one child at a time and work towards reunification with their parents. But, Gods plan for us is often different than our own. We now have many stories. With each of them there is a common factor. We trusted God. We knew that he would guide our steps in all of the unknowns we were to face. And he has proven faithful.

My mind was racing even more than my heart on the 5 minute drive to Social Services to meet Austin for the first time. We were casually introduced. He sat on the floor of a quiet room in the Department of Social Services. His only belongings were next to him in a small white bag. He held onto a small McDonalds Happy Meal toy and looked up to see who had entered the room. No matter how I have tried, I cannot find the words to describe when I looked at his sweet, expressionless face and our eyes locked for the first time. I instantly experienced something within me.  It was as if God birthed him deeply into my heart. I longed to hold him close and never let him go. I knew then, without a bit of uncertainty, God was giving us another one of his precious gifts. God has reminded me of that moment many times in the midst of life’s chaos.

This is just a sneak peek of Austins story.

I could have written an entire book about each of our adoptions. Maybe someday i’ll fullfil that dream as well.  Right now, I am just thankful for the opportunity that was given to me to share pieces of our stories in the chapter written for the book being published to help Adopted children.

Stay tuned for other sneak peeks to come…

Read another Sneak Peek here:   Telling our story…sneak peek!