.adoption.

i am so blessed to live in a Community where so many of my friends feel called to adopt. i grew up in a family, or maybe it's a culture, where adoption was never on our radar. i mean, every now and then there would be a couple in our church who'd adopt, but never anyone in close proximity to me. ever since i had 2 friends in high school who were adopted into a family with 3 biological kids, i've been drawn to it.

today i had the privilege of snuggling 2-week old asher, the son of my friends, chosen to be his parents by a 16-year-old girl in colorado. literally 2 weeks ago, they were childless and now their home is filled with diapers, pacifiers, blankies and formula - what a gift! and it's a gift that is a two way street - not only do kyle and kendell get a gift in asher, but his mom gets a gift in finding great parents to raise the child she knew she couldn't.

my heart is drawn to stories like this and i love to hear of teenage girls who do the "unpopular" thing and give birth to a baby and offer it up so that the child has a chance to live life. and i love parents like the blake's, the goodfellow's, the howerton's, the dehaan's who are wiling to open up their hearts and their homes to raise a child who would otherwise be an orphan. i truly believe our God is honored in that and pray that someday i'll be given the chance to give life and love and the hope of Christ to a child who would have otherwise gone without.