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Called to Love: An Adoption Podcast for Christian Parents - Christian Adoption, Trauma and Healing, Foster Care, Parenting Ad
Called to Love: An Adoption Podcast for Christian Parents - Christian Adoption, Trauma and Healing, Foster Care, Parenting Ad
Called to Love is a weekly podcast for Christian parents navigating adoption through foster care, private domestic adoption, or international adoption. The show addresses the common threads of calling, loss, and hardship in adoption stories, offering practical, clinical, and biblical wisdom. Topics include trauma, healing, and how to lovingly guide adopted children, along with personal stories from adoptive parents, adult adoptees, and experts. It aims to encourage families to embrace their adoption journey and say yes to their call to love.
Episodes
When Open Adoption Becomes Family Part 2
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by an incredible family – incredible because this open adoption led to a family growing in a unique way! The three voices joining me on this episode are adoptive parents, Nick and Kelsey Lebos, and the biological mother of their adopted son, Mikayla Little. The three of them bonded immediately when meeting during Mikayla’s pregna
When Open Adoption Becomes Family Part 1
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by an incredible family – incredible because this open adoption led to a family growing in a unique way! The three voices joining me on this episode are adoptive parents, Nick and Kelsey Lebos, and the biological mother of their adopted son, Mikayla Little. The three of them bonded immediately when meeting during Mikayla’s pregna
Teaching Our Kids and Ourselves That We Are Capable
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by the amazing Dr. David Thomas, co-author of the book, “Capable: How to Teach Your Kids the Strengths, Skills, and Strategies to Build Resilience” and I am so excited to learn with you from this wealth of knowledge! Dr. David and his co-author, Sissy Goff, are therapists at Daystar Counseling Ministries. Through their counseling
Bringing Comfort and Dignity to Kids Coming From Hard Places
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined with the founder of Lily Pad: Jennifer Tice. Jennifer worked for fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse and her husband worked for two decades in law enforcement. Together, they decided they would open their home to foster kids. It began with infants, since that was Jennifer’s background, but then they made the pivotal swit
I Need a Do-Over: Giving Our Children Tools for Communication
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by a father and daughter duo! Dr. Emerson Eggerichs and his daughter, Joy Eggerichs Reed, have written a book together called, “Beega Gets a Do-Over: A Gigglies Adventure About Communication.” Dr. Emerson is a bestselling author on the New York Times list and has a PhD in child and family ecology. The new book was inspired from a
Understanding and Caring for Children With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by Sandra Flach. After adopting her youngest son in 2010, Sandra co-founded Justice For Orphans and started The Adoption & Foster Care Journey Podcast. She is dedicated to equipping foster and adoptive families. As a trauma-informed educator and certified FASCETS facilitator, she specializes in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
A Birth Mother's Story and Why We Need to Pray for the Mom of Our Kids
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by a mom who is on fire for the Lord: Kat McBride. Kat is a podcaster, writer, speaker, and she passionate about celebrating the peace beyond the valleys, and Kat has walked through some valleys as a birthmother herself. Present day, Kat is married and has two young daughters, but when she was fifteen she found out she was pregna
Your Child is From Two Worlds: How to Bridge Resilience
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by Dr. Mary Ann McMillan. Mary Ann is a former foster youth and adoptee whose life has been shaped by family separation, identity, and the search for belonging. Guided by her Christian faith, she is a writer, professor, and global advocate working at the intersection of trauma, justice, and healing. She holds a doctorate and teac
Going From 2 Kids to 5: Adopting Sibling Sets
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined by Greg and Hannah East who are both bio parents and adopted a sibling set of three boys from foster care. Greg and Hannah’s story follows a lot of the similar experiences other foster-adoptive parents have: one parent is more interested than the other, the emotional ups and downs of fostering and saying goodbye, and having to na
From Pain to Purpose with Kim Patton Part 2
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This episode is a part 2 to an incredible conversation with the author, foster and adoptive mom: Kim Patton. What if the door that seems permanently closed is actually leading somewhere beautiful? Kim’s decade-long infertility journey became the unexpected pathway to adopting two biological sisters and working with teenage girls in foster care. Additionally,
From Pain to Purpose with Kim Patton Part 1
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is a part 1 of an amazing conversation with my special guest. She is an author, foster and adoptive mom: Kim Patton. What if the door that seems permanently closed is actually leading somewhere beautiful? Kim’s decade-long infertility journey became the unexpected pathway to adopting two biological sisters and working with teenage girls in foster care. A
Helping Our Kids Heal From Life's Deepest Hurts
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! For this episode, I am joined with an incredible guest who offers us a lot of hope as adoptive and foster parents, trying to help our kids heal from trauma… but this story does come with a trigger warning for those who’ve experienced domestic violence or assault, and this is not an episode for little ears. However, it is an episode of hope! These events did n
How to Unlearn Habits of Anxiety, Fear and Urgency
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! My special guest is a recent author: Bethaney Wilkinson. Bethany is a coach, spiritual director, and passionate about holding spaces and creating experiences to nourish the inner lives of everyday people, leaders, and organizations. She experienced immense healing and transformation when people held sacred and thoughtful space for her evolution. She wants to
How Should Adoptive and Foster Parents Deal with Depression?
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Pastor Steve Larson. Steve is the author of a new book about mental health, a book where he shares his story as a pastor who struggled with depression and felt utterly alone. As an adoptive mom, this felt incredibly relevant to me. After I brought home my adopted daughter, I struggled with post-adoption depression and immense s
Understanding Trauma and Resilience
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Evan Marbury for a conversation about trauma. Our foster and adoptive children have all experienced some level of trauma – yes, even if we adopted our children from birth! Believe me, I am speaking from experience there. All children separated from their biological families, whether permanently or temporarily, are experienc
Creating Supportive Environments for Kids in Foster Care
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! Callie Priest is the director of strategic partnerships at WinShape Homes, a foster agency and resource based in Georgia that partners with churches to help foster parents. WinShape Homes was established more than 35 years ago by S. Truett Cathy and his wife, Jeannette. They place hundreds of children in need with families who are guided by Christ. WinShape f
How to Love and Pray for Your Prodigal Child
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! As adoptive and foster parents, we know our child faces many emotional hurdles and these can often lead them down some dark paths towards unhealthy coping mechanisms, finding worth and validation in the wrong places, and even succumbing to addiction or other destructive life choices. It isn’t just adoptive and foster kids who experience this but we know becau
Care Portal: Caring For Kids and Families in a God-Sized Way
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! My special guest today is someone who I respect and admire a lot in the foster and adoption advocacy space, as he is the Founder and President of CarePortal. CarePortal is an app and online resource designed to, “help mobilize action neighbor-to-neighbor; to connect vulnerable children and families with caring neighbors in their own community. For both preven
Offering A Second Childhood to Kids from Hard Places: Part 2
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! Welcome to part two of this amazing conversation! We are continuing where we left off, talking with the amazing couple: Michael and Kimberly Klokus. Both having lost a parent as children and a child as parents, they gained a unique insight into grief. Their shared experiences fueled a commitment to dedicating their lives to providing hope and a second chance
Offering A Second Childhood to Kids from Hard Places: Part 1
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I was joined by an amazing couple: Michael and Kimberly Klokus. Both having lost a parent as children and a child as parents, they gained a unique insight into grief. Their shared experiences fueled a commitment to dedicating their lives to providing hope and a second chance at childhood for children whose futures would otherwise be uncertain
The Healing Power of Laughter
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I was joined by the amazing comedian, Tim Hawkins. Tim Hawkins is a big name in my household! In case you have never heard of him, he is a Christian family-man who does clean, family-friendly comedy shows and tours across the country. We have loved and enjoyed his comedy specials and songs as a family for years, so this is a special gift to h
How to Stop Yelling at Your Kids
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I was joined by a woman who I wish I knew 20 years ago - or at least, had her book 20 years ago! Her name is Janel Breitenstein and she’s the author of, “How to Stop Yelling Up the Stairs: Keeping Your Cool While Raising Your Kids” which is the topic of this episode. Long-time listeners may know some of my story and how I truly struggled as a
Parenting a “Spicy” Child
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I was joined by the amazing author and parenting coach, Mary Van Geffen. Since 2011, Mary has coached over 1,700 moms of “Spicy Ones”, walking with them through the same struggles she once thought would break her. She now has a book titled, “Parenting a Spicy One: A Compassionate Guide for Raising a Deep-Feeling and Wonderfully Strong-Willed
Encouragement for the Overwhelmed Foster Adoptive and Foster Mom
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I was joined by a mom who’s message spoke near to my heart and I believe many parents in this calling: Jamie Erickson. Jamie is the busy mama of five kiddos, ages ranging from college to 8th grade, and she also homeschools. She is also an author with a recent book that speaks to my heart, “Overwhelmed Mom: Quiet the Chaos, Mind What Matters,
How to Live Less Triggered As Adoptive and Foster Families
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I was joined by Dr. Kelly Flanagan. Dr. Kelly Flanagan is an award-winning author, international speaker, personal and relationship coach, and licensed clinical psychologist with two decades of expertise in interpersonal relationships. His thought leadership has been featured in The 5 Love Languages, the TODAY Show, Reader’s Digest, HuffPost,
You're Not Ruining Your Kids
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I chat with the amazing Abbey Wedgeworth and through our conversation we promise you: you are not ruining your kids! Abbey is a wife, mother, bible teacher, and writer. She's the author of the Training Young Hearts children's book series, Held, a resource for women who have lost life in the womb, and most recently Help! I’m Ruining My
How to Equip Our Kids to Manage Worry and Anxiety
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I was joined by the amazing author, mother, and ministry warrior Blair Linne. Blair recently wrote a children’s book called, “Yara the Brave and the Swirling Worry” and any time we have a resource for our adopted and foster kiddos, I want to talk about it! This children’s book is all about anxiety which sparks my conversation with Blair - wha
Learning How to Pray as Foster and Adoptive Mother
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, my special guest is so full of energy and passion for uplighting you as a prayer warrior: Shellie Rushing Tomlinson! Shellie is a multi-published author, speaker, and farmer’s wife known for saying “Life can be hard when it’s good, but it’s always better when you’re laughing.” She joins me today for a conversation about prayer, and specifical
Overcoming Lies with Truth for Our Kids and Ourselves
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, my special guest is a children's book author, public speaker, and a busy biological, adoptive and foster mom: Beth Guckenberger. Beth is someone I have seen speak in sessions at Christian conferences and my daughter loves her latest book! I am so grateful she is my guest today to speak into the lies our kids believe and even ourselves, an
Equipping Men to Lead Well in the Adoption and Foster Care Calling
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, my special guest is an unusual one for this show but still speaks relevant truth to us as adoptive and foster parents–especially fathers. My guest is Trey Tucker, the founder and owner of Rugged Counseling, known for providing therapy without the fluff. He is a mental health expert and social media influencer, specifically targeting young men
A Miraculous Adoption Story (Part 2)
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is part two to an incredible conversation…In this episode, my special guest is an adult adoptee named Niemah Scherlacher. Niemah is currently working on a book detailing her incredible adoption story, but we are honored to hear her share pieces of this story on the podcast. She is now a retired and happy grandma, but her story begins in Israel, after bei
A Miraculous Adoption Story (Part 1)
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is part one to an incredible conversation…In this episode, my special guest is an adult adoptee named Niemah Scherlacher. Niemah is currently working on a book detailing her incredible adoption story, but we are honored to hear her share pieces of this story on the podcast. She is now a retired and happy grandma, but her story begins in Israel, after bei
Figuring Out What Really Matters in Adoption & Fostering
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, my special guest and friend is Cynthia Yanof, who has been featured on this podcast before. Cynthia is the biological mother to two kids who have flown the nest, one graduated from college and one just starting, and her family also adopted a son who is in third grade. Cynthia stays busy not just as a mom but as a podcaster, speaker, and autho
The Eternal Impact of a Middle Mom
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, my special guest and friend is Christie Erwin! Christie is an author, adoptive and biological mother, and Founder and current Executive Director of Project Zero. Christie’s deep love for children led her and husband, Jeff, to become foster parents in 1993, for a private, non-profit adoption agency. It was there that the foundation for Christi
Building Your Family Through Adoption
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, my guest is Pastor Andrew Hopper. Andrew serves as the lead pastor of Mercy Hill Church, launched in 2012. He is the father of three biological children and one adopted daughter with downs syndrome. He is also a recently published author of the book, “Chosen: Building Your Family the Way God Builds His.” In our conversation, we talked about t
The Generational Impact of Saying “Yes” to Life with Nicole C. Mullen
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, my special guest is the amazing Nicole C. Mullen, a Grammy-nominated, Dove Award-winning American Christian singer, songwriter, actress, and author of the new book, “It’s Never Wrong to Do the Right Thing: Courageous Stories to Inspire Godly Decisions”. She also has an incredible story of overcoming domestic abuse, adopting her two sons, choo
The Power Of A Praying Adoptive and Foster Parent
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! Thank you for joining me on the very first episode of Season 4! It is a privilege and gift from God to be able to share the practical, clinical, and Biblical information with you every week about adoption and foster care, which is a calling so near to our Father’s heart. In this episode, I am sharing with you the power and significance of praying for your chi
The Best of 2025 From Called to Love Season Three
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is the end of season three. The team here at Called to Love are so grateful for you joining us every week to learn practical and Biblical tools and knowledge for adoption and foster care, a calling which is so reflective of God’s adoptive love for us. As we look forward to another year and a new season, we wanted to share with you the five top moments fr
Reflecting on 10 Years as Adoptive Parents - Part 2
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is the second part to my special episode where my husband, Corey, and I reflect on ten years as adoptive parents. We share stories from when God first placed this calling on our hearts, the messy beginnings to bringing our baby daughter home, the changes in our marriage, and how God always had a plan. Corey shares valuable insight from his perspective as
Reflecting on 10 Years as Adoptive Parents Part 1
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is a very special episode, split into two parts, where my husband Corey and I reflect on ten years as adoptive parents. We share stories from when God first placed this calling on our hearts, the messy beginnings to bringing our baby daughter home, the changes in our marriage, and how God always had a plan. Corey shares valuable insight from his perspect
Hope for Weary Adoptive and Foster Parents
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, my special guest is the founder of The Mission Driven Mom and creator of the MDM Academy: Audrey Rindlisbacher. Audrey’s world was turned upside down when she, at the time a mother to four kids herself, decided to foster her cousin’s four children, ages ranging from twelve years old to newborn. In this conversation, we unpack her story, this
Fostering Medically Fragile Children
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, Jill Marier joins me on the podcast to discuss the need for fostering medically fragile children. Jill has a rather unique family, and in her words she says “we get stares.” They have a large household full of children that are adopted, biological, and fostering, many of them are medically fragile. Jill’s heart was moved to medically fragile
Understanding Embryo Adoption
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am helping you better understand embryo adoption. IVF treatments have risen in popularity as desperate families seek to get pregnant, but the process comes at a great cost— and not just financially, but also emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually as families navigate what to do with excess embryos. Because the success rate is so small,
Encouragement for the Waiting Adoptive Parent
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by a joyful and light-filled author, speaker, and mom: Alice Matagora. Alice shares her story about a painful waiting process, depending on God’s promises. Inspired by this waiting journey, as a new mom Alice wrote the book, “You Are My Miracle”. All children are a miracle from God and this book helps us affirm this truth over our
A Gospel Centered Look at Foster Care and Adoption
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by the amazing and inspiring Jamie Finn. Jamie is an author and busy mom to both biological and adopted children, and their family has been fostering for years. She is also the founder and president of Foster the Family, a national nonprofit that serves vulnerable children and the families welcoming them, as well as the founder of
How to Afford Adoption
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Leah Brandon Akannam and Brian Murphy from the Gift of Adoption Fund. One of the biggest things stopping people from pursuing adoption is the cost. Resources like the Gift of Adoption Fund are here to bridge the gap and take down this barrier to a child finding their home. We discuss the different ways the fund helps various ci
God is With You in This Calling
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by the founder of Finally Home: Kristin Orphan. Finally Home exists to walk alongside foster, adoptive, and kinship families with faith-rooted resources that bring hope, healing, and strength. They are a national non-profit that provide tools, courses, resources and community to families so they can find connection and confidence
Discussing the Mental Health of Our Adopted Kids
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Hally Wells. Hally Wells is speaker, author, and mental health advocate. After struggling with infertility, Hally and her husband had their biological child, but following a miscarriage she felt God place adoption on her heart. She is now the mother of bio, step, and adopted children, and advocates for their mental health and t
How to Prevent and Combat Gender Confusion in Children and Teens
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This week I am fan-girling out just a little bit because my special guest is Dr. Kathy Koch. Dr. Kathy has a PhD in reading and educational psychology from Purdue and is a former university professor now turned child advocate who founded Celebrate Kids. She has written several books, and her latest one (co-written with Dr. Jeff Myers) is called “Raising Gende
The Eternal Significance of Adoptive and Foster Parents
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This week I am joined with Bill High. Bill is the CEO of Legacy Stone and the author and co-author to many books. He is a counselor and public speaker, passionate about empowering families to leave a legacy for generations. In our conversation, we explore the importance of building a lasting family legacy through faith, family values, and purposeful living. B
The Truth About Complex Shame
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This week I am joined with Dr. Zoe Shaw. Dr. Zoe is a licensed psychotherapist, author, speaker and an expert on what she calls “Complex Shame”. She is also a busy mom of five kids, and actually part of her story is being a birth-mom. We talk a lot about being adoptive and foster parents, and this conversation gives us a small glimpse of a birth-mom’s experie
Navigating the Challenges of Raising Children with Complex Needs
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This week I am joined with Daryl Potter. Daryl doesn’t have adopted or fostered children but he does have a miraculous daughter with complex medical needs and another biological son. Whether your kids are biological, adopted, or fostered, there are universal truths in parenting and along with it circumstances which take us to the brink of our capacity–physica
God Has A Plan for Every Child
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This week I am joined with an adult adoptee and new author, Emmanual Jean Russle. Emmanuel grew up in Haiti with his grandmother before being adopted into the United States. In our conversation, we briefly discuss his upbringing and transition to the states and then Emmanuel shares his passion for sharing this message: God has a plan for every child. Emmanue
How Biofeedback Can Help Your Foster and Adopted Kids
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This week I am joined with Dana Hargrus, a mental health counselor with over twenty-five years of experience in trauma-informed care. We discuss the innovative approach of biofeedback in helping foster and adoptive parents navigate the challenges of caring for children from hard places. Dana shares her personal journey as a foster and adoptive parent, emphasi
BONUS: Praying for your kids this school year
Hey friends, today we’ve got something special for you: a bonus episode straight from the Pardon the Mess podcast!Every Monday, host Courtney DeFeo shares a short prayer to help you lift up your kids. This year’s series follows Christian Parenting’s brand new prayer journal, A Great Cloud of Witnesses. Each week highlights a biblical hero of the faith, paired with Scripture-based prayers for your
Your Motherhood is NOT Wasted
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This week I am joined with Abby Halberstadt, who’s been on the show before. Abby is a busy mom of ten biological kids, homeschools all of them, builds houses with her husband, and works as a fitness instructor, but most importantly she is a woman firmly planted on a Biblical foundation. In this conversation, we unpack the myth she shares in her recent book “Y
Raising Godly Sons
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This week I am joined with author and busy mom, friend of the show, Molly DeFrank! Molly is the proud mom of six kids, ages ranging from teenagers to young ones, both biological and adopted. Her family has also fostered children, and her two adopted kids came first from fostering. In this episode, we are talking specifically about raising Godly sons as we liv
5 Ways to Help Your Child Recover After Dysregulation
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is the fifth and final episode in this summer series breaking down how to emotionally regulate your household, tips that I have learned and personally used and hope will benefit you. Specifically, this episode wraps up our series as I talk about five ways you can recover after a dysregulation incident. There is so much adrenaline rushing in our kiddos bo
Three C's to Help Regulate Your Child
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! We are in the fourth week of my series breaking down how to emotionally regulate your household and I am going to give you tools for de-escalating your child during those meltdown moments. This week has honestly been challenging as I’ve been at my own breaking point and needed to use these regulation tools on myself. I am going to share my personal experience
Three B's to Help Regulate Your Child
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is our third week in my new series breaking down how to emotionally regulate your household and I am going to give you tools for de-escalating your child during those meltdown moments. This episode is all about the 3 B’s: Breathing, Bilateral Movement, and Beating Heart. These three tools can effectively help you calm your child, build trust and connecti
The Number One Regulation Method for Adoptive and Foster Parents
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! This is our second week in my new series breaking down how to emotionally regulate your household. Specifically in this episode, I am explaining the HALT method--Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired—a powerful tool to help manage behavioral escalations. I am also sharing some personal examples and practical insights to guide you in fostering a nurturing environment w
How to Promote Emotional and Behavioral Regulation in Your Family
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am kicking off a five-part series on emotional and behavioral regulation in your family. We are in the thick of summer but if we’re being honest, it hardly feels like a “summer break.” From summer camps, VBSs, traveling, and all other kinds of extracurricular activities that keeps our summers busy, there is hardly a “normal” day. The routin
From Short-Term Missions to Adoptive Mom of 15: Katie Davis Majors
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Katie Davis Majors. You may know her as the author of “Kisses from Katie” and she is the founder of the Amazima Ministries which works to keep kids with their biological families in Uganda. Katie shares her incredible story of how God took her “Yes” and and multiplied not just her family (raising 13 adopted girls and having two
A Conversation About Transracial Adoption with Rachel Van Kluyve
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Rachel Van Kluyve, who is a homeschooling, book-writing, bio and adoptive mama to four kiddos! Rachel’s two adoptive daughters are both Black American which has given Rachel some interesting challenges to navigate. She realized they do not have a lot of representation, from baby dolls to storybooks, which inspired her to create
Advice From An International Adoptee: Jackson TerKeurst
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by a man with an incredible and powerful story: Jackson TerKeurst. If you recognize that name, it is probably because he was adopted by author and speaker Lisa TerKeurst. Jackson came to the TerKeurst family after trying to survive gunfire and starvation during the Liberian Civil War. He was a teenager when he was adopted and now
Celebrating Special Needs Adoption with Heather Avis
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by New York Times best-selling author, speaker, podcaster, advocate for Downs Syndrome kids, and adoptive mom: Heather Avis. Heather started “The Lucky Few” movement to change the narrative behind children with Downs Syndrome. She says every time her kids walk out her door and into the world, they are walking into a world that doe
What Your Adopted Teens Need Most with Susan TeBos
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Susan TeBos, an author and adoptive mom to three now-grown children. Susan shares her experiences and insights on parenting adopted teenagers, focusing on the unique challenges they face as they process loss and identity. She emphasizes the importance of creating safe spaces for emotional expression, recognizing warning signs,
Helping Kids Navigate Their Adoption Story
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Kate Rietema. Kate is an author, speaker, and mama to five kiddos, some adopted and some biological. In our conversation, we discuss how to navigate sharing your child’s adoption story with them. Adoption is beautiful but it comes at a huge loss, a heartbreak for our kids, and it can be hard to share this with them or help them
You're Not Too Late: Trusting God's Timing for Your Adoption Story
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by a dear friend, author, speaker, and host of the Radical Radiance podcast, Rebecca George. Rebecca is sharing her heart and experiences as we discuss God’s timing and how hard it is to wait. Our hearts are longing, especially in this calling, and that longing isn’t bad but it can easily turn into an idol. So, how do we navigate
The Joy of Adoption with Megan May
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by a fellow adoptive mom, Megan May. Megan is also a self-published book author and creator of the You Matter Boutique which is designed to create meaningful things for both birth-moms and adoptive moms. Originally, Megan wanted zero kids, but God had other plans. Now Megan is the joyful mother to three biological children and one
Adopted By God: The Spiritual Healing in Adoption & Foster Care
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by author and adoptive father, Matt Lambert. Matt and his wife live in the UK with their two adopted children. Through the adoption experience, Matt unpacked some of his own brokenness and began to experience spiritual healing as he was “adopted by God.” This inspired him to write his book “Adopted by God: Healing Through Connecti
Should You Adopt Your Foster Children?
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I ask the question posed by many in the foster care system: should I adopt my foster kids? How will I know if that is what God is calling me to do? Or… what if He says no? I share statistics, information, but also share my personal experience where God told our family “no” to an adoption and I was not expecting it. As I like to say, in this c
What Every Christian Parent Needs to Know About Foster Care
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by author and adoptive mama, Jessica Mathisen. In light of Foster Care Awareness Month, we discuss Jessica’s profound journey into foster care and adoption. We dive into unique family dynamics, the calling to foster care, the challenges faced by foster parents, and the importance of community support. It is crucial there is unity
Supporting Foster and Adoptive Families as a Church
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Scott Fuller, vice president of advancement at Murphy Harpst Children's Centers. We discuss the importance of community support in foster care, the various programs offered by Murphy Harpst, and share inspiring stories of transformation in the lives of children who have experienced trauma. Scott emphasizes the need for chur
Teaching Our Kids to Talk to God
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Tanner Olson. Tanner said when he went to college he knew he was picking a major where he would end up poor and it was a matter of how. He bounced around until finally landing on spoken word poetry and writing. Today, he performs his spoken word poetry with friends who play music, in an effort to communicate God’s heart to the
Unplanned but Good - Discussing Open Adoption with Terri Marcroft
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! I am joined by Terri Marcroft. Terri Marcroft is an adoptive mom, author, and adoption advocate who works hard spreading the word on adoption through Unplanned Good. In 2008 Terri identified the need to more actively suggest adoption: today only 1% of young US women facing unplanned pregnancy choose adoption for their babies, while there are almost two millio
Tools for Self-Regulation, Anger Management and Coping Mechanisms
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by Kimberly Dubose. Kimberly is a Family Centered Therapy Clinical Caseworker with Connected Families. She shares her expertise on managing challenging behaviors in children, particularly those who have experienced trauma. She emphasizes the importance of caregivers in modeling self-regulation and establishing healthy boundaries.
Teaching Your Child They Are Chosen With Dorian Stewart
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined with the amazing author and adoptive mom, Dorian Stewart. Dorian has written the “Promise Pals” series, which was envisioned when she realized there weren’t many resources and books out there for adopted kids. Adopted kids are just as much chosen and wanted as biological children, especially since we are all adopted by our Heavenl
Understanding Blocked Care with Lisa C. Qualls
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined with an incredible guest: Lisa C. Qualls. Lisa is the proud mother of both biological and adopted children, twelve in fact, and is an accomplished author, speaker, and Enneagram coach with TBRI training. Together, we focus on the concept of 'blocked care'—a self-protective mechanism that can hinder emotional connection bet
Advice From A Trauma Informed Sleep Expert Allison Ezell
Welcome to the Called to Love Podcast! In this episode, I am joined by a very special guest! I first met Allison when she taught at an adoption support group last Fall, and I just knew she had to be on the podcast! Allison is a trauma informed sleep expert, something which did not exist when she was raising her adopted son who struggled at night. Needless to say, sleep is crucial for everyone’s he
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