national adoption month

another year, another November...another chance to grow a moustache recognize National Adoption Month.  and yet another time that i don't recall how i addressed this last year on this blog.  oh well...no time to go sifting through the archives.  if i'm repeating myself, it must be important....we are highlighting this at our church this week, so it seemed the perfect time to feature it here as well.  because i'm so passionate about adoption and orphan care, i often wonder if people assume that i think everyone should adopt.  believe it or not~ i don't!  really, truly, adoption is not for everyone.  i do, however, feel that every living breathing person with a beating heart should take up the cause to help care for those that need a voice, need a family, need to be loved.  this, of course, can take on many different forms.  and it just so happens there is something for everyone! :) 

Isaiah 1:17 says "Learn to do right: seek justice.  Defend the oppressed.  Take up the cause of the fatherless..."

how do i do this, you ask?  easy peasy, lemon squeasy....here are ten ways you can care for an orphan and waiting child...(taken from Christian Alliance for Orphans orphan care Sunday site)
1.  you can pray for them. (stick a waiting child's picture on your dashboard or fridge as a reminder)
2.  speak up for them. (pass the word about waiting kids you might know of~ there are 30,000 right here in Canada)
3.  provide for their needs. (give to a reputable orphanage.  i know one!  God's Littlest Angels in Haiti.  volunteer with your local CAS)
4.  support those who support them. (mow a lawn, babysit, offer a meal for foster parents.  pray for them, offer encouragement)
5.  protect them from harm. (become a foster parent or emergency foster parent)
6.  visit them where they are. (go on a mission trip~ look into the eyes of an orphan)
7.  give sacrificially to them. (support reputable organizations that are actively trying to alleviate the plight of the orphan and help "end the wait" for these children)
8.  encourage them to press on. (sponsorship, letter writing)
9.  adopt them into your family.
10. mobilize your church for them.

here are a few more links~ great resources and options available for anyone interested in lots of good information.

http://waitingtobelong.ca/
http://www.abbacanada.com/default.aspx

happy National Adoption Month!