Adoption Story: Jeff + Shari

November 07, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I had the pleasure of walking Jeff and Shari through the adoption process! After 5 months of being active with agencies, they got a call they had been chosen to be the parents of a one-month-old baby boy. In less than 24 hours they were holding their little one in their arms! Shari and Jeff, it was an honor to walk with your family on the journey that led you to your sweet boy! I am in awe of what God has done, and I can’t wait for others to read about it today! I know it will be an encouragement to so many others who are in a difficult season of waiting!

We've always thought adoption was beautiful, and it was something we definitely talked about while we were dating. Shortly after we were married, we went on a mission trip to Haiti and visited a children's home. This opened our hearts even more to adoption, but like most couples, we assumed we would have biological children first. When that wasn't happening, we had peace about it but began to pray earnestly for God to place a calling on our lives to adopt. And He did!

A good friend connected us with Christian Adoption Consultants and Kelly Todd, specifically. I'm so glad we requested her to be our consultant. She was friendly, kind, reliable, and so knowledgeable! Having someone walk us through the process and answer all our questions was SO helpful!

Throughout our journey, we clung to Phillippians 4:7. “ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We didn't always "feel" at peace because there were so many unknowns and what-ifs, but we trusted that God would match us with the exact baby He had for us.

After 5 months of being active with agencies through CAC’s multi-agency approach, we were finally chosen! Meeting our son for the first time was so wonderfully surreal. In our case, we found out we matched about 24 hours before we met him and brought him home. It was a whirlwind of emotions to process in a short amount of time. It's not how we envisioned it happening, but it ended up being SO perfect...we wouldn't change a thing!

Looking back, we see so many of "God's fingerprints" in our story. Like as we were pulling into the parking lot to go pick up our son, a friend texted Jeff that the Lord had put it on his heart to pray for us the day before and that he felt we would be getting our baby soon. And looking back on my many journal entries, I was praying God's favor over our baby and their birth family on the exact date our son was born.

Waiting and wondering how your story will play out is hard! Our advice is to fill your minds with encouragement and truth along the way. Read scripture, pray for your future baby and journal! Read uplifting books about adoption, listen to podcasts, and look at all the adoption stories on the CAC website. Know that God is working even when it doesn't feel like anything is happening. God's timing is perfect. Even when you think you're ready, God knows best.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me to receive a
FREE adoption packet.***

Adoption Story: Megan + Clayton

August 20, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

It’s never lost on me that my job as an Adoption Consultant entails walking hand-in-hand with families pursuing adoption. Having gone through the adoption process over 7 years ago, it’s very special to me that I’m able to connect with my families from the personal standpoint of, “Hey, I get it. I’ve gone down the path that you are embarking on. I understand what you are going through.” There is just something comforting about having an advocate on your side who understands the highs and lows, twists and turns, and uncertainties that accompany the adoption process.

I’ll never forget my first call with Megan and Clayton. We shared similar stories of infertility and the pain that coincides with it. Through the overwhelming path that led them to adoption, I sensed a strong sense of hope in their spirit. Despite their circumstances, they did not give up. I’m so glad they didn’t. Through perseverance and faith, God led them to their beautiful baby girl. Clayton and Megan, I’m so happy for your sweet family! Thank you for trusting me to help you on the journey to your daughter.

Megan shares more of their story below…

There is nothing that our God can’t do!

That has been the theme of our adoption story as God flung open one door after another. He had our daughter in mind before we met her, and nothing could mess up the story He was writing for our family.

When Clayton and I got married, we knew we wanted to grow our family right away. What we didn’t know was the struggle that growing our family would come to be. We endured three years of difficult diagnoses, miscarriages, multiple surgeries, several specialists, hundreds of medications and hormone injections, etc. In the thick of it, it felt as though God didn’t hear our prayers, our cries for a child to fulfill the desire He had placed in our hearts.

While we continued to pray and seek His will for our lives, we heard God place adoption on our hearts. As we prayed about adoption, we continued the medical route for a few more months. It was then that we reached out to Kelly Todd at Christian Adoption Consultants to gather more information about adoption. To be completely transparent, the fear of the unknown had taken hold of our hearts. What if the expecting mother changed her mind, and we experienced yet another loss? How would we afford to adopt after undergoing treatment for the past three years? What did an open adoption truly look like? A few more weeks went by, and we continued to feel God calling us to adoption. We knew it was time to be obedient and trust that He would take care of every detail. It was in that moment, when we fully opened our hearts to be obedient, that we truly felt God honor the position of our hearts and begin to move mountains.

We signed on with Christian Adoption Consultants and began working towards completing our home study, paperwork, and adoption agency applications. This process is not for the faint of heart, as it requires patience, organization, and being vulnerable enough to ask questions. Kelly was with us every step of the way. She encouraged us, answered our questions, and prayed for us. Within no time, our home study was complete, and we were able to begin receiving situations about expecting mothers who were considering adoption.

One ordinary evening we responded to a situation about a baby girl due in June. We were so new to the process, and this was only the second situation we had responded to. We said a prayer and sent a text saying we wanted to present to the expecting mother. God was on the move! That weekend in church, we sang the song ‘More Than Able’ by Elevation Worship, and it became the theme song over the next few weeks. “Who am I to deny what the Lord can do?” and “You are more than able” are lyrics I would repeat over and over.

A few days later, we were informed that the expecting mother had narrowed down the families she wanted to speak to, and we were one of those families! We couldn’t help but get our hopes up. We prayed endlessly, as did our family and friends. After having a phone conversation with the expecting mother, she informed us the next day she chose us to be parents! Tears of joy and prayers of thanksgiving became a part of our daily routine. However, we were no strangers to the fear and lies of the enemy. The more excited we became and the closer we got to traveling for the birth of our daughter, the more the enemy attacked. We are so thankful for Kelly as we continued to pray with us, reassure us, and check in with us continually. As she was praying for us, we were able to refocus our attention on the blessing before us.

Before we knew it, we were flying out to adopt our baby girl. Meeting her Birth Mom, watching her enter the world, and becoming her parents has been the greatest blessing we have ever experienced! Words truly cannot describe the emotions that surround this answered prayer.

We are currently living out our long-awaited dream of being parents, and we thank God every day for the little girl he chose to be ours! Adoption (and the three years of trying to grow our family) taught us to fully rely on the Lord, to find refuge in Him, and to seek His will above our own. Adopting our baby girl has been the greatest reminder that when we let go of our own plans and let God in, His blessings are far greater than anything we could imagine!

We are forever thankful for the gift of adoption, for our perfect baby girl, and for God’s faithfulness. We are so thankful for Kelly and Christian Adoption Consultants. This whole process truly takes a village, and we highly recommend having Christian Adoption Consultants as a part of your village!

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! Psalm 126:5

With love and gratitude,
Clayton, Megan, and Baby Girl

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat!
Email me to receive a FREE inquiry packet.***

Adoption Story: Tyler + Blaine

August 04, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I had the pleasure of walking Blaine and Tyler through the adoption process from the very beginning of their journey until they welcomed their son home! People outside the adoption circle may not understand the complexities and the emotional toll that the adoption process can have on a family’s heart. It isn’t easy. It takes a lot of courage, faith, and strength to persevere through this journey. But Blaine and Tyler never gave up. I watched as this sweet couple placed their hope in God and not their circumstances. Tonight, they share a little bit of their journey with you.

It’s a privilege to share our story with you! It was not long ago that we were perhaps where you are now, seeking and searching for answers in the face of infertility and uncertainty. Why wouldn’t God allow us to have our own children? What is the road ahead for growing our family? We didn’t know the answers, and we felt so discouraged because nothing seemed clear to us. Having gone through all of the channels - infertility treatment, testing, counseling - we prayed and prayed and finally felt our hearts opened to adoption.

Several close family friends recommended Christian Adoption Consultants. We debated for a long time if a consultant service was necessary. However, the adopting families that we knew strongly recommended that we get all the help we could. From the very beginning of our journey, we could not have been more pleased. Kelly Todd and all of the CAC staff were so generous with us and provided a perspective that we never could have gotten on our own. There are so many pitfalls and confusing times on this journey, and having a guide was worth it at every step!

After the initial flurry of paperwork, the hardest part was waiting. On several occasions, we became excited about a possible match, only to be disappointed. In retrospect, this period of time was character-building for us since it deepened our dependence on God and led us to greater trust and patience in our marriage. However, at the time, it seemed to be pure torture. Without any guarantee that a baby would come, we simply had to wait and pray.

At last, we got the notification, so abruptly we could barely believe it, that a baby was being born across the country from us. We were a match for him, and he was ready for us! It didn’t even seem possible. We dropped everything and bought the first plane ticket we could find! One week later, we were holding our son in our arms. All the waiting suddenly made sense when our beautiful son arrived.

You’ll hear the cliche many times that “every adoption story is different,” but like many cliches, it contains a lot of truth. No one can say where your journey will lead you or what obstacles you are going to face. The best advice we have is to remember that, as in every trial, it is possible to either despair and lose hope or to deepen faith and trust in God. Making this choice will never be easy, but it will always be worth it. Our son, Beckett, is our pride and joy and a beautiful part of our family. We have no doubt that with faith, there is a child, somewhere, waiting for you.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me to receive a FREE inquiry packet, and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Mandy + Kirk

May 09, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

It was such a joy working with Kirk and Mandy! I am so grateful that the Lord connected our paths, as it was such an honor to have a front-row seat in their adoption journey! Below they share the story that led them to their two amazing kiddos and how God bonded their hearts with them forever.

It’s so cliché, but everything happens for a reason. Some people know from the jump that adoption is in their hearts and follow that path. We were not those people. Our 5-year journey to parenthood started in 2013 after we were married. We were placed on the adoption path in 2017 after trying to get pregnant both on our own and then with specialists.

When we met our daughter, Kenna, for the first time in 2018, it was like the waters parted, and it all made sense. All of the heartbreak over years of negative tests and failed treatments just melted away. We fell in love with her instantly.

Fast forward a few years, and we were ready to grow our family again. We had briefly tossed around the idea of doing one “Hail Mary” round of IVF, but I just didn’t have it in my heart. Adoption had rooted in and taken hold of it. While our first adoption experience was wonderful, once we were “in” the world of adoption, we learned about these people called consultants… and specifically about this wonderful group of people at Christian Adoption Consultants.

We were connected with Kelly Todd at CAC, and she quickly put us on our path to finding our son. She was there with us every step of the way. From reading letters to prospective birth families to offering prayers and kind words after the disappointments of not being chosen, to the joy after finding out we had matched, and finally, the elation that came with meeting our son, Liam.

Once again, the minute we saw him, we knew we were meant to be together. Not only did we have those parental feelings of joy, love, and connection, but Kenna immediately fell in love with him as well.

So this is us… Our story isn’t necessarily what we thought it would be, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We could not love our children any more than we do. They amaze us, and we are in awe of them daily. God knew what he was doing when He joined our hearts with theirs. Our path is the path we were always meant to take, and we would do it again in a heartbeat!

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to receive a FREE inquiry packet, and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

CAC's New Embryo Adoption Program

March 18, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

We are so excited about our Embryo Adoption Program that we recently launched at Chrisitan Adoption Consultants! If you missed the announcement, you can go ahead and read about it here.

What is Embryo Adoption? Embryo Adoption is the term used to describe the legal adoption of embryos that have been frozen and donated by families who have completed IVF (in-vitro fertilization). The Adoptive Family is able to use the donated embryos and carry their adopted child through pregnancy and birth.

Why is there a need for an Embryo Adoption Program (EAP)? There are over 1 million embryos in frozen storage in the United States. We instituted our EAP to advocate for these embryos as a life-affirming solution.

Why are there so many embryos frozen in storage? When couples go through IVF to assist them with growing their family, often, there are remaining embryos. Those embryos are stored until the family decides what to do with them. Then, they are provided four options: the embryos can remain frozen, be given to science, discarded, or donated to an adoptive family.

How does the EAP with Christian Adoption Consultants work? Embryo Adoption can be confusing and overwhelming, and we are here to take some of the heaviness off your plate by walking with you every step of the way! We provide families with education, support, and guidance throughout their journey. With CAC, you are never alone! Our families have access to our CAC Embryo Adoption Guide Book, which encompasses invaluable educational resources, taking families through the entire process from beginning to end. We direct families to reputable home study providers in their state and walk them through what to expect in the upcoming weeks and months. We connect families to the largest, oldest, and most reputable Embryo Adoption Programs and clinics in the United States. Our families have access to a comprehensive list of grants, fundraising, and creative financing ideas available for families pursuing embryo adoption. We assist families in understanding the matching process and openness agreements, as well as provide adoption attorney referrals when needed, and so much more!

What sets Christian Adoption Consultants apart from other services? Although our EAP is new, we are one of the world's oldest and largest adoption consulting companies! We’ve been around since 2006 and, since that time, have helped over 3,700 families with successful adoptions. In addition to our 20+ team members who house over 120 years of adoption experience, we have 2 Licensed Social Workers, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a Registered Nurse. We also have full representation from the Adoption Triad-2 Birth Mothers, 2 Adoptees, and more than a dozen Adoptive Parents. For our EAP, we have an Adoption Advocate who provides consultations for families. Having walked through Embryo Adoption, she understands the concerns, questions, and complexities that may arise throughout the process.

Can I learn more about your EAP? Yes! We provide a free 30-minute consultation where families can learn more about our Embryo Adoption Program. If you want to schedule a call, please email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com. During our time together, I will walk you through the entire process and answer any questions you have. I will also provide you with an informational packet that gives an overview of our services.

Do you know how I can help? Yes! You can pray, and you can ask that God would help find Adoptive Families for His smallest image bearers. Perhaps, it is your family?

We have embryos currently in frozen storage that we would like to donate. Can you assist? Yes! Please visit our donor page here for more information.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Email me, Kelly Todd, at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com to request a FREE information packet!***

Adoption Story: Molly + John

February 06, 2023 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

As an adoption consultant, I have a front-row seat in watching God’s plans unfold for amazing couples, just like John & Molly. A few questions I often ask families inquiring about our services here at Christian Adoption Consultants is, “What led you down this path? What brought you here?” I will never forget the sheer vulnerability that poured from Molly’s heart when she answered those questions. There was not a dry eye on the phone. As Molly shares below, their adoption story did not pan out as they expected it would, but God did not waste their wait. He never does. Molly and John, it was an honor to assist you on the journey to your beautiful baby girl!

As far back as when I was a 12-year-old little girl, I remember being somewhat aware of the topic of adoption. I had a cousin who was adopted, and the thought of adopting was planted in my heart. Fast forward many years later, and the topic of adoption came up again. My husband and I welcomed twin boys. During my labor, I had very serious complications that eventually led to me not being able to have any more biological children. I brought the topic of adoption up to my husband, but at the time, he was not on board. This conversation continued to happen over many years. I still felt the tug of adoption on my heart, but my husband just wasn't feeling the same way. I continued to pray over and over that the Lord would either change my husband's heart or mine. It was the year 2020 when I first saw my husband's heart change. That fall, he came up to me and said, "I'm ready.” And thus, we began our journey to adopt.

I knew from the get-go that I wanted to work with an adoption consultant. The world of adoption felt overwhelming and confusing. I wanted someone who could help guide us along the way and pray for us. I had heard of CAC in my research, and I reached out to them for more information. We were immediately set up with an informational call with Kelly. After asking a few questions, I knew this was the route I wanted to take. We quickly signed up to work with Kelly, and we are so thankful we did.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the process was tough-mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Even though I tried to prepare myself for how hard it was going to be, there is just nothing one could do to totally prepare for what it is going to be like. From the Home Study paperwork, the tough conversations you have to have as a couple, to the rejection you feel when you are not picked by a birth mom-it's just difficult. There were so many times I had to surrender everything to God and choose to praise Him despite feeling defeated.

Everyone always tells you that "waiting" is the hardest part and it's true. In my head, I thought our wait would be quick. In every case that we would present, we couldn't help but get our hopes up. "Maybe this is the ONE," I would think to myself. I would begin to envision how our family would change, how I would prepare for the baby, etc. And then when we would get the email. "I'm sorry, the expecting mom has chosen to go with another family.” All those dreams came crashing down. I would allow myself to be sad about it for a while. I didn't know how not to be sad when not chosen. I knew that I trusted God, but that didn't make it any less sad for me.

Throughout all the ups and downs, Kelly was always there to lend a listening and comforting ear. She would pray for us when we were frustrated. She would encourage us when we were down. I can't tell you how much this meant to me during all the hard waiting times of adoption. She was also there to answer the numerous questions that would arise during this time. Each agency is so different and so there are always things that we would run past Kelly when we were unclear about something. She was quick to reply and always so patient with us.

During our time of waiting, we just kept reminding ourselves that God was in control. That HE knew what was best for our family and that we would trust him with that.

When we first read about our daughter's situation, we felt excited but also kept our excitement at bay. We were drawn to the case, but we had learned from past experience that nothing is a sure thing. We told the agency that yes, we wanted to be presented. The day I got the call was the day after Mother's Day and the day before our twins' birthday. I remember looking at my caller ID and seeing a state listed, and it was the same state as the agency where we presented. My heart immediately started beating faster. I remember the person from the agency telling me that we matched, and I immediately started crying. It felt surreal! I was elated, excited, nervous, happy, all the emotions! I immediately face timed my husband at work, and he could tell just by looking at my face that I was calling with great news. We were both just so excited! I then made the calls to some of my dear friends who had been praying for us for such a long time on this journey. Their joy was palpable!

We matched with our daughter’s Birth Mom in May, and our daughter was due a few months later. We immediately started to plan a time when we could meet our daughter’s Birth Mom. I was, of course, nervous and excited. What would it be like? How would the conversation go? It was very neat because I had immense peace on the day of the meeting. I felt a sense of calm, and I know it was because we had so many people praying for us. When we arrived to meet her, I immediately gave her a hug. I'm a hugger, so I told her that, and she smiled and gladly hugged me back. It was so neat to have dinner with her and her family. The conversation just flowed. My heart just felt so much peace and happiness.

Fast forward a few months, and it was the end of July. We had just hung out with some friends that day and got home in the evening. I heard my phone ring, but I missed the call. I went to get it and immediately saw that the call was from our social worker. I looked at my husband and said, "It's baby time; I just know it.” I called the social worker back, and she told me that, yes, our birth mom was in labor. Cue the adrenaline spike! At this point, it was 8:30 pm, and we had a 10 hr drive ahead of us. I already had a bag packed for the baby, but we still had to pack ourselves. We rushed around, called our friend to come and stay with our boys, and then called my parents so they could come and stay with the boys until we could return.

We had been invited to attend the birth, and we weren't sure we were going to make it. All the while, we were receiving updates from the social worker. It became clear that we weren't going to make it for the birth. Although disappointed, we knew it was out of our hands. Our social worker was great at sending us updates. We got the text at around 4:00 am that our daughter was born! We couldn’t wait to meet her!

When we got to the hospital, I remember slowly walking into the room and seeing our daughter in that little hospital bassinet. She was starting to wake up and fuss a bit, so I asked if I could hold her. I scooped her up and just stared at her precious little face. I couldn't believe that after all the years of prayer and longing, I was holding my daughter. My heart could burst. I was so happy. I remember looking at her and thinking, "You are the one we have prayed for all of these years.” I also remember thinking, "God, you are so so good.”

We are so thankful that we have an open adoption with our daughter's birth mother. That was something that was very important for our daughter’s Birth Mom and us as well. We communicate very regularly via text. We also facetime occasionally and will see her around the time of our daughter's first birthday. We want our daughter to know how loved she is by her Birth Mom! The fact that she is in our lives and can tell her that as she grows up is so amazing!

This process definitely taught me a lot about trusting God and surrendering my plans to Him. I, of course, had the perfect idea of when it would be ideal to match. And while it didn't go badly, it definitely took longer than I thought it would. This process really taught me to not only say I trusted God but showed me how to trust God. With every "no" we got, I had to surrender that plan or dream to God and say, "I don't understand, but I trust you, God.” That was really hard. But it grew my faith and taught me to surrender my plans for His.

No one can really prepare you for the ups and downs that come with this journey. You can read every blog or every story, but just know yours will be unique to you. My advice would be not to have timeline expectations on when your match will happen. Make sure you and your spouse talk through how you're doing emotionally and mentally throughout the process. My husband and I dealt with disappointment in this journey very differently, and that was hard at times. I would also encourage you to have a support system. Share with your friends and family so that they can pray for you. Prayer is huge during this journey and very needed. There were many times I wanted to give up, or I was emotionally exhausted, and it was because of prayer and encouragement from friends and family that we were able to keep going. My other piece of advice sounds so cliche, but it's true. Trust God along the process. You may hear some hard "no's," but trust God that this is not the child for your family.

Professional Photos by Tiffany Brubaker Photography

Adoption Story: Jenna + Matthew

December 30, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Adoption, Faith, Motherhood

It was an honor walking with Jenna and Matthew through the journey that led them to their son. Jenna & Matthew, I am in awe of your strength and faith throughout the ups and downs of the adoption process. The courage you had to continue moving forward despite the obstacles you encountered is an inspiration to many! Jenna shares their story below.

As long as I can remember the Lord placed the desire in my heart to become a mother. Growing up, I struggled with some health issues. In light of this, I was recommended to see a fertility specialist. After having a few tests done, they revealed I was not eligible for fertility treatment and I would be unable to get pregnant on my own. Despite our struggles with infertility, being parents had always been something my husband and I both wanted. We wanted to be able to give a child a loving home. We felt like God was using everything in our lives that we had been through to lead us to this amazing journey of adoption. After soul-searching and praying, we realized that our goal was not to experience pregnancy, but to become parents and add a child to our family. After reaching out to a few different people that had successful adoptions and hearing their stories, we knew God was solidifying our decision to pursue adoption.

We hired Christian Adoption Consultants after receiving a recommendation from a friend that also used CAC during their adoption journey. We were assigned to our consultant, KELLY TODD. Right from our initial phone call I knew we were in great hands. Never before have I spoken to a stranger over the phone and poured my heart and soul out over the question, "What led you to adoption?" She listened and by the end of this initial phone call we were both in tears and knew that God had placed us with each other for a reason. Kelly was with us the remainder of our process!

We started our adoption journey by hiring a home study agency, recommended to us by CAC. We completed state clearances, physicals, autobiographies, questionnaires, financial paperwork, home visits, etc. Once we were approved we moved into the next phase-the adoption profile book. Our profile was completed by their on-staff graphic designer who specializes in creating adoption profile books. After our home study was complete and while our profile book was being created we began applying for adoption grants, recommended to us by CAC. They had an entire list in our Adoptive Parent Guide Book, so we just went through them one by one to see which ones we qualified for and applied.

After our book was completed, we took advantage of the multi-agency approach and began applying with agencies. When agencies start sending us possible adoption cases, Kelly would give us her professional input on the risk involved and her thoughts on the situation. If we decided to move forward with presenting, we wrote a letter and Kelly would look over it and give feedback. She was our advocate throughout the entire process.

The waiting in the adoption process is difficult. It's something that you are told will be a struggle, but it's something that you truly don’t understand until you are in it. You can do all the research and complete all the necessary steps in moving forward with the adoption process, but the waiting is something that no one can prepare you for. It's lonely, dark, and at times discouraging.

For my family the waiting process at first didn’t seem long. We were matched with an expecting mother early in our journey. We were so excited! However, she ultimately decided to parent. It was extremely difficult to process. What made the pain seem even more intense was that I am a twin and my twin was due to deliver her baby 2 days after the expecting mother's due date. I had been dreaming about raising our kiddos together. Our caseworker with the agency told us she understood if we needed time to grieve, but we told her that we wanted to continue moving forward in the process.

As we grieved during the holidays, we were hopeful that the new year would bring us hope and joy. Our nursery room became my quiet place with the Lord in prayer. I remember praying for God to turn my hurt and sorrow into something beautiful. I remember praying for the Lord to fill this room with so much love and laughter. I prayed and prayed as potential cases came through. I reset my prayers for the new year to start praying for every single individual expecting mother that I got the pleasure of reading about. I prayed for every single woman and her situation. If we were not chosen I prayed for the child and the family that was. We knew our “nos” were someone else's “YES” and that gave us hope in this process!

God’s timing is truly remarkable! I began the summer with unexpected health issues that had led me to have unexpected surgery. I saw that I received an email from an agency sending us a possible adoption situation and they wanted us to look over everything and decide if we wanted to show our family profile to this expectant mother. I felt God telling me to apply even in the midst of my situation. Not too long after we got “the call." It was our consultant, Kelly Todd, telling us that the expecting mom had chosen us! We immediately broke down and were just in disbelief and in awe of what was happening!

The weeks leading up to our son’s birth we had the opportunity to build a relationship with our son’s birth parents. It was such a special time. The week prior to our son’s due date we flew out to Arizona in hopes of meeting up with our birth mom. The day finally came when we got the phone call from our son's birth mother that she was in labor! We were given the honor of being in the delivery room with her. She had told me leading up to delivery that she wanted to be the one to hand me my son after he was born. When she placed her son into my arms she said to him, "This is your mommy." I just felt a sense of peace as I looked into his eyes. I knew at that moment the Lord truly had a beautiful plan for my family all along.

I pray that our story can be an encouragement to other families. This road can be extremely difficult, long and emotionally tough, but my family made it through the other side and you can too. Let me tell you, we would go through this process again and again to be led to our son.

Adoption Story: Ryan + Katie

December 05, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I had the pleasure of walking with Ryan, Katie and their 4 sweet kiddos, through the adoption journey that led them to their beautiful daughter! As you will read, the story to their baby girl was not an easy road, but they continued placing their trust in the Lord through the ups and downs of the adoption process. “Faith” and “perseverance” are two words that come to mind when I think of this amazing, godly family. I know they would attribute these qualities to God’s grace and strength in their hearts and minds, and I couldn’t agree more. Ryan and Katie, I am in awe of the story God has written and continues to write for your wonderful family! Thank you for entrusting me to walk with you on this sacred journey and for your willingness to share a little about it with others!

When we started on our adoption journey it was because we felt convicted by our belief in the sanctity of life and God’s calling in the book of James to care for orphans. We wanted to be more than just pro-life in word, but also in action. Ryan’s biggest hold up on this journey was the financial end of things (it has been amazing to watch God provide). Katie’s biggest hold up was a doubt that an expecting mother would pick a family with four biological kids in it. (This fear was also set aside in time.) Adoption to our family is represented by the word “YES”! “Yes, God, we trust you with our fears and family, finances, and future.”

We found Christian Adoption Consultants through a search for a guide. Though we have four biological kids, this was our first trip into the world of adoption. We wanted someone who had walked the path before us to help us avoid the pitfalls and educate us in the mountain of things we didn’t know. We reached out to CAC. We were only a few minutes into a phone conversation with Kelly before we knew we had found the right guide for us. She was equal parts knowledgeable and compassionate. Having the opportunity to learn from Kelly’s firsthand experiences along with parents who had walked both sides of the adoption journey was so incredibly helpful. Working with CAC and their multi-agency approach was truly the right decision for us, and we are so grateful that God led us to that first conversation with Kelly.

It is easy to look back on this end of the path, and speak of gratitude and God’s providence, but walking the path itself was far from easy. It came with more than its fair share of heartache, disappointment, and frustration. The adoption process can be messy. There is a lot of pain out there in the world, and when you sign up to step in and pray diligently over individual situations, you open yourself up to that messy and that pain, even if only indirectly. We actually walked through two failed/interrupted adoptions on our way to our daughter, and the pain of those was very real and excruciating, not just for us but for our kids as well. In these times, we clung to God all the tighter. Perhaps it is better to say that He proved His faithfulness over and over as he carried us whimpering along in his comforting arms. Again and again we ran to one of our favorite verse from the book of Jeremiah chapter 29: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Here is a bit of how our story unfolded:

At the beginning of the year, we were matched with an expecting mother. Though we did not have direct contact with her, for several months we had the opportunity to love on her through small gifts, notes, and prayer. Months later a precious baby girl was born and the mama chose to parent. We took some time to grieve and process, but continued moving forward in our journey. A few months later we were matched again with a mama due in just a few weeks. One week later, baby was born and the mama chose to parent. Our 18+ month adoption journey was a roller coaster ride of all kinds of emotions. On the one hand, we were thrilled that they felt equipped to parent their child, but it was still an extreme sadness that washed over us as we were ready and willing to welcome a new child into our home.

In October, we received a call from an agency about a baby born situation. Our case worker let us know that a baby girl had been born, that the mama had chosen our family, and that we needed to get there as fast as we could! We hopped on a plane the next morning and spent the next few days at the hospital getting to know this sweet mother and creating a beautiful relationship with her. She made the most difficult decision of her life and placed her beautiful baby girl in our lives forever. We are so, so grateful for her selfless heart and her ability to entrust her daughter in our care.

God has taught us much about patience and peace in the waiting throughout this journey. It is easy to give lip service to “trusting God,” but when the rubber meets the road this can certainly be harder in practice. Still, God is faithful, and we are so blessed. Our little lady, Monroe, is such a joy and we (all six of us along with our extended family and friends) are enthralled with her. We are excited to walk into the future with her in our arms and to see how our relationship continues to grow with her Birth Mother. What a blessing to have so many people in Monroe’s life who love her.

Video: What's The Difference Between An Adoption Agency & Christian Adoption Consultants?

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Video: My Journey With Christian Adoption Consultants

July 17, 2022 by Kelly Todd in Faith, Infertility, Adoption, Motherhood

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Adoption Story: Kenny + Laura

April 12, 2021 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I had the pleasure of walking with Kenny and Laura through the adoption process. Perseverance is the word I would use to describe their character throughout the ups and downs of the journey to their baby girl. Adoption is not for the faint of heart and looking back I'm in awe of how the Lord gave Kenny and Laura the strength and faith to trust Him through the unknowns and uncertainty. Today Laura and Kenny share a bit of their journey that led them to their daughter.

Eighteen months ago we woke up and had our normal breakfast. During breakfast we received the phone call. "Are you ready to adopt?" That was the question we heard from the agency. We had been waiting for a year and 8 months so we were extremely ready and could not believe this was the call! The agency let us know that this expectant mama was in labor and asked us if we could be there that evening. It was about a 4 hr drive to the hospital. After discussing, talking to Kelly Todd, our consultant with Christian Adoption Consultants, we decided to go for it! So, we scrambled and made arrangements for our children and hit the road.

When we arrived at the hospital the nurses came and brought us to meet our baby girl. She was beautiful! After our visit we found a hotel for the night. The next couple of days were up and down. At one point we were told expectant mama had decided to parent. We understood, but were heartbroken. We called our consultant, Kelly, and family to tell them the news. Sadly, we started driving home. Then, hours into our drive we unexpectedly received a call that there was a miscommunication. She did in fact want us as the parents of her baby girl. We turned the car around and drove back as she was about to be released from the hospital and we wanted to make sure we got there as soon as possible.

Talking to Kelly was very helpful during this time to be reminded that God was in control of our situation and we could rest in that truth. It was quite a whirlwind, but through that time Shane and Shane’s song Psalm 130 became a comfort for us. "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope" (Psalm 130:5). This verse in particular brought us peace. We could not put our hope in having this baby girl join our family but we could put our hope in God, who cares and loves us. God was in control and knew what was best for our daughter, birth mom, and our family. We were called to love this baby girl and birth mom the best we could and trust God with the outcome. Our daughter has been an incredible blessing and joy to all of our family. We are thankful that we waited on God's timing and provision. His ways are always best. The waiting was hard at times, but knowing God had a plan made it easier to trust Him.

To families in the wait right now, our advice is to keep your hope in God and trust in His timing. Keep persevering because in the end you will look back and know for certain that the child you are holding in your arms was worth the wait.

Adoption Story: Matt + Laura

January 02, 2021 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I'm so excited to share Matt and Laura's adoption story with you today! I was introduced to this precious couple by one of my other sweet CAC families. When their home study and profile were done, they were ready to start presenting to situations. My heart ached every single time I had to send them an email that said, "I'm so sorry. The expectant mother has decided to move forward with another family." I knew their story. I knew their heart. I knew everything that they had been through and it broke my heart to deliver this news each time. But they never gave up. They continued pressing forward through their fears, doubts, questions- and a pandemic! Their story has been an inspiration to me and I know many others. Today, they share the story that led them to their baby boy.

When we first started talking about adoption, we really had no idea what to expect. We certainly had preconceived notions of what we thought it would be like. We had friends who were trying to adopt so we reached out to them for advice and guidance. They told us they were using Christian Adoption Consultants and were working with Kelly Todd. Since we really had no idea about consultants we asked them more questions and got a lot of details from them. We also researched some other consulting agencies and made a note of the ones we wanted to speak with.

After talking to various consulting groups we connected with Kelly at CAC. We really enjoyed getting to know her and more about the adoption process. Kelly really helped us along the way with our home study agency, applying with agencies, providing us with adoption education and giving us guidance on different situations that were presented to us.

One of our first steps was getting our home study completed. We were so nervous about this. Was our house big enough, clean enough, safe enough? Would having pets be an issue? Then came the deeper issues - would we be good enough parents? Would having a smaller family group pose issues? All valid things I feel like most adoptive families go through.

Once we were home study approved we could begin showing our beautiful profile book to expectant families. The first situation we presented to was an expectant mom who was due at the end of October. We were so excited about presenting to her and we thought it would be the perfect match. We felt a personal connection to her story and the information that was sent to us. We crafted a personal letter to her and then a couple days later we got the email.

She didn’t pick us.

That was heart wrenching. I cried immediately. And for a day or two. It was hard. It was difficult. It was something we needed to go through. And we did. Many more times.

We got to the point where we questioned everything. Are we not good enough? Is there something wrong with us? Should we redo our profile book? What can we do differently? Do we take new pictures? We felt like we just weren’t good enough to be parents. We felt like no one wanted us to be the parents of their precious baby. That hurt.

We were coming up on eight months of being active and we were starting to reach out to our home study agency about updating our home study and beginning that process when we received another situation. We reviewed all the information and thought it would be a good situation for us to apply to. Then, the call came.

The expectant family picked someone else.

We were again disappointed. All those thoughts came back, like they did every time. Why aren’t we good enough?

A few weeks later we received a phone call from an unknown number. We didn’t need any new warranties on our cars so we didn’t answer it. When we listened to the voicemail we found out it was the adoption agency from the previous expectant family. They were calling to tell us that we were picked afterall. The expectant family wanted us to raise their baby. A baby boy that was going to be born in 10 days!

We didn’t have much. Our friends that we mentioned before had given us so many things - a crib, mattress, tons of clothes, swings, mats, toys, etc. But we didn’t have anything else. So we hurried up and got on Amazon and ordered way more than we thought we would need. We drove the 16 hours to the birth family and waited for this beautiful, perfect baby to be born.

Then, a whole new set of questions came. What if she changes her mind? What if she decides she doesn’t want us afterall? What if we don’t get to bring him home?

Two days after he was born we could go see our baby in the hospital. Of course, since it was during Covid we could only go into the hospital one at a time. Matt would spend mornings with him and I would go in the afternoon to see him. After being in the hospital for six days we were finally given the okay to bring him back to our AirBnB. We waited for ICPC to clear (it only took a couple days; it was a holiday weekend, too). Then we headed back home with the newest member of our family.

Adoption has proven over and over to have many ups and downs. We cried. A lot. We had our hearts broken. A lot. We questioned everything. A lot. But in the end we became the parents to this amazing, miracle baby that we love beyond measure. He has become the pride and joy of our days. Covid has done a lot of damage and brought a lot of bad things, but the silver lining in all of it for us is that we brought our baby home. And the kicker - we’ve been doing a lot of working from home so our little guy gets to spend his days with both his mom and dad.

Adoption Story: Jamey + Sydnee

December 20, 2020 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

It was an honor to walk with Jamey and Sydnee through their adoption journey. When we first connected I remember Sydnee opening up about their long journey through infertility and loss. She shared her heart and about the journey that led them to this specific place and time. She also shared some of their fears with me about the adoption process, one of them being "too old" to be desirable to an expectant mother. As she was talking I remember thinking to myself, "I'm so glad that God connected my path to these amazing people and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for them." Their journey through the adoption process wasn't easy, but that same journey, the one with ups and downs, the one with disappointment, the one with waiting, led them to their daughter and I know they wouldn't change a thing about it. Jamey and Sydnee, thank you for allowing me to walk with you through the adoption process. I am beyond amazed at the story God wrote for your family! Today Sydnee shares that story:

I had someone that has only talked to me a handful of times ask me, “what kept you from giving up?” I immediately started crying. She knew our story of adoption, but she didn’t know all of the years that preceded. When she asked me that simple question, my mind was flooded with all the trials and tribulations from many years before that led up to receiving our precious daughter. So many times I wanted to quit, but there was an internal fight that would not let me. I could write about my many years of struggling with severe depression and anxiety wondering if I would ever be a mother. I could write about my husband not wanting children and our journey to come together and grow. I could write about miscarriage and pregnancy loss, or I could write about years of fertility treatments. God brought us to Him and gave us the strength to traverse and overcome each trying situation so that we could eventually become parents.

Oh the waiting! That was always the hardest part of all the troubled waters we navigated. Waiting for God to work on me, on Jamey, and on us. Waiting to hear His answer. Waiting on the outcome so that I could keep going and keep fighting. Waiting on the next attempt at parenthood and starting the process all over again. It truly is God’s waiting room. We had to learn what to do and how to handle our time there. We had to grow and wait on His perfect timing. Meditation, prayer, and music were essential. These lyrics by Tenth Avenue North were comforting in the waiting –

As I walk this great unknown, Questions come and questions go, Was there purpose for the pain? Did I cry these tears in vain? I don’t want to live in fear, I want to trust that You are near, Trust Your grace can be seen, In both triumph and tragedy. I have this hope, In the depth of my soul, In the flood or the fire, You’re with me and You won’t let go.

When we decided it was time to give our all to adoption, I remember finding Christian Adoption Consultant’s website and calling from a conference room at work. Kelly answered and talked to me about CAC, her journey and listened to our story. Luckily, I had a handkerchief with me. I immediately knew that we needed to work with her and CAC! And, just to mention that I had already talked to 3 other consultant groups before talking to Kelly. Working with CAC and Kelly was the best decision we made! She guided us every step of the way, and prayed with us and for us! We’re beyond grateful for CAC and for all that Kelly did to help us find our way to our daughter!

Jamey was always on board with adoption, but he never wanted biological children. I always knew I wanted to adopt, but my dream was to have a biological child and adopt a child. It took a lot of work on our part and on God’s part for us to come together even after 20 years of marriage, but we did and are closer and stronger than ever before. When we started this journey, memories from my early childhood came back. I remember my mother telling me stories about when I would have a child, and I would correct her and tell her I wasn’t having children that I was going to adopt. We did end up trying everything possible to have a biological child but that was not God’s plan.

The song that helped during this time is by Lauren Daigle – Letting go of every single dream, I lay each one down at Your feet, Every moment of my wandering, Never changes what You see, I’ve tried to win this war, I confess, My hands are weary, I need Your rest, Mighty warrior, King of the fight, No matter what I face, You’re by my side. When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move, When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through, When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You, I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You.

The adoption journey is not an easy one, but every single time, God shows up and there is grace, mercy, and beauty beyond comprehension. We presented to expectant mothers several times and were not chosen, which was so hard. It was tempting to ask why, wondering what was wrong with us, but instead we would shift and pray for God’s will and trust in His plan and His timing. We presented to a situation where the baby was due in just 10 days and we were chosen. We were beyond excited and so hopeful! We met the expectant mother twice before her delivery and felt so purposefully connected to her. Since this was only a couple of hours from our home, we arrived at the hospital before this baby girl was born. We visited with the family and were so elated to meet and love on this sweet baby. We also spent the next day at the hospital. On the 3rd day, we arrived in the morning expecting to bring our baby girl home and we were asked to leave the hospital because the mother was struggling. We went to a park and prayed for help and guidance, until we received the call that the mother had decided to parent. Feeling completely devastated, we drove back to the hospital to give her the car seat, so that she could bring her baby home. We had to process this loss and grieve this baby girl. I do believe that this happened for a reason and that we played a part in this birth mother’s difficult decision. We immediately loved her unconditionally and continue to pray for her and her baby girl.

This song by Hillary Scott helped during this time – I believe that You are God alone, But sometimes I still try to take control, ‘Cause I get scared when I can’t see the end, And all You want from me is to let go. You’re parting waters, Making a rain for me, You’re moving mountains that I don’t even see, You’ve answered my prayer before I even speak, All You need for me to be is still.

Two and a half months later, we felt ready to present our profile and we were once again chosen. Though we were excited, we were cautious with our emotions. We spoke to the expectant mother on the phone and found out that it was going to be a baby boy. She went into labor about 3 weeks after we were matched, and we got the call to go home and pack since this was several states away. We waited to hear that we could head that way, and that call never came. The news we heard was that the baby was born and the mother was struggling with her decision. At the end of the week, we heard that she decided to parent. We had to pick ourselves up once again and find strength to keep going.

The song I listened to after this was by Danny Gokey – I’ve been running through rain, That I thought would never end, Trying to make it on faith, In a struggle against the wind, I’ve seen the dark and the broken places, But I know in my soul, No matter how bad it gets, I’ll be alright. There’s a hope in front of me, There’s a light, I still see it, There’s a hand still holding me, Even when I don’t believe it, I might be down but I’m not dead, There’s better days still up ahead, Even after all I’ve seen, There’s a hope in front of me.

I was finding it harder and harder to hold on to the fight, but God kept reminding us to not give up. On October 16, I was especially struggling, so I went to mass at Noon and prayed that if we were not meant to be parents, for God to please send me a clear sign because I was so tired. I went back to work and was headed to the gym that afternoon when I received a call from an agency. I was told that there was a baby girl born 2 days prior and that our profile was shown to the birth mother and father and that we were chosen! She said she needed to know right away because the baby could be discharged that day. We were on a plane the next morning! We had to pack, buy plane tickets, find a place to stay, and choose a name for our daughter! We met her on October 17 and left the hospital that day with her.

She was truly worth all that we went through! We stay in touch with our daughter’s birth parents and we love them so much! We got to meet them and visit with them a couple of months ago. During our visit we learned that my daughter, her birth mother, and my birthdays are all in October and my husband and our daughter’s birth father’s birthdays are in March. We are so thankful for an open adoption. God weaves the most beautiful tapestry of life for us.

Surrender In The Adoption Process (& Beyond)

September 09, 2020 by Kelly Todd in Adoption, Faith, Infertility

Control. Let's talk about that word for a minute. Control is defined as, "the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events." When my husband and I were in the beginning stages of the adoption process we were busy filling out paperwork, setting up appointments for our home study, working on our profile, filling out adoption grant applications, fundraising, etc. There was so much we were doing early on at some point I developed what I would call a "false sense of control" over the adoption process.

This "false sense of control" wasn't completely unfamiliar territory. When we were in the beginning stages of trying to grow our family biologically there were times I felt like if I did everything perfectly, ate all the right things, took all the right supplements, worked out, tracked my days, prayed the right prayer, that we would overcome my infertility. But no positive pregnancy test ever came. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with us? Why isn't this happening, God?" My sorrow led me to some very dark weeks, months and years.

I don't remember the day it happened, but one day God healed my heart. He didn't heal my heart with a positive pregnancy test, but rather He created in me a heart of trust and surrender to His plans for our family. That didn't mean all the tears were gone or that we “finished” grieving the reality of my infertility, but it provided great comfort to know that the Lord was with us. He was with us. He had a plan. He hadn't forgotten about us just because growing our family was starting to look different than how we initially pictured it. I would describe myself as having clenched fists through most of our infertility journey. But when the Holy Spirit gave me the strength to release my expectations to the Lord, peace came. I traded in my clenched fists with open hands and I placed my desires at the feet of the cross.

I will have to admit that I can be stubborn and had a bit "relearning" of this to do when we started the adoption process. When things weren't working out quite like I expected they would, when we were met with disappointment, when we had no idea if the adoption grants would come through or how we would fund our adoption, I was tempted to sink back into old habits. And I did for a little bit. But I was quickly reminded of how uncomfortable that false sense of control really is. I'm so grateful that I didn't sit in that space for too long and that the Lord quickly reminded me of the better option-surrendering my desires to the Lord. Over the past decade I have learned that surrendering our wants, desires, and expectations, isn't a one and done thing. As a Christian it's a continual process. And through Jesus' blood shed on the cross we have access to the help of the Holy Spirit to help us do just that.

Sometimes we hold on to things too tightly because we mistakenly assume that if we let go everything will fall apart. We are afraid we will miss out on the thing we are holding onto. I think that's putting a little too much confidence in ourselves, don't you? We aren't in control of the cosmos. The Lord is. There is something freeing about letting go. We aren't letting go to nothingness. We are letting go because we trust the One who upholds the Universe with the palm of His hands. We are letting go because His ways are so much better than ours. We are letting go because we know that our God is a loving Father who tenderly cares for His children. We are letting go so that we can experience freedom from striving and enter the rest Jesus talks about in Matthew 11.

Perhaps you are walking through a difficult trial right now. Perhaps things aren’t working out like you expected they would. Maybe you are walking through the adoption process and feel overwhelmed by the "false sense of control“ that you have taken on. It doesn’t have to be this way. You don’t have to feel overwhelmed by the weight of it all. I encourage you to ask the Lord for help. Ask Him to help you surrender your desires and expectations at the foot of the cross because His plans for you are so much better than the ones you have for yourself.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Terrence + Meredith

August 24, 2020 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I remember the first time I spoke with Terrence and Meredith. They were so kind and friendly. We hit it off immediately as they shared a bit of their story with me. I had a feeling we would become friends and I was right! When they started the adoption process we had no idea that they would be meeting their daughter for the very first time in the middle of a pandemic! But as we know, God's timing is best and I think you will come to see as we have that His timing is perfect! As their Adoption Consultant with CAC I’m honored to share a glimpse into their adoption journey-the journey that led them to their beautiful baby girl!

After Terrence and Meredith signed on with Christian Adoption Consultants I provided them with our Adoptive Parent Guide Book (resources that CAC has pulled together from over 14 years of working in the adoption field!) and a trusted home study provider recommendation. Then, I walked them through what to expect in the upcoming days, weeks and months.

When their home study and profile was almost done, I connected them with our recommended agency list and we talked through which ones might be the best fit for them. They began presenting to situations immediately. As it is for many families, this part of the adoption process was one of the most difficult aspects. We had many conversations about how a “no” does not mean “never” it just means “not yet.” I was amazed by their faith and trust in God as they continued putting their “yes” on the table despite hearing “no” so many times.

I will never forget the day they got an email from an agency I had connected them to. They learned about an expectant mama who was due with baby girl in a month! After praying about it they decided to present their profile. A few days later they called to let me know that they were chosen! When we talked on the phone they commented on the timing of how their story was unfolding. It was the end of April and we were in the very middle of a pandemic. But they still trusted that God would guide them through the uncertainty every step of the way.

A few weeks before baby girl’s due date I received this text from them, “ …we are on our way…baby girl was born this morning!…” They arrived there late Saturday night too late to go to the hospital, but Sunday morning I got the most beautiful text from Meredith letting me know their baby girl was doing good! When they finally got word they could head home with their daughter I was so elated! I knew they were so ready to introduce their eldest daughter to her new baby sister!

I got a picture from Meredith shortly after they got home of both girls in matching outfits. Lexi, their eldest, was giving their new baby sister a big kiss on the cheek. Meredith sent me a text with the picture that read, "My sister-in-law sent a few matching outfits and this was the best day of Lexi's life."

I asked Meredith and Terrence to share a little about their experience with CAC and the journey to their daughter and this is what they had to say:

”I feel like our adoption story isn't the ‘norm',’ but then again, nothing about growing our family has been ‘normal.’ And even though the waiting wasn't easy (waiting for over a year for something you want SO BADLY is certainly not easy), we had to constantly remind ourselves that the Lord had brought us to this particular place, and He had made it very clear that adoption was part of His plan for our family. With every ‘no’ we heard (and there were a lot), we just had to remember that even though we didn't know how this would end, the Lord did. Terrence and I had to keep telling each other that if we truly believed the Bible and everything it tells us about who Jesus is, then we could trust Him with this completely. It's hard for both Terrence and I to give up control of things, but we agreed early on in this process that we had to give this to the Lord 100% because He knows better than we do. And the Lord proved Himself to us in ways we never would have dreamed!”

Adoption Story: Joe + Gretchen

May 26, 2020 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

When people discover I’m an adoption consultant I’m met with a lot of questions. Most of them are pretty understandable! Before entering the adoption process years ago, I’m not sure if I knew what role an adoption consultant played. The short answer is that I help guide families through the adoption process from the very beginning to the very end of their journey. The really cool part about my job is that most of my families still keep in touch with me after they bring their child home and are always so kind to share pictures and updates!

I have the added bonus of getting a front row seat in watching God’s beautiful story unfold for amazing couples, like Joe and Gretchen. I remember the first time I spoke with Gretchen on the phone. She was so very personable and we clicked instantly. Like many couples after you are met with more than a few “no’s” it is common to get discouraged and feel like God has forgotten about you. But their faith, vulnerability, and perseverance throughout this entire process was so inspiring. Joe and Gretchen, it was an honor to assist you in your journey to your beautiful baby girl and I’m so grateful to call you both friends.

"God’s way is the best way”, a saying that we believed, but did not fully understand until we started our adoption journey. This year we will be married for 20 years and we have struggled with infertility the entire time. Adoption has always been an option, but God never opened the doors until January of 2018. After we completed our home study, we reached out to Christian Adoption Consultants. When we called we were connected with Kelly Todd. After talking with her we knew we wanted to move forward with CAC. We had a connection with Kelly, as she was so very nice and informative about the entire adoption process.

It was a long, emotional journey, but our adoption consultant, Kelly, helped us every step of the way. She always knew exactly what to say to be an encouragement to us when we needed it most. We presented numerous times before we were chosen. We prayed about each situation we presented to. We prayed for the expectant mother and her baby and most times we felt like "this would be the one," but they weren't. We were hit with many hard "no's." That was the most difficult thing to process. It was as if we had a miscarriage every time we heard that word "no." It was very painful, but we trusted that God had a different plan. It was difficult to wait and be patient, but God knew we needed that time to cry and mourn, and He never once left our side throughout the entire journey.

One morning we received multiple situations. Initially, after reading through them, we did not have peace about moving forward. We both headed to work, but one of the expectant mothers kept coming to my (Gretchen) mind. I looked at the situation another time and showed my husband, Joe, over his lunch break. We decided to present our profile because we felt like God was leading us to. Having heard "no" numerous times, we tried to guard our hearts while we waited on the expectant mother to decide. It was about a week and a half when we got a phone call. I was working so I did not answer, but later, I listened to the message. It was a call from the agency asking us to call them immediately! We were so nervous. What could they be calling about? I called the agency back. They were calling to tell us that she had chosen to move forward with our family! We were ecstatic! God had answered our prayers. I couldn't wait to get off the phone to tell Kelly and she celebrated with us too!

Baby girl wasn't due for quite awhile so this meant more waiting! We both had an overwhelming sense of peace from God during throughout this season and He helped us tremendously. During this time we were planning for the trip, which was over 1,500 miles away. After much prayer and talking to our social worker, we decided that driving would be the best option for us. We never had peace from the Lord that we were to fly. Again, God’s way is the best way. Little did we know at the time of planning that Covid-19 would take over and make it more difficult to fly. March 17, 2020 we got the call letting us know that she was in labor and we needed to start traveling immediately! We drove 24 hours straight to get there. I know 24 hours straight sounds like a lot to some people, but it was such an easy and smooth drive, with no traffic! Again, an answered prayer from the Lord!

When we got to the hospital we had room next door to the birth parents and we got to see our baby girl. When we held our baby girl it's as if all of the "no's" and pain from before drifted away. We smiled when we noticed her beautiful red hair, just like Joe's. God's "yes" for our family was so much better than anything we could have dreamt up ourselves.

Before we left the hospital with our daughter, we met with her birth parents again. It was a sweet time of good conversion and connection – one that will last a lifetime. We are forever grateful for our daughter's birth parents and how they have entrusted us with such a big piece of their heart. We plan to honor them always in our home and in our hearts.

Now we are back home and enjoying every minute with our daughter. All the things that caused us concerns about adoption, we gave them to the Lord, and He took care of everything. Not one thing that we were worried about needed to be worried about because God took care of it all! The best advice we can give to couples is give it to the Lord and trust Him. Easier said than done, but it will be the best thing you can do during this process. His way is the best way. He sees the bigger picture-just be patient and trust the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Adoption Story: Jonathan + Alli

May 19, 2020 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

I remember the very first time I spoke with Alli and Jonathan. I knew there was something very special about this sweet couple and I couldn’t wait to get to know them more throughout their journey! They signed on with Christian Adoption Consultants a few months after our initial call. Once they were home study ready I sent them a situation that they immediately connected with. They couldn’t wait to present their profile and letter to this sweet mama! This was the very first and only situation they presented to, as they were chosen after 3 months of being home study ready! Jonathan and Alli, it has been such a joy getting to know your family and walking with you guys through your adoption journey! Your little guy is such a joy and I have been so encouraged watching your relationship with his birth family unfold. God is so good! I pray you would be encouraged by their story this evening!

We asked the Lord to build our family in His timing and in His way and it’s been an adventure ever since! I would like to say that we always had surrendered hearts when it came to building our family, but that wasn’t the case. It took us years of infertility and heartache to get there. We walked through the pain of a miscarriage and battled with the fears and confusion of infertility before we came to a point where we honestly desired God’s plan for our family instead of our own. It was during a time of pouring-our-hearts-out prayer that God met us in our brokenness and graciously reminded us that He knows. He knew how we were feeling, He knew why we couldn’t get pregnant and He knew all the plans He had/has for us and our future family. He reminded us that He see’s the whole picture, that He is good and that we can trust Him to write our story. So, we placed our future family and our trust in Jesus’s hands. We gave Him our hopes and dreams of having a family and in return He gave us His heart for ADOPTION.

Over the next few months we learned as much as we could about adoption. After talking to several families and praying through all of our options we decided to sign on with Kelly at Christian Adoption Consultants and pursue a domestic infant adoption.

From day one of our home study we were very aware of our need for God to provide. We felt called to move forward with the adoption process but at the time we didn’t know where the funds would come from. For a while this paralyzed us from moving forward but after some more time in prayer we were reminded of the story of the fishes and loaves. We believe God wanted us to give Him what little we had and let Him fill the basket. And did He ever! From start to finish our God provided every penny and more. We are completely humbled and amazed at His provision and everything we needed came at just the right time.

We were actually cleaning up from our adoption benefit event when we got an email that changed our lives. It was a profile of an expecting mother who was due to have a baby boy in three months. We prayed about this opportunity and decided to send this brave momma our profile book. After a few weeks of waiting we found out that we were chosen and our hearts overflowed with joy and gratitude!

We saw God’s hand and provision through every step of this process and to this day we remain in awe of all that He has done and continues to do! You see, the birth of our son Jaden wasn’t the end of our story. In a lot of ways it was just the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with his birth mom and brothers. We love them dearly and consider them family. God knew what He was doing, He is still writing and we look forward to see how this next chapter unfolds!

It was during our most uncertain and difficult times throughout the adoption process that we were able to witness God’s faithfulness most abundantly. To those of you in the wait, we want to take this opportunity to remind you that wherever God leads, He provides. Seek His face in prayer and continue to move forward in faith even when it seems impossible.

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

From Matched to Birth: 5 Helpful Tips As You Wait

May 12, 2020 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

When my husband and I were matched with the twin's birth mother, we were so excited! We couldn't believe it! However, I quickly noticed fear creeping in and my mind began to go through all of the "what-if" scenarios. As an adoption consultant I have walked with many families through the adoption journey. As an adoptive mama, I'm also privy to some of the emotions, thoughts and fears that families may experience as they navigate the process. Waiting to be matched can be a very overwhelming and exhausting time, especially families who continue hearing no after no. It can be very discouraging. But it may surprise some to learn that the time between being matched and waiting for the baby to be born can be difficult as well. In fact, I have had many families tell me how shocked they were at how waiting for the baby to be born was an overwhelming time, filled with even more uncertainty and unknowns.

My CAC families realize and respect that until the expectant mother signs consents nothing is official. But I think carrying the weight of that uncertainty with them is what causes doubt and worry to set-in. Perhaps you are in this season right now, overwhelmed with all of the "what-ifs." Maybe you have spent countless hours worrying about the situation. But I want to challenge you with a question. How do you want to spend the next few months? Do you want to spend them constantly worrying about all the things that could happen? That is an option. But wouldn't you rather use this time to choose to believe that God called you to present your profile to this situation for a reason? Choosing to believe that God called you to present your profile to this situation for a reason isn't a guarantee that this precious child will be yours, but I much rather spend my time enjoying this season than being worried about all of the "what-ifs."

Here are 5 helpful things to consider as you wait from match until birth:

1. God is with you. "...Do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand..." (Isaiah 41:10). When we have a million thoughts running through our mind, sometimes it's easy to forget the most important thing: God is with you. Say that outloud right now. "God is with me." Whatever you are going through right now, remember that you are not alone. Whatever comes in the days ahead, there will never be a day where God is not with you.

2. Remember why you chose to present to this expectant mama. You didn't just enter into this situation flippantly. You spent a great deal of time looking through and praying over the situation. Don't forget that. I love this quote by Elisabeth Elliot and I think it's quite applicable here, "Don't dig up in doubt what you planted in faith." Our thoughts have the potential to lead us in a million different directions, so take charge of them by reminding yourself that it was the Lord who led you to show this mama your profile book in the first place.

3. Start a prayer journal. This is one of the first things I encourage my families to do when they are struggling with the wait. Instead of letting worry fester in your mind, pour out your heart to the Lord. Tell Him that you are struggling and ask Him to help you. Use this time to pray for the expectant mother and her child. Pray that God would protect her mind, body and spirit. Pray that God would help you find ways to love this expectant mama well as she is navigating through this difficult time. Pray for the child she is carrying in her womb. Pray that God would give you peace regardless of the outcome. Pray that God would use this time of unknown and uncertainty to draw your heart closer to Him. Our prayers matter to God. He is a good Father. And He is the best listener.

4. Make an encouraging playlist of music to listen to. "Where words fail, music speaks "(Flans Christian Anderson). Music is a sweet gift to us and as Christians it's a special way for us to communicate our thoughts and emotions to God. In our home we have praise and worship music constantly playing, as it's important to our family to fill our home and hearts with reminders of God's promises. I created a playlist on Spotify called, "The Waiting Room." I created it with my CAC families in mind who are each in their own "waiting room" so to speak. Feel free to grab it here. I pray that as you listen to the music, the Lord would use it to comfort your heart.

5. Steer clear of adoption content or stories that evoke fear or cause you to worry. With the accessibility of social media and the internet it is very easy to become a professional "researcher" of an array of topics, but please trust me with this. If the adoption content you are reading is causing you to worry, it's not worth investing your time in. We are pretty good at worrying all on our own without any "extra help" from the internet, so why would we knowingly seek out information about worst case scenarios?

These are not quick fixes by any means, but I pray that they have provided you with some helpful tools to navigate the remaining stages of your adoption journey!

***If you are interested in learning more about adoption and the services we provide at Christian Adoption Consultants, I would love to chat! Feel free to email me at kelly@christianadoptionconsultants.com and check out Christian Adoption Consultants for more information!***

Repost: Fear In The Adoption Process

April 23, 2020 by Kelly Todd in Adoption

How will we afford the cost associated with adoption? What if the expectant mother decides to parent? What if there is a history of mental health issues? What if the expectant mother used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy? Are we too old to be considered? Do we have too many children to be desirable to an expectant mother?

As an adoption consultant these questions, concerns and fears enter the conversation quite frequently. But, I can relate. When my husband and I started our adoption journey we had similar concerns. Below, I will examine a few of the most common questions I receive as a consultant.

1. How will we afford the cost associated with adoption? Adoption can be expensive. The cost associated with adoption was one our biggest concerns before walking into the process. If this is one of your fears you are not alone. I would say it’s one of the most common questions I get asked about when a family is inquiring about adoption, “How will we afford it?” And yet, time and time again I see families blown away by the faithfulness of God through the generosity of friends, family and even complete strangers. At Christian Adoption Consultants, we also provide our families with resources and tools on how to fund their adoption through grants, loans, and fundraising.

2. What if the expectant mother changes her mind? Although Christian Adoption Consultants has a lower adoption failure rate (< 20%) than the nation wide failure rate (50-60%), there will always be some level of risk in the adoption process. When a woman is considering an adoption plan for her child, she is making one of the most difficult decisions of her life. Placing a child for adoption is a sacrificial and selfless act of unconditional love. Unless you've walked through this yourself, than you can't possibly understand the thoughts and feelings that surround this decision. No one can predict whether or not an expectant mother will change her mind. However, if you are living and breathing on this earth, then risk is inevitable. You can’t be immune to it; it’s a part of life. A gynecologist can’t guarantee a full-term pregnancy, as there is 1 in 4 chances that a woman will miscarry. But that risk doesn’t prevent couples from trying. There are many potential side effects of prescription drugs and medicine, and yet the majority rarely think twice about taking a pill. At CAC we walk with our families and assist them in navigating the warnings signs to reduce the levels of risks associated with the adoption process.

3. What if there is a history of mental health issues or the expectant mother used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy? I often hear couples say, “We just want a healthy baby.” Drug and alcohol exposure during pregnancy and a history of mental health issues are not uncommon in adoption. The desire for a healthy child isn’t abnormal, but in reality this is something that can’t be guaranteed, even in what some would consider the “best case scenario.” If you are considering adoption, please know that I don’t share this information with you to evoke fear. Rather, I share this to remind you that risk is a part of life and adoption is no exception. I'm confident that God equips families with His grace and strength to handle whatever circumstances may come their way.

4. Will we ever get chosen? Many couples express concerns about whether or not their family will be desirable to an expectant mother. “Are we too old? Are we too young? Do we have too many children?” Every expectant mother has their own set of preferences for an adoptive family. Perhaps one expectant mother may desire a family with many children for her little one to play with. Another expectant mother may prefer a family who has a history of infertility because she feels as though she is giving them something they cannot give themselves. Regardless of your situation, God is using everything about your family to connect with an expectant mother, even when you can’t quite see what He is up to.

When my husband and I were functioning and making decisions through a “what I can handle” lens, fear quickly became a familiar visitor. However, our worry began dissipating when we stopped thinking with an autonomous mentality and started reminding ourselves that our source of strength does not begin or end with ourselves. It is God who equips us with all that we need to journey through this life (and the adoption process)! It also brought us great comfort to know that we couldn’t mess up or miss out on the story God was writing for our family.

If we had let fear govern our decision-making, we probably never would have started the adoption process. And then we would have missed out on the two biggest blessings of our life: Roman and Ruby. Fears and concerns may arise and when they do my prayer is that you would remember the Author who is writing your story-the One who will equip with you everything you need to accomplish everything He will bring along your path.