I hope this letter finds you well, and that you have enjoyed a meaningful Christmas with loved ones and are looking forward with hope to the year ahead. Last night in our Zoom support group we reflected on Rev. Quinn Caldwell’s fantastic Christmas message, “What Are You Here For?” In the last part of the piece, Caldwell writes: “If you came for salvation and not safety, then: ah, my friends, you are in the right place.” One of the participants in our Advent Quiet Day reflected on how we, as foster and adoptive parents, are “standing in the gap” and how sometimes that gap feels incredibly wide and even painful. Quinn Caldwell’s words help to remind me that sometimes it’s in taking a risk, in standing in the gap so to speak, that we encounter God. We may not experience neatness or have all of our expectations met, but we come face-to-face with what it means to be human, in all its complexity. We are in the right place.
I’m really looking forward to what the Brood has in store for January. Here are the details:
On Saturday January 7th from 2-4pm, adults and youth ages 12+ are invited to join us for a cooking class at La Soupe in Walnut Hills. We do need a few more folks to register to fill out the class, so please let me know ASAP if you are able to make it!
On Thursday, January 12th from 11:30-12:30 we will be starting off a collaboration with Encompass Adoptees. In this virtual lunchtime gathering, we’ll be exploring the first chapter of the book “Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology and How You Can Heal” by Donna Jackson Nakazawa. A training certificate will be provided.
On Saturday January 21st from 10-11:30 we will be hosting our first of three art experiences at Visionaries + Voices in Northside. All types of families and kids of all ages are welcome! Coffee and pastries will be served. An RSVP is helpful so we know how many to expect.
Finally, our Zoom support group will meet Wednesday January 25th from 8-9 pm. A link will be sent on the day-of and a training certificate can be sent!
I hope you can join us. Meanwhile, know you are in my prayers.
