Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2-3)

I've mentioned previously that my daughter is a mermaid – part girl, part fish. She's been tenacious and fearless in the water – until today. She's been swimming so well that her teacher pushed her a little further than her comfort zone allowed for and she absolutely freaked. She was crying really hard and would not discuss... more

You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up (Deuteronomy 6:7).

The Mother/Daughter “Mutual Admiration Society” continues this week! One of the gifts my daughter received at the Mother/Daughter Tea was a little diary. Every day she asks me if I will write something in it “about... more

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you (Philippians 1:3)

In an interesting display of “harmonic convergence”, cable television played both versions of The Parent Trap on two different channels during the same time slot. As I flipped back and forth between them, I noticed both versions had the scene wherein one of the twins meets the grandfather for the first time and begins sniffing him. The grandfather asks what she's doing and the twin replies, “I'm making a memory. Years from now when I'm a grown up, I want to remember that... more

So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6, NIV)

This has been a week of confronting and conquering fears, here at Casa Stro. Awhile back I mentioned that my kids would be swimming this summer as a tribute to their birth mom. I also mentioned that my biological child does not like water. In fact, he's terrified of the pool.

Monday was... more

My two sons are very different in a couple of profound ways: 1) they are not related biologically, and 2) they were born 4.5 years apart. Beyond that, they have uncanny similarities:

Appearance: When we first began the adoption journey, the social worker sent us pictures of the children who would eventually become our son and daughter. The day the e-mail came, my husband was at work, but my oldest son and I sat at the computer as the picture downloaded and began to fill our computer screen. I was floored! The children looked so much like our family,... more

Today, my daughter danced in her first ballet recital, and to celebrate, we took her to brunch afterwards. As has been the case just about every single time we've dined in public with the kids, someone literally stopped me at their table to tell me (at length!) how well-behaved my children are and pleasant to have around. Wait-staff, too, have commented on this as well, and tell us how difficult it makes their vocation when they must serve children who are less considerate.

Now, we eat out – a lot! We dine out, seriously, at the very least, twice a... more

My daughter reminds me of me in so many ways. She's had some behavioral and emotional issues; my ADD was undiagnosed until adulthood. She has very large, expressive eyes – in fact, in pictures, it's the first thing you notice about her. Every picture of me that my mom has shows that same wide-eyed expression on my face.

I remember as a child sitting at my aunt's feet as she did my hair. I have very textured, ethnic hair, and a very tender scalp. My daughter sits at my feet, now, and also has a tender head. We use hair time as bonding time, and talk about various... more

My youngest son is under the weather with a cough that has side-lined him for a couple of days. Though the boys love their “Sissy” to death, they tend to play with each other for most of the day. Sissy will join in for periods of time, then drift off to play with her dolls. You might see the boys ask to come into her room later on in the day to play with her, but for the most part, the boys have found their soulmates, sibling-wise, in each other.

With their younger “Bubbie” quarantined to his room with ample videos and CDs to keep him occupied, my oldest son and... more

Today my family went to a family reunion with my husband’s family. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins, some they knew from the last one last August, and some who were new to them. And, being the youngest of this particular generation of cousins, they reaped a bounty – they got cool cast-off toys that the older ones had outgrown.

It was a time to reminisce about family members no longer with us, and the hope that the new generation brings. It had been a really long time since some of the family had seen each other, and commitments were made... more

Would you take time to think about the full armor of God on Memorial Day? First, think about the soldiers protecting freedom all over the world. Pray that the soldiers and their families would gird themselves with the full armor of God to resist the obvious temptations that plague lonely adults. Pray that their children, missing one or both parents, would look to the heavenly Father for comfort in their time of need. Pray for the safety of the soldiers who are protecting freedom so that you may celebrate, read, write, and practice your faith.

Think... more