A Miracle of Timing: Mike Marsden’s Story of Faith, Adoption, and Resilience [S5E2]

ADOPTION NOW PODCAST is back in studio! Noah and April share some updates and have 2 very special guests on to express their excitement about the show! The whole family has missed recording and sharing your adoption stories. Season 6 is back in action! Get ready to hear the incredible stories you have missed so much!!

17 Feb 202222min

Noah and April speak from the heart about the journey they have had with ADOPTION NOW and the much needed break they need at this time. Don’t miss this episode as they bring on a special guest, AJ, their 9 year old son, who shares his thoughts on adoption.

16 Feb 202234min

Author, Adrian Collins, is a returning guest on ADOPTION NOW. Last year she and her husband came on to share their journey as birth parents and adoptive parents. Together they have 5 children, three biological sons, one adopted son, and one daughter relinquished at birth and later re-adopted back into the family. You can hear that full episode here. Today she speaks on a topic that she has never publicly opened up about and that has not been discussed on ADOPTION NOW until this episode: Abortion vs. Adoption. What is it like to have an abortion? What is it like to choose adoption? What is the grief process like with both choices? Adrian shares about getting pregnant as a teenager and feeling trapped and overwhelmed. She did not think she had any choices and did not feel the support from her family. Abortion seemed like the easy way out. It seemed it was a way that could solve the problem fast and bring the least amount of shame. What she learned was quite different.  "I knew God was there, I knew I was forgiven, I just couldn't accept it for myself."  This episode is a look into what a woman goes through on the journey of an unplanned pregnancy. Adrian shares from the heart in this very candid and raw interview.  Follow us on Twitter @Adoption_now Like the show on Facebook Keep up with our journey on Instagram @adoptionnow Don't forget you can watch the episode on YOUTUBE!   Listen to other episodes at adoptionnowpodcast.com

10 Okt 201937min

Our guests today on ADOPTION NOW are Aaron and Kelli Couch. They have been married for 25 years, serve as pastors in the Denver area, and have planted 2 churches. They have 3 biological children and one child they adopted from China. On today's episode, April Fallon and her husband Noah talk with Aaron and Kelli about adoption in the church and their experience with international adoption.  This episode addresses the relationship between the church and adoptive/foster families as well as some common mistakes churches make when supporting a family going through adoption or foster care. It also touches on what God says about adoption and how to love a child that has endured trauma. These topics are discussed as Aaron and Kelli share about their adoption experience. They talk about what it was like to travel to China and adopt a baby the same day that 73 other babies were being adopted!! They share what it was like to say yes to a special needs baby and how she responded to them during the first few days they were together. Aaron and Kelli give a unique perspective on how to love a child that is not born to you biologically. They unpack the questions they had before bringing Ellie home, including their concerns about adopting a child with special needs. Ellie was born with Microtia and Aural Atresia. She did not have ears, and her paperwork stated that she was "stubborn and liked loud places." It was their oldest daughter, Cartier, that knew this baby was meant to be her sister, and they had to go get her. Ellie was 19 months when they brought her home. It wasn't a comfortable journey at first, but over time, Ellie did attach. Aaron said at first Ellie would not even look at him, but he decided… "I am going to love this child because this child is worthy of being loved; that doesn't mean they are going to love me back well." Adoption is a never-ending journey that takes commitment and dedication, and it can take time for a child to trust their new parents. When choosing to adopt, it is best not to "missionary adopt." April says, "Don't adopt out of the kindness of your heart, adopt because you want to parent a child and you're in it for the long run. Adoption is a journey forever." Noah shares about his experience as a dad and the fears he had not only becoming a father but becoming a father through adoption. Aaron and Noah agree that that the child you bring home is meant to be with you and you love them more than you ever thought possible. They become your child, and you love them as your own because they are yours. Kelli opens up about what Ellie was like as a little girl and how the siblings got along together. She is now 14 years old, and through many surgeries, they have reconstructed her ears, and she can hear. Ellie completed the Couch family, and they needed her just as much as she needed them.   Follow us on Twitter @Adoption_now Like the show on Facebook Keep up with our journey on Instagram @adoptionnow Don't forget you can watch the episode on YOUTUBE!

19 Sep 201951min

In this episode, we have an adoption story from across the pond. Earl and Rebecca Robinson stop by and give you a breakdown of what an adoption in the UK looks like. Key Links Earl’s book Our Road to Adoption: Softcover & Kindle  ---- In particular, two common themes that run parallel throughout this story are patience and trust in God. They faced a lot of waiting, uncertainty, and confusion, Earl and Rebecca needed to trust in God as much as they could. Wow, the results definitely speak for themselves! God blessed them repeatedly with the gift of children, and to this day their decision to stick with adoption despite the difficulties is a great example of just how beautiful adoption can be. In This Episode of ADOPTION NOW Information on working with U.S. adoption agencies while living in the UK. How long it takes to become a long term resident of the UK. The importance of patience and determination in adoption. How to adopt in the UK. Information on Earl and Rebecca’s home studies and adoption training. What a matching panel is. The exhilaration of getting the call for a match! How waiting led to a complete family. ---- Follow us on Twitter @Adoption_now Like the show on Facebook Keep up with our journey on Instagram @adoptionnow ADOPTION NOW is produced and distributed by Simpler Media

25 Jul 201943min

The guest of this episode is Nicole Ketchum. She has her own business called Hey Girl Decor, and like the beautiful acrylic chandeliers she crafts, her story is just as exceptional. Key Links Hey Girl Decor ---- Nicole talks about the challenges of adoption, as well as the emotional heartbreak of failed IVF treatments, her difficulties with endometriosis, and how she all but gave up on having children. In fact, adoption was her last attempt to be a mother. Through that decision, her life changed forever. As she said no to multiple phone calls about possible matches, as she had false starts with lawyers and agencies, Nicole trusted her gut, and eventually she and her husband were matched with the perfect little girl: Lulu.  In This Episode of ADOPTION NOW Why doing an independent adoption might be a wrong choice for you. The importance of trusting your gut when it comes to adoption lawyers. Why physically meeting the birth mother (no matter what!) is so important. Being gentle with the birth mother and why it’s a necessary step. Adoptive mothers and their right to be depressed, sad, or emotional during the adoption. Why birth mothers deserve a lot of care and attention during any adoption. Telling the adoptee their story at the right time. ---- Follow us on Twitter @Adoption_now Like the show on Facebook Keep up with our journey on Instagram @adoptionnow ADOPTION NOW is produced and distributed by Simpler Media

18 Jul 201938min

This story is told from the invaluable perspective of Kathy Mackecheny, who is an adoption-competent therapist. She knows what it’s like to be an adoptee and to have burning questions about finding the truth of one’s unique narrative. Key Links Kathy’s Therapy Practice: https://www.adopteetherapy.com/  Contact her at: kathy@adopteetherapy.com  ---- She answers questions about the right way to approach communication with your adopted child, the importance of openness, and other important aspects of the adoption experience. Her story is full of surprises, interesting nuggets of information, and overall a testament to the connective power of adoption and how it can pave the way for reconnection. In This Episode of ADOPTION NOW Information on Oklahoma adoptions and ‘closed states’. The importance of treating your child like an adoptee as well as a part of the family. On the communication role that adoptive parents have. The importance of staying open with your children. The steps she took to reconnect with her birth parents. Information on her birth parents and their stories. How Kathy came to be an adoption-competent therapist. More details at: https://adoptionnow.com/podcast/how-being-adopted-led-to-becoming-an-adoption-therapist-kathy-mackechenys-story/ ---- Follow us on Twitter @Adoption_now Like the show on Facebook Keep up with our journey on Instagram @adoptionnow ADOPTION NOW is produced and distributed by Simpler Media

11 Jul 201945min

Veronica has a varied perspective on adoption. As a child welfare professional, Veronica was called to fight for the rights of traumatized and broken children. Through that calling, she worked with adoption and foster care. Key Links The organization Veronica currently works for: https://www.wayfinderfamily.org/  ---- At first, she had no idea she’d end up adopting. After three years of trying for pregnancy, Veronica and her husband pursued IUI and were successful! God had also called Veronica to go through foster care. He gave her a sign and before they knew it, they said yes to a baby girl. After fostering her, having a biological daughter, and then later adopting another boy, Veronica now has a full house. In this story, she gets honest about the struggles as well as the countless blessings that adoption has brought her family. In This Episode of ADOPTION NOW Perspectives on adoption from a social worker. On frustrations and empathy towards birth parents. What it like to go through foster care. Why resources like ADOPTION NOW is so important for new adoptive parents. How God has worked in Veronica’s life. Loving your biological child the same as your adopted child. The struggles of reunification when you attach to a child. More details at:  ---- Follow us on Twitter @Adoption_now Like the show on Facebook Keep up with our journey on Instagram @adoptionnow ADOPTION NOW is produced and distributed by Simpler Media

27 Jun 201942min