I was the baby to older parents; my mom was 38 and my dad 42 when I was born. My siblings were 20, 19, and 17 years older than me. Even though I always knew I was loved, I realized that my parents’ age affected how they parented me, compared to other families. My friends’ […]
When God Chooses You: An Adoption Story by Shelly from Beyond Borders
We did not set out with adoption in our hearts, instead, God sought us. I know that each of us is chosen to parent the children that we birth into life, but to actually see the process of the choosing through adoption? It is, in a word, humbling. It was through the prayer of our […]
A Mother to the Motherless – Stephanie’s Story
I have a daughter. The day I met my daughter was my first day working at a charter high school for at-risk kids. Ti flitted into my classroom, rail thin, dressed provocatively; hair dyed some unnatural shade of pink and her need for love written across her face. In my mind’s eye it was as […]
Mothering as a Mentor, Teacher, and Friend – Lana’s Story
From the time I was a little girl, I loved to teach. As a child I would ask my teachers for extra worksheets to take home so that I could play school with my younger sister and neighborhood kids. My mother was a prime example of selfless, mothering love, putting aside her career to be […]
Just Wait – Jennifer’s Story
“I will NEVER have children,” I quipped to my husband and our friends standing nearby. Blinking away the tears, I scanned the vacant campsite once more. It was morning and there was still no sign of them anywhere. Where had they gone last night and why hadn’t they come back? The unanswered questions had plagued […]
Every Woman Has A Mama-Heart
I started this project because I realized that in my thirty-ahem-something years, I have been positively influenced by many women, but I have also had the joy to be able to encourage and mentor others as well. I believe that women were designed by God for close relationships…not just with their spouses and biological or […]