Adoption Blessings

I receive on average about five different newsletters each month from various agencies and individuals in adoption triad support groups. It wasn't until I opened my mail box and found the first volume of "Adoption Blessings" that I actually walked into my house, sat on my couch, and did not move for over 30 minutes. I was consumed.

Jody Moreen, founder and editor of "Adoption Blessings" was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and adopted into a loving home in 1955. Born early, at only seven months gestation due to her birthmothers cancer, she spent the first two months in the hospital and then went into a loving foster home. Jody was adopted at nine months of age by adoptive parents who always shared her adoptive status with her and were very supportive when she searched and found her birthfamily in her mid-thirties.

Jody's Search

Jody is the youngest of four daughters born to her birthparents who were married, but struggled with many social issues, alcoholism, and financial setbacks. Her birthmother had cancer when Jody was born and remained in the hospital for months of treatment. She survived.

Sadly, Jody's search led her to find that both her birthparents were deceased. Jody also discovered that when her birthparents came home from the hospital without her, they had told her older sisters that she had died at birth. Her sisters welcomed her with open arms and the four of them shared happy reunions for the first three years after meeting.

Jody goes on to describe what the near future held for all of them, "Then one of
my sisters, Judy, was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer at age 51 and died 6 months after diagnosis. That was a challenge for all of us- but knowing she lived a life of faith in God gave us peace in her death. My other sisters and I communicate mostly now through cards and e-mail and hope to get together in the near future."

Jody also includes, "My adoptive mom is 78 and doing great and we have a very loving, close relationship."

Jody's Vision

"I had the vision for Adoption Blessings for many years before its birth. When I began my search journey for my birth relatives, I began on a reading journey of adoption books," Jody says. Jody longed to know and understand the perspective of other Christians touched by adoption, adoption search and adoption reunions, but she found little to nothing written. She has since been involved for over eight years in adoption triad support groups- the past five years as a facilitator in a group in Indianapolis. Jody says, "The local group I facilitate in Wheaton, IL- Adoptees, Birthparents and Adoptive Parents Together has met for 3 years. Being in these wonderful peer adoption support groups has given me the desire to include the whole adoption triad in my newsletter ministry."

Jody Begins

Jody had collected an amazing amount of resources during her 8 years of reading and researching. She found stories of Christians touched by adoption in magazines, in newsletters, on the Internet and in other books and publications, so when she began writing one of the first things she did was to seek permission to reprint articles in a newsletter form.

Jody's adoptive father passed away during this time and Jody remembers, "A lovely adoptee that knew my parents knew of my love for writing about adoption. She gave me $100.00 to encourage my writing in my dad's memory. With the $100.00 I purchased Microsoft Publisher program that includes newsletter templates and taught myself little by little how to turn the writings into a newsletter."

Jody estimates that she puts at least one hundred hours into each Adoption Blessings issue, which is printed every three months. During her first year in publication, she was the sole volunteer for finding stories, writing for permissions, designing and laying out the newsletter, doing all the typing and proofreading, and finding individuals and small organizations to help with funding. Jody says, " I have received help with the stuffing, labeling and mailing of the newsletters from friends and volunteers. I pray God will lead others to me that He would chose to assist me in this ministry." Jody currently has 900 subscribers nationwide, and it is growing daily.

Jody's Goal

Jody states her goal eloquently and passionately, "My goal of this ministry is to point to God's sovereignty in adoption and His grace, hope and healing available to the participants- by sharing testimonies of adoptees, birthparents and adoptive parents. I aim to encourage pro-life and adoption as God's option as opposed to abortion, in Crisis Pregnancies where the birthparents have limited to no support systems and have decided to relinquish their child for adoption. I pray many will come to know Christ personally as their Savior, the author of earthly and spiritual adoption."

Jody tells me that Adoption Blessings Newsletter has been a faith journey for her and that she continues to allow God to lead and open the doors and opportunities. She goes on to say that, "As He continues to lead me and provide the needed adoption testimonies and financial resources needed to publish, I will continue to publish the newsletter."

What Makes Adoption Blessing So Special?

In the latest issue, Volume #4, readers discover tremendously detailed accounts of Midwives from the Old Testament of the Bible. The article is titled, "Midwives From Egypt - The Other Mothers," and is an excerpt from the book, "Mother Loves Me This I Know," by Debbie Salter Goodwin, published by Beacon Hill Press.

Another incredible article, written by Thelma Wells, a professional speaker who travels with the Women of Faith Conferences and who has authored four other books is, "Esther: An Adoptee Used by God." In one small paragraph within this amazing article, Thelma writes, "Who would have thought that a little black girl born to a crippled teenager in the segregated South would someday speak to over one million people? As a young girl, I never imagined it. But God had a plan."

A superb article, written by Mona Comeua and Greg Perry titled, "A Garment of Praise: Tailored for Birthmothers," is among the too many others to mention. Beside this article the Scripture, "To provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor." (Isaiah 61:3)

Perhaps one of the most touching in this issue is a story called, "God, Can You Change a Dollar?" By Newman "Soapy" Dollar. Here is the prelude into his story, "Newman Frank "Soapy" Dollar is a living example of God's grace and power. Born out of wedlock to a teenage Apache girl and abandoned at birth, he lived with about 16 families before the age of six. He was first taken in by a kind but eccentric magician's assistant named Princess Babe Hawk. Here is his story ...."

Other stories include, "An Open Letter to My Adoptive Parents," by Luana, and "I Reflect as I Wait," a story written by birth father J.T Niswonger.

This 24 page newsletter is brimmed filled with amazing testimony, moving stories, and extremely useful articles. There are songs, poems, verses, and quotes that will inspire you and melt your heart at the same time.

What to look for in the Christmas Issue of Adoption Blessings:

The Hatbox Baby- an adoptee's story on Christmas Eve
Joseph (adoptive father of Jesus)- The Father Who Stayed
How Mary Survived and Thrived in her "Crisis Pregnancy"
And Other Poems and stories of adoption
related to the nativity and the holidays

When anyone of us come across something that reaches the depths of our hearts, and touches those things so very dear to us, we are compelled to reach back. Adoption Blessings is just that.

An ever-giving, loving, and informative moving of God's Hands working through His children.

If you would like to receive Adoption Blessings please visit Jody Moreen's web site at: http://www.adoptionblessingsnewsletter.com If you would like to submit a story, article, poem, verse, or song, please write to Jody at: adoption@kwom.com

Credits: Courtney Frey