Spotlight: Choosing Hope Adoptions

I first met Angela, the driving force behind Choosing Hope Adoptions, about 10 years ago. We were both registered for a 6 week Youth Ministry training course outside of Minneapolis. Furthermore, we were paired up to be roommates at a very "special" home. Oh the stories from those first 3 weeks. At least Angela had family nearby and could escape on the weekends. Remember the cat, Angela???

During those weeks we got to know each other and I was blessed to connect with someone who was so personable, full of life, funny and passionate for ministry and for God. We reconnected at the second 3 weeks and have stayed in contact, even though she was called to Ohio and I to Illinois. She even allowed my youth group to spend the night at her church on our way to a youth conference in North Carolina.

Angela since has gotten married, started a family, and has 3 beautiful children. She was a Youth Minister in Springfield Oh until just a few years ago, when she knew her life was needing to head in a new direction. She just did not know where yet. But they took a leap of faith.She and her husband felt strongly called about adoption and were blessed to add their third child, only a month younger than my Ben through the adoption process.

During that time, she saw many of the complications and heartbreaks that are involved in adoption. From fees, to caring for the needs of the birth family, and simplifying the process that turns off many potential adoptive families.

Rather than just complain or sit back and wait for someone else to do something about it, she stepped up to the plate, with a team of other passionate people and started an adoption non for profit out of Springfield Ohio. This non for profit is called : Choosing Hope Adoptions. .

Choosing Hope is still in its initial stages. They have all the certifications, they have an office and they have a plan and the support of the community and have just begun operations.

What makes them different from other adoption agencies: 
1. Our care for birth mothers and fathers is as important as the care of the baby.  Our ultimate goal is to see them walk in the freedom and love of Jesus.
2. Cost. Most domestic infant adoption cost a family between $22,000 - $35,000. We are working to cut these costs in half. 

This agency is beautiful to me. It is seeing a problem, a need, and working to fulfill it. Not just talk.

That is why I am choosing to ask you to help me help them.

I am running the Biggest Loser Half Marathon in Racine on behalf of Choosing Hope and one other completely different non for profit. I would love to raise $500 for them.

Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

If you cannot donate, please do one of the following:
1. pray for them and their ministry
2. forward this on to others and see if they are wiling to donate or pray. or both. :)

TO donate please go to:

On being entrusted

I have been entrusted with my family. 

With my son who looks at me with adoring eyes and ....

With my husband who needs a partner, a confidant, support and a little smile and squeeze of the hand.

I have been entrusted with friends.
I consider my sisters my closest of friends. And those other people around who can count on me for a chat, a cup of coffee, a listening ear, a word of advice, a good laugh, a long walk. Even if its been months. or years.

I have been entrusted with my clients. 

With people who have been hurt, are hurting and need a little help and direction. Whether they come by choice or not.

I have been entrusted with a dream
As fragile as dreams are, they are gifts. Something to work towards, to hope for. And to take a chance and be courageous with. I am making steps towards a heart-song that I have held close. And I am living the dream of a family.

I have been entrusted with this body.
A temple. To use it as it was intended. It is beautiful and unique and it can do amazing things, overcome injuries and hardship. It can run long distances. It held 2 heartbeats at once, it birthed a child. Like a machine it requires maintenance and care to function properly. And to last a long time. 

I have been entrusted with unique gifts and abilities.
Intellect. Music. Art. Creativity. Love for animals and compassion for others. The ability to look ahead, to see good in dark places, to see infinite possibilities. Hard Work. A goofy laugh. I find it so important to know who you are what these things are. There is a world out there that needs you. Just as you are.

I have been entrusted with finances.
Money, possessions, a home. Some things I have worked for, and some I have been extremely fortunate with. All of which I am unable to take with me when I die. Or can be gone in an instant of bad luck. So what will I do with them now. Especially when there are others who are in need. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"

I have been entrusted with language.
The ability to speak words into the universe or into lives. What words do I choose. Kind or harsh. To instill hope or disparity. To make you laugh and smile and think or to weep. 

Each of these is a gift... a privilege.  Not a right. And can be taken away at any time. 

May I have the foresight every day to remember this. 

a little competition

A little competition never hurt anyone, right?

I guess it depends on the competition.

Running has become me competing against myself to some degree. A few weeks ago on Mothers Day i hit  a 5k personal record (PR) and it felt so good. I set that goal the day before, and I hit it. Didn't matter where anyone else finished.

And I will be doing this again with another Half Marathon. After running the Illinois Half Marathon in April, I thought "this was awesome" "I can do this again". And am now setting out to run another half in September. My goal, beat my last time. "PR" in run speak. I have chosen to run the Biggest Loser Half Marathon in Racine, WI on September 22nd. I am so excited to have a friend who will be running it too. I love having a running/training/accountability partner. Even if she will blow be away come race time. I am comfortable with my inferior pace. hahaha.

I cannot tell you how much I actually enjoyed fundraising with my last race as well. I was also blown away by everyone's generosity. My sister and I together raised just under $1500 for a local domestic violence shelter. I can ask for help or donations if I believe in the cause. And there is competition involved. And I have decided to do this again.

Its gong to look a little bit different this time. Mainly because I have 2 organizations that are on my heart and I believe in strongly so I have a hard time choosing just one.

So here is what I am gong to 2. I will present you with each organization. A short snippet here, and each will get their own blog post. But will be asking for donations for whichever one you feel most strongly about. I will be asking both organizations to help spread the word and solicit donations through my fundraiser as well. I will ask you to also help spread the word.

The winning organization will get: 1. an additional $100 donation from moi. 2. I will be running in their t-shirt, promoting their organization.  And probably some other incentive if I can come up with another good one. I am open to suggestion.

The 2 organizations are:

1. Choosing Hope Adoptions:  a non-for profit agency in Ohio started by a friend of mine who is finding a way to make adopting orphans more accessible and affordable by taking away the overhead cost to adoptive families. Cutting the cost in 1/2 - 2/3. It is very new and a calling and passion of my friend, Angela.  to vote, donate here:  http://www.crowdrise.com/ChoosingHopeAdoptions/fundraiser/jennaburris

2. Stepping Stone Farms: The local non for profit farm that I am starting to get involved with that does Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, therapeutic riding, and rescues "throw away" horses and rehabs them, using them for the EAP and therapies. to vote, donate here: http://www.crowdrise.com/SteppingStonesFarm/fundraiser/jennaburris

Vote with your dollar.

Also, if you choose to donate. I use Crowdrise. They have an optional service charge. If you do not want to pay it, near the end, after you enter your info, there is a link that says "optional processing fee" if you click on that you can change it to 0. FYI.

Thanks for your help supporting 2 very worthy causes

A little less fear

Something clicked for me in the past month.

I don't think I can pinpoint it to any one thing, but a series of events and thoughts mixed with some gratitude and vapid self-awareness.

What the hell am I talking about? right?!

I don't even know how to describe it. It is a loosening of the grips of fear on me. An elevated sense of peace. A kind of letting go of the past an enjoying the now.

Lets start with the half Marathon. A year ago I wanted to do a half marathon. But it seemed so impossible and insurmountable. I know I have difficulty focusing and  staying motivated. Yet, when my sister said "hey", I said "ok" and used a few resources to keep me motivated. Accountability with my sister. Fundraising for a good cause. Tracking on Runkeeper. And "ta-da!" the impossible was somehow made possible. Even with some setbacks thrown in. I even want to do more. I beginning to see what I am capable of. Shoot, if I can run 13.1 miles, I can do anything.

Then I saw that someone I have not seen in ages, worked through some of his own fear, chasing his dream of music, and now he stands, with a record contract, an album releasing this week and I am excited to get to go support him in his album release concert. Check him out. He was in the youth group I used to volunteer with over 10 years ago. http://www.petermauriello.com/ 
Seriously, honestly, I felt a tinge of jealously for a second, because I have considered that as well. But it has transformed into being an inspiration and motivation to me as well to overcome fear and do what I have always dreamed.

And in the midst of that, I somewhere decided that I was done putting off learning more about Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Stop being afraid of getting and doing what I want. Years ago I always thought it would be cool to somehow mix horses(especially rescue horses) with people, youth, and allow them to help heal each other. As it turns out people are already doing this. And in finally decided to do this training, I met some people who are doing this locally, and desperately need help. Stepping Stone Farms. Don't worry , you will hear lots more about them as time goes on.

And now its a matter of "now what". How do I make this transition. While my dream is important, because I can do anything, my family and family dream is more important. Balancing the 2 is vital. I will only work 2 days a week, meaning, I will only have my child with a babysitter 2 days a week. It is possible for him to be with me and help with me in some things. I would love my son to grow up loving horses too. And loving helping others. I will somehow need to transition my 2 working days to pointing towards my dream. When and how.  I have other steps to work on in the process. Like getting my License ok in Wisconsin.

All of this to say, there is nothing that I cannot do. There is nothing you cannot do. I am going to continue to run and enjoy it. I am going to pursue my dream. I am going to love on my family. All in a new, less holding back kind of a way. its so freeing and a lot more enjoyable.

Daddys Boy

My dear son is insanely adorable and is learning to do so many things. Watching his personality and kindness develop are some of our favorites.

Lately there have been some Things Ben does that makes his daddy especially proud:

1. I bought Bill an Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ornament one year. Somehow it turned into a regular fixture on our home. It plays the Indy theme song a few times when you push a secret button. Lately, Ben has been enraptured with it. The base mainly, since Indy keeps falling off. He carries it around, asking someone to push the secret button so he can dance. Daddy loves this

2. Baseball. Ben has gotten very good at throwing things. Especially on command. Baseballs and other balls. While his control needs some fine tuning, and he seems to favor his right hand ... So his career as a lefty is questionable. We are seeing some major league potential.

3. With some cajoling, he has developed a love for Star Wars. ok, maybe just his stuffed Darth Vader. All of those hugs on him... I believe he is working on overcoming evil with good.

 He can win Darth back away from the dark side. That face can can win a lot of hearts.

mothers day slump

If you know me, you know that I love holidays. I relish any opportunity I have to celebrate. Not so much that I celebrate in big ways, parties and all. But some way to make an occasion or a person special and meaningful or just plain fun.

I feel as though Mother's Day should be this for me.

Becoming a mother has become one of life's greatest joys. I feel as though I am lucky and blessed to have this role, this title. Like I should be the one celebrating, instead of others celebrating me.

Yet my heart is heavy.

Mid-April through mid-June has become my own private season of grief. April was my mom's birthday. Then  Mother's Day in May, then June, Father's Day, is when my mom departed this life. And its those markers and anniversaries that tend to be really hard. I know of one other person, besides my sisters, who will have a similar season now. And I am keeping that person in my thoughts and prayers.

The thing is I miss my mom.

And this year, as a mom, there have been particular aspects that have been difficult to not have my own mom to go to. Experiences  questions, that it seems everyone else takes for granted. For example, if you have been able to do or say any of the following, I am desperately jealous of you:
- My mom comes by to watch the kids for a few hours
- My mom and I went out to lunch/go shopping/to a show
- I spoke to my mom on the phone today
- I asked my mom her parenting advice on: ______
- I wondered how I was as a kid in this area so I asked my mom: ______
- I went shopping for a mothers day gift for my mom today
- I just love seeing how wonderful my mom is with my kids
- My mom came to see Bobby's recital/baked cookies/had us over for a family dinner...

To be fair, if my mom was still around, I would not be able to say many of these things. She was very sick for a very long time. And her physical and mental capabilities would not have allowed her to perform many tasks or maybe even answer some questions. And it would be very difficult. But she would still be here. And look upon my son with adoring eyes. I would have her presence.

This is not meant to be a pity party, although I know it sounds like one.

I guess what I want, hope, is
1. to be real
2. to encourage you to love on your mommas while they are here, in whatever form or fashion
3. change the mood of this to something positive now that I have Debbie Downed on you all...

I know that my momma would not want me to spend Mother's Day all sad and depressed. I know that she would want me to spend it loving on my family. Being the matriarch, a source of strength and love and hope and guidance to my family.  Even when its a hard day. And motherhood has its fair share of those.

One thing that has helped me tremendously over the past 2 weeks to focus on my role as momma is a devotional by, surprise, surprise, Jen Hatmaker. In all seriousness, if you are a Christian mother, this is a breath of fresh air. A cup of cold water. its called "Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions for Lightening Your Load". Just a few minutes, each day to focus on what is really important, lift up your family and encourage you to be a great momma and have a few laughs.

It is a privilege to be wife and mother to these guys

I look forward to a day to be with my family. Besides the normal Sunday stuff, we plan wander the Wilmot Market, visit and drop off some presents for my Mother in Law up north and fit in a run. Sounds like perfection to me.

In Thanksgiving

Its now been a week and a half since I ran the Illinois Half Marathon. Everything about the experience was amazing to me. The race, the sister bond, the energy and the experience of fundraising for a good cause.

Overall my sister and I raised $1390 for A Safe Place: Lake County Crisis Center for Prevention and Treatment of Domestic Violence. That covers housing, food counseling education for domestic violence victims. Our goal was to raise $1000. And with the support of our family and friends, we finished the race and for exceeded our goal. We ran, but you donated and inspired us. I cannot tell you how much that means to me and how Thankful I am to have so many generous people in my life.

I did not except to enjoy both aspects of running/training and fundraising. See I hate asking for things, anything. Money included. I could never be a salesperson for this reason. A good one anyway. But its easier if its something I am passionate about. Something that has great meaning to me and I can back with my entire being. And it benefits the world at large, not just myself.

So with this experience, I want to do both again. I have a friend who now wants to run a half marathon with me this fall. We have been looking at our options and it looks like we are choosing the Biggest Loser Half MArathon in Racine Wi. This was an easy choice as it is 1. close  2. The Biggest Loser. And I love me some Biggest Loser. I secretly hope Jillian will be there. Or Bob Harper. Or Dani Allen. someone.

Secondly I plan to fund raise again. I have been considering several options. But one thing I do know  is that I have had a growing stirring in my heart for adoption. For helping orphans find homes. There are some 40 million orphans in the world. Both foreign and domestically. And while I understand restrictions need to be in place to make sure they go to good homes, it has become outrageously expensive for well meaning people to consider bringing a human being out of tragic circumstances into a loving home. Think $30,000 plus. That number alone turns people away. I believe there are so many ways to work this issue from adoption to creating more stable communities in impoverished areas where people can afford to raise their own children or can live long enough to raise them.

When I have it all in place I look forward to sharing my chosen charity with you. And asking you to pray for it, spread the word and/or donate yourself for this worthy cause.

I am so thankful to know so many wonderful people who tolerate my whims and support them, if not for the sake of those who need the support more desperately than I do.

With much love and thanksgiving.

Jenna