ADOPTION STRUGGLES AND SUPPORT | Adoption Trauma, Safety, Peace of Mind, Biblical Encouragement, Respite, Journaling

I couldn't believe what Blue allowed me to do. Bleu’s kittens were not safe, leaving my wife and me with a tough decision to make. We hoped that Bleu would cooperate with us, but what happened next was beyond belief. I was able to do something that I never thought possible. Hi Neighbor, Join us in this special unplugged episode of Anchors of Encouragement as we continue to explore the heartwarming...

I went over to the area of the barn where I suspected they were, when all of a sudden, I heard a sound. It was a growl. Bleu was letting me know, you are not welcome here! Hi Neighbor, Could you use a break from all of the negativity in the news? I know I can. Don’t let the growl in the intro scare you off. This story has a happy ending… promise. In this unplugged episode of Anchors of Encourageme...

Hi Neighbor, Have you ever had a friend going through difficult times? We all have. Maybe they have health issues. Maybe there has been a death in the family. Maybe they are struggling with their adopted child. Whatever it is, you want to help them. When you do reach out, the conversation usually goes something like this. “Let me know what I can do.” I’ve said that before and I’ve had it said to m...

When the final curtain drops on your life, how do you want to be remembered? It ultimately will be based on the choices you made. Hi Neighbor, In this episode of Anchors of Encouragement, we’ll consider the anchor of choice and the tragic story of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. Despite gaining critical acclaim for his acting abilities, Booth's last words are a chilli...

Hi Neighbor, In this unplugged episode of Anchors of Encouragement, I want to share a story about the hardest first in a year of firsts following the passing of my Mom. I believe this perspective can help you and I encourage adopted children.  Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor,⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tim P.S. If this podcast has given you the courage and confidence to face storms in your life, the numb...

How can adoptive parents who are exhausted and stressed out feel comfort and support? A young teenage girl shared one way to do this over 70 years ago. Hi Neighbor, The release date for this episode is March 31st. That is the day recognized by Dutch authorities as the day Anne Frank and her sister Margot died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945. I want to remember Anne Frank and share...

The car ride to visit Jonny at residential treatment took four hours.. one-way. Those trips were usually emotional and exhausting. For my wife and me, the staff encouraged us to make sure and take care of ourselves. But we weren't our number one focus. Our focus was on him. Thankfully, we had anchors who cared and focused on us. Hi Neighbor, Today I want to speak primarily to those of you who are...

When your life seems out of control, maybe that’s your clue to surrender total control to God. Hi Neighbor, In this episode of Anchors of Encouragement, I want to share an anchor inspired by the psalmist David in Psalm 37:5. “Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and He will help you.” (NLT) Tether yourself to this anchor and your life will be a lot less stressful. Hope and Healing are...

The days immediately after we took Jonny to residential treatment are still a blur. I don’t remember a lot from that time. After all these years, there is ONE thing that stands out. ONE thing that encouraged us when we were discouraged. ONE thing I haven’t shared with many people. But I’m going to share it with you today. Hi Neighbor, Today I want to speak primarily to those of you who are friends...

There’s a difference between being right and being well. Being well takes a different kind of journey. Hi Neighbor! This is Part 2 of my interview with Keisha Wright. In Part 1, Episode 57, Keisha shared a very personal and traumatic story with us. In Part 2, Keisha is going to share some of the tools she and her husband used and are still using today to heal their family.  We’ll pick up the conve...

If you have unresolved hurt and pain in your past, you can’t deal with the hurt and pain in the present. Hi Neighbor! What do you do when your life falls apart?  You need to jump into life and do the hard. Joining me on this episode of Anchors of Encouragement, is my neighbor from Florida, Keisha Wright. Keisha is a professional life coach. She knows what it means to jump into life and do the hard...

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again. Hi Neighbor! In this episode of Anchors of Encouragement, let’s connect the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme with the Japanese art of kintsugi in order to find ways to be the anchor that pours your love into the brokenness of another. Hope and Healing are on the...

Hi Neighbor! This episode of Anchors of Encouragement is going to sound a little different than what you're accustomed to hearing on this podcast because today I'm the one being interviewed. My neighbor from Hawaii, Dr. Lisa Hartwell who was on Episode 50 , interviews me for her podcast Anxiety Ease. As I shared my adoption journey with Dr. Hartwell’s audience, she helped me frame my story from th...

Early this morning I wrote this line in my journal. My mind is still in a fog from yesterday. A few moments later, I wrote this, nothing is flowing this morning. The brain fog from yesterday is very real. Soon I realized what was actually going on. Today is March 2nd! Hi Neighbor! In this episode of Anchors of Encouragement, I share a personal story about a tragic event that happened in my communi...

As an adoptive parent, the way you were parented may or may not be the best approach in parenting your adopted child. Hi Neighbor! When what you’re doing as a parent IS NOT working, how do you flip the script and approach parenting differently?   In this episode of Anchors of Encouragement, one of the individuals who helped my son Jonny navigate the challenges of residential treatment joins the sh...

“As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person.” Proverbs 27:19 What story does reflection time reveal about your heart? Hi Neighbor! Do you permit yourself time for reflection, time to sit back and absorb situations, events, and even decisions you’ve made? In this episode, consider with me the topic of reflection forwards and backwards. Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbo...

Ladies and Gentlemen: The story you are about to hear is true. No names have been changed to protect the innocent since the innocent victim was ME! Hi Neighbor! In this episode of Anchors of Encouragement, I share the harrowing story of how a cartoonist and a baseball hat saved my life. Please try not to laugh too hard at me! Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor,⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tim  P.S. Did you l...

Imagine a heart that has a hole in it. Now imagine grief falling through that hole. That’s the reality for some adopted children. Hi Neighbor! My goal on this podcast is to share with you my understanding of Biblical principles and how they can be applied to the adoption journey. I’m a firm believer in the Bible and what it can do for a person. I also believe in the Great Physician. But some of th...

Are you a struggling adoptive parent? Hi Neighbor! Life can be… well, messy at times! The adoption journey can have extreme highs and lows. And it can be messy. How can adoptive parents navigate the messy? In this episode, consider with me 5 ways to reframe how to look at messy in order to make MESSY a word to be embraced and celebrated.  Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor,⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tim P....

Hi Neighbor! Can you REALLY control tomorrow? I believe you can.  In this episode, I’ll share how. And I’ll also share 5 ways tomorrow WILL control you today IF you allow it. Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor,⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tim P.S. If this podcast has given you the courage and confidence to face storms in your life, the number one way you can thank me is to leave a written review on Apple Pod...

After you journal for a certain amount of time, you get into that comfortable practice with it, it starts to become your natural release.  Hi Neighbor! Today, my son Jonny is joining us again. He was first on the show in Episode 14 to talk about a tool he learned in residential treatment called 10-10-10. It’s a great tool for anyone to use to help them think before they act. In this episode of Anc...

It’s something worth aspiring to. Hi Neighbor! In this unplugged episode of Anchors of Encouragement, I want to encourage you to make time to Sit in Solitude and Silence. And consider why monotony isn’t all that bad. Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor,⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tim P.S. If you missed Episode 22 – Too Much Noise In Your Life? 5 Ways To Neutralize Noise Today, you can catch it at this LINK....

“There’s times it's awkward. There's times you don't know what to say or how to say it. There’s times that it’s just different navigating this type of relationship. Because I don’t think it's typical, right? It's not one of the original relationships for a family that God created. But it’s a way that He is able to, I like to say, bring two families together because it’s not just grown our family b...

The challenges and rewards of patient love for adoptive parents. Hi Neighbor! In this episode of Anchors of Encouragement, let’s consider the idea of patient love and why I believe it’s worth the challenges that it presents. Hope and Healing are on the way. Your Neighbor,⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ Tim P.S. If this podcast has given you the courage and confidence to face storms in your life, the number one way you can...

However children come into this world, they need a family. Every. Single. One. Hi Neighbor! One of the goals of this podcast is to provide resources for you on your adoption journey. On a regular basis, I share with you Biblical mindset support. But I realize there are other resources that you need. Resources that I don’t have the expertise to speak about. Today I have a guest who can. Joining me...