Confessions of an Adoptive Parent: Hope and Help from the Trenches of Foster Care and Adoption
Know That You Are Not Alone on This Journey
Adopting or fostering a child brings its own unique set of
challenges only another parent facing the same uphill climb could
possibly understand. From parenting children with traumatic pasts,
to dealing with attachment issues, to raising a child with special
needs, it can sometimes be a struggle just getting through the
day.
Mike Berry knows the loneliness and isolation you can easily feel
in your particular parenting role—because he's been there. He's
still there, and he wants to give you the hope and
encouragement you so desperately need.
There are plenty of how-to guides out there on parenting, but this
one-of-a-kind book is specifically designed to address your needs
as a parent of an adopted or foster child. With a refreshing dose
of honesty, empathy, and care, you'll discover you are definitely
not alone on your journey and God has a very special plan for you
and your family.
"As an adoptee, I'm always a little leery of books about
adoption because I don't know what angle they will take. Will they
make adoptees sound like problem children? Will they come across
bleak or disparaging? But after reading this book, I feel refreshed
and encouraged. It's real and honest but filled with hope. I
recommend it to any foster or adoptive parent (as well as
adoptees!)."
—Tony Wolf, author of Serve One
"As the father of three biological children, I never knew the
challenges or the amazingness of being an adoptive or foster
parent. In Confessions of an Adoptive Parent,
Mike takes you on a journey filled with hope and accurately
captures the beauty of being an adoptive parent. You will laugh,
you will cry, and you will be filled with a sense of deep hope.
It's a must-read for anyone on this journey, or considering
it!"
—Jackie Bledsoe, speaker and author of The 7 Rings of
Marriage
"With rare transparency, Mike Berry reveals the raw realities of
parenting adopted and foster kids. What a gift to adoptive parents
to find validation and know they are not alone! This is a must-read
for every adoptive and foster parent who needs edification and
encouragement. Highly recommended."
—Sherrie Eldridge, author of 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish
Their Adoptive Parents Knew
"As Mike says, 'this journey is not meant to be lived alone.'
Thanks to this book, it doesn't have to be. Confessions of an Adoptive Parent provides guidance and
desperately needed comfort, healing and hope to parents who are
struggling. I am grateful to reap the wisdom of Mike's authentic
testimony; his words are laced with grace, conviction, and
reassurance. Mike's transparency weaves together stories of pain
that has been lifted by abundant purpose, and through his
encouraging book, we come to recognize our real need for Jesus in
our struggles and the intense beauty found in the mess."
—Courtney Westlake, author of A Different
Beautiful
"Doing good is simple and significant, but that does not mean
it's easy. Mike reminds us that caring for vulnerable kids is in
fact hard. However, he gives us the practical tools we need to find
comfort and success as we struggle to love and bring hope to those
who are in need of a healthy family."
—Chris Marlow, founder and CEO of Help One Now, author of
Doing Good Is Simple
"In Confessions of an Adoptive Parent, Mike
Berry speaks right into that place seldom spoken of outside support
groups huddled in church basements or conferences for foster and
adoptive parents. His words are helpful, his words are true, and
his words help us see our lives and work as parents in the proper
perspective. Even though the road is long and sometimes grueling,
Mike continually leads us back to the hope we have not only for our
children's futures, but for all of us in Christ."
—Amanda Bacon, co-creator of
TheMasterpieceMom.com
"This book contains the words adoptive parents long for, plus
many of the statements we are afraid to voice ourselves. Confessions of an Adoptive Parent is validating,
reassuring, encouraging, and clearly written by someone who has
slogged through the trenches of adoption and is still standing
there, hip-deep, reaching out to help the stumbling. Mike Berry
knows grief and grit, and he speaks our language."
—Shannon Guerra, author of Upside Down: Understanding and
Supporting Attachment in Adoptive Families
"Mike Berry shares his journey as a foster and adoptive parent
with unmatched candor, humor, and insight. From uncertainty to
optimism, reality to discouragement, and finally to a deep
reservoir of hope, he walks parents through his story, giving us
courage for our own. Confessions of an Adoptive
Parent is a fresh reminder to parents in all phases of the
foster and adoptive journey that we are not alone. There is a
community ready to surround us and a loving God who will never
leave us."
—Lisa Qualls, writer/speaker/encourager at
OneThankfulMom.com
Product Details
- Title : Confessions of an Adoptive Parent: Hope and Help from the Trenches of Foster Care and Adoption
- Author: Berry, Mike
- Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
- Publication Date: 2018
- ISBN: 9780736970846
Mike Berry is cocreator of the award-winning blog Confessions of an Adoptive Parent and the adoptive and foster support site Oasis Community. He's also a contributing writer for Disney's babble.com and TheGoodMenProject.com. Mike and his wife, Kristin, have cared for dozens of children through foster care and have adopted all eight of their children.