books to read

If you know me at all, you know that I absolutely love to read. Quite frankly I read anything I can get my hands on and quite frequently I don't put a book down until I've finished. In the midst of reading Wuthering Heights(for the umpteenth time so it's the book I read during my break at work), The American General (I read this book while on the elliptical), On Every Side and MidnightSun (again!) my dearest husband ordered me a new book.

After hearing Dr. Ray Guarendi promote his book Adoption, Choosing it, Living It, Loving It, on The Fish, Matt ordered it thinking that it could provide us with valuable insight. It arrived Saturday and it took me until last night to finish it, definitely not one of my best efforts. But it was an interesting read, so I wanted to make sure I read every word.

Dr. Guarnedi is an adoptive father of 10; all adopted domestically as infants or young children, all adopted in a span of 12 years. Just that statistic alone made me slow down and pay close attention as I read. The format of his book is a question someone wrote him and his answer. Some of it we'd learned in our adoption certification classes, some of it I'd read in other books but then other parts of it were quite eye opening. The book didn't necessarily provide us with many concrete answers but it validated our feelings, explained options, calmed fears and provided different ways to approach different adoption issues. It's the first book on adoption that I can truly recommend; it was informative, helpful and though provoking. A lot of the adoption books that I've read either provide unsettling or scary unsubstantiated facts or make adoption seem like a fairytale, which I know this is not the case. So, if you're even considering the idea of adoption, this book is a must read.


Each day Matt and I get closer to a decision about whether or not to become foster parents or to just patiently wait to adopt. We're still praying about it, and while we're not entirely sure of what we're going to do we do know that the path we're on is not being directed by us, but by Him. And while the future is so uncertain for everyone, that one fact provides perfect comfort. When the fact that we don't have a family yet begins to consume me and my faith and happiness begin to waiver, my heart whispers Psalm 46:10 and I feel peace.

Our prayers are with you always, love,
Meredith