He just knew he was going to be the fun bachelor uncle forever and she was sure she was going to be the silly auntie with all the dogs. Little did they know an Easter Sunday service at Emmaus Church and a casual conversation between his big brother and her friends at work one day would change the course of their lives forever and lead to a beautiful backyard proposal. Daniel and Christina tell their engagement day proposal story so sweetly I invited them to do so here. Christina: ” My boss at Forrest Home let me have a free day to work from home, and since Mondays are Dan’s…

Sometimes I try to wrap my head and heart around the experience of being a kid in foster care. I try to picture a childhood experience that would make it necessary for me to leave my family and live with strangers. Then what it would be like to be moved to an unfamiliar location surrounded by strangers. No matter how caring they are it must be such a jarring experience. My family has been involved in foster care for years. Seeing these precious children endure and often thrive despite heart wrenching circumstances is a glimpse of God’s redemptive work. Recently I had the awesome privilege of using my love of…

She twirled and giggled as she ran to met us. Okay, really she was greeting the baby, but it was clear to see she was thrilled it was her big day. In sweet pink twill, sparkles and a unicorn horn Miss Ava fully embraced turning seven. She ran from person to person welcoming them all the the beautiful event her mom worked so hard to create. She led a group of kids through the playground because unicorns love to explore. She radiated light and love. Ava, it is such a joy to know you. You are full of life and personality, sass and sweetness. You love others and are kind.…

“It’s been a really long week. I will be glad to get my girl home”. No truer words were ever said and no dad should ever have to say them. When your daughter leaves for a Las Vegas weekend with her girls, you worry about whether her kids will be safe with grandma and grandpa, not whether bullets will rip through the concert venue, sending shrapnel through her eyes. Yet, for Chelsea Romo’s dad this was reality. While enjoying a girl’s weekend in Las Vegas at the Route 91 Harvest concert shots rang out damaging both of her eyes. Her brave friends carried her to help and she spent several…

There is a place deep within my heart where the joy in documenting an adoption lives. It is a sacred place reserved for events in which a child is rescued and a family is created. Watching a child enter into a family is a deep reminder of grace, of belonging, of hope and of joy. Born out of deep tragedy and loss, adoption reaches in and says you are not alone; you are wanted and loved, FOREVER. To document such a day is precious. When it is on behalf of your own family, it is priceless. This is our story, the story of Jonathan. Adoption first touched our family a…

The day seemed so ordinary, blue skies and sunshine, birds singing and traffic on the freeways. This is Los Angeles after all. Yet, in an unassuming house at the center of a cul-de-sac, a family was preparing for a momentous event. Hair was being combed, dresses were being donned, and childhood shenanigans were occurring in the living room. Anticipation permeated the air as the family piled into the van and headed to the courthouse. One little boy smiled all the way along. Somehow I think he knew the day was a big deal in his little life. A day like no other, adoption day! Surrounded by a multitude of witnesses,…