In January, our local Christian radio station did a weeklong series on adoption. The underlying message in the programming was that if Christians are going to call themselves pro-life, they need to be willing to put their money where their mouths are, so to speak. (The argument was also made that increasing adoption would have the side benefit of decreasing abortion, but I don’t’ recall whether they cited any research to back this claim.) The speakers advocated starting adoption specific ministries within churches, presenting adoption seminars to educate people about the types and costs of adoption, and generally urged Christians everywhere to consider (and pray) about whether they could... more

If you have a family anything like mine, you’ve likely been praised for “giving a child a home” or “taking on these kids” or some similar sentiment. Most adoptive parents I know bristle at such comments, even though they’re usually well intentioned. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I’ve found that the well intentioned, albeit ignorant, comments are the most difficult to deal with because it can be so hard to know how to respond. It’s almost easier when someone is blatantly rude, but the rude comments and questions come far more infrequently.

Nearly without exception, every time our family goes out in public, my husband and I have people tell us how neat/wonderful/loving we are... more

When we applied for our first adoption in April of 2001, we went on blind faith that the Lord would provide for our needs as we pursued this righteous desire. As I mentioned in my introductory series of posts, our faith was sorely tested as my husband was laid off from his job just as our dossier went to China. We had already invested a few thousand dollars in our dream (some financed through eBay and yard sale proceeds, and some financed through an adoption loan), and it was a scary time for us. But we had received clear inspiration that adoption was... more

• Pay tithes and offerings. President Joseph F. Smith gave this direction: “One of the best ways that I know of to pay my obligations to my brother, my neighbor, or business associate, is for me first to pay my obligations to the Lord. I can pay more of my debts to my neighbors, if I have contracted them, after I have met my honest obligations with the Lord, than I can by neglecting the latter; and you can do the same” (Gospel Doctrine, 1966, 259–60).

• Live within your means. Avoiding the grasp of unnecessary debt requires that we control... more

What constitutes necessary debt, and how do we follow counsel from Church leaders to avoid unnecessary debt?

by Max W. Brown, “I Have a Question,” Ensign, Dec. 1997, 62

Since the early days of the restored Church, Latter-day Saints have been counseled to live within their means, to avoid debt, and to get out of debt. Elder L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles reiterated this counsel:

“Avoid excessive debt. Necessary debt should be incurred only after careful, thoughtful prayer and... more

At first, my husband was adamant that we not add to our debt load (which at the time consisted of our home, student loans, one of our two vehicles, and some credit card debt), but in time, we began to realize that if forced to prioritize debt “worthiness,” surely A CHILD would top the list. After all, we had borrowed $13,000 to help pay for a minivan, a vehicle, a chunk of metal that would complete its “life cycle” in a few short years and would mean nothing to us in the eternities. Admittedly, we struggled a bit in the beginning because while a home... more

11. Consider working with a smaller agency. In two of our three adoptions, we have been able to negotiate a monthly payment plan that allowed us to avoid huge upfront fees and pay over time. In both of these situations, we took the initiative and asked and were pleasantly surprised that we would be accommodated. I’m assuming this is less likely to happen with larger agencies, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask!

12. Borrow from yourself. Dip into your savings, your 401K, or get a home equity loan. Check with... more

7. Have a yard sale. If possible, get friends and ward members to donate items for you to sell, especially big items like serviceable furniture. We made $1000 at our first yard sale attempt! Advertise well, listing specific high-demand items in your newspaper ad. We made $1000 at our first yard sale attempt!

8. Use a mileage credit card. If you can be trusted with a credit card, use one earning airline miles for everything you possible can! A great trick to avoid over-spending is to record each purchase... more

4. Fundraise. Go in person to local businesses and ask them to donate to your cause. You can raffle gift certificates and merchandise by setting up a stand at Wal-Mart. They’re very lenient about this, so just call ahead and set up a date. Consider doing a pancake breakfast or spaghetti dinner (just be aware that doing it at an LDS church building is a no-no.) Ask your newspaper to donate the add space and get businesses, friends and family to donate the supplies. You can also raffle or auction off donated items during the dinner, and... more

So what are these ways? The answers are probably as varied as individual adopting families, but in general, these are some options that adoptive families can typically consider.

1. Tighten the belt. When you’re hoping to add a child (or another child) to your family, the desire to adopt can do wonders for your ability to prioritize. Do you really need the mega cable package, or can you get by with a basic subscription? Do you really need more than one cell phone, or could you maybe even survive without one? Is a monthly manicure... more