Our Lifesong...

Okay, so this may seem really silly sounding, but adoption has become what I like to call my "lifesong".  Please bare with me and read through, I promise, you'll be happy you did!  

Since I was a little girl, my heart felt a little tug for orphans.  I grew up in a mission based church, where our preacher and other members were heavily involved in missions.  Although, as a child, I never defined it as one day adopting, or felt "called to adopt".  It was simply something that striked my attention.  I believe that was God molding me into the woman I am today.  I believe He was preparing my heart to one day play apart in saving the orphans.  

The bible says in James 1:27

..."to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

John 14:18

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.

It breaks my heart to see that there are millions of children all over this world who are empty, who are homeless, with no families to love them and give them a chance to learn the gospel.  I believe that it is our jobs as believers in Christ to save these children.  Now, before some of you who misread what I am saying,  I think its perfectly fine to have children of your "own".  However, I also feel that so many families out there, look past adoption unless its the last result of having a child.  Even then, some can't convince themselves to actually go through with it.  I can completely understand wanting to experience the birth of a baby, and carry a child in your womb.  There is nothing wrong with this at all.  In fact, I think its a beautiful thing.  I hope to one day conceive and have a child as well.  I know that everything I am saying can be completely read out of context and some of you might take what I'm saying wrong.  I have recently heard so many negative things from people, comments like, "adoption is great, but not for me" or "how great for you to help out these children, but will never do that".  

I read an article not too long ago saying that if every Christian family home in America, adopted at least one child [anywhere in this world], all orphans would have a loving, Christ centered home.  Meaning they would be wiped clean and orphans would no longer be exist.   Oh how this breaks my heart to know this.  Think about all of the ways we could be saving a child by giving them a loving home.  But so much more than that, giving them a chance to know our Saving Father!  It doesn't get much greater than that!  Adoption is a mirror reflection of God's good and perfect love for each of us.  He could have simply left us all as orphans, but instead, He has given us the chance to come to know Him.  By grace, He has saved us!

Going back to my "lifesong", I want to spread the word and tell others exactly how beautiful it is to adopt.  To give a loving home to a child who might otherwise have been killed through abortion, left in a dumpster by some mother who didn't care, or, raised in a home where he/she was not loved.  Even if I can share with one family and they be touched, then led to adopt a child, then I would feel so blessed.  So, in an effort to help spread the word and possibly touch even just one family.... we're starting a project.  My plans are to do a family profiles on families who are or who have adopted.  I want them to share their story, what led them to adopt, how they have been so richly blessed and anything else about their family.  We will photograph each family that we do a profile on.

Afterwards, I will feature a family every 2 weeks on our blog.  To make it even more of a lifesong, I will be working on a book with pages filled with loving, Christian families who have adopted.  :)  As a photographer, I have always set high goals for myself.  I used to think they were extreme and would never happen.  But I've come to realize that life is just too short and I much work harder to achieve them!  So, I'm GOING to make a book and when finished, they will be up for sale.  (still working on the details) 

Sooooo.... if you are a Christian Family who has adopted, or who is adopting, please please please contact us if you're interested in being apart of our project to spread the word!  If you haven't adopted, but no someone else who has, please tell them about this!  Email us at richardandbrantley.blogspot.com or at brantley@alldressedupphotography.com.  Now... there is a small catch.  We offer discounted photography sessions to families who have adopted within the last year of $50.  In an effort to raise funds to create these books and held out with the costs, we will be charging a fee of $50 for these sessions.  However, we will be extending the offer (with no time restraints) to ALL Christian adoptive families.  So, if you adopted many years ago, we will extend this offer to you.  

Again, thank you for helping us spread the word!  We want these pages to be packed full of beautiful loving families,  and stories that inspire!  So, send us an email and be prepared to change the world and save the orphans!

Until then, Brantley