Julie Gumm - You Can Adopt Without Debt: Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption

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You Can Adopt Without Debt

Creative Ways to Cover the Cost of Adoption

Copyright 2014 by Julie Gumm

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission can be addressed to Permissions, The United Methodist Publishing House, P.O. Box 801, 201 Eighth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37202-0801, or e-mailed to permissions@umpublishing.org.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gumm, Julie.

You can adopt without debt : creative ways to cover the cost of adoption / Julie Gumm.

1 online resource.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN 978-1-4267-9301-1 (epub)ISBN 978-1-4267-9300-4 (alk. paper) 1. AdoptionReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. AdoptionUnited States. 3. Adoption agenciesFees. 4. Fund raising. I. Title.

HV875.26

362.7340973dc23

2014023571

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

This book is intended to provide accurate information with regard to the subject matter covered. However, the author and publisher accept no responsibility for inaccuracies or omissions, and the author and publisher specifically disclaim any liability, loss, or risk, whether personal, financial, or otherwise, that is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from the use and/or application of any of the contents of this book.

MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Dedication

For Wendemagegn and Beza,

Who opened their hearts and let me be their Mom

For Noah and Natalie,

Who embraced their new brother and sister

For Mark,

Who listened to Godand your crazy wife

Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments

acknowledgments

I am so grateful to all the families that shared their struggles, their successes, and their stories within the pages of this book. Many of you have become friends through this process, and I consider it a joy to watch your families grow, even if only through Facebook photos.

To Mark, my husband of twenty-one years, I love you! The twenty-year-old girl who stood beside you in that church had no idea of the wild ride God would take us on but I wouldnt trade it for anything. You are my rock, my partner in parenting and ministry, and I couldnt do life without you. Thank you for all the mornings you let me sleep in until 11:00 after a late night of writing, for all the loads of laundry you did, and for all the nights you put up with leftovers because I had no energy left to cook. I look forward to what God has for us with amazement, excitement, and anticipation.

Luke, Noah, Beza, and Nataliethanks for putting up with me during this crazy process. We will now return to our normally scheduled life.

I am grateful for all the support and excitement shown by countless friends, particularly my amazing cheerleading squadJen, Stacey, and Kristen. Your anticipation and joy helped fuel me. Your gentle (and not-so-gentle) nudges kept me going even when doubts and fear interrupted me.

Mom and Dad, thank you for always believing I was capable of great things. Ive come a long way from the little girl who used to write notes and stuff them in Dads sock drawer. I could not have done it without your love and support.

To the rest of my immediate familyBrad, Suzanne, Phil, Tricia, Billy, Cathy, Matt, Hollie, Jenny, and RobGod gave me the greatest gift when He put you in my life. Each of you fills a special role and has played a vital part in our adoption journey. Thank you for your love and support.

Gary Warner, my John Brown University journalism professor, taught me more than just the mechanics of writing and editing. He taught me to never settle for hurried and uninspired writingbut to do this thing that I love with excellence. I am forever grateful.

I am amazed at the God-orchestrated circumstances that brought me to my agent, Blythe Daniel. Many writers search for years for an agent who believes in their work but God was clearly in control. Thank you, Blythe, for your encouragement and for finding the perfect home for my book.

I also have to thank Becky Wilmoth for sharing her expertise and answering my questions about the adoption tax credit. Shes the expert I point everyone to and a great resource. Cheri Walrod of Resources 4 Adoption, a.k.a. the Grant Guru, shares my same heart for helping families, and I appreciate the valuable resource that she is.

Thank you to all the staff at Abingdon Press who believe in this book and worked so hard to get it into the hands of adoptive families. You are now part of the ripple effect and helping children find forever families!

At the heart of this book is a simple message that God continues to whisper in our ears, Follow me, I will provide. Mark and I have experienced that truth countless times in our marriage, but never as profoundly as during our adoption process. I am amazed and humbled that He would use me to share that message with others. A line in one of my favorite songs echoes in my heart Forever, You are the God of my story. Write every line for Your glory. That is my simple prayer.

Introduction

introduction

People often ask, When did you first start to think about adopting? Truth is I cant pinpoint an exact time. The idea of adoption kind of crept in and out of our lives over many years.

As a seventeen-year-old, I spent two years working for an adoption attorney who handled both private adoptions and court-appointed legal matters for children in the state foster care system. Typing legal briefs and court papers opened my eyes to both the incredible heartache in some of the childrens lives, as well as the joy of the chosen adoptive parents. I even briefly entertained the idea of going into family law, but once in college I pursued my love of writing instead.

When I graduated high school I ended up in northwest Arkansas at a private Christian university, John Brown University. Mark, who I had been dating for two years, was already there. After two more years of dating, we married in the summer of 1993.

Together, God took us on a long and winding road that eventually led to adoption. But not before we made a lot of financial mistakes and eventually learned to be good stewards of the money God had entrusted to us. In truth, our financial journey led to our adoption journey.

We finished college and began life in the Army with Mark serving four years in return for his ROTC scholarship. Life felt full of possibilities and, to be honest, full of entitlements. We had spent two years as poor, married college students and were ready for the double-income, no-kids period.