Free Adoption Book

A NavPress book, The Whole Life Adoption Book: Realistic Advice for Building a Healthy Adoptive Family, is being offered for free on Kindle right now. (**I have not read this book.**)

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Suggested resources on adoption:

• Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father
• Adopted for Life
• Though I Was Born an Orphan

The Adopting Gospel - Galatians 4:1-7

My sermon yesterday contained some practical thoughts on adoption. (If you can't listen to all the sermon, please consider listening to minutes 40-45:25.)

Here's the whole sermon: Galatians 4:1-7 - The Adopting Gospel

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Suggested resources:

 

Galatians

• Galatians, Thomas Schreiner 

Adoption

• Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father
• Adopted for Life
• Though I Was Born an Orphan

Children of God: Adoption Video

Here's a great adoption video, featuring Third Day's Children Of God:

(HT:Z) 

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Suggested resources:

• Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father
• Adopted for Life
• Though I Was Born an Orphan

Reclaiming Adoption: Missional Living through the Rediscovery of Abba Father

Looks good:

Free Audio Book: "Adopted for Life"

Russell D. Moore's excellent book, Adopted for Life, is this month's free audio download on ChristianAudio.com. 

If you've ever considered adoption (adopting or financing), I'd encouraged you to read (or listen to) this book.

If you've never considered adoption, then I'd definitely encourage you to get it!

Audiobook: here.

Paperback: here.

Live Blog: Together for Adoption

Zach Nielsen is providing helpful summary posts as he live-blogs (z-blogs?) the Together for Adoption Conference going on October 1-2.

Don't Let "Dandelion Dust" Ruin Adoption

Michael Foust pens an excellent column responding to the soon-to-be-released movie "Dandelion Dust." He writes:

Orphan Sunday Hymn on You Tube

I don't know the family in this video, but I'm encouraged by their singing of "Though I Was Born an Orphan." I'd love to know if the children were adopted.

Adoption Tax Credit Extended

From the Christian Alliance for Orphans Blog:

Amidst the intense controversy of the health care bill signed into law by President Obama yesterday, there’s at least one provision every orphan advocate can cheer.  The adoption tax credit was preserved for another year...and increased in value!

To encourage and support adoption, the adoption tax credit was expanded by President Bush and Congress in 2001.  This increased the value of the credit from $5,000 to $10,000, and indexed it for inflation (meaning the credit would increase each year to keep up with inflation.)  For 2010, its value had risen to $12,170.  However, the 2001 increase was scheduled to “sunset” at the end of 2010.  This would mean that any adoptions finalized after December 31, 2010 would be eligible for—at most—a credit of only $5,000.

This sunset has now been extended one year.  That means that it will need to be extended again before the end of 2011.  For the present, however, this extension comes as very welcome news for families considering adoption or in the adoption process.

 Specifically, the provisions contained in the health care bill include:

• The current adoption tax credit has been extended until the end of 2011;
• The value of the adoption tax credit has been increased from $12,170 to $13,170.
• The increase is “retroactive,” meaning that any adoption occurring after January 1, 2010 is eligible for this higher credit.
• The credit is now refundable.   This means that even families that owe zero taxes can receive the full tax credit in the form of a tax refund to help with their adoption-related expenses.

To read the legalese in the bill itself, see page 903 of 906 here.

Recommended Resources on Adoption:

• Adopted for Life, by Russell D. Moore
• Adoption Hymn (Though I Was Born an Orphan)

Adopting for Life

Win a free copy of Adopted for Life.

Free e-Book, "Our Adoption in Christ"

The folks at Together for Adoption have made available for free download an  Our Adoption in Christ: What It Means for Us and for Orphans.

(HT: Brister)

Win a free copy of Adopted for Life.

Win a Free Copy of "Adopted for Life"

This contest is closed. Congratulations to the winners:

• The Burr Family 
• Amy, a redeemed sheep 

I'm giving away two copies of Russell Moore's book, Adopted for Life. You may enter between now and November 15. Here are the options for how to enter for a chance to win:

Option 1: Post a link about Reformed Praise's new hymn, "Though I Was Born an Orphan" (and leave a link to that post in the comment section of this post).

Option 2: Give a copy of "Though I Was Born an Orphan" to the pastor and/or music director of your local church.

Leave a comment on this post, letting me know which you did. You must leave a comment to enter. You can enter twice, using both options above.

Bonus Entry: For an extra entry, link to this contest.

Adoption Hymn music available

David Ward has written an excellent new tune for my text on adoption. The text, piano score, and learner recording are now available (for free!) on Reformed Praise. Follow the link:

Though I Was Born an Orphan

Though I Was Born an Orphan

In his article on Orphan Sunday, Russ Moore, author of Adopted for Life, suggested that "for some of your worship leaders, [Orphan Sunday] might be a time to build up the body in song with some of the recent hymnody about orphan care and our adopted identity in Jesus.

That got me to thinking about hymns on orphan care and adoption. So, I wrote one yesterday.

I'm sure that David and I will edit it some and perhaps give it a new tune. But, for now, here is the first draft, singable to Aurelia, the traditional tune of "The Church's One Foundation."

UPDATE: David has completed a new tune, now available here.

Though I Was Born an Orphan
© 2009 ReformedPraise

Though I was born an orphan,
Abandoned and alone,
Enslaved and bound in darkness,
Without a hope or home,
The God of grace and mercy
From his eternal throne
Ordained to be my Father
And claim me as His own.

That I might be adopted
The Father sent his Son
To live in full obedience
And die for what I’ve done.
Now through his resurrection,
Through faith, with him I’m one.
A member of his household,
I am an heir, a son.

To soothe my fear and worry
The Spirit from on high
Was sent to be a witness
That “Father!” I might cry.
O How I love this Father!
I’m never left alone.
He’s come to dwell within me
Until he calls me home.

Since I have this adoption,
I cannot close my home
To widows and to orphans,
Abandoned and alone.
Lord, fill me with compassion
To love the fatherless,
That I might show the nations
How great my Father is!

Why Orphan Sunday Annoyed Me (and Now Does Not)

I'll admit it: I was annoyed to learn that Orphan Sunday is November 8th.

Annoyance was my initial reaction to the first sentence of the Baptist Press editorial, "Orphan Sunday," written by my former professor Russell Moore, but not for the possible reasons he listed in his opening paragraphs.

Abortions Surge in China

Sad news from the East:

More than 13 million abortions are performed each year in China, according to statistics disclosed by Chinese health officials on Thursday, a marked increase from 2003, the most recent statistics available. When unreported and medication-induced abortions are counted, the actual number is substantially higher...

Consider adopting from China.