Have you ever found yourself wondering whether adoption is really what God wants for you especially after so many no’s, delays, or painful moments that leave you questioning everything? 💭

For many Christian adoptive parents, the struggle isn’t just about the process of adoption, it’s about learning how to trust God when the path forward feels unclear. How do you keep moving forward when faith and fear collide? ✨

Hi Neighbor,

Today’s episode comes straight from the heart. I’m responding to a question shared inside our adoptive parent community, one that my wife Mary Beth and I know all too well:

“We’re struggling with trusting that adoption is what God wants for us.”

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In this episode, I share parts of our own adoption journey, the doubts, the disappointments, the no’s, and the moments when we wondered if we had misunderstood God entirely.

I also share the story of a phone call we almost missed… a moment that became one of the clearest clues that God was at work, even when we couldn’t see the full picture.

In today’s conversation, we explore:

❓ Why even faithful Christian couples struggle to trust God in adoption 📖 What the story of Gideon teaches us about asking God for reassurance 🧩 How God often provides “clues” instead of full answers 📞 The adoption phone call we were seconds away from missing—and why it mattered 🌱 How to trust God when you can only see one step ahead 📜 Why Proverbs 3:5–6 is an anchor verse for uncertain seasons

In Scripture, we see a God who meets His people in their doubt, provides reassurance, and continues to guide them forward with patience and grace. 🌿

If you’re wrestling with trust, feeling worn down by the ups and downs of adoption, or wondering whether God really has this, I pray this episode reminds you that He sees the whole picture, even when you can only see the next step. 🙏✨

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way.

Your Neighbor, Tim

P.S. If you’ve ever felt lost trying to connect Scripture with the realities of adoption trauma, I’d love to walk alongside you. Let’s have a one-on-one conversation where we can talk through practical tools and Biblical encouragement for your journey.

👉 Send me an email at tim@anchorsofencouragement.com to grab your spot. I’d be honored to walk with you. 💙

If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

How can adoptive parents experience peace in their lives? I believe it can be as simple as learning to listen.

Hi Neighbor,

Some of the questions I hear most often from other adoptive parents sound like this:

❓ How do you keep going when it feels overwhelming? 🌫️ How do you navigate the challenges, uncertainty, and weight of this journey? 💔 And especially this one… how can you be okay even when your kids aren’t?

More than 25 years into this journey, the lessons I carry were shaped by:

🌙 Sleepless nights ⛈️ Hard seasons 🌿 Unexpected moments of quiet grace

Those are the stories I want to share with you.

I want to begin with something many adoptive parents are longing for but often feel is missing: 🕊️ Peace

So the question becomes: How can adoptive parents experience peace in their lives? I believe it can be as simple as learning to listen.

Anchors of hope and healing are on the way.

Your Neighbor, Tim 💙

P.S. If you’ve ever felt lost trying to connect Scripture with the realities of adoption trauma, I’d love to walk alongside you. Book your anxiety management call with me today where we can talk through practical tools and Biblical encouragement for your journey.

👉 Send me an email to tim@anchorsofencouragement.com to grab your spot. I’d be honored to walk with you. 💙

And, if you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the behavioral challenges that can come with adoption wondering if love alone is enough? 💙


When discipline feels like a daily battle and progress comes slower than expected, many adoptive parents quietly ask, “Am I doing this right?” 💭

Hi Neighbor,

Today’s episode brings you the second half of a rich and honest conversation with adoptive father, clinical psychologist, and speaker Dr. Ray Guarendi. In this practical and encouraging discussion, Dr. Ray speaks directly to the realities adoptive parents often aren’t prepared for, discipline struggles, trauma-based behaviors, attachment concerns, and the perseverance required to parent children with complex histories.

In Part One (Episode 221), Dr. Ray shared his family’s adoption journey, why he and his wife kept saying yes, and the often-unspoken realities of trauma histories, prenatal exposure, and safety concerns.

In this episode, we move into the how of parenting:
 How do you discipline a child whose wiring is different?
 How do you balance firm standards with deep affection?
 And how do you persevere when attachment and bonding don’t happen on your timeline?

Dr. Ray offers calm, confidence-building wisdom rooted in both professional experience and decades of parenting ten adopted children. This is an episode you may want to listen to with a pen and paper nearby.

Together, we explore how to:


🧭 Lead with calm, confident authority instead of power struggles and nagging


🛠 Understand why some children need repetition, structure, and perseverance not quick fixes

🤍 Balance increased discipline with increased affection, reassurance, and one-on-one time


🌱 Reframe attachment struggles by understanding trauma, prenatal exposure, and lived experience


🕊 Persevere through hard seasons without lowering standards or losing hope

Toward the end of the episode, we address common misconceptions around birth family reunions, attachment timelines, and the cultural messages that can quietly undermine an adopted child’s sense of belonging.

At the close of the episode, I share a Biblical principle that has guided my own adoption journey: Practicing Pure and Undefiled Religion from James 1:27.

If you’ve ever questioned your approach to discipline, worried about attachment, or needed reassurance that perseverance truly matters, this episode will strengthen and steady your heart.💙

Anchors of Hope and Healing are on the way.

Your Neighbor,
 Tim 💙

P.S. If you’ve ever felt lost trying to connect Scripture with the realities of adoption trauma, I’d love to walk alongside you. Let’s have a one-on-one conversation where we can talk through practical tools and Biblical encouragement for your journey.

👉 Send me an email at tim@anchorsofencouragement.com to grab your spot. I’d be honored to walk with you. 💙

If you haven’t joined our private community, consider this an invitation. It’s a safe space to share your struggles and triumphs with fellow adoptive parents who truly understand what you're going through.

Connect with Dr. Ray: Website Facebook Instagram Book – Adoption: Should You, Could You, and Then What?