Learn more about my personal experience with an amazing publisher - Grace & Hope Consulting. 

Contact Chou and her team at https://www.graceandhopeconsulting.com/

“A moving insight into the lives of foster and adoptive parents, Simply Dedicated, offers a first-hand lived-experience viewpoint of the daily lives of parents striving to do their very best for children in their care.” Tracy Loken Weber

Welcome Simply Dedicated's contributing author Kirsten Marie Peterson, Author to the Podcast today.  You can follow Kirsten on Facebook at @kirstenmariepetersonauthor. 

Meet a dear family friend of ours, Wendysue.  When we were simply snowed in on a Sunday morning, our worship turned to a home church experience long before Covid was part of our daily discussions.  That cold February morning in Wisconsin leads to a beautiful poem written by our daughter.  This episode talks about that cold snowy day and the beautiful lyrics that followed. 

Learn more about Wendysue via Facebook @WendysueMusic and on her website: Wendysue.com.

Welcome Simply Dedicated's contributing author Julie Watson to the Podcast today.

Meet one of our Co-Authors and adopted daughter, Hannah.  Learn more about her journey being in Foster Care and adoption story in Simply Dedicated. Hannah shares a little insight and we talk more about the Foster Care Advocate Challenge.   Learn more at TracyLokenWeber.com 

Welcome Simply Dedicated's contributing author Erica Emilson Johnsrud to the Podcast today.

Welcome Simply Dedicated's contributing author Brenda Wagenknecht to the Podcast today. 

Every child deserves to feel Chosen.

Chosen is focused on three areas of ministry:

Outreach:

Chosen seeks opportunities to educate and inform the surrounding community about adoption and foster-care issues using the unique and vast experiences of those within the organization. We are currently seeking opportunities to speak with groups about adoption/fostering/infertility topics; while we have several presentations produced, we are able to speak on a variety of topics listed on our website.

We also have a compelling journey of hope to share with women’s groups, churches and other organizations seeking a Christian message about overcoming difficult circumstances with the foundation of faith in Christ.

Community:

Chosen will establish a multi-family foster home to care for as many children as possible. The home will provide stability for children within a community of other foster families and will give children a place where they feel comfortable and will learn about the love of Christ.

The Family Closet:

Donations from the community help foster and adoptive families “shop” for gently used infant and children’s clothing, furniture, toys, equipment and more! This program serves families in both Waukesha and Milwaukee counties.

More info @ https://www.choseninlove.org/

Open Hearts and Open Homes Gala - https://www.choseninlove.org/2020gala

Register for Chosen's November 14th Virtual Gala @

https://flow.onecause.com/organizations/sf-0013c00001oCwnOAAS/virtual-events/vevt:d0f250d3-b957-4090-abb9-4f22e814081c 

217 W Wisconsin Ave #105 Waukesha, WI 53186

Join us as fellow co-author of Simply Dedicated Kim Bushey shares her insight into the adoption and fostering world.

Kim's story: Kim was born into a very broken environment. Her dad died in an accident 2 months before her birth at the age of only 19. Her parents weren’t married and her mom was only 14 years old, a child herself, who just lost her first love. Kim was then taken away and put in foster care for a couple of years until her mom married an older man (at 16) who later adopted Kim. She never really experienced the true love of a father though, instead lived through a very dysfunctional family set-up. They even owned a bar for several years. Kim lived through a lot of hurt from many sources. Most people in her environment end up in drugs and alcohol, some even suicidal. Her mom loved her and still does, but had, at that time, a lot of her own hurt and pain to try and work through, after all, she was still a kid herself.  Her mom was her real lifeline, along with her sister and grandmother Mary.

At 19 she got married and adopted her first child at 21 (unable to have any of her own physically). Having never lived in a stable home she ended up divorced a couple of times, and all the pain that goes along with poor choices and more hurt.

I met this lady when she was 31. Lots of baggage but a heart that wanted to see real change. I had the great pleasure of leading her to her true father, Jesus Christ. He took this broken vessel and made something new and beautiful! He showed Kim what true forgiveness looks like and helped her to forgive all the people that had hurt her over the years. I was so amazed by the transformation in her life I couldn’t help but fall deeply in love with this now “woman of God”. So I married her! We have been together for almost 20 years now and the healing power of almighty God continues to shine brightly all over her! She is now the happy mother of 9 children total to this day 8 of whom are at home with us, ages 3 to 17. Her oldest is 31 and lives in Texas. We are currently raising our children in WI.  Learn more about Kim @ https://afellowhandmaiden.com