National Adoption Month!

NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH!! 
Yay... this is a good month!  This is a month to celebrate all the amazing little ones out there who have found a forever family... this is a month to hope for thousands and millions more to find theirs too!  Its also a month to tell as many people as possible about how they can help an orphan!!

In the US today, there are many many many children in foster care.  They are today's orphans! 
I have some statistics... I know they are old... from 05, but I think we can at least get a picture about the state of our orphans from them!
*513,000 children were in the U.S. foster care system on September 30, 2005. Most children are placed temporarily in foster care due to parental abuse or neglect.
*Average Age: 10.0 years  6% < 1 year
  26% 1-5 years
  20% 6-10 years
  28% 11-15 years
  18% 16-18 years
  2% >19 years
*Male 52%
  Female 48%
*In 2005, 60% of adopted children were adopted by their foster parent(s). The "foster parent" category excludes anyone identified as a relative of the child. 25% of children adopted in FY 2005 were adopted by a relative. A "relative" includes a step-parent or other relative of the child.
 To read more foster care statistics, click HERE

What does that mean for the average Joe "Church-going" Schmo and Jane "Bible-Carrying" Doe?  (Yea, that would be most of you... lol.. sorry, i was trying to be funny!! :o) 
It can mean a millllllllion things!!  It can mean God is calling YOU to foster care or adoption, or both.  It can mean God is calling you to help a foster family with money, gifts, babysitting (always needed, i promise!!), prayer or even meals!  It can mean that God is calling you to be a CASA worker (go HERE to learn more about CASA... its an awesome program and an awesome way to volunteer). 
I beleive wholeheartedly, that God is calling us ALL to help orphans in some way.  Orphans exsist in every country, every state, every city.  There are even orphans with parents!  I believe an orphan is any child that doesnt have a parent in any way.  Missing a mom, or a dad, an emotionally unavailable parent, kids in foster care, kids whose parents are in jail, the parents are dead, or have abandon the kids.  Orphans are everywhere and God is calling us to help them!!
I know that not everyone is called to adopt or foster, but everyone is called to help orphans...
James 1:27 tells us that religion which is pure in God's eyes is this: Helping the Orphans and the Widows.  Lets all take the opportunity to practice pure religion this month... National Adoption Month, by helping an orphan in some way!!!!!
If you need help thinking of ways to help orphans, let me know!  I have tons of ideas... some of which my family is going to use.  Even though we are helping orphans, we have decided to do more this month!! :o)