![January 13, 2020 - Put Your “Yes” On the Table]()
January 13, 2020
What makes a family with three biological children adopt six times? A heart to obey God.
Twenty-five years ago, Kari Stewart and her husband, Jeff, said yes to the Lord and adopted a little girl from China. Not long after, they adopted a little girl from Korea. Along the way God gave them a heart for hard to place African-American children. Their third yes led them to a Haitian-Jamaican little boy from Florida.
When their son expressed a desire for a sibling who looked like him, the Stewart’s took that as a sign to adopt again. This time God led them to an African-American little girl in TN. Shortly after her adoption, Kari and her husband learned Haiti, a country near and dear to their hearts, opened to larger family adoption. They put their yes on the table again and adopted a little boy from Haiti.
The Stewart’s had adopted five children—three internationally and two domestically. But God was not finished yet. Kari began to hear the Lord whisper to her heart about adopting a child with Down Syndrome. This time she resisted telling Him she simply could not do it. God in turn told her she was right. She couldn’t. Be He could. The Stewart’s adopted a little girl with Down Syndrome from Hong Kong six months later.
Kari Stewart shares her family’s adoption journey, and what she learned along the way, on this week’s episode of our Orphans No More podcast. Find the podcast HERE. You can also contact Kari with questions at karalot9@gmail.com. Click Adoption or Foster Care for more information on those topics right on our website.
January 7, 2020
Successful people set goals, make plans, have a vision, prioritize, and get things done. Here at Justice For Orphans we want to be successful. We want you to be successful too. We have a 2020 vision for JFO. What’s your 2020 vision?
Start off the new year with this week’s Orphans No More podcast. Our host and JFO Executive Director, Sandra Flach, and Assistant Director, Kathi Sewak, share about getting ready for the new year by prayerfully setting goals and planning for success..
Listen in as Kathi and Sandra discuss helpful tools such as calendar planners, wall planners, and vision boards. Be inspired as they share from personal experience about goal setting and time management. Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law is happy. You might not “perish” without creating a vision board, but you will be more productive and more successful when you set goals.
Find the Ready, Set, Goal episode of Orphans No More HERE.
![December 30, 2019 - Stephanie Fast: She Is Mine]()
December 31, 2019
Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. The LORD will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever…
Psalm 138:7-8 is the life verse for this week’s Orphans No More podcast guest—Stephanie Fast. Stephanie was a Korean War orphan. While her story is horrific, her survival is miraculous. As a bi-racial child in 1960’s Korea, Stephanie was abandoned, rejected, and abused. She spent several years of her childhood existing on the streets and in the hills of South Korea. Near death several times, a God she didn’t know willed her to live.
Today, Stephanie is a wife, mom, grandmother to 19 children, an international speaker, and author of the book, She is Mine: A War Orphan’s Incredible Journey of Survival. She speaks and mentors others who suffer childhood trauma so they can experience the healing power of God too.
Find our interview with Stephanie Fast here. Learn more about Stephanie’s ministry and order her book at StephanieFast.org.
![December 16, 2016 - Advent: Where’s Your Joy?]()
December 16, 2019
Joy to the world, the Lord has come; Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing…
Have you received your King? Have you prepared a place in your heart for Him to dwell?
Sometimes we find ourselves in circumstances or situations that leave us wondering why God has us in that place. Things in life don’t go as we expect them. It can feel as if life is robbing us of joy. Just as with hope and peace, joy is not based on our circumstances. We must choose joy. We experience true joy when we experience Christ. Joy is found in His presence no matter our circumstances.
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11
If you are in need of joy - check out our Orphans No More podcast for the 3rd show in our Advent series. This week’s topic is joy. Host Sandra Flach shares how some of her greatest joys were also accompanied by some of her greatest life challenges. If your heart needs some nourishment this holiday season, find the joy episode here. We pray in 2020 you will take time to sit in the presence of Jesus - there you will experience joy, peace, hope, and love.
December 9, 2019
This time of year we could all use some peace and quiet from all the holiday hustle and bustle. But that’s not the kind of peace our souls really crave. Jesus came to bring us a way to have peace with God. If you’re not experiencing peace than you may be in need the peace of God. The peace of God is the contentment we have when our faith is in God in an otherwise peace-less situation.
Check out our Orphans No More podcast series on Advent. On this week’s episode, Advent: Choose Peace, host Sandra Flach shares about choosing peace. No matter what is going on around us, we can have peace because we have Christ in us. The Prince of Peace lives in our hearts.
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 3:16
![December 2, 2019 - Advent - Let the Light of Christ Fill You With Hope]()
December 2, 2019
Advent is a time to remember hope, peace, joy, and love as we celebrate the first arrival of Christ. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can crowd out the real reason for the season. To encourage and inspire you to press into Jesus this holiday season, we have produced a series of four Advent episodes for our Orphans No More podcast. The first in the line up focuses on hope.
God’s people experienced 400 years of silence before the New Testament dawned with the light of Christ - our true source of hope, peace, joy and love. God may have been silent to the people, but behind the scenes of eternity He was at work preparing the stage for the entrance of His Son.
Maybe you’re walking through a time of waiting and it seems God is silent. What you’ve hoped for has not yet happened. Your situation feels impossible.
In Luke 1:37 the angel says to Mary, “For with God nothing is impossible.” Podcast host, Sandra Flach experienced God doing the impossible. Thirteen years ago she spent an entire Christmas season in Ukraine facing some impossible adoption challenges. Tune in to hear how God filled her with hope and sustained her through difficulties. Listen to the podcast here.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness—Isaiah 9:2.
As you go throughout the busy holiday season, press into the Light of Christ. He will fill you with hope.
![November 25, 2019 - Desperate For Hope]()
November 26, 2019
We all experience suffering throughout life. Jesus even assured us we would experiencer trials and tribulations. Still, we question God’s goodness and His love for us when we walk through dark times.
According to 1 Peter 4:12-14, suffering is quite normal: “Dear Friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad, for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.”
This week, on our Orphans No More podcast we talk with pastor, counselor, adoptive dad, and author - Bruce Martin. Bruce joins us to share his story of suffering which includes two failed adoptions. He also shares insights from his book, Desperate For Hope - Hanging on and Finding God During Life’s Hardest Times.
Find this episode of Orphans No More here.
Bruce’s book can be found wherever good books are sold as well as on his website BruceWMartin.com.
November 18, 2019
“My father and mother abandoned me. I am like an orphan! But you took me in and made me yours.” Psalm 27:10 is the life verse for former foster youth, Jolene Pinney. Jolene entered foster care at age 14. Through a series of events which included a praying school bus driver and Christian foster parents, Jolene came to know the Lord.
Today, Jolene is a passionate advocate for children in foster care. On Orphan Sunday she shared her testimony at her church, Solid Rock Family Fellowship in Glenmont, NY. Jolene serves as the CarePortal point person at Solid Rock. She’s on a mission to rally congregations around the Capital Region on behalf of children and families in crisis.
Listen to Jolene’s story on our Orphans No More podcast. Find it on I-Tunes, PodBean, Google Play, or right here on our website.
