Author: Christy

My favorite thing in life is how our brokenness can become a place of greatest treasure and hope. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a passion for children struggling with trauma. My eyes were wide open to the challenges of loving broken hearts. Yet, as my husband David and I grew our family through adoption, we were blindsided. In an effort to survive, we took the skills we had through our education and experience and dove into further training. In desperation I acquired further licensing and became a TBRI (Trust Based Relational Intervention) Practitioner through Texas Christian University. Shortly after, we lost David's father and each of my parents tragically. That same year as Covid-shutdowns isolated many, David had a stroke that changed his abilities and behavior. Days followed that felt impossible. Depression and complicated grief crippled my strength and perspective as I parented our struggling children alone in that season. Seriously, I did not know if this seemingly "upside-down parenting" could work. It felt impossible to endure our children's often violent and insanely long tantrums multiple times each day. Yet. By God's strength, somehow I managed to clumsily employ Trust-based parenting methods. Friends, I am impassioned to tell you this works. Our children are radically different than they were one year ago. The changes are beautiful and seem miraculous. We are still healing and learning. Yet, I am impassioned to tell you that even when your children seem past the point of no return, that their hearts can be reached and behaviors will then change. Their violence can be calmed and your children's deepest scars can become areas of God's greatest purpose. I am a simple mom of 7 with a broken heart. I pray that through the broken cracks in my heart, the comfort and hope I have found can spill out into your hearts too. There is great purpose and hope awaiting you. I long to tell you that someday, you too can look back in exceeding gratefulness for the treasures you will find in this suffocating and broken place.

February 1, 2018February 1, 2018Christy

Broken Rainbow of Hope

Discouragement gripped cruel in the dark of morning- long before our colorful rooster began to crow. Night can feel endless in this season. Adrenaline storms are normal in this season of loving treasures from hard places. I. Can’t. Do. This. On my own. As I pled to my Shepherd for redemption strength and wisdom to […]

January 31, 2018April 2, 2018Christy

Remembering the gift

Four years ago today, Joseph Jaedon was placed into our arms in the Babies R Us parking lot. Tears stilI arise as if we were there all over again. At this moment, four years ago, I sat in the back seat of our car gazing in disbelief at an infant whose life had stolen our […]

January 26, 2018January 26, 2018Christy

Surprised by a childhood Dream…

7 years ago, the oldest kids laid down their dream of owning a horse. They wanted a horse to love and ride and to be a companion to their mini pony. For two years they saved their dollars earned towards their Dream. But then, their young hearts were broken by the broken hearts of their […]

January 16, 2018January 26, 2018Christy

Joseph Jaedon is 4💕

“Mrs Stinson, this is Child Protective Services. We have the newborn biological brother of your daughters in our custody… Would you want to foster him?” Four years ago today as we prayed over the desire in our hearts for two little brothers, and awaited an African Adoption of either gender, a more intricate plan was […]

December 19, 2017December 19, 2017Christy

Failure: the path to dreams.

Often, loss and failure become the very pathway to dreams and treasures far beyond your wildest imagination. “Alyssa! Those boots match your hair! They were made for you!” Instantly, my own words and unintended truth behind them struck deep. Tears threatened to well up as my mind suddenly saw a clear note of redemption…like a […]

December 19, 2017January 26, 2018Christy

Happy anniversary to us

19 years later… We were married on a cold and windy Dec 6, 1998 in San Clemente CA Storms against our new family descended immediately. It seems to me that the most incredible rainbows arise after raging, dark storms. Our lives are lit by unexpected rainbows. You melt my heart. Daily. While our culture whispers […]

November 2, 2017November 9, 2017Christy

Celebrating two of our little hero’s who set my heart free from fear

💕Seven years ago, these words beautifully changed our lives… “We have the newborn sister of Sierra in our custody. Can you foster her?” 7 years ago today, miraculously, one-year-old Sierra held newborn Alyssa who was birthed into our heart’s through the same precious birthmother. Watching their unmistakable connection as Sierra held her newborn Alyssa […]

October 28, 2017December 20, 2017Christy

Brothers

Brothers. There’s a beauty here that spans far beyond the moment. Their history together is deep and began with as a prayer whispered from Liam’s heart long before either of our little boy’s were born… “God, can you let us adopt a little brother from Africa? Can you let us adopt two little brothers?” How […]

August 24, 2017September 11, 2017Christy

The Princess and the Frog

Sierra is a princess in so many ways….Our girl is a survivor and a world changer who has overcome horrible, mountainous obstacles with grace and perseverance. And now, she gives love to oh so many- even these tiny creatures are touched by her. Yesterday, Sierra, our earthy, princess miracle girl who loves dresses and […]

August 10, 2017February 15, 2018Christy

Treasures in darkness. This week I’m struggling.

This week started out in a dark place. Earlier this week, I was struggling to breathe. Storms of parenting beloved children from hard places seemed to be crushing hope beneath it’s unrelenting downpour. Depression had again crept in and sucked the freakin’ life out of my lungs. Getting out of bed at 3am after another […]