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Empowered to Connect…reporting from Denver

First of all, this isn’t Andrea. This is Christy. I am Andrea’s non-adoptive friend who is probably completely opposite from Andrea but our friendship works beautifully! I might be the only person who can completely ruin any craft project I try of hers! Not so crafty here…so this post won’t include a craft! 🙂 Andrea and I are in Denver at the Empowered To Connect Conference to both learn something about connecting to our children and also doing a little planning for Created For Care 2012.

Are you excited yet? Today was the last day and was truly amazing. I have not been called to adopt but have been called to serve those that do. I thought I was just coming to Denver to listen to speakers and help brainstorm with Andrea about topics that would be great to have at our retreat next year. Of course, God had much more planned!! I was in need of a weekend away after a tough week with my biological kids. My parenting strategies have not been working so well for me lately! So, as I listened to Dr. Karen Purvis and Michael and Amy Monroe speaking for the last two days, I am now equipped with a few new strategies as well as lots of reading materials to help my sweet husband and I get on a better connecting and correcting path with our children!! These are not the strategies that the world or the church are teaching (hopefully they will catch on soon), but the scientific research behind these strategies are completely amazing and I truly cannot wait to start implementing these at home!! We wanted to share a list of resources that we received at the conference and are going to start reading on the plane ride home tomorrow. :). This is a long list, so happy reading!!

The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis, David Cross & Wendy Sunshine
Created to Connect: A Christian’s Guide to The Connected Child by Purvis, Monroe & Monroe
Parenting is your Highest Calling: And Eight Other Myths That Trap Us in Worry and Guilt by Leslie Leyland Fields
Wounded Children, Healing Homes: How Traumatized Children Impact Adoptive and Foster Families by Jayne E. Schoolers, Betsy Keefer Smalley, Timothy J Callahan
Attaching in Adoption by Deborah Gray
Nurturing in Adoption: Creating Resilience After Neglect and Truma by Deborah Gray
Parenting from the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell
The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz
The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Kranowitz

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Kim - April 10, 2011 - 4:44 am

Sounds incredible.
Thank you for this list of references.
And thank you for letting us know that A is friends with non-crafty girls! WHEW!
Love & Blessings from Hong Kong,
Kim

Christy - April 10, 2011 - 7:48 am

Christy, I would love to chat with you more on ways that you are able to serve those who are called to adopt since I’m in that boat right now too. That Parenting is your Highest Calling book sounds interesting – maybe similiar to the Missional Mom book that I’m reading right now. Have a great rest of your weekend! 🙂

Nikki - April 10, 2011 - 3:11 pm

Hi Christy! It was so great to meet you guys this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing an evening with me! We were rocked by Dr. Purvis this weekend as well, and are excited to see this movement among the people of God.

Blessings to you!
Nikki

Jennifer - April 10, 2011 - 10:58 pm

That retreat sounds wonderful! Hope I didn’t miss next year’s date and sign up! Will have to go check the website. 🙂 What a fun crew to travel with!
Jenny