Liebster Blog Award

Liebster is a German word which means "dearest" or "beloved". It is also used to refer to as someone's "favorite" and the idea of the Liebster Blog Award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers that deserve more recognition and encouragement.

I was nominated by Teresa over at Foster Care: Our Love Story.  I look forward to her posts every day because I just know that it's going to be something that I can completely relate to.  I love that one of her "Reaction" options is "I Totally Get It!"  Because, really...  There's nothing better than knowing other people who have been or are going through the same things you are (even if you only "know" them online ;-).  Thank you so much, Teresa, for nominating me!  :-)


There are certain rules that come with the Liebster Blog Award:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Hope that the people you've sent the award to forward it on to their five favorite bloggers and keep it going!

I am a HUGE fan of blogging, and I have several "Must Reads" as soon as I see one of their posts in my feed.  Teresa already mentioned two of my absolute favorites when she nominated Mama Foster and Cherub Mamma.  These two ladies are like foster mama kindred spirits, and I feel like I know their stories almost as well as I know my own!  :-)

Some of my most recent favorites are:

1) Small Town Joy - If you're not familiar with Joy's blog, definitely check her out.  She has a way of detailing daily life in Foster/Adopt Land, and showing all of the ways that God molds us, holds us, and shapes our lives into something truly amazing when we let go and allow Him to do His best for us.  This is one of the blogs I read when I really need to gain some perspective and remember what's most important.

2)  Always and Forever Family - A "Foster Friday" panel member and already an adoptive mom, Debbie and her husband are quickly learning to navigate their way through the crazy world of foster care.  I've been following Debbie's journey almost from Day 1, through training classes and licensing frustrations.  With their first placement of a sibling group of two young girls, it's exciting to relive all of the joys (and the emotional roller coaster ride :-) of being a new foster family through her.

3)  Letting Go of Mie - Another of my favorites!  Mie's blog has the perfect combination of daily life as a foster parent, informative posts about foster care and relevant issues, and weekly blog features like "Foster Care Friday," Tuesday's Tears," "Thankful Thursdays," etc.  And she does a great job keeping up with them!  I think that Mie's blog is one of the most informative ones that I've come across, and I always look forward to hearing her thoughts.

4)  Learning to Abandon - Kylee is a college freshman with more passion for hurting children than most people twice her age.  She offers a unique perspective in her blog (and as a "Foster Friday" panel member) as a long-time foster and adoptive older sibling that is hard to find in blog world.  Her faith in Christ, her desire to spend her life advocating for these children who need a voice, and her overwhelming love for her family are so clear throughout her writing.  Kylee is truly an amazing young woman with a huge heart and an awesome spirit, and I am so happy that I have "met" her.

5)  Finding Wonder in the Mundane - Rachel's story is heartbreaking, miraculous, and inspirational.  She writes with an openness and an honesty that you rarely find.  Her fierce passion and raw emotion leave you breathless at times, and you find yourself feeling like you've truly experienced what she's going through.  Fair warning...  If you read blogs at work and are in an open environment, it's probably best to wait until you're at home to read Rachel's stuff.  You will either burst into hysterical laughter, sob uncontrollably, or find yourself shouting through the computer at whatever mean person went and hurt our Rachel.  She is amazing, and I hope she knows it!  :-)

I could go on and on with "favorite" blogs.  I love reading all of your stories, and I have learned so much from all of you.  I had to pick five though.  Those were the rules!  :-)  So if you haven't read these ladies, definitely go check them out.  :-)