[Archive]

Originally Posted By jody m

I am looking for Christian birth father stories- testimonies or poetry by birth fathers of God's grace, hope and healing in their adoption journies.These stories are hard to find as birth fathers are anon. and rarely share their stories as others do touched by adoption. I also am looking for any already published stories/poems by birth fathers from the Christian perspective. I edit a free Christian outreach quarterly newsletter for the adoption triad called Adoption Blessings- 24 page publication sent by US mail only. All the stories/poetry are written by Christians touched by adoption. For more info on getting a copy of the newsletter e-mail me at: adoption@kwom.com

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Joe

Can't seem to get my email through - keep getting a message "relaying not allowed". Would like to get a copy of your newsletter. Please let me know a direct email address at <jjbergman@ sk.sympatico.ca>. Thanks

[Archive]

Originally Posted By Grady Thurston

This is a story of success, which took 29 years of constant searching for a daughter that was taken from my home in Maine in 1972, 28 years of failures, but in the end success.

My full name is Reverend Edwin Grady Thurston; born 10/27/1950 in Maine, and before I was born again in 1971 I spent some time with a lady also of Maine. I was twenty years old at the time and just honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps. I was informed some months later that a paternity suit had been filed against me in Maine while I was job hunting in Washington D.C. and on my final interview with the ATF.

I traveled back up to Maine to see what I could do about resolving this situation. I had a blood test taken that showed I could be the father of the child.

After contacting the birth mother and seeing the little girl I felt she had the same color blue eyes my father had, which are unique. She had blonde hair, a strawberry birthmark, and had a minor foot deformity, which I had foot problems also. I claimed her as my daughter right there and then and asked the birth mother if we might live together to see if marriage would be possible, she agreed and we moved in together.

Within a few months, one day I came home from my job in Portland, Maine and found the birth mother and my
daughter gone. A number of months later I got a notice from some adoption agency in (I think Orlando) Florida that my daughter had been given up for adoption in Florida. But, I want all to know; this was without my permission.

She was born 2/15/72 in Portland Maine. I was not put on the birth certificate for what reason only the mother knows seeing she claimed I was the father. As I mentioned before, there was a paternity filed against me in Portland Maine by the birth mother stating just that.

On Sunday May 4, 2002, my daughter was found. After a 29-year search I was finally put in contact with my daughter who now lives in Pensacola Florida. On May 6, 2002 my wife and I drove from Kentucky to Florida and met with my daughter. She is the most precious, pretty, smart 30-year-old lady that anyone could know. She is happy and now looking forward to coming to Kentucky, then going with us to Maine to meet her family and see her roots.

My contact information is;

Rev. Grady Thurston
1917 Harrington Mill Rd
Shelbyville KY 40065
916-812-0332 (cell)
606-256-0218
www.joyministries.net

My cell phone is from California where we have a home. My wife, Sue, and I bought a motor home. We have decided to travel full time in our RV to see the country because I have terminal cancer. The mailing address is Sue’s sister in Shelbyville who has a small horse farm.


You’re Never Alone

You’re never alone, I’m always near, When your troubled, down or blue.
All you have to do is call me, I’m always here for you.
It doesn’t matter where I’m at,
It doesn’t matter when.
When you need someone to talk to,
I’m here to be your friend.
If you need someone to hold your hand,
or a hug to say I care.
If you need a shoulder to cry on,
for you I will be there.
So never think you are a burden, when the weight gets to be to much. You might find if you look hard enough, a loving
father could be the right touch.
You’re never alone, I’m always here, through the good times and the bad.
I’m always here to be your father,
I don’t like to see you sad

By Grady Thurston
for his daughter Jennifer

[Mihija]

I just finished an e-mail to you regarding "Birthfathers". I wish I had read this one first. I now have a greater understanding of your reasons. You are truly an amazing man with the courage far beyond most. Thank you for standing up and being counted and possibly giving others the 'spark' to do the same. I was deeply saddened to hear of your cancer and have added you and your wife to my prayer list. We need more men like you here and I pray that if God wills it, you may stay with us much longer.
Thank you,
Staci

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I am writing this because I feel it might be important to share on this subject. I am 23 years old and am about to be a father come March. I have strived so much for the Lord's will in this situation, having such a hard time with adoption or keeping the child. The problem is that my ex-fiance' has already made up her mind about giving the child up for adoption though I do belive that God has other plans. In my seeking Him in all His ways though, unworthy and very much heartbroken by all of the situation, He has shown me that I should take the child. From the very first moment I knew there was a child I was in love with this little one, knowing that God had brought life, even through sin. It is so hard to discern such a thing, whether or not God's will is this or that. I find all of the great things with God doing something amazing if this little one is adopted. I also see the hardship of being a single father and raising a newborn child, but the blessing is in the love that God has given me for this child and for their mother. No sense of nobility for it, none at all. It is just God being able to glory in His good and perfect will, though it be hard and scarry at the same time. But it is for me to trust and to have faith and for God to do such amazing things through this. I may never know what they are but they are to be. It has been hard to be like Gideon in knowing the Lord's will, testing and thinking this or that may not be right, but the Lord has prevailed and will prevail through whatever circumstance may be. If I am given an opportunity to name this child I hope that if a girl, "Faith" because of the amount of faith it took to have in God to go after what He wanted, and if a boy "Trust" a good strong name because of the way that God helped me to trust Him through this hard time. I believe that children should be a reminder of how the Lord works, so much in a name. I am excited very much to hold this little one in my arms and pray for them that first day they enter the world. I hope that there will be times where I can sit and hold them when they are younger and even older and sing about the Lord and what He has done. I hope also that their mother would want to be a part of thier life and this all so God can be glorified. Well this may not be the kind of story that you requested about birth fathers but I belive it might encourage some men and possibly some women to seek after Jesus Christ in thier time of trouble.