Thank you and Good Night

This purpose of this blog was to teach me about the power of blogging during my enrollment of a digital marketing course at Chippewa Valley Technical College. For the past 10 weeks, I have been share ideas, thoughts, issues and learned about a variety of challenges foster youth and loving foster parents go through on a daily basis. Foster youth have been dealt a hand of cards that they had no control over. From neglect and rejection to physical, emotional and sexual abuse, foster youth deserve respect, love and a forever home where they feel safe. 

The topics from suicide prevention, bullying power words and thoughts, adoption, LGBTQ considerations to mentorship and laughter have given me a greater sense of compassion to hurting people. I learned blogging is a powerful tool to express one's opinions, showcase one's interest and hobbies, and share their expertise in a subject matter. 

As I bring this account to a close, I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read my blog. To allow me to share a little bit of myself by talking about topics that are important. Words have meaning. Hurting people hurt people. If you are on the receiving end of hurtful words, do yourself a favor and forgive. God bless and happy holidays. 

Robin Johnson

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Laughter is the best medicine

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Laughter is the best medicine when are feeling down, hurting or regretting decisions we made or the words we used. We need to re-read the childhood chapter of our life story to remember how laugh in order to make miracles happen in our own life. We also shared the story of the winner of our 2018 Be The Miracle Sweepstakes. Visit our SoundCloud page for this podcast.  

The Greatest Tonic in All the World

Gather around one and all. I am going to tell you about a revolutionary product. A tonic of sorts. One that does not have any proven negative affects or undesirable ramifications on a person's physical, mental or emotional health. A tonic that will improve your physical health by burning calories, improving heart health, decreases pain, boost your immunity and anti-aging hormones to slow the signs of aging. A tonic that will also reduce stress, improve your mood, ease anxiety and tension, and enhance your creativity. In fact, studies have shown that frequent daily doses of this tonic will promote stronger relationships, attract people of influence to your inner circle and may even extend your life. 

Would you take this tonic? If your family, your job or your life depended upon it, would you cash in your life savings to purchase this tonic? Well, I have great news for you....it's FREE. That's right, this life saving tonic is yours for free. You have access to it whenever you want, wherever you want and can use it all hours of the day and night. It's legal in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Russia, China, Australia, Korea, Turkey, Yemen...well, all over the world. You don't have to declare it at the border or worry about law enforcement conducting a raid on your home. This life changing tonic has been yours since birth and you will never lose until the day you die. 

You may be asking, what is it? I want it! I'm sold....TELL ME. What is this amazing tonic? My friends, it is laughter. 

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We have all been given the ability to smile and to laugh since the day we were born and our ability to laugh will end the day we die. It chases depression and anxiety out of the room. It gives your internal organs a work out and turns a cloud day until sunshine and rainbows. Our funny stories leave a legacy for our loved ones to laugh after we are gone. 

I want to leave you all with a choice. A choice to take daily doses of laughter. We guarantee it will change your life.  Follow the conversation on our various social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or comment below to tell us what choice you made and how it is changing your life. 

In the words of Charlie Chaplin, "Laughter is the tonic, the relief, the surcease for pain".

#BeAMentor....Make Miracles Happen

A mentor is a very important person someone can have to help challenge and encourage us to be the best we can be. Check out this video from YouTube to learn how one chef likes to give by back exposing young chefs to a new world of food.

One of the most important relationships....Mentorship

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Mentors fulfill a critical role in someone's life. Starting at a young age, a mentor is able to help a child build self-confidence, self esteem, give permission to a child to dream, and help close the social and/or economic opportunity gap. In the workplace, a mentor challenges an inexperienced worker, setting them on the course to climb the corporate ladder. In a personal relationship, a mentor can improve someone's quality of life by developing and inspiring an area of interest.

A mentor is able to see the potential a person may believe they don't have. The encouragement and support a mentor provides allows a child to hope. Hope for a better future by overcoming their circumstances, refusing to believe the unkind and angry lies spoken over them. An employee is given the keys to unlock their potential to achieve goals and career success. A person is able to used the knowledge and wisdom of a mentor to change the world for the better.

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There are also many benefits for the mentor. Their confidence as a subject matter expect increases, they are motivated to share their knowledge and create a legacy by planting seeds of greatness into the heart of a younger person. They have the reassurance the time they were given on this earth made an impact. It is like the butterfly effect. One small action will have enormous consequences. 

This sounds great. You're sold, you want to be mentored by someone or you want to be a mentor. Follow the conversation on this week on our various social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

We Shared Their Love And Home, Now We Share Their Last Name

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There are over 100,000 children and teens in the United States foster care system who are waiting for a loving home where they can grow to be unique and exceptional person they were created to be. Sub-Saharan Africa, Asian and Latin American have the world's highest rate of orphaned children. Children entered the foster care system through no fault of their own, whether it be from the loss of a parent, neglect, abuse or abandonment. Everyone created is destined for greatness. Children in foster care only need the love and security that a permanent home provides to give them a chance to shine. 

According to the Donaldson Adoption Institute, about 40% of all US adults have considered adoption at one time in their lives. There are many hopeful parents who want to grow their family through adoption. Unmarried couples, LBGTQ couples, women facing infertility and families who have an abundance of love to share anxiously await a call from an adoption agency notifying them they have been chosen by a birth mother. 

November is National Adoption Month and we, at Miracle Mission, want to celebrate those individuals who have become miracle makers for children around the world. Whether it be birth mothers who have unselfishly decided adoption was the best chance for their child, or parents who have filled out mountains of paperwork, given their time, energy and financial resources to meet pre-screening requirements and have been granted approval to adopt, or the adoption agency workers across the world, we stand with you to and fully support your dream.  

We will be posting information on the need for adoption this week on our various social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Follow the conversation.  

Erasing the Lines in the Sand: All Foster Children Need a Loving Home with Loving Parents

My topic this week is to focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and the foster care system. As I researched this topic, I found myself to be a bit unqualified to discuss a big topic in a short blog. I find myself unable to effectively communicate the sadness I have for the challenges of LGBTQ youth in the foster care system and LGBT parents who want to create or expand their family by adoption through foster care. 

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Facts found online suggested LGBTQ youth are anywhere from two to eight times more likely to attempt suicide, three to eight times as likely to use drugs and six times as likely to experience depression. Many are likely to be forced out of their homes after disclosing their LGBTQ status to parents or foster parents. They are two times more likely to be threatened or injured, two times more likely to skip school, experience some form of anti-LGBTQ bias and bullying in foster care placement and schools, and experience prejudicial treatment than than their heterosexual peers. These facts are horrifying!

Many state agencies refuse to represent same-sex adoptive couples and they are often at the bottom of the list of homes for potential child placement. Recently, the City of Philadelphia was asked, in a court action, by Catholic Social Services (CSS) to refuse recruitment and licensing of same-sex couples seeking to foster children in need of a loving home for children in CSS's foster care program. 

There is a disproportionately number of youth in foster care who identify themselves LGBTQ. Many foster parents don't want to give or have the skills to provide a loving, accepting and understanding home for children who are going through the process of acknowledging their sexual orientation/gender identity. Isn't it about time society stands up again biases and prejudices to provide hurting children a safe home with unconditional loving and accepting parents, no matter their sexual orientation? 

We will be posting many challenges LGBTQ youth and foster parents experience this week on our various social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Follow the conversation.