NASHVILLE (BP) – Almost all Americans celebrate Christmas, but most say COVID-19 will cause some changes to their usual holiday habits.

THOMASVILLE, N.C. – Janina DeHart had a dream that she was at a party, celebrating the adoption of two boys into her family. That dream came true when the Lord brought together the DeHarts and two brothers who needed a family.

I’ve long thought adoption was a beautiful picture of the Gospel – that it showed the love of Jesus in a unique and profound way. I thought the call to adopt was among the most significant people could respond to. And I was happy to watch other people fulfill it.

With more than 400,000 children reportedly in the foster care system in the United States, and 100,000 of them available for adoption, experts in these fields say the COVID-19 crisis has opened up more opportunities for families to explore ways to help vulnerable children.

WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court gave hope Wednesday (Nov. 4) it will uphold the freedom of religiously based adoption and foster care agencies to carry out their ministries according to their beliefs.

With such a large emphasis on serving widows and orphans this month, here are three ways a believer can be mindful of them throughout the year.

GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP) – What gives you hope? Our ultimate hope is eternal life in Christ, and that is the best answer to that question. But there are human analogs for ultimate hope – light in the darkness, the protection of a hen for her chicks, a land of milk and honey, the bosom of Abraham, and so on. What in this life, a pure thing, encourages you to put up with the frustrations of the day? 

TIGERVILLE, S.C. (BP) -- I recently learned that over 30 percent of students at our local elementary school will not be returning this fall for in-person instruction. While many of these students will be staying home to engage in public education virtually, 10 percent of the total school population is actually pulling their kids out and opting to home school.

NEW YORK CITY (BP) -- A federal appeals court decision in support of a Christian adoption agency has garnered excellent reviews from religious freedom advocates. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City reversed July 21 a federal court opinion that would have required New Hope Family Services to shut down if it maintained its policy of refusing to place children in the homes of same-sex and unmarried couples. The appeals court returned the case to the lower court and kept in place its November 2019 decision that blocked enforcement of that court's ruling.

WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has commended President Trump's new executive order to bolster the country's child welfare system.