Adoption: The Journey of Becoming Chosen

Today is the Season 2 finale and I’m excited for you to hear about Rob Leyder’s life. Rob is the first person I met who had the same origin story. It felt the most appropriate to have him close out this season. Rob is a geninue, intentional, and hilarious person. He is an incredible story teller and as he shares his story, you feel like you are living it with him. Next season will be coming out in the spring and it will be Enneagram and Adoption. If you are/know an adoptee who is familiar with the Enneagram and would like to be on the show, please let me know! Email me at: Emilywelz@gmail.com Rob's contact: robert.pj.leyder@gmail.com, Instagram: @robertpjleyder

Simon Benn is from the UK and has found his voice advocating for adoptees by working with the family system as a whole. His philosophy on life and happiness is refreshing, bold, and though provoking. He talks about the difference of having a hand-me-down thought and how we cannot have secondhand epiphanies. There was just gold in this conversation there are two parts.

Simon Benn is from the UK and has found his voice advocating for adoptees by working with the family system as a whole. His philosophy on life and happiness is refreshing, bold, and though provoking. He talks about the difference of having a hand-me-down thought and how we cannot have secondhand epiphanies. There was just gold in this conversation there are two parts.

Jessica Pudwill shares her story of fighting for friendship and intentional connection. She has a heart for people of all abilities to have access to becoming a parent. Her mother’s strength and determination to make a family as someone who had a physical disability is inspiration to Jessica.

Kimmy Graves shares about what it was like to go back to South Korea and meet some of her biological family. She was adopted with her twin sister to a loving family in the 80s. She is vulnerable and real as she opens up about the loss of her mom and how she and her husband have continued to weave who she was into their lives.   Kimmy's Instagram is: @kimmy_graves

Kelsey Nikcevich recently graduated, got married, moved, and is looking for a new job all during a global pandemic, all in 4 months.  As someone who was born in America, is white and then adopted by white parents, she shares about the stereotypes and biases that she faced of people around her.   If you would like to connect to Kelsey, here's how you can: Instagram: @kelseymnik

Genova Schultheis is a 21 year-old who lived most of her life in Indianapolis, IN.  She shares about going from home to home and what it's like to feel like you have a "return date".  She processes what family means to her and how she fights to be chosen by friends, family and other loved ones. If you would like to contact Genova, you can:  Instagram: @genovaschultheis Twitter: @genova1543 Facebook: Genova Schultheis

Kyle Raak shares about his journey to vulnerability, openness, and becoming chosen.  He has a passion for story telling and helping others find their truest identity.   You can connect with Kyle: Instagram: @kyleraak Email: kyleraak@gmail.com

Lucia Bastnagel is a 23 year old who lives in Indianapolis, IN. Her story to become chosen been complicated, heartbreaking, and healing. She is inspiring and is incredibly strong to have such a positive outlook on life after all that she has been through. You can connect with Lucia on Instagram: @lucia_23

Caryn Schierbeek shares about motherhood, racism, and what it was like growing up as a cultural orphan.  She cares deeply for creating space for everyone to belong and shares about the success and struggle in that calling.  If you related or would like to hear more from Caryn, you can reach her at: carynjoy@gmail.com 

D.J. Brooks is a husband, dad of 2, a terrific financial planner, and loves the Lord deeply.  In this episode D.J. shares about his own journey of becoming chosen, how he and Amy (his wife) grew their family, the struggles of infertility and the emotional pressures society puts on young boys and men. D.J.'s Information https://www.facebook.com/storylinefp/  - D.J.'s Business Page https://www.instagram.com/storylinefp - D.J.'s IG Page www.storylinefp.com www.donovanbrooks.com  Amy's Information https://www.facebook.com/imperfectionsbyamy/ https://www.instagram.com/imperfectionsbyamy https://www.etsy.com/shop/ImperfectionsbyAmy https://www.facebook.com/groups/389531044899064/  - Amy's Norwex Page

Adoption: The Journey of “Becoming Chosen” Podcast has been a journey within itself.  This episode is the 2nd part of talking about all things therapy. Thanks so much for the all of the support. I am excited that there will be a Season 2! It will be full of interviews with other adoptees and you will get a chance to hear more about their stories.  If you want, follow @becoming.chosen on Instagram for updates and Season 2 release dates.  Also, if you enjoyed listening to this season, please leave a rate and review on Apple Podcasts!  Thanks so much!

Therapy is something that normal people need to face abnormal circumstances and trauma. Normalize needing help, normalize having breakdowns, normalize healing because we all need it. This episode is part one about therapy and how it’s played a huge part in my life and healing.  Trigger warning: Eating Disorders

There are a lot of questions that adoptees ask themselves surrounding their purpose. It’s part of our nature to want to make sense of why things are the way they are. By doing that, it can unravel the power that lives inside of you.

When you deny something within yourself you will deny the same thing in someone else.  This episode is a celebration of my time in Lexington, KY.  I could talk for hours about the people, the experiences, and the memories I have there... But I am forever grateful for the awakening that happened for myself and how I view the world.  Go Cats! "Everything, but also nothing" podcast with Jimmy Le, Alex Roberts, and Conner Hurst, Episode 6 https://open.spotify.com/episode/59BmXo5YupFNm0jqMoO50g?si=v2ipGL3ATt2O8N0xzwJX-w Contact me at: emilywelz@gmail.com Instagram: @becoming.chosen

We all are motivated by different things... some of those are good and some are bad.  What happens when what drives our passion originates from our wounds?  How can we heal and still move forward?  This episode addresses how to hold wounds and healing at the same time while moving forward. Links mentioned in episode: Young Life's website:  www.younglife.org

George Floyd. Huxley Stauffer. White Supremacy.  What do these three have in common?  This weeks episode is different from the rest.  I did not feel like I could be authentically myself without addressing this.  Listed below are the links and resources I mentioned in this episode: Donate to the Minnesota Freedom Fund: https://minnesotafreedomfund.org/ George Floyd: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52861726 Huxley Stauffer: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52839792 Petition for Stauffer's to be demonetized: https://www.change.org/p/youtube-demand-the-stauffers-remove-all-monetized-content-ft-huxley-from-their-youtube-channel?fbclid=IwAR2X0X6CJCPQAVv9UnzDqchxbWpZav4TWBdvGIcoD66fq-G6C-YqMg3pVpM Books: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo Waking up white by  Debby Irving Disunity in Christ by Christena Cleveland Podcast: Code Switch: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/

Birthdays and Gotcha Days can be conflicting for adoptees.  In this episode, I share about what helped unlock the tension that happens on those days and how important it is for everyone to face their own.

Even though you have a family, it doesn't mean you live and operate like you a part of one.  In this episode, I talk about my revelation of being an orphan and how that gave me the ability to have deeper relationships with others. 

This is one of the most popular questions asked to adoptees.  In this episode I share about how  I knew who my "real" parents are and how I responded to this question.  In light of the events that have happened with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, I have added a link in case you have not been updated about what has happened.  Contact Us: emilywelz@gmail.com https://www.nytimes.com/article/ahmaud-arbery-timeline.html