Review: This Means War: Equipping Christian Families for Fostercare or Adoption

by Melanie | July 29th, 2010

Don’t miss the contest at the bottom of this post, friends!

Although we have never adopted, when author Cheryl Ellicott offered me a review copy of This Means War: Equipping Christian Families for Fostercare or Adoption, I jumped at the chance! You see, I had read the first chapter of the book as a sample she offered a group of fellow authors. I had seldom read anything so honest and practical about the spiritual warfare a Christian family can face and I was dying to read the rest of the book.

Cheryl Ellicott, an adoptive mother, speaks from experience in her upcoming book, This Means War. Remembering how ill-prepared she was to deal with the very real spiritual warfare she faced in trying to rescue children and give them a family, she reaches out to prospective families and helps them to gird up their spiritual armor and be prepared for the fight of their lives. I don’t know why we should be surprised that Satan doesn’t readily give up the children whose families he has devastated, but many adoptive parents are, according to Cheryl. This book should be an essential part of every Christian family’s preparation.

Full of first person accounts and excellent advice, This Means War is grounded on the Word of God and the recognition that what we do makes a difference in the spiritual realm. Although some families may be discouraged from fostering or adopting after understanding the challenge, those who press on will be much better prepared to accomplish the ultimate goal in adoption – to rescue a child not just physically, but spiritually. Cheryl explains everything from the physical and emotional effects of the disrupted situations these children come from to the tactics our enemy tends to use to distract and discourage us along the way. This is wise counsel for families thinking of imitating the Lord in adopting one of these little ones.

Those aren’t the only ones who will find this book helpful, though. The first couple of chapters give the most practical explanation of what spiritual warfare looks like in family life that I have ever read. Seriously. I have thought about what this books says many times since I read it as I more readily recognize what’s going on when strife, or distraction, or Sunday morning chaos strikes our family. I would love to see Cheryl write an entire book on this subject alone. This is good stuff! Highly recommended.

This Means War: Equipping Christian Families for Fostercare or Adoption, Sweetwater Still Publishing, 172 pages, October 15, 2010, $14.99.

Sweetwater Still Publishing gave us a free copy of this book in return for our honest review.

Get a prerelease copy at Sweetwater Still Publishing with free shipping! And fan them on Facebook, too.

Want to win a copy??? Leave a comment on this post! Get additional entries by posting about the contest and linking back to this blog on Facebook, Twitter, your email loops or blogs — just be sure to leave a comment telling us that you posted. Contest ends Wednesday, August 4th at noon.

  • kjoy

    sounds great!

  • Laura

    God has placed adoption on our hearts – and we did non know where to start, until now. Cannot wait to read this book! Thank you for the beautiful review.

  • Cindy D.

    Wow – sounds like a great book! We just adopted a little boy from Taiwan last September and he is such a joy to have in our family. Hope her book will encourage others on the adoption journey!

    Cindy
    http://adopttaiwan.wordpress.com

  • http://abundantlyblessed-kingfamily.blogspot.com/ Amber

    I have a big heart for adoption, and my husband and I feel led to adopt some time. God has not opened that door yet, just given us the passion. I would love to win the book!

  • http://www.fontesonline.com James

    We have adopted and are pursuing adoption again and would love to have a copy of this book, especially for free (adoption can be expensive you know).

    James
    http://www.fontesonline.com

  • Jamie

    The book sounds wonderful. Would certainly love to read it.

  • BeckyB

    SOunds great – I'd love to read it as well!!

  • http://www.fontesonline.com Sheri

    My family has adopted two brothers from the Us and is in the process of adopting two sisters from Ukraine. We would love to read this book.

  • Barb

    I would so love a copy of this book. We are considering foster care to adopt and I never thought of the struggles I've seen in the lives of friends who have fostered/adopted as spiritual warfare. I'm sure this book would prepare us.

  • Monica

    My husband & I pray for the little one(s) the Lord will add to our family through adoption every night….would love to read this book!

  • Barb

    Shared on FB.

  • Akbowlin88

    As a foster/adoptive mother, I would have loved to have this resource 15 years ago…but am looking forward to it now! Spiritual warfare is so real, yet so often overlooked. Thank you for sharing!!!!

  • Lydia

    I would love to get a copy of this book. I've felt like God is placing the desire on our hearts to adopt, but every time I go to investigate, I sense a big “Wait!” This would definitely be a beneficial read.

  • DeborahBee

    This is very exciting news! We are in the middle of trying to adopt our son through the foster care system (we already had 3 bio boys and are adding another). It has been crazy and much tougher than imagined.
    I really enjoyed books like Attaching in Adoption, Parenting the Hurt Child, and even Can This Child Be Saved, but with each book I felt a longing for a Christian book that would “tell it like it is” but give advice and encouragement from a biblical perspective. I hope I win a copy of this!!

  • April P

    This looks like a great book!

  • April P

    I shared about this giveaway on FB.

  • DeborahBee

    I'm off to Facebook about the contest! Entry #2 for me :)

  • Barb

    Blogged about your post/giveaway/review.

  • Kacey

    Ty for this. My husband and I are unable to have more biological children, and we really do want to adopt! We pray about it all the time.

    Recently I have had several caring friends share discouraging stories. I have weighed the insights along with the knowledge I have gained in my education. I am a Christian counselor and I worked in the court system with abused children.

    I began questioning God, is this your will for us? And then I heard the new Michael Bible song, I just haven't met you yet, and I knew we were watering the seeds God planted in our hearts. It was a great affirmation, He has given us this desire of our heart. Now when I hear it I make sure to pray for our future child. I continue to submit it all to the Lord, trusting His will, his timing and His purpose, knowing I was educated for such a time and calling.

    Given all of this, I hadn't even considered the spiritual warfare implications. WOW! What a very needed book and resource. Thank you for writing this and equipping the saints! God Bless you!

  • Lora Horn

    This sounds like a great book. We were going through the adoption process for a public adoption several years ago when I got pregnant with my daughter, and they refused to place. I still pray for those two children…it was in every way like the three miscarriages I went through.

  • lisa

    I'd love to read the whole book, thanks

  • Alicia

    I'd love to have a copy of this book!
    Thanks.

    I'm earning free gift cards here: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/forazw

  • Mamaknj

    I'm very interested in this subject. Hope I win!

  • Meyer Dawn19

    Having almost completed our first adoption I can attest to the truth of this subject! It has been a battle from day one, but our beautiful boy is safe in our arms now and God is faithful, would love this book so we can be ready for the next time!

  • Hdemaio

    We are in the process of adopting and cannot WAIT to read this book – the more informed we are, the better prepared we will for spiritual attack. Thanks for the recommendation!

  • Jeramie Branson

    We are hoping to adopt and would love to be able to read this book.

  • JjMooneyham

    We have been foster/adoptive parents for 18 years. We have adopted seven children total. Each and every adoption has it's own problems. Some took many years and some took months. Being educated beforehand of the topic will be extremely helpful for new parents exploring the adoption option. Bless each and every person who is considering opening their hearts and their homes to God children who are truly in need of love and family.

  • Tim 8 Graceworks

    An adoptive Dad of two wishing that Cheryl had finished this book 10 years ago!! :)
    God bless you,
    Tim from Oregon

  • Hnspunky

    I'd like to read Cheryl's book. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_PGNZTW5XM2JAOV2POVUHNZ5INU Julie

    We have 4 biological sons and are hoping to bring our baby girls home from Ethiopia soon. We are looking forward to reading this book! Thank you for the recommendation!

  • Melissa

    I would love a free copy of this book! We have adopted twice before and do foster care for children and I was just WAITING for someone to write a book like this! Adopting/fostering have been some of the toughest battles we have fought! Thank you for letting us know this resource…it looks great!

  • Karen

    Can't wait to get my hands on this book. We took our first foster baby in our home this past December. He was placed with his grandparents last week. No one can prepare you for the emotional roller coaster foster care will put you through. We are blessed to have a strong faith! We have two biological children and are open to the option of adopting through the foster care system.

  • http://homeschoolblogger.com/blessedwith6/ Nicole

    we have talked about adopting off & on for several years & hope that someday soon we will be able to take the next step. I would love to read this book.

  • Jessica

    What an excellent topic for a book – and much needed! Our family is thinking about adoption and are excited to read this book in order to be better equipped!

  • Sistaesther

    Sounds great, Fred and I were thinking about adopting in the future. I would love to be more prepared as opposed to being ill equipped ad not prepared..Thanks

  • Connie

    We are adoptive parents and although I haven't read the book, I can testify that spiritual warfare is real against the family and the children. I want to read this book1

  • Guest

    Hi! I posted a link on my blog….I think this book could be very important!

  • http://twitter.com/novelist2be April Crews

    Thank you so much for this! I plan to adopt in the next 2 years and this will be a great resource. Also, from one writer to another, both the title of the book and the cover are GREAT!

  • Lisa

    We just adopted 3 children…2 girls and a boy with special need. I can't wait to read your book. – Lisa

  • ForgottenSawRanch

    Would LOVE a copy of this book! We've adopted 4 kids and have 4 bio, and with each addition to our family, we've always experienced extreme spiritual warfare.

  • http://topsy.com/www.raisingrealmen.com/2010/07/review-this-means-war-equipping-christian-families-for-fostercare-or-adoption/?utm_source=pingback&utm_campaign=L2 Tweets that mention Raising Real Men » Blog Archive » Review: This Means War: Equipping Christian Families for Fostercare or Adoption — Topsy.com

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Denise, Clay Foster Adopt . Clay Foster Adopt said: Equipping Christian Families for Fostercare or Adoption… http://fb.me/DNsRdQ7C [...]

  • Denisebp

    I would love to win a copy of this book! Thank you for the great giveaway!

  • http://laughingburnsmorecaloriesthancrying.blogspot.com/ Denise

    I posted it on facebook and linked back here.
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/This-Means-War-Eq…

  • http://laughingburnsmorecaloriesthancrying.blogspot.com/ Denise

    Oops! I posted this without being logged in! :)

  • http://laughingburnsmorecaloriesthancrying.blogspot.com/ Denise

    I tweeted and linked back here.
    (mom24cuties)

  • http://laughingburnsmorecaloriesthancrying.blogspot.com/ Denise

    I blogged about your giveaway: http://laughingburnsmorecaloriesthancrying.blog…

  • Mavoss

    Would love to win this!

  • Mountain Family

    I would love to win a copy of this book.

    -Kat

  • zekesmom10

    I'd love to read a copy!

  • Youthful One

    I would LOVE a copy of this book!

  • Youthful One

    I posted about the giveaway on facebook.

  • Tiffany

    We adopted our daughter and, YES! We faced alot of warfare, and almost lost our daughter. This book sounds like a practical read for all Christian families contemplating adoption. I'd love to read it!

  • Tiffany

    I also posted on Facebook:)

  • http://twitter.com/raisingrealmen Raising Real Men

    Congratulations!!! You win!!! Contact us at info at raisingrealmen dot com with your address to claim your prize!

  • Spring

    I would love a copy of this.

  • http://mikespieles.com/?p=11 Review: This Means War: Equipping Christian Families for … | mikespieles.com

    [...] original here: Review: This Means War: Equipping Christian Families for … This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged adoptive-mother, book, cheryl-ellicott, [...]

  • http://www.facebook.com/MRTordoff Michelle Williams Tordoff

    Would love a copy of this!!

  • Leslie

    This sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing. I would love a copy. :-)

    Blessings
    Leslie