The Easy Way Out?

The Easy Way Out?

Jan 30, 2022 | Challenges In Adoption

On a chilly afternoon, we visited the gravesite of a friend who had taken her own life four years prior. A group grieved together about the life of one who had ended her life too early. Suicide is on the rise, and opinions differ about why this is so. But taking one’s...
Milestones

Milestones

Dec 30, 2021 | Children's Adaptation, Parenting

Another year and another holiday season are behind us. We ponder a new year and wonder what it holds, but do not pay as much attention to what has happened as we should. What things happened the past year that made us especially thankful? That is why milestones are so...
Choosing to be Choosy

Choosing to be Choosy

Nov 30, 2021 | Challenges In Adoption, Parenting

I have trouble staying awake in art galleries. My wife has taken me to several well-known ones, but not being an art lover means that these works of art (or occasionally history) are lost on me. I also find that skimming the photos of others on their cell phones not...
The Stars in the Skies

The Stars in the Skies

Oct 30, 2021 | God's Adoption of His Children, Parenting

It was a starry night when I went camping with my sons. They looked into the sky in awe of what they saw, and one asked, “How big is the universe?” “We don’t know,” I said, “but God is bigger still.” “Cool,” was all he could say. There was a silence that enveloped us...
Like a Deer

Like a Deer

Sep 30, 2021 | Challenges In Adoption, Parenting

As we pulled out of our driveway one morning, our lights again caught the stray deer in our neighborhood. We have caught this creature foraging for fruit, flowers, and about anything else that might seem tasty. I am not an expert on deer. I do not hunt them. Any time...
God Has No Grandchildren

God Has No Grandchildren

Aug 1, 2021 | God's Adoption of His Children

We were in awe when we first set our eyes on our new grandson. He was perfect in every way. I paused to think about how our parents may have reacted when they first met our adopted sons. Unlike us, God has no grandchildren. For those of us who were reared in Christian...
The Bird Bath

The Bird Bath

May 30, 2021 | Parenting

There it sits, outside my front window. On summer days, our bird bath refreshes a squirrel, butterflies, and up to fourteen sparrows at a time. An occasional robin tries to crowd out the other birds who want to drink or splash around. Watching the birds interact...
The Adoption Marathon

The Adoption Marathon

Apr 29, 2021 | Challenges In Adoption

We breathed a sigh of relief when the adoption court proceeding was over. We were finally adoptive parents! We had the impression that once our sons were part of our family, the hard part was over. Actually, we discovered that this was only the beginning. It was to be...