Walking The Walk

As Tonia and I have begun taking steps to adopt, I have drawn on the experience of those that have gone through it already. One of those people is my good buddy BUSH. Steven Bush and his wife Maris have been on a journey to adopt August for over a year.

Recently that journey became a reality and I couldn’t be happier for those two. It inspires me to know that though this process may be long and grinding, the reward at the end is new life.

If you’d like to help them out with the cost of adoption (as well as diapers) BUSH happens to be an outstanding photographer and is selling prints of some of his best work to raise money. Click on this link to see what’s available. They’d make a great Christmas present!

Filed under: Adoption, Love, Photography

The First Step: Debriefed

As Tonia, Tanner and I walked into the lobby last night we were quite surprised, and very happy, to see some friends of ours joining us in this journey. The five of us joined two other couples and listened to three sweet women describe in detail the adoption and foster care process. So many thoughts raced through my head during that hour and a half meeting…

• This is really happening.
• Each of us in that room had a story.
• This sure sounds like a long process.
• There are so many kids that need help.
• There are so many messed up families.
• This sounds like getting a tattoo. Highly addictive.
• These women are doing great work.
• How do you get a job doing this?
• Tanner is so well-behaved.
• Why aren’t more people in here?
• Why did it take us so long to do this?

In this wide world of the unknown that occupies my future, it’s good to know that we’re following the paths set before us that are clearly marked by God. And it’s good to know that we have great friends to join us on our journey.

Filed under: Adoption, Faith, Family

The First Step

Where we’ll be tonight…

RE: Adoption Orientation

Please join us for an Adoption Orientation on September 9, 2008 at 6:00p.m.  At that time we will be discussing Family Counseling and Children’s Services Adoption Program. This will include our policies and procedures, a description of the needs and characteristics of children available for adoption, the legal process for adoption, services and resources available and our fees and charges for services. This will also be a time to answer any questions you may have about adoption. 

The information provided will be helpful to you and your family in your important decision to proceed with the adoption process. Following the completion of the adoption orientation information will be provided for our upcoming PRIDE training.  PRIDE is a required training for all adoptive parents prior to adoption.  The next PRIDE training is scheduled to begin on Thursday September 18, 2008 from 6:00-9:00p.m. The training will continue on Thursday evenings for the next eight weeks.

The Adoption Orientation as well as PRIDE will be held at Family Counseling and Children’s Services located at 220 N. Main St. Adrian, MI  49221. Please call Jacque or Kelly at (517) 265-5352 to RSVP or to answer any questions.  Hope to see you there!

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” –James 1:27

Filed under: Adoption, Faith, Family

Movie Reviews

Iron Man – 5/5 Loved It
This movie has renewed my faith in comic-based movies. Well, this and the new Batman franchise. Robert Downy Jr. was incredible. I so want to buy this movie now. Really hoping The Dark Knight can top the bar now set this Summer.

The Martian Child – 4/5 Really Liked It
John Cusack continues to put out some really good movies. I love the story of this movie. If you’re at all interested in adoption or foster care or kids in general I think you will too.

Lost In Translation – 3/5 Liked It
Interesting and artsy, and kinda slow. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson both were great, but it just didn’t hold my attention tremendously. Could have been the timing, but I thought it was just alright.

War Games – 4/5 Really Liked It
To my amazement I had only seen bits and pieces of this movie and never the whole thing. I thought it was really well done. Wonder how much Burger King paid to have that machine named WOPR.

Munich – 4/5 Really Liked It
This was like a much slower paced, and more serious James Bond movie. And it was roughly based on true events. My appreciation with this movie came especially with the internal struggle with the main character.

Highlander – 3/5 Liked It
Not bad for an 80′s classic. I’d be interested in seeing the next in the series, but it wouldn’t really hurt my feelings if I didn’t get around to it.

This Is England – 3/5 Liked It
Not a bad little flick. I felt bad for the little guy.

Rendition – 4/5 Really Liked It
Saw this on recommendation of Shaun and Portorikan, but knew nothing about it going in. I really liked the story and the internal conflict the characters played. The practice of rendition is real, and it is also real stupid.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – 2/5 Didn’t Like It
Wow. I’m starting to question the whole Indy franchise at this point. Hopefully when I watch Raiders again my faith will be redeemed, but Crystal Skull was just bad all around. I laughed out loud a few times, but I suspect they weren’t intended as laughing points.

Next 3 in the Que:
The Constant Gardener, What Would Jesus Buy, Walk Hard

Filed under: 80's, Adoption, Comics, Culture, Eighties, England, Indiana Jones, Iron Man, Movies, Rendition, Reviews, Robert Downy Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Shia LaBeouf, War

Best of the Rest

There were just shy of one billion blog posts to read after returning from my 4-day weekend. Here were a few that I thought you might enjoy as much as I did…

Pork and Beans
Weezer took a bunch of the hottest viral video’s around and mashed them up to make their very own viral video for their newest single Pork and Beans. (ht: Dave Wasson)

Is Barack Hussein Obama a Muslim?
No. Seriously. (ht: Mark Elrod)

Stop Praying
The prophet Neil encourages churches to stop praying for people in huddles in and around churches on Sunday.

We Are The World
Beautiful version of a beautiful song, Japanese style.

Racial Training Before Adoption?
Several leading child welfare groups Tuesday urged an overhaul of federal laws dealing with transracial adoption, arguing that black children in foster care are ill-served by a “colorblind” approach meant to encourage their adoption by white families.

Filed under: Adoption, Barack Obama, Links, Music, Politics, Prayer, Weezer, YouTube

What Was. What Is To Come.

For some reason I just don’t feel up to writing a huge reflective post about 2007, and my hopes for 2008, like I did last year. It might have a little to do with the busyness I’ve had at work over the last few weeks, and lack of time to even digest it all. So this will be the cliff-notes version.

2007 was a different sort of year for me. I tried my hardest to disconnect from certain responsibilities, trying to make things easier on myself, only to find that it made things harder in the long run. This year I’ve re-dedicated myself to becoming the responsible man I’ve been known for, or at least think I am.

My goals are modest this year. They basically involve continuing to be more intentional, and more pro-active, in my spiritual development, family life, work production, church leadership, and overall basic health (diet+exercise).

The three biggest and specific goals that I’m planning for 2008 are:

1. Participate in a triathlon – Actually it’s a mini, or sprint, but they still call it a triathlon, and it still involves swimming, biking, and running.

2. Get a tattoo – My brother, my dad, and I have always talked about getting a tattoo of a wedding band, and ditching this jewelry. This is the year we stop talking.

3. Take steps to adopt a child – It’s time.

Here’s hoping for nothing but the best for 2008.

Filed under: 2007, 2008, Adoption, Goals, Reflection, Resolutions, Tattoos, Triathlon