Walking with Jesus

This week has been amazing! I've been working like crazy for the holidays. Elora is going to be here sooner rather than later. We're working on the financing for our adoption. Olivia and I had a great time on her birthday. We spent Thanksgiving (to God) Day with my mom and some of our best friends. And, one of Olivia's bridesmaids is flipping the card on her and getting married tomorrow. Of course, Olivia is in the bridal party. I will be in the audience with Olivia's phone gripped tightly in my hand, since we're expecting "the call" at any moment. When it comes, we'll be out of here and on the road to see our daughter born! Elora: God's Crown of Victory!

"A man would die for honor, but he will live for _________." Two days ago, my Olivia presented me with an opportunity to do some deep thinking. She wrote down an incomplete thought from her journal, and asked me to consider how I would finish it. So, I've been wrestling with it for a couple of days now, and I believe I have an answer. Initially, I wrestled with the statement itself. Would a man truly die for honor? Wouldn't he die for love? or country? or principle? or faith? Yes, I supposed, he would. Yet, in each case, there is an element of honor, isn't there? In fact, it may be the common theme in each idea. There is value in dying for these things in addition to the value of the thing itself. Each object is worthy of dying for. Therefore, a man who dies for one of them is worthy of Honor. You see, a man is born with an innate need for honor. From his first individual actions, he is pressing into that need. Boys are independent, aggressive, and boisterous...

Dear Members of the Abilene City Council; I am writing in response to the recent Abilene Reporter News article “ Local Man Wants Dangerous Dogs Banned ” and seeing the sadly mixed results of the online poll conducted by the ARN regarding the ban idea. I believe such a ban is absolutely necessary! In fact, our own dog was attacked just last month in our backyard by our neighbors’ Pit Bull after it tore through our fence. Because we risked our own safety to intervene immediately, our dog escaped with only some badly bruised ribs and is recovering. Both the police and the veterinarians involved called her survival a miracle. In the same week Abilene Police were forced to shoot a Pit that bit an Abilene resident taking her small dog for a walk near her home. The owner of that Pit Bull informed me that his dog had escaped the house by jumping through a pane of glass while he was away at work! Just the week prior to our own encounter, I watched as another neighbor’s Pit Bull attempted to...

I've been learning about Respect. Respect is showing honor or deference to another person because of their position, character, title, or behavior. As a Christian, I am called to show respect to other people. They are each created in the image of God, making human life sacred. They are each in need of grace, making real love possible. And, they are each capable of showing respect or refusing to show respect to me, making the respect I show a choice. Jesus showed respect to those the world thought unworthy. Paul showed respect to the High Priest when he was being questioned. Mary showed respect to the angel as a representative of God. Daniel showed respect to the Babylonian King, even though he had sinned against God. Sarah showed respect to Abraham, even though he messed up sometimes. And, Noah showed respect to his generation by continuing to call them to repentance even though they were beyond hope. God may be "no respecter of men" but He calls us to respect e...

Several weeks ago I started reading through the New Testament on a 10 week plan. Six days a week I read a few chapters every morning, and on Sundays we went to church. It's actually a plan I designed when I was living in Tanzania, but I felt led to pull it out and do it again. Today is day #1 of the 10th week, the book of Jude, and I think it applies to us today even more than it did when it was first written. But first, let's back up to last Saturday, 2nd Peter. This was the day Olivia and I met our birthmother, and we were nervous. So many thoughts were racing thorough our minds: what if she doesn't like us?, what if she changes her mind?, what if an asteroid lands on the restaurant before we get there?? What a comfort it was to open to my regular Bible reading a find the perfect encouragement... "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto li...

There's no real way to describe my disappointment at this year's election. I'm not only upset about how things turned out in terms of political parties (though this is disappointing) but I am even more disturbed by the ideologies represented by everyone in political leadership in our nation. As a Christian, do I have anyone fighting for what I believe in our government? Yesterday, we met our birthmother for the first time, and thus, met Elora. It was a wonderful meeting surrounded by wonderful new friends and Christian brethren. Truly, Olivia and I experienced the love of the Body this weekend more clearly than most are able to experience! However, we live in troubled times. When my daughter is born, how am I to view the world she is born into? How am I to teach her right from wrong when the world says there are no absolutes (which is of course an absolute statement)? How am I to mold her and protect her in a world that calls discipline child abuse and true crimes aga...

As Olivia's blog readers know, we have finally found Elora. She is due in January, but may well come sooner. Olivia and I are so excited. We got the call on our way to my dad's last weekend in Plano, and this weekend we're going to meet our birthmother. Please pray for us as we travel. This whole process has been an adventure, and I honestly don't have the words to describe it. But, I know that wouldn't trade it for the world. I'd do some things differently, of course, but I wouldn't change the overall picture. There's just too much blessing in it. One of the things I've really discovered this week is the depth of Olivia's love and grace for me. I may not seem like a bad guy, but I have had my dark moments and Olivia has been my wingman through them all. We're a team. We pray for each other, fight for each other, call each other to the floor, and sometimes rub each other the wrong way. Yet, each time we have to fight for what God wants in...