Pat Robertson & Adoption

Pat Robertson & Adoption

If you pay any attention to Christian media, you are probably familiar with the name of Pat Robertson.  If you pay close attention, you are most likely acquainted with his tendency of making __________ (choose your own adjective – rash, bizarre, false, unbiblical, etc..) statements.  Well, he has struck again. On a recent episode of the 700 Club,  Robertson offers support to a man who did not want to pursue marriage with a women who had adopted kids internationally.

As a father of five children (some of which were adopted), this, of course, made my blood pressure spike, and want to go on a big rant about Pat Robertson.  Rather than rant though, I will urge you to check out Dr. Russell Moore’s excellent analysis on it here.

False Dichotomy?

False Dichotomy?

In the Evangelical subculture in which many of us live, there is often a perceived tension between evangelistic and justice related pursuits.  Dr. Russell Moore addresses this in a recent post – Gospel or Justice, Which?.  Check it out.  It’s a good theological discussion of an important theological issue, especially for those of us concerned with justice for the fatherless and fidelity to the gospel.  So when faced with the question of whether we need to focus on the Gospel or justice, we can confidently answer, yes.

Confession Time

Confession Time

I have a confession to make.  Hi, my name is Jon, I’m 35 and I like musicals.  Let me also give you a fair warning.  The rest of this post will be dealing with a particular musical.  So, if you can’t stomach that, get out now.  You’ve been fairly warned.  For the rest of you brave souls, let us proceed. read more

Thinking About Our Story

Thinking About Our Story

Sometimes when I listen to a sermon, or lecture, or presentation, etc… I will hear something really good and profound but, with the way that my brain works, it doesn’t really click or process until days, or even weeks later.  This has recently happened to me again with a talk I heard at a family ministry conference.  The speaker simply stated that behind every adoption there is always a tragedy.  And, after bumping around in my brain for a while, this truth has started to take root. read more

Food Wars & Famine

Food Wars & Famine

One of my least favorite fatherhood tasks, and probably the one I’m worst at, is feeding my son Henry.  I don’t mind most parenting tasks, and feeding the other four kids is generally not a problem at all.  Meal times with Henry however, are another story.  Why you ask?  It’s an easy answer, Henry is nearly two and has developed the strong culinary opinions that typically come with that “fun” age. There isn’t really anything unique about  a toddler being a picky eater, but for Henry it’s a different story. read more

You’ve Got Mail

You’ve Got Mail

One of the highlights of what I do at Families Outreach is checking the mail.  I gladly concede that at most times, a trip to the mailbox is a rather mundane task that should not be the highlight of anyone’s day.  And, on many days, it’s that way for me too, but – not everyday. On some days, it’s the most exciting part of my job.   read more

Adoption Books

Adoption Books

Adoption is not something that you jump into uninformed.  It can be a big scary event out on the horizon and most people want as much knowledge as they can get before undertaking it.  Reading is one of the simplest and best ways to get this sort of knowledge  of adoption before you start.  However, if you just do an Amazon search on adoption, you will likely be overwhelmed by all of the results.  Being somewhat of a research nerd, here’s a list of some of the most helpful adoption books that I’ve run across so far. read more

The New American

The New American

Mondays don’t often get a lot of positive attention, but yesterday was a very momentous one for my family.  Yesterday, was my son Henry’s adoption court date.  It marked the closing of the final chapter of his adoption which began in November 2008.  Even though he’s been home for almost a year, and even though he’s legally been our son for longer than that, we had this last formal process to go through. read more

Funding Cuts For Foster Families

Funding Cuts For Foster Families

This morning on Twitter, I ran across this story about the state of Arkansas cutting funding for families providing foster care.  I suppose many peoples’s initial response is to decry poor government priorities or the politics behind the need to make this decision.  I, however, think our focus needs to be somewhere else completely.  read more

Off to the Woodshed