I woke up yesterday morning and realized that exactly five years ago, we were in Ukraine, just a week into our five-week adventure for Masha’s adoption. One funny thing I noticed as I read:  Because two leap years have landed between then and now, the days of the week line up perfectly.  Five years ago, 21 May was also on a Monday.  Because of that (and maybe because i’m just a little weird), I’m feeling even a little more connected to these daily anniversaries. I won’t forcibly subject y’all to the 1,500+ word daily reports that talked about what kind […]

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I’ve been hearing about this Bob Goff character for quite a while now. Bob sounds larger than life. Bob hugs people.  His children invite world leaders for sleepovers.  He rescues kids in Uganda, and gives them a home and an education. Oh, and he’s a lawyer in his spare time. To be honest, I expected his book to feel like literary Splenda.  Artificial.  Too perfect to be real.  Maybe even a little preachy and boastful. I was wrong. I like being this kind of wrong. Love Does is Bob Goff’s love letter to the world.   Bob and his family […]

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Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  (Matt 11:28) I’m not very good at resting, although I think my family will tell you otherwise.  But the theme of rest has been coming up time and again over the past few months.  Like God is trying to tell me something or something. I’m an introvert.  To the extreme. Most people think of extroverts as people who are outgoing and gregarious and like meeting new people, and introverts as people who are more private, quiet, shy. While this often is true, there’s another […]

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This is a guest post from Ben Steele; I’m trading spaces with him today!  Ben lives, works, and learns in Auburn, AL.  His job as a machinist and welder is the patron of his true passions: teaching the Bible, and loving and leading God’s people.  Ben writes for young men making their way as spiritual leaders at BigHairyDeal.net.  Connect with him on Twitter @thebensteele. Stop by and check out my post, Fathers, at Ben’s site, and welcome him as he visits our little riverbank.    When Christine first invited me to post on her blog I was pretty excited but I wondered what […]

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I mentioned to y’all that i’m starting work on a book about our adoption journey.  It loosely falls into the genre of memoir, so I’ve been practicing with that a little bit.   I thought I’d share with you a short piece that I posted as an exercise on The Write Practice recently.  This is quite a departure from what I’ve been posting lately, but I have a special orphan-related surprise for you on Saturday.  Stay tuned. * * * Her hospital bed fills the end of the narrow room, a faint dent where her body had recently withered.  The […]

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