For some of you, you may think there’s nothing of real value in the post… but here’s the kicker…
I’ll make this as short as possible, so you can print it off and paste it right above your LCD screen on your laptop. So you don’t forget it when you’re globe trotting through the world with other people who have mastered the secret like the case-studies I will list below.
You need to lead a lifestyle that you want people to live.
As I read Everett’s post, it resounded more and more…
Anyone can get up and tell you how to live your life. I can write posts day and night about how we should love others, or how we should simplify our lives, or how our stories matter — but really hits home is when people can see you living that life.
Want to convince me to love my wife? Show me how to do it by loving your wife.
Want to convince me to give more? Show me how to do it by giving more.
Want to convince me to read my Bible more? Show me how to do it by reading your Bible more.
And not only show me – but tell me about it. Tell me all the great things that you’ve discovered in doing these things.
I found a quiz for new dads over at babycentre… apparently I know quite a bit about raising a baby… I doubt that… but we’ll find out for sure in 6 more weeks.
I got 12 of the 15 or so questions correct (although I’m not sure I like all their answers, and what in the world is a “nappy”?! Silly UK site. ;-)) Continue reading Daddy quiz
But may we as a country, as a people, as humankind learn to overcome our hatred for the unknown and for one another.
May we remember that even two brothers, whose descendants were sworn to fight each other for — generations to come — still came together to bury their dead.
Abraham’s sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. – Gen 25:9-10
May we, as Insurgents of Love, remember that hatred never wins — it has a 100% rate of failure.
May we, as Insurgents of Love, remember that we’re called to something greater.
May we, as Insurgents of Love, remember that there’s only one thing that’s ever won — and only one thing that will ever win — and that’s love.
May we, as Insurgents of Love, learn to love deeply, strongly and more generously than ever before.
May we, as Insurgents of Love, find moments of surrender, where we lay aside our own wants, needs and demands and build spaces of grace for all.
May our love outshine the hatred that surrounds us.
May our love permeate the darkness of night and may our love bring forth eucatastrophe.
eucatastrophe | illustration by Jonathan Blundell
“I’ve seen too much hate to want to hate, myself, and every time I see it, I say to myself, hate is too great a burden to bear. Somehow we must be able to stand up against our most bitter opponents and say: ‘We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will and we will still love you — But be assured that we’ll wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom. We will not only win freedom for ourselves; we will appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory.'” — Martin Luther King Jr.
— Want more? Listen to my interview with Eric Bryant as we talk about diversity and my interview with Jamie Moffett as we talk immigration and our country’s fear of the unknown.
God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too — your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful — I can’t take it all in!
H-Diddy 4D sonogram - 29 weeks and 6 days
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; you know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
I’ll never understand the depths of what God knows — but knowing he knows me, my Life and my boys is an amazing comfort.
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in his sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world
Lightening over Red Oak, Texas | Photo by Jonathan Blundell
One year ago today, Laurie and I were looking into the face of Our Storm.
Struggling with infertility for a year and a half and not seeing any answers in the future, we were losing hope.
It wasn’t long after that that we began a series of IUI treatments, along with starting the foster to adopt process.
By early November we had completed our classes and by mid-January we were approved as state licensed foster parents. It was starting to look like adoption would be our path for becoming first-time parents.
February 1 brought the addition of two wonderful boys into our home. A two-year-old and a one-year-old — both nearing their next birthday.
These boys brought their own “storm” with them and the challenges for us in going from no children to two toddler boys who really needed someone to love them and care for them. The month was filled with ups and downs and added stress as we went through the cycle of our 4th (and likely final) IUI treatment.
By the end of February, the boys were placed in another home and we were still left questioning if we’d ever find resolution or peace in our storm.
Then, only a few short days later I received a text message while at work, with a picture I thought I’d never see… a positive pregnancy test!
Several weeks later the test was confirmed by sonogram and we discovered that not only was one baby on the way — but two!
And today… Laurie’s reached her third trimester (as of yesterday) — 28 weeks and 1 day — and we’re anxiously awaiting the arrival of two boys — H-Diddy and I-Diddy (although not too anxiously as they still need some time to finish cooking :-)).
What a crazy, blessed journey.
Of course I wish I could tell many friends of ours who we now know are dealing with their own infertility issues that their issues will work out just fine like ours.
But I would never ever say that to anyone.
While we ended up being one of the lucky ones — not everyone else will. Some may never experience what we’re experiencing. And I would never want to give them false hope.
But I will say this — we’re always available as a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.
Because let’s face it — infertility sucks.
There’s no doubt about that — but it sucks even more to try and carry that weight on your own.
Even if you don’t confide in us, find people you can confide in and share your hurts, pains and struggles with them. It won’t solve your problem, but it will make the weight a lot easier to carry when you have someone else carrying it with you.
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Speaking of growing families…
I hope you’ve noticed the new “ad” on the sidebar of my blog — the yellow-brown one that says Just Love – Fair Trade Coffee.
Not only will you be supporting a farmer and helping him earn a decent wage, but by ordering through Just Love, you’ll be helping our friends as they raise funds to extend their own family through adopting a child from Ethiopia.
In fact, since those are both such great causes — rather than just buying one bag, how about subscribing to the coffee club? They’ll send you a fresh bag of coffee each month. Even if you don’t drink coffee yourself, you could purchase several bags (or a subscription) for your office or community of faith.
Imagine if every office place and communities of faith served coffee for their members that was not only ethically grown — but helped unite a child with their forever family… Awesome!
We do truly thank you for your prayers and support over the past year+. It’s been great having friends and family that we can count on to help carry our weight. And it’s been amazing to see how so many of you have rallied around our two boys as well. Thanks again — and many blessings to each of you!
