Sunset of 2007

The sun was already below the horizon as my flight took off from Greensboro to Memphis this afternoon. As we took off the sky was clear and I could tell from the orange glow that I was looking to the west from my window seat. As we began to ascend the sky became brighter and then as we continued I could begin to see the sun. What a beautiful image as the sky became brighter and a rainbow of colors appeared. I thought about an attempt to capture a memory on my camera and decided it wouldn’t be worthwhile since a little pocket Sony Cybershot just doesn’t do a sunset justice. As I experienced this for the first time, a few thoughts came to mind. The sunset reminded me of 2007 fading off but also of the exciting times that lay ahead as we continue to rise above many obstacles for 2008.

1. Obstacles that keep families from adopting and the amazing ministry of The ABBA Fund that will help families overcome the financial barriers. Also the partnership of Family Life, Focus on the Family, Shaohannahs Hope, Crown Financial ministries and the numerous other organizations that are working together to establish a unified effort to care for orphans.
2. Obstacles that keep orphans and children from receiving basic neccessities and how ministries like Living Hope International, Love Without Boundaries, Children’s Hopechest, Half the Sky, Life International, Hope for the Fatherless, Shaohannah’s Hope and many others facilitate care givers, medical needs and sugeries, educational and spiritual growth.
3. Obstacles that keep countries from being able to care for their own orphans and vulnerable children. Whether it be cultural challenges, poverty, disease or just lack of resources and training. Organizations like Humanitarian International Services Group, The Global Orphan Care Foundation, Global Action for Children, Embrace Uganda and others are making a difference by engaging with the “local” organizations in-country that are caring for orphans.

I’m excited to see what 2008 will bring as we work together to care for orphans and try to network with others to create awareness. I am also sobered by the thought of how many children will try to sleep tonight without the love of a mother or father. My prayer is that God will use all of us to have an impact for the fatherless. Let’s be passionate about caring for orphans and helping families adopt in 2008!

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for my family on this Thanksgiving day. I hope someday that the 143 million orphans around the world can experience this same thankfulness. The number of orphans is almost half the population of the United States and we have over 500,000 children in foster care in the US.
Something else to be thankful for as an American... The United States has a great history and heritage. This was emailed to me by Brad Davidson this morning.
This is George Washington's 1789 day of Thanksgiving proclamation:
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness: "Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October,
A.D. 1789.

Where did september go?

September has been a busy month with lots of meetings. Actually, going back to August 29 in Raleigh, I presented to the North Carolina COLPAA (Coalition of Licensed Private Adoption Agencies)group about my work and the Global Orphan Care Initiative.
Representatives/Social workers from most of the larger national agencies and many smaller agencies from NC were represented. Besides sharing with them about GOCI, I was also able to present the work of Karyn Purvis and her upcoming meeting in Advance, NC next March. There was much interest in "The Connected Child" as it is becoming clearer that agencies and churches need to help families with pre and post adoption issues.
Then I spent August 30 and 31 in Houston in a focus group meeting with the CEO of a large Houston based real estate company and his wife. They invited several orphan care and adoption ministries to help them decide how best to get involved in assisting families with the financial aspect of adoption. This was a good meeting and I was able to travel with Eugene Allison from The ABBA Fund and have dinner with Karyn Purvis Thursday evening. We also meet up with Andy and Gary from Life International as well as several other folks from Texas.
This month has mostly been planning for the March conference with Dr. Purvis, and upcoming adoption and orphan awareness conference meetings in Charlotte, Raleigh and Cary, NC. It is great to meet more and more people interested in caring for orphans. I had lunch last week with a successful investor that recently traveled to Africa with his 5 children. His daughter is graduating from high school and looking for an opportunity to serve next summer and he and his wife are considering adoption! He forwarded an article that influenced him by Jonathan Edwards on Christian Charity. Caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan or the stranger is not a new concept but it is something that has been neglected and excused as the responsibility of the government or someone else. The Scripture is clear on giving and caring - Luke 6:35, Psalm 68:5 and James 1:27.
I'm in my new office that I have been working on in the Bennett Feed Mill and I'll be updating that site as we wrap up some of the work. I'm looking forward to being able to work a stones throw away from home (actually, I don't think I can throw a rock 350 feet but it's still pretty close...).