Top 13 Memories from 2011
As is my custom, I spent a little time reflecting on my journal from the past year and sat down to list my top 10 memories. I ended up with a top 13 list – it was really a fantastic year
- The Lord making Heaven more real to me
- Sabbatical time in Montana
- Seeing our adult children making good choices
- Hosting the Art of Marriage at 3 churches
- Being nominated and approved as a deacon of our church in Little Rock
- Being given the privilege of focusing on strategic technology direction at FamilyLife
- Watching my daughter tee off in front of former President Bush
- CCCI US Staff Conference at Colorado State University with Francis Chan and David Platt
- Getting to teach an adult class again for the first time in Little Rock
- Watching a brother in Christ grow in absolutely remarkable ways
- Seeing the impact that eMentoring is having in thousands of lives
- Being a Scoutmaster and seeing the growth in the young men that are part of Troop 99
- Dreaming about new types of digital content that I can help FamilyLife develop in the future
What were your highlights in 2011?
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Our Adoption Agency Celebrates 40 years of Finding Forever Families
In 1996, Karana and I began feeling led to pursue adoption. We wanted more children but were pretty sure doing it the old-fashioned way wasn’t a good idea due to health concerns. When we began praying about it, the Lord answered our prayer very clearly through a FamilyLife Today broadcast with Jorie Kinkead about international adoption in which Dennis Rainey, in his usual fashion, challenged the listeners to consider whether there was room in our homes for another child. We felt that call very clearly.
We began looking for an agency to help us and spoke to several. When we spoke to the folks at Dillon International in Tulsa we very quickly knew that we had found the right ones. Their heart of service and of love for our Lord Jesus came through loud and clear. They walked and prayed us through the journey of adopting our son and then, 2 years later, our daughter from Korea. We not only got the help we needed, we found some new lifelong friends.
2012 marks the 40th year of Dillon International serving the needs of adoptive families before, during and after their adoption. As November is National Adoption Awareness Month, it seemed like a good time to share. Soon, we hope to take a trip with these wonderful folks back to Korea with our 3 youngest children (the oldest 2 have already been) to visit our adopted kids’ homeland and possibly meet their birth parents. You can be praying about that as it is quite expensive to travel internationally.
Thank you Lord for Jerry and Deniese Dillon, their vision to serve you through adoption and all of the wonderful team that you have assembled to help make that vision a reality! We have been blessed.
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Support Scouts. Eat Popcorn!
Next summer I will be leading a group from the Boy Scout troop where I’m Scoutmaster to hike the Grand Canyon. Our son Kyle wants to be one of those.
Help support his Scouting experience and get some great popcorn in the process at http://www.trails-end.com/
Thanks!
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Before Presidents and Kings
Well, before former Presidents anyway.
On May 27, our Rebekah was chosen to hit the ceremonial tee shot at the 10th Anniversary of the First Tee of Central Arkansas. In attendance and speaking were about 300 people including former President George W. Bush. Her shot was the final event of the ceremony and, with everyone watching, she hit a beautiful shot. The crowd loved it and, after the emcee thanked everyone for coming, President Bush called for her and she went up to meet him and have some pictures made. It was a really special moment that was featured on several media outlets and on the front page of the Sports section in the local newspaper the next day.
What a cool thing that God took a little girl born in Korea to a culture that didn’t properly value her, moved her to a family in America, gave her an indomitable spirit and now has her share the spotlight with a U.S. President. God’s plans for us are far better than we can imagine, especially when we realize that this is a small thing compared to what the Lord did to take us from our sins, cleanse us, clothe us with the righteousness of Christ and make us the sons and daughters of the King of Kings!
I thought you might enjoy some links:
My quick video from our camera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14yecfHhB54
Photo album, including Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article: https://picasaweb.google.com/104099128740591747634/20110527BekahTeesOffForPresidentBush?authkey=Gv1sRgCNeSj_3l8cj5Iw&feat=directlink
KATV Video: http://www.katv.com/video?clipId=5895944&topVideoCatNo=189702&autoStart=true
Fox16 Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvv7G_Yz8Qs
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‘Today’ show joins the assault on marriage
NBC and the Today show once again showed the media’s agenda to portray homosexuality in a sympathetic and positive light by deciding to allow gay couples in their annual wedding contest. Never mind the statistics. Never mind the law. Never mind the Bible. Folks, the fight for the family is raging – make sure you are fully engaged!
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25 Memories after 25 Years Together
Yesterday was the 25th anniversary of my first date with Karana. To celebrate I shared 25 of my top memories with her on Twitter and Facebook, one every 25 minutes. If you missed them, here was the list:
- The first date and the first kiss. My what a wonderful life that day started!
- The first day we reported for work at FamilyLife and how thankful we were for God’s provision
- Rose petals
- Sitting up all night in the Orlando airport waiting for a 6am flight to get home to our kids after the tornado.
- Coming back to our hotel room to learn that a tornado had hit our home but that the kids were safe
- Driving you home from working together at Sonic so your Dad wouldn’t worry
- Lots of “Surprise Christmases” when we’d wake the kids up early on a random December day to open gifts
- The way Rebekah screamed whenever she first saw us in Korea
- The look of shock on your face when a friend told us a stranger wanted to give us the adoption money
- Praying over a list of costs for out last adoption and asking God to provide if it was meant to be
- The way Kyle smiled and laughed at everyone on the plane
- Calling you when God answered our prayer for guidance on our first adoption by Dennis Rainey asking “Do you have room?” on FLT
- The curly-haired smile of our little “Sweet Potato” and how it lit up our hearts
- When Christine was born and the nurse said, “You just gave birth to your best friend.”
- When Gene was born face up and the Dr bent him at the waist and said “Hi Mom!”
- You pulling my hair in a contraction with Gene when I was trying to remind you we had decided no drugs.
- Giving my parents mugs for Christmas 1989 that said “Grandpa” and “Grandma.”
- Our honeymoon at Disney World as two kids who couldn’t believe we were really married!
- The way you kept the kids away when “Daddy was working on his thesis.”
- Coloring a FamilyLife logo divided into 100 parts each time we got 1% closer to reporting
- When you agreed to take IBS classes with me then I abandoned you because my boss said I had to withdraw
- Watching “Sabrina” together at the Arcadian Inn
- Wandering through NamDaeMun street market haggling for Hanboks in Korean with calculators
- Arriving at our hotel room for Ministry Preview full of questions and expectancy at what God would do.
- Buying our first house together and being amazed at how God had provided so well
I have been blessed with a wife who has joined me on the amazing adventure of following God where leads. It has been the a rich life full of the best that life has to offer.
I am also very thankful for the teaching that we received from parents, church and through the ministry of FamilyLife. If you’re looking for a richer marriage, now’s a great time to learn what we did at the Weekend to Remember because through Monday it is Buy One Get One Free!
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