To think, exactly one year ago today we got the phone call that changed our life forever. Now we have TWO sons (Jackson not pictured cause he’s still in Taiwan). We are so grateful to God for all the blessings our family has experienced in 2009.
Have a Merry Christmas!
Last time we went to Taiwan to adopt Chase, my friend Ben Williams (who has adopted two lovely young ladies from The Home of God’s Love), warned me that Ted Skiles would invite me to join him on his routine 25 mile, morning bike ride through the mountains. He was right. I declined each day but I wasn’t the only loser (I’m talking about you, Darren Dunaway. If I’m going down, you’re going down with me.) Mind you, I was 30 lbs. heavier and it is Miami-HOT in the summertime in Taiwan.
When we learned we were going back to adopt Chase’s little bro, Jackson, I told Janie, “I’m going to be ready for Ted this time!” I blame that little outburst on the adrenaline shooting through my veins. Note: You shouldn’t believe anything a guy says in the 24 hours after he learns he is going to have another son. Give the testosterone time to work its way out of the system. 
Janie apparently hasn’t learned that yet since she just bought me a gift certificate to get my bike tuned up for training.
Actually, I’m really looking forward to it. Ted is a hero of mine and I’ll do whatever it takes to get to spend more time learning from him.
Two new pictures of Jackson Cooper Mehaffey in my email inbox this morning made my day. I can’t believe how much more he looks like Chase. Right now it’s looking like the earliest we will get to Taiwan to bring him home will be March.
Here is the first picture of many to come of our new son. He definitely has Chase’s nose and full head of hair.
And let’s just be clear that we named him “Jackson” in honor of Janie’s dad (Jack), and not Yankee great “Mr. October” Reggie Jackson. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Jackson was born in October and now the Yankees are World Series Champs!
Our world was rocked last night.
I think my heart skipped a beat when I checked the caller ID on my iPhone and saw a very familiar phone number from Taiwan. Ted Skiles, founder of The Home of God’s Love, (a Christ-centered orphanage through whom we adopted our son, Chase from earlier this year) was calling with some completely out-of-the-blue news.
He told us Chase’s birth mom had recently given birth to another baby boy, put him up for adoption and that the little guy is now residing at THOGL. Since he is Chase’s little brother, Ted asked us if we would be willing to be his parents too (which is the easiest question we’ve been asked since Ted asked us last Christmas if we wanted Chase)! I’m not sure reality has fully soaked in yet but we are so thankful to God and everyone at Ray of Hope and THOGL who are being used by Him in huge ways.
This has caught us so off guard we do not have a name for him yet! We’re kicking around some ideas and will post later what we decide. Can you believe that Janie vetoed my “Fabio” suggestion? The process of adopting Chase was one of the best experiences of our lives and we loved sharing it with everyone as it happened through this blog, Facebook and Twitter. So buckle up with us and enjoy the ride cause here we go again.
We are kicking off a new series at The Pursuit on November 1. We will be studying the book of Habakkuk which wrestles through many questions we still ask today.
Ever get the feeling God isnʼt fair? Ever wonder why bad people seem to get away with taking advantage of the weak? Ever been curious why there is so much injustice, war and suffering in the world?
We see tragedy everyday. Discover how an Old Testament prophet can inspire a modern day faith in Godʼs Promises.
Sunday, November 1 Habakkuk (pt. 1) Title: Where Are You, God?
Sunday, November 8 Habakkuk (pt. 2) Title: In the Dip
Sunday, November 15 Habakkuk (pt. 3) Title: Climbing Out of the Dip
(much love to lifechurch.tv for the killer resources!)
I’m not usually one who likes to do anything systematically. I like to forge my own way through. But lately I have felt my quiet time (someone needs to come up with a better name for this … sounds like punishment) has become stale. I show up but I’m not fully present. Ever been there?
And then I remembered a simple practice that Dr. Wayne Cordeiro, Senior Pastor at New Home Christian Fellowship in Oahu, taught at the Exponential Conference in Orlando a couple years ago. He called it SOAP (for Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer). I remember writing it down in my Moleskine and thinking, “I will never use this. Acrostics are SO 1980s.”
What can I say, I was desperate so I gave it a shot. Each morning with my freshly brewed cup of coffee I have been doing the following:
Talk to God, saying something like, “God, I’m showing up again. Give me Your insight into your Word and give me something fresh that I can apply today even if it stretches me.”
Then I would read through a chapter of a book (this week I’ve been in Habakkuk & Titus) and every time at least one verse jumped out at me. I then wrote those verses down in my Moleskine journal. Here is my walk thru the SOAP method from 10.19.09 (Monday):
[S] Habakkuk 1:5 “For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.” – GOD
[O] Habakkuk sees the wickedness all around him and it seems as if God is allowing it to flourish. From Habakkuk’s perspective God is sitting idly by but God tells him He is doing a work that wouldn’t even be believed if he was told.
[A] God is God and I am not. He sits on the throne and the entire universe bows to His authority. He is just. Nothing goes on
without His knowing. Even if we can’t see it in the moment we can trust that He is going to be a just God. I can concern myself with things I cannot control or I can focus on loving & obeying God. The choice is mine.
[P] This one is between me and God. But believe me this is something I needed this week.
Truth be told I will probably drop the SOAP method (yeah I went there) eventually when it gets stale. And I’ll try something else for awhile. That’s how I am wired. But for now it’s exactly what I needed to fuel up.
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
Here in South Florida, we all know someone who has been ravaged by the recent economic crisis. The words “foreclosure,” “bankruptcy,” “loan-modification” and “bail-out” are now a part of everyone’s vernacular.
We all could use some proven wisdom these days.
That wisdom is closer than you might think. In the month of September, both locations of The Pursuit Christian Church (Pembroke Pines & Century Village) will be going through a series featuring financial expert and New York Times bestselling author, Dave Ramsey (via video). You are invited to join us as he shares timeless advice that brings proven results. Now is the time to learn how to take control of your financial future and launch a personal economic revolution during this upcoming series.
So Michael Vick is a Philadelphia Eagle now.
Vick is excited. PETA is outraged. And Philly fans are well, Philly fans.
To me the most intriguing part of this saga is Tony Dungy. Here is one of the most admired men in all of sports, going before Michael Vick, putting his own integrity and reputation on the line. Listen to Head Coach of the Eagles, Andy Reid, who admits that Dungy’s vote of confidence in Vick is a key factor to why he is now on the roster.
Not to get all Biblical on you, but this reminds me of the relationship between Barnabas and Saul. Saul, a man who went from executing Christ-followers to becoming one, tries to see the leaders of the early church in Jerusalem. They want nothing to do with him. What if this is a trick? What if he relapses? What if…?
Along comes Barnabas who has this Dungy-like reputation among the disciples, who sees something in Saul and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He builds a relationship with Saul and goes before the church leaders on Saul’s behalf (see Acts 9:26-27). Saul, later known as Paul, goes on to become one of the most influential Christians whose letters make up almost half of the New Testament.
As a follower of Jesus, I am rooting for Michael Vick. If anyone should be a fan of grace, redemption and second chances it ought to be a people who receive all of those gifts in limitless amounts from Jesus. Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to write people off for past mistakes and instead walk with them and point them to the new work that only Jesus can do in them.
My Twitter | Merry Christmas … on Our Son, Chase |
 | mia dawson on Proverbs 22:6 |
| Why I’m Dustin… on Adoption in Retrospect pt.… |
 | Trudeigh on Introducing Jackson Cooper… |
 | muttslikeme on Taiwan Adoption the Seque… |
|
