Skip to content

Category: adoption

Love Not Control

When I was an undergrad, I had a professor who encouraged us to use positive reinforcement for classroom management. He suggested to look for a student who was doing the right thing and say, “I like how Johnny is standing in line,” or “I like the way Johnny is sitting quietly,” or “Thank you, Johnny, for keeping your hands to yourself.” I piped up (it was before my filter was securely in place like it is most of the time now) and said, “Yeah and then everyone wants to beat… Read more Love Not Control →

Believe in Them

3 Comments

Sometimes the grind of parenting a child with a hard history gets to me. Sometimes I’m tattered teaching a child how to give and accept love. Sometimes I’m worn out fighting the same battle over the same boundary for 600 straight days. And then someone says something like, “Wow, I just can’t imagine becoming a mom the way you did.” On a day with grace, I’m able to seal my sharp tongue behind my lips. Sometimes affirmation follows. It sounds like this, “I admire the way you see who they… Read more Believe in Them →

CELEBRATE This Week: XXXIII

12 Comments

I’m glad you are here to celebrate! Share a link to your blog post below and/or use #celebratelu to share celebrations on Twitter. ***** My friend Joe sent me an email and told me he was rereading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Strangely enough, I’m rereading it this week too. Joe asked me to read Chapter 7, “Your Best Life…Later” and then send him some thoughts. I like the way our thinking weaves around one another and gets to new ideas. ***** I had my year-end evaluation meeting on Friday… Read more CELEBRATE This Week: XXXIII →

Breakthroughs

Jay has never returned to the same school, with the same kids. Never. He has four years under his belt and has never experienced returning. He doesn’t know whether his friends will be there next year. He doesn’t know if he will be there next year. It’s not a stretch for the imagination to realize that the end of a school year might kick up some hard emotions if all previous life experience tells you that you start over again in August. Not just a new teacher, but a new… Read more Breakthroughs →

CELEBRATE This Week: XXIX

6 Comments

I’m glad you are here to celebrate! Share a link to your blog post below and/or use #celebratelu to share celebrations on Twitter. ******* Yikes! I got home at 2:30 am last night from the #CAFO2014 conference.  As soon as I can clack some words, I’ll be able to say more than… It was soul nourishing. It was affirming. It was remarkable. Being in the same room with thousands of people who have a heart for vulnerable children and a heart for Jesus was overwhelming. This week (and later today),… Read more CELEBRATE This Week: XXIX →

Weaving a Story {35 of 40 Stories}

Click here for the backstory. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part… Read more Weaving a Story {35 of 40 Stories} →

Believe {34 of 40 Stories}

Click here for the backstory. I take a deep breath before I open her bedroom door to turn out the lights, to say good night, to keep my mouth closed. There are too many words that will be dangerous if they escape. She smiles at me, eyes blue and rimmed with red because she has yelled and screamed and cried too much tonight.  Just hug her. Just hug her. Just hug her. And get out before your tongue gets loose. It is in the middle of my self-lecture that my… Read more Believe {34 of 40 Stories} →