It’s Thanksgiving weekend in the US and I am doing what most every American is doing- eating good food and spending time with family. As I’ve spent the past 2 days doing this, I’ve reflected, really for the first time in-depth, how truly thankful I am!
Yesterday we said goodbye to a beloved 13-year member of our family. Our dog, Aravis (appropriately named after a Narnia character), had to be put to sleep. She had suffered for the past year from a few different illnesses but also weakened bone structure. She simply couldn’t move anymore. It was a hard day for the Berry family!
My wife and I participated in a domestic adoption panel and open forum yesterday. We received several questions regarding cost and ways to go about adopting. This post answers both. Mixed in is a little bit of our story.
Sometimes, in the midst of a crisis or a tough season, we forget that life is more than a moment or a situation. There’s a bigger picture that is hard to see when we are in pain or going through a personal struggle. It’s easy to fixate our attention on one or two pixels of a greater, more exquisite portrait.
You may be asking yourself why the topic of pornography is appearing on a parenting blog, or why it’s relevant amongst the topics I write about. Well, considering that pornography is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, and 56% of divorce cases a year involve issues with pornography and sexual addiction, I believe it’s a very relevant topic for parents and families.
It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it’s a lot of fun. We love to dance in our family. We really aren’t that good, but there are just some days, and some moments, that call for a good tune and some out of rhythm dancing!
A few years ago, before her weekly show ended, Oprah Winfrey had acclaimed actor Sidney Poitier on as a guest. During the course of the interview she asked him about the poverty he grew up in and how those memories still influenced his life today. The two of them share a similar road. They both grew up in poverty, and they both had to work very hard to achieve the success they now know. How Mr. Poitier responded to her question was powerful.
