Losing the Kingdom

My son loves cities.

He loves the tall buildings around the car as we drive down narrow, congested streets. He loves seeing people and cars and stores.

I’m not sure from where this obsession originates.  He did enjoy the city reveal and exploration scene in the Curious George movie. George gets off the boat and wide sweeping aerial views of the skyscrapers are shown as he embarks on a new adventure.

Isaiah also likes books that show the city, especially if a train is venturing through or in front of the city.  

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Repost: Identity and Discovery

Every other week my blog will feature a reposted work. I had been a contributor on two different sites that have since closed or no longer include blogs. I will be reposting pieces that had originally been featured on one of these two sites.  

This was originally posted July 12, 2011

If you have been reading my posts, you know I care about language.  
Words matter.
Words mean things.  
It follows that names mean things and this is intriguing to me.  The Bible says one's TRUE name will be given when we meet Christ face to face (Rev. 2:17).  To discover and know oneself fully and to find peace in a name that fully encompasses one’s identity will be a wonderful thing.  I’d like to think that what we do on earth mirrors and foreshadows this in some small way. 

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The End of Parenting

The Context

I think it started as a lack-of-caffeine headache, a slight throbbing around my temples.

Outdoor Adventure, PCM

I was with the boys at the Portland Children’s Museum while Candice got a haircut and facial in the city. I figured I needed caffeine and decided we’d just have to stop at a Starbucks on the way home (which we probably would have done anyway), no big deal.

The throbbing got a bit more intense as the pre-paid parking was running out and it seemed to be almost time for Candice to be done. I herded the boys toward the exit, we stopped briefly to pet a miniature pony just outside the entrance to the museum and made our way to the car.

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Repost: Bless the Child?

Every other week my blog will feature a reposted work. I had been a contributor on two different sites that have since closed or no longer include blogs. I will be reposting pieces that had originally been featured on one of these two sites.  

This was originally posted July 6, 2011

Every night at bedtime I bless my son. 

I had talked to my professor’s wife through email about attachment and parenting, specifically pertaining to children who had been adopted.  One thing she mentioned was that my professor blessed their daughters every night.  I thought this would be a good practice to incorporate into how we/I parent Isaiah.

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Bedtime Story

Isaiah was crying at bedtime. 

His stuffed Puppy has a hole at the seam, which we said Mama could fix tomorrow, but he got worked up about it. I went in and lay down with him and talked to him. I sang “Jesus Loves Me” and “Step by Step”.

I asked him what happened last time Puppy had a hole, he said Mama fixed him that time. I talked to him about how Puppy was actually really old because dogs age differently and we've had Puppy as long as we have had Isaiah. How Isaiah picked Puppy to be his friend the first time he walked into our home in Bowman House.

Isaiah grabbed my arm and pulled it around his body and said,

“Stay with me Papa. Tell me a story.”

Once there was an….

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Repost: Thoughts on Race From a Pale Papa

Every other week my blog will feature a reposted work. I had been a contributor on two different sites that have since closed or no longer include blogs. I will be reposting pieces that had originally been featured on one of these two sites.  

This was originally posted June 28, 2011


I’ve been thinking about how people interact with each other and how we can understand where others are coming from and what their circumstances are specifically in the area of race.  I have read White Like Me by Tim Wise and I have had several conversations with people of different races than me.  I recently stated reading Why Are All theBlack Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria? by Beverly Tatum. Lately I have read about this issue in articles and opinion pieces in adoption magazines. 

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Preparing for Easter

This semester I have a personal trainer as part of BoxerBoot Camp, a program that matches exercise science majors with employees at the university where I work. On Monday my trainer contacted me to see if we could postpone my workout until at least Wednesday because she had schoolwork to deal with.

I happily agreed to put off the workout she had planned.

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