Every year we try to get a picture by the Christmas tree in our church. This year we decided to stop trying to capture the "perfect" picture and Ā instead capture the family in its natural state. Enjoy!
Blog
Thoughts on Thanksgiving
I love Thanksgiving. It might just be my favorite holiday. I didnāt grow up recognizing a national day of thanks and so I look forward to celebrating this year again. I love the way it smells, the weather is usually perfect, and thereās football to watch. You could accuse me of being an idealist, but [...]
Embracing Hard Things: Foster Care
Being a foster parent can be difficult, but we need to embrace difficult things. http://vimeo.com/111463024
Playful Engagement
One of my favorite parenting strategies is one that is easy to forget -- playful engagement. Itās easy to see why. We spend so much time focused on correcting our kidās behaviors that we donāt spend enough time connecting with them. Who has time for play when the goal is behavior modification? We want obedience. [...]
The Importance of Attachment
"Where attention goes, neurons fire. Where neurons fire, things wire." - Tina Payne Bryson #TapCon14
Give Your Child Permission to Process Feelings
http://vimeo.com/10805836
10 Ways to Support Kids in Foster Care
Ask any foster parent the phrase they hear the most and it will likely be āI could never do what you doā or āIād love to foster, but I could never give the kids back.ā Ā While it is true that not everyone is equipped to be a foster parent there are so many other ways [...]
5 Reasons You Can’t Miss the Tapestry Conference this Year
This yearās Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Conference will be held October 24 & 25 at Irving Bible Church and will feature unique content across two full days. You are invited to attend one or both days. Our theme this year is Discipline that Connects and Corrects. We would love to have as many families as possible join us for one, or both days, as we share our successes and failures, our victories and shortcomings as we try to connect with our kids while we correct them.
Repair Your Mistakes: Apologize to Your Kids
The Bible says the children are a blessing from the Lord. Thatās a big, sobering statement because as their parents we have the responsibility to raise them well. There are days when I feel like I get it wrong and I know I have to repair the relational wounds and distance I created. Letās look [...]
What About Gratitude?
Let me start by saying that I believe that most people mean well. However, good intentions are just that, good intentions and nothing more. As an adoptive dad Iāve heard many comments and questions over the years that have made me smile, grit my teeth, want to explode, and everything in-between. Some days I wonder [...]