Mother’s Day is a travesty. Like setting aside one single solitary day to memorialize our fallen soldiers who give their short lives for our lifelong freedom, we’ve set aside one single solitary day to celebrate our mothers who give the incalculable gift of their life and love to their children. Not that any mother will … More Thanks, Mom
After a long, enjoyable day worshiping with the saints at Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in L.A., having lunch at Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles on Manchester, and visiting the sad and instructive American I Am exhibit at Exposition Park, we came home and relaxed for a couple hours before putting our napless son to bed early. After … More Watching Him, Watching Me
I suppose Father’s Day, like Mother’s Day, is meant to be a unilateral holiday. It’s typically a one-way expression of appreciation from children to their fathers. Yet on my second Father’s Day, I find that it’s also a personal celebration of the high privilege and unique joy of fatherhood. It’s a day to reflect on … More I Am a Father
Sometime last year, Judah began asking a very basic but world-creating question: “What’s that?” He would encounter some unknown object and would simultaneously point at it and look up at me with a look of hopeful curiosity: “Wuh-tat, Daddy?” I would turn toward the object and kneel down next to him while gathering my thoughts. I’d look … More The Power of Why
After 7.8 million views, I’m sure that many of you have seen this before. But for all you mom’s out there who haven’t yet, Anita Renfroe has summarized in three minutes what you’ve been trying to say every day for all these years. And for all of us who are old enough to appreciate all that our moms … More What Your Mom Was Trying to Tell You (in Three Minutes)
I just returned from the 2008 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors in Minneapolis. The title of the conference was “The Pastor as Father and Son.” My dad graciously paid my way and we enjoyed three intense days of biblical preaching, singing, and fellowship. D. A. Carson was the keynote speaker and spoke three times on biblical themes of fatherhood and … More 2008 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors: Greg Livingstone
Three thousand years ago, Solomon wrote a very simple and beautiful Hebrew poem. One of the lines says, “Behold, children are a gift from the Lord” (Psalm 127:3). Over the past three thousand years, the truth of his song has not changed. We have beheld, and we agree. At this time last week, Cindi and … More The First Week of Psalm 127:3
Yesterday was Fiona’s funeral. As I mentioned in my prayer request, she was a seven-year-old girl from a nearby village who was severely handicapped and who had been ministered to by some of the people at the orphange. She died on Friday morning and I was asked around noon to preach at her 4:00pm funeral. … More Gospel and Shovel: A Village Funeral
Being in Africa for an extended period of time and attempting to finalize our adoption is not without its challenges. But they’re probably not the ones you might think. Below are some specific things you might pray for as you think of us. Just this morning I finished listening to John Piper’s sermon from New … More Challenges in Africa: How You Can Pray for Us
We’re adjusting to life in Uganda, which is really not too difficult. We both love it here and have considered serving the Lord in Africa for an indefinite period of time. There are inconveniences, but the degree of inconvenience that we (or you) experience depends on controllable things like expectations, attitude, and perspective. I would say that being here makes … More Uganda, Judah, and the Kids
Finally — internet! After multiple attempts in various locations, here I am in the Source Cafe on Main Street in Jinja, Uganda, paying 2,000 shillings for one hour of internet access. Lest you think that I’m making some great monetary sacrifice to post on my blog, that’s about $1.15. There’s a lot to say (especially … More Uganda, Adoption, Judah, Court
I won’t be writing as much as normal (at least not here) over the next few days if not the next few weeks. I don’t assume that anyone cares about my presence or absence within the blogging world, but I think it’s fair to let you know. We leave in sixteen days to go get … More Getting Ready
I prefer to write instead of linking, but when a spiritual hero shares his day-old journal entry about the death of his father, linking is better than writing. You will be better for reading it. Perhaps, by miracle and by grace, I might be a father like “Daddy” and a son like John.
I have never been a parent before, so I don’t know what it’s like to watch your son grow up through the newborn and baby stages. I’m becoming an adoptive parent, though, so I’m learning what it’s like to watch your son grow up through pictures and brief descriptions. It’s hard. But its difficulty is due to … More What Is Judah Like?
For those of you who know Dr. Varner and his wife, their 26-year-old daughter Lynda was killed in a car accident on July 4, 2005. I think the Varners were notified about the accident late on July 3 and Lynda was pronounced dead on July 4. The funeral was on July 9. So there are a … More One-Year Anniversary of Lynda Varner’s Death
Earlier this week we received two more pictures of Judah. They told us that he was born on December 20, 2005. That was our three-year anniversary! That also makes him a little more than five months old right now. And at five months old, he only weighs 9.5 pounds. I think my baby brother Greg … More Judah, Adopting, and Forsaking
