DEEP WATERS

What makes a Momma? Is it biology? Carrying a child in your womb? Giving birth to a baby boy or girl? Well yes of course. Biology and shared genes definitely make a mom a mom. And having given birth to two precious babies myself, I am grateful that God chose us women to carry and nurture life. But there's so much more that makes a mom a mom.  Let's take a look at the many ways we women become mommas and mommas-at-heart... A mom is the woman who gave birth to her third biological child (just today) while raising her two really young sons alongside two foster babies that joined their family months ago. A mom is the woman who went back and forth to Haiti to fight to bring her daughters home. A mom is the white woman who traveled all the way to Sierra Leone, Africa to adopt her beautiful, brown twin girls. A mom is the black woman who traveled all the way to Moscow, Russia to adopt her beautiful brown baby boy. A mom is the woman who opened her home and heart to...

Hey everybody! Remember me? I haven't been here in over a year. And I won't waste your time with all the reasons why. I will say the underlying reasons are: 1. I am really busy with family and ministry work 2. As much as I love writing, I have spent almost a year and a half telling myself that I'm too busy to get it done (See reason #1) And the thing is this... A quick survey of the current state of my home would reveal a kitchen sink full of dirty dishes, baskets of laundry to put in dresser drawers and floors needing to be cleaned and vacuumed. (I did manage to thoroughly clean my bathroom this weekend, so all hope is not lost...) Anyway, since I don't see life getting any less busy, I've decided to apply my butt to the seat* and commence writing here again. But enough about my blog reunion and on to why I'm here... For about a year now I have had a book idea, and since I haven't begun writing yet, today it remains just that - an idea...

I LOVE the Olympic Games - both the winter and summer games. Every two years, I'm captivated by the national pride, physical strength, mental endurance and emotional resilience of the athletes from all over the world. Last night I sat captivated while watching the Olympics opening ceremony. Brasilians* are beautiful, spirited and warm people, and I fell in love with Brasil over a decade ago when my son Kalin and I served orphans and vulnerable children on a mission's trip there. Another love of mine - following the lives of former foster children. My heart is always moved to hear the stories of people - young and old - whose lives began with so much stacked against them. Inevitably, while hearing the "how did they get here?" stories shared during the Olympics trials, I've discovered some amazing Olympians whose lives have been touched by foster care and/or adoption in some way.  And you know I had to share...  Simone Biles ~ Gymnastics This 4-...

Tomorrow is Mother's Day - the day we pay homage to our Moms, Aunties and the beautiful women in our lives that have served as second moms to us.  Today I want to pay homage to two women that have played a special part in my life. But first, a bit of backstory... This past week I attended CAFO2016, the Christian Alliance for Orphans' annual Summit. This year we were in sunny Orlando, Florida, and what an amazing time it was. Inspiring breakout sessions, tear-jerking main sessions and a great time with my CAFO tribe. A highlight: my time with the African American Church Initiative -- a CAFO movement formed to further engage African American Christians in serving orphans and vulnerable children. I felt so blessed to walk with my brothers and sisters, as we walk out our calling to wrap around vulnerable children and families together.  Last year this time, I shared about CAFO2015 and the amazing work God did in and through me during Summit. This year I want to sh...

I was sitting in my minivan, having just picked up my son Christian from his football team workout, when I heard the news. The car in park, I noticed I had 4 texts. I assumed they were texts from a ministry I've recently joined. We've got a lot going on this month, and when a leader sends out a text, we typically start firing our responses back at her. I checked my phone. It was from a member of this ministry, but it read differently from previous texts... "Fyi - you may already know, I just got word that Dr Karyn Purvis passed away." I was shocked. I kinda had a moment... To the point where I had to tell the kiddos not to worry. I'd be okay. I'd just read some bad news, but everyone in our family was okay. (After losing my parents so close together, I've had to give my kiddos this kind of information when anything unusual comes up.) To say I was sad to hear Dr. Purvis had succumbed to her battle with cancer is a gross understatement. In t...

I've stayed away from controversial topics here recently. Sometimes when you're working through your own personal drama, you just don't have the mental and emotional energy to focus on anyone else's drama. So I've kept it pretty light and fun for the most part. But this week, I had to write about one particular news story. It just struck a nerve. Most of you have heard about the teen girl assaulted by a police deputy in her Columbia, South Carolina classroom . Most of you have seen footage of the attack. All of us have come to our respective conclusions. I've heard several over the last week. "The Columbia Sheriff was right to fire Deputy Ben Fields. This was police brutality at its worst." "The girl deserved the treatment she got. With her horrible attitude and defiance, she needed a beat-down." "The teacher is at fault here. Teachers should have better classroom management and control over their students." "T...

I recently heard some great news from Alicen Bennett, an Arkansas Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) caseworker and DCFS liaison to The CALL *. This past January, 28 foster homes opened in Arkansas, meaning in that month alone 28 new families became available to take foster children into their care. A blessing, considering all the hoops that these families must go through -- background checks, medical exams, home studies and training classes. On the same day I heard that great news, however, I also heard some bad news. While 28 foster homes opened in January, 48 homes closed. Do you understand what that means? While 28 foster families have just opened their homes to foster children that desperately need those stable home environments, 48  foster families have closed their homes to those same children that desperately need them. Here's one more statistic: In 2012, 500 homes opened across the state of Arkansas. Sadly, in 2012, 480 homes close...

Next Sunday, many of us will be glued to our television screens for one spectacular event. Some will watch for the football. Others will remain captive for the hilarious commercials. Others still will hang out for the game just to witness Beyonce's half-time show.  (Bet she won't lip sync  this one...) Anyway, whatever we consider the main event next Sunday, most of us will be watching. As an adoptive mother  and adoption advocate , I'm always looking out for adoption stories  around me. Today, I thought I'd share stories I've discovered in next week's Super Bowl. Of course I must begin with my beloved Ravens... Michael Oher Michael Oher has a story that's been told before. If you've had the opportunity to watch Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side , you've heard Michael's story  already. One of twelve children, Michael grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. Due to his father's frequent incarcerations and his mother's...

Why do children pay for the idiocy of adults? Today Russian President Vladimir Putin  signed a law  that bans adoptions of Russian children by U.S. citizens. This ban was reportedly developed in retaliation for a US law punishing Russians accused of violating human rights. As the mama of an eleven-year-old boy adopted from Russia  in 2003, my heart breaks for the children that will never be adopted due to this new law.  According to UNICEF  there are approximately 740,000 children without parental care in Russia. "Alternatives to the institutionalization of children are essential, including permanent foster care, domestic adoption and inter-country adoption," said Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF. "All children deserve an environment that promotes their protection and well-being . Russian children -- indeed all children -- need to be in protective and loving families ..." Amen, Director Lake. Why has it become so hard for adults to get ...

Today is Orphan Sunday, and at Mosaic Church , we'll spend the entire morning highlighting the needs of orphans in our country and around the world. The statistics are staggering: there are more than 150 million orphans in the world. In the United States alone, 100,000 children are languishing in the foster care system, while waiting to be adopted. Many are older children. Some have physical or mental disabilities. Most have deep emotional scars. Few are in their situations because of their own fault. Almost all have been grossly neglected or abused by the adults in their lives -- the very people they have trusted to feed, clothe and care for them. This problem can seem so overwhelming, you might be asking, "What can I do?" There are several things YOU  can do for orphans around the world. 1. Pray for orphans in this country and around the world Psalm 68:5 calls God "a father to the fatherless." If He is their true Father -- and ours too -- we mu...

My life has been full of surprises. I'll share a few of them: I said I'd never marry a preacher. Well, I didn't marry a preacher, I married a corporate guy who, seven years later, became a preacher .  When my husband Anthony and I decided to adopt a newborn baby girl from the United States, the Lord chose a 2-year-old toddler  boy from Russia for our family instead. After relocating cross-country from Tennessee to Northern Virginia in hopes of planting a new church there, after only one year, the Lord clearly directed us to Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas . (Note: In case you haven't noticed, Arkansas borders Tennessee. Surely moving costs would have been a lot cheaper if we would have moved right to Arkansas from Tennessee.) As I share this list, I must admit, I wouldn't change not one of them. My life has been enriched by the surprises, the unexpected circumstances, and even the challenges of God flipping the script that I had joyfully wri...

Happy Siblings: Jada, Christian and Joelle When I share my heart on the topic of adoption, I usually don’t know where to begin. My compassionate heart for orphans – around the corner and around the world, as I say – was truly birthed out of my heart for God. When I view God’s heart in the scriptures, I see a loving, merciful God Who continually looks out for the underdog. The poor, the alien, the widow – and yes, the orphan – may oftentimes go overlooked by the world. But the poor, the alien, the widow and the orphan are much like Hagar, mistreated by her master Abraham’s wife, Sarai. In Genesis 16:7 we find Hagar alone in the desert, having fled her tormentor’s home. She is hungry. She is thirsty. She is completely alone in the world. Or so she thinks. While she withers under the desert sun, the angel of the Lord visits Hagar and speaks life to her. He tells her she is expecting Abraham’s son and that her descendents would one day be too numerous to ...

Okay, so let me start by saying that I'm not the first to pick this bone. The buzz has already started. Apparently others have written about this. Even MSNBC has shared some  unfavorable sentiments about it. But it makes a lot of sense. Usually when you're fighting mad about something, someone else is too. And it feels good to know I'm not alone. But this past Friday night when I sat in a dark, crowded movie theater watching the hit Disney movie "The Avengers" with my husband, I felt all alone during one particular line. Here's the backdrop: Thor, a demigod and member of the Avengers, has an evil brother Loki, also the villain of the film. While discussing Loki's wickedness, Thor begins to defend his brother. His spiel sounds a lot like, Well he's not all that bad . Then fellow Avenger Black Widow makes the huge observation, "He killed 80 people in 2 days." Thor replies with, "He's adopted." Now, let me begin ...

I've been reading a book lately that's absolutely breaking my heart. This book tells the story of Maria who walks the streets of a slum in Uganda to beg for food every day. It's the story of Rose and Brenda, orphans that were abandoned and left to grow up in an orphanage. It's the story of David and Bashir who were abducted, sold as slaves and forced to kill as child soldiers. And it's the story of a petite, Caucasian twenty-something young woman who left her home in wealthy  Brentwood, Tennessee to live in Uganda, East Africa to serve the poor, forsaken children there. (By the way,  I lived in the neighboring town to Brentwood for almost a decade and had the privilege of meeting Katie on a few occasions.) This young woman is relentless in her love and passion for these forgotten children. She is relentless in her pursuit to live out the Gospel of Christ. Katie's  words are enlightening. "Adoption is wonderful and beautiful and the gre...

The Hendricks Clan "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  Did you grow up hearing that adage? I don't think I reached age ten before I realized how false that saying is. The scars of sticks and stones heal with time. The scars of hurtful words? Many of us will take our share of those scars to our graves. If you have adopted, you've heard your share of ill-timed/insensitive questions and comments. Many will come from the lips of perfect strangers. This can be annoying, but in the end, feels rather harmless. Yet sometimes the offenses come from the people closest to us -- parents, grandparents, siblings, long-time friends. Some of those words have left scars on your soul. And maybe on the souls of your child. This post is not only for those of us that have adopted. This post is for our family members, our close friends, our fellow church and community members. This post is for our loved ones who may be very happy for us, b...

Bubba Watson with Mom Molly after Masters Win When a long-time pro like Phil Mickelson hits  a disastrous shot like the one on Sunday that landed him deep in the woods and another shot in the bunker, obviously something's gone awry. And when the name of Tiger Woods,  four-time wearer of the green Masters jacket,  fails to grace the list of top scorers, one might question the alignment of the solar system. And... when an underdog like  Bubba Watson sneaks up and  snatches that green jacket from veteran golfers from around the world, you know there's something amazing going on behind the scenes. My thoughts? God loves an underdog. Throughout history, people with lesser means, less training, less opportunities have often risen to the top of their game. Some call it raw talent. Some call it luck. Some call it providence. In the case of Bubba Watson, I think God might be up to something. And here's why: Bubba Proves That Anyone Can Dream If y...