Adopted Child Rejected By Mom

News of an adopted a boy from Russia – who was sent him back to Russia, by himself – really grabbed my heart. Here’s one account, and an excerpt:

The 7-year-old boy, Artyom Savelyev, who was called Justin Hansen by the Tennessee family, was put on a plane with a note saying his adoptive mother no longer wanted to parent him because he was violent and had severe psychological problems.

While the details are still becoming known, as an adoptive father – our youngest child is from Russia, and his given name was also Artyom – I am deeply saddened by the situation. This is a terribly tragic story on several accounts. The boy’s verbally violent threats reveal a child with some serious issues, perhaps related to fetal alcohol syndrome, which is very common in Russian infants, or attachment issues, or maybe even reflective of something on the autism spectrum. I’m very sorry to see that the parents’ were unable to control him, or to get some help – counseling, medical intervention, or more. And what about the airline which accepted the child as a passenger? And the agency which facilitated the adoption and would have been following up with the family? Who is (most) at fault here?

It would be easy to jump to conclusions and assign blame, but for now I’ll be praying for little 7 year-old Artyom, asking God to give him a family and to comfort him in this time of trouble. And I’m also praying that the door will stay open for other families to adopt from Russia. It’ll be a shame if this isolated incident adversely affects those adoptions that are already in process, or shuts down altogether the adoption opportunities for other families and children.

Pray For Ezekiel

Here’s a little boy I’d like you to pray for. His name is Ezekiel, and we met him at the Casa Luz orphanage during our Christmas-time family trip to Peru. Ezekiel was engaging and joyful, and our youngest daughter (she’s 11) especially enjoyed interacting with him.

Without going into too much detail, we have a spot in our hearts for Ezekiel. In response to God’s promptings, we’re praying, asking God to touch his life in a special way. And we’re also asking God how we might be used to accomplish His purposes for this little guy.

Could I ask you to take just a minute and ask God to touch Ezekiel and do some special things in the life of this special, fatherless child? Maybe God would have something for you in this, too.

A Visit With Troy and Sara Groves

You’ve heard her music, and you know many of her lyrics by heart. Her albums include The Other Side of Something, Tell Me What You Know and her latest is, Fireflies and Songs.  So perhaps you think you know all about popular singer Sara Groves. But in this candid visit, Sara is joined by her husband, Troy, and together they reveal what their life is like, balancing faith and family – and a busy music career.

By the way, if you use Twitter, cut and paste the following for an opportunity to receive a copy of that new album, Fireflies and Songs. We’ll be randomly selecting five folks who RT this to receive that CD:

RT @MyFocusRadio: Sara Groves and husband Troy are on Monday’s Focus on the Family radio program. Listen in here: http://bit.ly/aO7rcU

Good Friday Reflections

You’re a busy person. You have lots on your plate. And you are moving in the fast lane, so fast that you’re speeding toward Easter. You’re looking forward to celebrating the resurrection.

You need to stop. In this world, we want to avoid suffering. We skim through the news and utter short “Lord, keep me safe” prayers. Even during this very spiritual season, we don’t take the time to stop, really consider the Cross, and thank our Lord for His supreme sacrifice.

So we – you and I – probably need to slow down, and ponder, reflect, meditate upon the One who suffered for us. For me.

Here’s a powerful recollection, by a truly gifted communicator, about the reason for Christ’s suffering.

And if you yourself are suffering through the loss of someone close, or an unexpected trial at work, or maybe a relational conflict that is consuming all your time and energy…listen in. You’ll hear some compelling thoughts about how God redeems suffering.

← Previous Page