The past two weeks have been filled with many great meetings and relational connection. Even more so than usual weeks. Before I let myself get bogged down from all the mental capacity being consumed up, I decided to take on a slightly different perspective. I started praying for each meeting of the day on my commute in to the office. I know this doesn't sound like a super spiritual concept but it allowed for my relational anticipation to become re-energized. Instead of wondering if I could get through all of the meetings I was eagerly anticipating each one. Then comes the big revelation. John 5:17 reveals that the Father is always working, always. That puts a whole new weight on how we should view our relational interaction. If you show up and the other person(s) shows up, you have no idea what the impact could be. Do not underestimate the potential of your meetings and/or connections with others throughout the day. Treat it like an honored guest and see what happens.

When I was younger I never liked to read. The bookshelf was something I stayed away from and was afraid of. Now, I embrace the bookshelf. In fact, its the centerpiece of the room. As I have progressed in years I have developed such a love for books. You have heard it before, reading is knowledge and knowledge is power. It is so true. I feel like I am gaining multiple degrees and vicariously gaining lots of life experiences through reading books. Just for personal preference I never read fiction, always non-fiction. Not sure exactly why. I would just rather give my time to factual and tangible information. Must be my personality type:) In case you care, here is what I am currently reading:

Parenting Beyond Your Capacity- Joiner/Nieuwhof
Adopted for Life- Moore
The Measure of a Man- Getz
Reclaiming Adoption- Cruver
The Shaping of a Christian Family- Elliot
Switch- Heath

Tis the season to evaluate and innovate. Most of us are gathering up all the hats we wear (that was metaphoric) and making appropriate evaluations and changes as we look forward to a wonderful and more efficient new year. The key here is to focus on small steps or changes that will lead you towards a giant leap. Think about it this way, its your direction, not your intention that will lead you to your destination. Even the smallest or seemingly the most insignificant change can lead to your greatest decision and accomplishment. For what its worth, one of my life goals is to publish a book. Honestly I do not even know where to begin. I need to do some research to get up to speed in the writing and publishing communities. So, this week I have connected with Thomas Nelson Publishing Company to get the ball rolling. Looks like there are some very affordable and promising opportunities available. That's my one small step towards a giant leap. Remember this: if you don't stock the toilet paper it's not just going to appear. You just have to do it! And the result is fabulous! What are some of your dreams or goals this year? What one small step can you take today to help you make that giant leap?

Yesterday marked the one year point since the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Over the past year we have heard so many amazing stories of people leaving behind their comforts to serve a country in need. Even right now we are walking with a family through the process of adopting two boys from Haiti. The tragedy has been horrendous, we can all agree. But in the midst of the tragedy God has been writing so many beautiful stories. These stories are written out of the muck and mire. They are written out of the uncomfortable, terrifying, and insecure places we find ourselves when we respond to a need. In the moment it may seem like a nightmare but in the end it's a story that we wouldn't change for anything. Those are the stories that are worth being told. They are the stories that we want our children and grandchildren to hear. Your response to a need in always greater than your reaction. Our reactions prick our emotions and rarely end up with thoughtful and sustaining production. However, a response invokes a giving of oneself. In order to respond we have to be "all in". Our time, energy, and resources are available when we respond to something. So, as you are walking along analyzing the needs around you (i.e.- Haiti, Human Trafficking, Orphans, AIDS, Homeless, Education, etc) make sure that you don't leave each issue with a mere reaction. It's worth your response.

Seems like this week is adoption week by default. I got two emails yesterday alone for families who wanted to sign up for a New Rhythm Consult to talk about the possibilities of adoption. We are also connecting with two New Rhythm families at the end of the week to celebrate their Haiti adoption process. This stuff is amazing! We are so humbled to be a part of the amazing stories that God is writing in families. I am inspired everyday when I have the chance to listen and serve these wonderful people. If you have been thinking about how you can care for orphaned and vulnerable children and you are interested in a consult email us at info@newrhythm.org.

We are brainstorming different opportunities to partner with organizations to make a large impact locally and globally on the orphan care front. We always want to make sure we are balancing those efforts. Reaching only those who our next door minimizes our effectiveness. Reaching only those who are across the water makes us hypocrites. Our goal is to work hard at making sure we are hitting on all cylinders both locally and globally. Today we are conferencing with ShowHope to talk about a trip to Maria's Big House of Hope in China. Details will come soon. We would love for you to join us:)

I almost never write a post this long but I thought it was worth the share....


“I’m so sorry, there are no available families at this time.” 

It was a little over a year ago today that I remember hearing those words from my wife after getting a phone call late one evening. It was a late wintery night and we were sound asleep. Both of us were warm and cozy underneath our goose feathered down comforter when suddenly the phone rang. It was two in the morning and Shelly immediately jumped up to answer the phone. We have gotten phone calls like this one in the past, after all, my wife Shelly is a social worker and it is her job to help find placements for children in emergency situations. It is safe to say that we were kind of used to this type of situation but for some reason this night was different. It was a call for a sibling set of three. They waited after school for their parent or guardian to pick them up but they never came. It was hours later at this point and there was still no sign of a parental figure for these children who were all under the age of eight. The Social Service Department was calling around to agencies to try and find a safe, loving, and comfortable place for these kids to go temporarily or with potential permanency, depending on the outcome of the situation. As Shelly perused through her list of families she noticed that all of them were full and she was not going to be able to help these kids find a home. When she hung up the phone I couldn’t stop picturing those three young kids sitting in a waiting room, with no warm colors on the walls, no comfortable seating, and with no one to hold them or play with them and tell them that it is going to be ok. As far as we know, they are still in that waiting room today.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that during this same time that Shelly received this particular phone call I was at an unsettled place in my life, wrestling intrusively, and wondering if I was actually finding my life fit within the pages of scripture. Sure I believed in the Word of God and read it and went to church and encouraged others to do the same but there was a huge gap I felt between what I was reading in the Bible and what I was actually doing with my life.  The gap in this case wasn’t defined by the deep dark sins of commission and the things I was doing in secret or in the open. In fact it had everything to do with the things I wasn’t doing, the sins of omission. It was the parts of the Bible that I read and then just turned the page without giving proper attention to the words before me. For example, there is a particular verse found in the book James that speaks specifically about caring for those children that were on the other side of the phone that night. I have read many, many times before. It is written like this, “Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after the orphans and widows in their distress.” Did you notice those two adjectives that were chosen specifically to describe God’s design for religion, in this case meaning the church? The words are pure and faultless.  Those are heavy words with enormous definition. The word pure means it is not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material, it is without any extraneous or unnecessary elements. And faultless, it means free from defect or error. Wow. Just reading these words gives you great anticipation for something so beautiful and so powerful and so genuine and yet when I think of the noun that they are describing, the church, it doesn’t quite match up. I want to be careful here. It would have been easy for me to stop right there and join the conversation of how much the church has missed the mark over the past several years and point my finger at how adulterated and stained the church really is. However, simply joining this conversation is not going to make my life, and/or the church, pure and faultless. You know what is? Actually believing and doing what the Bible says to do. In this case it is to care for the orphans and the widows. Then, after you have done these things, your faith and deep convictions will be known all around the world for generation to come as pure and faultless. That is what I want my faith to look like.

So Shelly and I started having this conversation with one another about how we could utilize our abilities and experiences in an effort to mobilize the church and the community to care for orphans and walk out the pages of scripture in a pure and faultless way. That is how New Rhythm Project came into existence. The more and more we had this conversation, the more and more we found out the need.

Did you know? 
there are 163 million orphans in the world?
there are over 100,000 children available for adoption in the U.S.
there are over 4,000 children in foster care in D.C.
if 1 family in 1 in 4 churches adopted one child their would be no more waiting children in the US
if only ¼ or less of the churches in D.C. got involved, there would be no more orphans in D.C.
if you got involved there would be one less orphan in your community

Collaborative efforts are what New Rhythm is all about. We educate and mobilize communities to care for the orphans. New Rhythm goes into a community and pulls out the red carpet from the church door to the government door. I know this may sound taboo but according to the Bible it is the church’s responsibility to care for the children, not the government. That is where the new rhythm happens. So first, we connect with the local DSS and other agencies to find out the particular needs of the community and solicit partnerships.  Then we join with a business organization or church and educate them on the doctrine and logistics of orphan care.  Finally, we help customize plans with individuals or families, and directly connect them with specific childcare organizations according to their needs and/or desires to serve. The result equates in major community needs being met which includes: finding stable and loving homes for children to find permanent or temporary placement, healthy communication and networking between businesses and organizations, & the church finding a new rhythm, rising to produce a movement that holds credibility to the adjectives that God had in mind for it.

If you are interested in having a New Rhythm come to your church, business, or community group please contact bookings@newrhythm.org

If you haven't already, take some time this month to map out a plan or goals for the year. It doesn't have to be exhaustive, it can be short but make sure its direct so you know what you walking towards. I have found this practice to be invaluable in every aspect of life. There is something important that happens when you create a plan and stick to it. Its like your synapsis' fire on all chords in order to see that plan resolved and you are able to make decisions that enable you to reach your destination. It is also of upmost importance to share your goals or your plan with others. This is a great way to not only help you stay the course with accountability but it also creates an opportunity for you to inspire others to dream as well. The dangerous part is the flip side. Life without a plan creates an environment for us to make bad decisions on the whim which we will more than likely later regret. So don't end your life with just sin and bones. Make the most of it and dream outside of your capabilities and see what happens.

Proverbs 5
You don't want to end your life full of regrets, nothing but sin and bones. Saying, "Oh, why didn't I do what they told me? Why did I reject a disciplined life? Why didn't I listen to my mentors, or take my teachers seriously? My life is ruined! I haven't one blessed thing to show for my life!"

Interested in great health, personal growth, and occupational success in 2011? Look no further than Proverbs 4:20-27:

"Listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! Those who discover these words live, really live; body & soul, they're bursting with health. 
Keep vigilant watch over your heart; thats where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left;leave evil in the dust."

What a joy it was to launch our brand new logo yesterday on 1/1/11 at 1pm. We also did a pre-launch for our webpage so it was a two for one deal. We are so grateful for the opportunity to serve individuals and families through new rhythm project. And to think, we are starting the year with three adoptions from Haiti. What an amazing privilege. Here is to a great year with hundreds of children in loving families! Thanks for your support and love.