Something to Read
Oftentimes, someone will ask, "Do you know of anything good to read?" And being an avid reader, I can give you a list of selections that are favorites of mine. So, why not give you a book recommendation or two while I'm writing this blog? Especially when one subject I focus on when reading non-fiction material is adoption and orphan care.
While perusing the aisles of Lifeway a few weekends ago, I had intended to pick up David Platt's newest title. But, instead, I found this:
Orphan Justice: How to Care for Orphans Beyond Adoptiong by Johnny Carr, a gentleman who works for Bethany Christian Services, an organization that promotes adoption, fostering, and orphan care. I was intrigued by the idea that there might be some new ideas in here that I had never considered when it came to caring for the orphan.
However, I was not prepared to be overwhelmed by just how much bigger the orphan situation is. Care about the HIV/AIDS crisis? Many children find themselves without a family after this disease has ravaged their home. What about sex trafficking or human slave trade? Many orphans, upon aging out of the system, find themselves with nowhere to go and no way to feed or house themselves and, in desperation, find themselves trapped in a seedy world with no way out. Poverty? Homelessness? Special Needs? Racism? Carr finds a way to tie it all together, leaving you with the realization that orphan care is so much more than you ever thought it was. And thankfully, he gives the reader several suggestions at the end of each chapter of how you can help.
The book kept the wheels of my mind turning throughout the pages, so I recommend two things: 1. Keep a pen and paper handy. You may find yourself coming up with ideas, and it's nice to have a place to jot them down.; and 2. Read it with someone else. Carr even recommends this early on. With so much information to take in, it's helpful to have someone to discuss it with. (Or your husband could find himself a captive audience in the van while you share everything you learned, whether he wanted to know it or not. And bless his heart, he listened to it all, and somehow came up with the idea that maybe we should move to a foreign country and start an orphan's home. Seriously, that man is just open to wherever God takes us. )
Interested in picking it up for yourself? Find it here.
While perusing the aisles of Lifeway a few weekends ago, I had intended to pick up David Platt's newest title. But, instead, I found this:
However, I was not prepared to be overwhelmed by just how much bigger the orphan situation is. Care about the HIV/AIDS crisis? Many children find themselves without a family after this disease has ravaged their home. What about sex trafficking or human slave trade? Many orphans, upon aging out of the system, find themselves with nowhere to go and no way to feed or house themselves and, in desperation, find themselves trapped in a seedy world with no way out. Poverty? Homelessness? Special Needs? Racism? Carr finds a way to tie it all together, leaving you with the realization that orphan care is so much more than you ever thought it was. And thankfully, he gives the reader several suggestions at the end of each chapter of how you can help.
The book kept the wheels of my mind turning throughout the pages, so I recommend two things: 1. Keep a pen and paper handy. You may find yourself coming up with ideas, and it's nice to have a place to jot them down.; and 2. Read it with someone else. Carr even recommends this early on. With so much information to take in, it's helpful to have someone to discuss it with. (Or your husband could find himself a captive audience in the van while you share everything you learned, whether he wanted to know it or not. And bless his heart, he listened to it all, and somehow came up with the idea that maybe we should move to a foreign country and start an orphan's home. Seriously, that man is just open to wherever God takes us. )
Interested in picking it up for yourself? Find it here.
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