Category: Leadership
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Centru comunitar
Cartierul în care locuiesc, are în plan să construiască un centru comunitar. Cel puțin în planul aprobat pentru construcții și promovat în materialele primite la cumpărarea unei proprietăți în acest cartier. Visăm încă totuși la un loc de joacă, pentru copiii care cresc mai repede decât planurile de dezvoltare ale cartierului. Există un sentiment de…
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After ROM
I’ve lost steam in the past. I got discouraged as things didn’t change or people didn’t respond as I had hoped they would. Aware of the difference in my enthusiasm and vision as I return from a couple of inspiring conferences, and the outcome of my attempts to do something, I started small and I…
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What is ROM
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” — Romans 12:2 My sister in law asked if she could read more about this conference we went to. Based on our conversation afterward, it sounded very intriguing to her. But there are no brochures. It has…
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I *blame the renewing of my mind
It has only been 12 hours since we got back from Macedonia, and though I didn’t make a conscious decision to practice disagreeing well, I did something uncharacteristic. Or something I had forgotten (how) to do. Speak up. Speak up even when a group seems silent. We often wait to disagree well till we have…
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Ohrid
The tall mountains of Macedonia are rolling stubbornly in the clouds. There’s a blue haze of heat and humidity layering the peaks, in darker and lighter shades. We left Ohrid. Jackie is sleeping, dreaming of hugs and laughter. She has adopted an army of aunts and uncles. She has had memorable connections and conversations, has…
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Not my merit
Is it the merit of the child who asks or the parent who gives? When we pray and God answers, how powerful do we feel? We take comfort in the fact that the Creator of the Universe is our Father, so generous, quick to forgive and slow to anger, so very loving… but it’s not…
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Reconciliation
The positive heartIn absence of anotherRemembers and feeds on the good My brother. Your servant heartYour quiet demeanor Not once have I doubted your love And yet. Conflicting signals You hurt.And I don’t understand. Coming homeI sense it’s worse than I thought As I put my self aside I see clearer. I start praying For healingFor understanding For peace Then I am moved With…
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A visit. Presence of mind and clarity
This past month I have had some aha-moments. I’ve been looking forward to Conrad’s parents’ visit for quite some time. We hadn’t seen them in a year and a half. And I believe they have a positive effect on Conrad. They are wise and trustworthy. They are godly and loving. And on a few occasions…
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We’re in this together
After feeling that I finally detached myself from the guilt of anger, I not just mustered the courage but I had the desire and drive to pick up and read the book “when parents get angry” by Carl Semmelroth. I just read the first chapter. It’s good! Here is what I want to highlight though. …
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A pillar of prayer
Ask and it shall be given to you. You do not have because you don’t ask. Ask without a selfish heart. I tell Jackie the story of her name. The week we met her we stumbled upon the significance of Jaclyn, rooted in the Hebrew Jacob, meaning “May God protect you”. That was our constant…
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Book reading to kids in elementary school
Last Fall I started to volunteer once a week, at a Day Center. I usually do math homework with 5th to 8th graders. Preteens and early teens. I frankly started to love it early on, but even more so as I get to know them better. The other day, they couldn’t wrap their mind…
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Ambitious & teachable
Never underestimate the ambition of an adoptee. Once they have taken a hold of a steady lifeline, even after they adapt to the good & predictable life, for better or worse they never loose that resilience, that keen awareness, the determination to survive, and to succeed. Yesterday Jackie got evaluated by four professionals to see…