(R) Adam Davidson

Why does the healed man carry his own mat out of the house?
A) So people recognize him
B) They needed the space
C) His mat is now a trophy
I suggest it’s all three. Your thoughts?

I don’t want people to know what’s wrong & that I can’t handle it myself — that’s humiliating.
Sometimes we’re carrying the mat.
Sometimes we’re the one on the mat.
We need each other. Who’s carrying your mat? Who’s praying for you, interceding for you, lifting you to Jesus in prayer?

If we knew what everyone was thinking all the time, we’d probably be overwhelmed by how good yet shady people can be. The gospel even addresses how we think, because how we think leads to how we live. Consider Jesus, who knows our thoughts and loves us anyway, and make it your aim to keep every thought captive to Christ today.
Thanks for watching and sharing!

Jesus prioritizes spiritual health (eternal) over physical health (temporary). If you had the power to heal a paralyzed man, what’s the first thing you’d do?
Jesus does the most important thing.
What do you think He wants to do in us today?

(From Brittany):

I just wanted to give an update on trial today. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. Because this is the first time all lawyers involved have handled a case like this, there are some procedural things we have to be careful with so Carter’s bio mom can’t appeal the ruling. The law really caters to foster parents and step parents adopting. Technically, when Shawn died, by legal definition I was no longer Shawn’s wife or Carter’s step mom. I became his legal guardian. When a legal guardian wants to have bio parents rights terminated you have to prove there has been NO support or contact for two years. Carter’s bio mom has had not contacted or supported him for over a decade, but when Shawn died the timeline started over when I was given emergency guardianship and started over AGAIN when I was grated full guardianship on March 19, 2021. Yes, bio mom’s lawyer wants to dicker and deal over being13 days early. That’s fine. We WON’T stop fighting. Court was adjourned until April 24th, well within a for sure two year timeline. I have confidence that the judge will hear our case and rule in our favor. THANK YOU ALL for continuing to pray! It’s been a long road, and watching the life drain out of my kids face today was just hard. We’ve been waiting for this for so long. Carter told me he worries every day — if I died suddenly, how would Adam be able to keep him with his brothers? No kid should ever have to carry that burden. Stay tuned! I will keep you updated as we move forward. We are believing by June 1 that rights will be terminated and his adoption will be finalized!

We did it once — we can do it again! -rad

I’m encouraged and challenged by this short passage. People were drawn to Jesus as he “preached the word to them.” Overflow seating, standing room only — why were they drawn to him? He has what He offers us: the Word, working and living inside of us, and causing us to speak and live Truth in a hungry world.

The morning Shawn died, Brittany and Carter had an unexpected conversation demanded by crisis and driven by the unknowns. Carter’s mom — Shawn’s first wife — had descended into drug addiction and had excluded herself from the “fit to parent” list years before. After the divorce, Shawn got Carter and bio mom went on her merry way. It was just the two of them for a while until Shawn met Brittany. Carter liked Britt enough to tell his dad to pop the question, which he did. She said yes, they got married, and happy family times ensued. All was well…

…until the day Shawn died. In the chaos of the morning, an unexpected conversation ensued. Carter asked Britt: “now that my Dad is gone, will I have to go back to my mom?” Without a second thought or dry eyes, Britt said you’re not going anywhere.” She filed the emergency guardianship paperwork that same afternoon, keeping Carter in loving, safe, and capable hands. By God’s grace, time passed and healing ensued, though the unknowns still lurked in the background. I also was lurking in the background, so to speak and in a non-creepy way, moving into the position of husband to Britt and step-dad to Carter, who had lost his irreplaceable father to an unforeseen cardiac event. Yet another reminder that life is precious. Every day is a gift.

After years of paperwork, trying to track down bio-mom, public filings, court proceedings, attorney meetings, attorney fees and more paperwork, we finally have things lined up to adopt Carter. I say “we” because Carter asked for both Britt and I to adopt him. What an honor.

On Monday we go before the judge for Carter’s termination hearing. Before he can be adopted, the parental rights of his biological mom have to be terminated. You’d think this will be as simple as flipping a pancake on a hot griddle, but it may get complicated, like when the pancake sticks to the pan and gets all wrinkled up. The wrinkle here will be if bio mom decides to show up and raise a stink. We sure would appreciate your prayer for that to not happen. Prayer is like the nonstick coating that ensures a smooth flip of the flapjack, so to speak.

Provided everything goes smoothly in Monday’s hearing, we will go back to court again around early April and finalize Carter’s adoption.

One of the first conversations Brittany and I had in the year that followed Shawn’s passing was about her intense drive to adopt Carter. It hasn’t cooled. She’s on this thing. And now… finally… we get to see this next piece in God’s redemption fall into place. We all wish we’d been spared from our various disasters and losses, no doubt, but as far as making good out of a bad situation, God is doing a glorious job. We have our challenges but Christ is at the center, the love of God is like a dome over us, and the Spirit breathes life into our every moment.

Thanks for reading this short update. Keep our family in your prayers. We appreciate your support and glorify the Lord in all of it.

We’re comfortable enough that our prayer life ends up being centered around things that are important but not vital. Encouragement? I’ll take it. Salvation from sin? I *require* it. What are we seeking from the one who came for sick sinners?

I saw a story about a house in one of those golf course neighborhoods and it made me think of the word “paradise”. It was a good reminder that nothing in this world will ever be perfect until it’s perfected in eternity. Our forever home isn’t here… our Messiah is not in our relationships or job or experience… as always, we look to the crucified Messiah for the right perspective.

What do we do when we’ve started the day right but encounter trouble? Where did we go wrong? Where did God go? A strong start and a shaky afternoon can throw us off. YET… God is still faithful. This is the discipline of submission and trust.