Not the Same
Posted on Friday, May 25, 2012
It has been a while since I sat down to write a blog article. Who would of thought being the executive director of a new, Mississippi non-profit adoption agency would be so time consuming? But I digress (more on that later)… I have a friend and client who is going through a divorce. He is a great guy who made a few mistakes. Actually, in the grand scheme of mistakes that a person can make in a marriage, his were relatively minor offenses, but his wife, a hard-charging, type-A personality, cannot stand that her perfect little idea of a life may not have a starched shirt and slick, silk tie. I grieve for him, but I grieve for her just as much. I want to reach out to her and tell her that if your idea of living is measured relationally to those around you as opposed to what springs from inside, inhabiting the spiritual realm, there will never be a sense of satisfaction, but what do I know, she is going through one divorce and I have been through about 500. READ MORE
200 Million Flowers Update
Posted on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
A few people have asked me whether or not I am going to quit practicing law and focus on 200 Million Flowers full time. I kind of laugh when people say that, not because it is necessarily a crazy idea, but because I am leveraging the law practice to be able to help, in part, finance this new adoption agency. One friend said “The divorces are funding the adoptions.” I guess that’s true. However, I really love practicing law and managing my law firm. I get to work with an client base every day – many of whom are in the worst crisis of their life, and the R+A team is world class in my humble opinion. But I am also having a blast helping to get 200 Million Flowers off the ground. It is a really fun second job and we are just getting started. READ MORE
KEEP CALM and CARRY ON
Posted on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
I should be in the shower headed to the office, but I am writing to you instead. Last year I was in the habit of writing almost every day. I was sharing thoughts inspired by our church’s L3 Journal to a bunch of guys. It hasn’t gone that way this year. When Emma started kindergarten, our mornings became much more hectic, and if I didn’t write first thing in the morning, it was not going to happen. This week, Rachel is on a mission trip in Costa Rica with a group called Visiting Orphans. I am getting a small taste of being a single dad. READ MORE
Tim Tebow versus Joel Osteen
Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2012
I have a friend who is an addict. It breaks my heart how he continually makes bad choices. I have not supported his bad choices and he has said many things calculated to hurt me –mostly via text message. Even if untrue or with only shades of truth, words from those you love hurt the most. That is one of the many things that make divorce in the Bible belt of Mississippi (or anywhere for that matter) so freaking hard. READ MORE
The Parasite
Posted on Monday, December 19, 2011
I get inspired for these little articles, aka rants, from all different sorts of crazy places. This week, it comes from an official looking note on orange paper being sent home with Emma about a breakout of lice in her classroom. When I was a kid…. Yep, I got them. My little tail was sent home from school after an examination from my teacher with a sharpened pencil. It was very embarrassing and getting rid of them was a long, annoying, time consuming process. READ MORE
Top 5 Places People that Cheat Meet
Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2011
If you have read much of what I have written, you know that while adultery causes a lot of divorces, it is usually not the primary reason a marriage fails. The failed marriage leads to cheating --it is a symptom of the disease in most cases, not the disease itself. Nevertheless, where people that cheat meet is pretty predictable, and I thought I would spend a few minutes talking about them. READ MORE
Redemption and Divorce
Posted on Monday, September 26, 2011
I was in the book store the other day and I was browsing while Rachel and the girls were listening to story time in the children’s section. A little red book by Mark W. Gaither called Redemptive Divorce caught my eye. I finished it last night. While it would seem that Redemption and Divorce are antonyms, Gaither uses a Biblical discussion of marriage and divorce as the backdrop to introduce a legal strategy aimed at keeping marriages together. He proposes that filing for divorce can help save a marriage about 20% of the time. READ MORE
Olivia Y
Posted on Wednesday, July 13, 2011
There are many well-intentioned, talented people with hearts for children and Mississippians working at the Department of Human Services. However, I always advise people to work with a private attorney whenever possible. The DHS workers are underpaid and overworked. Obviously, while lawyers can help with child support collection and can bring certain private court actions related to children, attorneys are not able to provide certain social services. These are the responsibility of the state of Mississippi. One such service is our system of foster care. READ MORE
Why?
Posted on Tuesday, July 12, 2011
So the other night I was sitting at a table for eight in Shapley’s for the celebration of my friend’s birthday. I had mentioned to him that Rachel and I were in the beginning stages of creating an adoption agency, and he had told the other guests about it before we met up with the group. Inevitably, one of the girls at the table asked me “Why?” Remember, we were not in church, people were having a few drinks and I was presented with this heartfelt, well-intentioned question out of sincere curiosity. While the table crew silent, all eyes were focused on me. I needed to have an answer. I don’t know how well I responded to the question for my slightly intoxicated audience, but here is the answer after having a little time to reflect: READ MORE
200 Million Flowers
Posted on Monday, July 11, 2011
It is my pleasure to announce the formation of a non-profit adoption agency called 200 Million Flowers. Although as a family law attorney, I can already assist in the adoption process, a home study, one of the essential steps in adoption, must be conducted by a licensed social worker employed by a licensed adoption agency. Streamlining this procedure is an essential tool in creating more efficiency in the adoption process, which is my primary motivation. READ MORE








