Super Bowl Winning Coach Tony Dungy

I wish I would have known about this sooner! Read below and watch the video that follows to see what Coach Tony Dungy has to say about adoption!

 

Super Bowl Winning Coach Tony Dungy Featured In Free Halftime Video Kit for Game Watching Parties

January 22, 2012 - AdoptionJourney.org

This year’s football fans gathering at various watch parties will have access to one Super Bowl coach’s personal thoughts during halftime. A free downloadable video kit is available to local game watching party organizers which features Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren.
The video message includes a personal appeal to Americans on the subject of the current orphan crisis and adoption. Dungy is involved with The Adoption Journey Project (www.adoptionjourney.org) to help influence more couples to consider adoption.

“The big win on Super Sunday would be to raise awareness about the millions of children who need a family. I would love to see thousands of local community groups and circles of friends gathering together to stop and consider how they can help,” said Dungy, the winning head coach of the 2007 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.

“With more than 100,000 children in need of a stable and loving family in the US, if just a fraction of groups gathering to watch the Big Game influence just one family to adopt, we would make a huge dent in this social crisis,” said Marc Andreas, Vice President of Marketing at Bethany Christian Services, the largest adoption agency in the country.

Information and video from http://www.adoptionjourney.com/share/dungyhalftime/. 

Surrounded

One of the ways of dealing with an unknown time of waiting is staying busy by being around others. The alternative is to hide myself in a dark room and be a sad hermit, but I have found spending time with loved ones much more encouraging. Even for people who do not have close families, finding positive people to be around helps out much more than remaining isolated. Two Saturdays ago, January 28th, my immediate family had the opportunity to come see me for my birthday! It has been around ten years since I have spent my actual birthday with my family (living out of state and then having weekday birthdays), so it was truly a gift enough in itself to celebrate with them! My mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, nieces, and nephew came in person on Saturday, and my grandparents joined in the party via skype. Eric's parents came and celebrated with us the following day. In addition to birthday celebrations, Eric and I have been blessed with supportive family, siblings, and parents. Here are some pictures from our fun day together!

My nieces and nephew gave me a picture collage that says, "We love Aunt Erin!" Uncle Eric had fun feeding his baby niece. I think he looks amazing with a baby, don't you? :) It's coming one day! Dad was loving every minute of having all his children in one place at the same time! My sister made me the black hat I'm wearing! She is so talented and thoughtful!

My grandparents joined in the fun by talking to us on skype. If you look close enough you can see my granddad on the computer screen! That was fun!

Cake is important for a birthday! Thanks, Grandma, for the delicious chocolate cake! Yum! Yum!

We had so much fun eating together and just relaxing together. There was no special agenda - just quality time. Mom made some yummy vegetable soup and cornbread.

Eric and I have really been blessed with a great familial support system! We had a blast just being together!

We had a good time with Eric's parents, too! They drove up early to attend church with us, and then they took me out to lunch. Delicious! Of course, it wouldn't be a second birthday celebration without another cake! Eric and I enjoyed the cakes for a good week! Someone had to eat them! :) Another relaxing family visit! 

Thanks, family, for your love, support, and birthday visits!!!!!!!!! You're a constant encouragement to us along this journey in our lives!

Sufficient

Eric is teaching a series to our Wednesday night college group about tough questions. The current question is Why do bad things happen to good people? During Bible study Wednesday night, Eric shared the following Scripture passage:

2 Corinthians 12:9
⁹ And He [God] has said to me [Paul], “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Eric and I have not even come close to the difficulties and hardships Paul faced, but God's words said a long time ago to Paul are still relevant today. God's grace was sufficient for Paul, and God's grace IS sufficient for you and me. I may feel weak at times, but God makes me strong!

Constant Reminders

Constant reminders are so good! I know I can be quite forgetful at times! Just as the previous post mentioned, God gave me reminders last week of His grace, comfort, and peace in times of waiting. Just only the day after hearing the devotion from my school's headmaster, one of my co-workers emailed the entire staff the following devotional entry. It was truly a blessing and encouragement to me during this season of my life. I hope it will serve as an encouragement to you, too!

January 27, 2012

Oh How Long, Lord?

Transformational Thought

I  am so impatient when I watch TV. Can't stand to watch commercials, not  even
Super Bowl commercials. How long 'til the game starts again? Have  you ever said
those words, "How long?," as in, "How long, Lord, until my  prayer is answered?
How long until life gets better? How long do You  want me to do this without seeing
results? How long do You want me to  suffer? How long do I have to "just hang in
there?" How long 'til my  kids get along? How long 'til my loved one stops drinking?"

When  Joseph was sold into slavery and later spent years in prison, he must  have
asked, "How long, Lord?" When Moses led the Israelites around and  around in the
wilderness, he surely thought, "How long, Lord?" When Noah  was ridiculed for 100
years while he built an ark on dry land, he must  have wondered, "How long, Lord?"
Simeon and Anna had been waiting for  decades, "How long until the Messiah comes?"
But each one of these  trusted God. They respected Him enough to continue obeying
Him even when  hope was almost snuffed out from a worldly perspective.

Perhaps  you are involved in a ministry that seems to go nowhere. Yet, you know
the Lord wants you there. Maybe you have been praying for an unsaved  loved one
for many years. Or perhaps you have a business that just isn't  coming together,
but the Lord has led you to continue. Be encouraged to  revere God by continuing
to obey him, even though you wonder, "How  long, Lord?"

Our  nature is to want our own agenda to be in place now. No waiting. We  don't
want others calling the shots. To avoid discomfort, we demand what  we want when
we want it. My kingdom come, my will be done. But waiting  and patience are powerful
teachers of many truths. This is how character  and many psychological skills are
developed. God knows the right  timing. Bend to His timeline and your peace and
growth will be  unbelievable.

Today,  be confident that God loves you. Examine your life to see what  situation
or area makes you impatient ... frustrated ... irritable. Make  sure you are doing
a good job with your part of the issue. Then accept  that God has a different timeline.
Learn the lesson He is teaching. The  timing glitch is in your life to grow you
... and often to protect you.  That is God's purpose for all that comes into your
life. He has a  perfect plan for you. We all just keep messing it up. His timing
is  always perfect because it is His timing. Follow Noah's example and keep  on
"doing all that God commands." Your decision, so choose well.

Prayer

Oh  Father, Lord, help me honor You by trusting You and waiting on You.  Even though
I get discouraged at times, help me remember that You are in  control and that Your
way is the best way. Your timing is the best  timing. Help me be patient so I can
show the world I am willing to wait  on You, Lord. Thy kingdom come, not my kingdom
come. I really don't want  to take over responsibility for the whole world, even
though sometimes I  act like it. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the
One who  demonstrated perfect timing, Jesus Christ; and all God's children say
-  AMEN!