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Separated Siblings

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I have written several blogs that describe the problems that the foster system has in Texas. I am going to focus on the harsh reality that sibling groups are almost always separated. The last thing that many of these children have to hold on to is taken away. The problems of the system are essentially the problems of our society. There are over 20,000 children in the system in Texas. That is way too many because there aren’t nearly enough well qualified foster families. This numbers problem lets some ruthless people into foster care who care only about making a … Continue reading →

A Change For Good

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I just got back from a trip to my hometown. I have not lived there in many years. The legacy that I left there is nothing to be admired. By chance, I had a conversation with a young man who said that he had heard a lot about me. I grew up with both of his parents and his landlord is also an old friend. My reputation in my hometown goes all the way back to my college days. I was very wild back then and I did not have a conscience. Well, I did have one; I just avoided … Continue reading →

Getting My Mind Right: Lookin’ Good

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I guess that it is time to give details on exactly how I am losing all of this weight. At the appointment with my doctor in May, he said that he wanted me to lose 100 pounds by eating right (less) and doing moderate exercise. He gave me a prescription for a “mild” appetite suppressant. It is called “phentermine”. I was taking a 30MG capsule every morning. I really like it because it has no side effects, I don’t feel goofy or hyped up, but it turns off that little thing in my brain that tells me that I am … Continue reading →

Toddler Brutally Murdered by His Father

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Two years ago, twenty-five year old Daniel Hernandez was arrested for brutally shaking his one month old son and severely injuring him. Since then, he had been free on bond. The agreement on which his freedom was based stipulated that he would not be with the boy. Now the child is dead and Hernandez is in jail once again. After the 2005 incident, the child lived with Hernandez’s aunt. The mother, twenty-one year old Jessica Ann Emhoolah, was required to go to counseling and take parenting skills classes. She did everything that the court asked her to do and this … Continue reading →

Street People: Our Test Case

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I have discussed the start of our family’s efforts to feed homeless people previously. Within a few months, we had a dozen people from our church going with us to minister to people on Sunday afternoons. Even then, I never would have dreamed that we would be having a man off the street as a house guest. For several years, we had hosted a home group one night a week at our house. When we told them about what we had been doing, they all wanted to come and join us. It was particularly exciting for me because I was … Continue reading →

Getting a Good Reception

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In my last blog, I wrote about putting up with negative views taken by some people when they see all of our family together. There are certain groups of people who usually have a more positive opinion. I have already written several blogs about the positive acceptance that we have seen from a number of African Americans . I have been thrilled by the response of my mother’s friends. When we adopted the boys, I was worried about it. My mother is in her eighties and has lived in the south all of her life. In the fifties, when my … Continue reading →

Dealing With The Public Perception

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If you have adopted children that do not look like you, you have to learn to ignore some people’s negative reactions. I am writing about the glance that turns into a stare that occasionally turns into a glare. If you are not familiar with my family, my wife and I are 60 and 52 (Nancy’s birthday is today) and white. Our adopted children are ages two through eight and biracial. Even though they are maternal brothers, they show a lot of ethnic diversity. We look like a United Nations group. We live in the country outside of Houston, Texas. I … Continue reading →

Foster Care Reform

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The Texas legislature has apparently become very concerned with recent revelations in regard to huge deficiencies in the state’s ability to oversee foster homes and child care facilities. Outside of Dallas, a six year old child was recently murdered by a very violent teenage member of her foster family. In this incident which was reported in a previous blog, the state’s lax supervision practices were brought to light. A top CPS official was called upon to testify before a legislative committee in a public hearing. The administrator came under intense questioning. He promised the legislators that his agency is working … Continue reading →

Bad Parents Have Legal Rights

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When our adopted children first came to live with us, the parental rights of their birth mother had not been resolved. This happens in many, if not most, adoptions. I will warn you that the process can be very frustrating. We have adopted five maternal brothers which involved two separate adoption proceedings. In the first one, there never was much doubt that she was going to drag it out as long as possible and then sign relinquishment papers. However, she threatened to contest the right to retain her parental rights in the second adoption. The birth mother of our boys … Continue reading →

Getting My Mind Right

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On May 24, 2006, I weighed 272 pounds at my doctor’s office. That was an all time high for me. I have had to fight my weight for the last forty years, I am sixty years old. When I was younger, 235 was a high weight and 185 was an ideal weight. I was six feet tall, or slightly under, depending on who measured me. Today, I have been whittled down by the years and I stand at 5’10. I do have a large frame. My weight that day really scared me for several related reasons. I was less than … Continue reading →