SecondIron's Blog

Sharpening Iron to Live Second

How Biblical Adoption Changed Me

Adoption is something that is near and dear to every believer’s heart, Biblical Adoption changed my life forever. Ever meet someone who appears to be standoffish?  Maybe the walls they have up are blocking you from getting to know them. Whenever you ask them how they are you get one word answers like ‘fine’ or ‘okay’. They resist seeking relationships, going after goals or things that they want. Many people consider these behaviors as odd or even antisocial. Hopefully you will recognize that these behaviors may represent more than how they appear. Do you know someone who hides their own achievements, who would rather remain in the shadows. They separate themselves from the crowds. Usually they don’t care for the spotlight. Even on their own birthdays they  are somber and would rather be left alone. I am referring to the signs that can be misinterpreted as depression or behavior issues. In fact they are simply signs of adoption. Depending on the age the child was when adopted the signs can become more evident. I speak from experience as I was adopted as a child. Lived with the feeling that I never really fit in. Always feeling as if there was something missing. Not that there really was, but the longing for more still remained. Feelings of abandonment and rejection envelopes your emotions. Buried under trust issues and loneliness. The walls get built by bricks of bad memories and hurtful insults. Anger seeps in unexpectedly and consumes your mind. Wondering ‘why me‘ and ‘what if’s‘ drown your ability to […]

Dumpster Diving Solution

In every city in America you can find dumpster diving. With the economy in shambles over the last few years, need has grown. More homeless people are searching for their next meal. Many cities struggle for a solution. Soup kitchens have become common in the urban core. Yet people still go hungry. Many are children, veterans and the elderly that get ignored. People ignore them, walk past then as if they were not there. We complain about them, yet do little to help. One restaurant owner in Oklahoma had a brilliant idea. Rather than turning a blind eye as many do. They opened their heart to their dumpster diving friend. The owner of P.B. Jams noticed someone  had been going  through their trash. Rather than putting a lock or gate around the dumpster to keep them out. The owner invited them in. Oklahoma City metro business leaves message for dumpster diver Imagine a world where  instead of pretending they are not there. Imagine if we all were compelled to feed them. It may not be practical for every restaurant to open their doors to the hungry. However they could all do better in how much food they waste. This also goes for every household in America. We waste more food in a week than many will see a month. So the next time you have left overs that you will just throw away. Rather than leaving it to be thrown in a dumpster. Why not box it up and give it to the hungry on […]

Open Your Eyes to See the Unseen

Open your eyes do you see me? We are all guilty of it, we pass by people every day that just want to be seen.  Won’t you open your eyes to see the unseen. Sometimes it is the man on the corner asking for change. Do you stop and talk to him or rush on by? There is the lady with all the kids pulling on her wrinkled clothes. Do you offer her a hand or step out-of-the-way. When you see an old classmate busing the table where you just ate, do you say “hi” or keep on walking by.  Do you get frustrated with the one in front of you that uses food stamps and then wants change? What about the one that scrounges in their purse only to come up pennies short. We all get impatient and want to get on with our lives.  We would rather not look therefore we do not have to see. There are moments every day that we could make our world a better place.  A moment to say thank you to the baggers making minimum wage at the grocery store.  Or to not be rude when your burger is not your way. You see those little moments that we take for granted could mean the world in someone else’s day. We see need on the TV,  where charities ask for our monthly gifts, gifts that mean nothing to us yet everything to them.  Our hearts break and we think someone needs to do something, yet that someone is you. Rather […]