Thank you, Dr. Dobson!

This Friday, James Dobson retires from his post at Focus on the Family.  He will be missed.

Dobson had a thriving role at USC's Children's Hospital in the 1970's as a PhD in clinical psychology.  He shelved it all to meet a growing need of ministering to families through radio.  Oh, what a need!  His radio program grew from a tiny little rented office in southern California to an enormous complex in Colorado Springs with a far-reaching ministry.  Dr. Dobson unapologetically took God at his word and shared with families across America how Jesus Christ was the solution to man's and the family's most desperate need.

His works have been translated into dozens of languages.  His program is heard around the world.

And he is hated.

Had Dr. Dobson remained a man talking about parental discipline, healing marriages, and the like, he may have faded from radio and gone back to teaching.  He didn't.  He couldn't.  Families have to deal with homosexuality.  Families have to deal with abortion.  Families have to deal with pornography.  Dr. Dobson would not bury his head and pray they went away.  He spoke plainly into his microphone that such things stood in direct opposition to God and his word.  Many felt he drifted too far into politics, and in an increasingly secular America, thou shalt not mix God and politics.

I will always thank God for how he used Dr. Dobson within our nation, but I thank God for how he used Dr. Dobson in my family most of all.

Beginning in the early 1990's, God began to prod my wife, Tracy, and me toward adoption.  We ignored him, but he kept prodding.  One evening in 2001, Tracy headed to town.  It was a half an hour drive.  She turned on the radio and heard Dr. Dobson and Steven Curtis Chapman discussing the Chapman's adoption of their little girl, Shoahannah, from China.  My bride's heart stirred like never before.  She mentioned hearing it to me, but our conversation went no further.

The next day, she had to go back into town, thought little of the time, and when she clicked on the radio, she was startled to hear Chapman and Dr. Dobson discussing adoption, again.  It was a two-day program.  When she returned home that night, our conversations grew more passionate.  We had four sons already and our living space seemed full, but there was obviously more room in our family.

On August 4th, 2003, an orphaned, little, Chinese girl got herself a dad, a mom, and four new brothers.  Emma became our daughter.

God wasn't done.  On July 6th, 2005, we welcomed Kara into our family, too.

Thank you, Dr. Dobson, for serving your Lord and Savior in this ministry for the last thirty-plus years.  Thank you for the many ways you have blessed me and my family.

Thank you, Dr. Dobson, for Emma and Kara.

Well done!