George Dennehy
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George Dennehy Blog

Some Thoughts About (my) Adoption

3/22/2017

3 Comments

 
Whenever I do a time of Q&A after an event, one popular subject that's asked about is my adoption and adoption as a whole. People often look to me for advice and answers, which I am so honored by. I usually get asked a lot of deep questions. Questions such as; 

-Are you mad at your birth family for giving you up for adoption?
-Since you have met your biological family, have you decided who you consider your real family to be?
-My son/daughter adopted from _____ wants to track down their birth family, but I don't want them to because I am afraid that will cause tension, what should I do?
-Was it hard meeting your birth family?

Those are only a few, and all of those are actual questions I've been asked in front of audiences of hundreds/thousands. I won't be answering each question here, what I really wanted to do is hopefully offer some personal thoughts about my adoption and the questions as a whole.

I really do feel honored that people look up to me enough to seek my council when it comes to something as amazing and important as adoption. But here's the thing, I feel like the advice I give come from a place of personal experience. I don't know if there is a "correct" answer for a lot of these deep questions that are raised. When I'm giving advice, I try to stress the fact of "This is how it is for me". This is especially true when the subject of meeting my biological family comes up. Because personally, I always did want to meet them and know them, because they are my family too. But what is in my heart may not be in someone else's, and that's okay! 

We are all different, us orphan folk. We all come from different places with different stories, and even baggage. I will always do my best to give the most solid advice I can when I'm asked these questions, even though they do come from a place of personal experience and feeling. 

Talking about someone's adoption with them should be taken with care. They may or may not be open to talking deep into it, if at all. 

I always say it, I am an open book. I like to answer any questions anyone has, just remember that my advice and answers I give are reaped from of my own personal journey :)

Be undeFEETed,

​George


3 Comments

Your Story Matters!

3/1/2017

2 Comments

 
If you're anything like me, it's easy to take a look at the world around you and immediately feel insignificant. There are so many people in the world, so why do I matter? I'm just a speck in comparison to the rest of the world's population. With so many people, so many better people, why would anything I have to say even matter? Why would my story mean anything when there are millions of people with similar stories?

I've thought like this for a long time and sometimes I still have those thoughts, maybe it's just me, but it can be extremely discouraging. I know that often times when I begin to have a dream, I quickly will shut it down as to big for me and that there's someone else is more capable than I am, because I am just not that important.

I believe that a lot of these thoughts that we have can derive from a mindset of comparing ourselves to others. We are constantly comparing other people to ourselves in so many different capacities. Whether it be someone else's talents, resources, finances, personalities, life stories, we live in such a comparison culture! 

To be frank, I just don't think that's fair to us as individuals. The more that we compare, the more that we lose sight of how unique each and every one of us are. I try and remind myself that my story IS special and it does mean something. Why? Because it's my story, and I'm the only one living it. I can compare myself all day and that will only deal more damage. That's not the way to live.

I want to encourage you to remember that you were created uniquely and that your story is one that has never been and that will never be again, Your story is totally and completely unique. Don't ever let the burdens of the world get in the way of that. Be strong, Allow your story to be written and then find the courage to tell it!

Stay undeFEETed,

​George

2 Comments

A More Confident Me

5/5/2016

9 Comments

 
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Throughout my whole life, one of the biggest things that's held me back is my own lack of self-confidence. Nothing screams "you're a weirdo" like being out in public and always being stared at. I'll be honest, it's pretty unnerving being out to eat and seeing people out of my peripheral glancing over with a look of disgust. Or walking around at the mall and seeing people eye me down as I walk past them. 

Dealing with people's stares makes it easy to look at myself negatively. To me, I see myself through the way other people see me, and that's the problem. It's so easy for me to become self conscious about not having arms when someone looks at me weird or whispers something about me as I pass them by. How interesting it is that we care so much of what strangers think of us. It's a dangerous cycle to fall into as we live our lives, and I am one of the biggest victims of this. 

Eventually I had to decide to change they way I think and act out in public, because the more I noticed all the little stares and whispers, the more dark my heart became; the more negative I viewed myself which in turn led to a depressed and lonely me. 

I believe that the less we care what the world thinks of our appearance, the more free we will feel. The fact that we as humans care so much of strangers' opinion of the way we appear is silly to me, but all the more real. Confidence is one of those feelings we all want to have, we all need to have. If you ask me, it starts with us learning to live in the bodies that we're born with. The way we look is a part of who we are, and we should never be ashamed of that. I know it's so much easier said than done, and I am far from truly getting there. Who knows, maybe we can never fully get there, because we will always have our bad moments. But I know that we can always make positive strides to a more confident and joyful version of ourselves. 

I'll leave you with this; We are who we are, we look the way we look. We can't change what can never be changed. The best thing we can do is to accept who we are, pay no mind to stranger's opinions of the way we look, and to keep our perseverance to be always moving forward as confident and happy versions of us!
9 Comments

Keep Trying

1/25/2016

4 Comments

 
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Being born without arms has come with its challenges, to say the least. Some normal easy tasks that you might do on a daily basis are not necessarily easy and normal for me to do. I do everything everyone else does, I just do them in my own way. Some of these tasks are easy, but others are a bit more challenging.

For example, changing my clothes as I get ready for the day. It may seem like such a simple no-brainer that you do every day, but for me it can be a bit more complicated. Such as what I'm wearing for the day. Am I wearing a button up shirt? Am I going to put a belt on? How cold is it outside, should I put on a jacket (even though I hardly ever do, just ask my wife)? This is just one of many many examples of how getting through life is a bit different in my shoes (that I barely wear).

I'll admit, there have been times, and sometimes even still, when there's a task that seems way too difficult for me to accomplish. I remember growing up and learning to play the cello, my teacher and I would work at different ways that I could hit the notes, and we would try different combinations of toe techniques so that I would be able to learn the song I was on. I'm telling you right now as proof, I hated that! I remember so vividly seeing the notes in front of me and saying something to her on the lines of, "Mrs. Petry, there is no way I can get that note that fast...I just can't do it!" Hmm, doesn't sound like me does it? Well, it's true. Another example is when my son Landon was born, and I was just sitting there thinking, "There is absolutely no way I can change his diapers..." But, I tried and tried, and after a couple of times I sort of got the hang of it! I'm still not very good, but it's not impossible. 

I could go on and on about different obstacles and challenges in my life that I have had to overcome, but that would take too long and you would probably close this page out and go back to Facebook.

The truth is, we all are going to face challenges in our lives. Some of them may in fact seem impossible to achieve or to overcome. It's so easy to say, "I can't". But what I've learned is that the best kind of challenges are the ones that seem impossible. Those are the ones that push our limits and show us  what we are capable of, and most of the time we're surprised at what we find out. 

So I urge you, don't give up. Never quit. Stand strong and keep pressing forward. Don't let the challenges of this life hold you back, but instead let them push you to be better and to try harder after you fail at first. Believe me, if an armless klutz like me can do it, so can you!


Toes On The Touchscreen,

George

4 Comments

A Church Adopted | Covenant Church, Doylestown PA 11/21-22/2015

11/25/2015

5 Comments

 
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What would it look like if we as a church truly understood the magnitude of the Gospel? What if we became humbled by the adoptive agape Love that was given to us and then extended that out into the world right next door and beyond?

This past weekend I had the pleasure of preaching & sharing music at a church in Doylestown Pennsylvania that not only convicted me of my own lack of evidence of my faith but also blessed me by their heart.

Michelle Munari, the founder of Just Love, and adoptive mother (many times over!), invited me to share my adoptive story and music at her home church, Covenant, for their Orphan Sunday weekend. Upon arriving and throughout my time there, I was not only blessed by them more than they by me, but was comforted and filled with hope as I saw a church living out the Gospel in such a way that God intends, as a number of adoptive children greeted me and then preceded to the stage to sing as a choir "How He Loves".

Pastor Rob Chifokoyo, a minister from Zimbabwe who found his way to Doylestown through an urgent medical need, stepped up to the pulpit for each service and gave a convicting sermon to us, the congregation. His sermon was titled "What Do You See". In a world full of shallow feel good messages (something that I am guilty of leaning towards in my own talks), Rob felt the Spirit leading him to give a sermon that challenged and motivated the church to BE the church. He read from the book of James, which tells us that as Christians, we need to not only be hearers of the Word, but doers. The book of James emphasizes that our faith needs to be backed up with evidence, to not just say that we are followers of Jesus, but SHOW the world that we are. It was a sermon that opened up my eyes and heart to what I can tend to do, which is to come to church on Sunday mornings and have this mentality that that is all I "need to do". No, church only starts there, and transcends far beyond the four walls of the comfort of our church building.

We as Christians are all called & commanded to care for the orphan and widow. We are called to live out the Gospel, to share this Love that was given to us through Jesus. Once we understand that we were once orphans and now we are adopted into the Lord's family, we should be driven to extend that same Love to others. The world should know us through our love, not our debating or judging. 

Did you know that there are about 300,000 Christian churches in the United States, and there are about 100,000 or so children eligible for adoption here in states as well? Let those numbers sink in.... That means if less than half of the churches that name Jesus as Lord and Savior adopted one child as a church, there would be no more orphans here in the country. That's amazing! That's all it would take.

Could we do that? Could we be a church that not only claims God's love, but gives it to the rest of the world like we are called to do? God intends for us to be doers of the Word. So I ask, what are you going to do? What are you being called to? Pray & seek the Lord's guidance to be difference makers in a struggling and dark world.

Foot Fives all around,
 
​    George



5 Comments

New Beginnings

11/19/2015

0 Comments

 
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Hey Guys!!

I'm so excited to launch this new Website and I figured it would be a great opportunity to start blogging as well. Through out the years I've met some amazing people and have been a part of some incredible events. I would love to start sharing them with you here to keep you guys in the loop. 

Foot Fives all around! ;) 

​-George

0 Comments
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    Motivational Speaker & Musician with a positive outlook on life. Viewing challenges as opportunities and not set backs. 



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