Mike Shortt- Adoption is an Option

This is Amy Thomas from the masculine journey podcast where we discover what it means to be a wholehearted man your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network man up, Mike short, welcome to the man up, show be here was great. Great to have you here and it had the in studio.

I know we fit we get John before we because we've done some Q&A segments with you yet, in pretty profound questions. My goal when you have some pretty profound answers is the you you are quick and so is is great way humbly accept that say thank you for real.

I appreciate that end minute it's great appreciate your your your ability and flexibility to come on down into the studio course you local to that to the Winston-Salem area right step across the bridge.

They say over and they did County say just about 1520 minutes outside of Winston-Salem proper sales make fun of us sometimes out there but it's okay what I mean is about to say. Yeah, I probably knows a lot about a law saying Robbie Gilmore course were referring to the Christian car guy hate. If you are not familiar with with his show the Christian car guy dial into and into this radio go on the podcast and a and and listen Robbie Gilmore.

He is yeah it it it is a great show is fishy I am. You know if you're within truth radio course you can get the afferent cheese radio after listing all the shows and all the podcast touches the man up, show whether so many great ones to choose from like the Christian car guy and I want to get into a little bit about you know about Mike, what you doing over there in Davie County across the bridge as you as you call it, but you said something in conversation about the Tri-Cities area Kingsport Bristol sub so I know are you originally from that area or what so so we gripped my wife and I both did actually about an hour or so would be northeast of of Bristol, which is the one part of the three-part Tri-Cities at Bristol, Johnson City, Kingsport, and so we we grew up overnight. A little tiny town we were growing up.

I think that the population was about a thousand people and it's not much more than that now. And that is the little bitty town called homemaker Virginia and but we look below the coalfields and so my family and her family law. Those those folks were involved in the coal mining business and and as laborers, not in the business of coal mining itself, but Yolanda a lot of mining roots they are and and and heritage on both sides of our family and so but when you had to go somewhere you know if you wanted McDonald's hamburger or if you wanted to buy a new car. We had to go to Bristol guy said he had to go that way right now.

I said it was just that's that's where you went and not about hour from Bristol and then another 45 minutes from Johnson City were few went the other way when the Kingsport another 3540 minutes. They are set but yeah that's that's kind of appropriate charges. Should you have some like you like family trips like like a little to Carl go to Bristol today. Are you once a week or so and I mark my parents like I would buy groceries in and Bristol not to say that we didn't have a little small countries stores.

They are not sure if you want to go to a bigger market. Then again, you had to go to Bristol or Sunday dinner sometimes after church.

You drive to Bristol United to have a have a meal or something like this big shopping mall. Bristol Mall is this the real long as you place yes some of the freedom Hawley every now and then from Holland on yes and there's lots of wrestling matches that of the years and some good Christian concerts. We had there. Back in the day back in the 80s early 90s when contemporary Christian music was kinda coming into its own course of the consciousness of the artists he met Randy Mylan Lefevre, a broken heart was at freedom Hall is a great concert and I don't know if you know my will and are not well, so here's it's funny about you break I was just sharing the other day the story about Mylan Lefevre like to kiss nobody I'm trying never know was how to put they had not heard of him and in his Atlanta rhythm section right of animals that got his at the secular band and so we had Mylan at our church.

The refuge church down in campus North Carolina, at the option to meet Mylan bought kind of his life story and a book and fascinating story and stories that he talked about you running with the Mick Jagger's and not all the rock and rollers man and you know in meeting George Harrison of the Beatles and and Lloyd you're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com.

I will be sure to check out the man up show now available on television broadcast and go to MorningStar.com or radio network. Check out your local listings or better yet, download the Truth Network app today. If you would like to support Cola for Christ ministries. For a gift of $25. The keel was seen as adoration and declaration for a gift of $50 accumulated is wrestling with this gift of $100 more will include a signed copy of his newly updated life tale of the ring.a lot.donate today. You're listening to the truth and TruthNetwork.com just all that was yeah honestly I wasn't a huge rock 'n' roll guy growing up but but I never remember Atlanta rhythm section right and in knowing he grew up in a gospel singing family and did you know this part of the story that was like 1617. He wrote a song. The family was doing a concert in Memphis Tennessee AEE you heard the story you shaking your head him available. Some right after after the concert.

Somebody Constance is a somebody wants to meet you and has no clue. He has been infected nine and a clue what it was. Col. Parker, who came to get him to go back to this private viewing room.

It was Elvis and Alice I want to record that song might end. It was one of the very few times that I guess that Elvis ever did a song but didn't retain the rights to the songs of Mylan you get Mylan when I met him just fiercely said he was still getting royalties off all these years later off of that song sediment premeditated and went in. He was and he was the way I understood that the the traveling will be. So I guess they call themselves the like Wilbur's memories. I believe that I was Orbison and and Patty Patty yes on cost and in in Harrison America and anyway fascinating story to me.

You know, because I knew a lot of the names Tennessee a lot of the music but then how God got a hold of his life in any form that the Christian band you're talking about at what I silly all that say put on a great concert and had paid a great job. He was a was one of our again. He was one of the forerunners the Internet contemporary Christian music, coming into its own in the late 80s or he and Degarmo in key and and Petra and all those and matter fact I think Petra wasn't an freedom Hawley witnessing them many years ago when they put on a great show and Mylan there was there some special about him and not that there was about the other ones, but there there was a sincerity.

I think that you you fell from Mylan a lot of times, maybe, maybe not.

Was not quite as evident that you might get a concert that he was just so solid about the gospel and about getting the word it was. It was the music was. It was was secondary and kind to to get in the gospel message out and that something is what drew a lot of a lot of people to him and his concerts and he's asked is you mentioning your church there and he's he's been in in ministry has speaking ministry and after a number of years is a great illustration of how you can something grow grow up in the church and and and drift away just to say by his own testimony drift away because map part of his testimony was ill in the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll dailies. He was there was no waking moment I want hi like on something.

He said I wake up and get high end and stay hi all day ghost weather was to concerts or business meetings, contract signings what whatever until God just got a hold of his life and brought him incense full circle back around really to serving the Lord right yet so fascinating. Fascinating story. And just as you said hello helping to pioneer the whole contemporary Christian music industry is so so aggressive so you attended concerts there. Did you attend some wrestling match.

I remember when I was a rascally man up there or not. I don't pack I don't think we did but I do so remember my middle water promotion in that area at the time space around freedom Hall and and and wrestling wrestling local independent show as well as the NWA and other markets in David Crockett was was a big promoter back in the 80s and capture David card Jim Croft Jim Rocca Betsy is our brother, though there was yeah no no you idiot. David did a lot of the commentary out television access by. Remember David Crockett and then Jimmy Jimmy was the president but the whole family when when Jim Senior passed Jim Junior stepped in as president. The whole family was up. Jackie Crockett was it camera guy for all the TV should run in the cameras, Francis Crockett did the marketing see the whole all four children became a part part of the busing organization so showed sweetly mean I've gone a live matches were you when you fan of wrestling at all in your big fan of wrestling grown up in an and again Crockett and those guys you know that's that's what we would get on our television sets.

On Saturday morning Atlanta and Atlanta Glass engineer and send clear. We do that much and what's in those guys every favorites you know there was there was always access the cuticle off besides you yeah and they didn't come to our local high school. One year I think I was maybe 16, 17 years old. This is the first time misinforming these guys really got big one the guys that that that came he was kind of on the heels at the time was was totally Blanchard right yes and that certainly comes in with the with the big square sunglasses on his got there, you know, the curlyhaired courts were all set in their I can remember irascible here but what you know. We just want somebody to distant Depauw drop the guy awry and that I did like you got it. We did not like totally black court. I moved to Lisa, other other life if you lose your life now.

Yes, you don't have to hate him anymore, although those gathered in that time you had fire and you had the dusty roads. The original district. I spoke with Elyse sometimes and that he some of them in unity with the rules of the American area for market faith that you will find a for the best day. Minnesota is located in the daily dusty. So many others do, but anyway with baby I'm just thinking the law, and he could take charge of a crown right on the holy smoking getting hit my skills yes is very is very deliciously very charismatic. Yes yes yes in for a big guy you know he wasn't like the picture of fitness. Back in those days that he was. But yeah, I think he realized he had a couple extra pieces towards the latter part of life, but live by. Do you not do you know he be played professional baseball did not know that that minorly he never made the majors but he was a very gifted athlete while in his day before he kind of let things slip away a little bit from him. But in his day was a very gifted Latin to know that in the non-yeah so so okay so you see you you you knew it will ease familiar with with some of the guys in the course as you said the Midatlantic and you know back in those days it was a different business because it was territorial and like you said there a lot of different promoters different shows that would come to town and as some someone a larger scale than others. So, so, what point okay so so you so when you meet your wife so weak we grew up in the same town went to the same high schoolers couple dear years difference in our age. So while we were in high school, get a week we were there, but we really didn't know each other so we actually ended up meeting in in church and so she was attending the local church that her dad was a pastor for for some years. Not this particular church, but she seems at this church and and we was coming in and rent church transition at that point. So the church was just enacted almost hit with a rock literally from where we lived that so we got started going to their youth group than when I was was almost 18 years old and so so we met there. We met there dated for a couple years and got Marion on March 5, 1988 so we been around each other for a while, long time, and which is congratulations on that in today's world. Those are milestones don't hear about my getting gas right away together and quested children, grandchildren, two boys got to grown children. One is a pastor out in California is up in the Sacramento area and Brandon and then my youngest son 24 still basically local. He's living in Charlotte will get married at the end of this month, the Charlotte area and then we adopted a little girl.

Her name is Riley from Russia think Mamma mentioned that to you before and motherland. The motherland yelled slightly related or something. I am from my backyard. Okay, see she came to us when she was 18 months old and she just has turned 14, July 1 so she's been a great blessing to us so so what did you what to go down to go down that path. You have your two children of your own. It just to the Lord put on your heart you. I started it, we should adopt. I mean, is it in then then a course. I guess that's what why Russia and the other part of the question for me was a good question. The I think it became about. We were in church. One son and her pastor at the time was was preaching a sermon about the adoption of us into the kingdom he adopts and she can't enter something about that Sunday.

I think they just really resonated with with my wife is a started with her before it did with me improbable Kelsey's just that much better person than I am.

But I so started with her and it just him and that message he preached him and we left there that day and was just there was it was a burden that is a burden that she could not shake so she began to to share that with us and at the time the both boys were still at home. It was like yeah it just… It is clear Friday just almost immediate that the other three of us was like yeah what what we thought public so yeah it is now why would we do well is not I like why would we do that right like anything and I have the time and in Russia I'm not. I think that was the leading of the Lord is as well for through my wife and there was there was there's lots of children in Russia in orphanages. I think at the time there was maybe around 800,000 or so kids in orphanages and in Russia and not always in the best of circumstances is no Russia is much as they would want us to believe the way they tried to be Western but you know you can travel an hour outside of Russia, Moscow and you start driving into 1/3 world country and so I think that was was one of the, the, the pieces of the burning that that she had it. There was just so many kids in Russia that were in need of being adopted and with with little girls especially, usually by the time they worked their way through the date the system over there today they they would cannot boot them out.

By the time they were like 15, 16 years old. Yeah I the AKC. Yeah, it would many of those touches as I was at Motorola and I was in 100 different entries to yeah that that there like they like.

I guess they call it age out. Yes the term then unfortunately not not interrupt your story, but unfortunately the sex traffickers know that this and there just had a waiting in the shadows and as soon as to these countries kick them to the curb, so to speak, they snatch them up. If not before them.

The base deftly by then they snatch them up and into the sex whole sex trafficking world, which is a major that's a whole another show, another story in this time, but so so got puts it on your heart to to Dottie begin the process of researching come across and the one thing leads to another and see you you you find this this little baby and in Russia and it was a it was quite a process. When we first started the process it. They told us it would probably innovate nine months will we would probably be able to complete that process ended up taking about two years so the you know the Lord allowed us to, walk through a time there where you know where were invested. We we know were answering a call here but mandating it sort of drawing out and so again two years and four trips to Russia to get that that that child here, but I think we could really tell how God had had worked some some patients and some extra praying and and and fasting along the way there, because it was just so many times that we would do so in the dark about what was going on with the process and so we look back on it now and we started the process actually before she was even born.

While yeah and that is so as as time went on we got her here in an yeah she's she's very much a southern American girl now.

The Russians will be mad and that anything has actually elected Americanized media, knowing fully people are mad about that security becomes soft your American now have always been American nasty did you visit the four trips.

The rest of the visit my my my home while you were there at try to find it I was the I find it yet. I would like so so so Mike, what would you say so, what would you say to those listening out there that would maybe yeah maybe they maybe are considering. Maybe they haven't consider me. Obviously, in today's climates with everything that's going on here, here in America.

But even around the world right as mentioned, sex trafficking is a major ordeal, but to help rescue is certainly some of these little girls but but even even boys and what would you say to those similar smelters. Maybe. Maybe the considering adoption of the Canon on on on the edge to know should we should leave me your experiences been what that would say to that, you know you make me just say you just say yes it was plenty of 20 children that want to be adopted right like a home and a good home like yours while precisely a map at one of this the little stories that my wife found as we were, putting the. The video of her her homecoming all those years ago now and I'll I'll probably botch the store that it it it really speaks to a faint and answer your question, is there was this story about the this little girl who early in the morning I was walking along the beach and there was all the starfish that had washed up on the beach and of course, is the longer they set their units, dried up and and and I said there was a gentleman who watched it this little girl was making her way along the beach and she was picking up the starfish and thrown back into that is just as many as she could and the man finally as he walked toward him. Got to where she was and he asked little girl he sets you see all the starfish there's there's no way you can possibly save all of the starfish. What wire why would you just wanted to two and three in the end, little girl answered and said it was important for the one that I say I think about you know Christ leaving the store.

We have and and and Scripture about him him leaving the 9199 and go after that I want right right right and sometimes it is just about saving the one back in job listings.

These parents who who adult adult multiple children, you know, not just wanted to be five and six and yeah I have not yet have a dear friend affect you get to actually actually sit in on the conversation making hi who's adopted.

Five.

My yeah I just it really really is in some of them out of foster care and others out of the adoption program but to be the first to say that there are lot may not be able to use it to the point your story may not be able to save them all as you can at least save some right. We may not be able to rescue as much as we want to. If vectors are credible show lantern rescue party treats radio network it right Robbie part achieves radio network probably is my main man here hanging out with me making sure you enjoyed all the shows but it that that specific that that is their task. That is what they've been the task they been given is to go into these all these different countries and rescue these children out of sex slavery out of sex trafficking, human trafficking, I mean slavery still has not gone. It is not going to Malaysia so it was, it is there it is. Maybe. Maybe you're oblivious to it, but it is there but to the process of adoption to the process of of foster care lay in and answer you owe organizations like lantern rescue. We may not be able to to to save, so to speak. Every single one but I love the story about the starfish hair might not be able save every starfish, but now I just save longer by save up some some is better than non-rye and cello and I'm sure that that that baby girl of yours. This is so thankful that you came along.

His adoptive parents in have been raising her for now use the 14 years I gave her a life that she may not of otherwise had most likely grown up in an orphanage and in in Russia and I've been around the world into 30 different countries. I've been in different orphanages in Africa and different places and they're not there. The top-of-the-line care and many of those places itself. I shall encourage you as a listener out there. Maybe God puts that on your heart due to adopted child, whether it's out of foster care or from a foreign nation, whether it's Russia or somewhere ousted to consider consider. You know, especially as these girls now maybe hopefully make a choice to to have the child as as opposed as opposed to abort a child to actually have a child. Put that child up for adoption. Or maybe they end it up in the foster care program to just pray about that in consider that and I'm guessing he is been credible experience for you and will recommend that any any family out there. Whether they're able to have children not have children right absolutely nothing to Mortier point is, I think that is kind of the, the, the speaking Christian easier for segment that is kind of a trick of the enemy. A lot of times is to say what really get is one of the riders. This is just one just what. Maybe if you feel the Lord dealing with you about that night and kind of a conviction to to go that way you don't let the enemy trick you into the system because just one minus and by God. The knowledge on that and I think it's what we know what were my carotid time we get to talk about your car business is better now. This is better than anything you do in the Christie card I can relate as you been the car business for many years at least. Do this for us though you're in with Winston-Salem area. What's what your website for your carbon just so you know, to Southwest asylum motorcar so the website is WSMC and the number one.com W SMC one.com So want you to very least do this since it's it's it's at it, we didn't get to talk about hip is marketplace business is car business. You heard his heart in it. When it comes to adoption and and it so go check out his website during the Winston-Salem area with the address that we are at 2775 Peters Creek Pkwy. I just just down the road from cookout and just across the street from the big Goodwill store so easy to find that he should come in the snowman on pleasure map appreciate what you do well, thank you for dialing into another episode of man up a why because it's time this podcast is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers and generous. May God bless you for your continual contribution.net donate heater coffee and I am excited to hear you do know well, maybe. Anyway Facebook all my new fan page for fans and the like, and follow the cuticle all fear if you're needing to buy a car and have marginal credit and considering using buy here pay here that's worse than taking the Russia sickle Winston-Salem motorcars will put you behind the wheel of a car you can rely on while helping rebuild, repair or establish your credit score conveniently located on Silas Creek Pkwy. in Winston-Salem. Be sure to check them out today. W. S. M. Either number one.com because you are number one this is the Truth Network