A few nights ago, I sat outside with some long-time friends, talking about kids and life. The question was posed, “How does a parent teach a child to be honest without disclosing too much (especially negative stuff) to everyone?” One friend shared this insight, “You have to discern whether the person asking ‘how you are’ […]
The Wonder of Courage
“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” –G. K. Chesterton Okay, not another “war” post about fighting, Kristin. Seriously. We get the analogy already. Sorry, I write from my experiences, and wherever my heart is, I explore (even if the […]
Dreams, prestige, and the hottest day of the summer
My children are restless, literally wrestling out their excess energy on the floor. They pop out to the backyard, only to burst back through the door after five minutes, faces red and tongues hanging out. So, what do you do when it’s too hot to play? Drink hot tea, of course. My daughter decided to […]
The Beauty of Boredom: Finding Creative Inspiration in the Bathtub
About this point in the summer, I start hearing echoes of that dreaded “b” word. “Mom, I’m bored.” I used to cringe at the thought of it, but now, I nearly get excited. You’re bored? Great! Go with that. What can you do to explore the world around you? Seeing boredom as a unpleasant place […]
Help to Make those Decisions
A few weeks ago our Bible study group discussed the various theological positions of God’s will: finding it, knowing it and doing it. Although we didn’t all agree on the details of discerning God’s will, we did agree that our God is an involved God who cares about the heart and character of His children. […]
Anesthetizing with the Box
Although people claim they are more busy than ever before–soccer games, violin lessons, swim meets, church, volunteering, committees, and overtime–on average, we somehow manage to watch 4-5 hours of tv a day! Back when our grandparents were doing life, television remained a novelty, turned on for specific times, when the more important things were done. […]
Dear Tired One, Rest.
Last week I wrote a post, exploring some aspects of spiritual warfare (and how to fight it). Obviously, one can’t begin to span the depths in a few hundred words, but sometimes we just need a handlebar to grab into–some truth to motivate us onward. A friend thanked me for the reminders and I tried […]
Weekend Exhale: Summer Book Reads
On occasion, I recommend books. Obviously, if you don’t share my love of mysteries, poetic prose, or philosophical novels, you may not appreciate these reads like I do, but I’m a rather eclectic reader, so I’d hope there would be something for everyone. On a side note, I never quite grasped the “beach read” concept. […]
Weapons of War: Fighting the Enemy of Destruction
Sunday, June 11th, my middle child takes the plunge–quite literally–and testifies to his whole church community that he is a believer. His willingness to act in courageous obedience defies his personality and also activates questions in his younger brother. Throughout this week, Corbin and I have dialogued about Jesus and salvation and Heaven and all […]
How to Respond to the “Unhealed”
This Tuesday I wrestled through one of my migraines. Nasty, hateful buggers, they are. As I’ve said before, “bad headache” doesn’t begin to cover the pain associated with one. Nausea, sensitivity to light and inability to move captures more the essence of the beast. Regretfully, I texted my mentor, “I’m not going to be able […]