A few friends in my circle have remained what I will term tier-two friends. Although we are more than acquaintances, they’ve never made it to the third level because–quite honestly–they barely share any of their heart. Despite my attempts, there’s no vulnerability or soul connection. As a person who hates small talk–talk about exhausting–I used […]
Perspective
Close Calls: The Fragile Life
A few days ago I was tending to our family garden, weeding and watering, and I noticed two things. The new shoots of plant life–the kind that actually produce fruit for the body–were easily destroyed. And yet,
Yes, Fathers Matter
I grew up during the era of dumb-father shows: Step by Step, Home Improvement, and later, Everybody Loves Raymond. Although other shows like Full House featured a motherless home, it took three quirky men to take the place of raising the daughters. Most of the time, the dads were seen as ignorant and lost–hopeless cavemen. […]
Hi, I’m Kimberly and I’m black
Kathleen Kelly mocks: “Hi, my name’s Joe. As if you were one of the stupid 22-year-old girls with no last name. ‘Hi, I’m Kimberly.’ ‘Hi, I’m Janice.’ Don’t they know you’re supposed to have a last name. It’s like they’re an entire generation of cocktail waitresses.”Joe Fox: Look. I am not a 22-year-old cocktail waitress.Kathleen: […]
The Danger of Propaganda and Dismissing Free Speech/Press
If you had told me twelve months ago that our current president of the United States would be banned from all social platforms, unable to communicate with the American people, barely covered by the “news” sources, and so publicly hated by the Congress mob, I would have scoffed. Not in America, surely. We value our […]
The Shape of Leadership:A Soft Heart with a Strong Spine
Aaron was reading a section out of a John MacArthur book on the strengths of the apostle Peter. His impulsive, go-for-it attitude endears him to me, and I feel a keen sense of hope knowing that Jesus chose him despite his rash run-and-then-trip responses. Yes, he sunk under the waves, but he did get out […]
The Purpose of Silence
For the last four years, our homeschool family has gathered with other families to teach, learn, and grow together. Each mom takes time weaving in her personal touches to the lesson, whether it’s history, science, art, music, or Latin. My friend Dinah teaches the music portion, explaining the notes and beats of a musical composition. […]
5 Aspects of American Culture that Have No Place in the Heart of a Christian
ENTITLEMENT & FOMO: If I was forced to peg a transitional date, I’d say 8-10 years ago was when I started noticing the entitlement attitude bleed into generations normally responsible and others-focused. In the academic world, I’ve dealt with the millennial crutch of “you owe it to me” for as long as I’ve been teaching. […]
Should I be Making my Life Easier?
I was listening to a Christian radio station recently where the DJ host of the show said that we as people often over-complicate our lives. “Sure, I’m with you so far,” I thought. Fill out a legal form to see how ridiculously complicated we’ve made things. Or look at a normal 10-year-old’s schedule and wonder […]
Pivotal Turning Point for the American Church: How Will We Respond?
I didn’t live through the 60’s, but those who did say that even that time wasn’t as polarizing as we’re experiencing now. Of course, we didn’t have the Internet and social media and biased “news” sources to help fan the flames of violent division, but even so, people could disagree with one another in more […]