It really was not what we had planned for a quiet Sunday afternoon on Father’s Day . . . but so it goes. Shortly before summer, my youngest son, Jon, got to pick out his very own dog . . . sort of. With all of his siblings now out of the house, Jon wanted companionship, […]
Category: Family Life/Caregivers
How to Live for What Lasts
Sometimes it helps to have a quality-of-life check.
I couldn’t believe the day had come. As we drove away from my son’s college apartment building, its soft yellow paint began to blur as tears welled up in my eyes. I was suddenly filled with a flood of memories, most of them fixed to what I wished I would have done better as a […]
Triggers, Traps, and Truth Bombs
This past summer, all my best thinking led to some tearful conversations with my grown son and daughter. Apparently there was a disconnect . . . and it wasn’t on their end, it was on mine. It all started in May. My stepson finalized wedding plans and got married. My son came home from college […]
The One Thing You Cannot Live Without
This has not been the greatest week to start my “Gratefulness” journal. Seriously. With summer heating up, schedules out of sorts, and my attitude turning sour, keeping a gratefulness journal seemed like a good idea. But that was before summer started. Day one went relatively well, and day two went better. Let’s say some self-sufficient […]
When You Need to Start Over
It was a tug-of-war game with the tape dispenser. My son Jon and I were wrapping a birthday present together. My job was to cut and hold the paper, and Jon had tape duty. For Jon, any activity that involves motor skills can be challenging. Here’s why: motor skills are muscle-related actions that accomplish a […]
5 Timeless, Transforming Lessons from a Tiny Teddy Bear
There is no question . . . God’s ways are not our ways! Just when all appears lost, an ever-so-tiny ray of something will play enough hide and seek with our hearts to let us know He’s not forgotten us or made His first massive, messy mistake. Though we may be at our worst, He’s […]
When Your Comfort Zone Gets Crushed
No one chooses his or her family members; and for a long time our family circumstances were less than desirable. For years we were stuck believing our “rights” had been violated. By “rights” I mean those often unexpressed expectations that we cling to as Christians; the privileges, comforts, or circumstances that, if we’re left uncomfortable […]
What You Must Know about Fish Tanks and Church Fights
Jesus fed the five thousand with some loaves and a couple of small fish. Obviously I’m not Jesus, and I was ready to flush some small fish. Here’s how things went down: For Christmas, we purchased a simple, soothing 10-gallon fish tank for my son Jon. Nothing fancy, but from the packed tank they were […]
Winston
Philip Yancey wrote some time ago about a lifelong lesson he learned from a man named Winston. May the message move us to greater thoughtfulness as we live in community together. Here is the story of Winston as written by Philip Yancey.[ref]Adapted from Philip Yancey blog, “Winston,” posted September 17, 2015, http://philipyancey.com/winston. Copyright © by […]
Coming Clean on One of Life’s Core Issues
Alright, it’s time to come clean . . . I wish I had superpowers. The superpower to meet the expectations of others and be the perfect mother as well as a sexy, fun wife, excellent employee, and loving friend. The power to perfectly balance the responsibilities of four kids in college along with the needs […]
What Do You Look For?
When was the last time everything around you was quiet . . . as in silent? In a rare moment recently, my house was quiet. I chose to sit and carefully observe the room I was in—a number of emotions flooded my soul. My daughter’s art supplies rested by her canvas along with her iPod, […]
Love Is . . . Not What You Think
Here’s a doozy of a question for you: When did you first learn about love? I mean, not romantic or sexual love, love we read or sing about, love that makes us a little crazy in the head or makes the world go ʼround. I mean the love Jesus commanded in John 15:12–13; a love […]