On December 30th, I got the phone call. That phone call. It was my mother, letting me know my father had passed. I sank onto the couch, wind knocked out of me, seismic shift wrenching my soul. Dealing with death is a strange way to enter the New Year. No matter how elderly a loved one is, no matter how many physical challenges they have, no matter how much we realize they are close to the end… death is still a shock. My son Sam described his feelings this way: “It’s like going to a movie with lots of plot twists that never resolve, and then all of a sudden the credits are Continue Reading
How to Keep Christmas all Year (Hint: it’s not by Buying More Stuff)
You've opened all the pretty packages, you've sung all the songs, and you may or may not have eaten a little more than you should. Now you're feeling a bit of post-Christmas slump. But wait ... it doesn't have to be that way. As the infamous Ebenezer Scrooge said in Charles Dickens's classic "A Christmas Carol," “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.’’ How can we honor Christmas all year long? Not the presents and music and food; how can we Continue Reading
The One Best Thing You Could Receive This Christmas
Eighteen-month-old Aviella pushes her new doll stroller while three-year-old Reuel sets up his “Planes” smoke jumpers’ course. The adults chat over wine. It’s a nice little Christmas celebration –except we’re about to find out it’s much more than that. We’re gathered to celebrate an early Christmas with our son Sam and his new bride, since they are slated to spend Christmas with Jamé’s family. After a sumptuous meal, we make our way to the living room to exchange a few gifts. Sam searches for a music video; Danny plugs his phone into the stereo to play it. Cloverton’s Continue Reading
The Shocking, Life-Saving Power of Humility
The nervous 18-year-old girl sat close to her boyfriend, clinging to his hand as though it were a life preserver. “If my parents find out I’m pregnant,” she said. “They’ll kill me.” Having spent 10 years helping women as they wrestle with pregnancy decisions, I’ve heard this phrase countless times. Most women do not pursue abortion lightly. They consider it because they feel desperate. Here's the thing: no matter if it's a woman considering abortion, or someone else we are trying to reach out to, there's a certain surprising character quality which is required of us if we're going Continue Reading