"We're seeing people on site at emergencies refusing to help," said the CPR instructor, "because they have to capture the scene on video." Wow. So a guy is laying on the ground, pale-faced, not breathing, and bystanders pull out their cameras instead of trying to save his life. Somebody else will do that. I've got to catch this and put it on YouTube and Facebook. It's not just emergencies which give rise to concern, either. I can't count how many times I've witnessed an amazing scene in nature -- a glorious sunset, a hawk feeding close by -- and everybody around is recording it on Continue Reading
How to Model the Priority of the Gospel to Your Children
"Oh, Mama," enthused my then four-year-old son, "You love Jesus, and I love Jesus, and ... oh, everyone loves Jesus!" Hesitantly, I offered, "Well, Jed, it's true that we love Jesus, but ... not everyone loves Jesus." Jed's eyes grew wide. Planting his hands on his hips, he demanded, "Who doesn't love Jesus?" I decided it best to give my pre-schooler a concrete example."You know Mikey?" I ventured, referring to young boy in the neighborhood. "I don't think he knows very much about Jesus ... wait, Jed, come back! Let's talk about this!" With evangelistic fervor, my four-year-old Continue Reading
What Authenticity Means (And Doesn’t Mean)
"Brittany" spoke her mind at the meeting. With sharp tone and self-righteous words, she pointed out where everyone was missing it, and how things should be done differently. Using the term "we" as a thin disguise, she vented her personal frustration over not having things her way, then finished with the comment: "That's just me being honest." Wow, I thought. Since when does judging everyone else qualify as "honesty?" Authenticity has become an over-used term, hasn't it? We want to think of ourselves as honest and forthcoming, all the while being unwilling to face our own Continue Reading
Why I Refuse to Join A Revolution (Even If I Believe in the Cause)
The zealous young speaker was out to convince all the other students in his speech class that abortion is wrong. To prove his point, his carefully constructed presentation featured graphic photos of aborted fetuses. Halfway into his talk, one girl ran from the classroom in tears. My son's heart went out to the crying girl. He understood something of which the speaker was evidently unaware. This girl likely had an abortion in her past. The young speaker's insensitivity ripped open the wound in her soul. The same thing happens when protesters march against abortion holding grisly Continue Reading