Since my family leans toward the dramatic, we carry on a running gag which started when our three sons were teens and still repeats itself when we’re all together. After there’s been dinner conversation for a few minutes, any one of our now-adult sons will pretend to be greatly insulted (almost any excuse will do). The “offended” party wipes his mouth, throws down his napkin and pushes back his chair to leave, saying, “You know what? I think I’ve lost my appetite.” This never fails to get a laugh out of us—but in real life, it wouldn’t be much fun to experience such an awkward Continue Reading
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How Listening to each other’s Stories helps Heal the Wounds of Racism
Five-year-old Jamé was excited. This was going to be her first show-and-tell. Although not outgoing by nature, she looked forward to showing off her indigenous heritage to her classmates. On the big day, Jamé proudly put on the pink jingle dress her aunt had made for her. She wore moccasins and put a feather in her braided hair. To show the other children what powwow music sounded like, Jamé brought a little CD player. Too shy to dance, she simply played the music and then explained to her classmates what she understood about Native American traditions. This should have been a Continue Reading
The Most Powerful Way to Ground your Child’s Self-Worth and Love for Others
At age three, my neighbor’s son began asking his mom where he came from. At first, she thought he was onto something about how babies are made. Then she realized that wasn’t his question at all. What this preschooler wondered about was why he existed, and who brought him into being. His question was not biological, but theological. My non-Christian neighbor didn’t know what to tell her little boy. Christian parents, too, can be caught off guard by the unexpectedly profound questions our children ask at times. Can you articulate to your child what it means that he or she is created Continue Reading
7 Important Lessons my Father Taught Me
He arrived in the United States with $70 to his name, not knowing a word of English. Under the stigma of having fought on the German side in World War II, my father set out to build a new life for his family. He succeeded. We held a memorial in Papa’s honor this last Saturday, and I’ve been reflecting on lots of childhood memories… …traditional Christmas Eve (Heilige Abend) celebrations, starting with Papa reading Luke Chapter 2 from the German Bible and leading us in German Christmas hymns .… two awesome trips to Germany in my teens. .. …how Papa would take me out for real Continue Reading