My teenage son was not a happy camper. Danny had committed himself to helping with our church's remodel project, but I wasn't able to drive him into town that evening. Silently fuming, Danny disappeared into the makeshift garage on the other side of our property. A couple of hours later, I wandered out there to see how he was doing. To my surprise, our humble garage had experienced transformation. Camping gear, tools, car and garden supplies....everything was neatly organized and inventoried. Nearly rendered speechless, I thanked Danny and commended him for his excellent choice. Continue Reading
Search Results for: 7 other
Why You Can’t Judge Christianity by the Behavior of Christians
A four-year-old boy sits down to dinner with his parents and a visitor. During the meal, the child interrupts conversations numerous times, talks with his mouth full, and refuses to eat his vegetables. The visitor knows the parents are training their boy in the art of being gracious, but mostly what she notices are his flaws. If that's what adulthood is all about, she concludes, I don't want any part of it. Sounds silly, doesn't it? We know that a child is in process. He's not a finished product. He's growing toward adulthood, but he's not there yet. We don't expect a child to Continue Reading
Why You Don’t Have to “Get it Right” as a Christian Parent
My friend was super excited for me when I told her I was pregnant. (This was twenty-five years ago -- I don't mean to shock you, since I'm a Nana now!) "Alicia," I'll call her, had just become familiar with some popular teaching on Christian parenting. She knew I already had three children, but she figured this surefire system would be my shot at really nailing this parenting thing. (Hmm... Clearly, my parenting wasn't perfect. Otherwise, why would Alicia be so excited for me to take a fresh run at it?) It's true that there are principles and promises in God's word which give us Continue Reading
The Unexpected Insight I Gained at the Holocaust Museum (And What it Means for You)
Clusters of people move slowly and reverently through four floors of dark and somber exhibits, wiping away tears. We are moved, stunned to silence, utterly dismayed at man's inhumanity to man and the depravity of the human heart. If you've been to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C., you know you'll never forget the place. My husband Scott and I were in town for a conference and had decided to take in the museum during a couple of off hours, thinking it would be good to reflect on what happened to the Jewish people in Europe during Hitler's reign. "It is better to go to Continue Reading