Search Results for: Why Giving Up

Eyes downcast, Jamé exhales slowly. Pain flickers across her countenance.  It's ten  in the morning, and she's been laboring steadily for three hours. Never is a woman more vulnerable--  or more powerful -- than she is during childbirth. Sam kisses her forehead, laces his fingers through hers, murmurs encouragement. Never does a man feel more helpless than when his beloved gives birth -- and never is he more helpful, simply by being at her side. It's the being, not the doing. The power of presence. This is his gift to her. The two are becoming three, another holy family Continue Reading

When we lived in the same town with them, “Bret” and “Lindsey” had been married for nearly two decades. Early on in their marriage, they’d gone through a major crisis. The way they handled it became, in their view, a powerful testimony which they were compelled to share with others. Bret and Lindsey concluded that the answer to marital strife was for the wife to submit every decision, no matter how small, to the husband. She was to serve him twenty-four seven with sacrificial devotion. He, in turn, would provide for the household, manage the finances, bring ultimate discipline Continue Reading

Let’s play a quick game of work association. When I say “thanksgiving,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Probably a table laden with a juicy roast turkey surrounded by all the fixings, right? I enjoy poultry of all kinds, and I’m looking forward to another turkey feast this year. It might be smoked or brined or plain-old roasted, but however the bird is prepared, you won’t hear me referring to Thanksgiving Day as “turkey day.” Why? Because taking “thanks” out of the holiday’s name shifts our focus away from gratitude toward consumerism. It distracts our already Continue Reading

It’s Thanksgiving. Time to gather with loved ones, consume a lavish feast and count our blessings—and yet some of us can’t look forward to the celebration. The holidays can represent the bleakest time of year for many people, precisely because of our hopes and expectations about what this season should bring us. What if life doesn’t look like a Hallmark special right now? What if the feast is nothing more than canned soup? Or the turkey tastes like ashes in your mouth because a recent death or divorce has left you reeling? What if you’re too sick to get together with your loved Continue Reading