“I’m really sorry it’s come to this – but if you still support Trump we can no longer be friends.” I’ve read many versions of this sentiment over the last several months, and it always grieves me. It grieves me because it is sorely lacking in simple courtesy. And also grace. And the bitterness fueling an ultimatum like this one, if left unchecked, will devour the self-righteous and unsuspecting soul from the inside out. Long ago I read Grace BasedRead more

This is the word we need today as we help guide our children through the murky and discordant depths of a technological age. For aren’t we the weary adult people who are falling and bowed down? 
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Parents, you have been given much, and much is therefore required of you. Read more

Psalm 4:5: “In your anger do not sin…”
Me: [angry about at least 15 things]Read more

If God knows the plan He has for you, and if he is preparing you for this good work in his world, then everything matters. Read more

“I’d bite his arm!” he shouted excitedly from the backseat. “And then I’d punch him hard right in the peanuts!” When the boys were small, David and I would occasionally ask them to imagine how they would escape from a ‘very bad person’ who might try to take them away from their mom, dad, or safety. This creative exercise delighted them to no end. *Please note, dear readers, that I am not suggesting that this is what you should doRead more

“We must quit bending the Word to suit our situation. It is we who must be bent to that Word; our necks that must bow under the yoke.”Read more

Dear parents of graduates: Keep your courage, your humor, your smile, and your stride. Hold steady as you go! Breathe in and out the sights, sounds, and mundane mysteries of your exact life today, for tomorrow is in the very dependable hands of God.
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And finally, after all is said and done, perhaps ask yourself this simple question: “Would this person, given how I’ve acted in this particular conflict, want to spend a day, a week, an eternity with ME?”Read more

This third son of mine did not ever like to be saved or helped, especially from territorial dogs, incensed older brothers, or deadly drowning. This naturally made him a special joy to parent in the summertime, or outside, or really at all. He took it as a personal failure – an affront – when he wasn’t allowed to die trying to save himself.Read more