There’s an expression. “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” The idea is that people are doing things they shouldn’t be doing and don’t want other people to find out about it! “Let’s keep secret what happened in Vegas!”Sometimes we can have that same mentality about our homes—even if we don’t use that expression. I’m … Continue reading What happens in the home
parenting
Praying as a unit
Colossians 4:2: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Different families have different temptations. Matthew Henry wrote: "Busy families are in temptation to wordliness, and neglect of religious duties; mixed families are in temptation to discord, and mutual jealousies; decaying families are in temptation to distrust, discontent, and indirect courses to help themselves.”* If … Continue reading Praying as a unit
So little unstructured time
The New Yorker once had a single-pane cartoon which depicted two boys walking down a sidewalk. They were wearing baseball hats and had a stack of books under their arms. One said to the other: “So many toys—so little unstructured time.” It was a commentary about how busy many children are. Their time is very … Continue reading So little unstructured time
The best way to teach someone else to trust and follow Jesus
Several years ago I led a workshop about faith formation in children and youth. ‘What can we do or say to help them trust and follow Jesus?’ Is there anything more important? No, there isn’t. Here’s where we landed. The best way to teach someone else to trust and follow Jesus is to trust and … Continue reading The best way to teach someone else to trust and follow Jesus
(Really) prioritizing the faith of children as we re-vision our lives
For those of you with children or grandchildren, or for those of you who lead or teach children and youth in some other way, I’m about to share something that might be a bit jarring. But there are times when some soul-rattling is in order. Let me share it with you, and then explain my … Continue reading (Really) prioritizing the faith of children as we re-vision our lives
The Trojan screen
The Trojan Horse was a wooden horse which concealed Greek soldiers. After the horse was taken within the gates of Troy, the soldiers emerged under the cover of night to lead an ambush on their unsuspecting Trojan foes. Today, when someone calls something “a Trojan horse,” they are referring to hidden strategy to take down … Continue reading The Trojan screen
How’d you get to be so wonderful?
There’s an old story about a father and his three-year-old daughter. The father asked her, “How did you get to be so wonderful?” Immediately she replied, “Because I married you!” The dad and daughter were obviously not married. The daughter was simply repeating what she had heard someone else say in response to the same … Continue reading How’d you get to be so wonderful?
I wish my dad were here
I wish my dad were here. He died in November 2014 after a short but difficult battle with cancer. I trust that he is in a much better place now than this problem-fraught earth, so it’s not like I wish he were back again dealing with worldly problems instead of enjoying heavenly awesomeness. What I … Continue reading I wish my dad were here
The best way to stand up for someone?
Sometimes standing up for someone is simpler than you think. Just take this advice from a 2-year old...
Supper’s ready!
I heard about a survey where Americans were asked what words they most liked to hear. Number 1 was “I love you.” No surprise there. Number 2 was “I forgive you.” Makes sense. Number 3 was a bit less predictable. But it totally makes sense… “Supper’s ready!” I wonder why so many people like to … Continue reading Supper’s ready!
