Meet Emily. My beautiful sister-in-law and beloved aunt to my three kids. For the past several months Emily has babysat for me every Friday morning. She does this so that I can serve a local Syrian refugee family. During these mornings I either work with "M" who is diagnosed with autism, play with "J" and … Continue reading Behind-The-Scenes Service: Unglamorous and Irreplaceable
Today, most of our newsfeeds will fill with Martin Luther King Jr. quotes. We'll celebrate his stand for racial justice, his pointed voice of wisdom, his peaceful stance in the midst of violent hate. But how many of us will question whether or not we would have been such enthusiastic supporters 50 years ago? We … Continue reading Dear White People: An Exhortation to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day Differently
I love my kids like crazy, but mothering is hard and my sins are many. I am prone to discouragement, and wallowing in my failures only leads to more of them. It is looking to Christ that fends off condemnation and gives the power to change. He is the hope-giver and the heart-changer for crappy … Continue reading Sometimes I’m a Really Crappy Mom
..."remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35 Do we remember these words? Or, more importantly, do we really believe them? So often, the snares, struggles, and sins we face in our Christian walk are related to unbelief. We have this … Continue reading Believing Jesus: Is it really more blessed to give than to receive?
I never read Kisses from Katie. I knew her general story from a friend who loved it, but I didn't get around to checking it out myself. I'll admit to being a little skeptical. How could a 23-year-old adopt 13 kids and actually function well as a mother? Perhaps this skepticism is one reason that … Continue reading Daring to Hope Book Review
I've never considered myself an overly-critical person. I typically think of overly-critical people as miserable, ungrateful, difficult to please, and always dissatisfied with the people in their life. I don't really fit that description. I'm pretty easy-going. I tend to like people and get along with them. I'm low-maintenance relationally. I make a practice of … Continue reading Criticism: Kill it or Make it Constructive
When you're in a situation like mine and live amidst the middle class and wealthy, it's easy to raise kids who lack compassion. Before you think this is some judgmental assumption or attack on their character, hear me out. They might be kind, but still lack compassion. They might be responsible and thoughtful, but still lack … Continue reading The Only Way to Have Compassionate Kids is to Expose Them to Suffering
