Have you ever been in the middle of singing or listening to a song when you suddenly thought, "Wait! What in the world does this mean?" I remember that moment when sitting in church singing this song: "Lord of harvest, send forth reapers! Hear us, Lord, to Thee we cry; Send them now the sheaves …
The only way out is through
Someone asked me again recently how I became deaf. I always feel slightly awkward answering the question because the answer is complicated. Also, how do I speak of such a traumatic thing so casually, as if I'm discussing the weather? The short version of the story is that I was born completely deaf in one …
God’s ways
A few weeks ago, Will and I drove our family to Kentucky to see my parents. I forgot just how good it felt to be home, where the smell of my mother's fresh whole wheat bread welcomed us and wrapped around us comfortingly. I walked through my mother's garden with her, enjoying her presence and …
Thoughts about deconstruction
Joshua Harris, the hugely successful author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, shook the evangelical world a few weeks ago when he announced he was deconstructing and leaving the Christian faith. Listening to the conversations regarding Harris (and others), I've realized that many people have misconceptions of what deconstruction actually is and how it fits into a …
Your turn
Dear friends, My mind is full of things to write about, but the words are stuck, not wanting to be released just yet. For something different today, I thought I would offer something to you: if you drop me a comment about something on your heart (or send an email if you don't want it …
A Short Post for Young Mothers
"Parenting is overwhelming," many young mothers have told me, uncertainty in their eyes and fatigue lining their faces. I get it. Our world has changed from the gentle parenting passed down from generations, where grandmothers and mothers worked together in the big job of raising little people. Now with the advent of social media and …
Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 2 of 2
Mostly I avoid getting involved in discussions about parenting, because opinions are a dime a dozen although dearly held and too often used to hurt people. Parenting is the hardest job I've ever done, and one that unfortunately receives more judgment than grace from many. However, recently a friend emailed me about a child-training boot-camp …
Continue reading Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 2 of 2
Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 1 of 2
As a teenager, I worked in an upscale nursing home. The facilities were modern, the work-load reasonable, and the patient care was excellent. I felt lucky to work in such a clean and well-run place. Yet my time there was marked by a very dark spot. One of my residents was a sweet elderly lady …
Continue reading Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 1 of 2
Stop talking about “moral failure.”
Some years ago, I was sitting in my car waiting to pull out of an icy parking lot, when I witnessed a scene I never forgot. A business man dressed in suit and tie and carrying a briefcase was importantly striding down the parking lot. At the wrong moment, his polished shoe thwacked on a …
Two Men
During my teenage years, my family often went across the mountain from where we lived to a place called Penn Valley Christian Retreat. Penn Valley hosted lots of seminars with topics ranging from finances to missions to Christians in healthcare. Being an inquisitive bunch, my siblings and I would take in seminars just because we …
